Mold

Image is everything. That's what they say ... at least when they are selling cameras. But image is more than just a picture. It's also a perspective. It's a focus, even in camera land. And at times, it is even a stereotype. Certain words conjure up their own images - and stereotypes. Let's take professions, for instance. Sportswriter. Right away, it's an overweight guy who gets paid to watch games, spends too much time in front of the television and always seems to have a hot dog or a beer in his hand.

Molds, like records, are made to be broken. They are nothing more than pre-formed standards. A mold is a model for shaping. A record is a standard that shapes all performances. Bryce Harper is starting his quest to change both concepts. Harper joined the Washington lineup just 10 days ago and has added a whirlwind of interest not only to the Nationals, but to baseball. The 19-year-old former Hagerstown Sun has already made eye-popping defensive plays and timely hits, a couple already leading to wins.

HAGERSTOWN -- Mold was discovered on the underside of the roof at Northern Middle School while crews were working to replace ceiling tiles in June, according to Washington County Public Schools spokesman Richard Wright. Wright said he does not know whether the mold is dangerous, but said it will be removed by the time school begins in August. Crews began removing mold July 1. Wright said he did not know how long the mold was present in the building or how much was found, but pointed out that environmental testing showed there was more mold outside the building than inside.

By KERRY LYNN FRALEY Staff Writer Tracy Collins didn't know anything about former Washington County teacher Sherry Koontz when she applied for the scholarship established in her memory. But she has been told she shares some of Koontz's admirable qualities - like her gumption - as well as her alma mater, South Hagerstown High School. "I was told there was a lot in common between me and Sherry," said Collins, 18, whose interest in drawing houses in eighth grade blossomed into plans to pursue a career in architectural drafting.

Ed Hazlett, head teacher at Fairview Outdoor Education Center in Clear Spring, gave the following suggestions for fun and educational nature-related summer activities: -- Sprouting wild seeds The kids will need seeds, baggies, glass or plastic drinking glass, paper towels, water. Collect wild seeds - such as dandelions' puffy white seeds - from yards and fields. Dry the seeds out by placing them on a paper towel and laying them in the sun away from wind. Put a paper towel inside a glass so that it is up against the side of the glass; put the seeds between the towel and the glass.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - The Veterans Affairs Medical Center near Martinsburg was issued a notice of "Unsafe or Unhealthful Working Conditions" last month after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found three health and safety violations in a November 2007 inspection, officials confirmed Tuesday. Two of the violations were "serious" according to the notice, which was issued Dec. 27, 2007, by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to a copy of a document posted at the medical center off Charles Town Road east of Martinsburg.

Here's a fun idea for an adults-only Halloween party. HAUNTED BLEEDING HEART (Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) If you want gross, here it is, adapted from the 1972 book "How to Play With Your Food," by Penn and Teller. The recipe uses a 6-1/2-cup Valentine heart gelatin mold. I made changes in the ingredients to fit my 2-1/2-cup mold. I couldn't wait to invert the mold. The heart slid out easier than I expected (don't forget to coat the mold with cooking spray)

Crown Jewel Dessert - 1 4-serving size package lime flavored gelatin - 1 4-serving size package orange flavored gelatin - 2 4-serving size packages strawberry flavored gelatin - 4 cups boiling water - 2 cups cold water - 8 ounces of frozen whipped topping, thawed Prepare lime, orange and 1 package strawberry gelatin separately as directed on package, using 1 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup cold water for each....

WASHINGTON COUNTY As the floodwaters recede, a new set of worries has emerged amid cleanup efforts throughout Washington County this week. Health officials now are warning people about contaminated surface water and other health risks that have arisen in the aftermath of this week's flooding rains. In addition to contaminated water, health officials said people should be concerned about mold, mosquitoes and carbon monoxide poisoning. "It's quite possible that contaminated (surface)

Paskha is a Russian, cheese-based dessert similar to cheesecake. It is traditionally molded in a pyramid shape and served on Easter. It is decorated with resurrection symbols such as a cross and the letters XB, an abbreviation of Cyrillic words which mean "Christ is Risen. " The dessert is called pashka by some local residents. Ann Lochbaum makes a version using gelatin to help the dessert set up. Her husband, Bob, a former counselor at North Hagerstown High School, brought the recipe home to her. "It's very simple to make.

The Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation is recruiting current ninth-grade students for Leadership Franklin County Youth classes that begin this fall. There is no cost for students to participate; the program is funded by various organizations and individuals who are committed to helping young people. The program is focusing on promising high school students who might not currently be serving in leadership-oriented roles. The foundation will select 24 students, approximately four from each school district in Franklin County, who will be high school sophomores in the 2013-14 school year.

Lorenzo Alexander has quite a collection of white bottles, labeled with words straight from a biochemistry class. Beta Alanine Supreme. Carnitine Synergy. Uber C. Some 19 containers, big and small, in his Washington Redskins locker. “I have a lot of supplements,” he said. The consummate self-made NFL player, Alexander has always been conscious about his diet. Like many players, he also gets advice on the right mix of tablets to maximize his endurance and energy output. Or, as he puts it, “to help balance your body out.” This year, it's been more of a challenge to find that balance.

Image is everything. That's what they say ... at least when they are selling cameras. But image is more than just a picture. It's also a perspective. It's a focus, even in camera land. And at times, it is even a stereotype. Certain words conjure up their own images - and stereotypes. Let's take professions, for instance. Sportswriter. Right away, it's an overweight guy who gets paid to watch games, spends too much time in front of the television and always seems to have a hot dog or a beer in his hand.

Molds, like records, are made to be broken. They are nothing more than pre-formed standards. A mold is a model for shaping. A record is a standard that shapes all performances. Bryce Harper is starting his quest to change both concepts. Harper joined the Washington lineup just 10 days ago and has added a whirlwind of interest not only to the Nationals, but to baseball. The 19-year-old former Hagerstown Sun has already made eye-popping defensive plays and timely hits, a couple already leading to wins.

Paskha is a Russian, cheese-based dessert similar to cheesecake. It is traditionally molded in a pyramid shape and served on Easter. It is decorated with resurrection symbols such as a cross and the letters XB, an abbreviation of Cyrillic words which mean "Christ is Risen. " The dessert is called pashka by some local residents. Ann Lochbaum makes a version using gelatin to help the dessert set up. Her husband, Bob, a former counselor at North Hagerstown High School, brought the recipe home to her. "It's very simple to make.

Who knew? You wouldn't know it by looking at Barry Brown, but he's Aristotle in a green pullover. The Hagerstown Community College men's basketball coach has spent an entire season teaching some simple philosophy to turn the Hawks into something special. A team is much better if all the pieces fit together and are useful. That is a coachspeak version of saying, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Since practices began in October, Brown hasn't been shy about projecting success for this HCC team.

A dark, softball-size spot that was discovered above a door to a modular classroom at Martinsburg High School in the first week of classes tested positive for mold, Berkeley County Schools Superintendent Manny P. Arvon said Thursday. Students were removed from the portable classroom space after the spot was reported on Aug. 24 and have not returned since, Arvon said. He said the mold testing was done by Winchester Environmental Consultants Inc., which was hired by the school district to investigate.

o View Ag Expo photos for purchase! Tucker Bubacz eyed the orange demon's head glaring from a table in an exhibition building at the Washington County Ag Expo & Fair and wondered whether the person who carved it was coming back to claim the sculpture. The 5-year-old said he wanted the artwork, even when told it was made of cheese and would not last long. "I'd keep it till it rots," Tucker said. Despite Tucker's enthusiasm for the piece, top honors at the Expo's first amateur cheese- carving contest went to Rachel Wiles of Williamsport and Carol DeBaugh of Boonsboro, who collaborated on what Rachel called "a dog house for a pig ... We tried to make it a dog, but it ended up a pig. " Other cheese whizzes at the competition were Maryland Dairy Princess Tessa Wiles of Hagerstown and Rachel House of Clear Spring who paid a fromage homage to the state with a three-dimensional cheddar map and Dairy Maid Macayla Wiles, who carved a crown topped by the 4-H symbol.

Steamed Christmas plum puddings are as British as the Queen Mum. Traditionally, the steamed cakes are made about five weeks before Christmas, preferably on the last Sunday before Advent (this year, it was Nov. 22). Stir-up Sunday marks the official start of the holiday baking and cooking season in England. A steamed plum pudding for dessert at Christmas dinner is still a big deal, as essential to a British celebration today as it ever was. The nickname, Stir-up Sunday, is taken from the Collect for the Day in the Book of Common Prayer on the Sunday before the beginning of Advent: "Stir-up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people ... " But it was the rhyme of schoolboys on the playground that made the pudding connection: "Stir up, we beseech thee, The pudding in the pot, And when we get home, We'll eat it all hot. " To the Brits, "pudding" is the dessert course of a meal, nothing like the American pudding, a soft, spoonable dessert.

Here's a fun idea for an adults-only Halloween party. HAUNTED BLEEDING HEART (Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) If you want gross, here it is, adapted from the 1972 book "How to Play With Your Food," by Penn and Teller. The recipe uses a 6-1/2-cup Valentine heart gelatin mold. I made changes in the ingredients to fit my 2-1/2-cup mold. I couldn't wait to invert the mold. The heart slid out easier than I expected (don't forget to coat the mold with cooking spray)