Olive Garden

Olive Garden is asking students, "How would you help end hunger in your community?," as part of the 17th annual Pasta Tales national essay writing contest. Students in grades 1 through 12 may submit an essay of 50 to 250 words with their ideas for ending hunger in their local communities. The grand-prize winner of the contest will receive a three-day family trip to New York City and a $2,500 savings bond. In addition, Olive Garden will provide a $5,000 grant to support hunger initiatives in his or her local community.

The Olive Garden restaurant under construction along Foxcroft Avenue in Martinsburg is scheduled to open in late November, a company spokesperson said Friday. The restaurant will be 7,659 square feet with seating for as many as 246 guests and will feature a design that is inspired by traditional farmhouses found in Tuscany, Italy, said Tara Gray, who manages media and communications for Darden Restaurants Inc. Next to the Martin's Food Market, the restaurant at 891 Foxcroft Ave. is being built on a 1.47-acre parcel.

The Martinsburg Mall is negotiating with a Florida company to open an Olive Garden restaurant along Foxcroft Avenue, according to mall General Manager Robert Gardner. “We're hoping to sign a deal in the near future,” Gardner said Tuesday. The mall is currently negotiating a property lease agreement with GMRI Inc., which is affiliated with Orlando-basedDarden Restaurants Inc., according to Gardner. While no agreement has been reached, Gardner said a letter of intent has been signed, which allowed for the negotiations to proceed.

HALFWAY - The Olive Garden restaurant at 17410 Valley Mall Road will open Monday at 4 p.m. The 247-seat, 7,399-square-foot restaurant, which serves Italian cuisine, is opening for dinner during its first week and will be open for lunch and dinner the following week. During the first week, the restaurant will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant will be open for lunch beginning Monday, Jan. 21. Lunch will be served starting at 11 a.m. every day. Jason Rakaczewski of Greencastle, Pa., is general manager of the restaurant.

So how do chain restaurant companies decide where to open? Mara Frazier, manager of media relations for the Italian-style restaurant chain, said company officials consider whether the market has a healthy economy. Is there a growing population and new business development? And how do those two things support each other? They also consider proximity to other casual dining restaurants, Frazier said - how many there are, how well they are doing and what types of cuisine they offer.

HALFWAY ? The Olive Garden restaurant at 17410 Valley Mall Road will open Monday at 4 p.m. The 247-seat, 7,399-square-foot restaurant, which serves Italian cuisine, is opening for dinner during its first week and will be open for lunch and dinner the following week. The first week, the restaurant will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant will be open for lunch beginning Monday, Jan. 21.  Lunch will be served starting at 11 a.m. every day. Jason Rakaczewski of Greencastle, Pa., is general manager of the restaurant.

Olive Garden granted liquor license The Olive Garden restaurant that will open near Valley Mall in Halfway was granted a liquor license Wednesday by the Board of License Commissioners for Washington County. M. Lynn Williams, the attorney representing Olive Garden, said the restaurant should open in January. About 10 percent of the restaurant's business would be alcohol sales, she said. "We've been wanting an Olive Garden here for a long time, and we finally have an opportunity at the Valley Mall," she said.

Recently, the students at Clear Spring Elementary School participated in a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society called Pennies for Patients. The students and staff raised a total of $3,058. Mr. Andrew Ernst's third-grade class raised $321.44, the largest classroom total for the school. The class was rewarded with lunch provided by Olive Garden of Hagerstown on March 22. Olive garden employees Julia Robertson and Dustin Perrott delivered lunch to the school. Also, CSES students recently held a food drive to benefit the Clear Spring Food Bank and donated 1,039 food items.

BRUNSWICK, Md. - Local teams of bass anglers flocked to the Potomac River in Brunswick Feb. 21 to participate in the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Bass Tournament to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The fishing tournament, hosted by 2 Rivers Guide Service, Smoketown Bait and Tackle and WFRE, raised nearly $2,5OO. There were 29, two-man teams that paricipated. Other sponsors included The Anglers, City of Brunswick and staff, Cabela's, K&R Engraving, Book Crossing, JT&S Concession, HBI Roll Offs, World Fishing Network, Brunswick Volunteer Fire Co., Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance Service, Dick's Sporting Goods (corporate office)

Editor's note: What are your best memories from your senior year of high school? Was it prom? Making the basketball team? Did you get your driver's license that year? This school year The Herald-Mail is asking seniors from each public high school in Washington County about the memories they are making. Each month through their graduation, eight students will talk about the moments that are making senior year special. HAGERSTOWN - Giving up his last high school baseball season wasn't an easy choice.

Olive Garden is asking students, "How would you help end hunger in your community?," as part of the 17th annual Pasta Tales national essay writing contest. Students in grades 1 through 12 may submit an essay of 50 to 250 words with their ideas for ending hunger in their local communities. The grand-prize winner of the contest will receive a three-day family trip to New York City and a $2,500 savings bond. In addition, Olive Garden will provide a $5,000 grant to support hunger initiatives in his or her local community.

Jack Gaughen Realtor ERA GREENCASTLE, Pa. - Scott Palmer and Jim Crumrine, with Jack Gaughen Realtor ERA, were recognized as agents of the month for June in the Greencastle office. The award is given based on the number of listings taken, sales made and closed sales, as well as attendance at Realtor functions and continuing-education classes completed. Palmer has been selling real estate for 26 years and is an associate broker. He lives in Greencastle with his wife, Dawn, and daughter.

The Olive Garden restaurant under construction along Foxcroft Avenue in Martinsburg is scheduled to open in late November, a company spokesperson said Friday. The restaurant will be 7,659 square feet with seating for as many as 246 guests and will feature a design that is inspired by traditional farmhouses found in Tuscany, Italy, said Tara Gray, who manages media and communications for Darden Restaurants Inc. Next to the Martin's Food Market, the restaurant at 891 Foxcroft Ave. is being built on a 1.47-acre parcel.

Recently, the students at Clear Spring Elementary School participated in a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society called Pennies for Patients. The students and staff raised a total of $3,058. Mr. Andrew Ernst's third-grade class raised $321.44, the largest classroom total for the school. The class was rewarded with lunch provided by Olive Garden of Hagerstown on March 22. Olive garden employees Julia Robertson and Dustin Perrott delivered lunch to the school. Also, CSES students recently held a food drive to benefit the Clear Spring Food Bank and donated 1,039 food items.

The Martinsburg Mall is negotiating with a Florida company to open an Olive Garden restaurant along Foxcroft Avenue, according to mall General Manager Robert Gardner. “We're hoping to sign a deal in the near future,” Gardner said Tuesday. The mall is currently negotiating a property lease agreement with GMRI Inc., which is affiliated with Orlando-basedDarden Restaurants Inc., according to Gardner. While no agreement has been reached, Gardner said a letter of intent has been signed, which allowed for the negotiations to proceed.

With planning commission approval in hand, the developers of an Olive Garden and a Longhorn Steakhouse will take their land development plans for the restaurants to the Chambersburg Borough Council Monday. The Chambersburg Planning and Zoning Commission decided Tuesday to send the plans to the borough council for its consideration. The plans include the restaurants and a 7,000-square-foot retail space near the intersection of Walker Road and Norland Avenue. The borough council will review the plans from Reyjoyce LLC at its 7 p.m. Monday meeting, according to Phil Wolgemuth, the borough's land use and development director.

BRUNSWICK, Md. - Local teams of bass anglers flocked to the Potomac River in Brunswick Feb. 21 to participate in the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Bass Tournament to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The fishing tournament, hosted by 2 Rivers Guide Service, Smoketown Bait and Tackle and WFRE, raised nearly $2,5OO. There were 29, two-man teams that paricipated. Other sponsors included The Anglers, City of Brunswick and staff, Cabela's, K&R Engraving, Book Crossing, JT&S Concession, HBI Roll Offs, World Fishing Network, Brunswick Volunteer Fire Co., Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance Service, Dick's Sporting Goods (corporate office)

Editor's note: What are your best memories from your senior year of high school? Was it prom? Making the basketball team? Did you get your driver's license that year? This school year The Herald-Mail is asking seniors from each public high school in Washington County about the memories they are making. Each month through their graduation, eight students will talk about the moments that are making senior year special. HAGERSTOWN - Giving up his last high school baseball season wasn't an easy choice.

So how do chain restaurant companies decide where to open? Mara Frazier, manager of media relations for the Italian-style restaurant chain, said company officials consider whether the market has a healthy economy. Is there a growing population and new business development? And how do those two things support each other? They also consider proximity to other casual dining restaurants, Frazier said - how many there are, how well they are doing and what types of cuisine they offer.

It was the first "hospi" run since the official opening of the Hagerstown Olive Garden and the "customers" were thrilled. The recipients of a free lunch - spaghetti, salad and breadsticks - were the students and staff at Hagerstown Day Nursery. Whether the children called it "sghettis" or pasta, they all gave it a thumbs up as they happily munched away. General manager Jason Rakaczewski, along with Culinary Manager Justin Tennant, both from the Hagerstown restaurant, helped serve the children, along with Ian Nason.