Vacation

Jenny Roland of Greencastle, Pa., and Judy Funk of Waynesboro, Pa., took The Herald-Mail on vacation to Niagara Falls, Canada.

Chuck Mease's fishing trip went wrong. So, so wrong. But it makes a good story. The rugged terrain on the way to a Canadian fishing spot ripped off the exhaust shields and twisted the running board brackets on his brother's van. And it got worse. But once he reached his destination in rural Quebec, Canada, the Mercersburg, Pa., resident did catch a lot of fish. Still, Mease's adventure was such a misadventure, it got the Lifestyle staff talking about our own vacation woes and wanting to hear about yours.

Click here to view today's vacation photos.

To celebrate high school graduation, Asya Brown recently vacationed in Europe. Shown at the Leaning Tower of Pisa are Asya, her great-aunt Bonnie Forsyth, uncle Rob Keefer and friend Christina Chapman. Their trip began in London, England, and included stops in Italy, Spain, France and Croatia. To view other vacation photos, click here .

From left, Ryan Barton, Sarah Pittinger and Scott Pittinger took The Herald-Mail with them while vacationing in North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Ryan is the son of Mark and Christy Barton and Sarah and Scott are the children of Greg and Kim Pittinger.

LAKEWOOD, N.J. Matthew Maloney allowed four hits and struck out 10 in 6 2/3 innings, and Lakewood held Hagerstown to just five hits in a 3-0 shutout victory Saturday. Maloney improved to 3-2 and lowered his ERA to 1.77. Hector Pellot and Jonathan Sanchez each had two hits for the Suns (12-15). Lakewood (12-15) scored twice in the second inning off Suns starter Deolis Guerra. Jeremy Slayden led off with a double and Sean Gamble singled before back-to-back walks forced in a run. Avelino Asprilla's groundout drove in another.

Lois Gilbert of Hagerstown is the $100 winner in this summer's "Take The Daily Mail on Vacation With You" contest. The Daily Mail asked its readers to be original this year when they took the paper on vacation. This group, above, decided to wear the paper, especially the gentleman in the center of the photo. We wondered if he had to have his suit "pressed" before he put it on. To the entire group, we say "hats off" to you. They are members of the Amateur Sports Development Cultural Exchange group who played tennis at clubs in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden, in July.

Short takes before vacation ... short takes after vacation. It's not that I've been short of time, just short of any long-term news analysis. The trade deadline is yet another reason why I've grown to love baseball again. Deadline deals in football, basketball and hockey just don't measure up. The football deadline is too early in the season and football trades rarely happen anyway. Too many teams make the playoffs in basketball and hockey for the last-minute trades to have the impact that they can in baseball.

Never underestimate the power of a mother's love. After nearly two years of trying to find her missing son who was allegedly kidnapped by his father while on a vacation in Eqypt, Kalliopi “Kalli” Atteya took matters into her own hands. The Fayetteville, Pa., woman executed a daring rescue of her son, Khalil Mohamed “Niko” Atteya, at the school in Egypt where his father was taking him, according to Kalliopi Atteya's sister Olga Panagos-Kriska. For several months, she disguised herself in a hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women in Egypt, Panagos-Kriska said.

Bob and Kathy Walters of Greencastle, Pa., plan to celebrate Valentine's Day by traveling to Hawaii. They also will be celebrating their one-year anniversary, and Kathy Walters, 62, described the trip, which will begin Friday, as “romantic” and a chance for them to show their love for each other. “We got married out there so it's a special place for us,” she said. The couple, who got married on Feb. 21, 2012, is heading for Kona, Hawaii, which Bob Walters, 67, said is “as close to paradise as you could get.” Not everyone is setting out for exotic places, but couples across the Tri-State area have a variety of plans for celebrating Valentine's Day, ranging from vacations to dinner and flowers.

A circuit judge and two former state senators were nominated Friday by Democratic Party leaders as candidates to replace former West Virginia State Sen. Walt Helmick, who resigned Monday to be sworn in as the state's next Commissioner of Agriculture. Nominated by the 15th District Senate Democratic Executive Committee were 22nd Judicial Circuit Judge Donald H. Cookman of Hampshire County and former State Sens. Thomas J. Hawse III of Hardy County and Mike Ross of Upshur County.  The committee met Friday in Romney, W.Va.

A Washington County Circuit Court judge on Friday denied former Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II's motion to vacate a confessed judgment on a loan he co-signed in 2008. Bruchey said he co-signed a $60,000 loan from Biltrite Homes Corp. with Michael Griffith, who later declared bankruptcy. Judge Daniel P. Dwyer denied the motion during a hearing Friday. “No good deed goes unpunished,” the judge said, echoing a comment made earlier in the hearing by Edward Kuczynski, the attorney for Vincent Groh, president of Biltrite Homes.

A stout Clear Spring defense - aided by a Smithsburg team insistent upon shooting itself in the foot - needed just one more stop to walk away with a victory Friday night. But the Leopards managed to limp to a 7-6 win on Dalton Condo's 1-yard touchdown run with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter. With just more than four minutes left, Clear Spring (3-5) had possession on its own 5-yard line. After picking up a first down, three straight rushing plays and a penalty put the ball on the 7. Austin Ryan fielded the ensuing punt on the Blazers' 39 and sprinted down the left sideline before being pushed out of bounds at the Clear Spring 7. A Smithsburg penalty moved the ball back to the 12 before Condo hauled in a 7-yard pass from Zachary Krall.

After he was court ordered to repay an $80,000 debt in mid-August, Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II filed a motion to vacate the confessed judgment against him and has been granted a hearing in December for his lawsuit with a local businessman, property owner and landlord, according to Washington County Circuit Court documents. Bruchey's motion, signed and filed Sept. 20 on his own behalf, states that the affidavit for the confessed judgment that was signed by plaintiff Vincent R. Groh, president of Biltrite Homes Corp., is “neither dated nor acknowledged.” Bruchey claims the confessed judgment affidavit gives no explanation of the history of payments or tally of late fees on the loan to determine if the amount owed is correct, and with incomplete figures, it makes the claim of 15 percent in attorney's fees indeterminate as well, court documents show.

Greater Campher Temple, 125 Bethel St., will host vacation Bible school  from Monday, Aug. 13 through Friday, Aug. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m., with a different meal served each night before the start of the program.  The discipleship camp will teach participants how to become a follower and not a fan, in addition to the opportunity to learn, share, explore and have fun.  While it is open to those ages 3 to young adults, adults can also take part...