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123 NO. 48 CHARLES TOWN (Jefferson County), WEST VIRGINIA 25414 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1988 28 PAGES -- PER COPY 25 €'
C,00unty Schools' Chief
announces Retirement
State's Early Retirement Offer Prompts
Frazier, 55, To End Career in Education
ial Farms Honored
of Agriculture Wilmer Mizeli,
sign and certificate to Mrs. John
and Samuel Walter Washington,
home and farm, "Harewood", as a
Looking on at left at the recognition
is West Virginia Agricultdre Corn-
• Mizell, also known as "Vinegar
Bend" when he was a professional pitcher with the St.
Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, also presen-
ted four additional farms with the same honor, including
Greystone Farm, Kitty Fry Farm, the Bessie Hendricks
Farm and the E.V. Link Farm. Photos of the owners i
of the latter four farms will be published in next week's
edition of The Spirit.
Million Bonding
Eyed by'Board
er 12 Meeting Action Expected
(
' Board of
December
session, it is
a bond call for
COver costs of
ion pins
miditions to every
revised sum-
t of carrying out
projects
meeting. The
Helbing Lipp
eStimate for the
but
past
the total
and relocating
areas, teachers
, and rest
enlarged stu-
s courts
at $2360,000. This
does not include improvements to the
heating and air conditioning systems
at the school.
The most costly project will be the
construction of a new 500 student
elementary school, presently schedul-
ed for the Bardane area, at a eo&t of
$5,305,813.
Other expenditures include $770,443
at Harpers Ferry Junior High (not in-
cluding the cost of new exterior,
energy efficimt windows); Shephe
stown Junior High, $756,148; Charles
Town Junior High, $1,351,!47; Blue
Ridge Elementary, $1,46011; North
Jefferson Elementary, $811,394; Page
Jackson Elementary, $270,825; Ran-
son Elementary, $374,440; Shepherd-
stown Elementary, $336,171; C. W.
Shipley Elementary, $559,717; South
Jefferson Elementary, $551,5667; and
Wright Denny Intermediate, $479,838.
Included in the overall expenditure
of $18 million is $2,011,586 for" fur-
nishings and fees.
ited Way Update
$173,000
$150,000
$100,000
00$92,228
rresent plans call for a special elec-
tion on Saturday, February 11. At that
time, Jefferson County voters will
decide whether or not to approve the
bend issue proposed by the board of
education..
Passage of the measure requires on-
ly a simple majority, fifty percent pins
one. What it will add to the annual tax-
payers bill has not yet been figured,
but will be in the bond call scheduled
for adoption within the next two weeks.
Plans for this overall construction
and improvement program have been
several years in the making. The
school board delayed setting a referen-
dum date until after the November
general election when a state amend-
merit to the constitution, which would
have permitted school boards to seek
bond issues tied to 10 percent of pro-
petty valuations, was offered.
The proposal was defeated, and the
admissable percentage of bonding re-
mains at 5 percent.
Final Bypass
Bid Okayed
The final contract for construction
of the U.S. Route 340 Charles Town
bypass has been awarded to H.J.
Schneider Construction, Inc., Evans
City, Pa., on its successful bid of
$9,261,347.
"I'ne announcement by West WLrginia
Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr., covers
the "middle" section of the bypass, a
1.73 mile stretch that includes grading,
drainage, paving, signing, and guar-
drail, plus construction of an overpass
at the intersection of West Virginia
Route 9 and Route 340.
Construction of the final section of
the eight mile bypass is scheduled for
completion in the fall of 1990.
$50.000
Weather
The extended forecast for the period
• flmrsday through Saturday. MosUy
cloudy am Thursday with a chance of
snow near the mountains and rain
elsewhere. Highs 35 to 45. Friday part-
ly cloudy and cold with highs 35 to 45.
Satsdlay partly sunny and warmer
wlb hlghs 45 to SO. Nighttlme lows dmr.
ing the period should range from 25 to
30.
Raymond H. Frazier, Jr.,
superintendent of schools in Jefferson
County since 1977, Monday evening
tendered a letter of retirement to the
board of education, effective July 1,
1989.
The action, according to the 55-year-
old Frazier, was prompted by the
state's early retirement program
which offered benefits he "could not
turn down."
The move may be only one of the
first to affect administrative and
teaching personnel in the county. At
least five members of the central of-
rice are said to plan submitting their
retirement papers at the next meeting
of the board December 12.
At least one secondary principal,
Mrs. Mary Doakes, has already ask-
ed for early retirement in a letter ad-
dressed to the beard.
All school personnel seeking early
retirement must submit their intention
to the school board not later than the
end of December. :
They do not, however, have to leave
their particular posts until July 1, 1989.
The early retirement program of-
fered special incentives to persons at
or near the retirement level. It was
Park Service
Asks Meeting
The Jefferson County Commission
has agreed to meet with members of
Congress and representatives of the
. Na "tiqaal Park Service to discuss the
u'b status of a 600 acre area adja-
cent to Harpers Ferry National
Historical Park currently n'bed as
the "Bolivar Battlefield."
The meeting is scheduled to be held
Friday, December 9, at 10 a.m. in
Harpers Ferry. Members of both the
House of Representatives and the U.S.
Senate are scheduled to attend, accor-
ding to National Park Service
representatives.
The park service has shown interest
in possibly acquiring the land and
earlier had requested that it be rezon-
ed from a growth area to rural-
agriculture to protect it from develop-
ment in the future and leave it
unscathed for park usage.
adopted, according to legislative
sources, in order to reduce the work
force in education and among public"
employees, and already many in both
categories have taken retirement.
Frazier, a native of Jefferson Coun-
ty, received his education at Shepherd
College and West Virginia University.
He earned his master's degree and a
superintendent's certificate at WVU.
His first post was as a teacher at
Shepherdstown High School in 1959,
followed by a year at WVU; another
teaching post at Harpers Ferry High
from 1961 to 1968; and a three-year
stint as principal of the school before
accepting the position of assistant to
then Superintendent Ted A. Lowery in
1971. He became superintendent in
1977.
Married and the father of three
children, Frazier said he has no firm
plans for future activities at the pre-
sent time.
While taking advantage of the ear-
ly retirement, Frazier was quick to
say that the idea may not accomplish
its objectives, that it may tend to drain
the educational system of experienc-
ed teachers and administrators, and
could, sometime in the future, en-
danger even further a shaky teachers
pension fund.
In other business Monday, Sarah
Raymond Frazier, Jr.
Kline, Paul Kirk, Barbara Porterfield
and Susan Chilton were approved as
substitute teachers, and Patricia A.
Zigler was granted a leave of absence
as learning disabilities teacher at
Harpers Ferry Junior High.
In supporting services, Debra Kay
Longerbeam was employed as an ac-
countant in the finance office, effective
November 29.
Faces Murder Charge
First arraigned before Magistrate
Patsy Noland, Holmes was remanded
to jail withota bond. Magistrates can-
not set bond in capital offense cases.
Later, Holmes' attorney asked C-
cur Judge Thomas W. Steptoe, Jr., to
set bond. Based on an apparent agree-
ment between the attorney, Robert
Skinner, appointed to represent
Holmes, and the prosecuting attorney,
Michael Thompson, Judge Steptoe set
bond at $10,o00 for Holmes'
preliminary hearing today.
There appeared to have been bad
blood between the two men for some
period of time, apparently revolving
around an argument over dogs runn-
ing loose. In February, Ott charged
• Holmes with battery and Holmes,
pleading guilty, was fined $100 and
costs in Magistrate Charles Cheezum's
court.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled
for 11 o'clock this €Thursday) morn-
ing in Jefferson County Magistrate
Court for Johnny Carson Hoimes, 27,
charged with the murder of 32-year-old
Stephen Craig Ott, his next door
neighbor.
The shooting occurred Sunday even-
ing at the Holmes residence.
According to State Police reports,
Holmes was showering, and when he
entered the living area of his home he
encountered Ott. A fist fight ensued,
then Ho]mesmanaged to obtain a load-
ed, double-barrel 12 guage shotgun. He
fired one shot, the blast striking Ott in
the face and killing him instantly.
Holmes then called State Police, ac-
cording to Trooper Sid Sponaugle, who
found Holmes awaiting him at the
residence. Sponaugle described
Holmes as "very cooperative."
NI PA.PE
IN OI:FIC
Hailtown Pledges Nearly Doubled
Officials at Halltown Paperboard Company are quite Shown at the Halltown Paperboard offices, from left,
pleased with the work force response to the United Way are Joe Hardy, office manager at the firm; Debl Cooper,
call in 1988, with contrlbntinns being made by over SO personnel clerk; Jamle Ahalt, production secretary;
percent of the employees and representing overall a and Ed Lee Pine, who chairs the Industrial Division of,
nenr.doubllng of last year's effort. . the United Way of Jefferson County.
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