EMMITSBURG,
Md. – Denise Etris had only lived in Emmitsburg about
two weeks when she attended her first town meeting.
“I
thought it was great that the average citizen could talk
to the commissioners and have them listen,” Etris
said. “I thought it was great that the average citizen
could be on all these commissions and do something that
makes a difference in the town.”
So
Etris began to participate on those committees. She serves
on the board of appeals, the charter review committee, the
streets committee and has served as an election judge. Though
this year, she can’t serve as an election judge because
she is running for election.
She
and incumbent Glenn Blanchard are the only two candidates
registered to fill the two open seats on the Emmitsburg
Board of Commissioners.
Blanchard
said he is running for re-election because, “I feel
like we, the commissioners, accomplished good work as a
team and I want to keep that going.”
Some
of the things Blanchard said that he was proud this board
of commissioners accomplished was to upgrade the town’s
water and sewer infrastructure, install new playground equipment
and get a new traffic light at the intersection of Silo
Hill Road and Main Street.
Etris
said the commissioners will have some big issues in the
future that she wants to help influence. These include the
Frailey property annexation, the Mountain View bypass and
the northern bypass.
“People
say we can’t get it done, but unless we try working
with Pennsylvania, we’ll never know,” Etris
said.
Blanchard
said he wants to continue improving the town’s infrastructure,
improving the parks and working with the Greater Emmitsburg
Area Historical Society to make the town’s history
accessible to the residents.
Commissioner
Bill O’Neil decided he would not run for re-election.
“With
my health issues, I needed to take stock in what I wanted,”
O’Neil said. “I decided I needed to spend more
time with my family and focus on my work.”
He
said he was particularly proud of the fact that he was able
to get federal money for Emmitsburg in a Senate appropriations
bill that brought funds for sewer improvements to the town.
Because
changes to the town charter, O’Neil or anyone else
could still run for election as a write-in candidate.
O’Neil
said, “I’m not entertaining thoughts of getting
elected again. I’m not campaigning for it and I’m
not asking anyone to write in my name.”
He
said it’s time for him to step back from public office.
“I
commend those who do seek public office because most people
don’t realize just how hard it is,” O’Neil
said.
The
town election is Sept. 25 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Community
Deputy office at 22 East Main Street.
