Restrooms

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police were looking for two gunmen who held up an insurance agency and forced its employees into the restroom Thursday afternoon. Police said Red Oak Insurance, 2371 Philadelphia Ave., was held up at 12:45 p.m. After taking cash from the people in the office and forcing them into the restroom the men fled in an unknown direction. Both of the men were black, between the ages of 20 and 30 and armed with handguns, police said. One was about 5 feet 8 inches tall, between 180 and 210 pounds and wore a gray hooded sweat shirt, police said.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A man charged with surreptitiously photographing at least one co-worker in the restroom of the business where they worked has waived his mandatory arraignment in Franklin County Court and was listed for the March trial term. Andrew Edward Gahagan, 33, formerly of Chambersburg, is charged with four misdemeanor counts of second-degree invasion of privacy. His attorney, Eric J. Weisbrod, said his client, who has since moved out of the area, waived his Wednesday arraignment by mail.

Tips on taking children of the opposite sex into restrooms, locker rooms Teaching your child: By Lisa Tedrick Prejean "Why can't I go in the men's room?" my 5-year-old son asks. "Because Mommy can't go in there," I reply as I usher him into the ladies' room. "But I'm a boy, Mommy. " "Yes, dear, but Daddy's not here, and you're too young to go into the men's room by yourself. " It's a typical Saturday. I'm running errands with both kids in tow while my husband's working.

Budgets are tight, but badly needed improvements proposed at Ambrose Park in Martinsburg are still possible thanks to federal funding available through the City of Martinsburg's Community Development Block Grant program. The proposed project includes replacement of the four-acre park's pavilion, which is missing a section of roof, renovation of bathrooms, an additional playground area and improved access to the green space along Mall Drive and Porter Avenue for the disabled. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, ultimately must agree that the city's proposal to allocate $160,390 for the park improvements meets CDBG guidelines, according to Patricia E. “Pat” McMillan, the city's CDBG program administrator.

The parks draft plan includes the following short- and medium-term projects: improved soccer fields at county schools. a basketball court at Doubs Woods. a paved parking lot at the Pinesburg softball complex. an entrance and an interpretive kiosk at the Mount Briar Wetland. a barn, pavilion, parking, access road and museum at the Agricultural Education Center. a tennis and basketball court at Chestnut Grove Park. restrooms and a recreation center at Martin L. "Marty" Snook Regional Park in Halfway.

The Washington County Horse Council will present its dressage horse show Saturday, Oct. 15, at 9 a.m. at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center off Sharpsburg Pike in Boonsboro.   The Ag Center has new all-weather footing, standards, parking and restrooms. There will be no grounds fee.   The public is invited. A photographer and food service will be on site. Classes cost $12 each, and the registration deadline is Oct. 10.  For more information, call 301-432-4782 or go to  www.wchorsecouncil.org.

Site work is under way for Otterbein Church's new 800-seat church on Welty Road in Waynesboro. The church, which currently meets on South Potomac Street, owns about 52 acres at the Welty Road location. The site also will include a community recreation park with space for football, softball and baseball fields, a  paintball/airsoft area, a walking trail, a pavilion, restrooms, a play area for children and volleyball courts, according to the church's website.

Parking was at a premium Saturday at Rouzerfest as thousands of people crowded into the annual event at Red Run Park off Pa. 16. Colin White, 3, of Washington Township, Pa., yanked on his mother Natalie's arm, eager to see all of the sights. "We're just enjoying the weather and the crafts and hoping the train opens soon," said Natalie White, referring to the antique train at the park that is popular with the younger set. Since the White family is from Philadelphia, they bought an Eagles' calendar from one of the vendors to hang in their kitchen.

julieg@herald-mail.com WASHINGTON COUNTY - Hagerstown and Smithsburg were awarded grant money for park projects this week by Maryland's Board of Public Works. Smithsburg will get $148,565 to build a pavilion and basketball court, and to grade and seed a multipurpose field at Veterans Memorial Park off West Water Street, according to a news release from Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.'s office. Hagerstown will receive $107,759 to build a pavilion and restroom complex at the upper end of City Park, according to the news release and John Budesky, the city's director of administrative services.

Politicians and business leaders gathered off Mentzer Gap Road on Monday to cut a ribbon at the future site of Heritage Park, the first municipal park in Quincy Township, Pa. Crews will be converting an existing storage building into a concession stand, upgrading a softball field and starting an exercise trail. Their efforts mark the first phase of a six-phase project that could someday be a nearly 14-acre park. “With everyone working together, good things happen,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., who spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.