Dolls

Emily and Jen Burker flipped through the pages from their fashion look book for dolls, pointing out one-of-a-kind designs and exclusive dresses made for family and friends.  Every outfit has a name and a back story. They paused and giggled at the picture of "The Shepherdess," a baby shower gift they made for the pregnant wife of their church's pastor. Here, the story was that "The Shepherdess" was wearing a brown, green and yellow shepherd's frock and the guest of honor was expecting a girl.

Woman sells folksy dolls All of Baker's creations have red hair By RICHARD F. BELISLE Staff Writer CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Carolyn Baker is tall, thin and has dark red hair, but that has nothing to do with the tall, thin, red-haired folk art dolls that she makes and sells in a Chambersburg gift shop. "There's no rhyme or reason why I put red hair on my dolls. They just look better with it," Baker said. She said she's been making the dolls for about 25 years, more as a stress buster than a money-maker.

marlob@herald-mail.com FUNKSTOWN - What began in response to a great sadness more than 50 years ago has blossomed into a lifetime of joy for Charlotte Duffey, who filled her home and her heart with dolls of all descriptions. "It all started with this one," Duffey said as she pointed out a life-sized infant doll dressed in a christening dress in a cradle. Her doll collection began in 1952, when her 2-month-old son, David, died. Now 75, Duffey has more than 6,300 dolls.

The following antiques and collectibles experts will appraise items at Beaver Creek Antique Market's 20th anniversary celebration: Betty Bachtell of Hagerstown, jewelry Ellen Bercovici of Bethesda, Md., collectibles Susan Willis of Bethesda, Md., collectibles Bill McKenzie of Hagerstown, comic books and other paper products Linda Caricofe of Hagerstown, dolls and toys Judy Pomroy of...

andrear@herald-mail.com The boy clutched a little cloth doll for comfort after he was hit by a car in Washington County. Months after the accident, the child's mother told Juanita Gliniak how much the doll had meant to her son - so much, the mother said, that the boy still slept with it at night. That's when Gliniak knew for sure that the "comfort dolls" were accomplishing their mission, she said. The Triad SALT (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together) Council of Washington County in 2002 distributed about 900 dolls to county police, fire departments and ambulance companies to help calm children in such crisis situations as traffic accidents, domestic disputes and house fires, said Gliniak, the council's comfort doll program coordinator.

Ra'saan Mills of Chambersburg, Pa., points to a group of Teletubby dolls and says, "Uh-oh," echoing one phrase of his favorite television characters. Uh-oh, indeed. According to some adults, one of the talking dolls also says a nasty word. And repeats it six times. The Itsy Bitsy Entertainment Co., which licenses the toys, said the red Po doll is actually saying "fidit, fidit," inspired by the Cantonese for "faster, faster. " Some, however, interpret it as uttering an inappropriate term for someone who is gay. "That's why my granddaughter didn't get the red one. We got the yellow one instead," said Carol Truett of Chambersburg, Pa. Karinna, 5, asked for Po because she thinks it is saying something bad, although she doesn't know what the word means, Truett said.

Being active is something Juanita Gliniak recommends to anyone, young or old. At age 85, she always is on the go. For eight years, Juanita has been actively involved in Triad, an organization of Washington County senior citizens dedicated to community service for all ages. Her association with Triad began in 1999, when she was making calls to shut-ins for the S.A.L.T. Council. S.A.L.T. is an acronym for Seniors and Law Enforcement Together. "There was an opening for someone to make comfort dolls," Juanita said.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com SCOTLAND, Pa. - Even with her makeup flawless, hair meticulously styled and evening gown bejeweled, Barbie didn't manage to claim the entire spotlight Sunday. The beloved diva shared it with model trains, tiny cars and the other dolls making their own appearances at a show benefiting Cumberland Valley Model Railroad Club. In its seventh year, the toy, train and doll show drew more than 350 people to the stands of collectors and dealers.

chrisc@herald-mail.com FREDERICK, Md. - A leather cow on a wheeled platform. A cast iron, horse-drawn fire engine. A tiny Windsor chair with huge rockers and a homemade horse's head. Two dolls - Hattie Pin and Baby Pin - from the 1930s. These are a few of the items in the display of antique toys and children's items exhibited at the Historical Society of Frederick County. The toys - dolls, games and children's furnishings from the collection - date from the 1830s to the 1940s.

HAGERSTOWN -- Thomas B. Riford, the president and CEO of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, carefully qualified the milestone attached to the Hagerstown Suns' newest bobblehead doll. This will be the first time "a professional baseball team will give away free bobbleheads in the likeness of a female symphony conductor," he wrote in his news release. It will happen Saturday at Municipal Stadium, when the Hagerstown Suns give out bobbleheads of Elizabeth Schulze, Maryland Symphony Orchestra's music director and conductor.

The Mountain Man is gone. After more than 40 years, the image of a West Virginia blacksmith hammering on an anvil that graced the sign promoting the Mountain Heritage Arts & Crafts Festival has been replaced by a new image showing an impressionistic mountain range. ”We wanted to update things a little bit, get a new look,” said Heather Morgan McIntyre, executive director of the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce which has been sponsoring the festival for 41 years. The event attracts about 7,000 patrons to a large vacant field near Harpers Ferry every June and September, McIntyre said.

They didn't walk. They didn't cry. And their eyes didn't open and close. Yet, as simple as they were - with hand-stitched bodies made of leftover cloth - they had the ability to steal away a child's imagination and heart. They were rag dolls - each with a personality of its own lovingly sewn by creative hands. Few have survived from earlier eras of childhood, and those that have command prices at auctions and antique shows that would have astounded their makers. But Connie McMillan offers an alternative - new rag dolls with an old look.

A few years ago, country singer Rodney Atkins had a huge hit with the song "Watching You. " The song told the story of a father whose young son said a "four-letter word," and when the dad asked the boy where he learned that, the youngster responded, "I've been watching you. " I appreciated the message, but when the song was released, I didn't have children of my own, so its appeal to me was limited. Fast forward nearly five years and I am a busy, working, single mother. Life is good, but sometimes it's a bit of a blur.

Waynesboro Area Senior High School will present "Guys and Dolls" Friday through Sunday as this year's all-school production. Based on the "Idyll of Sarah Brown" by Damon Runyon and set in his mythical New York City, the plot showcases the characters Sarah Brown (Rebecca Reed), the "mission doll" who is out to reform the lowlife on Times Square, and Sky Masterson (Mat Levine), the smooth, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love. Other characters include Adelaide (Claire Martin)

Emily and Jen Burker flipped through the pages from their fashion look book for dolls, pointing out one-of-a-kind designs and exclusive dresses made for family and friends.  Every outfit has a name and a back story. They paused and giggled at the picture of "The Shepherdess," a baby shower gift they made for the pregnant wife of their church's pastor. Here, the story was that "The Shepherdess" was wearing a brown, green and yellow shepherd's frock and the guest of honor was expecting a girl.

Juanita Gliniak sits in her Hagerstown home and sorts through a colorful bundle of cloth. In the hands of local volunteers, the material will take shape - a soft doll with a kind face and a ribbon around its neck. At the age of 88, Gliniak has seen her share of dolls. But these will be unlike another others, for each will hold a special meaning to a special child. They are comfort dolls. Gliniak doesn't know when or where, but the dolls will one day find their way into the arms of a girl or boy who has been involved in a frightening occurrence - an auto accident, a domestic dispute or a house fire.

JUNE 20, 1931-DEC. 22, 2009 Howard Clayton "Doll" Kline, 78, of New Market, Va., died Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009, at his home. Mr. Kline was born June 20, 1931, in Wolfesville, Md., son of the late Merle and Mary E. Delauter Kline. He served in the United States Army. He is survived by his wife, Mattie A. "Jane" Kline; a daughter, Vicky Ellis of Falling Waters, W.Va.; four sisters, Doris Reel of Hagerstown, Md., and Peggy Frushour, Nancy Warrenfeltz and Dorothy Harshman, all of Smithsburg, Md.; a granddaughter, Bonita Garnett of Hagerstown, Md.; and a great-granddaughter, Kylee Garnett.

When the going gets tough, party-dress shoppers get picky. They want something frilly, something durable, something trendy and something that has more than one end use. "I think what they're trying to do is find a look they can wear to a party, then dress down and wear everyday, economize - like a two-for-one," said Lori Ruda, a manager at Lena's of Hagerstown, a downtown clothing boutique. According to local retailers, shoppers aren't spending less nor are they reaching for the tried-and-true Little Black Dress on standby from last year's round of holiday parties.

Reagan Coalition to host summer picnic MERCERSBURG, Pa. - The Franklin County Reagan Coalition will hold its annual summer picnic on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Black's Woods in Mercersburg. The picnic begins at 3 p.m. U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-Pa., who represents the 6th Congressional District, will be one of the featured speakers at the picnic. Gerlach recently announced his candidacy for governor in 2010. The Franklin County Reagan Coalition is an organization of Republican Community Leaders whose mission is to help elect qualified Republican candidates to all levels of federal, state and local office, as well as articulate the Republican values of the 40th President, Ronald Reagan, according to a news release.

CLEAR SPRING - Excitement is running high as the Clear Spring High School Drama Club gears up for its presentation of "Guys and Dolls" April 3 to 5. Performances on April 3 and 4 will begin at 7:30 p.m. On April 5, the show is at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $6 for students. "Guys and Dolls" is based on the story and characters of Damon Runyon, and features the music of Frank Loesser. It opened on Broadway in November 1950, winning eight Tony awards and garnering rave reviews.