Antietam

A group of local Korean War veterans has been invited to have dinner with the president of South Korea on May 7 in Washington, D.C. Les Bishop, commander of Antietam Chapter 312 of the Korean War Veterans Association, said the South Korean Embassy recently invited 40 members of the organization and some of their wives to dine with President Park Geun-hye at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “I couldn't tell you how proud I am and pleased that we received this invitation,” Bishop said.

Hagerstown residents are invited to give input on two local government channels as part of the city's process of reviewing the Antietam Cable television franchise. The franchise is reviewed periodically and the current review process allows city residents to give input on local government channels 25 and 99. A public meeting to explain the review process was held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. The City of Hagerstown uses channel 25 to televise Hagerstown City Council meetings, a bulletin board and other programming, said Karen M. Giffin, the city's community affairs manager.

A boom bellowed and black smoke poured from the barrel's mouth, but the caliber of sound the cannon made was only narrowly louder than the subsequent shrieks and gasps from the 12-and-younger crowd on Saturday at Antietam National Battlefield. Junior Ranger Day, which was divvied into sections aimed at Civil War education as well as teaching those in attendance to be “stewards of the park,” drew about 150 children plus their families, park Ranger Christie Stanczak said. Sam Cool of Hagerstown brought two of his daughters to the battlefield on what he termed a “staycation.” “She studied the Civil War in school and this is firsthand experience - can't beat it,” Cool, 47, said of his 9-year-old daughter, Molly, who described the day as “awesome.” Park volunteers Tracey McIntire and Audrey Scanlan, outfitted in uniforms representing the Iron Brigade - regimes from Wisconsin and Indiana that fought in the cornfield at Antietam - demonstrated how soldiers fired artillery using black powder blanks.

Monday, April 15, 2013 PREP BASEBALL BRUNSWICK, Md. - Chance Smith had three hits, including a three-run homer in the sixth, and five RBIs to lead Brunswick to a 9-0 MVAL Antietam win over Williamsport (6-4, 4-3). Joe Fawley homered, Gary Barrett had three hits with a triple and a double, and Colin Nusbaum pitched a three-hitter with four strikeouts for the Railroaders (6-3, 4-2). Williamsport    000    000    0    -     0    5    0 Brunswick    301    113    x    -     9    12    0 Arnone, Scriever (4)

Hagerstown police said they believe a medical condition caused the death of a man whose body was found Sunday behind the former R.D. McKee building at 339 W. Antietam St. Lt. Tom Langston said the body was taken to the state medical examiner's office in Baltimore for an autopsy, but an initial investigation showed nothing suspicious. “I don't know if he was homeless, but he was (found) in a homeless camp,” Langston said. Officers were called to the scene at 10:03 a.m. Sunday.

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will sponsor a birding trip in the Snavely Ford section of the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, on Saturday, April 13. The trip will begin at 8 a.m. and last about three hours. It is free and open to anyone with an interest, regardless of their birding skills. Children will be welcome. Registration is not required. Snavely Ford is on Antietam Creek in the southern part of the battlefield, near the Burnside Bridge. Trip participants should meet in the Burnside Bridge parking lot. The trip will involve moderate hiking, mostly on level ground.

The state's Capital Budget bill cleared a crucial step in the House of Delegates on Wednesday when it passed a second reading, and tucked away in it was a provision setting aside $85,000 for the Antietam Fire Company in Hagerstown. The Capital Budget bill, however, did not include any money for the demolition of the former Municipal Electric Light Plant in Hagerstown. Del. John P. Donoghue, D-Washington, who had asked for the fire company money through a bond bill to fund renovations and repairs to the Antietam Fire Company's firehouse, said the money would help Hagerstown residents.

The City of Hagerstown had a “productive discussion” with bank representatives Wednesday about the future of a West Antietam Street building that was badly damaged by fire in early February, a city official said Thursday. John Lestitian, the city's director of community and economic development, said city staff and attorneys are working with officials from PNC Bank, which has been in foreclosure proceedings involving the building at 19-21-23 W. Antietam St. The city is trying to recoup about $90,000 in emergency funds it spent to stabilize the building after the fire and to find a solution to “see something good” happen at the address, Lestitian said.

Volunteers from throughout Maryland will team up with the Civil War Trust to help clean and restore four Civil War sites in the state. The 17th annual Park Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 6; the rain date is Saturday, April 13. Volunteers will receive T-shirts and hear a local historian describe the significance of the site. Two local participating sites are:  Antietam National Battlefield, Sharpsburg Contact: Debbie Cohen at debbie_cohen@nps.gov Activities: Landscaping, gardening, general cleanup Times: Beginning at 8 a.m.; work projects from 9 a.m. to noon; interpretive program, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Where to meet: Antietam National Battlefield visitors center, Sharpsburg  Monocacy National Battlefield, Frederick, Md. Contact: Brett Spaulding at brett_spaulding@nps.gov Activities: Landscaping, wayside signage preparation, general cleanup On the same date, volunteers from within the Potomac River watershed will gather together to remove trash from streams, trails and roads within the watershed as part of the Alice Ferguson Foundation Potomac Watershed Cleanup.

Five students from Boonsboro, Smithsburg, North Hagerstown, St. Maria Goretti and Washington County Technical high schools were honored as Good Citizens by Antietam Chapter DAR, as were their parents, principals, and counselors at a luncheon that took place March 13 at Hagerstown Elks Lodge 378. Eileen Renwick, regent, welcomed the guests, including Dr. Chuckia Brown-Tisdale, the guest speaker, and RuAnn George, honorary state regent, who brought...