Women

Eleven women from the Boonsboro area completed the Children's Village 5-K race on June 23. The women undertook the challenge as a group in January, and after six months of preparation and fellowship, completed the race together. Each of the women met their personal goal, which was to finish the race. Those who completed the race were Susan Layos, Laurie Metz, Kristy Smith, Melissa Slifer, Brenda Dellinger, Alisa Friend, Karen Cunningham, Stacey Haupt, Lauri Neubauer, Paula Ford and Jane Henry.

The Williamsport Girls and Women in Sports Committee announced that Chelsea Myers is the winner of its annual $500 scholarship.  The group awards a scholarship each year to a female Williamsport High School athlete who is attending college.  Chelsea played soccer and basketball, and participated on the unified sports team at Williamsport High.  This fall, she will attend Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, W.Va.

On Saturday, Jan. 12, a women's event titled “Eat Sleep Run Grow ... Redefining Ourselves as Women,” will be held at the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology at Wilson College in Chambersburg. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be followed by a Chi Walking/Running workshop.  There will be three keynote speakers, educational exhibits, exercise demonstrations, refreshments and local vendors. Lunch will be provided. To register, call Brenda Miller at 717-552-9771 or go to www.EatSleepRunGrow.com.

The Freedom Valley Chorus, a local chapter of Sweet Adelines, International, invites all women to guest nights, "United in Song and Spirit" from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays, June 18 and 25, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 750 Norland Ave., Chambersburg. Women of all ages who enjoy singing are invited to attend either or both Monday evenings.  Guests will receive free singing lessons and learn a song or two, alongside the members of Freedom Valley Chorus. The group of 25 women sings a capella four-part harmony at performances throughout the community.  The opportunity to participate in regional barbershop singing competitions is available each year.

Girl Scouts is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Women of Distinction.  This honor recognizes women from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia (Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties) whose outstanding work distinguishes them as excellent leaders and role models for girls. Nomination applications can be found on our website www .gscnc.org or by calling the Girl Scout office at 304-263-8833. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, May 11. Completed nominations can be mailed to the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital, 153 McMillan Court, Martinsburg, West Virginia 25404-6316; faxed: 304-263-8836; or emailed: wod@gscnc.org .

For more than four years, the mother of three young children has lived in constant fear when the next brutal beating would come at the hands of her abuser. “It was bad from the beginning. It started when I was pregnant with our first child,” said the woman in her late 20s, who is not being identified to help protect her safety. “I just stayed, hoping and thinking things would get better, but things didn't get better.” For now, she's safe at a Women in Need shelter in Franklin County.

The University of Maryland and Delaware Cooperative Extension will conduct Annie's Project during the winter of 2012 at sites in Maryland and Delaware. Annie's Project focuses on farm management and is designed to empower women in overall farm decision making and to build local networks throughout the state. The target audience is farm women with a passion for business and agriculture. Topics for the sessions cover the five areas of risk management. The course is open to anyone interested in farm-management practices.

As always, my vote is up for grabs and I'm going to give it to the first party that stops treating women as if they are a race of Martians who just arrived on Planet Earth armed with ray guns and voter ID cards. My stars, if I hear one more reference to Michelle Obama or Ann Romney as their tickets' “secret weapon,” I'm putting a concrete Venus De Milo statue through my television set. Secret weapon? You mean like mustard gas or Tim Tebow? I follow the presidential race as little as possible, but I was still aware that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney each came equipped with a wife.

Rose Wolters, center, president of the Washington County Commission on Women, is shown with the winners of this year's essay contest. From left are, winners Seth Brewer and Shane Burkett, Wolters, and winners Lindsey Mills and Meredith Sumner. The students were asked to write about a woman they admire - someone in the healing arts. The winners' choices included Nancy Alcorn, Elizabeth Blackwell and Clara Barton.

America has never had a Cleopatra or a Catherine, great or otherwise. Men have been its leaders. But making a difference in the world around you doesn't necessarily mean holding a position of power, said a panel of Washington County residents with a history of public service. It's about women having a seat at the table. First, however, you have to "Get Your Foot in the Door," they said, which was the topic of a forum held Saturday morning at Hagerstown Community College.

A “celebrate women”  event was held May 5 at the Women's Club in Hagerstown. The event was sponsored by the Miss Washington County/Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Foundation Inc.'s board of directors. Princesses and titleholders of the organization invited their mothers, grandmothers and special women in their lives. Also attending were girls from Blossom School of Etiquette and their director.  Mary Teal Mulligan, Miss Washington County 2012, was the mistress of ceremonies.  Tap dancers from Ballet and All That Jazz entertained, as well as the current titleholders.

Two Waynesboro women were killed early Sunday when their vehicle hit a guardrail on Interstate 81 north of Harrisburg, Pa. Molly K. Kever, 20, and Sara J. Ballard, 21, died after a 1996 Dodge Neon driven by Kever entered a grass median off a curve, slid through the grass and back onto the southbound section of the road, and hit a guardrail at about 1:20 a.m. near Bow Creek Road in Dauphin County, Pa., Pennsylvania State Police said in a news release....

An interim final rule published in the Federal Register and effective immediately will amend regulations to the U.S. Small Business Administration's Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, allowing for greater access to federal contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 signed in January. The interim final rule removes the anticipated award price of the contract thresholds for women-owned small businesses, or WOSB, and economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses, or EDWOSB, to allow them greater access to federal contracting opportunities without limitations to the size of the contract.   The rule can be accessed at www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-05-07/html/2013-10841.htm , and comments can be submitted on or before June 6 at www.regulations.gov , identified by the code RIN 3245-AG55.

The inaugural award of the Women's Club of Hagerstown Foundation Scholarship was made during the club's annual meeting May 9 at the club on South Prospect Street. The recipient, Delrose Jackson of Hagerstown, is studying graphic design at Hagerstown Community College, and hopes to complete her education and continue to be a productive member of the community. The $500 scholarship was created to provide tuition assistance to women having experienced a life-altering event who seek to further their education and broaden their career skills.  The Community Foundation of Washington County administers thescholarship fund.

Sunday, May 6, 2013   COLLEGE SOFTBALL WYE MILLS, Md. - Hagerstown Community College went 3-2 in the Region XX Tournament at Chesapeake Community College. HCC, closing the year out at 23-16, lost to Chesapeake on Sunday, 11-10, in the losers' bracket finals. Chesapeake rallied to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh to knock out the Hawks, taking advantage of two errors and a game-ending walk. Kayla Ewing had four hits with three RBIs, Jenna Crunkleton had three hits and Morgan Purdham had two hits and three RBIs.

A shelter for domestic abuse and sexual assault victims in Washington County run by Citizens Assisting and Sheltering the Abused, or CASA, has temporarily closed as the result of a bedbug infestation. Five women and seven children were affected by the closure, said Vicki Sadehvandi, executive director of CASA. She said they either moved in with friends or families, or found permanent housing. “It affected the safety and security of the shelter ... the whole shelter had to be shut down,” Sadehvandi said.

The Shepherd University Foundation officially launched its new initiative, Women for Shepherd University, on April 13 with a Women and Wellness workshop held at Shepherd's Wellness Center. The event was the first of a series of women-centered programs offering opportunities to learn about life issues facing women today. Women for Shepherd University plans to hold at least two events per year with a focus on matters pertaining to health, finance, technology and life change. The Women and Wellness workshop offered attendees the choice of three 40-minute sessions along five tracks.

The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital is accepting nominations from individuals, community leaders, business owners and the government sector for the 2013 Women of Distinction. This honor recognizes women from the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia whose outstanding work distinguishes them as excellent leaders and role models for girls. The honorees will be recognized at a luncheon Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the Holiday Inn in Martinsburg. Nomination applications can be found at www.gscnc.org or by calling the Girl Scout office at 304-263-8833.

Women volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Washington County during the sixth annual National Women Build Week can get a head start on learning  construction skills and tips.  Lowe's at Shank Farm Way will host a free “how-to” clinic for women in preparation of National Women Build Week, an initiative of Habitat's Women Build program developed in partnership with Lowe's. Habitat's Women Build program empowers women to get involved with Habitat's mission to help families in need of affordable housing.  The clinic will take place at Lowe's across from Longmeadow Shopping Center on Monday at noon.    The clinic, called How to Finish Interior with Paint and Trim is free and women can sign up to attend by contacting Program Director Jessica Scott at Habitat for Humanity of Washington County at 301-791-9009.

Local author Mary Rubin of Hagerstown had two bags full of books and had her mom fill up two more bags so she could take home as many books as possible from the American Association of University Women book sale Thursday. “I like history, travel, biography, mystery,” Rubin, 45, said. “I really go through all the tables.” She said she was looking to add to her 6,000-book collection. Her mom, Kay, 84, said that they have been going to the sale for more than 25 years.