Trash

"You're not going to throw that away are you?" My 8-year-old son was gazing intently at the cardboard tissue box cube I had in my hand. "Well, yes. It's empty, so I'm putting it in the trash can. " His shoulders sagged in disappointment. "But Mom, I could make something from that. " Not wanting to stifle his creativity, I handed it over. And so it goes in our household. I tie up the kitchen trash when my son is in another room so he's not tempted to stake a claim on the packaging from dinner.

As the Fourth of July celebration at Fairgrounds Park drew to a close Wednesday, the cleanup was just beginning. Workers from the Hagerstown Parks and Recreation Division were out Wednesday night and Thursday from morning to the afternoon, cleaning up the park after the popular event. “It's just another day on the job,” said Randy Lee, a city recreation worker. “Every day's a cleanup day for me; today there is just more trash than usual.” Lee, who was picking up the trash left at the park Thursday morning, said he didn't mind the work because he enjoys being outside.

Dean Reeder watched as the remnants of his family's barn continued to burn Thursday morning near Boonsboro. The barn fire was one of five fires that was intentionally set late Wednesday and early Thursday in Washington County, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office. “To me, it makes no sense to just ride around here and destroy all of this property and create hardship,” Reeder said. “Nothing in my lifetime like this has ever happened around here. It's just hard to comprehend.” Jason Mowbray, deputy chief state fire marshal, said authorities were investigating whether the five overnight fires were set by the same person or people who started 14 other fires - primarily in the central and southern parts of the county - since March 17. Of those fires, the only one that was reported in the northern part of the county was in the 23100 block of Foxville Road near Smithsburg, where a Ford Escort was set ablaze on Thursday morning.

Town officials want trash dumping halted SHARPSBURG - Someone has been dumping trash in the town run, and town officials want it to stop. Resident Ernie Wetterer said he found trash in the town run near his home and Councilman Russ Weaver said he's cleaned trash out of the spring three times this summer. Town Attorney Charles Wagaman said the only way to catch the perpetrators might be to install a video camera in the area. For now, Wagaman said he will write a note about not littering for the Town Crier and bring a proposal to the Mayor and Town Council next month to make littering a municipal infraction.

SHARPSBURG - Bulk trash pickup is scheduled for Thursday, April 14, according to town officials in Sharpsburg. Residents are asked not to leave paint, tires, batteries or freon-containing equipment out with their trash. On Friday, April 15, between 8 a.m. and noon, there will be a town-wide street sweeping. From 8 a.m. to noon Friday, May 27, Main Street will be cleaned in preparation for the Memorial Day parade.

City to put an end to Friday night trash Beginning in late April, the streets of Hagerstown might look and smell cleaner heading into the weekend. "I like the idea very much of not having trash sitting out in the downtown on a Friday night," Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II said during the City Council's work session Tuesday. City Engineer Rodney Tissue asked the City Council for permission to tweak the city's trash and recycling schedule starting the week of April 23 so that there are no longer any trash pickups on Saturday.

The Wednesday afternoon accident that injured a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy is regrettable, for two reasons. The first is that two so young have experienced pain and suffering, caused because one of them tossed an aerosol can into a trash fire. The second is that in too many local jurisdictions, the "tradition" of disposing of trash by burning it is unfortunately alive and well. The Herald-Mail's archives are full of stories about trash fires that got out of hand.

A set of yellow, blue or neon green flippers occasionally appeared Sunday morning beyond the rope line bordering the swimming area at Greenbrier Lake. Then the flippers disappeared and scuba divers' heads bobbed to the surface. For at least 10 years, divers from the Tri-State area have volunteered to pick up trash in the lake at Greenbrier State Park, said David Stealey, who helps organize the annual cleanup. Stealey and his wife, Mary, own Blue Marble Divers in the South Pointe Shopping Center in Hagerstown.

All Washington County government offices will be closed on Friday in observance of America's Independence Day holiday. County parks will be open and the swimming pool at Martin L. "Marty" Snook Park in Halfway will be open from noon until 6 p.m. All locations of 40-West Landfill will be closed on Friday, but will operate on a normal schedule on Saturday. County Commuter bus service will not operate on Friday, but will be in operation on Saturday. Due to the Independence Day holiday Friday, there will be some changes in the City of Hagerstown trash collection schedule.

West Virginia schools • All Berkeley County Schools will be on a two-hour delay tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 23.  All BCS faculty and staff should report at their regular times for Faculty Senate meetings. • Morgan County Schools will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 23.  Employees are to follow Reporting Code A. • Jefferson County Schools will be operating on a two-hour delay Wednesday, Feb. 23.   Amy Roloff lecture at Shepherd Due to inclement weather, Tuesday evening's Intramurals lecture with "Little People, Big World" reality television star Amy Roloff at Shepherd University has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 11 a.m.     City of Hagerstown trash and recycling collection The large amount of snow has significantly hampered the collection of trash and recycling.