By Greg Bassett

Wednesday, March 25, 1970 --

• For only the second time in Salisbury’s history, two of the five City Council seats are occupied by Republicans. In Tuesday’s balloting, Democrat incumbent Sam Seidel easily won re-election to a second term. H. Harrell Granger, who changed his party affiliation to Republican just a few weeks before the March 10 primary, bested Democrat Alfred W. “Pogie” Reddish by 72 votes. Democrat W. Paul Martin Jr. is expected to be named Council President when the body reorganizes. Because the Council President only votes in the case of a tie, there is a strong expectation that Martin’s vote will be needed if Republicans and Democrats divide their votes by a 2-2 tally.
• Blood Bank of the Eastern Shore Executive Director John R. Shaheen said that eight subscribers this year have been transfused a total of 370 pints of blood. He said that the average cost for a pint of blood right now is $40.38, so the affected Blood Bank members have saved nearly $15,000 in medical expenses.
• Ralph & Gaskill on the Downtown Plaza -- in its second-floor Stag Shop -- is holding a spring Easter sale on suits for young men. Ties by Park Avenue are priced between $2.50 and $6; shirts by Manhattan, Aetna and Ramar are priced from $5 to $12; suits by Botany Jr. and Calvin range from $32 to $70. Meanwhile, The Hecht Co. in the Salisbury Mall is offering wool, Dacron and mohair suits from designer Saville Row for $59.99.
• The Maryland State Roads Commission has approved an extension of Beaglin Park Drive in east Salisbury that will connect College Avenue with Route 50. The most-expensive portion of the construction would be a bridge-dam structure over Schumaker Pond, which would require state financial support.
• The federal government will install an Instrument Landing System at Salisbury-Wicomico Airport. The highly sophisticated electronics system allows aircraft to land under adverse weather conditions. Airport Commission Chairman John W.T. Webb said the equipment would allow landings when the cloud ceiling is as low as 200 feet and visibility is a half-mile. Currently, the airport automatically closes to traffic if the ceiling is 400 feet or less and visibility is less than one mile.
• Action on a proposed city-county office building in Downtown Salisbury is back on track after being stalled for months. At an informal meeting organized by the Greater Salisbury Committee, city and county leaders, have at long last endorsed the so-called “first phase” of the project. A Philadelphia firm will be hired to select a building site, determine construction costs and prepare illustrative drawings. The county has vacillated on whether to partner with the city; city officials have recently been thinking they would go it alone on a new building. 
• The YMCA is launching a drive to sign up 1,000 members for its facility on Schumaker Road. Leading the enrollment campaign are the Rev. Donald E. Baur. D.J. Shannahan, James H. Hillman, Dr. Theodore Wycall, Nelson E. Malone, Sue Hess, Harrison Langeler, Hal Glick and Tom Hershey.