PostShepherdstown

We Are Scientists receive rave reviews at Shepfest

2010-04-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

Headlining this year's Shepfest was acclaimed rock trio We Are Scientists from Berkeley, California. The band played for about an hour on a temporary stage on Shepherd University's Midway, between the Student Center and Sarah Cree Hall on N. King Street. The event wrapped up around 6:30 p.m. with only minor disturbances reported on campus. After the concert concluded, a brief tour of residential Shepherdstown revealed that many locals, student and homeowner alike, were continuing festivities into the night. We Are Scientists received a glowing review from 89.7 WSHC-FM talk show host Nick Keresztury, who was interviewed by this reporter as crews were cleaning up the Midway after the show.

Program board volunteers clear the stage after being recognized for their behind the scenes work on Shepfest during an intermission on Saturday. Photos by Michael Theis.

Shepherdstown FC loses 3-1 to Bushwaller's

2010-04-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Local pub league entrant Shepherdstown F.C. Assault lost their home opener 3-1 this afternoon in a tightly contested ground game against Bushwaller's F.C. from Frederick, Md. The loss comes off a season opening 3-2 victory over AFC Inter in the Mason-Dixon league of the Maryland Soccer Association outdoor spring season. Bushwaller's FC striker Brian Beard scored two unassisted goals in the game.

Shepherdstown F.C. tallied first in the match, scoring a goal in the fourth minute when midfielder Adrian Morgan crossed to former Shepherd University soccer standout Duncan Williams who scored with a low blazing worm-burner from about 30 yards out.

Shepherdstown's Defensive Captain Matt Mudge's early vocal organization of the backfield effectively shut down the Bushwaller's F.C. for two-thirds of the first half. The final 15 minutes of the first half proved deadly for our boys in red and yellow. Bushwaller's scored the equalizer at the 39th minute, when a series of bad touches on Shepherdstown's defensive end resulted in Bushwaller's striker Brian Beard finding the net with an unassisted goal from 20 yards out.

The half got worse from there, with Bushwaller's F.C. sticking to the script set in minute 39. Once again, the Shepherdstown defense struggled to repel repetitve Bushwallers attacks as the clock wound down on the half. Once again, Beard netted a goal from 20 yards out after Bushwaller's offense disrupted several chances to clear the ball upfield.

The final goal of the match was scored by Bushwaller's forward Scott Moler, who scored yet another unassisted goal from 20 yards out in the closing minutes as an emotional Shepherdstown eleven tried in vain to find an equalizing shot or two.

Shepherdstown drops to 1-1 on the season, with a big game against DMV United Sunday, April 25 11:30 a.m. at Coburn Field in Martinsburg.

Full coverage in the next Friday's edition of the Shepherdstown Chronicle.

Dems Rea, Doyle race off in JeffCo, face off in forum

2010-04-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the original reporting of Martinsburg Journal staff reporter Naomi Smoot -

The spring sun and chilly weather have done little to dampen the bright spirits of our municipal gardens, themselves feasting on a wealth of groundwater left by the late winter blizzards.

Also seen in bloom in local yards and by wayside berms is a peculiar biennial breed of bachelor buttons known by academic taxonomy as the Politico Subscribium, or, in laymans terms, the humble campaign road sign, and another closely related members of the Politicus genus.

Recent leisurely trips throughout the northern half of Jefferson County to observe West Virginia's springtime biennials have laid bare, perhaps, the biggest local story in this years mid-term primary election: West Virginia's 57th district Democratic primary is turning into quite a competition, in print, in public and online.

Del. John Doyle (D-Shepherdstown) is facing, perhaps, his most serious competition in recent memory in the form of liberal challenger Lori Rea. Volunteers associated with Rea's campaign have been very active in distributing literature as Lori Rea signs dominate the local public thoroughfares along West Virginia County Route 230 and Flowing Springs Road, the two main thoroughfares which connect the Northern Jefferson County with U.S. 340.

Del. Doyle's strategy, by this point in his career, is a finely tuned and well oiled machine which has served Del. Doyle well over his 28 year career in Shepherdstown.

This reporter, Michael Theis, has lived in Shepherdstown since August of 2001, when he was a student at Shepherd University. He says that during his young, dumb and impressionable years, he fashioned himself a Northeastern boy, bred liberal, before he moved west of the Blue Ridge, discovered journalism at The Picket and the joy of neutrality along with a guilty conscience which forces him to waive his right to vote so he doesn't rack up a huge tab at the therapists office or get fired.

During Theis' tenure on the Executive Committee of the Shepherd University Young Democrats, eventually rising to the rank of Vice President of the college club during the 2004 presidential election season. In executing his duties, Theis was frequently in charge of rallying foot soldiers from the ranks of Shepherd's students to help staff events for Democratic politicians politicking locally and closely observing the interpersonal machinations which define the intimate nature of rural politics.

For the first time in Theis' nearly decade-long experience observing the political scene of the Eastern Panhandle, he refuses to speculate on the 57th district democratic primary.

This is kind of a big deal.

Del. Doyle is an institution in Shepherdstown, a city and county whose political atmosphere is frequently called the San Francisco or Berkeley, Calif., of West Virginia. Perhaps accurate for Shepherdstown at the open mic night atmosphere of Shepherdstown's municipal scene where party affiliation politics are almost a non-factor, but in races where parties do matter, Shepherdstown looks a lot more like Washington D.C., a one party town where even Fox News anchor and conservative intellectual Chris Wallace admits to being a card carrying member of the Democratic party just so he can have a voice in the affairs of his municipality (it's okay, he doesn't cover local municipal politics, that's Kojo Nnamde's job). Perhaps because of the local affinity for liberalism, Del. Doyle's career has always been safe from attacks from the right flank.

He has been involved in West Virginia's politics for almost three decades, first elected to a single term in 1982 when he represented West Virginia's 55th district, later, in 1992, he would return to office, this time in the 57th district. He markets himself as an effective legislator with the record to back it up. A November report in the Herald-Mail credits Del. Doyle as playing an instrumental role in the initial defeat, in 2007, and eventual adoption of the recent referendum on table games at Penn National Gaming's Charles Town Races and Slots (warning, wiki links are of suspect composition). Reflecting this history, his recent large advertising in the Chronicle has underscored his experience as a proven legislator who brings home the bacon.

Enter Democratic challenger Lori Rea and her campaign. Where Doyle's campaign is anchored to old-media approaches, for instance, buying ad space in the Chronicle print editions, Rea has been active in the world of new-media, pressing the digital flesh on a Wordpress blog under the domain name Reafordelegate.com since at least August of 2009, in addition to her campaign presence on Facebook. Her weekly columns for the Chronicle, which are not published on the Chronicle's website, appear on her blog. She has also been a visible patron of the Chronicle's web site advertising program. In recent debates, she challenges Del. Doyle's record in the legislature with very effective language.

Grab the popcorn, this one's gonna be fun.

Water problems persist on Ray Street

2010-04-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Roots run deep east of the tracks on Ray and College Streets, one of two historically black sections of Shepherdstown. Many residents can trace their local family lines back to the Civil War, and in some instances, the houses have stayed in family ownership for generations. In instances of hardship, it is common to witness the community rally around their affected neighbor to help them out of duress.

Today is no different.

A group of neighbors are pitching together to help restore water service to the home of lifelong Ray Street resident Keith Boyd. Boyd says he has been without water pressure since at least Monday morning.

"It was just my problem, but now it's my neighbor's problem because they are helping me so graciously," says Boyd.

According to Boyd, the Corporation of Shepherdstown can't repair the line because, simply, it's not theirs. Boyd admits that he won't know for sure until he finds the source of the leak, but he suspects the problem could be related to last weeks emergency repairs to a ruptured water main at the intersection of Princess and Washington Streets.

But finding the leak has proven to be difficult for a number of reasons.

Boyd says that a plumber's estimate to fix the problem ran over $3,000, which Boyd can't afford. Instead, Boyd's friends and neighbors have donated a considerable amount of sweat equity to try and overcome his water woes. The small group of volunteer plumbers arrived around midday today and began digging to discover the source of the leak. By 6 p.m., the group included Buck Showalter, Dawn Showalter, Walt Green, Lucy Curbo and a whimpering puppy named Wider. They, along with Boyd, are lending muscle to the formidable task of discovering the source of the leak, repairing the line and restoring water pressure. Obstacles so far have included the wet, heavy clay soil and persistent, frequent rocks which have to be delicately worked around, lest they disturb surrounding pipework.

"We're learning as we go," said Buck Showalter between shovel strokes.

What they are looking for now is an instructor, someone who can volunteer their time to help them out of their situation. Neighbor Lucy Curbo has been calling around to her plumber friends to see if they can offer any guidance or services. Dawn Showalter was also calling a family friend who owns a plumbing business to seek advice. As of this writing, it had been in short supply.

"We just need someone to tell us what to do, and we can do it." Said Showalter, who labors in a brickyard by day.

Failing professional help, they also would appreciate any other volunteers who may be able to come out and help them dig up the water line over the next few days.

If you are able to donate time or expertise to help Keith Boyd return water service to his house, please contact 304-283-9840 or 304-707-1907.

Hello, Shepherdstown!

2010-04-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to PostShepherdstown, a modern news outlet for a modern small town. This site is managed and edited by local multimedia journalist Michael Theis, with contributions from others. This site will feature original reporting on the actions of our municipal government and the newsworthy actions of her residents.

Our goal is to tear down the curtain of anonymity among those who seek to influence the decisions of our municipal leadership. This service will strive to make the leaders and activists of this town into bona-fide public officials. If you seek to influence the business of Shepherdstown, you and your views will be profiled here for the public interest.

Our secondary goal is to open up a new and vital line of communication for our small town. There are comment sections below every article, and we fully expect the engage in a dialogue with our readers about the news which we cover.