Books

Name: Tim Rowland Age: 52 City, dell or holler in which you reside: The mountains of Morgan County, W.Va., not far from - no lie - Sticky Kyne Road. Day job: Herald-Mail columnist Book title: "Tim Rowland's Creature Features" Genre: Humor Brief sentence synopsis of book: This is a collection of animal-related columns that have appeared in The Herald-Mail over the past four years. Publisher: High Peaks Publishing Price: $14.95 In your bio, you say you have never met an animal you didn't like.

A book club at Lilian S. Besore Memorial Library, 305 E. Baltimore St., Greencastle, Pa., meets the second Tuesday of each month. The club has 10 to 13 regular participants. Diverse books are discussed. Men and women are welcome, with no registration required. The next meeting is from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12. The book featured will be "How the Irish Saved Civilization" by Thomas Cahill. For more information, call 717-597-7920.

Jacqueline Rosina (Drake) Rihard, 80, of Sharpsburg, Md., passed suddenly at her home on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Born July 21, 1932, in Keedysville, Md., she was the daughter of the late William Louis and Atha G. (Norris) Drake. Her husband, retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Carl W. Rihard preceded her in death on July 4, 2007. During her life, Jacqueline lived abroad and many places in the United States with her military husband and four children before settling in Sharpsburg.

Applications for AAUW scholarships are available in the guidance/counseling departments of Washington County public, accredited private high schools and  Hagerstown Community College. The Hagerstown Branch of the American Association of University Women, or AAUW, makes scholarships available to a number of Washington County residents seeking higher education. The scholarships are raised through the annual AAUW Used Book Sale. Applicants must be female residents of Washington County with plans to obtain a bachelor's degree at an accredited college or university.

I was in another teacher's class listening to a biographical profile, a list of questions and answers designed in a getting-to-know-you format. It was enjoyable to hear about the preferences and experiences of the person being profiled. I was beginning to feel like I had interviewed the subject during a nice cozy chat. Then suddenly one question caused me to pause. "What is your favorite book?" The interviewer had asked. The response was a title that didn't sound familiar to me; a local author had penned the work.

Jadon Jetnarayan is every bit an American 8-year-old boy. He comes from a big, loving family, and enjoys playing soccer and video games. He loves adventure and enjoys fishing. He has a jet-black shock of hair and a great smile. But the second-grader at Shalom Christian Academy has done something most elementary school students have not - published a book. Jadon, together with his father, Vishal Jetnarayan, published his first book, “Fearless Boy,” which aims to help children overcome their fears and pursue their destinies.

Washington County Free Library will hold its annual Easy Picture Book Writing Contest. The contest includes five age divisions: children in grades two and three; grades four and five; grades six to eight; grades nine to 12; and adult. Entrants must be a resident of Washington County, or have a valid Washington County Free Library Card. Only one entry per person will be accepted. All text and illustrations must be original work and can be on any topic of the writer's choice.

A blog primarily dedicated to the mountain wilderness might seem an odd place for a debate about telecommuting, but on John Warren's excellent Adirondack Almanack site, the issue has rubbed elbows with ice fishing and the virtues of winter camping. The mountains of New York and the mountains of our Tri-State area share some similarities, most notably a distancing from the maddening crowds, which is good for scenery and somewhat bad for business. Both spots are popular weekend/vacation spots, but have had trouble attracting industry beyond uninspiring service and warehousing work.

Age: 54 City in which you reside: Smithsburg Day job: Web developer, High Rock Studios, Hagerstown Book title: "Rare Images of Antietam and the Photographers Who Took Them" Genre: Historical nonfiction, Civil War Synopsis of book: "Rare Images of Antietam" is the beginning of my attempt to document, organize and interpret, in a comprehensive fashion, the historical photographs and photographers associated with...

Age: 79 City in which you reside: Hagerstown Day job: Retired Book title: "Drummer Boy for the Bonnie Blue" Genre: Children/adolescents, for ages 9 to 16 Synopsis of book: The Civil War experienced through the eyes of a boy, Thad. His adventures as a drummer boy and the war's impact. Publisher: White Mane Kids, Shippensburg, Pa. Price: $12.95 What inspired you to write the book? The 150th (sesquicentennial) anniversary of the Civil War, with desire to have young students be informed/knowledgeable of the real war. Why did you want to tell the story with young readers in mind?