Westminster High School

Saying the county Board of Education's $38 million estimate for a new Westminster high school is "out of whack," the county commissioners yesterday voted unanimously to put a $30 million spending limit on the project.The move is likely to force the school board to rethink its plans for the 1,200-student school, possibly eliminating a football stadium, commissioners said. Athletic teams would then need to share Westminster High School's stadium until more money becomes available."A $30 million school ought to be pretty nice.

The retrial of two men accused of causing the death of a Mount Airy Middle School teacher last June by racing along Route 140 is to continue tomorrow in Carroll County Circuit Court.In opening statements Friday, a prosecutor said Frederick H. Hensen Jr. and Scott D. Broadfoot Sr. are guilty of automobile manslaughter and second-degree assault even though they weren't driving the car that struck and killed Geraldine "Geri" Lane Wu of Westminster."What was intentional was the racing a high-speed chase, a race, a game -- call it what you will," said David P. Daggett, an assistant state's attorney.

50 years ago: The invitations sent by the Westminster Chamber of Commerce that Millard E. Tydings would make an address in the Westminster High School auditorium on April 8 drew an audience of more than 500. He mentioned that the Marshall Plan and the Atlantic Pact is something that will help prevent war, if anything does. The binding of these nations will make a hostile country think before it strikes. -- Democratic Advocate, April 15, 1949.75 years ago: The annual meeting of the Carroll County Society of Baltimore was held April 10. A collection of valuable historical records, incident to the formation of Carroll County, was presented to the society by Edwin Wilmer Shriver, formerly of Westminster.

The death of a 20-year-old man, whose body was discovered at his Westminster home Tuesday evening, is being investigated as suspicious, authorities said yesterday.The body of Michael DiPinto of the first block of Westmoreland St. was found by a family member about 7 p.m., said Capt. Dean Brewer, a Westminster police spokesman.The body was taken to Baltimore, where an autopsy will be performed, Brewer said."We might have a preliminary finding from the medical examiner in a day or two, but results from toxicology tests could take much longer," he said.

AS YOU GLANCE over the sea of mortar boards and flowing gowns at graduations, do you ever try to imagine what really runs through the students' minds as they wait to cross the stage?I suspect that as the 537 Westminster High School graduates listened to National Honor Society President Andrea Drzewiankowski, Class President Amanda Kuhl, and Jodi Alison Martin, president of the student senate, bid them farewell during Saturday's ceremony at Western Maryland College, some were focusing on the speeches and appreciating the highlights of their high school years.

Carroll County educators will make their case today for a new Westminster high school before a statewide panel that decides which construction projects receive state money.The county is seeking state endorsement for the school, which would all but guarantee a large chunk of state construction money. The state didn't endorse the school in its first round of consideration, in part because of questions about whether the county needs the facility to relieve crowding in the Westminster area.The high school project is the county's priority among seven Carroll projects before the Interagency Committee for State Public School Construction (IAC)

Charles E. Jackson Sr., 78, schoolteacher, photographerCharles E. "Buster" Jackson Sr., a retired educator who was active in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, died July 30 of a heart attack at his Northwest Baltimore home. He was 78.In 1982, he retired from Walbrook High School, where he had taught physical science, photography and driver education since 1975. He began his teaching career at Douglass High in 1950. Mr. Jackson also worked as a professional photographer, covering weddings and proms.

Looking to cut costs and stay on schedule, Carroll County school officials proposed yesterday four redesigns for a new Westminster high school, all of which call for a smaller campus and less practice space for athletic teams.The two least-expensive proposals would also eliminate classrooms and reduce enrollment capacity.School officials and their hired architects -- who presented sketches to the school board and county commissioners at a joint meeting -- were trying to meet a $30 million budget cap set by the commissioners last month.

A federal judge in Baltimore threw out yesterday a lawsuit by a group of Westminster High School students who have been barred from extracurricular activities as the result of a weekend party last month at another student's home where alcohol was consumed.The 16 students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, have been barred from sports teams, student government, the National Honor Society, chorus -- even Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD).They and their parents had sought a temporary court order lifting the ban and a permanent ruling that the school's action violated their constitutional rights.

After 14 months of planning and seven months of production, an anti-heroin video created by a group of concerned parents and students will be privately shown tonight at Western Maryland College. A public premiere is scheduled for next week at the senior center in Westminster.The private showing of "Heroin Kills" is for 125 invited guests, including the cast, production crew, sponsors and members of Residents Attacking Drugs. The grass-roots community group sprang up in Carroll County after Liam O'Hara, a 15-year-old Westminster High School student, died of an overdose in January last year.

Joseph H. Beaver Jr., a former teacher in the Carroll County public schools and later a banker, died Friday at home after a long illness, his family said. He was 75 and lived in Westminster. Born in Baltimore, Mr. Beaver attended Westminster High School and went on to earn degrees from what is now Towson University and Wittenberg University near Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Beaver taught English and coached soccer in the Carroll County school system from 1956 to 1962. He then joined Union National Bank as a branch manager and later became a vice president and board member.

The YMCA of Central Maryland is the newest owner of the old Westminster High School and a former inn and restaurant on South Center Street. With the recent purchase of the building that housed the Westminster Inn Bed & Breakfast and Maria's Restaurant, YMCA officials are looking to bring their family-oriented programs closer to downtown Westminster. "Our interest, when we became aware that there may be an opportunity with the building, is, it's an older building in the center of Westminster - it has character, history and location - it's very strategically located in the middle of Westminster," said Jeff Sprinkle, chief philanthropy officer for the YMCA of Central Maryland.

Ballet recital -- The Ballet Slipper of Westminster will hold its annual benefit spring recital, "With Love," at 7 p.m. Thursday and Saturday and 2 p.m. June 17 at Westminster High School, 1225 Washington Road. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for ages 12 and younger. Proceeds benefit the renovation of the Westminster library branch, where advance tickets are available. 410-386-4500, ext. 3196.

Matthew John Payne, a service estimator at a motorcycle dealership, died Friday in an automobile accident near his Woodstock home. He was 28. Born in Nashua, N.H., and raised in Westminster, he was a 1997 graduate of Westminster High School and earned an associate of arts degree from Catonsville Community College, where he trained in auto mechanics. He was a Boy Scout with Troop 321 in Westminster for six years and achieved the Order of the Arrow. He was a mechanic for Jeff Barnes Chevrolet, Heritage Chevrolet and Schaefer and Strohminger Chevrolet before moving to C&L Cycles in Eldersburg and Ellicott City Motor Sports.

A 15-year-old Westminster High School student was charged as a juvenile with second-degree assault after punching a fellow student between classes yesterday morning, Maryland State Police and school officials said. The victim, also 15, was taken to Johns Hopkins Children's Center "as a precaution," said Trooper A.J. Hall of the Maryland State Police. "Everything appears to be fine," said Hall, who spoke with the victim's father about her condition. The incident seemed to be part of an ongoing argument, apparently over a boy, Hall said.

In the Feb. 11 edition of the Carroll Sun, an article on the Carroll County Public Network should have stated that the video cameras in the county government complex are operated remotely at the Community Media Center, which is near Westminster High School.

CLARIFICATION In the Feb. 11 edition of the Carroll Sun, an article on the Carroll County Public Network should have stated that the video cameras in the county government complex are operated remotely at the Community Media Center, which is near Westminster High School. A long-awaited fiber-optic network to link Carroll County's public schools, government offices, community college and library system will save taxpayer money by connecting these agencies with technology that allows information to be shared and stored more efficiently, officials said.

A group of theater students at Westminster High School are taking The Twilight Zone into another dimension. Using their own keys of imagination, they have transferred that infamously eerie element of sound, sight and mind from the small screen to the stage. The Westminster students have taken on five episodes of the 1960s television series from their 21st-century perspectives, while also seeking a theatrical equivalent to the visual stunts of television. The resulting five plays, all directed by seniors, comprise this year's variation on the school's annual Odds & Evens production, which usually showcases one piece presented by freshmen and juniors, and another with sophomores and seniors.

Schools close for Thanksgiving Carroll County Public Schools will be closed tomorrow through Friday. Schools are closed tomorrow for parent conference day. Tuesday is a professional development day for high school teachers and parent conference day for elementary and middle schools. Information: 410-751-3020. Parents invited to safety seminar Parents of Winters Mill High School students are invited to attend a seminar on student safety and health at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the auditorium.

Education Fair is tomorrow The 29th annual Carroll County Continuing Education Fair will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow at Westminster High School, 1225 Washington Road. Participants can meet with representatives from more than 135 colleges and post-secondary training programs and attend three college preparation workshops through the evening. Workshops will be: 6:30 p.m., "The Community College Experience" by Candace Edwards, coordinator of admissions at Carroll Community College; 7:10 p.m., "The Nuts and Bolts of the Financial Aid Process" by Elli Geiman, associate director of financial aid at McDaniel College; and 8 p.m., "Tips and Tricks of the College Application Process -- What Do Colleges Look For?"