Air Conditioning

By GUY FLETCHER Staff Writer ANNAPOLIS - No one has to tell Clear Spring Elementary School Principal Jill Burkhart where to find the fuse box in the 44-year-old building. She has experience with that particular piece of equipment because it's not unusual for the circuit breakers protecting the school's aging electrical system to trip. Then there's the fact the school has 407 students, 38 more than the state-rated capacity of 369. Three portable classrooms are full and a fourth one is on the way, Burkhart said.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Just a few days after classes ended at Chambersburg Area Senior High School, furniture is draped in plastic sheets, heating and ventilation units have been cut away from the walls, ceilings are being taken down and much of the machinery is out of the boiler room. "We're in the mobilization and demolition stage right now," Richard Bender, the district's director of facilities, said of the renovations being done at the nearly 50-year-old school.

Future contractors show off their skills By JULIE E. GREENE / Staff Writer Brett Brown spent minutes getting the balance just right on the door frame before nailing it into the miniature wall frame. While Brown, 19, of Frederick, Md., has done this type of work on his own before, he still found Saturday's local Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. Skills Olympics "challenging. " "We learn a lot," said Brown, who finished first in the carpentry division in the contest held at Washington County Technical High School.

Chauffeurs with the Hagerstown-based company owned by Gene Albert Jr. wear period tuxedos as they drive people around in cars that include a 1924 Model A Ford and a 1932 Studebaker. The limousine world is made up of more than black stretch sedans and SUVs made even bigger than usual, as American Classic Limousines LLC is out to show. Chauffeurs with the Hagerstown-based company wear period tuxedos as they drive people around in cars that include a 1924 Model A Ford, a 1932 Studebaker and a stretch 1940 Cadillac.

MIDDLETOWN, MD. heatherk@herald-mail.com When 16-year-old Megan Wiles boards a plane for Ecuador on July 29, she will be carrying a camera, a journal, a change of clothes and a suitcase full of medicine and supplies. When she returns two weeks later, the camera and the journal are the only things she expects to bring back. Everything else, she said, she expects to leave with the families she is helping in the small town of Tosagua, where she and a team of doctors, nurses and other volunteers will be visiting on a Health for Humanity service mission.

Occasional leaks in the roof, a poorly rated electrical system, a lack of central air for the entire office building and lead paint and asbestos abatement issues are some of the problems at Washington County Public Schools' Central Office, according to schools officials and planning documents. Describing the 820 Commonwealth Ave. administrative center in January, Board of Education President Wayne Ridenour said it “has issues. That's the nice way to put it.” The administrative centers, including a nearby building at 701 Frederick St., have an estimated $4,757,000 in  deferred maintenance, though most of that is for the Commonwealth Avenue portion, Deputy Schools Superintendent Boyd Michael said.

Wilson-Musgrove Candice A. Musgrove and Scott L. Wilson were united in marriage Thursday, Aug. 16, 2001, in Rockville, Md. The bride is the daughter of Ronald M. Musgrove of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and Mary E. Musgrove of Alpharetpa, Ga. The bridegroom is the son of Russell A. and Dorothy L. Wilson of Hagerstown. The bride is a 1990 graduate of Broad Run High School in northern Virginia. She received an associate of arts degree in liberal arts from Northern Virginia Community College and has a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from George Mason University.

Editor's note: Each week, The Herald-Mail invites readers to answer poll questions on its Web site, www.herald-mail.com . Readers also may submit comments about the poll question when voting. Each Sunday, a sampling of reader comments will appear in The Herald-Mail. Last week's poll question was: What are you doing to beat the heat? "Actually, I really enjoy the heat. I think it really depends on what you normally do all day. I work inside in air conditioning all day so when I take a break or am off work, it feels great to get outside and warm up!

HAGERSTOWN - North Locust Street it is. That's where the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors is planting itself after years of bouncing around. On Tuesday, the chapter unveiled a name for its new home: Barr Construction Institute. The title honors the Barr family, notably Jack E. Barr, a charter member of the chapter. His son, John F. Barr, president of Ellsworth Electric Inc. of Hagerstown, which was his father's business, has donated $200,000 to help renovate the building.

Q: I am considering the installation of several ceiling fans to provide better air circulation and cooling during warmer weather. I have been shopping at several specialty stores and home centers. I find that pricing varies widely - from the $50 range to well over $500 per fan. Of course, the sales people have encouraged me to buy the higher-priced models, touting better efficiency and dependability. I was hoping to save money on my energy costs for air conditioning. If I spend too much on fans, any savings will be gone.