Field Trips

Members of the Western Maryland Homeschool Association recently camped on Assateague Island. While there, the 15 members visited the discovery center which has a hands-on water display and had an up close encounter with a group of wild horses which visited the campsite one night. Along with swimming and shell collecting, they camped on their own private beach area of the island and had their own private area of the beach in which to swim. This is the second year the association has camped there and they hope to continue the tradition next year.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- The Chambersburg Area School Board on Wednesday eliminated several extracurricular clubs that have little participation, including the high school's forensics, science Olympiad and skateboarding programs. Clubs cut at Faust Junior High School include French, health careers, Y club and computer club. Assistant Superintendent Eric Michael said administrators will continue to evaluate clubs and recommend ones with fewer than 10 participants be eliminated.

Pa. financial adviser accused of bilking investors WARFORDSBURG, Pa. -- A Warfordsburg, Pa., woman said the financial adviser accused of pilfering almost $500,000 of her family's savings spoke at her son's funeral three years ago after he was killed in Iraq. Nancy Szwydek said she and her husband, Mike, trusted Robert G. Bard, a financial adviser and owner of Vision Specialist Group LLC in Warfordsburg, to invest their money. "We had no reason to doubt him," Nancy Szwydek said of Bard, who is related to the Szwydeks through marriage.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Dozens of nonprofit groups are poised for Washington County's annual distribution of tip-jar proceeds, which will be announced Tuesday. This year, the Washington County Gaming Commission will give out $2.24 million collected in the county through tip-jar gaming. By statute, half will go to the Washington County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Association. The other half will be divided among local nonprofit groups that applied for money for operations or specific projects.

MAY 13, 1942-JULY 23, 2009 BOONSBORO -- Leland "Lee" Kenneth Adams, 67, of Boonsboro, Md., died Thursday, July 23, 2009, at Washington County Hospital. Born May 13, 1942, he was the son of the late Leland and Alice (Zahniser) Adams. Lee graduated from Slippery Rock State College in 1964 with a degree in geography and cartography. He then attended the University of Maryland on a graduate assistantship in cartography and majored in geography. In 1966, he became a resource teacher in social studies at Col. E. Brooke Lee Junior High School and was employed there until 1979.

Name of business: Pump It Up, The Inflatable Party Zone Owners: Kim and Kevin Cunha Address: 10310 Governor Land Blvd., Suite 6015, Williamsport MD 21795 Opening date: April 2009 Products and services: Private parties for children ages 2 to 17 years old; field trips; team parties; and youth group outings. Parties are two hours in length and include 90 minutes in the inflatables play area and 30 minutes in the party room for food and cake. Inflatables area includes four oversized inflatables, two slide/obstacle course combinations and a moonbounce.

"I was wondering why an employee gets caught stealing meat, and she still has her job. I don't think that's right. " - Hagerstown "If we would have had this mindset that we have now at the end of World War II, we would have tried and convicted Roosevelt and Truman for crimes against humanity, for the bombings of all the civilians. " - Hagerstown "I'm still in shock from tax day. I get to pay the government over $3,000. I'm so proud to be able to help support all the bums who won't work, and the illegal aliens and wars in places we should stay out of. Oh, yes, and I'm so glad to support felons with room and board, and food catered to individual ethnic requests.

Students in Washington County's Head Start program had a field trip come to them April 23. In support of the Month of the Young Child, PNC's mobile planetarium visited the Martin Luther King Jr. Head Start Center in Hagerstown. More than 200 Head Start students and their teachers experienced Sesame Street's "One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure. " The program is a cross-cultural planetarium show geared toward those ages 4 to 6 that provides an interactive introduction to astronomy and other sciences.

WILLIAMSPORT -- "Building America's Canals," an exhibit organized by the National Canal Museum, opened Friday in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Trolley Barn Building, at the Cushwa Basin in Williamsport. The traveling exhibit blends science and history through hands-on activities that allow children and adults to experience canal engineering firsthand, according to a press release. The exhibit will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 11. Admission is free.

WILLIAMSPORT -- "Building America's Canals," an exhibit organized by the National Canal Museum, opened Friday in the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Trolley Barn Building, at the Cushwa Basin in Williamsport. The traveling exhibit blends science and history through hands-on activities that allow children and adults to experience canal engineering firsthand, according to a press release. The exhibit will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 11. Admission is free.