My wife and I have always tried to raise our daughters (one now seventeen and one fourteen) to be strong, independent women – critical thinkers who don’t just believe what they are told, but who are eager to dive into a subject, whatever it is, research the facts, and develop their own opinions. It is with this mindset that I was approached by my eldest a few weeks ago with the question – “can we go to the ‘March For…
As we move past the St. Patrick’s Day holiday (which I’m sure was a boon to many a pub and tavern this year since it fell on a Saturday), I’d like to take a moment to talk about beer. Not just any beer, mind you, but a drink that is so much more than just the sum of its ingredients. I’m talking, of course, about Guinness. Dark, rich, and hearty, it’s the beverage that literally fuels Ireland. I’ve been lucky…
Spring is in the air. The March winds will soon give way to April showers. The nights will grow warmer, the birds will fill the trees with their morning songs, and the local area will once again come alive with the colors of the season. That means that it is also the time of year to start thinking about planting a garden. It doesn’t have to be much. A few windowsill containers can qualify, just the same as a half-acre…
I’ve written previously about how hard it is for a small-town, rural school to compete in athletics and other extra-curricular activities against larger, more populous institutions – where there is a larger pool of talent to choose from and use each and every year (click here to link to that article). But every now and then, lightning strikes – even in a small school. The town where I live (Clear Spring, MD) is a tiny hamlet (only 350 residents, according…
Well, we barely made it past Valentine’s Day (whose candies and trinkets appeared on shelves around December 26th) and if you’ve been out and about at any store, you’ll know that Easter must be right around the corner (FYI – this year Easter happens to coincide with April Fool’s Day [4/1/18], so don’t mix-and-match your holidays). Shelves at local grocery stores and retail locations are loaded with chocolate bunnies, chicks, colorful eggs, and bags full of various shades of plastic…
I talk often in this blog about the difficulties that local restaurants have in staying open in the four-state area. Truth be told, the restaurant business is one of the toughest out there – no matter what the address, and most people just don’t realize what it takes to not only make a great restaurant, but what it requires day in and day out for it to remain successful. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard people…
As I have spoken about in previous posts, Hagerstown is a tough restaurant market. Restauranteurs and corporations look at the I-70/I-81 interchange, run the numbers, and seem to come away with the impression that their concept just “can’t miss” in this area. If it were only that simple. Here in the dining trenches; however, it’s a different story. If you are from anywhere in the four-state area, then you probably already know that locals want food they are familiar with,…
February 14th is fast approaching. That’s right, boys and girls – Valentine’s Day. Even though we know it today as a holiday created to celebrate love, originally it never had anything to do with hearts, chocolate, or red roses. It was an observance named after Saint Valentine, a Roman priest who was killed in 269 A.D. Originally, the day was noted more for martyrdom and death in the early Christian church rather than life and love[1]. In fact, there were…
This past Wednesday, Wal-Mart #2790 opened its doors just off of the Sharpsburg Pike in southeastern Hagerstown. Now, if you know anything about Western Maryland, Hagerstown, or our other esteemed Wal-Mart location – the infamous Supercenter #1674 just off Garland Groh Boulevard in Hagerstown’s glorious west end (for those of you unfamiliar with that retail nirvana – read my previous article here), then I know that this news may bring up a few questions in your inquiring minds. Fear not,…
Well, I suppose time takes its toll on all businesses, but I have to say that I was sad to see a local eatery icon, the Barbara Fritchie Restaurant – just outside of Frederick, Md – permanently shut its doors as of the first of this year. The restaurant had been serving customers in some form or fashion (and at various addresses) since 1910, and its familiar candy-cane sign was well known at its Route 40 location, just west of…