David Abner

Councilman David Crosby proposed that Town of Bath buy a new garbage truck and increase garbage pickup rates by 10% to help pay for it.

Crosby, who chairs the town's Finance Committee, made the proposals at the September 18 meeting of the Bath Town Council.

A letter from Paul A. Mattox, Jr., West Virginia State Secretary of Transportation and Commissioner of Highways, has been received by the Bath Streetscape Committee allowing the committee to proceed with their plans in regard to the $200,000 Transportation Enhancement Program grant.

The committee plans include installing sidewalks, curbs, gutters and lighting along Wilkes Street between Fairfax Street and Route 9 west and on Independence and Congress Streets between Wilkes and Washington streets.

Area baseball players who played during the 1950s through 1970s will gather 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, September 23 at Warm Springs Intermediate School to honor legendary player and coach Tex Hessler.

Tex Hessler & Friends Day will be a rare opportunity to share memorabilia, pictures and memories with Hessler and friends. Attendees are encouraged to take pictures, old uniforms, hats, equipment and stories about their baseball experiences. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

Berkeley Springs resident Tom Hall has invented a device called The Eliminator that removes rotten egg smell and iron from well water.

Governor Joe Manchin wasted little time christening the new wobble trap shooting range on Mountain Road in Cacapon State Park. Manchin loaded a shotgun provided by the park for the occasion with a 12 gauge shell, took aim, yelled "Pull!" and as the clay target was swiftly flying Frisbee-like through the air, managed to blast it to smithereens with his first shot.

"This is something I enjoy!" Manchin said.

Bath Town Recorder Garnet Marsh is resigning her post as of September 30. Mayor Susan Webster announced Marsh's resignation at the Tuesday, September 4 council meeting. Marsh did not attend the meeting.

Marsh is leaving the council because she is moving to a home outside of town. Only residents of the Town of Bath may serve on council.

Two suspended for vandalism at Berkeley Springs High SchoolTwo female Berkeley Springs High School students were suspended Monday, September 10 for vandalizing school property.

According to Chief Deputy Vince Shambaugh, criminal charges of destruction of property and conspiracy are pending. Deputy Kevin Barney, the school's Prevention Resource Officer, said he is investigating three other persons of interest in the case.

A plan by Town of Bath Police to help build a shooting range surfaced when Chief James Minton asked the council to pay $146 for lumber to build target frames at the August 21 meeting of the Bath Town Council.

Minton said the shooting range was being constructed on property owned by Bob Ford along Sir Johns Run Road.

Streetscape grant, Streetscape committee and Streetscape project are terms that have been printed in the Morgan Messenger on numerous occasions. Some readers have wondered what the word Streetscape means and how the Streetscape project will affect the community?

"Streetscape is kind of a misnomer because the rules for the grant prohibit using the grant money to fix or pave streets," said Town Recorder and Chair of the Streetscape Committee Garnet Marsh.

The CSX Railroad has begun construction of a $58,000 chain link fence around the 3.37-acre lot they own behind the train depot at Williams and Washing-ton Streets in Berkeley Springs.

County Administrator Bill Clark said CSX has hired a company to do an environmental study of the site as a prelude to a soil reclamation project. CSX must make the property environmentally safe before the property can be used or sold.