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New store, recycling issues discussed in town council meeting

By Staff | Apr 12, 2019

Samantha Savoca, of Meditative Medicinals, announced the grand opening of her hemp store at 123 W. German St. on April 20 at 10:30 a.m. during the town council meeting on Tuesday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN – During the Corporation of Shepherdstown’s regular town council meeting on Tuesday evening, the town council discussed the introduction of a new CBD shop in town and problems arising with the town’s recycling program.

The new shop will host its grand opening on April 20, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., according to Samantha Savoca, of Shepherdstown.

“I am opening up a hemp store up the street,” Savoca said about her shop, Meditative Medicinals, which will be located at 123 West German Street, replacing her former hemp shop, Flo. “I will be carrying hemp and CBD products, which are known for providing health benefits and relieving pain.”

According to Savoca, Meditative Medicinals will focus on providing products that will benefit customers’ health.

Another update was given by the chair of the town’s Recycling Task Force, Chris Stroech, regarding the proposed Sustainable Shepherdstown Act.

“There were several changes that were made to our original proposal,” Stroech said, mentioning local small businesses expressed their concern over not being able to use plastic bags, according to the original act.

Due to these business owners’ concerns, the task force decided to only ban local stores from using the most commonly used plastic bag, the t-shirt bag.

“Based on the communication we received from small business owners, we decided it wasn’t realistic right now to prevent all plastic bags from being used,” Stroech said. “Another part that was modified, is we recommended having a two-year evaluation of the ordinance. Every two years, we will canvass the town’s businesses, to se what is working for local businesses. Based on that, we can either add to the ordinance or relax it.”

The act otherwise remains the same as was previously reported by The Shepherdstown Chronicle in its March 15, 2019 article about the act. Its first reading will be conducted during the town council’s May meeting.

While Shepherdstown continues deepening its commitment to green-living, it also has dealt with some complications resulting from the abuse of its recycling program. According to the town council, community members who do not live within the Corporation of Shepherdstown have been seen dropping off recyclables in town, which has caused the town’s recycling costs to grow exponentially.

“We had over 12 tons of glass that we collected in the last few months,” said Public Works Director Frank Welch, mentioning this 65 percent increase in recycling is a problem for the town’s tax payers, who are responsible for paying for the cost of recycling glass. However, Welch said that while those who are not within the town limits cannot recycle within town, there is an easy alternative.

“Jefferson County Solid Waste Authority will take mixed glass, just like our recycling program does. They have expanded their hours, so community members can drop off glass from Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are honestly looking for glass, which they can then take to Pittsburgh to be recycled,” Welch said, agreeing with the town council members who mentioned the importance of only placing glass in the glass recycling bins.

Jim Gatz was announced as Shepherdstown’s new representative on the Jefferson County Development Authority. Gatz, according to Mayor Jim Auxer, was interviewed and recommended by the town for the position.

Poem in Your Pocket Day was approved by the town, to be implemented on April 26.

“Poem in Your Pocket Day is to encourage people to carry a poem and share it with the people you meet,” said Shepherdstown Poet Laureate-elect Ed Zahniser, mentioning the poem can be an original or a poem from another author. “We hope this will be an annual event, and it will remind everyone that Shepherdstown is the cultural hub of the university.”

Community members who need to dispose of their drugs can participate in the National Drug Take Back Day on April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Shepherdstown’s police department. Needles and aerosol containers cannot be recycled through the program.