Citizens to Hagerstown: No Federal Prison in My Back Yard!
Concerned citizens, it is time to stand up and ensure your voices are heard, especially if you live in the Robinwood area of Hagerstown. There is an active proposal on the table to the city council to potentially put a federal prison in back of HCC. This is completely unacceptable an bust be stopped. Please see the letter I sent to the council below:
Dear Ms. Nigh,
I am writing you this evening as a concerned citizen after reading the article in the Herald Mail about the potential usage of the 220 acre plot of land behind the Robinwood Medical Center for a Federal detention center. I would like to support your assertion in the article as you were quoted as saying "not in my lifetime" which is the correct response to any proposal of this nature. Not only is this a largely residential area but there are also schools near by and residents of the neighborhoods surrounding this parcel of land such as myself do not need to compound our worries by having a prison in our back yards. I understand that there are needs for such facilities and Hagerstown being a relatively rural area makes sense in many ways but not in an already developed area of the city. The Robinwood vicinity is quickly becoming a residential and commercial hub outside the city limits and having a prison in the area will decrease land values, potentially increase the crime rate and significantly impact the quality of life for residents.
I applaud you for your stance on this proposal but it is imperative that the other council men and women take the same stance for the sake of our community and not cave to any supposed incentives for this type of development. There may be a short term financial gain in such a deal, but the long term damage to the surrounding community will cause irreparable harm.Thank you,
Jonathan
I would encourage anyone else concerned about this proposal to do the same the story about the land can be found on the Herald Mail Website.
Volvo Powertrain to "Idle" 59 More Workers
HAGERSTOWN — The Volvo Powertrain plant in Hagerstown laid off 59 workers this week as the heavy-duty truck market continues to skid, officials said Wednesday.
The layoffs, effective this past Monday, are in addition to the 99 workers idled here in April.
The two furloughs reduce Volvo’s work force at the local plant, which makes engines and transmissions for Mack and Volvo trucks, to 1,278 employees.
Volvo Powertrain is going to "idle" 59 more workers this week as the economy continues to falter during what is now essentially a recession. Between rising fuel and food costs, the demand for large vehicles, construction equipment and large trucks just isn't what it used to be which makes sense. But how one of Hagerstown's largest employers will weather the rest of the storm is an important question that has yet to be answered. Hagerstown is built on these types of businesses, especially since the rail yard was dismantled decades ago. Hagerstown needs these businesses to continue the renewed growth that we have seen over the past several years. The money that these workers spend in town help revitalize the downtown area, clean up the old industrial complexes that no longer are in operation and ensure that Hagerstown's cultural growth continues into the future. I hope that Volvo can find someway to continue their operations well into the future as losing these employers hurts the town, the people and the companies.
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