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Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry Harpers Ferry Community Community Community NewsletterNewsletterNewsletter
IN THIS ISSUE
Page 2 Town Hall Calendar, Water Works, etc.
Page 3 Announcements
Page 4 Meet the (rest of the) candidates
Pgs. 5-6 Events
Page 7 Blast from the Past
April 2017 Volume 14 Issue 3
Join the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Town Alliance of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar during the third annual
Flip Flop Festival to celebrate Earth Day and the new movement of the “flip flop thru-hikes.” This event will be held
April 22, 9 am - 5 pm, and April 23, 7 am - 3 pm. The Flip Flop Festival, which
recognizes hikers’ attempts to walk all 2,190 miles of the Trail by beginning at its
ceremonial midpoint, celebrates the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and our region’s outdoors
and history. Activities will begin Saturday morning with a festival at the Odd Fellows
Lodge and adjacent Park grounds, Fillmore Street. There will be music, food, vendors,
outdoor activities, and workshops on hiking, bicycling, and other ways to enjoy nature
in and around Harpers Ferry. Admission is free.
At 7 pm, Saturday, thru-hiker/author Derrick Lugo, aka Mr. Fabulous, will share
pictures and stories from his 2100-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. This event will
take place at the Light Horse Inn Barn.
Help send off some of our 2017 crop of Flip Flop hikers at a
pancake breakfast Sunday morning, April 23, 7-9 am at Camp Hill-Wesley Methodist Church.
Workshops and guided hikes will continue throughout the day. Outdoor Recreation and History
workshops will be held from 11 am-3 pm and an African-American History Hike from 1 pm - 3
pm.
Follow complete details of the weekend’s activities at www.appalachiantrail.org/flipflop or by following us on Facebook.
FLIP FLOP FESTIVAL
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park to Host a Hike at Murphy-Chambers Farm
April 24, 2017
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park invites the public to participate in a special hike of
the Murphy-Chambers Farm on Monday, April 24, 2017 at 11:00 am. This 60 minute
program will offer a brief history of the site along with breathtaking scenery and the
unique perspective of a park archaeologist. Participants should pay the National Park
Service entrance fee at the Park Entrance Station and park at the Murphy-Chambers
Farm parking lot. For additional information, please call 304-535-6188.
2
Town Calendar All meetings are at Town Hall, unless noted otherwise.
Apr. 17 Trail and Town Alliance meeting, 5 pm
Apr. 17 Historic Landmarks Commission, 7 pm
Apr. 18 Special Town Council Budget Committee meeting, 6:30 pm
Apr. 18 Planning Commission meeting, 7 pm
Apr. 19 Water Commission meeting, 7 pm
Apr. 27 Public Hearing on proposed Promontory Overlay District, 7 pm
Apr. 29 Arbor Day celebration (corner of Fillmore and Zachary
Taylor streets) 12 pm
May 3 Municipal court, 7 pm
May 8 Town Council meeting, 7 pm
OFFICE STAFF 304 535-2206
Financial Officer Barri Avallone Ext. 3
Town Clerk Nancy Cummins Ext. 2
Water Clerk Angie Cummings Ext. 1
Ordinance Compliance Officer Kevin Hamilton
Police Clerk Susan Waters 304 535-6366
Did you know?
If you move to Harpers Ferry or Bolivar and want to start water service, you must apply
for new water service and new sewer service for each and pay a deposit for each.
When you get ready to move out, you must fill out a Termination Form, giving the
effective date, so that the Water Dept. can read your meter, shut it off and send you a final
bill.
The New Water Service, New Sewer Service and Termination Forms are
downloadable on the town website under the Water Dept. tab. They are also
available at Town Hall.
Communicating with the Mayor or Council
Mayor Greg Vaughn [email protected]
Recorder Kevin Carden [email protected]
Council Betsy Bainbridge [email protected]
Members Jerry Hutton [email protected]
Hardy Johnson [email protected]
Charlotte Thompson [email protected]
Helen “Hap” Becker [email protected]
Water Dept. Phone: 304-535-2206 ext. 1 [email protected]
HARPERS FERRY WATER WORKS
How to pay your water/sewer bill:
Monday- Friday 8-noon: The window at the Police Office at Town Hall will be open. As of May,
the Police Dept. will no longer be accepting water payments. Payments
may also be paid at Town Hall office T-TH, 9 am - noon. AS OF JULY 1,
WE WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTING CASH.
Other times: Call 304-535-2206 Ext. 1 to make an appointment to see the Water Clerk.
7 days a week: Leave payment with stub in the slotted box on the Police Dept. door or the
Town Hall door at the east end of the Town Hall.
Mail your payment: HF Water Works, PO Box 217, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
Pay online: Go to https://harpersferrywv.epayub.com.
NOTICE:
Water Works is
replacing broken
meter lids. If you
have one that is
damaged, please call
(304) 535-6555 and a
water operator will
replace it.
3
Parking Permits
Complete information regarding Harpers Ferry Parking Permits for residents, businesses and non-
profits located on Washington Street; residents on all side streets; residents’ guests (two per
household); and B & Bs and short-term rentals on all side streets in upper town, as well as the process
for obtaining them, may be found on the Corporation of Harpers Ferry website: http://
www.harpersferrywv.us/
Town Hall will be open Tuesdays-Thursdays, 9 am-12 noon, for residents and businesses to obtain parking permits. If
you cannot come in during those hours, please call Town Hall at (304) 535-2206 ext. 1 or 2 to arrange an appointment
at your convenience. When applying for one or more parking permits, a current, valid, legal form of identification such as a driver’s license
or passport, is required. Proof of ownership of each vehicle (registration) for which a permit is sought must also be
provided. If the address shown on the form of identification is not within the Corporation of Harpers Ferry, an
additional form of identification is required to prove residency within the Corporation (water/sewer bill, electric bill,
etc.). Parking permits are registered to a specific vehicle. No permit will be issued for any vehicle with the name of a
business, service, etc. unless the business has a physical address and registered business license within the Corporation
of Harpers Ferry. Each permit issued is to be affixed in the top left of the front windshield (viewed from inside the
car). HFPD will enforce the parking permits.
Parking for special occasions such as weddings, club meetings, funerals, etc., in areas where there is no or little parking,
may be pre-arranged by contacting the Harpers Ferry Police Department.
TOWN COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
VACANCIES
There are multiple vacancies for the below Commission, Committee and Board. Please consider serving on one of
these. Our success as a community depends on citizen volunteers.
1. Planning Commission - multiple vacancies
2. Cultural Arts and Recreation Committee - multiple vacancies
3. Library Board of Directors
Please submit a short resume to the Town Clerk (Nancy Cummins) at Town Hall by April 28, 2017. If you have any
questions, feel free to contact Nancy at 304-535-2206, ext. 2.
4
Candidate for Town Council - Robert Case
Robert is a documentary film director and director of photography who works regularly for
National Geographic, the Smithsonian, and the Discovery and History Channels.
The son of European immigrants – Italian father and German mother – Rob grew up listening to
stories of the histories of Europe and the world.
His father’s Army career took Rob to places steeped in American history. Living where OUR
history was made and learning what made those places hallowed made a lasting impression and
led to the choice of Rob’s passions and career.
In October 2015 Rob and his wife left the growing “meanness” of Capitol Hill and bought a little
1920 Foursquare house on East Ridge Street. The house is GREAT but the people they’ve met are greater – reminiscent of
days when neighbors were “neighborly” not people who just live next door… until you attend a Town Council meeting.
It goes without saying that “government” is NOT supposed to work like it does here. There should be NO fence dividing
“sides.” Stifled communication and wailing and gnashed teeth have not solved the town’s problems. The logjam will not be
broken until a new, unbiased group of leaders step up and serve because, “Bad things happen when good people do nothing.”
With no “pre-existing conditions” Rob decided to run, not for what HE wants but for what WE need.
THIS IS YOUR TOWN. Town Hall will again be open to the citizens under my
administration. Dialogue will again be allowed at town meetings and resident concerns
addressed.
We owe our Police and Fire departments support. I will rebuild these and provide the
resources needed to those who put their lives on the line for us.
We have seen new crime in our community. We need to reopen communications with
Bolivar to make both towns safer. We will put back the police protection to keep our
community safe.
I will maintain a stronger relationship with The National Park Service.
Harpers Ferry must retain ownership and access to all of its Public Land. Seasonal community events and programs will be the
norm. Trails/walking paths will be completed.
Your infrastructure improvements have been ignored and your rates are exploding. Common sense business practices will be
implemented.
This new parking system with $50 tickets is too complicated and punitive for our small town.
VP of a commercial construction firm, Wayne Bishop has served the Harpers Ferry community for 29 years: Chairman of
Planning, Water, Parks and Recreation Commissions, and Police Commissioner. He’s a proponent of children’s programs and
wellness checks for the elderly.
Mayoral Candidate - Wayne Bishop
Meet the Candidates
Last month’s newsletter featured most candidates running in the upcoming town election, however it did not
include the following candidates’ statements. Next month’s publication will feature all the candidates’
biographies again.
5
THE ENEMY AMONG US: THE WAR OF 1812
On Saturday and Sunday, April 22 and 23, 2017 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Harpers
Ferry National Historical Park invites the public to experience a living history event at
the town’s oldest structure, the Harper House, which was a recruitment station during the
War of 1812.
The structure was run as Williamson Tavern and it was a place where military
recruitment was conducted by the 12th Regiment in an attempt to stop the British
Invasion. The Tavern, built by Robert Harper in 1782, was run by Basil and his young wife Margaret, a Harper
descendant who encouraged sixty thirsty Armory workers to enlist and defend hearth and home. Margaret and her
family were politically and financially powerful within the growing industrial town. But with the advance of the
British forces, her family lived in fear of slave insurrection and a possible British attack on the federal armory. Contact: Melinda Day, 304-535-6063
Half Marathon Come out May 13, 2017 for the 8th Annual Harpers Ferry Half Marathon & 5K and
Mile Kids Fun Run.
The Half Marathon is a challenging and hilly course covering the expanse of
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and the Civil War era towns connecting
them. Enjoy expansive views of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, a loop through Harpers Ferry National
Historical Park School House Ridge South, Murphy Farm, Lower Town Harpers Ferry, John Brown's Fort,
Bolivar, Storer College, and the homes taking you back to the 1860's .
The 5K event is a mix of trail and includes a loop of the School House Ridge South portion of the Harpers
Ferry National Park.
The Kids Event will be on site at River Riders and School House Ridge South.
The Harpers Ferry Half Marathon & 5K is a part of the Freedom's Run race series. Proceeds from these races
are put into the Freedom's Run Grant, where worthwhile non-profits are given the opportunity to have
wonderful health focused projects funded, such as trail systems installed at the schools.
To further encourage the mission of health and wellness, all youth 17 and under can run the 5K free!
Not a runner? Volunteer or cheer on runners along the course and enjoy this wonderful community event.
This is such a fun day filled with health and heritage. You don't want to miss this race of historic proportions.
Register at www.harpersferryhalf.org. Contact Katie Thompson at [email protected] for any questions.
6
A Day in The Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park invites the public to the "A Day in
the Park" event on Saturday, April 22, 2017 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. This
event will occur on the park's Junior Ranger Day and will give kids of all ages
the opportunity to have fun while learning about how the National Park Service
operates. This is an entrance fee free event.
Highlights of activities for would-be Junior Rangers include:
Snap a photo at the retro ranger station
Smell and touch artifacts in a "Hands-On History" activity
Dress up as a ranger
Play National Park Service Jeopardy
Color your national parks
Learn about volunteer opportunities
Play "You're in Charge" and learn how to manage a national park
Get an inside look at a Law Enforcement patrol car
Discover the meaning behind the National Park Service's symbol, the arrowhead
Learn about invasive versus non-invasive plants and citizen science
Watch as 3D models of museum artifacts are made and learn how the National Park Service cares for and
preserves museum collections
Build a national park visitor center with blocks The Harpers Ferry Park Association, a park partner, will have a sales area in the event tent with children's
items, Junior Ranger apparel and games, and "Hike Harpers Ferry" t-shirts along with free "Hike Harpers
Ferry" posters for cancellations. Take this opportunity to support Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
by supporting our partner.
Beyond the "A Day in the Park" event, Harpers Ferry NHP will also feature special 2:00 pm ranger programs
the Monday through Friday of National Park Week (April 17-21), featuring the connections between Harpers
Ferry and other national park sites' civil rights stories.
7
Blast from the Past
Odds and ends from 125 years of Council minutes
curated by Dan Riss
2 dec 1915 "Permit given to Messers Marquette and Bready to place an underground gasoline tank and pump on the street at the intersection of High and Shenandoah sts in front of the property owned by T W Beales Heirs, this permit granted Oct 14th 1915."
1 june 1916 "Be it ordained and enacted that all motor machines while running after night must keep bright lights burning and when standing within the Corporate limits must have their lights burning in front and rear under the penalty of not less than one
dollar fine nor more than five 5 dollars fine for the first offence and a repitition of offence fine left to the Discretion of the Mayor"
11 aug 25 "…the speed limit inside the Corporate limits of H Ferry from this date is 20 twenty miles per hour for all vehicles none excepted with use of cut out prohibited."
6 apr 1940 "… moved…that permission be given Mr B L Williams, owner of Hill Top Hotel to erect two Neon signs. One on Top Grubb Bldg on Shenandoah St and the other on telephone pole at corner of Washington and Columbia Sts. With permission of owners."
Newsletter Information:
Editor /Layout: Nancy Cummins
Next deadline:
May 12, 2017
