After Gwenn Leatherman and her daughter ran in the Frederick Half Marathon a couple of years ago, she wondered if a similar event could be held in Hagerstown. Not long after the Frederick race, she attended the closing retreat for Leadership Washington County, a program that...

I’m not very zen. I’m more an emotional flood than a steady current. And I’m not Buddist. To prove this point I’m going to tell you that one of the statements I live by is Teddy Rosevelt’s “speak softly and carry a big stick.” But the other, the one that...

Hagerstown leaves people spoiled for choice when it comes to delicious restaurants. One local pearl is The Crab 99, a Cajun-inspired seafood restaurant on Railway Lane. The highly rated restaurant is...

Becky Jefferies started out right here in Washington County, growing up on the southeast side of Hagerstown and attending Boonsboro High School.  “I loved my humble upbringings, but desperately wanted to get out and experience new things and learn about the world,” Jefferies says. Now, Jefferies has...

When Eloisa Banes was in seventh grade and living in Chewsville, her physical education teacher asked her to represent the school in a county track meet. It would be her first official race. “I guess she saw that I was pretty good,” says Banes. She was...

During the early 1990s 2-year-old Katie Delaportas was at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore for a 12-week hospital stay. “I had taken my son to see Santa Bud,” says says Katie’s mom, Kathy Delaportas, who was living in...

Nestled within the hum of daily office life in Hagerstown, Cacique’s cozy, fine-dining atmosphere offers a refreshing reprieve from the everyday grind. A “hidden gem” to those who aren’t familiar with its address, this vibrant restaurant stands out not only because of its unexpected location...

I am homeless. I am not houseless, but I am homeless. There’s a difference. A couple of months ago I accidentally sold my home; just sort of stumbled into a deal. I had finally come to the realization that it was time to downsize, 12 years after…

Growing up, my insular family, just my parents and I, didn’t have any standing traditions. We didn’t serve a special breakfast. We didn’t always hang lights. Some years we didn’t have a tree. What I most remember happening every Christmas is my dad having to pause the...

I stumbled across a beach bar in Croatia last summer, and I’ll never forget it. Not because it was a great bar; it wasn’t. It was a concrete slab cut into the side of a cliff 40 feet or so above the Adriatic Sea just outside the...

Nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, Old Town Winchester, Virginia, is a vibrant tapestry of history, culture, and community spirit. This charming district, with its rich flavor and welcoming atmosphere, invites visitors to explore its unique blend of the past and present. From its...

When Carolyn Perrygo began noticing changes in her husband John Perrygo, she expressed her concerns to their primary care physician who referred them to a hospital with a memory care specialty. It was there that...

The end of the calendar year is drawing near, and we know that means the holiday season is upon us. Historically, Thanksgiving and Christmas are a time to be thankful, rejoice with our families, and help...

Eating healthy has no age limit. But as we get older our nutrition needs change. Chronic illnesses like heart disease and cancer and other conditions that historically affect the older population, and natural aging processes like...

Embedded in the lyrics of “Don’t Blink” (a song recorded by country music superstar Kenny Chesney and written about an interview with a 102-year-old man on the evening news) is the line, “Trust me friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think, so...

Staying physically active is an important part of aging in a healthy way, staying independent longer, and enriching senior citizens’ lives. And Washington County has just the place for that to happen. Washington County Senior Center is on...

Exploring Civil War history on the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg or Antietam is one thing, but stepping into Wilson’s Old Country Store takes time travel to a whole new level. Established in 1847 by Rufus Hillary Wilson, this charming shop and its surrounding “village” are...

People who have performed in theatrical productions get it. There’s a bonding experience when you work together on and off stage, and it often continues years after the curtain falls on the last performance. That’s exactly what led a group of...

Shane Azar-Myers opened UV Bronze Tanning in Waynesboro in 2012 to provide the area with affordable tanning. Before stepping out on his own, he had worked in the business for several years, learning the intricacies of operating a salon. So, he knew what it would take to be successful. Since then, he’s continued to...

Shortly after Martin Nikirk moved into his home on Chestnut Street in 2003 he received a 16-inch potted yellow pine tree as a housewarming gift from one of his parents. He planted the tree in his backyard and...