Plates

Long before I-Pods and MP3 players, even before DVDs and Game Boys, a popular source of entertainment for kids and adults on a long drive was looking at license plates, and counting the number of states represented. It worked especially well when parents and kids couldn't agree on a suitable radio station. It had been many years since I last played that game, until last Saturday. I had been up since 3:30 Saturday morning, helping at "The Legends" aid station at the 3.6-mile mark of the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon.

The Hancock Town Council voted Wednesday to provide a $200,000 loan to the company planning to build electronic home plates there later this year. The council voted to loan the money to Spessard Manufacturing with a personal guarantee from owner Jerry Spessard. Spessard is the co-inventor of the Eagle Eye Electronic Home Plate, which can call balls and strikes, as well as record pitch speed and other data. He plans to build a 6,000-square-foot facility in the town-owned Stanley Complex property.

Police to crack down on illegal out-of-state plates By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI kimy@herald-mail.com Hagerstown City Police have begun cracking down on city residents whose vehicles bear illegal out-of-state license plates. Over the next few weeks, people with out-of-state license plates can expect to find notices on their vehicles informing them of Maryland auto tag requirements, said Lt. William Carvel Wright III. Wright said officers will place Motor Vehicle Administration brochures on vehicles to give the owners a chance to determine whether they are in violation of state law or qualify for exceptions.

Berkeley County acting on out-of-state license plates By BOB PARTLOW / Staff Writer, Martinsburg The Berkeley County Sheriff's Department is cracking down on people living in the county who have failed to get West Virginia license plates for their vehicles. Two road checks this year netted 35 people living in the state with expired plates, said Sheriff Randy Smith. Twenty of them were issued citations; 15 received warnings. Smith's deputies also have been patrolling subdivisions and other developments, placing warning letters on cars with out-of-state plates.

Cordell Summers, 11, of Hagerstown, learned how to spin plates Saturday with a little help from Kevin the Klown during the Ali Ghan Shriners' circus at Hagerstown Community College's Athletic, Recreation and Community Center. Michael Rosman performs with a Chinese Diablo Saturday afternoon during the Ali Ghan Shriners' circus at Hagerstown Community College's Athletic, Recreation and Community Center.

BOONSBORO - "Meet the Warriors" night will be held Wednesday, March 10, in the Boonsboro High School gymnasium beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Boonsboro Athletic Boosters will have Warrior wear available for sale and will have information on how to obtain Boonsboro Warrior license plates. The program, which will include the introduction of all spring sports athletes, will begin at 7 p.m.

Getting flaky... You've probably heard a million times that no two snowflakes are alike. It's true. How come? Snowflakes are masses of tiny snow crystals that stick together as they bump into each other. Snow crystals are formed when water freezes - its molecules stacking together in regular patterns - flat six-sided plates, in the shape of six-pointed stars or needle-like columns - depending on temperature and humidity. There are six different types of snow crystals: needles, columns, plates, columns capped with plates, dendrites and stars.

For more than 30 years, J. Michael "Mike" Boyd's vehicle was identifiable by his personalized license plates — WEEDS. The plates, which summed up his passion for his career in agronomy, drew attention wherever he traveled, his family said. "He did it all his life. He did it until the day he died," Jane Boyd said of her husband's work. "He was still out in the field training guys," said oldest daughter Tracy Boyd of Frederick, Md. She added that although he had trouble walking, in the field he used a golf cart with high treads, the cart personalized with "Weeds" in stick-on letters.

MIDDLEWAY, W.Va. - Imation Corp. wants to sell its metal printing plate manufacturing plant in Middleway and will close the plant at the end of the year if a buyer cannot be found, company officials announced Monday. The company is offering voluntary separation packages to up to 72 of the plant's 182 employees, officials said. The plant operated under the 3M name for 35 years, but in July 1996 began operations as Imation, specializing in computer-related equipment for the printing industry and other fields, company officials said.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles recently mailed about 65,000 biennial disabled parking placards and 7,000 annual motor vehicle/physically disabled license plate recertification applications. The applications must be recertified by a physician. Failure to submit a recertification application will result in delay of the reissuance. Applications are available at the DMV central and regional offices. Motor vehicles/physically disabled license plates expire July 1 and placards expire on June 30.

The phrase “I need to get into shape” is a familiar one. But what about getting your plate in shape? MyPlate ( www.choosemyplate.gov ) provides an easy-to-understand visual of what plates should look like at meals. Eating is meant to be enjoyable, but it is important to be mindful of portion size and content of foods. Find creative ways to make your plate look like the MyPlate symbol with half of the plate consisting of fruits and vegetables, one-quarter lean protein, and one-quarter whole grains with a side of low-fat dairy.

In the 1950 comedy “Kill the Umpire,” Bill “Two Call” Johnson (played by William Bendix) is chased by a vengeance-seeking mob of fans after he made what they believed to be a bad call in a minor league baseball game. Calling balls, strikes and checked swings could be a thing of the past in amateur ball if the Eagle Eye Electronic Home Plate is all that inventor Jerry Spessard claims. He has enough faith in the product to begin construction of a plant in Hancock this June, with production expected to begin by fall.

The Hancock Town Council voted Wednesday to provide a $200,000 loan to the company planning to build electronic home plates there later this year. The council voted to loan the money to Spessard Manufacturing with a personal guarantee from owner Jerry Spessard. Spessard is the co-inventor of the Eagle Eye Electronic Home Plate, which can call balls and strikes, as well as record pitch speed and other data. He plans to build a 6,000-square-foot facility in the town-owned Stanley Complex property.

The Hagerstown Community College baseball team had just as many hit batters - six - as hits on Wednesday. The bumps and bruises led to a 4-3 Maryland JuCo victory over Montgomery-Germantown. Fittingly, the winning run scored on - what else? - a walkoff hit batter. “We can't control that,” HCC coach Scott Jennings said. “It worked for us today. It gave us ways to get on base.” The Hawks (29-25, 13-12) were locked in a 3-3 tie with Germantown (32-16, 11-11) entering the bottom of the ninth.

The City of Hagerstown on Thursday released a new artist's rendering of what the proposed downtown multiuse sports and events center (MUSEC) may look like if it were built. The street-level drawing is a follow-up to the “bird's eye view” design, which was debuted at the Oct. 9 public information meeting, that shows the overall footprint of the preliminary plan for the facility, according to city Engineer Rodney Tissue. The biggest change from previous depictions, the field's orientation at the site was flipped, moving the location of home plate closer to West Baltimore Street rather than near the Herald-Mail building as it was first drawn up. Tissue said this change was in response to comments from citizens who live near the site.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 PREP BASEBALL CLEAR SPRING - Nick Hill had two hits, including a three-run homer to highlight a seven run fourth-inning, as Clear Spring shut out Berkeley Springs 14-0 in five innings on Wednesday. Brent Mentzer had three hits for the Blazers (6-5), who rapped out 15 hits. Hill held the Indians (9-10) to just two hits. Clear Spring 14, Berkeley Springs 0 Berk. Springs    000    00    -     0    2    2 Clear Spring    304    7x    -     14    15    0 B. Spielman, McPeek (3)

Saturday, March 17, 2012 PREP BASEBALL Berkeley Springs 4, Frankfort 1 SHORT GAP, W.Va. - Tyler Holt threw a three-hitter with eight strikeouts to lead Berkeley Springs past Frankfort. Holt helped his own cause with a two-run double in the first inning. Brett Fultz and Preston Hovermale each had an RBI single for the Indians. Jefferson 12, Goretti 7 SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.Va. - Kevin Proctor had two hits and three RBIs for St. Maria Goretti in a loss to Jefferson.

Pizza ovens. Solar technology and geothermal energy. Outdoor dining rooms. Vendors are cooking up a whole new set of ways to impress potential customers as they prepare their displays for this weekend's Franklin County (Pa.) Builders Show. A variety of household services and products will be offered by the 200 vendors who are setting up displays for the 29th annual show being held at the former EZ Dumper building. “I think visitors are going to be surprised by some of the spectacular displays,” said Tom Hanks, executive director of the Franklin County Builders Association.

Gov. Martin O'Malley has promised an ambitious agenda this legislative session, but in a part of the state where ambitious agendas are not necessarily heralded as good things, our local lawmakers will face a delicate balancing act. Lawmakers must protect our local interests, but do so in a way that does not get the door slammed in their faces when they ask for state help with projects of local importance. The most obvious of these highwire acts will be the proposed gasoline tax, penciled in for a 5-cent increase over the next three years.

In baseball, 9-year-old Michael Kade Fotta plays the hot corner. In life, he delivers hot meals. The Sharpsburg Little League third baseman joined the Meals on Wheels program in early September with his mother, Kerri, and father, Michael, to spend some quality time helping others. “When Michael goes up to the door, they have the biggest smile on their face,” Kerri Fotta said Friday as the family delivered hot lunches to the homes of 20 seniors. “He really warms their hearts.” Unlike most children his age, Michael has time to deliver food on Fridays because he is homeschooled.