Orchard

Pork and sauerkraut A pork and sauerkraut dinner will be Saturday, March 14, at the Parkhead Fellowship Hall, behind Parkhead United Methodist Church, on National Pike in Big Pool. The dinner is from 4 p.m. until sold out. The menu includes pork and sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green beans, applesauce, desserts and drinks. Tickets cost $8 for adults and $4 for those 10 and younger. Proceeds benefit the Parkhead Women for Worship. Tickets will be sold at the door or in advance by calling 301-842-3202.

GIRARD, Kan. (AP) _ Joe Cizerle often asks new acquaintances if they have an apple tree in their yard. If they don't, he tells them not to bother planting one. "I've got enough apples for both of us," Cizerle said. In fact, he's got around 300 apple trees at the orchard, not to mention 25 pecan trees, five varieties of grapes and some pear trees. He was born three miles from his current home in rural Girard, the son of immigrants from Yugoslavia. "My dad was a guy who could do anything," Cizerle said.

Pumpkins are topic at twilight meeting KEEDYSVILLE - University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers will host a pumpkin and sweet corn twilight meeting from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysville Road. Researchers will discuss how to start a pumpkin patch and share the results of the pumpkin research project at Western Maryland Research & Education Center in Keedysville. Information about the Bt sweet corn research project also will be presented.

Hancock's rich orcharding past is the subject of several extensive exhibits on display at the Hancock Museum. Among the items on displays are packaging lids, baskets used by apple pickers, advertising labels as well as trade and newspaper magazine articles from bygone days. The exhibit will be on view through this fall's Canal-Apple Days Sept. 13-14. The hours of the museum are 2 to 4 p.m. on the second and fourth Sunday of each month from April through October or by appointment.

SMITHSBURG -- Wearing an untucked shirt and sporting a two-day beard, Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Roger L. Richardson was hard to distinguish from the farmers who gathered to meet him Thursday at Rinehart Orchards. It wasn't until Richardson, a farmer himself in Worcester County, Md., walked to the front of the crowd and began talking that it was obvious he was the person whom everyone had come to see. "Thanks for coming out. I'm basically here to hear your questions," Richardson said.

Fieldwork has been going at a dizzying pace. Corn and soybeans are being planted, while barley and alfalfa are being chopped and ensiled for next fall and winter's feed. Harvesting grass hay is next on the to-do list. Even though there are many types of grass that grow in our area, we predominately grow four types of cool season perennials for hay and pasture. These grasses are orchard grass, fescue, timothy and brome grass. Bluegrass is also grown here, but is used almost exclusively for pasture.

Editor's note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail publishes "A Life Remembered. " This continuing series takes a look back - through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others - at a member of the community who died recently. Today's "A Life Remembered" is about Lloyd W. Roman, who died April 1 at the age of 57. His obituary appeared in the April 3 editions of The Morning Herald and The Daily Mail. HANCOCK - As a member of both the Hancock Volunteer Fire Co. and the Hancock Rescue Squad, Lloyd W. Roman took his emergency response duties very seriously - even on his wedding day. On the day of the ceremony that joined Lloyd and Marjorie Bivens in marriage 32 years ago at the Hancock Presbyterian Church, there was a vehicle accident right in front of the church.

SHARPSBURG - In a sun-dappled field, where molten lead once rained from the sky, researchers armed with metal detectors listened for evidence from America's bloodiest one-day battle. Stephen R. Potter, who headed a team of National Park Service archaeologists at Antietam National Battlefield, said Tuesday that the group, which included a couple of amateur metal detectorists, was studying an area of Piper Orchard where the 7th Maine fled from a smaller Confederate force. "I don't think they would've been able to drive the Maine guys back if they wouldn't have had the artillery that they had, because what we're finding out here is pretty nasty stuff," Potter said.

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - A Berkeley County man sought in connection with breaking-and-enterings at several businesses in recent weeks was caught by police Tuesday evening after a vehicle and foot pursuit that began on U.S. 11 north of Martinsburg and ended in an apple orchard near Hedgesville, W.Va. Ronald Dale "Georgie" Whetzel, 37, of 4379 Shepherdstown Road, Martinsburg, was arraigned Wednesday by Berkeley County Magistrate Harry L. Snow on three counts of breaking and entering, three counts of conspiracy, two counts of grand larceny and one count of obstructing an officer, court records show.

BUCK VALLEY, Pa. - Augusta Schetrompf probably would be the first to admit she has slowed down a little since she put together her stunning 50-state quilt about 10 years ago. After all, she was only 91 then. It might have been her last quilt, but it wasn't her first. She has been quilting for more years than she can remember. On Sept. 26, Augusta turned 101. She welcomed friends and family to her home north of Hancock and enjoyed gifts, including several arrangements of fall flowers.