JULY 2008

Event Date

Event

Location

CITY OF HAGERSTOWN ADVISORY

SHADES:  FREE PERFORMANCE AT UNIVERSITY PLAZA

The Washington County Arts Council and the City of Hagerstown present the band Shades on Thursday, July 3, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the University Plaza, located adjacent to the University System of Maryland – Hagerstown.  This is the last of a six-week series of free concerts called Live on the Plaza.  Bring a lawn chair or blanket, but you won’t need it when you hear this band that will make you want to get up and dance!        

Shades performs a diverse range of music from Rock N’ Roll to R& B to country, spanning decades from the 1950s and 60s to today, this talented band will leave you wishing this free concert series would never end!  Enjoy free music in Downtown Hagerstown and support the arts in our community. Beverages will be available for purchase by the Washington County Arts Council.  Please call 301.791.3132 for more information.

EIDOLON NATURE PRESERVE WALK SET FOR JULY 5

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society will sponsor a guided walk of the new Eidolon Nature Preserve in Morgan County on Saturday, July 5.

The walk will begin at 10:00 a.m. and last about an hour and a half. It will be led by local naturalist Joe Gentile.

Anyone with an interest is welcome to participate.

Participants will meet at the preserve's main gate on Orleans Road and walk into the preserve from there.

Parking is available along the shoulder of Orleans road, opposite the preserve entrance.

The 354-acre Eidolon Preserve straddles the summit and both sides of Sideling Hill, about ten miles west of Berkeley Springs. The elevation at its highest point is about 1,650 feet, affording sweeping views to the east and west.

The preserve includes three walking trails, an access road that runs up to an FAA tower at the highest point on the property and an old coach road that runs down the mountain. In all, these trails and roads total about four miles.

The trails and the old coach road include steep changes in elevation and some relatively rough ground, so visitors should wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for a workout.

Insect repellent and sunscreen are recommended.

Please note that there is no drinking water at the preserve and no bathroom facilities.

The preserve was formally opened to the public last May. It was willed to the Nature Conservancy by its longtime owner, Marguerite Zapoleon. It is being co-managed by the Conservancy and the Potomac Valley Audubon Society.

To reach the preserve from downtown Berkeley Springs, take Route 9 west over Cacapon Mountain and through the village of Great Cacapon until you reach Detour Road (a total of 7.6 miles). Go right on Detour Road for 9/10s of a mile to Orleans Road. Go right on Orleans Road and follow it up Sideling Hill for 2.1 miles; the entrance to Eidolon will be on your right—a light-green metal gate flanked by two low, square stone pillars.

For more information see the PVAS website at www.potomacaudubon.org or contact Peter Smith at 304-876-1139 or pvsmith@frontiernet.net.

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is a member of the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the Combined Federal Campaign.

NATURE PHOTO WORKSHOP SET FOR CACAPON STATE PARK

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is sponsoring a special three-day nature photography workshop at Cacapon State Park the weekend of July 11-13.

The workshop, which is aimed at beginners and photographers with some experience, will be led by leading area naturalist and photographer Wil Hershberger and his wife, Donna.

Enrollment will be limited to 15 people to ensure that all who participate get close personal instruction.

A waiting list will be maintained in case of cancellations.

The cost to enroll will be $150 per person for the entire weekend.

Participants must be at least 18 years of age.

For more information or to request a registration packet contact the Potomac Valley Audubon Society by e-mail at PVASmail@aol.com or telephone at 304-676-3397. Additional information and registration forms are also available on the PVAS website at www.potomacaudubon.org.

Registration forms should be submitted with a $25 deposit to PVAS, PO Box 578, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.

The workshop will run from 6:30 pm Friday, July 11 to 12:00 noon on Sunday, July 13.

It will cover all aspects of nature photography focusing on 35mm format equipment (film and digital), and include both classroom and field sessions. Topics of discussion will include light, composition, equipment, workflow, and finding suitable images.

The workshop will be tailored for beginners who have used a camera at least a few times, but it will also be useful for more experienced photographers. While it will focus on 35 mm format equipment and techniques, point-and-shoot photographers are certainly welcome.

The Cacapon State Park, which encompasses a variety of habitats, a wide range of subject material to photograph, including wildflowers, birds, and insects.

The field sessions will be held on mostly level ground and can be tailored to an individual's needs.

All participants should bring their own cameras, along with extra lenses, tripod, and flash if they have them.

Participants are also encouraged to bring three to four images (prints, slides or digital files) that they would like to have critiqued as part of one of the classroom sessions.

Wil and Donna Hershberger, who are based in Hedgesville, operate their own firm, Nature Images and Sounds. They are both founding members of the Potomac Valley Nature Photographers.

Wil's photographs of the natural world have been published widely. Most recently, he is coauthor of "The Songs of Insects," a book and audio CD published in 2007 by Houghton-Mifflin Company.

He is currently first vice-president of the Shenandoah Photographic Society, a moderator of the flora and macro forum at NatureScapes.net, a member of the American Ornithologists Union, the Society of Field Ornithologists, the North American Nature Photographers Association, and the North American PhotoShop Professionals.

Examples of his work can be found on the Hershberger's website at www.natureimagesandsounds.com.

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society is a member of the United Way of the Eastern Panhandle and the Combined Federal Campaign.

CITY OF HAGERSTOWN ADVISORY

BILL KNODE TO SPEAK AT HAGERSTOWN RAILROAD MUSEUM

The Hagerstown Railroad Museum, located at 525 Highland Way in City Park, is pleased to welcome noted local Railroad Historian and Treasurer of the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum, Bill Knode, as he presents a free presentation Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 7:00 p.m.

            The discussion, featuring a slide show of photographs from Bill’s large personal collection, will trace the early history of the Railroad in Washington County, Maryland from the coming of the Franklin Railroad in 1841 through its impact on the Battle of Antietam, to the growth of the Western Maryland Railroad.  Mr. Knode will explain how the coming of the Railroad to this area had a significant influence on shaping the Hagerstown that we know today.

            For more information about this event or any of the other fascinating happenings at the City of Hagerstown’s historic sites, please call 301-739-8393 or email hagerhouse@hagerstownmd.org. 

CITY OF HAGERSTOWN ADVISORY

LAUNCHED INTO ETERNITY:

HAGER HOUSE PRESENTS TALES OF LOCAL CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

HAGERSTOWN, MD (JUNE 16, 2008) - Have you ever heard of the Sheriff Swearingen Scandal?  Do you know about Washington County’s “other” John Brown?  What significance does the date June 10, 1955 hold in the history of the State of Maryland?

            You are invited to find out the answers to these questions and many more interesting historical facts as the staff of the Jonathan Hager House present the free historical program, Launched into Eternity at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday July 17, 2008.

            This free evening presentation will take a unique look at the tales of some of our local and neighboring states’ more infamous criminal minds of the 18^th, 19^th and early 20^th centuries, as well as explore the sensational reporting of their capture and demise.  According to the City of Hagerstown’s Historic Sites Facilitator, John Bryan, “When we set out to research a topic for one of our historic programs at the Hager House, we try to find an aspect of local history that isn’t often talked about.  Folks probably haven’t heard the details behind crimes such as the case of the Swearingen love triangle, for example.  This lecture will also highlight the way the stories were presented in the newspapers of the day, and it’s easy to see how they are comparable to current celebrity trials which the public is captivated by.”  Jennifer Kram, Recreation Assistant for the City of Hagerstown, also notes that “Not only will you hear these little known stories, but you will also see how the photographers of the time captured these horrible events.”   (see attached photo)

            This fascinating presentation will be held in the Jonathan Hager House Museum’s lecture area located on the second floor of the Hager Museum building adjacent to the Hager House, located at 110 Key Street in Hagerstown’s beautiful City Park.

            For more information about the Launched into Eternity program or any of the City of Hagerstown’s upcoming events and programs at historic sites, please call 301-739-8393, e-mail hagerhouse@hagerstownmd.org or visit the Hager House website at www.hagerhouse.org. 

Please contact Angela Pease at Cunningham Falls State Park for additional info or to register your child.  Advance registration is required.  There will be a service charge of $10 per participant..  Call:  (301) 271-7574 or 1-877-620-8DNR