Park Rangers

South Africa trip opens park ranger's eyes By ANDREA BROWN-HURLEY / Staff Writer THURMONT, Md. - U.S. Park Ranger Michael Barnhart wasn't too worried about the spitting cobras, but the rhino made him nervous. Wild animals were part of the agenda in September at the International Ranger Federation's Third World Congress in South Africa. A $2,000 Albright-Wirth grant enabled Barnhart to spend eight days at Kruger National Park with 325 other rangers from 52 countries to discuss the role of the ranger beyond 2000.

One man charged, one man sought in drug bust SHARPSBURG - One man was arrested and another was being sought after authorities found marijuana and ecstasy tablets in a vehicle Wednesday afternoon, Washington County Sheriff's deputies said. Joshua Nathaniel Nelson, 19, of Harpers Ferry, W.Va., was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of Ecstasy with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released after posting $20,000 bond Thursday evening.

SHARPSBURG, Md. - Not too cold, not too windy and no rain - the weather really cooperated Saturday night for the 11th annual luminaires show at Antietam National Battlefield, attracting an estimated 4,000 or so vehicles past the 23,110 candles cradled in paper bags. Each luminaire served as a remembrance of a dead, wounded or missing soldier from America's bloodiest day on Sept. 17, 1862. "I had tears in my eyes at one point," said John Wisor of Howard County, Md., a first-time visitor.

To Maryland Del. Chris Shank, R-Washington, for his pledge to help the county find a way out of its multi-million-dollar water/sewer debt. He's not sure what he'll do, but we'll take any help we can get. To the late Chad Brock, a 16-year-old honor roll student who played three sports at Musselman High School and worked to convince his peers to avoid tobacco, drugs and alcohol. He'll be missed. To National Park Service, for its hard-nosed resolve to evict families who've been lease-holders on the C&O Canal for years.

By ANDREA BROWN-HURLEY / Staff Writer photo: KEVIN G. GILBERT / staff photographer GREENBRIER - Only the fish will be swimming at Greenbrier Lake this summer. Extremely low water levels have forced the closing of the popular swimming spot at Greenbrier State Park, the Department of Natural Resources State Forest and Park Service said Tuesday. Some 550,000 local residents and out-of-towners flock each year to the park, which is just east of Hagerstown of U.S. 40, Park Manager Daniel Spedden said.

By RICHARD F. BELISLE / Staff Writer photo: YVETTE MAY / staff photographer For the 10th year Saturday night, more than 4,000 cars were expected to snake past the 23,110 flickering flames softened by the paper bags that held them, each a remembrance of a dead, wounded or missing soldier from America's bloodiest day. [cont. from front page ] Earlier in the day, more than 1,000 volunteers filled the bags with sand and a single candle and placed them on the ground along the roads and through the rolling hills of Antietam National Battlefield.

WILLIAMSPORT - A $250 reward is being offered for information leading to the apprehension or arrest of a man who was seen trying to run over two puppies last Saturday at the Cushwa Basin, said Mark Spier, a park ranger. "We're still hoping someone saw more than what has been said so far," Spier said. A visitor at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park witnessed a man drive into the parking lot of the canal's Cushwa Basin at about 2:50 p.m. and take two golden retriever mix puppies, believed to be between 8 and 10 weeks old, out of the truck's cab, according to park rangers.

WILLIAMSPORT - Two puppies that were almost intentionally run over by an unidentified man in a pickup truck Saturday at the Cushwa Basin are doing well and one has already found a good home, said George DeLancey, a park ranger. A visitor at the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park witnessed a man drive into the parking lot of the canal's Cushwa Basin at about 2:50 p.m. and take two golden retriever mix puppies, believed to be between 8 and 10 weeks old, out of the truck's cab. The man placed the puppies beneath the truck in the path of the tires, got back in the truck, and tried to drive over them, the visitor told DeLancey.

By LAURA ERNDE Staff Writer WILLIAMSPORT - As the weather gets warmer and trees get greener, more and more people will be flocking to the C&O Canal towpath. Many will walk, some will ride bicycles and a few will be on horseback. But to keep the 184.5-mile path safe for all to share, it's the cyclists who end up smacked with the most rules. That's because bicyclists cause most accidents and get hurt more often, said Kevin Fitzgerald, chief of visitor and resource protection for the towpath.

By BRENDAN KIRBY Staff Writer SHARPSBURG - As two park rangers at Antietam National Battlefield made their rounds one night, they saw something strange at the Otto House, which stands on a knoll along Burnside Bridge Road overlooking the Sherrick Farm. Horrified by a blue-tinged, translucent figure in the open doorway of the building, which had been used as a hospital after the Battle of Antietam, the rangers ran until they reached the Burnside Bridge. When they stopped to compare what they'd seen, their descriptions were identical: A Southern belle in a hooped skirt standing in the doorway as if looking toward town.