Toilet Paper

Some stores in Washington County were fast running out of essential bad-weather supplies such as generators and flashlights Monday, but grocery store shelves for the most part held what people were seeking. After a hectic weekend of grocery shopping in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, the rush appeared to slow down at some area grocery stores Monday. The Martin's grocery store on Wesel Boulevard had bottles of water, bread, batteries, ice packs, paper towels, toilet paper and milk all in stock, but it was running low on water, paper towels and toilet paper.

The REACH Cold Weather Shelter for the Homeless opens on Sunday, Nov. 14, at First Christian Church, 1345 Potomac Ave. The following items are needed and are being collected Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the REACH Office at Christ's Reformed Church, 130 W. Franklin St., at the rear side entrance with the burgundy doors and the REACH Sign. Other times by appointment. Needed are ground and instant coffee, powdered drink mixes, condiment packets, instant hot chocolate, sugar and creamer shakers, powdered milk, disposable salt and pepper shakers, dry cereal, instant cup of noodles, instant oatmeal packets, paper napkins, heavy duty paper plates and bowls, hot cups, plastic utensils, paper towels, toilet paper, and personal hygiene items such as deodorant, foot powder, shaving cream and toothpaste.

Interfaith Coalition of Washington County will hold an interfaith roundtable from 7 to 8:45 p.m. today at Washington County Free Library, 100 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown. The topic will be "Elimination of Prejudice," presented by Paula Meyers and Celeste Dixon. The program is free. For information and reservations, call the Rev. Ed Poling at 301-733-3565. AARP meeting is today FUNKSTOWN ? AARP Chapter 623 will meet at 1:30 p.m. today at Next Dimensions on Alternate U.S. 40, south of Funkstown.

HAGERSTOWN - He has camouflage toilet paper on display, and even a roll from China. Richard Weiss says his toilet paper memorabilia collection is a source of pride - likely because sanitary supplies are a large part of his life. Weiss is the owner of Weiss Bros. of Hagerstown Inc. on Oak Ridge Drive. The company is a wholesale distributor of industrial packaging, food service disposables, safety supplies, sanitary paper products and janitorial supplies in the quad-state area.

HAGERSTOWN -- National Golden Tissue, a manufacturer of processed paper products, recently opened its first factory in Hagerstown and intends to employ as many as 500 people within the next five years, a company official said Wednesday. Soheil Shahrooz, vice president of business development for National Golden Tissue, said the company primarily manufactures facial tissue, toilet paper, luncheon napkins and paper towels for use in restaurants, hotels and offices. The business employs about 20 people, but more workers will be needed as things get busier, Shahrooz said.

Dear Heloise, Some very naughty boys have played a prank by dousing some of Antietam National Battlefield's finest granite war memorial monuments with vegetable oil. We think it may be a copycat crime because it mimics vandals who last year anointed monuments at Vicksburg with oil while blowing a ram's horn and announcing they were on a mission from God to reunite the North and the South and thus save the Planet Earth from destruction before the...

By DAN KULIN / Staff Writer photo: JOE CROCETTA / staff photographer With 2000 only days away, bottled water, canned goods and paper products were in high demand around Hagerstown Wednesday. cont. from front page While some grocery shoppers were at markets on regular shopping trips, others were taking care of some last minute Y2K preparations. "People are buying water like crazy," Rick McTighe, a manager at the Sam's Club in Hagerstown, said.

The Cold Weather Shelter of Washington County opened its doors a week ago and already has been busy. "The first night, Oct. 31, there were 25 people there and that grew to 30 Wednesday night," said Carolyn Moller of the Center for Poverty Solutions. A week designed to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless will begin Sunday with a candlelight interfaith gathering at St. John's Lutheran Church at 6 p.m. to officially open the shelter. Run by REACH, Inc., the shelter is next to Christ's Reformed Church at 130 W. Franklin St. It is open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily through the spring.

By JULIE E. GREENE Staff Writer A Hagerstown woman thinks there are angels watching over the city's sewer system. Water Pollution Control crews returned a 21/2-carat diamond ring worth several thousand dollars to the woman after checking the sewer pipes for three weeks, said George Fischer, collection system superintendent. The woman, who did not want to be identified, said she lost the ring in September after she accidentally flushed it down a toilet at work. She had cleaned the ring and left it to dry in some toilet paper, then forgetting what it was, flushed it, she said.

kimy@herald-mail.com HALFWAY - Like a junior Spider-man, 14-year-old Anthony Hall scaled the 24-foot rock wall in seconds Saturday afternoon at Marty Snook Memorial Park. "I just didn't look down," said Hall, of Martinsburg, W.Va. Although he said he's never rock-climbed before, he picked it up quickly and showed off his prowess with several turns at the vertical challenge. The wall was a feature of Halfway Park Days festival, which kicked off Saturday and continues today.