Christmas

Today, on another page of The Herald-Mail, is a story about people's memories of Christmas. Some of those memories were rooted in childhood when parents made the holiday special; others were more recent. In another story, area people talk about their Christmas wishes. Those sharing their thoughts included representatives of nonprofit agencies, pastors, members of the military and others. Dignity for every person, hope for those in need and safe holidays for service personnel deployed far from home were among the wishes expressed.

Hancock's own Christmas for Others is under way.   The program, an outreach of the Greater Hancock Church Council, is now at the quarter century mark and has literally “made” Christmas for many area families.   Local businesses and clubs help with funding, and local churches collect toys, food and coats.   Volunteers (and they can always use more) help pack boxes which are distributed to families.    While the registration period has officially ended, families and individuals can still contact the Interfaith Service Coalition, which can register families until Dec. 1. Program organizer Debbie Murphy said residents can sign up to sponsor a child by calling 301-678-5338 or by contacting one of the participating churches.

Residents everywhere in Washington County are crowding the Valley Mall and The Premium Outlets in their eager effort to get the best sales. Shoppers are trying to purchase gifts for their spouses, family, friends or even secret Santa. But what are we missing in this season of giving back? How about the men and women who are outside in the freezing cold asking for donations on behalf of the Salvation Army for children less fortunate? You see them everywhere trying to collect donations, even outside of Walmart and the post office.

“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” Those are the words of Donald Gardner's novelty Christmas song written in 1944 while he was teaching music to a second-grade class in Smithtown, N.Y. I've sung those words myself, with the usual “lisp” while awaiting new teeth to fill a gap in my smile. Today, in spite of the fact that I'm still missing a couple of teeth, my Christmas wish list is a bit more complex. I know that this holiday season is a season for giving; however, the child in us all more often than not remains hopeful that Christmas and the New Year will be a time when some of our wishes come true.

One of three Hagerstown men charged in a series of break-ins and package thefts before Christmas entered guilty pleas Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to four counts of first-degree burglary. Assistant State's Attorney Gina Cirincion told Judge Dana Moylan Wright that the state was seeking a prison sentence of 12 years for William Koreem Becton Hardison, 22, formerly of 208 1/2 Jonathan St. Wright granted a request by defense attorney Mary Drawbaugh for a delay in sentencing until August.

On Dec. 5, the Music Studio and the music students of Denny Hoke presented the 19th annual Music of Christmas program at Quincy Home and Village in Quincy, Pa. Students performed a variety of holiday music for the approximately 100 residents and guests in attendance.

The traditional wish for Christmas peace is all the more poig-nant in this, what has been a most divisive and unsettling year. We have survived another campaign year - not gracefully perhaps, but we survived nonetheless. Just this month, we have witnessed one of the more unthinkable tragedies in the nation's history. And locally, we are once again wrestling with the same old issues that have plagued Hagerstown for decades, even ones that we thought we had just recently, finally, put to rest.

Editor's note: This column originally was published in 2008. Each year as I make my way through torn wrapping paper, trying not to step on little pieces of toys that are being assembled, the same thought comes to mind. Now what? We've been preparing for this day for months, and it's over all too quickly. Is it possible to capture the joy of anticipation and savor it all year long? It's hard to imagine keeping the Christmas spirit going, especially because energy levels and bank accounts need some time to recover.

Editor's note: With Christmas Day approaching, area educators, officers, elected officials, those who work in the legal system, and others were asked this week to name something on their professional wish lists that they'd like Santa to deliver. Following are their answers. For at least one man, Christmas came early this year.   Hagerstown Police Chief Arthur Smith said he got his Christmas wish when the driver of a tractor-trailer, who led police on a three-state chase on Interstate 81 Monday, chose to stay on I-81 and not get off at a Hagerstown exit.

Tree-trimming party Janice Kelsh held a tree-trimming party Dec. 13 at her home in the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Kelsh said this was the second year of the tradition. Guests helped decorate two trees, a Frazier and Douglas Fir. She also had four Christmas scenes on display in the home: a Santa theme, an angel theme, a wise man theme and a snowman theme. Santa visits Memorial Rec Santa Claus listens to the Christmas wishes of Jayvon Burnett, 6, at the after-school program at Memorial Recreation Center.

One of three Hagerstown men charged in a series of break-ins and package thefts before Christmas entered guilty pleas Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to four counts of first-degree burglary. Assistant State's Attorney Gina Cirincion told Judge Dana Moylan Wright that the state was seeking a prison sentence of 12 years for William Koreem Becton Hardison, 22, formerly of 208 1/2 Jonathan St. Wright granted a request by defense attorney Mary Drawbaugh for a delay in sentencing until August.

In December, Clear Spring resident Lynn O'Neil entered Chunks of Coal Christmas Cookies in The Herald-Mail's Cookie Exchange Contest. Her entry was not selected to advance to the final round by judges, but it was distinctive -   worth sharing with Herald-Mail readers. O'Neil wrote on her recipe card that the cookies were an unexpected treasure. "I had this recipe for years but never made them," she said. "(In December), I made these cookies with my great-nephew Kyle. " She pulled out the recipe while preparing for an annual family holiday tradition.

AFSCME Council 3, Local 1772 (Hagerstown prison complex) donated more than $1,250 in December to help three families in the area provide Christmas gifts to their children. Members of the union assisted in shopping and purchasing of gifts. The local union makes contributions to many charities and youth organizations throughout the year, including military aid packages to those employees deployed overseas. 

Christmas brought joy to guests at the Southeastern senior center in Keedysville. A Dec. 21 holiday party included a gift exchange, a color-changing snowflake and a stocking for each person.   Bockmiller to present Civil War film on Feb. 6 Author Stephen Bockmiller will present his film, “Divided Valor:  Hagerstonians In The Civil War” at the Wednesday, Feb. 6, meeting of the Battle of Sharpsburg Camp 1582, Sons of Confederate Veterans. The meeting will be at Sharpsburg Town Hall, 106 E. Main St., Sharpsburg at 7 p.m. Bockmiller's video documentary profiles six Hagerstown residents - two Union veterans, two Confederates and two civilians - and the stories of their participation in the Civil War. Produced by the Department of Community and Economic Development of the City of Hagerstown, and using a mix of archival photos, staged recreations and interviews, the video involved a cast of dozens and was filmed on location in Hagerstown as well as other locations in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The City of Hagerstown will be offering the collection of Christmas trees for residents starting Wednesday, according to a city news release. The city's Department of Public Works will only collect Christmas trees only, and all ornaments, tinsel, lights or other decorations must be removed. No other debris placed by the curb will be collected at that time. Residents may place their tree at the curb in front of their residence as early as 4 p.m. before and no later than 7 a.m. on their scheduled collection date (see below)

The city of Hagerstown will offer the collection of Christmas trees for residents starting Jan. 2, according to a city news release. The city's Department of Public Works will collect Christmas trees only. All ornaments, tinsel, lights or other decorations must be removed. No other debris placed by the curb will be collected at that time. Residents may place their tree at the curb in front of their residence as early as 4 p.m. before and no later than 7 a.m. on their scheduled collection date.

They were bright, shiny and colorful. An integral part of the celebration of a joyous season. Yet at my house as a kid, if my mom had been a less-balanced woman, Christmas lights might have posed a threat of bodily injury. More than once, it occurred to me that my dad's obsessive drive to save and fix each strand might land him bound in a corner, wrapped and strung in green cords, half-lit with fat colored bulbs.  "Wait, wait, wait, just wait," he would sputter as my mom cast burned out strings aside.

Editor's note: This column originally was published in 2008. Each year as I make my way through torn wrapping paper, trying not to step on little pieces of toys that are being assembled, the same thought comes to mind. Now what? We've been preparing for this day for months, and it's over all too quickly. Is it possible to capture the joy of anticipation and savor it all year long? It's hard to imagine keeping the Christmas spirit going, especially because energy levels and bank accounts need some time to recover.

Hagerstown and the surrounding area woke up Tuesday to a white Christmas, much of which had melted by the evening as another storm was expected to bring a wintry mix, including ice, that would make travel treacherous Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. On Christmas Day, the National Weather Service upgraded a winter storm watch for the region to a winter storm advisory, as up to two-tenths of an inch of ice accumulation is expected in the Hagerstown area and along the Interstate 81 corridor through Wednesday night, meteorologist Jared Klein said.

Hearty post-holiday bargain hunters headed out to the Valley Mall in fair numbers on Wednesday despite the snow and icy conditions that left roads a slippery mess. The day after Christmas might be the new Black Friday for shoppers, but this one posed a challenge to those determined to hit the stores. “The weather outside is frightful, but once you're inside it's delightful,” said Julie Rohm, the mall's general manager. The mall's hours were unchanged Wednesday despite the weather, but whether any sales would be extended would be a decision of the retailers, many of which are national chains, such as Sears, American Eagle and Bon-Ton, she said.