Trade

More than 1,000 people braved the heat and humidity Saturday to see how much heat the 2000 Associated Builders and Contractors Trade Show could generate. The all-day event at the Washington County Ag Expo Center is a combination fund-raiser, picnic, 5-K run, equipment show and forum for all the contracting trades to meet and greet each other and the public. "We've always had a good turnout," said Joan Warner, ABC executive director for the Cumberland Valley Chapter. "But this year, we ran out of seats.

HAGERSTOWN -- For some, it's the family business. For others, it's a second career. About 40 men competed Saturday in the annual Apprenticeship Craft Olympics at the Barr Construction Institute. For four years, they've apprenticed and studied electrical, plumbing, HVAC and carpentry. On Saturday, they spent the day working in front of judges, most of whom were masters in their fields. Morgan Collis of Martinsburg, W.Va., is a carpentry student. It's the family business, Collis said, and he plans to continue working in the field when he completes school.

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. - Business in the Eastern Panhandle is gradually taking on a international feel, from Taiwanese aircraft manufacturing plants to increased dependence on imports to make local products. State and federal economic development officials hope to build on the trend when they open an international business conference at Shepherd College next month. Business owners who want to attend the conference will have to pay $150, but Christina Lundberg said it is worth the price.

I am a concerned parent, citizen, and taxpayer here in Washington County. Every day, I read in the paper or listen to on the radio or watch on television the concerns of our community about our school system. In the state of Maryland we use the phrase " No Child Left Behind. " We are blessed in this community to have many talented and gifted children from many walks of life. Some are gifted with academic abilities and some are gifted with the ability to excel in works with their hands as well as their minds.

Boonsboro hopes to tap into tourism trade By BRENDAN KIRBY Staff Writer BOONSBORO - Boonsboro officials are hoping to cash in on the town's history with a low-maintenance tourism program. The Boonsboro Historical Society and the town's Economic Development Commission plan to print brochures with a guide to some of the town's historic sites. Visitors would follow the brochure as they walk about town, learning about its past as they go. Doug Bast, a local business owner and member of the historical society, said it also could spur economic development, as prospective new business owners learn about the town.

Bartlett, DeArmon trade shots By LAURA ERNDE / Staff Writer U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's challenger for the 6th District House seat accused him Wednesday morning of failing to support projects and programs important to Washington County. But Bartlett, R-Md., said he voted "no" only because the projects were included in large spending bills filled with "pork. " "I voted responsibly," he said. Bartlett and Democrat Donald DeArmon squared off at a 30-minute debate sponsored by the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce at the Four Points Sheraton Inn. DeArmon questioned Bartlett's effectiveness during his eight years in Congress.

gregs@herald-mail.com The fact that Steven Lawrence McCormick was already wearing an orange jail jumpsuit didn't make him any less nervous. Sitting at the defense table, he whispered to his lawyer, peeked over his shoulder at the jury pool behind him with a look that could be taken for anger or confusion, and whispered back to his lawyer. The jury was selected, but soon McCormick took an out. Instead of being tried before a jury he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, Pa. -Before Pittsburgh became the steel producing center of Pennsylvania, much of that industry was in Franklin County, which in turn gave birth to related industries, according to Bill Helfrick, president of the Waynesboro Area Industrial Heritage Trust. "With foundry and casting and pattern making, of course, you need a source of metal," Helfrick said Sunday at the Waynesboro Industrial Museum. "This area had a lot of early furnaces, 13 of the 21 in Pennsylvania at one time.

ANNAPOLIS - A program that will provide state funding for apprenticeship programs in construction trades was approved shortly before the Maryland General Assembly adjourned its 90-day session at midnight Monday. The legislation will help address the lack of qualified tradespeople in Washington County and other parts of the state, said Del. D. Bruce Poole, D-Washington, the bill's sponsor. "More than anything, what I want to bring back to Washington County is the hope of getting good jobs at good wages for people," Poole said.

Five frogs, each the size of a quarter and selling for less than $6, may end up costing a Hagerstown pet store $120. Pugh's Petcetera, on Pennsylvania Avenue, was slapped with the fine on Friday for selling green treefrogs without a permit, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Agents from the department this week cited 24 pet shops across Maryland for selling reptiles without a permit. The fines concluded a six-month investigation of the state's pet store industry.