by Trish Rudder
The “Deck the Meters” project will begin the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday, November 24 and will be overseen by the Town of Bath instead of the local Chamber of Commerce.
At the November 7 Bath Town Council meeting, Mayor Scott Merki said the Chamber turned the Deck the Meters project over to the town.
Councilwoman Mary Lynn Hickey and Mayor Scott Merki said they were appreciative of the Chamber for their help in making the change a smooth transition.
“We wanted to keep it going,” Merki said.
Hickey said the meters will be decorated for a five-week period instead of six as it was in the past. Merki had said he wanted the decorations up for two weeks only.
The decorations must be removed by Friday, December 29. There will be free parking all five weeks, Hickey said.
To prevent damage to the meters, Hickey said the meter heads will not be covered.
Councilwoman Rebecca MacLeod, who chairs the Public Works Department, said the fully decorated meters cause condensation damage and was expensive to repair.
As in the past, Travel Berkeley Springs (TBS) is donating $1,500 to help defray the cost of lost revenue.
According to the town website, applications are available at Town Hall, 271 North Wilkes Street, online at Townofbath.org. or email deckthemeters@gmail.com.
In other holiday planning, Bath council approved a student art display as part
of the downtown Christmas celebration.
Handmade holiday ornaments by the Widmyer Elementary School students will adorn the trees on both sides of the first block of North Washington Street this year.
At the November 7 Town of Bath meeting, Bath Christmas Project member, Jean Dick received permission to allow the students to hang their ornaments on the trees on the west side of N. Washington St.
The students have adorned the trees on the east side of North Washington St. in front of the courthouse for the past four years.
The trees are in planter beds on the west side of the street across from the Morgan County Courthouse, and the council cautioned Dick in her request.
Permission was granted but they are not allowed to step in the beds to hang the ornaments, the council said.
“Step outside the beds,” Councilwoman Rebecca MacLeod said.
The Widmyer ornaments will go up over the Thanksgiving break, Dick said in her request.