VOL. 11 NO. 37
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2007
50 cents
NEWS HEADLINES HOSPITAL BENEFITS - Two upcoming events will help pay for children’s room in the emergency department at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital. Pages 2 and 3 VIRGINIA TECH TRAGEDY - Local people with connections to the university relate their stories. Page 5 MARINE POLICE ON THE RIVER - The state plans to station a Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s enforcement section boat on the Nanticoke. Page 8 CAPT. JOHN SMITH ANNIVERSARY - A local historical society is in the midst of a series of events to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Smith’s voyage up the Nanticoke. Page 19 HEALTHY LIFESTYLES - Laurel School District joins in a program to promote exercise and healthy eating. Page 10. SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION - Incumbent on a local school board is being challenged by a retired school teacher. Page 17 MAKING STRIDES - The Laurel girls’ soccer team has shown improvement so far, winning its first varsity games in the program’s history. Page 41 STARS OF THE WEEK - Two Delmar baseball players, a Sussex Tech baseball player, and a Laurel softball player are this week’s Laurel Stars of the Week. Page 43 COLLEGE SIGNING - A Laurel varsity softball senior signs a letter of intent to attend a Tennessee college. Page 47
INSIDE THE STAR © Business . . . . . . . . .6 Bulletin Board . . . .26 Church . . . . . . . . .22 Classifieds . . . . . .32 Education . . . . . . .50 Entertainment . . . .30 Gourmet . . . . . . . .20 Health . . . . . . . . . .13 Letters . . . . . . . . . .38 Lynn Parks . . . . . .21 Mike Barton . . . . . .57 Movies . . . . . . . . . . .7 Obituaries . . . . . . .24
On the Record . . . .53 Opinion . . . . . . . . .58 Pat Murphy . . . . . .39 People . . . . . . . . . .49 Police . . . . . . . . . .54 Snapshots . . . . . . .56 Socials . . . . . . . . .57 Sports . . . . . . . . . .41 Tides . . . . . . . . . . .59 Todd Crofford . . . .23 Tommy Young . . . .44 Tony Windsor . . . .38 Weather . . . . . . . . .59
WE GO TOGETHER, LIKE LIONS AND ENTERTAINMENT - Members of the Leos Club from Laurel High School perform ‘We Go Together’ from the musical ‘Grease’ Friday night during the Laurel Lions Club’s 46th annual show. See page 56 for additional pictures from the show. Photo by Pat Murphy
Mayor hopes ‘Pride in Bloom’ month inspires some sprucing up By Tony E. Windsor In an effort to help support several upcoming spring events being planned for Laurel, Mayor John Shwed is proclaiming the month of May to be “Laurel Pride in Bloom Month.” In making the proclamation during the Monday, April 16, meeting of the
Laurel Town Council, Shwed said organizations including the Laurel Historical Society, the Laurel Garden Club and St. Phillips Episcopal Church are holding special events to commemorate the town’s beauty and history. On May 19, the first Strawberry Festival and Garden Tour will be held in Laurel. As part of the event many
area gardens and Old Christ Church will be open for tours. The Laurel Historical Society is also planning to make available additional properties for a special open house. The day will start with a continental breakfast at St. Phillip’s Church and will include a lunch, strawberries and Continued on page 4
Old schoolhouse destroyed by fire By Lynn R. Parks Fire has destroyed the Ross Point School east of Laurel. The abandoned one-room schoolhouse for AfricanAmerican students burned down Tuesday, April 10, assistant fire marshal Randall Lee said. All that’s left of the building are the
four walls, Lee said. Estimated damages are $5,000. Lee said that the investigation of the cause of the fire is still ongoing. Investigators have talked with a homeless man who lived in the old school building for about 10 years. “We would like to talk with him again,” Lee said. His office does not
suspect the man of having set the fire, Lee added. “We believe the fire was unintentional,” he said. The building did not have any utilities. Neighbors have told investigators that the man who lived there never set fires in the building. Continued on page 4