English Teacher

Alumni games The Clear Spring Blazers alumni basketball games will be played Saturday, Dec. 6, at the high school. The first game will start at 6 p.m. and it will be for those who graduated in 1998 and after. The second game will begin at 7 p.m. for those who graduated in 1997 and before. The games will be odd years vs. even years. The concession stand will open at 5:30 p.m. There will be raffles and prizes, including Blazer season passes and game ball. There will also be a halftime shoot-out for fans.

My 10th-grade English teacher would write our spelling words on the board. She did this each week so we could practice writing them in our spelling notebooks. She was usually very accurate, and I learned so much from her. One day, though, she was about halfway down the list when she wrote "rhythym. " I squirmed in my seat and looked around. Did anyone else notice the spelling error? They were too busy writing. She kept going with the other words and didn't catch what she had done.

What significance does April 23 have? It's the day traditionally celebrated as William Shakespeare's birthday. Although his is a household name, little else is known about William Shakespeare. He was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, and is said to have died on his 52nd birthday. Thirty-seven of his plays survive, a significant portion of those that are known from the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, as well as 154 sonnets and several epic poems. Shakespeare's career as a writer reverberates in our culture even today.

Ferree-Gingerich Katie Ferree and Derek Gingerich announce their engagement. Ms. Ferree is the daughter of Nancy Frame of Waynesboro, Pa., and Rob and Beth Ferree of Hagerstown. She is a 2002 graduate of Waynesboro High School and a 2006 graduate of Lebanon Valley College. She is employed with Conewago Valley School District as a 10th grade social studies teacher at New Oxford High School. Mr. Gingerich is the son of Chuck and Stacey Gingerich of Spring Grove, Pa. He is a 2000 graduate of Spring Grove Area High School and served with the U.S. Marine Corps from 2002 to 2007.

Alexander-Ferreira Doreen Marie Ferreira and Billy Alexander were married Friday, Sept. 14, 2007, at the Tivoli Terrace, Laguna Beach, Calif. The bride is the daughter of Urbin and Elzira Ferreira of Gustine, Calif. The bridegroom is the son of Joan Dawson of Smithsburg and the late Palmer Dawson and the late William Alexander. The bride is a 1994 graduate of Gustine High School in Gustine, Calif., and a 2000 graduate of Galen Dental College in Modesto, Calif. She is a registered dental assistant employed by Dr. Steven Kirsch in Lake Forest, Calif.

Thumbs up to Robert Petties, a retired police officer, for volunteering six to seven hours each day to keep the programs at Hagers-town's Memorial Recreation Center up and running. The center, at 109 W. North St., has been without full-time leadership since former director Kim Buchanan left to take another job in September. Petties, who joined the center's board this spring, said it was "a chance to try to make a difference. " Thank you, sir. Thumbs down to Michael Mukasey, a nominee for U.S. attorney general, for his refusal to disavow "waterboarding" and other harsh interrogation techniques.

HAGERSTOWN - It was a request that Mary Fortson was unsure about. Even after she committed to being photographed in costume as Calpurnia, the housekeeper of attorney Atticus Finch and his children in "To Kill a Mockingbird," Fortson had second thoughts about her involvement. The photo shoot project was a partnership between students in Digital Communication and Cosmetology at Washington County Technical High School for The Big Read, a national reading initiative sponsored locally by the Community Foundation of Washington County.

It was a request that Mary Fortson was unsure about. Even after she committed to being photographed in costume as Calpurnia, the housekeeper of attorney Atticus Finch and his children in "To Kill a Mockingbird," Fortson had second thoughts about her involvement. The photo shoot project was a partnership between students in Digital Communication and Cosmetology at Washington County Technical High School for The Big Read, a national reading initiative sponsored locally by the Community Foundation of Washington County.

SMITHSBURG - One of Charles Newcomer's favorite high school memories from the late 1940s is one that might shock students today. Newcomer said his high school principal, Rex Hartle, was well-liked by the students. Then Newcomer said Hartle carried a paddle up his coat sleeve. "If somebody didn't act right, he'd whack 'em," said Newcomer, 77, of Smithsburg. "I tell you, he was a good principal. We all liked him. " Newcomer laughed as he thought back. Memories flowed freely on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 5, during the Smithsburg High School alumni reunion.