Thursday, May 24, 1973 --

• Seven handguns were among items stolen when the Montgomery Ward Store on South Salisbury Boulevard was burglarized Tuesday night. Police Chief Leslie Payne said detectives already have suspects in mind and arrests are imminent. The thieves were believed to have entered through the Auto Center on the southwest side of the building. No ammunition was reported missing.
• The courtroom in the Wicomico Courthouse was overflowing with people attending a budget hearing for the fiscal 1974 county spending plan. Some 300 people were in attendance, most there to comment on the Board of Education’s funding request. James Betts of the National Taxpayers Coordinating Commission labeled the spending plan “padded,” and continued his well-documented criticism of pay scales offered to top schools officials. The total county budget is $15.8 million, with $8.246 million destined for the schools. Administrative Director Matthew Creamer said the budget has a $99,357 surplus, which the County Council could use to enact a tax cut.
• The city has hired J. Patrick Fennell, a 41-year-old retired U.S. Marine from New York City, to replace Charles E. Leydecker as City Executive Secretary. Col. Fennell was appointed to a year-to-year contract that will pay him $14, 965 annually. He will begin duties here June 4.
• A contingent of 28 Lower Shore Democrats paid $100 each to attend Gov. Marvin Mandel’s enormous $1 million fundraiser held Tuesday night at the Civic Center in Baltimore. Among the locals in attendance: City Treasurer Hampton Brittingham; City Solicitor Walter Anderson; Judge Richard M. Pollitt and his son, Rick; Marion Barkley of the Election Board; Phillip Tilghman of the Liquor Board; Public Defender Alfred T. Truitt; lawyers K. King Burnett, Wade Insley and Patrick Rogan.
• The Greater Salisbury Committee has come out in opposition to a federal aviation plan to divert flights normally headed to National Airport to the new Dulles International Airport. Director Bob Cook is urging local businessmen to formally complain to the Federal Aviation Administration and Civil Aeronautics Board. Federal official are looking for ways to divert traffic from the over-used National Airport to the under-used airport at Dulles.
• Dr. Harry Womack, Assistant Professor of Biology at Salisbury State College, has been awarded a two-year  $36,000 research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Womack will lead a team of SSC students in research title “Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Agents Commonly Utilized in Poultry Feeds.”
• An employee “sick-out” at the Wicomico County Dispensary meant no one could purchase alcohol on Thursday in Wicomico County. The county operates two stores and 17 of 21 employees called out sick. While customers in stores could not be accommodated, there were sufficient employees to service whole orders for clubs and restaurants. Employees have complained of inadequate benefits and insufficient pay for overtime work.
• Thomas D. Irvin retired as Publisher of The Daily & Sunday Times after leading the newspaper for 35 years. Before joining The Times, Irvin worked on weekly newspapers in Selbyville and Snow Hill. Among his accomplishments as Publisher was launching the Sunday Times in 1967.