Friends of George Kalathas gather for a candlelight vigil outside of his pizza restaurant at the corner of Mill & German Streets in Shepherdstown. George was a fixture behind the counter for five decades, feeding the appetites — and warming the hearts — of generations of students and local residents. His death in early October was a deep loss felt by the entire community.
Editor’s note from the November 2022 print issue
As election season draws to a close and we head into the holiday season, it’s worthwhile to remind ourselves about the things that can bring us together. That’s something that many in Shepherdstown were thinking about in early October when they heard the news about George Kalathas (above). We seemed to have missed a lot of celebrating time over the past two years, so we’re looking forward to this year’s festivities for some extra cheer (pages 5 & 9).
We wrap up The Observer’s election coverage this month with an analysis of the amendments to the West Virginia Constitution on the ballot. Like the County Commission’s initial approach to the EMS transition, the proposed Amendment 2 to allow the Legislature to exempt certain types of property from local taxes seems to be lacking in specifics — and has certainly roused opposition across the political spectrum. You can find profiles of all of the Jefferson County candidates running local and state offices at WeAreTheObserver.com/2022-Elections.
Lawrence Crouse Workshops, a family-owned company celebrating 50 years of making hand-made furniture, is one of many small manufacturing businesses in Jefferson County. It’s never easy keeping a small business going, and well-thought-out tax reforms that work fairly for all companies — not just subsidies for big corporations — would be greatly appreciated by these local entrepreneurs.
Remember to vote!
Read the November 2022 issue online.
By Steve Pearson