VOL. 14 NO. 45
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010
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News RefeRendum - The Laurel School District will hold a referendum meeting on June 22 at 6 p.m. in the Laurel Middle School field house. Dr. John Marinucci, state construction director, will be in attendance to answer questions. Sight - The Laurel Lions Fish’n For Sight Tournament takes place on Sunday, June 13, at Johnny Janosik Park, beginning at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. SPeAKeR - Laurel High graduate and historian William Campbell to speak at dinner. Page 3 SAfetY - Texting, left lane laws are among those under study. Page 2 COSt Cutting - Laurel looks for ways to reduce energy consumption, cut costs. Page 16 heROeS - Bill Sammons finds fulfillment in helping others. Page 8
Sports extRA inningS - The Laurel varsity softball team’s season came to an end with a 3-2 loss to Milford in 10 innings last Wednesday in the state quarterfinals. Page 43 StARS Of the WeeK - A Laurel softball player and a Delmar softball player are this week’s Laurel Stars of the Week. Page 45 LittLe LeAgue - The Laurel Star is looking for results from Laurel and Delmar Little League coaches and parents. Recognize your “stars” by sending in game results and photos to sports@ mspublications.com.
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gRAdS- Members of Delmar High’s class of 2010 are greeted by the school’s staff during the processional. The school’s 108th commencement exercises took place last Friday. See page 53 for more photos. Photo by Mike McClure
SPiCeR - Sierra Spicer, one of the Laurel High class of 2010’s six valedictorians, holds back the tears during last Thursday’s graduation ceremony. “I urge you to go out into this world and be productive citizens. Never let the fear of failure paralyze you and rob you of your dreams,” Spicer said during her speech. More photos on page 53. Photo by Mike McClure
Council gets heat over proposal to reduce police budget in Laurel By Tony E. Windsor Laurel’s proposed 2011 budget came under fire Monday night as a packed council chamber reacted to plans of reducing the town police department by two officers. The proposed budget, heavily influenced by the recent nationwide economic downturn, contains some of the most significant financial revisions seen by Laurel in over a decade. Prior to a public hearing to discuss the budget, held on June 7, Mayor John Shwed outlined the budget proposals. He explained that for the first time in 14 years the town was forced to raise property taxes by nine percent, water and sewer rates by 12 percent and for the third consecutive year, town employees will not receive a salary increase. The mayor said he understands that not everyone in Laurel “will be happy with the proposed budget,” but the town government believes it to
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be “fair, reasonable and responsible.” Shwed cited losses of funding from state and federal sources along with essentially zero growth in the town’s real estate tax base over the last two years as much of the catalyst for the stringent budgetary measures. “With such a lean budget and very little significant contingency or rainyday funds provided I have concerns… serious concerns,” Shwed said. I want to communicate these concerns to our citizens, other government leaders and our loyal town workers and supervisors. We have made hard decisions and choices, and we are sincerely sorry for the hardships we are imposing on our workers and citizens. But, we are required to produce an annual balanced budget. We can’t pull rosy income figures out of the air if they are unrealistic.” He went on to say that there is no way to avoid an impact on town services and response times based on the
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budget. “There is no way that cutting the town’s workforce by one-seventh won’t have an immediate negative effect,” he said. He said it is necessary to re-examine the current levels of municipal services and prioritize to meet the new fiscal realities. “Street and park beautification efforts will be the first to suffer,” Shwed said. The mayor said the only long-term effective solution to the town’s financial problems lay in a growth in the tax base through expanding the town’s commercial and residential borders and getting infrastructure east and northward to US 13, like other communities like Seaford and Delmar have done. “Infrastructure must precede development and economic growth,” he said. Shwed stated that in trying to develop the budget the town will also not fill the currently vacated position of Town Manager, an approximately $60,000 per year position which has been open Continued on page 4
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