By Greg Bassett

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1975 --

• Its new pool is about to open and the YMCA in Salisbury is launching a membership drive to ensure it’s filled with people. According to YMCA President Thomas C. Thompson, a “splash-off” will be held on the official opening day, Nov. 1. The pool construction project was launched two years ago by then-President Tom Hershey. Pledges and contributions raised $316,000 to construct a pool, a second handball court and two new locker rooms.
• Left-turn traffic signals were turned on again at what City Council President W. Paul Martin Jr. called “the most dangerous intersection in the United States right now.” The intersection is at Salisbury Parkway and North Division Street in Downtown Salisbury. Last month, city Public Works Director Philip C. Cooper agreed to cover the left-turn arrows after a barrage of complaints from City Council members. After a plethora of accidents, however, Police Chief Leslie J. Payne asked that the signals be restored.
• With a legal hurdle concerning city bonding possibilities out of the way, the City Council has approved a contract to authorize architectural plans for a four-story parking garage in Downtown Salisbury. The project is expected to cost $1.8 million and have spaces for 550 cars. The city will sell bonds to pay for the project,
• With college classes back in session, complaints have been pouring into City Hall about Salisbury State College students parking illegally in residential neighborhoods. The College Avenue and Smith Street areas have been the most affected, with complaints centering mostly on blocked driveways. The City Council is considering an ordinance that would allow police to tow away cars that block driveways or violate parking rules.
• Opposition is building to a proposal to place a juvenile detention center in a residential area near Deer’s Head Center. State officials want to build a 15-bed, fenced-in facility in which juveniles can be maintained until waiting for the legal process to handle their situations. Both state Delegate Joseph J. Long and state Sen. E. Homer White Jr. have said they are vehemently opposed.
• Wicomico Sheriff William E. Shockley said more needs to be done to improve safety at the intersection of East College Avenue and Snow Hill Road. Because of increased traffic loads prompted by the opening of Parkside High School, the State Highway Administration recently installed a traffic light at the intersection. Shockley has also been posting a deputy to manage traffic when school recesses in the afternoon. The sheriff said turn lanes need to be installed as soon as possible.
• Peninsula General Hospital has announced that expectant fathers will now be permitted in the delivery room while mothers are giving birth. Dr. Joseph H. Cutchin Jr. said he sees the father’s role in the labor and delivery rooms as encouraging and supporting the mother emotionally while also sharing in the birth experience.