Microwave Oven

A Hagerstown man who tasted freedom for 2 1/2 months after he failed to return from a jail work release program last fall was sentenced Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court to 28 months in prison. Joseph Dempsey Feiser, 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree escape. He escaped on Oct. 1 and was recaptured Dec. 17, 1999, by Washington County Sheriff's deputies. A Hagerstown native, Feiser had been serving 18 months for burglary when he took off. First- and second-degree escape charges were lodged against him, court records said.

As drought conditions continue, it's wise to consider different ways to conserve water. On average, Americans use 50 to 100 gallons of water per day for personal and household use, not counting watering lawns and outdoor plants. While the toilet, shower and bathroom sink are obvious places to start when conserving water in the home, the kitchen is also an area where water use can be reduced with a few simple and easy changes. Following are some tips and suggestions for conserving water in the kitchen.

Food safety mistakes often run in families. Old habits can jeopardize food safety, health and life itself. Each year, millions of people are sickened by foodborne illness. Thousands die. Food safety errors that occur during processing and marketing make front page news, particularly when the errors prompt recalls. Food safety is, however, a responsibility that we all share - many food safety mistakes occur in our family kitchens. To learn more about frequent food safety mistakes, test your food safety IQ with these questions: Q: Is setting froszen meat on the counter the best method to thaw it?

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.   Preschool to hold open house Jan. 6 Northern Cross Preschool will hold an open house Sunday, Jan. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. The preschool is for 3- and 4-year-olds. It meets Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to  11:30 a.m. from September until mid-May. It is at First Christian Church, 1345 Potomac Ave. in Hagerstown. Children are welcome to attend the open house with their parents.  For more information, call Beth Adams at 301-797-3114 or go to northerncrosspreschool.com.

CHARLES TOWN, W.VA. -- A Shepherdstown, W.Va., man who was involved in the March 30 break-in at Jefferson High School has been charged with destruction of property after he defaced a bathroom stall in the new Washington High School while performing community service there, police said. Lucca Fiorenzo Fleri, 18, of 156 Willis Drive, was arraigned Monday and released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond, according to Jefferson County Magistrate Court records. Fleri was sentenced to perform community service at the new high school off Huyett Road because of his role in the Jefferson High School incident, Detective A.F. Jenkins of the Charles Town Police Department said.

Dictionaries and encyclopedias describe pumpkin as a large, roundish, orange-yellow fruit of a trailing vine of the gourd family that matures in early autumn and is used for human and animal feed. Pumpkins have a hard outer shell/rind and are cooked to be edible for humans. Sizes of pumpkins vary from only a few inches across to more than 5 feet in diameter and can weigh in at more than 1,000 pounds. cont. from lifestyle Pumpkin eaters tend to be seasonal since the pumpkin supply is greater in the fall.

My 11-year-old son asked me the other night to help him with a homework assignment. It would be easy, he assured me. All I had to do was answer a few questions. “When you were my age,” he asked, “what were some of your activities?” “I played baseball,” I replied. “I was in Scouts. I played the trombone.” “What was your favorite subject in school?” “Phys Ed.”   “What was your least favorite subject?” “Science.” This is easy, I thought.

The traditional Thanksgiving menu - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and sauerkraut - hasn't changed much; however, recommendations for cooking the meal have. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has eliminated the recommendation for washing raw meat and poultry before placing it in the oven. Eliminating this step reduces the risk of contamination from rinse water being splashed around the sink and on the surrounding countertops, as well as on other foods.

Letters to the editor Some questions on Mars landing To the editor: The Mars landing and exploration generates several questions that need to be asked and answered to forestall skepticism about what is being presented for public consumption. First, we see on TV what is supposedly from a camera somewhere in back of the robot showing the robot and the area ahead. In the past to get such a picture another camera had to be used adjacent to the area. In the moon landing this was accomplished by another member of the mission.

Americans often limit their use of pumpkin to pies, breads and desserts calling for pureed pumpkin. This is not the case in other parts of the world. For example, Latin American cooks consider pumpkin a standard vegetable to be used as a side dish and in casseroles. In fact, pumpkin, a member of the squash family, can be substituted for winter squash or sweet potatoes in most recipes. The flesh of the pumpkin is slightly thicker and has a more pronounced flavor than other varieties of winter squash.