Water

A boil water advisory for the Town of Myersville has been lifted, Town Manager Kristin Aleshire announced Thursday afternoon. The town and the Maryland Department of the Environment announced the precautionary boil water advisory Tuesday to customers in the areas of Main Street north of Cedar Street, Meadow Ridge, Canada Hill and Deer Woods, according to a town news release. The advisory was issued while repairs were made to a broken water main, and was to remain in effect until water service was fully restored and water quality tests verified the safety of the water supply, the release said.

Smithsburg High School's Charlie Wisz (756) leads a pack of runners trying to navigate the wet and sloppy course Thursday during the Maryland Class 1A West cross country championships at Clear Spring High School.

Leonard Young, of Thomas, Bennett & Hunter Inc., cleans up Thursday after making a concrete delivery for the construction of a play system at Emma K. Doub Elementary School.

State public health officials have issued a boil-water advisory for all of West Virginia. Environmental Health Services Director Barbara Taylor said statewide power outages related to the Friday night storm have put many water supplies at risk, and the advisory will remain in effect until further notice. She said the warning applies to any area that had low water pressure, cloudy water or a loss of water service. The advisory means that consumers should bring their drinking water to a full rolling boil for at least one minute before drinking it, cooking with it, or bathing and brushing teeth.

Crews from the City of Hagerstown and Washington County worked together Friday morning to mitigate an unexpected icy situation on Western Maryland Parkway between U.S. 40 and Md. 144. City Utility Director Mike Spiker said a contractor was working on the Hellane water tank, near the west-end reservoir, when water released through the drainage system pooled on the northbound lane of Western Maryland Parkway (Md. 910). Below freezing temperatures caused ice to form on the road, said Edwin Plan, director of the Washington County Highway Department.

At any given time, I generally have a couple of one-liter soda bottles in my refrigerator filled with tap water. I'm thinking of putting them on eBay. I might never have considered that they had any value outside of Death Valley, had I not read a lengthy story in the Washington Post this week about water that sells for up to $40 a bottle - despite the contention of experts who were quoted as saying that the main difference between bottled water and tap water is the marketing.

· Turn water off immediately after washing hands · Turn water off while brushing teeth · Run washing machines and dishwashers at full capacity · Water outdoors in early morning or evening hours · Limit recreational use of hose/sprinklers · Utilize water out of dehumidifiers to water plants · Put bricks or stones in toilets so less water is used during flushing · Install low-flow...

The remains of Monday's winter storm were still apparent Tuesday on this snow-covered bridge that crosses Antietam Creek off Frederick Road near Funkstown.

Q: I have been thinking about putting in a rain garden. Do you have any advice? A: A rain garden is similar to other perennial flowerbeds that you might build - it just holds water longer. Rather than building a raised flowerbed by adding organic matter to get better drainage, a rain garden is a flowerbed built slightly lower so that water accumulates. Rain gardens provide several benefits to your landscape. They trap water that will slowly soak into the soil and not run off. This water helps your landscape because more water is available for a longer time deeper underground.

Hagerstown Community College's Center for Continuing Education is offering a new class this month that gives students the opportunity to experience yoga in the water. Yog-Wa, taught by Anita Binder at Village at Robinwood, enhances flexibility, strength, balance, breathing and body awareness in a warm-water indoor pool. Students will be taught a blend of traditional postures, including Warrior, Eagle and Cobra. Two sessions will be held - one on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for eight weeks beginning Jan. 18, and one on Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for eight weeks, beginning Jan. 15. For registration information, call 301-790-2800, ext. 236.

It was Good Friday in 1975. The Vietnam War was coming to an end, and I was going to school at Mount Saint Mary's college in Emmittsburg during the day while working as a correction officer at the Maryland Correctional Institution at night. It was on this very day, March 25, 1975, that Sheila (age 12) and Katherine Lyon (age 10) were on spring break from school in Montgomery County. Sometime between 11 a.m. and noon, the sisters left home to walk down Plyers Mill Road for the half-mile stroll to the nearby Mall in Wheaton, Md., to see the Easter exhibits.

On May 4 and 5, Erika Escalante, Rachel Hebb and Kate Whaley, members of Girl Scout Troop 40790, visited Lincoln Caverns in Huntingdon, Pa., and participated in a two-day workshop to earn their WOW! (Wonders of Water) Journey award. The girls learned how important it is to conserve water and maintain a clean water system for the future. They made a pledge to do their part to reduce their use of disposable cups and reduce the amount of trash that ends up in creeks and streams and made posters to spread the word.

Jimmy Dean shared his life story in his autobiography “Thirty Years of Sausage, Fifty Years of Ham.” Born in 1928 in the midst of the great depression, Dean would soon be introduced to the many hardships of life in a little Texas town called simply Plainview. During his youth he wore bib overalls, sugar sack shirts made by his mom, and as he shares his humble story he wrote of an early thought: “And I dreamed of indoor plumbing and eating a bologna sandwich anytime I wanted.”  After his dad deserted the family, his mother Ruth assumed the role of single parent.

Gov. Martin O'Malley wants to be president; Lt. Gov. Brown wants to be governor; and Tavon White, an accused murderer and alleged member of the Black Guerilla family in Baltimore City, wants to be in charge of the Baltimore City Detention Center. Some strange career goals for the characters in this play. Leadership is one of those peculiar words often mentioned in a writer's column when something goes amiss. Everyone knows a little something about leadership, and often some leaders believe themselves to be great until the day arrives when everything seems to implode under their command.

Funkstown residents are not expected to see property tax rate increases in the coming fiscal year but a proposed budget for the period includes passing along a 6.5 percent water rate increase to town residents, town officials said Monday. Funkstown Mayor Paul N. Crampton Jr. and council members met in a workshop meeting at town hall Monday night to review the proposed budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Last year, council members passed a 10 percent water rate increase. The 10 percent water rate increase was intended to cover a 6.5 percent increase the City of Hagerstown is imposing on Funkstown as part of a five-year plan to raise wholesale water rates to towns as Hagerstown looks to cover general inflation, operating costs and several major projects for its water system.

Both southbound lanes of Interstate 81 reopened as of 9:30 p.m. following a single-vehicle rollover crash near Falling Waters, according to a Berkeley County 911 dispatcher. The accident occurred at about 7:25 p.m., and both southbound lanes were shut down at about 7:40 p.m., the dispatcher said. One person was flown to Winchester (Va.) Medical Center, the dispatcher said. West Virginia State Police are investigating the crash.

You can lose a job for many different reasons. Maybe it's because of job performance, decision-making, office politics or economic conditions. Or even a multitude of other factors. Regardless of the reason, losing a job can be a very stressful situation for a person desiring to get out of bed and contribute to his own livelihood. A few weeks ago, I went to work and - due to budgetary shortfalls with our federal government - witnessed the permanent layoff of 98 people at our government work site.  During my last nine years of employment there, I had the opportunity to come to know many of these people.

The Maryland State Highway Administration hosted a meeting to get feedback from Chewsville residents on a proposed paving and sidewalk improvement project Thursday, but some people suggested that the SHA first fix the town's drainage problem. The meeting was prompted by the SHA's plan to pave Twin Springs Drive, Md. 804B/Md. 62, and Track Side Road, in addition to making sidewalks along Twin Springs Drive comply with current Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility standards.

Mr. Harold Nichols, a gentleman from Mercersburg, Pa., took exception to my column, “No Political Apathy in Ohio, Baltimore or D.C.” He has the impression that I was a Mitt Romney supporter, and suggested that I should “get over the election results” and the appearance of sour grapes. Actually, I'm not a fan of most politicians. Trying to defend some of them at times is like plugging 100 holes in the Hoover Dam with my eight fingers and two thumbs.  I didn't really believe that Romney or President Obama possessed sufficient wisdom to lead our country.

Berkeley County Councilman Jim Whitacre asked fellow council members Thursday to endorse a letter to state highway officials requesting additional study of traffic conditions in the area of U.S. 11 and Grade Road in the Marlowe-Falling Waters, W.Va., area. There were no objections to Whitacre's request, which came after area residents voiced concerns about the need for a traffic signal at the intersection at Monday's county planning commission meeting about the impact of a proposed 170-lot residential development off Grade Road.