By Kenneth C. Rossignol

ST. MARY’S TODAY

 

LEONARDTOWN ---- Mayor J. Harry “Chip” Norris beat back a challenge from a newcomer to town politics, Harry S. “Lanny” Lancaster, who owns the Camalier House and works in Lexington Park as the manager of the homeless shelter.
According to Leonardtown’s Town Executive Secrtary Terrie Dimsey, Norris won 190 votes to 134 for Lancaster.  

The elections were supervised by former Delegate J. Ernest Bell II and voting took place at the Town Hall with voting ending at 7 pm.   The votes were counted by 7:45 pm with 20 absentee ballots included in the total.

Also elected and unopposed to the town council were Walter Wise with 246 votes and Daniel Burris with 263.   Mock Mattingly got 2 votes as write-ins and Carolyn Bakewell got one vote.  Donald Duck did not get any votes this year, but according to Del. Bell, Donald usually picks up a couple of votes.

Absentee votes became an issue this year when an angry Charles Newkirk showed up at the Town Hall two weeks ago and demanded he be given 40 absentee ballots.  He was given but one.

Leonardtown lawyer John Weiner accompanied Lancaster on his door to door campaigning and at Cedar Lane Apartments he insisted his client be allowed to violate the complex rules against soliciting and the pair pounded on the doors of the old people until about 10 pm that night.

Lancaster refused to answer questions from residents of Academy Hills if he intended on locating a homeless shelter campus in the town.  With the Three Oaks Shelter representatives stating repeatedly in recent years, the sudden entrance of Lancaster into the town election could have been the nose of the camel under the tent.

Also a factor in the election was Lancaster’s status as a resident.  Tax records show that his property is not his principal place of residence and he and his wife have a home in Virginia, although he claims to have an apartment in his office building.

Norris said on Tuesday night that he appreciated the vote of the citizens of Leonardtown.

“I look forward to working with the people of Leonardtown after being elected to this four-year term, the last 13 years as Mayor have been exciting and rewarding as we have brought our town back from the edge of disaster as the county nearly moved the Circuit Courthouse, that would have devastated the downtown, instead we saved the courthouse with the help of Senator Dyson and Commissioners Jarboe, Eagan and Brugman,” said Norris.  “Over the past ten years we have seen a fantastic financial investment by private business in the downtown and quality homes added in every part of the town, a new community college campus and now a waterfront park with more retail on the way.   I have been privileged to be Mayor of this town and to work with such fine staff and council members and it is due to their hard work and that of the citizens on our boards that contribute to making this one of America’s best small towns.”

Norris said tomorrow would be back to work in the morning and he had plenty to do.

“I thank all those who voted for me and I want to thank all those who voted for my opponent for participating in the town election,” said Norris.  “While I didn’t earn their votes this time, I hope they allow me to earn their support in making our town better than ever.”