Safe Place

The Exchange Club of Antietam recently donated $2,000 to Safe Place, Washington County’s child advocacy center. Safe Place houses specially trained professionals who respond to child-abuse reports, and the Exchange Club supports programs designed to prevent child abuse.

Members of the Ladies of the Elks and Associates of Elks Lodge 378 in Hagerstown recently donated $500 to Safe Place, Washington County Child Advocacy Center.  The donation will be used to help abused children in Washington County.  The mission of Safe Place is to reduce the trauma to children in a child-friendly environment though collaborative investigations, therapeutic/medical interventions and criminal prosecution of child-abuse cases....

A Better Shredder will host a free shredding event for the public from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, in the parking lot of Pen-Mar Regional Association of REALTORS at 300 Cameo Drive, Hagerstown. A donation for the shredding is requested and all proceeds will benefit Safe Place, Washington County Child Advocacy Center. Their mission is to provide all reported victims of child sexual abuse in Washington County and their caretakers with forensic interviews, medical treatment, and mental health treatment with a goal of preventing future abuse.

It was more than 10 years in the making and in May, Safe Place, Washington County’s child advocacy center, celebrated 10 years of serving children and families in Washington County. David A. Engle, director of Washington County Department of Social Services, headed up a team that was the driving force behind the project. “We first applied on Feb. 20, 1991, to get a child advocacy center in Washington County,” Engle said of a $63,000 grant request to the state of Maryland’s Department of Human Resources.

In more than 10 years at Safe Place, Washington County's child advocacy center, forensic nurse Joyce Williams has seen her share of child-abuse injuries. “It's sad when you see the child, but, because of Safe Place, the child gets the help and resources they need,” said Williams, who along with Dr. Ruth Dwyer have performed more than 600 medical examinations on abused children from Washington County at Safe Place. Williams soon will leave the center to move to Malaysia to work on a special project with the Normah Specialist Medical Center.  “It's really bittersweet,” Williams said.

In March, two fundraisers were held to support the Washington County Child Advocacy Center, also known as The Safe Place, at the Walnut Street Medical Center in Hagerstown. On March 11, the Home Builders Association of Washington County hosted the third annual benefit concert and auction at Hagerstown Community College in support of the Child Advocacy Center. The concert featured local recording artist Tori Anderson and Possum Holler, and nationally known recording artist Exile.

The kind of uninhibited cheers preteen girls typically reserve for celebrity heartthrobs erupted Friday night as 12 area bachelors paraded through an audience of about 200 people, most of whom were women anxiously awaiting a chance to win a date. The second annual Charity Bachelor Auction, hosted by Friends of Safe Place, was held at BPO Elks Lodge No. 378, where the highest bidder paid $800 for a date with 34-year-old Jeffrey Butts of Hagerstown. The first bachelor up for bid, 27-year-old Arnold Martin III, of Martinsburg, W.Va., topped out at $250.

Only painter's tape and carpet ready for shampooing prevent Lydia Kovach from calling her new house a home. On Sunday, Kovach ceremonially received the keys to 522 S. Main St., a house in the Borough of Chambersburg that was rehabilitated by Habitat for Humanity. Organization officials and Franklin County, Pa., dignitaries crowded into what will be her living room. Kovach's house is the 29th completed by Habitat for Humanity of Franklin County. “Without everybody pulling together, these things wouldn't happen,” said David Spang, president of the local board of directors.

There's no guarantee of a love connection, but women who plunk down some cash for a date with an available bachelor Friday night are helping keep children safe. Friends of Safe Place's second annual Charity Bachelor Auction will take place at the BPO Elks Lodge No. 378. The doors open at 6 p.m. First bachelor will be on the block by 7 p.m. Admission is $5. There will be 11 bachelors this year ranging in age from 20s to 50s. Hors d'oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be open during bidding.

Nickole Turner said the seventh annual Family Evening of Comedy & Magic at The Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown was a nice way to spend a Saturday night with her family. But the entertainment wasn't the only reason the mother of four attended the event. “I like that it sponsors Safe Place,” Turner said. All proceeds from the magic show benefited Safe Place, the Washington County Child Advocacy Center - an organization at 24 N. Walnut St. that investigates more than 200 cases of child sex abuse each year.

Meritus Health Meritus Health recently launched a new Center for Breast Health. Led by Medical Director Dr. Kerri Hesley, the new center includes a multidisciplinary team of top-rated specialists, including radiologists, medical and radiation oncologists, pathologists, a nurse navigator, psychotherapists, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Also part of the team are two breast surgeons new to the area - Drs. Susan Kesmodel and Emily Bellavance. The center offers prevention and screening,  diagnostics, treatment and recovery.

In more than 10 years at Safe Place, Washington County's child advocacy center, forensic nurse Joyce Williams has seen her share of child-abuse injuries. “It's sad when you see the child, but, because of Safe Place, the child gets the help and resources they need,” said Williams, who along with Dr. Ruth Dwyer have performed more than 600 medical examinations on abused children from Washington County at Safe Place. Williams soon will leave the center to move to Malaysia to work on a special project with the Normah Specialist Medical Center.  “It's really bittersweet,” Williams said.

A Better Shredder will host a free shredding event for the public from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, in the parking lot of Pen-Mar Regional Association of REALTORS at 300 Cameo Drive, Hagerstown. A donation for the shredding is requested and all proceeds will benefit Safe Place, Washington County Child Advocacy Center. Their mission is to provide all reported victims of child sexual abuse in Washington County and their caretakers with forensic interviews, medical treatment, and mental health treatment with a goal of preventing future abuse.

We should never disagree with the word of God To the editor: Yes, I love gays and lesbians. God loves them, too. But I do not believe they have the right to marriage, be it civil or otherwise. Nor do I believe they have the right to the same benefits as heterosexual couples. I truly believe the reason for the problems we are having in the world today is that people who call themselves Christians, and even some churches, are compromising with the Bible and world affairs.

The kind of uninhibited cheers preteen girls typically reserve for celebrity heartthrobs erupted Friday night as 12 area bachelors paraded through an audience of about 200 people, most of whom were women anxiously awaiting a chance to win a date. The second annual Charity Bachelor Auction, hosted by Friends of Safe Place, was held at BPO Elks Lodge No. 378, where the highest bidder paid $800 for a date with 34-year-old Jeffrey Butts of Hagerstown. The first bachelor up for bid, 27-year-old Arnold Martin III, of Martinsburg, W.Va., topped out at $250.

There's no guarantee of a love connection, but women who plunk down some cash for a date with an available bachelor Friday night are helping keep children safe. Friends of Safe Place's second annual Charity Bachelor Auction will take place at the BPO Elks Lodge No. 378. The doors open at 6 p.m. First bachelor will be on the block by 7 p.m. Admission is $5. There will be 11 bachelors this year ranging in age from 20s to 50s. Hors d'oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be open during bidding.

1. No dumb blonde Barbara Ingram School for the Arts presents the musical "Legally Blonde" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, and Friday, May 3. The Maryland Theatre, 21 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown.  Elle Woods' boyfriend dumps her to attend Harvard Law. Woods gets accepted to the school so she can get him back. She realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world. Tickets cost $8 to $25. Call 301-790-3500 or go to www.mdtheatre.org . 2. Bidding on bachelors for charity Charity bachelor auction will be Friday, May 3, at Elks Club, 11063 Robinwood Drive, east of Hagerstown.

Child abuse and neglect is one of those issues no one really likes to talk about because we want to believe it never happens in our community. But the truth is child abuse can, and does, happen anywhere. Including here. So let's talk about it. April is national Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month. This is a time to reflect on the terrible trauma that victims of abuse endure. It's also a time to encourage everyone to help stop the problem by promptly reporting suspected acts of child abuse or neglect.  Sadly, Washington County has the sixth highest rate of indicated child abuse among Maryland counties.

Nickole Turner said the seventh annual Family Evening of Comedy & Magic at The Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown was a nice way to spend a Saturday night with her family. But the entertainment wasn't the only reason the mother of four attended the event. “I like that it sponsors Safe Place,” Turner said. All proceeds from the magic show benefited Safe Place, the Washington County Child Advocacy Center - an organization at 24 N. Walnut St. that investigates more than 200 cases of child sex abuse each year.

Eric Buss has something up his sleeve. It's part of his job as a magician. But there's more to Buss than meets the eye. He's also an actor and comedian and admits to be pretty handy with power tools. Put all these talents together and - abracadabra! - you have a high-energy show of illusion, music, comedy and zany inventions. One minute, Buss will display an intriguing sleight of hand, and the next he will show off his Elvis impersonator skills or get laughs with a homemade stage prop.