Restrooms

A fire in a boys bathroom forced a short evacuation of Northern Middle School about 8:30 a.m. Monday, according to Washington County Public Schools spokeswoman Carol Mowen. "Some paper products in the restroom area were smoldering," Mowen said. School staff pulled an alarm after discovering the situation, Mowen said. Students and staff evacuated the building and Hagerstown Fire Department responded to the scene, she said. Students returned to the building within 15 minutes, Mowen said.

Washington County's parks are open from the first Saturday in May through the last Sunday in October daily from 9 a.m. to sunset. Martin L. "Marty" Snook Memorial Park is open all year. The parks are open to walk-in traffic year-round. Call 240-313-2700. Camp Harding Park Between Clear Spring and Hancock on Pecktonville Road, this 18.5-acre park has tennis, two pavilions, picnic tables, grills, play equipment, a softball field, volleyball and basketball courts, horseshoes, a boat ramp and restrooms.

Funkhouser Park - On Jefferson Boulevard. Home of the Hagerstown PONY League and a basketball court. Hager Park - Intersection of Memorial Boulevard and Frederick Street. Playgrounds, pavilion. Home of the American Little League. Hamilton Playground - On Fairview Road. Playground equipment, volleyball court, half of a basketball court. Hellane Park - On Park Avenue and next to Hagers-town's reservoir in the West End. Restrooms, basketball courts, pavilion, playground equipment.

Engineer updates city on park plans Hagerstown City Engineer Rodney Tissue gave the Hagerstown City Council an update Tuesday on plans to build handicapped-accessible restrooms near the City Park band shell. The restrooms adjacent to Virginia Avenue would be closed and used instead for park maintenance facilities. Those restrooms have some maintenance problems and are not handicapped-accessible, Tissue said. The restrooms would be built next summer with Community Development Block Grant funding.

Overturned empty trash cans dotted the grounds of Antietam National Battlefield on Sunday, marking the spots where more than 25,000 spectators attended Saturday's 18th Annual Salute to Independence. Park Ranger Brian Baracz, who was handing out battlefield brochures left and right Sunday at the visitors center, said that by noon on Sunday, visitors were shocked to hear so many people had been on the grounds the night before. Park Superintendent John Howard said about 40 to 45 rangers and about 10 to 15 volunteers cleaned up a majority of the park by 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com FORT LOUDON, Pa. - The weather has Steve Behe down. When Behe, manager of the 1,142-acre Cowans Gap State Park, drives around the park he sees mud oozing around nearly finished construction projects. Steady April rains falling on snow left over from a winter the likes of which has not been seen here in years are making a lot of mud. Unless the ground dries out soon, the park, which has been closed since the fall of 2001 for a $4.5 million makeover, won't reopen in mid-May, the original target date, Behe said.

New councili members sworn into office KEEDYSVILLLE - Newly elected Town Council members Richard Walton and Jackie Stranathan were sworn into office by Town Clerk Amy Simmons during Monday's meeting. Walton and Stranathan replaced incumbent council members Jim and Judy Kerns, who did not run for re-election. Resident deputy program highlighted KEEDYSVILLE - Councilman Richard Walton inquired about the town's resident deputy program during Monday's meeting.

Cowans Gap to be closed for repairs in 2002 By RICHARD F. BELISLE / Staff Writer Cowans Gap State Park was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression. So it's time, say park officials, for a much needed $4.4 million renovation project that will close the 1,085-acre facility for the 2002 season. Steve Behe, the park's resident manager, said it will stay open throughout the 2001 season. The work will begin with the draining of a 42-acre lake at the park this fall.

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.