Thanksgiving

People celebrating Thanksgiving a day early enjoyed a free meal at the Salvation Army community center in Hagerstown on Wednesday. “It's what Thanksgiving's all about,” Rushon Louie said. Louie has been staying at the REACH of Washington County shelter for a few weeks since coming back to the area from South Carolina. He said he's looking forward to having his own apartment at the end of the month. Joe Rubino of Hagerstown was on the other side of the counter, helping to funnel meals out to diners who requested them - “keeping everybody happy,” as he put it. Rubino said he and his girlfriend, Stephanie Hinh of Harrisburg, Pa., wanted to do something to help the community, so they volunteered at the dinner.

Residents of the City of Hagerstown should note there will be no trash collection Thursday and that the landfill also will be closed. All trash and recycling collection after today will be delayed one day. Garbage may be placed at the curb after 4 p.m. For more information, call the Engineering Department at 301-739-8577, ext. 126.

The few eyewitness accounts that have survived of the first Thanksgiving feast describe a group of people who came to America a bit unsure of what they would find, but who were pleasantly surprised at the abundance of wild game and the ease of growing corn and other vegetables. These new residents lived - at least for a time - peacefully with the American Indians and celebrated with at least 90 members of them on that first feast day in 1621. They were thankful for their bounty and assured those they knew back home in England that reports of it were not exaggerations, but the truth.

Maryland Washington County Closed Nov. 27 and 28 Frederick County Closed Nov. 27 and 28 Pennsylvania Tuscarora School District Closed Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 Waynesboro Area School District Closed Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 Greencastle-Antrim School District Closed Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 Chambersburg Area School District Closed Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 Southern Fulton...

Get out a die and give this game a try to chase away the post-Thanksgiving Day boredom.

Lincolnshire third-graders recreate first Thanksgiving By TARA REILLY / Staff Writer They danced. They sang. They narrated. Students at Lincolnshire Elementary School were ready to do it all - even dance the Macarena - to spread the word of thanks. continued Nineteen third-graders in Chantelle Eyler's class at Lincolnshire Elementary put their own spin on the holiday with "Thanksgiving at Plymouth" Wednesday afternoon before a group of about 60 parents and other relatives.

She fed others for years, but sits this Thanksgiving out By JULIE E. GREENE / julieg@herald-mail.com Ellen Resh has helped feed hundreds of people Thanksgiving dinner every year for 46 years. This year Resh, who turns 85 on Saturday, sat and watched dozens of volunteers and family members serve the holiday meal to more than 100 people at the Hagerstown Union Rescue Mission. continued Resh is recovering remarkably from a heart attack she had three weeks ago and two strokes shortly after, said her son-in-law, Bruce "Sonny" Shank.

Jaycees serve up Thanksgiving pre-feast By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer HALFWAY - Residents and staff from some of Washington County's nursing homes were the guests of honor at a pre-Thanksgiving dinner Monday evening hosted by the Hagerstown Jaycees. continued About 25 residents from nursing homes, including Avalon, Homewood and Eden Pines, were taken to the to the Church of the Holy Trinity on Oak Ridge Drive for the meal. "The purpose of this project is to provide a holiday meal and an evening of entertainment for elderly nursing home residents who may not otherwise have someone to spend the holiday with," said organizer Chip Alsip of the Hagerstown Jaycees.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Over the years, Thanksgiving has become the forgetful holiday. Don't forget the cranberry sauce. Don't forget the stuffing. Don't forget the pumpkin pie. When it comes down to it, the feast outweighs everything else on the holiday. But to Edwin Williams, the University of Maryland's senior center, the day of food, family and football comes down to two main parts - Thanks and giving. "I'm thankful for so much," he said. "I'm thankful that I lasted five years.

Katriel Kasayan, left, and classmate Audrey Stevenson celebrate Thanksgiving with their class a day early Wednesday afternoon at Robinwood Early Learning School on the campus of Hagerstown Community College.

The free Thanksgiving dinner at the Boonsboro Bible Church has been a community tradition for almost a decade. It's a place where those away from their families or anyone in the community can come for home-cooked food and fellowship. By 3 p.m. Thursday, more than 70 residents visited the church on the Old National Pike for this year's dinner - a choice of deep-fried or smoked turkey, stuffing, glazed carrots mashed potatoes, green beans casserole, sweet potato casserole and an assortment of desserts.

Howard Hawkins said he was working as a banker in Richmond, Va., when his wife died of heart and lung complications in 2007. He said the loss caused him to suffer an emotional collapse. “I didn't respond well,” Hawkins said. “Material things didn't mean much to me. I gave up my cars, house and money. I gave it to the church and became homeless.” On Thursday, Hawkins told his story to about 280 people who gathered to share a free Thanksgiving meal sponsored by The Hope Center Rescue Mission off North Prospect Street in Hagerstown.

The aroma of baked ham, roast turkey and other gastronomic delights filled the Memorial Recreation Center in Hagerstown on Thursday during a free Thanksgiving dinner. Carolyn Sterling, a volunteer who helped organize the meal, said the inaugural Community Partnership Event was hosted by a number of local churches and nonprofit organizations as a way to unite people on one of the most charitable days of the year. “This was a perfect place to have it - right in the middle of everything,” Sterling said.

Kaitlin Eddy was an infant in her mother's arms and doesn't remember the first time she went to the Community Thanksgiving Dinner at St. Joseph Parish School in 2001. Kaitlin and the dinner, which is sponsored by St. Joseph Catholic Church, are 11 years old now. “We've been coming here since the first one,” said Kaitlin's mother, Annette Eddy. Her husband, Eugene Eddy, and his mother, Joan Frame, joined them Thursday. Sitting across the hall from the Eddys, also waiting for the doors to open, was Debby Smith of Martinsburg.

What began as a way for Mark and Jayne Metcalfe of Mercersburg, Pa., to give back to the community has grown into one of the largest, free Thanksgiving Day dinners in the area. “It's a way to give back to the community. There's a need with the economy the way it is. Plus we have a family that comes every year with 24 in their family. They have no houses big enough where they can gather for Thanksgiving dinner so they come here,” Jayne Metcalfe said Thursday. “And I don't like to eat alone, so my family has grown to 1,000,” she said with a chuckle.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all the readers of this column.  I am thankful for all of you and your many encouraging comments as I meet you around the county. Hancock is a great small town, and I enjoy bringing you the good news from our area. I know of two worship services planned in town this Thanksgiving morning.  The Rev. Jack Lombardi will celebrate Mass for the day at 9 a.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church.  At 10 a.m., the Rev. Allan Weatherholt will lead Thanksgiving Day Holy Communion with traditional hymns at historic St. Thomas' Episcopal Church.  The churches are next door to each other on East High Street, and both welcome the community.

I would like to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. It is a day to give thanks for our wonderful families, friends and all of the good things in our lives. Santa arrives at Long Meadow Boys and girls, it is that time of year again. Santa Claus is coming to town. He will arrive at the Ashley Furniture Store in Long Meadow Shopping Center Friday at 10 a.m. Lions Club bonus books The North Hagerstown Lions Club is selling Sheetz coupon books for $10 each.

A former homeless veteran cooked up a Thanksgiving feast for more than 250 people at the Salvation Army's Thanksgiving meal Wednesday.  “It's important to give back what was given to me, and that was help when I needed it,” said James Rhinehart, the cook for the Salvation Army's Daily Feeding Program. “These people are human beings just like everybody else.” Rhinehart said the program on busy days typically provides meals for around 170 people, but that number went up for Thanksgiving.

The family has assembled, the cooks are baking pies, the sports fans are watching football and the cousins are looking for something to pass the time until dinner. Let's play Turkey Toss! The Herald-Mail's 2012 Thanksgiving game is easy to play, and can be adapted for children or adults. Rules: 1. Print out the game board onto an 11-inch-by-17-inch piece of paper or purchase a copy of the Thenksgiving Day edition of The Herald-Mail and use the board game printed on page B1. Lay the board game in the middle of a table or on a hard-surfaced floor.