A century of debates over separation and equality linger today in our conversations about public schools. Often the largest employer in many localities across the country (including Jefferson County), public school systems both help shape local economies and offer the promise of bringing people together to help build the future of a community. It’s a promise not always fulfilled and one that we ignore at our common peril. Read the Full Story >>
editor's note
The Foundations of Local Community
A last look at the current Hill Top House in Harpers Ferry before construction work began in late January 2022. Swan Hill Top, the development company, says that the activity of the early stages of the project may not be very visible as workers clean up and deconstruct the interior of the building to salvage Read the Full Story >>
A Place to Call Home
After many years of absence, the Cheer Booth returned for the 2021 Christmas celebrations in Charles Town. The spirit of the crowd lining the downtown streets at this year’s parade was lifted both by unseasonably warm weather and the welcome return of a sorely missed tradition. Read the Full Story >>
Changes Ahead For Route 340
The Observer staff hopes our readers are able to enjoy this special time of year, particularly in our local downtowns as they come alive to celebrate and share the community spirit of the season. Read the Full Story >>
Keeping On Track
A lot of what happens in county government focuses on daily operations but the long term payoff comes from educated citizens who have the skills to participate in a twenty-first century economy that is both local and global in the same place. Read the Full Story >>
Weaving In Anticipation
The fall equinox really did signal a change of season this year, sending us to the closet looking for sweaters for an evening walk with the dogs. Orb-weaver spiders (above) seem to be in unusual abundance this year too — perhaps they want to get back to normalcy and just hang out like everyone else. Read the Full Story >>
Looking At Growth
McMurran Hall was built in 1859 as a town hall for Shepherdstown. During the Civil War, it served as the courthouse for Jefferson County until it was abandoned in 1871 when Charles Town reclaimed its role as the seat of the county government. Quickly repurposed into the home of the new Shepherd College, it still stands as a reminder of community spirit shared between a town and institution. Read the Full Story >>
What Drives A Community
What is community? The members of the Country Road Car Club certainly have enjoyed getting together weekly since 1998. While they gather for friendship and a shared hobby, they also collect their energy – and donations – for charities, including weekly food donations to the Jefferson County Community Ministries food pantry in Charles Town Read the Full Story >>
Building To Last
There has been a lot of talk about infrastructure over the past several months and the recent news from Washington DC suggests that there will be a lot of federal money spent on projects over the next several years. Read the Full Story >>
A Sunny Season
What a difference a year makes. Last June, Harriet and I had just purchased The Observer and were rushing to pull together our first issue. With this, our twelfth issue, we’ve had time to think, experiment, and change. We hope to keep on this path and welcome your thoughts as we continue to present the stories and voices of our community. Read the Full Story >>
Expecting Change
Many of us can remember being told by our parents to carry some change in our pockets to call home when we were ready for a pick up — at least until we were old enough to get a driver’s license (and a job to pay for gas). Read the Full Story >>
Working & Playing Together
As spring unfurls in 2021, I’m sure all of us look forward to reuniting with our communities and harnessing this energy for a brighter future. Read the Full Story >>
A Long View Of The Landscape
Red barns (such as the one in Meyerstown, above) are an iconic symbol of the rural landscape across the country — testaments to the effort of the individuals who built them, who used them, who maintained them. Preserved seems an odd word to apply to these structures, intended originally to be working components of agricultural operations. Read the Full Story >>
Learning To Remember
The railroads we see around Jefferson County never cease to fascinate me and Harriet (and our dogs). While there is a sense of permanence in these structures of steel, stone and wood, many of these buildings have evolved or been transformed through time. Read the Full Story >>
Time To Share A Story
When I interviewed professional storyteller Adam Booth for the Speak Stories article in this month’s issue, one of the topics we touched on was the role of storytelling in the community and his experiences traveling the country to speak. He noted how during his visits, people often seek him out asking, “do you have time to hear a story”? Read the Full Story >>