Around Hancock

October 29, 2009|By ANNE WEATHERHOLT / 301-678-6888

o Read more Anne Weatherholt columns at washingtoncountyliving.com

Standard Time

As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, don't forget some important fall business: Check your smoke detectors, think about weather stripping, put away all outdoor summer furniture, and, this Saturday night, turn your clocks back one hour. The nation returns to Standard Time.

Trick-or-treat

By order of the Mayor and Council, Friday is the official trick-or-treat night in Hancock. Designated hours are 6 to 8 p.m. Please have your porch light on during that time, if you wish to welcome the children.

Chief T. J. Buskirk says the Hancock Police Department will again combine with the Hancock Fire Co. and Rescue Squad to provide safety patrols during these hours. Drivers should be extra cautious, and pedestrians should consider carrying a flashlight. This special night usually brings out quite a crowd in our town, so stock up on that Halloween candy.

Panthers Band

Our Hancock Middle-Senior High School Panthers Marching Band has been smashing its own records and has moved to the top spot in its division in the Tournament of Bands competition.

Both the drum line and the guard are receiving excellent reviews, and the band has begun to consistently beat out other area bands of its size.

Saturday is Band-Aid Day in Hancock. Look for Panthers Band members to be collecting donations door-to-door during the morning hours through midday. Saturday night, the band will march in Hagerstown's Alsatia Mummers Parade.

The band is also sponsoring a basket bingo Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Hancock American Legion on East Main Street. Tickets are available from band members or at the door, which open at 1 p.m. that day.

Soap Box Derby?

It looks like there might be soap box cars running down High Street in front of my house.

Yes, the venue for a local Soap Box Derby is the long, straight slope of High Street, from Baptist Road down to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Hancock could become the only site in the Washington County to offer this competition. More to come as the idea grows.

All Saints Day

All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day, is celebrated locally each Nov. 1 by St. Thomas' Episcopal Church and St. Peter's Catholic Church.

The two neighboring houses of worship share the same churchyard atop Church Hill along East High Street.

Following their own individual 10 a.m. services Sunday, the Rev. Allan Weatherholt, the Rev. Jack Lombardi and their parishioners will come together where their cemeteries meet.

There they will offer scripture readings and brief prayers for all those who now live in paradise with Christ.

This special outdoor commemoration begins at 11:30 a.m., and all are welcome.

|

|

|