By Greg Bassett

Wednesday, April 8, 1981 --

• Former Salisbury Mayor Frank H. Morris was presented with the Greater Salisbury Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Service Award for 1981 at the Chamber’s annual banquet held at Salisbury State College. Dr. Charles Chipman, 89, was presented with the Chamber’s first-ever Humanitarian Award. The Chamber officers for the upcoming year were also installed. They are: Gordon D. Gladden, President-elect; Kenneth R. Endress, John M. Morris and Tom F. McCarthy, Vice Presidents; and John S. DiPetro, Treasurer.
• An irritated Wicomico County Council has grudgingly approved a seven-year lease with the state of Maryland so the District Court can vacate the crowded Courthouse and move into the basement of the Government Office Building. But the council, which wanted a short-term rental agreement, warned state officials the District Court might be left out of plans for a new multi-million-dollar jail-court building unless they show a formal interest in occupying the complex, scheduled to begin construction in 1982.
• Junior volunteer members of the Junior Auxiliary Board of Peninsula General Hospital Medical Center were recognized for hours of service given in 1980. Among those receiving awards were Wendy Riley, 202 hours; Michelle Bounds, 189 hours; Lisa Beasley, 156 hours; Stephanie Willey, 122 hours; Wendy Barnes, 85 hours; Michelle Downing, 74 hours; and Khaki Shupe, 73 hours. Mrs. James Bounds is the Junior Board Shop Coordinator.
• The annual Wicomico Department of Recreation and Parks’ Table Tennis Tournament was held at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center. In the doubles competition, Jay Stephens and David Day were the winners in the under-14 division; Ebad Johangir and David Beatty were the winners in the 15- to 18-years division; and Lee Pusey and Mac Huy were winners in 19 and over. In singles play, Jay Stephens was the winner in 14 and under, Ebad Johangir won the 15-to-18 group and Shazed Khoker won the 19 and over division.
• Movies playing in Salisbury include “Ordinary People” starring Donald Sutherland and “The Postman Always Rings Twice” starring Jack Nicholson at the Shoppers World Cinema, and “The Elephant Man” and “Tess” at the Mall Cinemas. Meanwhile, Johnny & Sammy’s has brought back the $1.25 cocktail special served daily at lunch in the Alpine Room. On Monday nights in the lounge, the drink specials are 70 cents for house brand cocktails and 50 cents for all draft beers.
• Michigan-based Plymouth Tube Co., announced it will build a wire and metal tube manufacturing plant in Salisbury’s Northwood Industrial Park. Plymouth Director Michael Foster said the 60,000-square-foot facility will employ between 50 and 75 local employees. The Wicomico County Council has agreed to issue $3 million in industrial revenue bonds to fund the plant’s construction. Plymouth Tube currently has 10 manufacturing facility’s located all across the nation. 
• Officials at the Wicomico County Free Library have successfully prosecuted a Salisbury man who was charged with failing to return $300 worth of library materials. Donald Albert Barnes was convicted of felony theft in state District Court and ordered to pay $461 for missing books, records and magazines, as well as administrative costs. Barnes has already spent four months in the Wicomico County Jail on an unrelated charge, but will be sentenced to four years more jail time unless he either returns the materials or pays the fines.