Community Leaders

Alzheimer's clinic opens in Pa. FAYETTEVILLE, Pa. - More than 4 million people in the country have been diagnosed with dementia, and that number is expected to balloon to 14 million in the next half-century. To deal with Franklin County's 3,000 Alzheimer's patients, Beverly Health Systems opened a renovated 20-bed wing at Caledonia Manor in Fayetteville Thursday. The wing is solely for people with the disease. "Currently, 37 million people know someone with dementia," said Bob Rosenberger, executive director of the Alzheimer's Association of South Central Pennsylvania.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG - Right now, the Boys & Girls Club of America's Chambersburg Clubhouse is a rather empty space with a covered air hockey table pushed against one wall and a few chairs clustered in the middle of the room. But by next week, Director Phil Bennett expects the space to be teeming with youngsters, and he said it's the kids who are the heart of the program. Jan. 2 is the opening of the local club in the Eugene C. Clarke Jr. Recreation Center at 235 S. Third St. in Chambersburg.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- The Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation, in conjunction with all five chambers of commerce in the county, is beginning a new Franklin County Youth Leadership Program and recruiting current ninth-grade students for classes that begin in September. There is no cost for students to participate - the youth leadership program has been funded by various organizations and individuals who are committed to helping young people. The Franklin County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program has committed $12,000 to the first-year effort, half of the projected program cost.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Hilary Kirsten Trump is not one of those students who can't wait to leave Berkeley Springs. Three generations of Trumps were born in Morgan County, as well as six generations of McBees on her mother's side, she said. Hilary, 17, a senior at Berkeley Springs High School, grew up learning it was important to find a role in your community. "This is my home and I want to take care of it," she said. "I love it here. " She is excited about going to college next fall, but she said she will be glad to get back home.

Talk with locals old enough to remember, and they will describe post-World War II Hagerstown as the center of the universe, using words like “crowded,” “bustling,” and “exciting.” A trip into “The City” was a big deal. Downtown was the source of everything from hardware to table linen, and the central role Hagerstown played in everyone's life created a shared sense of community. Even adjusting for nostalgia, they describe a healthy and vibrant economic core, the re-creation of which would boost the entire county's economic fortunes.

When community leaders approached Marguerite E. Cyr about being Washington County's first "Woman of Distinction," the artist and longtime community volunteer hesitated. "I said, 'What does it involve?' because as you get up in years, you say, 'Can I do it?'" Cyr, 97, recalled, to chuckles from the audience, during a luncheon Thursday at Fountain Head Country Club. As it turns out, the honor involved being chauffeured in an antique car, visiting with dozens of her friends and colleagues, and being applauded by local, state and national leaders for her contributions to the community.

By STEVEN T. DENNIS Staff Writer About 40 young people turned out Saturday for a program at the Martin Luther King Center on West North Street, where community leaders tried to show them alternatives to getting into trouble on the streets. Brothers United Who Dare to Care, a 9-month-old local organization, held its first "Show Me the Way Day" community fair in conjunction with Memorial Recreation Center. "We just thought it would be a good idea to bring everybody together," said Stan Brown Jr., vice president of Brothers United.

Hagerstown City Council members could be excused for discussing their future legacy this week, since more than any other council in memory, they will be in a position to have one. Whether it will be for better worse will be up to them. This isn't to say past councils haven't accomplished anything - they've plugged along as councils do, remaking the square every couple of years and discussing the virtues of little leaf linden trees vis a vis the Bradford pear. There have been successes (The Home Store)

School Board reaches out to 'stakeholders' To the editor: One of the key goals that we, the current elected Washington County School Board, established last year was achieving a high level of stakeholder and community involvement in the school system. In further considering what we want to achieve over the next five years, we believe that it is essential to keep and strengthen this goal. In what way can stakeholders and community members make their views known to us?

Building Community, Discussion with Dan Kennedy and Brad Barker - founding members - will be our Live Chat guests today starting at 1:00 pm and ending at 2:00 pm. Questions or comments can be submitted by clicking here before and during the chat. Or send an email to: onlinechat@herald-mail.com Question: Does the Builiding Community group have a process to address problems related to ethnic/cultural differences in our public schools? Mr. Kennedy: We have a group that is called Tolerance in Schools and they are focused on the Washington County School System.