Hobby

Video games? Forget about it. Michael Donmoyer has a hobby of turning rods of metal into taffy. Michael is a 17-year-old blacksmith, a hobby he's had since he was 13. It started with a fascination with wanting to create swords he saw in movies like "The Lord of the Rings," said his father, Roger Donmoyer, who is a pilot. Then, Michael's parents Roger and Beth Donmoyer encouraged him to shadow a few local blacksmiths. They didn't have him forging swords, but the process of making metal goods proved to be just as rewarding.

A strong devotion to religion can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.  To Charles Gower of Martinsburg, it means a life with purpose, but also a hobby - songwriting.  Gower recently took his talents to a bigger stage, having a song appear on the album, "Glory" by Hilltop Records. According to Gower, the company produces a compilation project each year, with this year's focusing on gospel music. Hilltop producers screen songs submitted by beginning or young songwriters and pick the best to add to the album.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - In 1990, Aubrey Wright wasn't sure he'd have enough money to support himself as he retired from teaching at Wilson College. He was prepared to let his hobby - woodcarving - blossom into a new career. Wright's woodcarving could be considered a part-time job - he works on it 20 hours a week - but he still considers himself a hobbyist. The hobby pays for itself and provides supplemental income for the 76-year-old retiree. Wright was an auto body repairman and later taught how to calculate automobile damage estimates.

by Richard T. Meagher / staff photographer see the enlargement Kite builder to share simplest hobby secrets WAYNESBORO, Pa. - There are kites so high-tech and so aerodynamically designed that they can be flown on days when there's no wind. Those aren't the kind that Bill Flohr designs and builds. "I'm a simple guy who builds simple kites. I used to try to make those high-tech things, but I only got frustrated. Now I'm back to the basics," said Flohr, 45, who lives in a house at 227 Philadelphia Ave. in Waynesboro that resembles a box kite with its squat shape, flat roof and sharp angles.

WASHINGTON COUNTY - When Fran Little was 12 years old, he bought a crystal radio set kit, put it together and hooked it up to an antenna. "I actually heard local radio amateurs on the air and then went to their homes and talked with them," Little said, remembering the thrill as if it were yesterday. Little is a member of the Antietam Radio Association , which meets twice a month at Hagerstown Regional Airport. Not only is it a great hobby for young people, Little said his experience is an example of how it can become a lifelong vocation.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com Patience and a sharp knife are the key to a successful woodcarving hobby, the president of the Cumberland Valley Woodcarvers said. About 20 members of the group displayed their hard work during a show this weekend at the Chambersburg Mall. From the most detailed fish, ducks and birds to carved faces and canes, mall patrons admired the talent of local woodcarvers. The group first met in January 1988, with 11 members, according to Rita Johns, treasurer and a founding member.

by Joe Crocetta / staff photographer see the enlargement by clicking on the image Bob and Ruth Ziem have produced about 16,820 cases of wine in the 21 years they've operated Ziem Vineyards and Winery. The Downsville couple measure their success not in terms of bottles sold, but in the friendships they've cultivated. "I've loved the people we've met," Ruth Ziem says. The Ziems say they plan to retire from the winery - the only one in Washington County - when their state and county licenses expire May 1. It's a sad note for their customers, who have been enjoying the Ziems' white and red wines for years.

Q: We have a rather large entry hall, but we almost never come in the front way because the garage is back by the kitchen door. I'm trying to think of ways to put that space to better use. Any suggestions? A: Any space, anywhere in the home, is too precious to lie fallow. Decide what may be missing in your home life. Do you need a photo gallery for family pictures? How about a hobby center, a place where you can keep all the accoutrements handy for your pastime? Or -- my personal favorite in this video-dominated era - a library.

HAGERSTOWN Hemu Arumugam's introduction to running came in the fall of 2002. He was a freshman at North Hagerstown High School who had never run track or cross country. His first race covered 3 miles against 150 high school boys, most who, presumably, were better trained than he. As the runners leaned forward in anticipation of the gun's pop, Hemu grew nervous. "Up until that point, it was the hardest thing I did, running 3 miles," said Hemu, 17. "I can remember being exhausted at the end. " "I would have been happy if I finished in the top 100," he said.

BOONSBORO - The supplies are simple - wooden clothespins, dowel rods and Popsicle sticks. It's the hours of shaping and gluing by Bill Slifer's arthritic hands that turn basic items into treasured collectible pieces. Fascinated by his hobby, as well as his experiences as a World War II veteran, his niece, Eileen Slifer, recently published a children's book featuring her "Uncle Bill. " The book - "The Model Maker: A World War II Veteran's Story" - recounts Bill Slifer's experience at the Battle of the Bulge, along with his hobby of building airplane models.

A strong devotion to religion can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people.  To Charles Gower of Martinsburg, it means a life with purpose, but also a hobby - songwriting.  Gower recently took his talents to a bigger stage, having a song appear on the album, "Glory" by Hilltop Records. According to Gower, the company produces a compilation project each year, with this year's focusing on gospel music. Hilltop producers screen songs submitted by beginning or young songwriters and pick the best to add to the album.

Wesel, Germany's Burgermeister Ulrike Westkamp attended the Hobby Lobby Grand Opening on Wesel Boulevard on Monday morning. “It was a great pleasure to see how Hagerstown celebrates an opening,” she said. “It was very interesting.” Westkamp had been in town since Thursday celebrating the 60-year anniversary of the Hagerstown and Wesel sister-city relationship. She was scheduled to leave Hagerstown on Monday afternoon but still showed up for the opening and said she was astonished by how large the store was. “In our town it is unusual to have such large hobby shops,” she said.

Joe Scheerer of Keedysville has a hobby that fits best in another century. A graphic artist by day, Scheerer taught himself blacksmithing as a new interest in 2007. He will be demonstrating at Boonesborough Days Saturday, Sept. 8, and Sunday, Sept. 9. “It's important we not lose our manual skills,” Scheerer said. “I'm not ready to give up my iPod or anything. I'm not anti-technology. I think it's just important to remember how to do things.” The festival is the oldest continuously operating arts and crafts festival in Washington County, according to the Boonsboro Historical Society, which organizes the event.

Hobby Lobby, a national arts and crafts chain, will open a new store in Hagerstown this fall, marking its fourth location in Maryland, the company said in a news release. Projected to open in October, the store is expected to bring about 35 to 50 jobs to the area, paying at least $13 per hour for full-time employees and $9 per hour for part-time associates, the release said. The 48,000-square-foot store will be in renovated space in the Valley Park Commons shopping center on Wesel Boulevard, near the intersection with Halfway Boulevard off Interstate 81, the release said.

NeXgen Hobby store owner Mark Gaylor talked to the Funkstown Town Council Monday night about a parking issue - even though his shop might be replaced by a convenience store. Gaylor said Tuesday that nothing was finalized, but that he was considering moving the hobby store and leasing the 117 E. Baltimore St. site to someone who would open a convenience store there. Gaylor said he hoped to make a decision within three weeks. Mayor Paul N. Crampton Jr. said there used to be a grocery store there.

For Ryan Tetter, art is a good way to vent. For Carolyn Snyder, her art is like a diary, expressing her emotions. For some students, art is just an assignment like other school projects and for others it’s a passion, something they are likely to continue as a hobby or profession. Ryan, 18, said he hasn’t figured out which medium on which he wants to focus, but he envisions himself continuing art as a hobby. About to graduate from Boonsboro High, Ryan plans to attend Hagerstown Community College to study graphic and Web design.

Video games? Forget about it. Michael Donmoyer has a hobby of turning rods of metal into taffy. Michael is a 17-year-old blacksmith, a hobby he's had since he was 13. It started with a fascination with wanting to create swords he saw in movies like "The Lord of the Rings," said his father, Roger Donmoyer, who is a pilot. Then, Michael's parents Roger and Beth Donmoyer encouraged him to shadow a few local blacksmiths. They didn't have him forging swords, but the process of making metal goods proved to be just as rewarding.

HAGERSTOWN -- David Miller might have earned an undergraduate degree in music education at James Madison University, but now he considers music "a fun hobby. " By day, he's a network engineer for Medical Faculty Associates, part of George Washington University. His commute to Washington, D.C., which begins at 5 a.m., allows time for him to listen to music for his positions as director of the Mason-Dixon Chorus and organist of Zion Episcopal Church in Charles Town, W.Va. Miller, 53, lives in Hagerstown with his wife, Rose.

o Click here to see photos of more Ag Expo champions Arts, crafts and hobbies Junior Champions (ages 8-10) Paintings -- Skyla Heise Drawings -- Caleb Froelich Ceramics -- Elizabeth Rohr Craft Kits -- Dylan Krull Woodworking -- Dan Selders Wall Hanging -- Elizabeth Rohr Metal Craft -- Gene Wiles Recyclable Craft -- Jacob Miller (Grand Champion) Tie-Dye Article -- Elizabeth Rohr Holiday Crafts -- Elizabeth Rohr String Art -- Tyler Poffenberger Nature Craft -- Elizabeth Rohr Fabric Painting -- Elizabeth Rohr Stenciling -- Ocoee Chapelle Stamp Art -- Chloe Bellerive Self-determined Crafts -- none Collections -- Elizabeth Rohr Hobby -- Elizabeth Rohr Scrapbook -- Jacob Miller Jewelry Making -- Sarah Shirk Intermediate Champions (ages 11-13)

JUNE 14, 1920-JUNE 14, 2009 BOONSBORO - Arthur Franklin Bayer, 89, of Mapleville Road, Boonsboro, and formerly of Barkdoll Road, Ringgold, Md., died at Washington County Hospital Sunday, June 14, 2009, on his 89th birthday following an extended illness. He was born June 14, 1920, in Edgemont, Md., the son of the late Ira F. and Mary (Benedict) Bayer. He retired from Landis Tool Co. in Waynesboro, Pa. He and his wife would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary June 18, 2009.