by Geoff Fox
Town officials discussed several things during the November town meeting that looks to this winter and ahead to next fall.
Hancock Police Chief Allen Thomas told town officials that Shop With a Cop will be taking place on December 14 from 2 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The children will meet Hancock Police officers at the Police Department before heading to Walmart in Hagerstown for some Christmas shopping.
Thomas said there’s seven kids who will be going on the shopping trip with the police.
When they get back to Hancock, the boxing and wrapping will take place at Martha’s House.
There is a possibility Santa Claus could show up at Martha’s House.
Public Works ready for winter
Town Manager Mike Faith said the town’s Public Work crew has the salt boxes ready to go and the town has salt left over from last year to use.
“We’re in good shape there,” he said.
Faith added the splash pad and restrooms have been winterized, meaning the restrooms in Widmeyer Park and Joseph Hancock Park are closed for the winter.
The fountain in the Civil War Heritage Park (formerly Breathed Park) has also been winterized.
Craft show raises money
Faith also let officials know the Hancock Senior Center raised $2,500 in a recent craft show at the Community Center.
Vendors were “tickled to death” with how well everything went and asking to come back next year, Faith reported.
A total of 28 vendors were in the Community Center and Mayor Roland Lanehart, Jr. said some vendors had to be turned away due to not having enough space.
Fall festival in the works
It hasn’t been advertised yet, but this fall could see the return of a former Hancock tradition under a new name.
For a number of years, the Hancock Lions Club presented Canal Apple Days with a parade through town and Widmeyer Park filled with vendors.
The festival ended a few years ago, but Lanehart said there are plans to bring that festival and call it Hancock Heritage Days.
The Town of Hancock and Main Street Hancock will be working to get it off the ground.
Lanehart didn’t say if there would be a parade associated with the rebooted festival.
Resolutions unanimously pass
Town officials unanimously passed two resolutions during their November town meeting – one for Main Street Hancock and another for a grant process.
The resolution regarding Main Street Hancock states the mayor and council recognizes the organization as the town’s official revitalization of Main Street partner and supporting a joint effort to pursue Main Street Maryland designation and Main Street America accreditation.
The other resolution is for Sustainable Maryland which allows the town to pursue more grants, Faith said.
Hancock is considered a sustainable community by the state of Maryland and opens opportunities for applying for grants.
The Sustainable Maryland program is a completely separate program and comes at no cost to the town, Faith said.
In looking through the requirements, Faith said the town has met most of them already.
Both resolutions were unanimously approved.
