More than 800 people cast ballots the first day of early voting Thursday, just less than half of the number of people who cast ballots early in the 2010 primary, with several days of voting left until early voting ends 8 p.m. Thursday, June 19. Most of the people at Carroll's early voting location, the Westminster Senior and Community Center on Stoner Avenue, mentioned local races for the reason they were casting ballots. It is great to see such high interest in having a voice in local issues, especially since turnout for primaries is traditionally low for a non-presidential election.
The Carroll County Health Department is hosting free vaccination clinics this summer in response to changes in the state's vaccination requirements for the 2014-2015 school year for kindergarten and seventh-grade students. The clinics are available to all Carroll residents affected by the change — and the county department won't turn away anyone interested in receiving vaccinations. Future clinics will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 2 at Century High School and North Carroll Middle School, and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Carroll County Health Department.
Students gave a fitting tribute to Carroll County's retiring environmental education resource teacher this week, planting trees at each of the county's elementary schools during Mary Hoy's final visits to each. The first ceremony took place at Elmer A. Wolfe Elementary School in Union Bridge Monday morning, the same school where Robin Townsend, the school's principal, came up with the original vision for tree plantings in Hoy's honor. One school system administrator described Hoy as "Carroll County's own Rachel Carson," a famous environmentalist and author of "Silent Spring," who is often credited with advancing the nation's environmental movement.
A ceremony was held Thursday to officially name the Hampstead Bypass after former state delegate Richard Matthews, a Hampstead native and business owner who had worked to make the bypass a reality. Retiring Del. Nancy Stocksdale was instrumental in getting the bypass named for Matthews, who served 27 years in the House of Delegates for Carroll County and owned Matthews Tire Company in Hampstead. He died in 2007.
