The night before the election of his successor, Havre de Grace Mayor Wayne Dougherty presided over his last full meeting with the City Council Monday night with relatively little fanfare.
Havre de Grace Elementary School Principal Ron Wooden, however, took time to give the mayor a present after Dougherty recognized Aiden Tramontana, one of Wooden's students, as the city's Student of the Month.
Copying Dougherty's habit of kneeling before the younger students-of-the-month to greet them, Wooden got down on one knee in front of Dougherty and thanked him and the city for supporting the school.
Toward the end of the meeting, Dougherty said to the audience: "Let me assure each and every one of you I will miss you."
He said the city staff and elected officials have all made sacrifices in their positions and he jokingly promised that, after May 18, he would no longer be calling people up after 9 or 10 p.m. with questions.
Young at Heart, an organization for senior citizens in the city, also recognized the mayor, who has been a vocal supporter of the group.
Dougherty is wrapping up eight years at the helm of the city. He chose not to seek a fifth four-year term this year and will be succeeded by either Councilman Bill Martin or Charlie Hiner, the two candidates running for mayor in Tuesday's election.
The new mayor won't be sworn until the next City Council meeting on May 18, when Dougherty will preside briefly before the council adjourns sine die for the swearing in of the new mayor and three council members who will also be elected Tuesday.
Police recognition
Councilman Steve Gamatoria thanked Police Chief Teresa Walter, who had noted earlier in the meeting that the department collected plenty of supplies to aid law enforcement officers and first responders in Baltimore City during riots and demonstrations over the death of Freddie Gray.
"Sometimes I think we just take it for granted that we have a safe city and the evidence of what we have seen in the last few weekends should never be taken for granted," Gamatoria said in reference to the riots in Baltimore and various police responses.
Walter said the Havre de Grace department collected items like water, Gatorade and protein bars to help fire and law enforcement in Baltimore.
"The response from our community was absolutely phenomenal," she said, adding she appreciated all the contributions to public safety.
The council also named five residents to the board overseeing the city's RAD loan fund, the revitalization and development program that the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and the city plan to revamp from a mainly revolving loan fund for local small businesses to a grant clearinghouse.
Rory White, Robert Wehland, Mara Sierocinski, Rayma McRoberts and Garrett Lyttle were sworn in as members of the committee.