Waynesboro After Dark, Waynesboro’s own historic Ghost Walk venture, features the history and haunts of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania.

Long ago, Waynesboro established itself as a rich and thriving industrial town. Along the way it collected reams of fascinating stories to tell. Named for General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, Waynesboro was erected above a mysterious cavern complex. Its environs witnessed brutal Indian raids and violent Civil War battles. It even hosted Robert E Lee's army on its way to and from Gettysburg. After the war, its entrepreneurs changed the face of American industry and agriculture. Moreover, its spirits remain restless. Waynesboro After Dark returns this year with new stories and new storytellers, John Shindledecker and Christopher Auger. Participants have hailed the tours “informative and entertaining.”

After last year’s successful debut we are extending our season as follows. Tours of Waynesboro begin Friday July 10th and continue every Friday and Saturday through November 14th, 2009. Through the steamy months of July and the frigid month of November we will present only one tour per location, however, during September and October we will offer two tours. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $6 for children. Tour times are at 8:30 pm during the months of July and August and at 6:30 pm during November. Two tours will be offered at 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm during September and October. Tours are between 3/4 of a mile and a mile. Each lasts approximately 90 minutes. To make reservations, please call 717-788-4550 or e-mail us at WaynesboroAfterDark @gmail.com.

WAYNESBORO — Ben Franklin, in the guise of Robert Harrison, will present a program at the Oller House, the headquarters of the Waynesboro Historical Society, at 2 p.m. Sunday, June. 28.

Visitors to the free event will hear Franklin discuss “The Frontier and Freedom,” followed by a question-and-answer period. His appearance will be followed by tours of the Oller House and an old-fashioned ice cream social featuring lemonade, ice cream and cookies.

There is no charge for the “Afternoon with Ben Franklin,” which will be held in the back yard of the Victorian-era Oller House at 138 W. Main St., although donations will be welcome. The ice cream social will feature Antietam Dairy ice cream underwritten by Don Shilling of Key Insurance Group LLC and James Shoes.

Harrison, whose appearance is sponsored by the Franklin County Visitors Bureau, is one of a trio of Benjamin Franklins who are out and about in the county this year to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the passage of legislation establishing Franklin County on Sept. 9, 1784.

The “three Bens” are serving as ambassadors of the celebration and of Franklin County’s rich heritage. Franklin County was named for the well-known patriot and Renaissance man.

Harrison, who lives in Chambersburg, has a zest for American history, as well as the history of Franklin County.

It is rare to find anyone over the age of 5 who doesn't know who Ben Franklin is.

Some recognize him as important because his likeness resides on the $100 bill. Others can't think of Franklin without a kite, key and bolt of lightning. Still others remember him as the inventor of bifocals and the Franklin stove, the organizer of the first public library and community fire department.

Still others remember him as a ladies' man, a Freemason, an abolitionist, a scientist, the publisher of Poor Richard's Almanack and even as Silence Dogood.

The best informed realize that, although he was never president, he was a signer of all four documents key to the formation of America: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, the Treaty of Alliance with France and the U.S. Constitution.

The other two Ben Franklin re-enactors in the county this year are Michael Levick and Richard Fox.

For more information about the June 28 event, call Helen Shelley, program chairman of the historical society, at (717) 765-0191.

Like a “shot heard around the world,” You Say Tomatoes by Bernard Slade, author of the Broadway smash Same Time, Next Year, opens at the Totem Pole Playhouse on June 16.

Playhouse favorite Paris Peet and newcomer Caren Anton star in this hilarious romantic comedy about Giles St. James, a recluse British mystery writer and Libby Daniels, a punchy New York film producer. Giles' traditional British way of life is upended when Libby discovers his hidden home, aspiring to televise the mystery novels he wrote under a pen name.

“What I love about this play, apart from the wonderful humor, is that the love story takes place between two folks who are not 20 some things-but more mature folks at a different point in their lives,” says Artistic Director, Ray Ficca.

Long time friend of Ficca’s and former Producing Artistic Director, Carl Schurr, was recruited to direct the comedy. “Bernard Slade has given new meaning to the expression: 'Opposites attract' and not only do they attract in You Say Tomatoes, they explode into a light-hearted and joyous evening of theatre,” says Schurr.

Wil Love, Totem Pole's legendary funny man, and Jenna Sokolowski round out the cast of this sidesplitting war of words. You Say Tomatoes is sponsored by The Orchards Restaurant, Chambersburg.

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When Totem Pole Playhouse opened its 59th summer season on May 30th, it was a case of the more things change, the more things stay the same. Ray Ficca takes over as the Playhouse’s fourth Artistic Director, but he’s by no means a new face, having been a company member for the previous five seasons.

Cotton Patch Gospel is based on Clarence Jordan’s book The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John: Including the Gospel of Matthew. Tom Key & Russell Treyz conspired to turn the book into a musical. Cotton Patch Gospel is sponsored by Rotz & Stonesifer, CPA and Walker, Connor & Johnson, LLC.

Ficca will be onstage with some familiar and some new faces. Joining him will be Sean Fri, a veteran of many Totem Pole productions over the last 19 years, as well as Katrina Yaukey, who literally grew up on the Playhouse stage, appearing in A Christmas Carol and Incorruptible before finding success on Broadway and international tours.

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Summer is approaching and Totem Pole Playhouse is back with a full roster of activities. Fun Fest opens each season on Memorial Day Saturday. Sponsoring Fun Fest this year is the Rotary Club of Chambersburg Foundation.

Bring the whole family to the annual Fun Fest, free for children and adults, on Saturday, May 23 from 10 am to 3 pm rain or shine. Or, come as early as 8 am for our yard sale in the area.
Items come from the Totem Pole Attic and beyond. Follow the signs at the traffic signal, at the intersection of US Route 30 and PA 233 South, midway between Gettysburg and Chambersburg in Caledonia State Park.

Among the scheduled events are backstage tours hosted by Mister Ed of Mister Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Outlet fame, including rehearsals for our May 30th opening night performance of Cotton Patch Gospel, children’s story theatre led by Jenny Smith, Property Master of Totem Pole. The children will perform on stage at 11 am & 2 pm.

Displays & demonstrations of costuming, set design and the art of stage make-up include face painting. New this year, Dave Bowers & Miss Penelope of Chambersburg Magic Club will perform a Magic Shows at noon. Children’s theatre crafts will be available all day under the children’s tent on the east lawn. Kids can even build their own small tee pee and totem pole. Paris Peet returns to demonstrate the art of stage combat

The Shippensburg Blaskapelle German Band will play from 10 AM to 1 PM on the west lawn. This music will set your toes a tapping and your hands clapping. You might even want to sing along. The music is in the traditional folk music presented at German festivals.
All day long there will be an All-American Picnic with burgers and hotdogs right off the grill. We will also have Award-winning chili, pork barbeque sandwiches, chicken corn soup and more. A bake sale tent holds delicious baked goods donated by friends of the theatre. Come early for the best selection because they go fast.

New this year, Dave Bowers & Miss Penelope of Chambersburg Magic Club will perform a Magic Show at noon. Also new will be Sneak Previews of several of the 2009 shows at 10:30 am & 1:30 pm. Stage lighting & sound demonstrations will take place in the theatre at 10:00 am & 1:00 pm. Hip Hop the Clown of Harrisburg will entertain children in the morning. John Brink of Chambersburg will entertain folks at 11:30 am & 12:30 pm.

There Mark your calendars! You don’t want to miss the excitement at Totem Pole Playhouse on Saturday, May 23rd. See you there! For more information call 888-805-7056

In celebration of Older American’s Month, Quincy Village is inviting the public to come and visit us and our wonderful older Americans during the week of May 25-29. On Monday, come see the beautiful display of American flags honoring our veterans. Many people who lived through World War II reside at Quincy Village. Tuesday through Thursday we have lots of activities happening here for all family members to attend with their loved ones. From hymn sings to luncheons we want to celebrate these wonderful people who have done so much for their country and who have asked so little in return.

Schedule of Events:
Monday, May 25th – “Remembering Those Who Have Served” – Flags are placed throughout Quincy Village in honor of Memorial Day. (Flags will also be out on Saturday, May 23rd and Sunday, May 24th)
Tuesday, May 26th – 12 Noon, Red Hat Luncheon – All daughters and granddaughters of Colestock Health Center residents are invited to join us for lunch - $6/person. Please make reservations by Wednesday, May 20th. 7:00 PM Waynecastle Mennonite Youth Hymn Sing in the Bryson Room of the Colestock Health Center.
Wednesday, May 27th – 12:30 PM ROMEOS Ball Park Luncheon – All sons and grandsons of Colestock Health Center residents are invited to join us for lunch - $6/person. Please make reservations by Wednesday, May 20th. Representative Todd Rock will be in attendance.
For the entire month of May we will be sponsoring a canned food drive which will be donated to our local organizations. Please bring in canned goods to the receptionist at either Minnich Manor or Colestock Health Center between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM.

For more information or to make reservations, please contact the Colestock Health Center’s Director of Activities, Margaret Thompson at 749-2316 or the Activities Coordinator, Bonnie Benshoff at 749-2305.


Quincy Village, a continuing care retirement community located in Quincy, Pennsylvania offers independent and assisted living as well as skilled nursing care and rehabilitation. We live on a picturesque hilltop of 360 acres overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains and valleys of apple and peach orchards. We are conveniently located near interstates 81 and 70 with easy access to Waynesboro, Chambersburg and Hagerstown and 60-90 minutes from Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

A well-known local historian and genealogist will be the guest speaker at the Waynesboro Historical Society's annual meeting on Thursday, May 7.

Ruth Gembe will discuss "Main Street: Yesterday and Today" at the dinner meeting in the Waynesboro Country Club, taking the audience on a nostalgic trip down Waynesboro's main thoroughfare. The meal will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by Gembe's talk at approximately 7:30.

Gembe, a native of Waynesboro, is chairman of the society's genealogical committee, which has researched and compiled the extensive records on local families that are housed in the Oller House, the society's headquarters.

While working at the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Free Library, she was actively involved in the library's Pennsylvania Room, which houses a large collection of information about local, county and state history. She worked with the late Bob Ringer and Carl Besore as they researched information for their "Remember When" series, which appeared regularly in The Record Herald.

Tickets for the dinner cost $30 apiece, and reservations must be made no later than May 1.

To make reservations, call the Oller House at 762-1747, and leave your name, telephone number and number of people planning to attend. Those who plan to attend the dinner also may send a check payable to the Waynesboro Historical Society to the Oller House at 138 W. Main St., Waynesboro, Pa. 17268.

The menu will include house salad, blue cheese stuffed chicken breast, oven-roasted red bliss potatoes, whole green beans, rolls and butter, iced tea, coffee and strawberry mousse. The vegetarian entree will be Grilled Vegetables Napoleon.

Those who wish to attend the 7:30 program only may do so at no charge.

For more information, call Helen Shelley, program chairman, at 765-0191.

Hundreds of cyclists and spectators are expected to gather at Fort Ritchie in Cascade, MD on Saturday, May 9th for the 2nd annual Fort Ritchie Classic Criterium, which is presented by Antietam Velo Club (AVC) and sponsored by Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT). The Criterium includes an event which is part of the 2009 Proteus/MABRA Category IV Women’s Race Series. Throughout the day, amateur male and female cyclists may compete for trophies as well as cash prizes of up to $300 per race. Eight separate races will be held, with the first race starting at 8:30 a.m. and the last race starting at 4:15 p.m.

The Race Course
The race will challenge riders to complete multiple laps on a 1.3 km loop, which travels clockwise around the Fort Ritchie development. The course includes a slight incline just past the start/finish line and a fast chicane on the front half of the course. The venue consists of six turns and runs past scenic Lake Royer, beginning and ending at Lake Royer (formerly Lakeside) Drive.

Registration, Fees, Requirements
For those who have not already registered online or via regular mail, event-day registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes 15 minutes prior to each event. A minimum of 20 riders are needed for each race. Entry fees range from $20 to $25 per race, although pre-registered riders pay just $15 when entering a second event. (A cost of $8 will be added to race day entries, as well as those mailed in after May 6th.) All participants are required to have a USAC racing license.

How to Enter
Online registration (with additional fees) is available at www.bikereg.com. Online registration closes 5/6/09 9:30 pm EST. Entries can also be downloaded from this website and mailed to: Antietam Velo Club c/o Tim Lung, 13501 Wellspring Drive, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

Directions and More Information
General website: www.bikecvcc.com/avc Email: jjeffers@shepherd.edu Phone: 301-739-5653 or 304-876-5477. If using Mapquest or Google for directions, use the following address: 17600 Military Road, Cascade, MD.

Fort Ritchie is a new mixed-use development on a 591-acre former Army post in Cascade, Maryland. Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT), developer of the project, is headquartered in Columbia, MD. For more information on the development, visit www.fortritchie.com.


Event
Start Distance/Laps Prize Placing Entry Fees
Senior V
8:30 a.m. 30 Minutes Trophies 3 Places $20
*Women IV
9:45 a.m. 45 Minutes Trophies 5 Places $20
Senior IV
10:45 a.m. 60 Minutes $200.00 6 Places $20
Masters 50+/60+
11:45 a.m. 45 Minutes $200.00/$100.00 6/3 Places $20
Women’s Open
12:45 p.m. 45 Minutes $300.00 8 Places $25
Masters 35-49
1:45 p.m. 60 Minutes $300.00 8 Places $25
Senior III
3:00 p.m. 60 Minutes $300.00 8 Places $25
Senior I, II, III
4:15 p.m. 75 Minutes $300.00 8 Places $25


* Part of the 2009 Proteus/MABRA Category IV Women’s Race Series

The Waynesboro Historical Society is looking for volunteers to help with a major cleanup on Saturday morning, April 25, at its headquarters, the Oller House, at 138 W. Main St.

Comcast has chosen two, the historical society and the Zullinger Community Center, as recipients of its annual Comcast Cares project in Franklin County. Comcast will conduct similar work projects across the United Sates on that day.

Comcast expects to provide an estimated 100 volunteers to work at the two locations that day.

In addition, Comcast will donate an estimated $3,000 to the Waynesboro Historical Society — $30 for each volunteer, since the historical society is a 501 3(c) nonprofit organization.

The more volunteers, the more money the historical society will receive from Comcast.

The volunteers will meet at 8 a.m. at the Zullinger Community Center for breakfast and will break into teams whose members will be assigned a task. Comcast employees will be joined by their spouses and children, as well as volunteers from the community.

"We have so many jobs around the Oller House that need to be done," said Jeff Zody, president of the society.

In addition to housecleaning and washing windows, volunteers are expected to clean off the side porch, mulch the gardens, check the roof for leakage and trim bushes and hedges on the property.

"Both the volunteers and the donation are very much needed," said Zody, "and we are overwhelmed by this generous gesture on the part of Comcast."

Totem Pole Playhouse is pleased to announce their 2009 Children’s Theatre Camp to be presented at the Totem Pole Playhouse, Caledonia State Park this summer. This years Theatre Camp is designed for children between the ages of 8 and 15.

“Totem Pole Playhouse Children’s Theatre Camp” will be held June 22-July 03, 2009 at the Totem Pole Playhouse. The day camp will run Monday thru Friday for two weeks, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily.

Spend a magical two weeks in the beautiful Caledonia woods and at the Totem Pole Playhouse... The campers will rehearse a play, design and build the set and costumes. The play will be performed for family and friends on the final day of the camp. Creative drama games will also be incorporated into the 2-week camp. The camp is ideal for both the beginning and experienced child actors.

In addition to the camp, the students will also be treated to a backstage tour, have the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the theatre professionals and attend a professional play at the theatre.

Jenny Kreyl Shoeman, Director of Drama at the Renaissance Academy in Philadelphia and a native of Franklin County will again direct the camp.

No prior theatrical experience is necessary to enroll in the camp. Due to limited enrollment, early registration is encouraged. For more information on the camp, or to receive a camp brochure, please phone the theatre box office at 717-352-2164 or email a request to boxoffice@totempoleplayhouse.org.

Partial scholarships are available on a limited basis for the camp. The camp is sponsored in part by Chambersburg Polka Charities.