Love

Isn't it interesting how headlines can grab your attention and draw you into a story? Yeah, well, that's what journalists do best. We want you to read what we write, so we have to make it enticing. Recently an online headline caught my eye. It boldly proclaimed to offer information about "Ten gadgets that help your love life. " I printed the article (for journalistic research purposes only, of course), left my computer for a few minutes and started another load of laundry.

Thursday is Valentine's Day. And yes, my thoughts of love are of my family and friends, but I must confess that I also love reading The Herald-Mail newspaper. Every morning, I start my day with a big mug of coffee and The Herald Mail. I even get up on work mornings an hour early just so I have time to enjoy it. Once I get to work, I see the benefits of the Newspapers in Education Program. The Herald-Mail donates newspapers every week to schools in the county, which are great teaching tools for educators.

Unity of Hagerstown will hold a rally to promote love Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m. in downtown Hagerstown at the intersection of West Washington and South Potomac streets. This is the 14th year for the international campaign titled "A Season for Peace and Nonviolence. " The 64-day campaign runs from Jan. 30 to April 4 and began as a grassroots movement to help educate the public in nonviolent ways of communicating and connecting. The dates of the campaign mark the anniversaries of the assassinations of nonviolent activists Mahatma Gandhi and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. For more information, call Sandy Boyer at 304-279-6854 or e-mail sandy.

Tina Pietraniello, left, of the Hub City Vineyard church, hands out a free rose to the passenger of a car on Potomac St. in downtown Hagerstown, Friday, " it's to show God's love on Valentines Day," said Pietraniello.

Sabrina Manganaro, right, who recently had 10 1/2 inches of her hair cut off so she could donate it to Locks of Love, is shown with her grandmother, Betty Punt of Waynesboro, Pa., a former stylist who cut the girl's hair. This was Sabrina's first haircut, other than trimming of her bangs and tips of her hair, her mother said. Sabrina wanted to donate her hair to Locks of Love to be like her older sister, Brittany Ray, who twice donated more than 11 inches of her hair. Sabrina, 8, is a second-grade student at Greenbrier Elementary School.

Do you know someone who makes an unforgettable dish or a decadent dessert? The Herald-Mail is looking for Tri-State-area amateur cooks who keep friends and family coming back for second helpings. To nominate someone for The Herald-Mail's In the Kitchen feature, contact Tiffany Arnold at 301-733-5131, ext. 2342, or tiffanya@herald-mail.com .

Valentine's Day is a waste of a holiday; it serves no purpose other than to create more chaos in life. First off, assuming one has "somebody" to spend it with, one is obligated to buy flowers and candy, treating the other with more affection than usual. Not only is this a waste of money but also a waste of time. People spend days if not weeks trying to think of what their boyfriend or girlfriend would enjoy. Not to mention that the boyfriend or girlfriend might not even like what he or she are given.

Does it help to throw a rotisserie chicken at a hurting person? It's a long-standing debate in my house. I contend the answer is yes. By "throw," I do not mean to chuck an aggrieved person between the eyes with a bird. Though it arguably might get her mind off things for a while. I'm speaking figuratively, of course, as in arriving at the home of one who is demoralized and carefully placing the poultry on the counter or kitchen table. And it must be accompanied with a sincere side of "Tell me what you need.

When she still was in middle school, Ashley Jeter went with a group of girls from her church to serve at the REACH Cold Weather Shelter. By the time she left, she had decided she was going to open a homeless shelter of her own. In the words of her mother, Sandy Jeter, 49, of Smithsburg, “She was hooked.” “As a parent, you don't want to discourage your kids, but you need to make them realize that you can't just do something like that,” Sandy...

Young people playing outdoors.

In a fast-paced, convenience-focused world of packaged, processed food, Susan Stoy makes anything possible from scratch. “All our meals, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese are never from a box. They are always homemade,” her daughter Kandis Stoy said. “She makes a loaf of bread every day. She makes sure she gets home to take it out and cuts it a few hours later. Some nights she is up at 1 in the morning cutting the bread.” As if that weren't enough single-minded devotion, Kandis Story, 20, of Boonsboro, said her mom rises between 4 and 5 a.m. to pack lunches and to feed her husband and son before they leave for work.

Geraldine Andrews had no idea last year at this time what she was in for in the months to come. She worked as a hair stylist and enjoyed tight-knit relationships with her husband, two daughters and four grandchildren. Then, in August, Andrews, 58, of Williamsport, became ill. She had had a mole removed from her leg and it wasn't healing as expected, but she didn't think much of it. It didn't take long after she felt sick for her condition to critically deteriorate. She became septic and spent about a month at Meritus Medical Center in and out of the intensive care unit, her daughter, Lea Michael said.

Christine Trent is a bit of a travel guide - but not in the traditional sense. She might take you to far-off places and breathtaking locales. You'll meet interesting and influential people and get a glimpse of their lives and careers. But in addition to taking you to another land, Trent transports you to another time. And it's all within the pages of her books. Trent is a historical fiction writer, weaving the past with stories of emotional intensity, mystery, tragedy and love.

Anderson Photographs, 2 S. Potomac St., downtown Hagerstown, will accept shoes for Shoes for Love today through Saturday, April 6. All sizes, shapes and quality will be taken. Shoes will be accepted from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Friday, April 5, and from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 6. Any other special drop off arrangements can be made by calling call 301-393-4515 . For more information on Shoes For Love, go to Shoes4Love.wordpress.com .

If you offer candy, they will come. Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown became a field of dreams on Saturday as thousands of children realized their biggest fantasy - the ground covered in sweets. In an area of the ballpark where players prowl for line drives and home runs are smashed over the fences, children scrambled for plastic eggs filled with treats. It was a free communitywide egg hunt organized by Lifehouse Church, an event held in partnership with local businesses. “It's our way of reaching out to children and families, sharing our love and providing everyone with a fun day,” said Sheliea Athey, administrative assistant for the church's outreach team.

For Mark Andrew Cook, music is more than notes on a page. "With music, it's all about the journey and the learning experience," said Cook, 57, director of music theory and composition at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown.  And for Cook, his journey in music started in elementary school. Back then and his friends would get together and play rock music in a band. But his official music career started in his middle school days as a trumpet player for the school band. His band director was his inspiration to pursue music.

Name of business: Art Shack, Baby! Owner: Kweli Kitwana Address: 180 High St., lower-level stairs, Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Opening date: March 2, 2013 Products and services: A make-your-own arts and crafts shop offering a back-to-basics form of entertainment that can benefit a wide range of community members and area visitors. Every detail - including the intimate size of the space, the types of projects and classes, the “craft bar” and retail shop - meet creative needs, whether they be for families, individuals, artists or visitors to the area.

A year ago, Thomas Burge decided to try something new when he started working with the Hagerstown Community College softball team. Now, HCC has decided to try something new with Burge. After spending a season as a volunteer coach for the Hawks, Burge has become the Hawks' head coach after Amy Sterner decided to step down after four years running the program. Now he's going from raising his hand to raising HCC's expectations. “HCC is a strong program and it is a tradition that will be carried on,” Burge said.

While most 18-year-olds only experience flying through video games, Michael DiMercurio of Hagerstown experiences it first hand. DiMercurio said he loves to fly his Piper Archer. He took his first flight lesson at age 9. At age 16, he piloted his first solo flight. The St. Maria Goretti senior met the Pulse teen journalism group at his hangar at Hagerstown Regional Airport to talk about why he loves flying. Pulse: What made you want to start flying? DiMercurio: Ever since I was little I had this innate love for airplanes.

You can't always judge a book by its author. But if that book is written by Alyson Richman, there's a good chance the storyline will be woven around art. She has told the tale of a young Japanese man who studied with the Impressionists in Paris, has explored the complexities of Vincent Van Gogh and focused on the resilience of the human spirit in a best-selling love story about a painter who survived the Holocaust. That she uses art as a theme isn't surprising, once you know Richman's background.