Edith Farr Ridington, a longtime educator at Western Maryland College in the classics and English departments, will be remembered in a memorial service at 2:30 p.m. April 5, in Baker Chapel.
A reception is set for 3:30 p.m. in Harrison Alumni House.
Ridington, affectionately known as "Edie" to family, friends, andstudents, died of cancer Nov. 11.
After her marriage to William Ridington, she joined him as a part-time instructor at Dickinson Junior College until their 1938 move to WMC, where he became chair of the program in classics.
Their four children -- Robin, Candace, Jean and Joy -- occupied most of her time over the next two decades.
In 1957, she began her 20-year career as an adjunct instructor with the classics and English departments, a position she also held at Hood College in the mid-1970s. She was named senior lecturer emerita in classics here in 1988.
Ridington played a major role in establishing aPhi Beta Kappa chapter at Western Maryland and became a charter member when the chapter was established in 1980.
The Edith Farr Ridington Phi Beta Kappa Award, given annually to a graduating senior who writes the best original research paper, was named in her honor in 1991.
A mainstay of the Freshman Colloquium Program during the 1960s and 1970s, she also was a dedicated participant in the faculty lunch-time symposiums over the years.
In 1981, a permanent faculty lounge in Memorial Hall was dedicated to the couple.
She and her familyhave endowed the William and Edith Ridington Annual Lectureship at the college, and the well-received inaugural lecture last September was delivered by her son, Robin, a Harvard-trained anthropologist.
In addition to the lectureship, an anonymous donor recently endowed anEdith Farr Ridington Annual Gift to the Hoover Library, which will provide $1,000 annually for acquisitions in the classics.
BOARD IS APPOINTED
DATELINE: SYKESVILLE
SYKESVILLE -- The Town Council Monday night rounded out its Board of Appeals by appointing Robert E. Hall as a full member and Dolly Hughes as an alternate.
Councilmen WileyPurkey and Jonathan Herman opposed Hall's appointment, saying they were uncomfortable with someone whose name regularly comes up in connection with development projects.
Mayor Lloyd R. Helt Jr., in making the appointment, said he had no problem with Hall's prior record onthe board.
In other business:
* The council voted to use up to$1,200 in impact fees to erect a split-rail and wire mesh fence around the Jennifer Way tot lot.
The town last year lost state ProgramOpen Space money it planned to use for equipment. An application forcounty self-help project money was approved, but last month the commissioners said they would not release the funds.
* Helt read a letter from the U.S. Postal Service, which is seeking a larger, more central facility for the 21784 zip code area.
Hoping to keep a post office near the downtown area, the council voted to invite postal officials to a future meeting to discuss location possibilities.
* Thecouncil gave Town Manager James L. Schumacher approval to take bids on road repair projects on Concord Lane, Walnut Avenue and the maintenance entrance road.
* Police Chief Wallace P. Mitchell presented the council with an ordinance proposal outlining the establishment and operation of a police auxiliary force.
The ordinance will be introduced April 13 after the council has had time to examine it.
* Schumacher presented a preliminary report on items the town needs to consider to improve its recycling program when the county implements its mandatory program next summer.
TOWN AWARDS WATER BID
DATELINE: UNION BRIDGE
UNION BRIDGE -- The Town Council awarded a contract to install water lines to the Bowman Springs properties to Stambaugh Inc.
The excavating company, of Bark Hill Road, turned in the lowest bid, $136,321, for the job. Seven contractors offered bids ranging to nearly $275,000.
"The bids are all higher than we expected," said Mayor Perry L. Jones Jr. at Monday's session. "We are awarding the lowest bid with the assumption of getting more funding to make up the difference."
The town has received a state grant and a low-interestloan from the county to pay for the project. About 30 homeowners also must pay a $1,000 hook-up fee.
"Originally, the town was not to incur any long-term debt in this project," said Town Attorney John T.Maguire II. "We can act on the bid, however, subject to the town making a minimum contribution."
Maguire said the town already is in the middle of the project to extend its water lines to the recently annexed residences north of town.
"We can't afford to sit still," said Councilman Selby M. Black. "We must go ahead."
Maguire said "the picture looks bright" for additional state funding for the "high-priority project." He said he hopes the state will come up with 87.5 percent of the cost increase, leaving the remainder, about $7,000, for the town to pay.
Maguire said the state Department of Public Workscould make a decision within three weeks.
In other news, Jones said a public hearing on the Phillips annexation has been set for 7 p.m. April 13 at the Community Center.
Spring cleanup will be from 8 a.m. to noon May 16 on the town lot.
The town will advertise for bids for its trash and mowing contracts.
PANEL CONSIDERS SERVICE
The county commissioners will decide today whether to hire a consultantto help the nine-member charter board with the research and draftingof a charter.
Commissioner President Donald I. Dell said yesterday the panel would decide the matter during meetings today.
The Carroll County Charter Board, charged with writing a charter for residents to vote on, wants the assistance from the University of Maryland'sInstitute of Government Service. The cost would be about $4,000, board members said.
Board members maintain the cost is significantly less than the $50,000 it would take to have a special election if thecharter is not completed by the November general election.
The commissioners have asked the board to have a charter ready by November because more voters cast ballots in a presidential election.
County Attorney Charles W. Thompson told the commissioners that his officecould draft a charter but could not offer the panel research data onsuch topics as an appointed or elected county executive. The charterboard last week voted to have an appointed county executive.
"Thecharter board wants this," Thompson said.
The institute has assisted every Maryland county that has drafted a charter since the mid-1960s.
GET FACTS ON SEWER RATES
The county has scheduled two public information meetings on proposed water and sewer rate changes. Two public hearings will follow next month.
Meetings are set for 7 to 10p.m. Friday at North Carroll Middle School, Hanover Pike, Greenmount, and at the same times on April 7 at Eldersburg Elementary, 1021 Johnsville Road.
Staff members will be available to answer questions.
Hearings to allow for citizen comments will be from 7 to 10 p.m. April 22 at North Carroll Middle and April 29 at Eldersburg Elementary.
POND MAY BE RETURNED
DATELINE: WESTMINSTER
WESTMINSTER -- City officials are considering giving the Eden Farms Pond back to the county to allow people to fish in the pond.
The future of the pond wasdiscussed at Monday's City Council meeting at the request of Mayor W. Benjamin Brown.
The mayor said the seasons are changing, and "there are a number of people who want to put their hooks in the water."
Fearing it might be liable if accidents take place at the pond, the city has posted "No Trespassing" signs around the pond and prohibited ice skating last winter.
Brown said that the liability question also arises over the issue of allowing fishing.
Council President William F. Haifley said the matter should be referred to the city Parks Board for its recommendation. Councilman Kenneth Yowan, a Parks Board member, said he would see that the board considers the questionat its next meeting.
TAXICAB FEES ESTABLISHED
DATELINE: WESTMINSTER
WESTMINSTER -- The Westminster Council Monday night passed legislation that establishes a series of fees for taxicab companies operating in the city.
City officials said the city was processing applications -- checking for criminal violations and driving suspensions -- of people who wanted to drive taxicabs for free, and the taxicab company was misusing the process.
Yowan said during the past five months, the city processed 21 applications, but less than a half-dozen ofthe applicants were actually hired to drive cabs.
"We were doing pre-employment checks for the company, and each one took about three man-hours of city time to complete," he said.
Under the new legislation, the taxi company will have to submit a $30 non-refundable deposit with each application.
The council also:
* Enacted an ordinance to prohibit long-term parking on a short section of Winter's Alley behind Schmitt's Rexall Drugs store.
Kathleen Campanella, the promotion director of the Westminster Business Association, initially had opposed the ban, thinking that it was the section of Winter's Street located east of Longwell Avenue.
* Moved forward on creating asecond polling place in the city by approving a resolution calling for a change in the city charter.