Small Town

Eric Baldwin was conducting an audit for the U.S. Postal Service’s Baltimore district when he visited Funkstown for the first time in the late 1980s. Baldwin recalls Jack Smith was Funkstown postmaster at the time. He also remembers how much the town impressed him. “I just really liked the town,” said Baldwin, who became acting manager for the Funkstown Post Office in April 2010 and was officially named postmaster July 31. “I had my eye on Funkstown for a really long time,” Baldwin said of wanting the job as Funkstown postmaster.

Click here to view and/or purchase photo. "Educated in a small town Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town Used to daydream in that small town Another boring romantic that's me" - "Small Town" by John Mellencamp WATERFALL, Pa. - There is no getting lost in the crowd at Forbes Road High School, where every one of the 36 graduating seniors of the class of 2007 certainly must know each other by name and the class song...

WILLIAMSPORT - There is a new face at Williamsport Family Practice, a physicians assistant who said her first month on the job has been terrific. "I didn't know much about Williamsport, but I adore it here," Brittany Coffman said in a recent telephone interview. Growing up in Frederick, Md., Brittany Coffman said she is enjoying the small-town flavor of the town where she is now working. "There is a close-knit family feeling in Williamsport," said Coffman, who said she is enjoying the carnivals and other events that bring people together in the town.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - Before 2002, Greencastle-Antrim had not had a Fourth of July community celebration since the mid-1910s, according to Bonnie Shockey, who helped restart the tradition six years ago. "After Sept. 11, 2001, I wondered why Greencastle-Antrim didn't have a July 4 event," Shockey said. Six weeks before July 4, 2002, Shockey got in touch with Greencastle's former mayor, the late Red Pensinger, as well as Dana Given and Jean Oliver, and the four made contacts with singers, Cub Scouts, the American Legion and other organizations to participate in that year's celebration.

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - Before 2002, Greencastle-Antrim had not had a Fourth of July community celebration since the mid-1910s, according to Bonnie Shockey, who helped restart the tradition six years ago. "After Sept. 11, 2001, I wondered why Greencastle-Antrim didn't have a July 4 event," Shockey said. Six weeks before July 4, 2002, Shockey got in touch with Greencastle's former mayor, the late Red Pensinger, as well as Dana Given and Jean Oliver, and the four made contacts with singers, Cub Scouts, the American Legion and other organizations to participate in that year's celebration.

tarar@herald-mail.com Repairs to an old, eroding pond could have the small town of Hancock facing a big bill, officials said Thursday. Town Manager Larry Logan said the Kirk Pond has an old dam that might lead to the erosion of properties downstream and possibly carry sediment into the Potomac River. "It's kind of a swampy little place," Logan said. The town was told by the Maryland Department of the Environment to fix the pond and dam, which receives a lot of drainage from Interstate 68, he said.

Chef Justin Warner has never forgotten his roots. During several interviews with The Herald-Mail leading up to his "The Next Food Network Star" win in July, Warner has always made a point to include a "shout out" to his fellow Hagerstonians. And now just weeks after being selected as the next new face of Food Network, Warner is keeping his word. Sunday night he'll take part in the "Come to the Table" dinner and event at LJ's and the Kat Lounge in Hagerstown. The $60 ticket price will include cooking demonstrations lead by Executive Chef Lonnie Coble and LJ's Chef de Cuisine Steven Farrell, as well as chefs Rachel Inman and Amanda Combs; live auction, raffle, four-course meal and a cash bar. A limited number of tickets are still available as of presstime Tuesday.

JAN. 12, 1917-MARCH 1, 2009 CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Janice Willa Rogaliner Fetters, 92, a resident of Magnolias of Chambersburg, died Sunday, March 1, 2009. Born Jan. 12, 1917, in a small town near Pittsburgh, she was the daughter of the late George Aaron and Bessie Pauline Rogaliner. Her husband, Owen Curtis Fetters, preceded her in death. She was a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School, received a certificate in stenography and secretarial skills from The Pittsburgh Academy School of Business, and attended the University of Pittsburgh.

Sharpsburg - Sid Gale didn't plan to run for mayor of Sharpsburg in 2000. Now in his second year as mayor, Gale could become the first Sharpsburg mayor in almost a decade to serve a full term. "Well, I'm certainly going to try," said Gale, 53. Two of the town's last three mayors, George Kesler and Chris Yeager, resigned shortly before their first terms were to end. Ron Milburn, who became mayor upon Yeager's resignation, did not run for election. Both Yeager and Milburn cited busy schedules in their decisions.

Day in the Park an all-around winner To the editor: Way to go, Funkstown! On Saturday, July 11, Funkstown hosted "A Day in the Park. " The day reminded many folks of what is right with America. On Saturday, a Civil War-era battle took place on the main street and the day concluded with an amazing display of fireworks. In between, there were children's activities and many arts and crafts vendors, along with various local businesses displaying their products and services.

Arkansas is a state for which Mississippi is grateful, for as long as it exists unchanged, Mississippi has a cushion between itself and last place in most national indicators of social and economic well-being. This is true despite the fact that it can be argued that Bentonville, in the hills of Arkansas' northwest corner, is the point of origin of much of the economic life of our increasingly marketized economy. This small, isolated city is home to Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transport and Walmart.

A strategic plan commissioned for the Hagerstown-Washington County Economic Development Commission suggests a greater effort to market the small towns and rural areas of the county, an idea Hancock Mayor Daniel A. Murphy welcomes. “I certainly would agree. They need to become familiar with us on the fringes of the county,” Murphy said recently. “It's not the Hagerstown Economic Development Commission.” Communication between the county and Hancock has improved in recent years, but Murphy said he could remember a time not so long ago when it seemed that the town at the western edge of the county was mostly forgotten.

Beth always says it's a good thing she didn't have children given the inordinate amount of attention she showers on mere animals. My idea is that the animals are often more worthy of care, but that is another matter. So when the SUV she calls Big Red was in the middle of tipping over on a steep hill last week, her first thought was not for her own health and safety, but for her dogs, which were on the way to the groomer's. The bouvier de Flanders named Opie, as has been documented in past columns, has a soulful howl/moan (Opie's Opera, they call it at the vet's)

A few weeks ago, my wife and I found ourselves driving down through the beautiful foliage of Harpers Ferry road as we headed to Brunswick days.  This is the same road that my Father in law Leon travelled for over thirty years when he worked on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. As we enjoyed the scenery, we continued our trip by Sandy Hook where all the houses are built on one side of the street, and made our way through the little town of Knoxville and by the location where the old Acme store used to be. Times have changed a lot since my youth and the history of Brunswick goes back a lot further than I once realized.

The closing of post offices and an increase to the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fee were some of the topics that were discussed during a small town forum Thursday at Hager Hall in Hagerstown. Dozens of officials from small towns across the state attended the discussion, which was one of many that will be held for the rest of this week in the city as the Maryland Municipal League holds its annual fall conference. Maryland Municipal League President Judith Davis said the primary focus of the event is for league members to discover their legislative priorities and vote on them as a body.

Chef Justin Warner has never forgotten his roots. During several interviews with The Herald-Mail leading up to his "The Next Food Network Star" win in July, Warner has always made a point to include a "shout out" to his fellow Hagerstonians. And now just weeks after being selected as the next new face of Food Network, Warner is keeping his word. Sunday night he'll take part in the "Come to the Table" dinner and event at LJ's and the Kat Lounge in Hagerstown. The $60 ticket price will include cooking demonstrations lead by Executive Chef Lonnie Coble and LJ's Chef de Cuisine Steven Farrell, as well as chefs Rachel Inman and Amanda Combs; live auction, raffle, four-course meal and a cash bar. A limited number of tickets are still available as of presstime Tuesday.

Sometimes it's hard to stir up political interest in a small town. Voter turnout is frequently low, and as we've seen, sometimes even candidate turnout leaves something to be desired. Smithsburg had difficulty finding people to run for town council, and in Clear Spring last November, all of 22 people turned out to vote in the town election. For the good of the county and the towns, we would still hope that as many people as possible become involved in the electoral process. Just because there's no political excitement in your town at the moment doesn't mean that something that affects your life won't pop up in the coming years.

The Small Town America Tour, which was scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16, at Springfield Barn in Williamsport has been canceled, according to event officials. The event was to feature Seven Day Slumber, Cory Lamb and Southbound Fearing. For more information, call 301-223-4070.

Eric Baldwin was conducting an audit for the U.S. Postal Service’s Baltimore district when he visited Funkstown for the first time in the late 1980s. Baldwin recalls Jack Smith was Funkstown postmaster at the time. He also remembers how much the town impressed him. “I just really liked the town,” said Baldwin, who became acting manager for the Funkstown Post Office in April 2010 and was officially named postmaster July 31. “I had my eye on Funkstown for a really long time,” Baldwin said of wanting the job as Funkstown postmaster.

HANCOCK -- Santa Claus is coming to town. But perhaps more important to Hancock residents is that activity and vitality seem to be coming, too. People who live in Hancock and the surrounding area sent a clear message Saturday morning that they are ready for all of the above. Hancock Town Councilman Tim Smith is president of Hancock in Motion, a nonprofit organization sanctioned under the town to bring people and events to Hancock. "We want people to know this small town has a lot to offer," Smith said.