Plastic Bags

Commentary I shouldn't make this public, but I currently am in possession of some contraband. Right here at work. In my desk. Middle drawer, right hand side. I'm risking it all by admitting this, but my life is an open book, so word is going to leak out anyway. Maybe I'll get off light for being honest. For there in my desk drawer rests - a plastic grocery bag. To the degree that I am ever surprised by any whim a Maryland governmental body might succumb to, I was shocked to learn that the City of Annapolis is considering a "toughest-in-the-nation plastic shopping bag ban," according to the Associated Press.

MIDDLETOWN, Md. - For many people, their idea of recycling plastic grocery bags is probably using them as trash bags. If they reuse old pantyhose, it's to hold moth balls. And they reuse old tube socks as dust rags. When Gail Rudisill has a bunch of plastic bags, pantyhose with runs, or tube socks with holes, she thinks of making rugs. "You do this because you want to use stuff up. I'm just a freak of nature when it comes to recycling," says Rudisill, 59, of Middletown. You would think a rug made of plastic grocery bags would look absolutely horrendous, Rudisill says, but it doesn't.

Last week's question: Recently, officials of the City of Annapolis announced they were considering banning plastic shopping bags to help preserve the Chesapeake Bay. Is that a good idea, or is there a better way to improve bay water quality? · Great idea. Now if we can only get them to stop people from dumping their trash into the bay, too. And also the industry that dumps toxic waste into the bay. · Unless we're talking about the production of plastic bags that's causing the water quality issues, I don't see how banning bags is going to help water quality.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -- The long-awaited self-service Charles R. Biggs Recycling Center officially will open Monday, Dec. 15, said Bennett Lentczner, who chairs the Morgan County Solid Waste Authority. A test run will take place Dec. 13 from noon to 3 p.m., he said. Residents can bring their recyclables, including plastic, directly to the new recycling center on U.S. 522 at 2990 Valley Road, which is between Herb's Auto Sales and Eddie's Tire. It will be open Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., said Bill Pechumer, authority recycling coordinator.

When my 6-year-old son left the house for school the other morning, I did something only a mother would do. I spit on my hand, then used my wet, slimy fingers as a comb. Later that day, I caught myself licking my fingers then using them to wipe off the tootsie roll ring around my 3-year-old's mouth. I firmly believe the military was not the originator of the term "spit shine. " Moms began the concept. We spit on everything to clean it. Mother's spit contains a unique formula.

Hagerstown's last citywide yard waste collection for 2007 will be Wednesday. Residents should set their yard waste on the curb after 4 p.m. today. Yard waste includes leaves, grass clippings, branches and small sticks. Residents are required to bundle branches and sticks in lengths of 3 feet or less and no larger than 2 inches in diameter. The waste has to be placed in reusable containers, such as bins, paper bags, yard waste bags, leaf bags or garbage cans. Plastic bags will not be taken.

Chris Grienert doesn't get home often. As a professional softball player, Grienert left Southern Maryland for his chance to be paid to play in the Men's Major Softball Conference in Wyoming. But Grienert will put it all on hold on Saturday. He's coming to Hagerstown to hit some balls, like he usually does, in the third annual Hub City/Maryland Softball Show/Greene Turtle Home Run Derby at Municipal Stadium. The competition is the incentive, but coming to meet Kevin Jaye is the reason.

On Friday, March 21, students and representatives from Rehoboth Learning Center delivered items they collected during February and March of this year to the Humane Society of Washington County. Wendi Starleper, school-age program coordinator at Rehoboth Learning Center. said the students utilized the animal shelter's wish list and collected items from families at the center. They collected dog food, stuffed animals, print cartridges, plastic bags, collars and bowls. "This was one of many projects students have been involved in over the past year," Starleper said.

martinsburg@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - Frank "Macho Man" Baliga. Sterling "Groomzilla" Grooms. Terin "Tiny Terror" House. Aaron "The Jaw-dropper" Jenkins. None could quite match up to quiet Mike White. White, 16, of Keyser, W.Va., won the second annual Martin's Best Bagger Contest, which was held Tuesday afternoon at the Martin's grocery store in Martinsburg. With a mock wrestling belt strapped around his waist after the competition, White said he watched prior match-ups and planned to strategize in advance about how he'd arrange the 28 items in four or fewer plastic bags.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A Philadelphia man was jailed on $50,000 bond after the Chambersburg Police Department's Crime Impact Team raided a borough apartment Tuesday night. Eric A. Ferrell, 24, of 5029 N. Ninth St., was arraigned before District Justice David Hawbaker on charges of possession of crack cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Police said they executed a search warrant at 9 W. Washington St., Apt. 5, at 7:43 p.m. The apartment's occupant was not home when police arrived, and the report said no charges had been filed against him. The report said Ferrell was inside the apartment at the time of the raid.

Steffey & Findlay usually sells sandbags for use in mortar for the bricks it also sells, but on Monday it was selling them for reasons related to Hurricane Sandy, said Phil Adams, president of the company. “We normally sell sandbags for building material purposes,” said Adams. “Today we're selling them in order to help with flood control.” Customers who want sandbags to keep their homes or workplaces from flooding can purchase them from Steffey & Findlay, at 177 S. Burhans Blvd.

Chris Grienert doesn't get home often. As a professional softball player, Grienert left Southern Maryland for his chance to be paid to play in the Men's Major Softball Conference in Wyoming. But Grienert will put it all on hold on Saturday. He's coming to Hagerstown to hit some balls, like he usually does, in the third annual Hub City/Maryland Softball Show/Greene Turtle Home Run Derby at Municipal Stadium. The competition is the incentive, but coming to meet Kevin Jaye is the reason.

Violet Golden and her husband, John Robert “Bob” Golden, raised their seven children in a modest home in Hancock, near an orchard and within walking distance to downtown Hancock, since Violet never drove. Their home was a gathering place for neighborhood children, who were drawn to the home for the activities Violet encouraged. There were forts made out of apple crates and softball games played in the orchard. A sizable hill behind the house was popular for sledding in the winter, and Violet opened the basement door and invited the sledders to warm up around the basement's coal furnace while she served hot chocolate.

A Clear Spring man who has been a fugitive since being charged last month with allegedly operating a methamphetamine lab at his home was captured during a routine traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Hancock. Bryan Michael Davis, 25, of 39 S. Martin St., has been wanted since Feb. 6, when agents from the Washington County Narcotics Task Force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration raided the house he shared with family members. Police have said they found numerous items in Davis' upstairs bedroom that are used to manufacture methamphetamine, including Coleman fuel, drain cleaner, syringes, coffee filters, plastic tubing, blister packs containing pills, digital scales and packaging materials.

HAGERSTOWN -- It was a hopeful crowd, comprised of people toting every kind of item you can imagine -- old paintings, baskets, clocks and toys. And they carried them in all sorts of containers, from plastic bags to a child's wagon. They had questions and they came for answers. When was it made? Where was it made? And, most importantly, how much was it worth? A steady stream of people made its way to and from Morris Frock American Legion Post 42 on Saturday morning to find out if their possessions were trash or treasure.

"I'm calling in response to Falling Waters, W.Va. If that senior thinks that jail is so great, he ought to go himself. Because there's no such thing as three hots because all you get's a square mat to sleep on, and the meals are horrible. So if he thinks it's so great, he should try to go himself. There's no hot food. There's only a hot shower in the summertime. " - Hagerstown "(David) Limbaugh, in today's paper, states that health care would flatten the medical profession.

The Humane Society of Washington County is almost out of adult dog food and is asking the public for help. The shelter is asking for donations of Pedigree Adult Dog Food in the yellow bag. "We used to receive numerous donations of ripped and torn bags of food from large retailers," said Paul Miller, executive director of the shelter. "In order to reduce waste, the pet food companies are changing from paper to plastic bags. That means we are no longer receiving the donations we used to and our supply for the dogs at the shelter is really dwindling.

Master Gardener classes to begin Maryland Cooperative Extension is accepting applications for the Master Gardener class of 2009. Training will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, from Feb. 11 to April 8, at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center, Sharpsburg Pike, south of Hagerstown. Class size is limited. For information or an application, call Annette Ipsan at 301-791-1604 or e-mail aipsan@umd.edu . Christmas tree drop-off announced FREDERICK, Md. - The City of Frederick Christmas tree drop off and recycling program begins Friday, Jan. 2, 2009 and continues through Friday, Jan. 23, 2009.

BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. -- The long-awaited self-service Charles R. Biggs Recycling Center officially will open Monday, Dec. 15, said Bennett Lentczner, who chairs the Morgan County Solid Waste Authority. A test run will take place Dec. 13 from noon to 3 p.m., he said. Residents can bring their recyclables, including plastic, directly to the new recycling center on U.S. 522 at 2990 Valley Road, which is between Herb's Auto Sales and Eddie's Tire. It will be open Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., said Bill Pechumer, authority recycling coordinator.

Have you ever had the munchies and wished for a little something to snack on without blowing your day's calories? A new trend in food marketing is the 100-calorie snack pack. These are a nice option, and all the math is done for you. Rather than bringing home the big bag of chips that offers no stopping once it's opened, you get a fixed number of items pre-portioned into 100-calorie packages, assuming you stop after eating only one package. In some cases, food manufacturers might simply be putting 100 calories' worth of the original product into a smaller package, much like you could do at home using little plastic bags.