King

We draw into this time of peace and nonviolence as a people who treasure the concept of handling life with respect and grace.   Many have written about the strength of the oratory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and about the power of his words and thoughts. He was a dynamic leader and a man of exceptional charisma. His ideas and understandings of the status of racism in the 1960s were deep and penetrating. They won a nation over from its reliance on segregation as a solution to the racial disharmony it was experiencing.

Contemporary School for the Arts & Gallery in Hagerstown hosted an event Tuesday celebrating the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com One of the questions students were asked in the annual essay contest for the Chambersburg Community Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Service was what they might change at their schools if the civil rights leader were to visit. One winner among the 640 entries was by Matthew Rines, a fourth-grader at Coldbrook Elementary School. He earned applause from a crowd of about 200 people at the Chambersburg Church of the Brethren when he said King should be able to judge for himself the reality of racial progress in America 36 years after his murder.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. -- Thirty-six years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. told America of his dream. He said he dreamed that one day "all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: Free at last, free at last. " Thirty years ago, the faith community of Chambersburg set out to fulfill that dream. On Sunday, as black fingers intertwined with white, Hebrew scripture blended with Catholic prayer and Protestant sermon in voices that filled The Presbyterian Church of Falling Spring with harmony, the group of men and women in the sanctuary showed his dream was not only alive, it was possible.

FREDERICK, Md. - Frederick County public school students and staff invite the public to join in celebrating the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. in the Gov. Thomas Johnson High School auditorium. The free 90-minute presentation, "From Vision to Action," will feature music performances, award-winning student artwork and written expressions that focus on King's life and the principles he promoted, said Ted Luck, FCPS supervisor of education.

Peyton G. Richer, age 15 months, won the best dressed award and was crowned king of the Valley Mall 0-24 months boys division of the Sunburst USA Beauty Pageant on Oct. 2. Peyton and his parents, Josh and Courtney Richer, of Greencastle, Pa., will be traveling to the finals in Richmond, Va., in May. Peyton is the grandson of Krista Bingaman of Waynesboro, Pa., and Shawn Bingaman, also of Waynesboro and Dave and Sandy Richer of Woodstown, N.J....

TRI-STATE - Had he lived, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would be celebrating his 78th birthday Monday. Although the civil rights leader's life was cut short 39 years ago, an assassin's bullet failed to quiet his message or stop his mission to see that "all men are created equal" was more than just a phrase in the Declaration of Independence. "I grew up in Hagerstown, and you couldn't go a lot of places around here," said 89-year-old Isaac Doleman, referring to his early years in Washington County.

Waynesboro's new police chief can't explain why the town has had so many pedestrian accidents, but he can tell you what he wants to do about it. On Mark King's wish list are countdown timers for crosswalks, bumped-out sidewalks, a program to raise drivers' awareness and specially lighted crosswalks. While financial restraints ultimately will shorten that list, King has been willing to listen to any ideas to improve safety on borough streets. Borough leaders have met several times with representatives of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and are awaiting the results from PennDOT's Local Technical Assistance Program study.

HAGERSTOWN - Hagerstown City Police have charged a man with first-degree murder in a shooting death last month inside a North Jonathan Street bar. Stephen Lamar Urquhart is charged in the death of Christopher Jason Ayala, 23, who was pronounced dead May 22 at Washington County Hospital after he was shot at about 11 p.m. Lt. Mike King said Wednesday that Urquhart remained at large and was considered armed and dangerous, King said. Urquhart, 26, is described as a black man, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 250 to 290 pounds, King said.

Hagerstown City Police have obtained a warrant for first-degree murder in the shooting death of Christopher Jason Ayala, 23, inside a bar on North Jonathan Street on May 22. Lt. Mike King said this morning the warrant has been issued for Stephen Lamar Urquhart who remains at large. Urquhart is described as a 26-year-old black man, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing between 250 and 290 pounds, King said. He has black hair and brown eyes, King said. Urquhart is originally from New York, but police have no idea where he may be now, King said.

John D. King, 60, of Newburg, Pa., formerly of Hagerstown, Md., died Monday, Feb. 18, 2013 at home. He was born Sunday, Sept. 14, 1952, in New Market, Va. John was a son of the late Myron A. and Edna R. Stoltzfus King. He was a member of Faith Tabernacle. John was an elementary teacher at Faith Tabernacle School, Mechanicsburg, Pa. He was the founder and owner of King Oil Company in Hagerstown, retiring in 2008. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Anita J. Henson King; a son, Jordan D. King; a brother, Elwood J. King; and a sister, Eleanor J. King.

James Fisher and Edith Weedon, who lived through the Civil Rights movement and have been lifetime members of what they said is the only predominantly African-American Church in South County, spent time Thursday in the Boonsboro High School library for a luncheon celebrating the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and discussing opportunities for students to get more involved in the community. “This shows progress being made,” said Mount Moriah Baptist Church member Edith Weedon of Pleasant Valley.

The curtain rises on a darkened stage and a spotlight illuminates the silhouette of a slender man wearing a sequined glove. A fedora covers his face, a military-style jacket drapes over his shoulders; and his feet, dressed in white ankle socks and black loafers, begin to move to a steady, pulsating beat. The image is as powerful as the music - an image that is unmistakably Michael Jackson. While the King of Pop is no longer with us, he still is very much on the entertainment radar.

Letterkenny employees and area residents paused Tuesday to remember the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during Letterkenny Army Depot's annual tribute to the civil rights leader. Retired Army Col. Charles D. Allen was the guest speaker at the event held in the great room at depot headquarters. “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then, I said, here I am, send me,'” said Allen, quoting Isaiah 6:8 from the Bible. This has been the reply of many blacks who have been called to service and who in the face of adversity stood up to be counted in the pursuit of a higher good, Allen said.

While banks, schools and government agencies were closed Monday to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the gym at the Memorial Recreation Center in Hagerstown bustled with activity. Memorial Recreation Center Executive Director Karen Cook said the highlight of the day was a basketball tournament to raise proceeds to build an outdoor basketball court for the center's youth. Some of the other events at the center included a poetry reading and dance routines. “This is our first endeavor to raise funds for the court,” Cook said.

It was likely known to almost all at Hagerstown Community College's Kepler Theater on Monday that this year's official observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday also happened to coincide with the second inauguration of President Obama. “It's amazing just how far we have come as a society,” said Gloria Murray, who was attending the Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Celebration with her husband Nickey and children Matthew, Marqus, Nicole and Michael. “It's exciting because my kids have an opportunity to see this,” she said.

Shepherd University junior Darren House believed his time volunteering Monday at the Martinsburg Boys & Girls Club was “a small step” in helping the community. “I think it would be nice to do more throughout the year,” said House, who took part in a Martin Luther King Jr. Day service project to teach young children about healthy lifestyles and helping others. A member of the college's Multicultural Leadership Team, House and more than two dozen other Shepherd University students partnered with the Burke Street Promise Neighborhood Initiative and the Catholic Campus Ministry at Shepherd University to help children at the club learn the following: • Cooking with herbs • How to stuff and tie no-sew pillows for an infusion clinic • Assemble “necessity” kits containing travel size toiletries for area homeless.

Local artist Morgan Ballard painted a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. on a window at Contemporary School of the Arts and Gallery Inc. On Jan. 15, two dozen people attended the ninth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration at the gallery in downtown Hagerstown. Each speaker talked about what  King meant to them and what King accomplished during his era. Ron Lytle, executive director of the gallery, would like to thank Taste Budz restaurant, Mr. and Mrs. James Neville, the City of Hagerstown and Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau for helping sponsor the event.

With food to nourish their bodies, about 20 children and others at the Memorial Recreation Center Inc. on Sunday were encouraged to reach inside their souls to reflect on the words of Martin Luther King Jr. Covered dishes of food like macaroni and cheese, chicken, soup and pasta salad were laid out on a table for the guests to enjoy. Then it was time for study. Children sitting around a group of tables were encouraged to read aloud quotes from King, whose legacy is being celebrated across the nation today.

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'” - Martin Luther King Jr. speaking on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 23, 1963.   More than 250 area residents, white and black, broke bread together to celebrate the life of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the civil rights martyr of the turbulent 1960s whose leadership helped bring the races together.