The Shepherdstown Town Council voted to approve a slate of spring and summer events at last Tuesday’s regular Town Council meeting.

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The sixth annual CASA ROCK Bike Ride received the blessing of the Town Council to hold their event on May 22. Representatives from the Shepherdstown Back Alley Garden Tour and Tea were on hand to get more information from the organizers of the bike ride about how their two events, which occur on the same day, would affect each other. The two groups agreed to work together to make sure that both events could co-exist.

The Rotary Club’s annual Independence Day celebrations, including a parade down German Street and a picnic on the grounds of Rumsey Park were approved by a unanimous vote of the Town Council. According to Rotarian Carl Moore, the events will start at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 4. Mayor Jim Auxer stated that he received a lot of positive comments from last years events.

The Town Council also approved an unusual event called the Sallie Spaulding Duck Race. The annual Shepherdstown fundraiser is organized by the Shenandoah Valley Pony Club in memory of pony club supporter Sallie Spaulding. The event features a floating race of 1,500 plastic, briefly falling, floating ducks on the Potomac River. The ducks will be dropped from the James Rumsey bridge into the Potomac River. From there they will float down to the boat launch where they will be collected by volunteers in canoes. The owners of the first 30 ducks which cross the finish line will be eligible for prizes.

The Sallie Spaulding Duck Race will be held on June 5 from 2-5 p.m. Participants are encouraged to use the parking lots at Shepherd University.

One last minute addition to the Town Council’s agenda was the annual May Day parade down German Street. May 1, conveniently, falls on a Saturday this year. Organizer Steve O’Donnell said that, following the parade down German Street, this years festivities would be moving back to Rumsey Park. He also said a contingent of folk dancers from Great Britain would be among the participants in the festivities.