William "Chuck" Bishop steps into the role of Superintendent for Jefferson County Schools on July 1. The Board of Education voted on May 24 to hire Dr. Bishop from a pool of 17 applicants to replace the outgoing superintendent, Bondy Gibson-Learn, who resigned on short notice earlier this year. Bishop earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Virginia Tech and his Master's and Doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Virginia and has thirty years of experience in K-12 education. The Observer spoke with Dr. Bishop as he was preparing to start his new role. Read the Full Story >>
In Print July 2023
Comprehensive Plan Survey Open For Public Comment
The general discussion at the June 5 session drilled down to identify specific concerns in these general areas. There was strong agreement among participants that natural beauty is a key asset of the county. Looking at the concern of growth and lack of infrastructure, participants suggested clustering development around existing urbanized areas of the county and a focus on improving the roads in those areas. Read the Full Story >>
New Story Takes Flight at Theater Festival
“The Heron’s Journey” is coming to Shepherdstown! You won’t want to miss world-renowned story artist Adam Booth’s original program brought to you by Speak Story Series, in partnership with the Contemporary American Theater Festival. “The Heron’s Journey” uses spoken storytelling, quilting, and paper sculpture to tell an allegory filled with magic, challenges to opposition, and transformation. Meet the title character in various forms of self-discovery and take part in giving the story wings. Read the Full Story >>
Summer Events at Bolivar-Harpers Ferry Public Library
The Bolivar-Harpers Ferry Public Library is hosting fun events for kids this summer with stories, songs, play instruments, yoga, crafting, and more. Read the Full Story >>
Summer Events at Shepherdstown Public Library
The Shepherdstown is hosting fun events for kids this summer with stories, yoga, classes about beavers, songs, crafting, and more. Read the Full Story >>
Summer Reading for Fun & Prizes
The Shepherdstown and Bolivar-Harpers Ferry Public Libraries are both hosting summer reading programs. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Commission Deadlocks
Clare Ath announced at the end of May that she would resign, six months after she was first elected to the County Commission. Read the Full Story >>
Harpers Ferry Roadblock Begins Sep. 12
If you travel Route 340 between Harpers Ferry and Maryland, mark September 12 on your calendar. The roadway will close for 90 days to stabilize the rock wall above the road. Read the Full Story >>
West Virginia Retools Social Services Delivery
House Bill 2006, passed by the legislature in February of this year, is intended to improve DHHR services. The 2023 bill ultimately reorganized DHHR into three parts — the Department of Health, the Department of Human Resources, and the Department of Health Facilities. Read the Full Story >>
Battle Between Kingbird and Hawk
Yesterday a hawk flew overhead. It was a Cooper’s hawk carrying prey in its talons, probably headed towards its nest of hungry young in our neighbor’s woods. But it also looked as if something was riding on its back. As the hawk flew over our upper pasture and headed for the woods, a smaller bird flew off the hawk’s back and returned to our field. I recognized the white banded tail tip of a kingbird. Drama over — and enemy departed — the kingbird returned to the vicinity of its nest. Read the Full Story >>
Building a Learning Community
In the dog days of the pandemic I often wandered over to my neighbor’s yard. As we had for the past two decades, we’d explore new gems growing in her gardens while pondering the problems of the world. She’s a retired social worker, long-time resident, and youth volunteer in the community, and I’ve always valued her wisdom and enjoyed our talks. Read the Full Story >>
Tending to the Herb Garden
Hillary Banachowski, founder and owner of Sacred Roots in Shepherdstown, welcomes me to the land with bare feet and open arms. “This spring has been so weird!” she muses as sparse rain falls from a sunny sky. Banachowski has been an herb grower, educator, and steward on these beautiful 30-plus acres for seven years. Read the Full Story >>
The Burdens of Defunct HOAs
Are you stuck in a neighborhood with an HOA board that has gone rogue by not following its own rules or not taking care with your HOA fees? Know someone in an area where nobody knows who is supposed to maintain the roads? You might be living in a “zombie HOA.” Here in West Virginia, we have great neighbors, but we don’t have an effective way to protect our neighborhoods from rogue and zombie HOAs. Read the Full Story >>
Moving Around Jefferson County
The Board of Education kept to its timetable of appointing a new Superintendent, who starts on July 1. He inherits some big holes from his departing predecessor — literally in terms of the two elementary school construction projects, one of which has yet to even go to bid despite the hoopla of a ground-breaking ceremony over a year ago. The twin challenges of retaining & recruiting staff and addressing the fall-off in student achievement are arguably even more complex. All of these issues will no doubt be topics for the School Board election next May. Read the Full Story >>
National EMS Weeks Awards for Jefferson County
Since 1974, the third week of May has been designated National Emergency Medical Services Week, to recognize the important work that these professionals perform in their communities. Locally, the Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency recognized several individuals. Read the Full Story >>