Helt, Everich, King elected to Mount Airy Town Council [Carroll County
Times - 5/7/12]
Mount Airy residents voted in two new council members
and one incumbent while ousting a 24-year member of
the council during Monday's election.
Council President Peter Helt, who was seeking
re-election, led all candidates with a total of 645
votes.
Chris Everich, appointed to the council in 2009-10
when another council member moved away, gathered 554
votes, while newcomer Bob King won the final seat with
526 votes.
Councilman David Pyatt, who has been on the council
since 1988, fell short in his re-election bid with 437
votes, while first time candidate Kristin Blais
finished with 295 votes.
Bruce Walz, board of elections chairman, announced the
vote totals during the council's monthly meeting. A
total of 907 votes were cast during the election,
which is about 15.5 percent of the town's 5,854
registered voters, Walz said...
Celtic fest coming to Mount Airy [Carroll County
Times - 5/4/12]
Cead mile failte. The Gaelic phrase means “a hundred
thousand welcomes” and that is what awaits folks
attending the Frederick Celtic Festival on May 12. The
St. Andrew’s Society of Mid-Maryland is hosting the
event, to be held this year at the Mount Airy fire
company carnival grounds.
The festival offers a full day of activities and
entertainment — some never before seen in Carroll
County. There will be pipers, dancers, Celtic dog
breeds, Scottish professional athletes, a British car
show and more...
Mount Airy family builds charitable pipeline to Africa [Frederick News Post
5/3/12]
Mount Airy and Africa are connected thanks to Rick
Smith and his family.
They are making Africa's needs their priority even
though an ocean separates them from people who depend
on their donations.
"Throughout Africa, the needs are great," Smith said.
That is why the family founded A Is for Africa, a
Mount Airy-based nonprofit dedicated to helping
children who live in undeveloped African villages...
APRIL 2012
Construction continues for
new Mount Airy Middle School [Carroll County Times - 4/27/12]
While there are many reasons why the principal of
Mount Airy Middle School is looking forward to having
his teachers and students in a new school soon, the
biggest will be simply having more space for them.
For years the school has been forced to use 10
portable classrooms, where more than a third of the
students have class, said Principal Karl Streaker.
“The biggest problem with the school as far as
facilities is overcrowding,” Streaker said. “[We’re
also] looking forward to being able to be in a 21st
century learning environment.”
Construction on the new middle school, which is being
built next to the current school along Watersville
Road, started last June and is scheduled to be
completed in August 2013, said Raymond Prokop,
director of facilities for the school system...
Marvin Chapel raises money following fire [The Gazette -
4/27/12]
When lightning struck the steeple of Mount Airy’s
Marvin United Methodist Chapel on July 3, 2011, the 30
parishioners were dealt another blow — the foundation
of the 124-year-old church was crumbling. The fire
caused $374,000 in damage to the structure and
contents, with most of the damage confined to the roof
of the sanctuary.
Insurance covered the $374,000 in damages to the
sanctuary caused by the fire. However, the church
needs an additional $50,000 to cover the repairs to
the log foundation. It’s an added expense not caused
by the fire. “We’ve been able to raise about $20,000
of that,” Pastor Earl Mason said. “We’re still trying
to raise the rest. But we’re a little country church
with a small congregation, and there were a lot more
expenses.”
To raise additional funds, the church is staging a
concert on May 19 at Linganore High School, 12013 Old
Annapolis Road, Frederick. The concert will feature
the Knight Brothers, a family gospel group that has
been singing together since they were children...
Theft from vehicles reported in Urbana, Mount Airy [Frederick News Post
4/27/12]
Authorities are searching for three suspects linked to
thefts in Urbana and Mount Airy, according a news
release from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.
The suspects are stealing purses, wallets, credit
cards and small electronics from vehicles parked in
residential areas overnight. In most cases, forced
entry was made through windows between 11 p.m. and 4
a.m., the sheriff’s office said.
Thefts were reported in Urbana Highlands, Fairways at
Holly Hills, The Greens, Hunting Hills, Woodspring,
Rosswood Estates, Samhill Estates, Manorwood and Loch
Haven...
Thank you and goodbye [Frederick News Post
4/16/12]
Letter from Councilwoman Wendi Peters
I am very honored to have served the citizens of Mount
Airy for the last eight years. I am grateful for the
opportunity to have worked for the people solving
problems and enhancing and preserving our quality of
life. I would like to thank the mayors, councilmen,
staff and volunteers with whom I have worked over the
last 22 years, both as a volunteer and as a
councilwoman...
Carroll County Times 4/14/12
Mount Airy hosting annual chili cook off on Saturday
[Carroll County Times - 4/13/12]
Too watery. Too thick. Good meat flavor. Good after
burn. Too sweet. Nice spices. Needs more spices.
The judges’ comments from last year’s Mount Airy Main
Street Heat Chili Cook-off show that the annual
competition isn’t taken lightly. More than 30 cooks
will compete Saturday for the titles of best red
chili, green chili and salsa...
Mount Airy switches to electronic voting [Frederick News Post
4/13/12]
Fifteen minutes.
If everything goes as planned, that is how fast
election ballots will be counted in Mount Airy this
year. For decades, counting election ballots by hand
kept poll workers busy until 1 a.m., but this year on
May 7 results are expected to be tallied in just 15
minutes, according to Town Clerk Debbie Parker
Brennan...
Mount Airy church breaks ground on new building [The Gazette -
4/12/12]
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church of Mount Airy will
hold a ceremony Sunday in honor of the official
groundbreaking of a new church building. The event
will be held at noon at 609 Center St., behind Watkins
Park in Mount Airy. Light lunch and refreshments will
be served.
Nonprofit to hold veterans' retreat in Mount Airy
[Carroll County Times - 4/9/12]
Gaia Healing Center, 8002 B Dolly Hyde Road, Mount
Airy
Many veterans returning home from war often get asked
the same first question from family and friends,
according to Dave Shepardson.
“Family members always ask vets what their time in the
war was like,” Shepardson, who served in the Navy,
said. “But when they start talking, a lot of times
they see the looks of horror on their family members’
faces so they stop talking.”
To give veterans an opportunity to tell their stories
to people who won’t judge, Vets Journey Home, a
nonprofit, holds weekend retreats to get vets together
to share their experiences...
www.vetsjourneyhome.org,
www.gaiahealing.com
A cosmetic calling. Breast cancer survivor ‘walks the
walk’ for new business [Frederick News Post
4/8/12]
Theresa Pstrak said she knew she was taking a risk
opening a new business during an economic recession
and while having two kids enrolled in college.
Her purpose, however, for opening the doors to
Beautiful Faces Permanent Makeup Salon in Mount Airy
took precedence over the amount of money and effort it
would take to get the shop up and running...
Mount Airy residents may see lower water, sewer rates [Frederick News Post
4/5/12]
Fuel prices are up, but water rates could go down for
some Mount Airy residents.
If approved by the Town Council, water and sewer rates
will change in July, according to the Mount Airy Water
and Sewer Commission...
Mount Airy works together to save money [The Gazette -
3/29/12]
Letter from Mayor Patrick Rockinberg
Mount Airy has a long and proud tradition in our
resident state trooper program. You'd find few in town
that do not consider [our] former supervisor as having
served our community to the utmost, and doing a
fantastic job filling those big shoes for us today is
Sgt. Dan Pickett. We have maintained this program as
our local police force even when others have not.
Town leaders are faced with many challenges, but the
budgets of the last few years have been the most
challenging in decades. In the face of substantial
cost increases in the Maryland State Police Resident
Trooper Program, it was our fiduciary responsibility
to the residents to review options, make improvements
and ensure our citizens always get the best value for
their hard earned tax dollar...
Mount Airy examines whether to move away from resident
trooper program [The Gazette -
3/20/12]
Town considers forming own police force
When Mount Airy officials learned they might have to
pay more for the town’s resident Maryland State Police
troopers, the council began to study its law
enforcement options. The town could keep its 4.5
resident troopers or abolish the program and form its
own police force. The town also could partner with the
sheriff’s departments in Frederick and Carroll
counties.
The discussion stems from initial estimates from state
police projecting that the cost of maintaining the
resident troopers could increase by at least $80,000
per year over the next several years...
Man taken to Shock Trauma after assault in Mount Airy
[Carroll County Times - 3/12/12]
A man is being taken to the University of Maryland
Shock Trauma Center after being assaulted at the
McDonald's in Mount Airy Monday morning.
Maryland State Police troopers are on the scene
investigating the incident, said Lt. Jim DeWees,
commander of the Westminster barrack...
He has an app for that: Mount Airy teacher develops
eNotebook (TM) [The Gazette -
3/8/12]
Mount Airy math teacher develops classroom note-taking
tool
Liberty High School math teacher Kevin Giffhorn always
has been an advocate for technology in the classroom —
as far back as the mid-1990s, when he discovered
up-and-coming Microsoft PowerPoint.
More than 15 years later, Giffhorn of Mount Airy is
ready to take education to the next level with the
launch of eNotebook (TM), a iPad application that
enables students to download documents from class and
write their own notes on them.
“I would love to see it taking the lead and shifting
the 1950s paper-based classroom, into the 21st century
digital classroom,” said Giffhorn, who also serves as
an adjunct professor at McDaniel College in
Westminster...
Five Nominated For Mount Airy Council [Want 2
Dish 2/17/12]
The Mount Airy political season began on Monday, Feb.
13. A residents’ meeting was held for the purpose of
accepting nominations of candidates for the three
council positions up for grabs. Five candidates were
nominated and will be vying for those positions from
now until election day, Monday, May 7.
Incumbents Dave Pyatt and Peter Helt will seek
re-election. Newcomers are Bob King and Kristin Blais.
Somewhere in the middle is candidate Chris Everich,
who was appointed to the council and served for a
short time in 2009, and then lost to David Blais and
Scott Strong in the 2010 election...
Bickering leads Mount Airy residents to seek office [The Gazette -
2/14/12]
The five Mount Airy residents who accepted nominations
to run for the Mount Airy Town Council on Monday say
they hope to restore order to a board that has been
lacking.
"There's no civility," said candidate Bob King. "The
verbal attacks need to stop."
King, chairman of Mount Airy's Board of Parks and
Recreation, is one of two newcomers vying for one of
three open seats on the five-member council. Kristin
Blais, whose husband is a member of the council, also
is running. Chris Everich, who lost a bid to keep his
seat on the council in 2010, is making another run,
and Council President Peter Helt and Councilman David
Pyatt are seeking re-election.
Council members serve four-year terms and are paid
$4,000 each year. The election is May 7...
Five to run for Mount Airy Town Council
[Carroll County Times - 2/13/12]
Two of the three Mount Airy Town Council members whose
terms are set to expire in May will seek re-election,
while three additional residents will challenge them
for the three spots on the council.
Council President Peter Helt and Councilman David
Pyatt accepted nominations at Monday night's
nomination meeting. Councilwoman Wendi Peters will not
seek re-election.
Chris Everich, who has been a council member before,
Bob King, current chairman of the town's parks and
recreation committee and Kristin Blais, wife of
current councilman David Blais, also accepted
nominations at the meeting... The election will be
held May 7 and the last day to register is vote is
March 13.
DISCLAIMERS
Links to external websites:
External links are selected and reviewed when they are first posted. However,
the owner of this site is not responsible for the content of external websites -
or for subsequent changes to those pages, or for comments added to those pages
by third parties.
Users of this site are warned that some external links may include adult
language (YouTube, for example).
The inclusion of a link to an external website from this page should not be
understood to be an endorsement of that website or the site's owners, their
opinions, or their
products and services.
The editorial content of this site is independent of all
supporters/advertisers.
