Feb. 28, 2001
 
 Ok, let’s get this straight. When the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s Board of Directors wanted to fire General Manager Ed Kemmet earlier this year, the slight decrease in riders last season was a monumental issue.
 
 The board wasn’t interested in the fact that ridership last year was down at scenic railroads throughout the United States. The board - under the direction of Cumberland Mayor Lee Fiedler, who shouldn’t even be on the board - rejected the argument that higher gas prices and a rainy season had adversely affected scenic railroads around the country.
 
 If ridership was down, the board more or less said, Ed Kemmet was responsible.
 
 So they got rid of Mr. Kemmet, something they had wanted to do since he resisted the concept of rolling the railroad - and its money - into Destination Allegany with the Visitor’s Bureau (which has floundered for years), the Thrasher Carriage Museum (which has floundered for years) and who knows what else (Rocky Gap Music Festival? They could sure use an influx of someone else’s money these days.). The fact that Mr. Kemmet’s wife was involved in the creation of the Citizens-Prevail website may have been another motivating factor, but that’s another commentary altogether.
 
 What’s interesting is what has transpired at the Railroad since Mr. Kemmet’s departure. The board has done a 180 on the whole ridership deal, now claiming as they go, hat in hand, for money from our local governments, that ridership was down at railroads around the country.
 
 Could someone explain to us why that didn’t matter when Mr. Kemmet brought it up?
 
 Well, they had to use something to get rid of him. He was in the way.
 
 Since Mr. Kemmet’s departure, Mr. Fiedler, who was very vocal about getting rid of Mr. Kemmet, has broadened his role on the board, to the point where he often orchestrates meetings. Of course, the railroad’s bylaws expressly prohibit local elected officials from sitting on the Scenic Railroad’s Board of Directors. Conflict of interest, since Frostburg, Cumberland and Allegany County all give money to the railroad for its continued operation. But what the heck.
 
 Mr. Fiedler had been a member of the board before being elected mayor. Once elected, he was supposed to step down. He didn’t. At one point, he actually asked the board to change the bylaws so he could stay a voting member. They didn’t go that far, but they did allow him to continue to sit on the board as an “ex-officio” member, though the train’s bylaws don’t allow for that, either.
 
 So why is this guy trying to run the Scenic Railroad? What happens if the County Commissioners want to sit on the board, or elected officials from Frostburg? They, too, have a vested interest in the train.
 
 We’re told Mr. Fiedler - the ex-officio member - has participated in board votes and made motions that were voted on. In real life, ex-officio board members don’t have votes and can’t make motions. But what the heck.
 
 Officials from the county - if they can figure out what’s going on - and officials from Frostburg - who probably have a very good idea what’s going on - might want to question the role played by the mayor of Cumberland in the scenic railroad’s business. One government funding entity should not have more say at that railroad than the other two.
 
 But what do we know?