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SEND MAIL TO: P.O. Box 2415 Hagerstown, MD 21741 April Bartel Rebecca Chaney
30 Uncovering History
Many historic African American cemeteries have been lost to time or development. Some are overgrown, others are under developments. Now organizations are working with individuals to reclaim their family heritage.
38 Steaming Along
Washington County’s contribution to culinary “excellence” is the steamer sandwich. But it never caught on outside the area. Still, it remains a local tradition, still widely made around the area and enjoyed by many.
James and Barb Starliper are celebrating their 40th year as the owners of Four States Livestock Sales, and it has become part of Washington County’s agricultural heritage.
In a quick turnaround, Bulls & Bears restaurant became Veva’s on Potomac where Cort and Chelsea Meinelschmidt have given the downtown area a nice, upscale restaurant and bar.
Boonsboro native Corey Hackley has been intrigued by caves since he was a kid. Now his passion takes him around the world to explore some of the deepest places on
There are only two towns named Hagerstown in the United States. Ours was the first, but Hagerstown, Indiana, has a lot in common with Hagerstown, Maryland.
FROM THE EDITOR
STEAMING UP THE COUNTY
STEAMER? I THINK OF AN ENGINE CHUGGING ACROSS THE OPEN PLAINS DURING THE COUNTRY’S WESTWARD EXPANSION, OR MAYBE THE CANNONBALL EXPRESS PULLING UP AT THE SHADY REST HOTEL STOP. YOU MIGHT THINK OF A RIVERBOAT PADDLING ITS WAY DOWN THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI. JUST RECENTLY I DISCOVERED THAT THE WORD STEAMER TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING IN WASHINGTON COUNTY—ALTHOUGH ALMOST NOWHERE ELSE.
Here in our county, you might know a steamer as a loose-meat sandwich, not quite sloppy joe and certainly not a burger. Being somewhat new to Washington County, I recently discovered the pleasure of a good steamer sandwich.
CORRECTION
The roots of the steamer have been traced to the Hagerstown area, specifically Williamsport. But the sandwich never made it out of the region. Go too far across any of the state lines near us and the steamer is, as it has been for more than a century, a train engine or a riverboat.
The oddity of the steamer sandwich got my appetite up for some research, and when I asked food writer April Bartel if she was interested in writing about the history and current status of the steamer, she, as a long-time local, welcomed the opportunity.
She spoke with local restauranteurs who make steamers—there aren’t many left—and local folks who love them as a Washington County culinary tradition.
We have also compiled for you this month a feature on a Boonsboro native who has become a world-class caver and goes on expeditions to some of the biggest and deepest caves in the world. And writer Lisa Gregory takes a look at the uncovering of some forgotten African American cemeteries. For some it is a personal quest to remember their relatives.
I hope you enjoy reading all of this and more.
–JeffThoreson jthoreson@hagerstownmag.com
In the March/April issue of Hagerstown Magazine we accidentally misidentified Trinity Luttrell. Trinity was crowned Miss Washington County Teen Volunteer 2026, giving her the opportunity to compete for the title of Miss Maryland Volunteer. The state pageant will be held Aug. 1 and 2 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick.
“If given the opportunity to serve as the representative of my state, l will spend my year championing my philanthropic S.E.R.V.E. initiative, St. Jude Children’s Hospitals, and the Salvation Army,” Luttrell says.
WASHINGTON COUNTY IS A GREAT PLACE FOR HIKING AND ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR DAY HIKES IS OUT TO Weverton
along the Appalachian Trail. The trail is about two miles and features several switchbacks, but the reward is beautiful views of the mighty
River. The 180-degree views from the Weverton Cliffs are sometimes spectacular. Here, photographer Jon
captured the river and its surrounds on a crisp, late-spring evening.
Cliffs
Potomac
Bilous
This is Washington County
A Field House for Fitness…and More
General manager Julie Redding on one of the turf fields in the new Hagerstown Field House.
FROM YOUTH CAMPS TO SENIORS WHO WANT TO PLAY
pickleball, the opening of the Hagerstown Field House earlier this year has changed sports and fitness for anyone in Washington County who wants to take advantage of the state-of-the-art facility.
Basketball and volleyball courts, which also incorporate lines for six pickleball courts, two turf fields for soccer, lacrosse, flag football and other open-play activity, rooms for meetings and parties, and a fitness center offering the latest equipment to help everyone stay healthy fills the 114,000-square-foot facility.
“The field house is easily accessible to most residents and businesses,” says general manager Julie Redding. “We want everyone to feel welcome and view it as the central hub, here in Hub City, for all indoor recreation and fitness needs.”
Indeed, the facility is off to a great start. The membership continues to grow, and more and more people who just want to drop in on a daily basis keep showing up.
For now, the field house is even offering a three-day free fitness trial membership.
Built on the site of the old Municipal Stadium between South Cannon Avenue and East Memorial Boulevard, the field house is convenient to most of the population of Washington County. In its first 10 weeks, the field house welcomed more than 62,000 visitors. Redding anticipates more than 100,000 people will enter to spectate or participate in a sporting event, program, league, or drop-in play before the end of the year.
“The amenities that draw the most use are the basketball, volleyball, and pickleball courts along with the turf fields
for soccer,” she says. “Both open play and league participants express how they enjoy grabbing a drink and socializing at the bar after their game.”
As summer approaches, youth camps are gaining momentum. The field house facilities will provide a fun, educational, and active experience, for sports camps as well as adventure camps, allowing youth campers to get outside for fresh air and activities at nearby parks.
As Hagerstown continues to re-invent its downtown and surrounding areas, the Hagerstown Field House plays a role in that.
“We hope that businesses will consider taking advantage of our generous corporate fitness membership plans, which also provides access to courts and fields when available for open play,” Redding says. “It truly does provide something for everyone desiring to remain active and incorporate these important, quality-of-life enhancing benefits into their regular routine.”
Chamber Hands Out Annual Awards
EACH YEAR ONE OF THE BIGGEST BUSINESS SOCIAL EVENTS OF the year is the annual business awards dinner and ceremony at the Maryland Theatre. This year more than 450 members of the business community attended the event on February 26 to mingle and watch the awards being handed out. And the winners are:
The At Your Service Award is given to a business or non-profit with employees in Washington County that delivers exceptional service. This year’s recipient was Free Range Café, a thoughtfully curated eatery that serves responsibly sourced, seasonal meals crafted with care. Their approach to customer service is all about making people feel valued and at home.
The Small Non-Profit of the Year Award went to the Children’s Village of Washington County. The business provides life-safety education to second-grade students in Washington County with the goal of ensuring the children leave their two-day training with the knowledge and skills to address the number one cause of death or disability for children under the age of 9: unintentional injury. Children’s Village has provided safety training utilizing emergency responders, police professionals, and educators to more than 80,000 students since 1990.
The Large Non-Profit of the Year Award went to Star Community, which supports people with disabilities in achieving their goals and living a meaningful life filled with opportunity. Their staff ensures that each person is engaged in a meaningful way as the person themselves determines it, and that each person can pursue a path of integrated employment if they choose.
The Small Business of the Year Award recipient was Meinelschmidt Distillery. Since 2020, Meinelschmidt Distillery has been committed to producing the highest quality whiskeys and bourbons, using Washington County-grown grains. Meinelschmidt Distillery is heavily involved in the local community and has opened a downtown Hagerstown restaurant and bar called Veva’s to support the revitalization of the city center.
The Medium Business of the Year Award went to Valley Mall. Not only does the mall provide national brands, it cultivates new small
businesses, and hosts community events. Valley Mall has remained a central retail and entertainment destination to Hagerstown and the surrounding area for more than 50 years.
The Large Business of the Year Award recipient was Noel’s Fire Protection, which installs, services, and inspects automatic fire protection sprinkler systems. Noel’s also sells and inspects fire extinguishers and retrofits existing buildings. Noel’s gives back to various charitable organizations and has created many jobs in Washington County, maintaining a low turnover rate and providing a strong benefits package to their employees.
The Young Professional of the Year Award, given to a professional under the age of 40, went to Ashton Vattelana, a financial advisor at Edward Jones who recently received the No. 1 Client Service Excellence award for the region. In 2024, she served as the Women’s Inclusion Leader for the region, and she is also field training leader. Vattelana serves on the board of the Meritus Healthcare Foundation and sits on the United Way Community Impact Committee.
The Business Person of the Year Award went to Howard “Blackie” Bowen. He played a pivotal role in bringing professional baseball back to Hagerstown and in building the multi-use Meritus Park for the Flying Boxcars. Bowen owns Antique Crossroads and Ewing Oil Co., Inc. He supports numerous community organizations and has contributed greatly to the economic development of the area as well as the quality of life for local residents as well as visitors.
The first Legacy Award, given by the chamber only when warranted to an individual who has built a business legacy in Washington County, was given to Adna “Ad” Fulton. Fulton owns AC&T, which offers a variety of services in the tri-state area including heating fuel, propane, convenience stores, portable toilets, mobile storage, petroleum products, liquid waste handling, transport services, plus heating and cooling. Throughout his lengthy career, Fulton has given back to the community, and his contributions have made a lasting impact for countless Washington County residents.
AEK is focused on providing Sales/Leasing services in the tri-state region. We have been operating in various capacities within the Real Estate industry since 2002. We are here to help. Give Corey a call or stop by. Our doors are always up!
Celebrating Creativity
THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND HAGERSTOWN HOSTS
the annual Washington County High School Art Show and gives awards to high school artists from Washington County public and private schools. More than 90 pieces were entered this year. Local judges evaluated the artwork, and after much deliberation, awarded first, second, and third place in several categories, along with the overall Best in Show award. This year a fun “USMH Staff Pick Award” was presented to one student in each category.
Best in Show
Grant Bloyer
“More than Meets the Eye”
9th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Drawing
First place: Mariia Semenova
“Sarah & John B”
12th grade, North Hagerstown High School
Second place: Zikora Nwankwo
“Tree of Knowledge”
12th grade, St. James School
Third place: Minhal Imtiaz
“Self Portrait”
10th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Painting
First place: Neil Rezvani
“Hand Anatomy”
11th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Second place: Yuming Yang
“Eyes on the Prize”
12th grade, Saint James School
Third place: Joyce Liu
“Me & My Shadow”
11th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Photography
First place: Keira Sedillo
“Rylie Sedillo”
12th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Second place: Lily Miller
“Glory”
11th Grade, Clear Spring High School
Third Place: Zaine Beaver
“Examination of Conscience”
11th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Digital Media
First place: Mason Mauriello
Untitled
11th Grade, North Hagerstown High School
Second place: Leo Green
“Three Sisters”
11th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Third Place: Isabelle Coughran
“Stitches & Eyes”
10th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
3D Sculpture/Ceramics
First place: Luna Teal
“Self Portrait”
12th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Second place: Keira Sedillo
“What is This?”
12th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Third place: Madelynn Renken
“What Falls”
11th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
USMH Staff Recognition Award
Drawing: Mariia Semenova
“Sarah”
12th grade, North Hagerstown High School
Painting: Joy Ibeabuchi
Untitled
12th grade, North Hagerstown High School
Photography: Torin Malott
“Polished”
10th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Digital Media: Owen Brooks
“In Bloom”
10th grade, Clear Spring High School
3D Sculpture/Ceramics: Annabelle Skopek
“Pancakes”
12th grade, Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
“With the recent market pullback, some people are saying this could be a good buying opportunity. What do you think?”
J.H. – Middletown, MD
Intra-year declines are part of investing. In 2024, for example, stocks pulled back -8 percent during the year enroute to a +23 percent annual gain. But pullbacks will test your mettle. It’s hard to forget the -34 percent pullback in 2020. Remember, stocks don’t move in a straight line. So, think of 2025 as a work in process.
THEN & NOW |
The Public Square
THE INTERSECTION OF THE NATIONAL PIKE AND WASHINGTON STREET IN DOWNTOWN HAGERSTOWN A CENTURY AGO WAS OFTEN A place of confusion. The area known as the Public Square accommodated the transition of transportation as horse-drawn carriages, electric trollies, and early versions of the automobile fought for the right-of-way while traveling through the square. In the 21st century, the trolley and carriages are long gone, and vehicles are regulated by traffic lights, making the scene much less chaotic.
THEN: CIRCA 1920
NOW: PUBLIC SQUARE AS IT LOOKS TODAY
Maryland Theatre Auditorium Turns 110 OF NOTE |
IN CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, SHEEHY SUBARU
MORE THAN A CENTURY OF PERFORMANCES AND community milestones have taken place at The Maryland Theatre, and the historic auditorium turns 110 years old on May 8. You can be part of the celebration, which will take place over all four floors of the Performing Arts Center. It will include a debut viewing of a film honoring The Maryland Theatre’s rich history. This event will include an immersive journey through more than a century of entertainment, community, and heritage.
The Savor the Past Tour will be a self-guided stroll through the Performing Arts Center, which guests can take between 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. It will include light snacks, mini performances from local A&E partners, and film viewing.
The Savor the Past Celebration from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. includes a tour through the Performing Arts Center, catered food to discover in each event space, a champagne toast, and a private film viewing.
The event is presented by Rick and Nancy Hamilton.
OF Hagerstown visited Lasting Change, a local organization dedicated to helping women overcome addiction and rebuild their lives. As part of this special outreach effort, the dealership’s team provided inspiration, education, and encouragement to women working toward a brighter future.
“As we recognize Women’s History Month, it’s important to uplift the strength and resilience of women in our community,” said Anthony Schifano, General Manager of Sheehy Subaru of Hagerstown. “Organizations like Lasting Change are making an incredible impact, and we are proud to support their mission. By sharing knowledge, encouragement, and real-world skills, we hope to empower these women on their journey to independence.”
During the visit, Emma Lee, service director at Sheehy Subaru, shared her personal journey as a woman in the automotive industry, offering insight into overcoming challenges and building a successful career in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Lasting Change provides comprehensive programs designed to help women manage recovery, develop life skills, and regain independence.
“We are grateful to Sheehy Subaru of Hagerstown for taking the time to invest in the women in our program,” said Kim Gembe, project coordinator at Lasting Change. “Their visit not only provided valuable knowledge but also reinforced the message that our community believes in their potential and success.”
THE STAFF OF THE WASHINGTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF Commerce is taking on a new look. Sharon Lehner was recently hired as the new administrative assistant. She brings more than 20 years of professional administrative skills and experience to the organization. Katie Younkins takes over as member services director. She was most
recently the director of engagement with United Way of Washington County. Maddie Monica has been promoted to the position of marketing and events coordinator. In her new role she will oversee the organization’s marketing initiatives, as well as coordinating and managing The Chamber’s annual signature events.
Maddie Monica
Katie Younkins
Sharon Lehner
Tiger’s Eye Benefits Consulting marks 30 years of service to region
When creating or running a business, many owners want to offer their employees qualified retirement plans to include pension, 401(k)’s and profit sharing. Yet most don’t know how to setup or administer these programs.
Enter the team at the locally owned and operated Tiger’s Eye Benefits Consulting. Celebrating 30 years of service to the Hagerstown region, the niche accounting practice offers professional employee benefits consulting and administration in the B2B community.
With a passion for helping clients through outstanding customer service, owner Ted Reeder, CPA, founded the practice after working at two other firms early in his career. “There was a direction that I knew that I wanted to go in and the best way for me to be able to pursue that was to have my own business,” he says.
Businesses want to provide good benefit programs for their employees but many do not have the time or knowledge to undertake the task. Tiger’s Eye Benefits Consulting helps businesses be able to offer competitive retirement savings options through their vast and up to date knowledge of ever changing laws and regulations.
Reeder notes the key to the firm’s longevity is the staff’s hard work and dedication to service as well as their loyal client base which has mainly come through word of mouth referrals. “A lot of what we do in terms of consulting with our clients is taking
very technical subject matter and making it understandable,” he says. “It is something our clients can understand and appreciate. In the end, we need to provide our clients with service to their retirement programs that they can comprehend and appreciate. A lot of what we do is taking that very technical talk and making it practical for our clients. Further, with my background as a CPA and business owner myself, I can speak to the client’s business and tax needs which are an integral part of the planning process.”
After working with the firm, Reeder hopes clients are left with a positive experience from the team as well as the services they provide. He loves hearing great feedback about how much clients appreciate their services including helping them to better understand their retirement plans. “It is great for team members to hear that positive feedback,” he says.
CALENDAR
may to june
May 9-10
Bonanza Extravaganza
Hagerstown Speedway
15112 NATIONAL PIKE, HAGERSTOWN
The Bonanza Extravaganza is an annual two-day event held on Mother’s Day weekend. Gates open on Friday afternoon for two days of live music, vendors, and gaming. Massive tents holding 8,000 people cover the infield where you’ll find stages, tables, chairs, and JumboTrons. Both drawing and guest tickets provide entry into the event both days with catered food and soda on Saturday. Bottomless beer mugs and bottled beverages are available for purchase. Big Friday Money is our give-away money reserved for those present on Friday night. On Saturday the drawings start at noon for ticket holders where the smallest prize is a $1,000 and the biggest prize is $100,000 with a winner every five minutes. Friday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. 301-991-4646 or www.bonanzaextravaganza.com.
May 17-18
Quad State Pickle Fest
Washington County Agricultural Education Center
7313 SHARPSBURG PIKE, BOONSBORO
Indulge yourself in everything pickles, from pickle pizza to pickle jewelry, and for adults, perhaps pickle margaritas or pickle beer. Incredible live music featuring JJ Billings Band and The Reagan Years (Saturday). Kelly Bell Band and The Amish Outlaws (Sunday). Kids 12 & under get in free. Noon to 8 p.m. (Saturday); noon to 6 p.m. (Sunday). www.quadstatepicklefest.com.
June 7
Interstate Wine Fest: Island Vibes
Washington County Agricultural Education Center
7313 SHARPSBURG PIKE, BOONSBORO
More than 130 wines, spirits, seltzers, ciders, meads, teas, and beers. Explore more than 100 vendors featuring artists, crafters, and local businesses. Awesome local food trucks, live local music, karaoke, games, mega bubbles, and more. The Suns of Beaches band and Leaping Luci will fill the air with island vibes. Since 2014, this event draws thousands of attendees annually and has raised tens of thousands of dollars for multiple area nonprofit groups. Noon to 6 p.m. www.ifg-events.com/winefest
3
Blues, Brews & Barbeque
Capitol Theatre
159 S. MAIN STREET, CHAMBERSBURG, PA
The event includes food trucks; craft, specialty, and domestic beer; wine; non-alcoholic drinks; and concessions. This is a fun evening out. All food and drink will be available for additional purchase. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 717-263-0202 or www.thecapitoltheatre.org
May 9
Culture & Cocktails: The C&O Canal in Washington County
Miller House Museum
135 WEST WASHINGTON STREET, HAGERSTOWN
Join Joshua Nolen, NPS ranger and Western MD district supervisor of the C&O Canal, as he presents “The C&O Canal in Washington County.” This talk focuses on the history of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal in Washington County, as well as the current efforts of the National Park Service at the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Williamsport. This month’s cocktail is the Salty Dog, a tangy combination of grapefruit, vodka, and salt inspired by the Salty Dog Tavern near Maryland Heights, along the C&O Canal. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 301-797-8782 or www.washcohistory.org
May 10
Boro Brew Fest
Downtown Waynesboro
13 WEST MAIN STREET, WAYNESBORO, PA
The event features more than 40 varieties of beer, wine, and spirits, along with fantastic live music from talented local bands, delicious food, and endless fun.
12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
www.mainstreetwaynsboro.org
May 15
Larry the Cable Guy
Luhrs Performing Arts Center
475 LANCASTER DRIVE, SHIPPENSBURG, PA.
Larry the Cable Guy is a multiplatinum recording artist, Grammy nominee, Billboard award winner, and one of the top comedians in the country. He has his own line of merchandise and continues to tour across the United States. Larry created The Git-R-Done Foundation, which was named after Larry’s signature catchphrase, and has donated more than $7 million to various charities. 7:30 p.m. 717-477-7469 or www.luhrscenter.com
May 16
Mamma Mia–The Party!
The Maryland Theatre
21 S. POTOMAC STREET, HAGERSTOWN
You’ll be shouting, “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” during this evening filled with all things Mamma Mia (and ABBA). Slip on your disco boots, grab your flared pants, and dance with DJ/emcee Ryan Smetzer. Enjoy a mouth-watering Mediterranean menu, specialty drinks, sing-alongs, a photo booth, games and activities, all while Mamma Mia plays in the background on the projection screen. 301-790-3500 or www.marylandtheatre.org
May 29
Chicago: The Musical
Luhrs Performing Arts Center
475 LANCASTER DRIVE, SHIPPENSBURG, PA.
“Chicago” is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen. 7:30 p.m. 717-477-7469 or www.luhrscenter.com
may to june
May-June 31-1
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
The Maryland Theatre
21 S. POTOMAC STREET, HAGERSTOWN
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is joined by the Baltimore Choral Arts Society under the direction of Anthony Blake Clark for an inspiring performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Together, they will breathe life into this remarkable composition, delivering a powerful experience that echoes the magnitude of this historical masterpiece. 301-790-3500 or www.marylandtheatre.org
June 6
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
The Maryland Theatre
21 S. POTOMAC STREET, HAGERSTOWN
Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Skaggs struck his first chords on a mandolin more than 60 years ago, and he continues to do his part to lead the recent roots revival in music. His passion puts him in the position to bring his lively, distinctively American form of music out of isolation to audiences across the country. Skaggs is always forging ahead with cross-cultural, genre-bending musical ideas and inspirations. 301-790-3500 or www.marylandtheatre.org
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
June 14
Father’s Day Weekend Car & Truck Show
Downtown Waynesboro 13 W. MAIN ST., WAYNESBORO, PA.
The bright and shiny downtown car and truck show returns on Father’s Day weekend hosted by Mainstreet Waynesboro and the Appalachian Golden Classics Car Club. 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.mainstreetwaynsboro.org
June
21
Quad State Brunch Fest
Washington County Agricultural Education Center 7313 SHARPSBURG PIKE, BOONSBORO
Samples of Bloody Marys and mimosas available along with food vendors offering numerous brunch offerings. Take part in numerous games and contests, browse and shop from dozens of vendors, and chow down on even more scrumptious grub from the best local food vendors. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes and jam with Crash the Limo and Burt the Dirt. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.ifg-events.com/brunchfest
Father’s Day Weekend Car & Truck Show
A Deep Fascination
Boonsboro native explores the world from a different perspective
By Laura Forrest Hopfauf
The last time I saw Corey Hackley was sometime around 2008 in the hallways of Boonsboro High School–until this past year when I turned on a National Geographic documentary titled “The Deepest Cave” and saw him again.
I made my husband pause it when he came on the screen. I squinted.
“I’m pretty sure that’s Corey Hackley,” I said. “He was a great actor in our school drama productions.”
His name was on the screen under his picture while he was being interviewed so it seemed like it was probably him unless there was there another Corey Hackley that looked just like the Corey Hackley I had known. It crossed my mind. Sometimes life can seem surreal. That was one of those moments.
But I wasn’t wrong. That was Corey Hackley from Boonsboro High School on my screen in a National Geographic documentary about a team of world-class cavers exploring Mexico’s Cheve Cave to prove that it is the deepest in the world.
Corey Hackley of Boonsboro stands in an opening of the Sistema Cheve, a deep cave located in the Sierra Juárez mountain range in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca. Credit Kasia Biernacka
Turns out, Hackley started caving in Washington County as a kid. He grew up in a house with a father who had spent time caving and still had books, knowledge, and connections to the caving community that gave Hackley his introduction to the caving world.
“By the time I was 10, I had a deep fascination with caves and had become convinced that I could find new ones myself,” Hackley says, expounding upon a childhood where he and a friend would dig into dirt filled holes in rocks hoping to locate a lost cave.
When he was 11, Hackley’s father took him to a cave on private land near the Potomac, and he actually did get to stand in part of a cave that had never before been seen.
“I was able to squeeze through a crack no one else had been through and found myself in a standing-height passage that no one had ever been in before. It didn’t go very far, but the experience of that discovery was so intense for me that I was addicted. Since then, the caves have changed, but the drive to discover has remained exactly the same,” Hackley adds.
From there, Hackley joined Tristate Grotto, a caving club that meets in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and is part of the National Speleological Society where he was taught the etiquette of caving that keeps the delicate environments underground safe from the harms unaccustomed humans can accidentally cause.
With this community, Hackley began exploring caves that were more complex and remote like Germany Valley, West Virginia, an area noted for its extensive network of caves that have been formally documented and mapped. He started working with mentors like Terry McClanathan who taught him more technical caving skills
Iike “vertical” caving. He also began “project caving.” No longer was Hackley visiting caves solely for fun but
with the intent to prove that they could be expanded and mapped.
This community and these experiences became not just essential to his life in terms of caving, but introduced him to his future wife, good friends, and the person who first invited him on a caving expedition in Mexico in 2013. Since then, Hackley says, “I have spent about a year of my life in total caving in Mexico.”
The Cheve Cave exploration that Hackley is part of in Mexico is not a one-off trip but a decades-long project due not just to the massive undertaking of exploring a cave that so far has 51 miles of mapped passages and been measured to a depth just shy of a mile, but also because of dangerous flooding that comes during the rainy season and leaves the team a short yearly window to explore the deep. Their next major expedition for Cheve Cave is planned for the spring of 2026.
Hackley rappels into a crevasse of the Sistema Cheve.
Credit Kasia Biernacka
Surprisingly, caving isn’t Hackley’s full-time job, nor is it really anyone’s. Even Bill Stone, the expedition leader and a caving legend, runs his own company when he’s not underground. So, between then and now, Hackley will continue to work his day job, cave in the area, and sometimes join other expeditions in the United States. It sounds like a lot, but caving is Hackley’s passion.
“I think if you are really passionate about something and pursue it, your life will eventually start to bend around to accommodate the thing in question, and maybe even support the passion. It helps to start early, and luck is no doubt a factor, but someone with the hutzpah to have a passion in the first place has good odds of getting what they need from the world to pursue it. Passion is a valuable commodity. The world wants and needs it,” Hackley says.
Although his passion has taken him around the world to some of the deepest known spots on our planet, caving in itself remains the prize.
Hackley pokes through a small opening in the Sistema Cheve. Credit Kasia Biernacka
“I get as much out of finding a 500-foot-long cave in a place that no one expected as I do trying to find the deepest place on earth. What matters to me isn’t the superlative, it’s the experience of understanding something better and better,” Hackley says. I may never stand in a formerly unexplored cavern of
a cave. But I’m curious about them. I wonder what that’s like, how it happens, what comes from a new discovery that makes our world a bit bigger. Thanks to Hackley, I’ve been able to see what hasn’t been seen before, and I’ve been able to explore a part of earth I didn’t know existed, even if was only through my screen at home.
Hackley explores the Kimble Pit in Germany Valley, Pendleton County, West Virginia. Credit Kasia Biernacka
Hackley squeezes through a tight spot in the Dew Drop Cave in Garrett County, Maryland. Credit Nathaniel Peck
Families Found,
History Reclaimed
Individuals and organizations are working to rediscover and preserve local African American cemeteries
By Lisa Gregory
Ellen Fowler cared very much for how her final resting place would be tended to after she died.
One of the earliest burials in Halfway African American Cemetery in 1898, “she was a single woman who worked as a domestic servant in Hagerstown,” says Emilie Amt, a local historian.
She was also a savvy businesswoman and owned several properties. Fowler would leave those properties and the income they made to family. However, “In her will, she left instructions that the income from her houses be used to put up a monument on her grave and for her grave to be kept up,” says Amt. Or as it was stated in her will, “kept clean and sodded.”
And when that didn’t happen, the executor of her will, a white man she had worked for, “took one of her heirs to court,” says Amt. “And there was enforcement of this.”
But as years and decades went on her grave in Halfway was in many ways lost to time and decay as
the property was sold and developed for houses. In fact, her grave with its impressive gravestone would end up being enclosed in a neighbor’s backyard, which was used as a dog run and fenced off from the rest of the remaining cemetery.
Elizabeth Paul took notice. Her property adjoins the half-acre of what
is left of the cemetery, which once covered seven acres with more than 400 graves. Working with Amt, the two women set about learning about the history of the cemetery, those buried there, and how to best preserve it.
“I wanted to protect it,” says Paul.
During the past few years volunteers have stepped up to clean up the overgrown area with its toppled-over, broken, and scattered gravestones. Businesses like Antietam Tree and Turf have even volunteered equipment and services.
Today, the cemetery has a proper fence surrounding it and a sign that identifies it. This past Veteran’s Day, the cemetery held a special ceremony to honor the veterans buried there, which include 14 Civil War veterans and one WWI veteran.
“Over time, meeting people, I get teary just thinking about it,” says Paul, “but meeting people whose family members are buried there and who have that direct connection after they thought it was lost and that piece of their history was totally gone and erased, has been so powerful to me.”
Halfway is just one of many such African American cemeteries throughout Washington County. Some have been more successfully preserved such as Halfway or the cemetery at Tolson’s Chapel and School in Sharpsburg, which is a National Historic Landmark. Many, though, are just on the cusp of rediscovery.
All of these cemeteries are important says Barbara Boward, who has done intensive research involving African American cemeteries in the area, including identifying and learning about those buried there.
“A cemetery is a sacred place and is in a way a vessel,” says Boward, who grew up near the Halfway cemetery, often walking past it on her way to school without realizing it was a cemetery. “These places hold the stories of our ancestors. And maybe they are not my particular ancestors, but their
Carolyn Brooks inspects the tombstone of Ellen Fowler, one of the earliest burials in Halfway African American Cemetery. Brooks is a descendant of Perry Moxley, who is buried at the cemetery and was a founding member of Moxley’s Band, which joined the First Brigade of the U.S. Colored Troops during the Civil War.
story is the story of my country, my state, my county, my town.”
Lola Mosby is a descendant of two individuals buried at Halfway–her great-grandfather Jack French and her grandmother Jacqueline French Lewis. “She was only 28 when she died in childbirth,” says Mosby of her grandmother. “The baby, a little boy, died a day or two after.”
Now in many ways, Mosby has reclaimed her grandmother. Although her initial exposure to the cemetery was disturbing given the state it was in at the time.
“When I first went there, I was just so sad,” says Mosby. Despite living nearby, Mosby says she had no idea her relatives were buried there and did not even know a cemetery existed. “I’m about four blocks away from the cemetery,” she says. “I have lived out in this area for about 40 some years.”
Mosby has since become an active participant in the cemetery and serves on its board. Now she describes the once-unsightly cemetery as “just beautiful.”
Carolyn Brooks has family buried there as well. Perry Moxley was a founding member of Moxley’s Band. In 1863, the 11-member band joined the First Brigade of the U.S. Colored Troops in exchange for immediate emancipation. Several of the band members were enslaved at the time. Brooks’s great-great-grandfather, Robert, was Perry’s brother and a member of the band.
Brooks also has other notable fam-
ily members who are not necessarily tied to Halfway, but a different cemetery, albeit with a similar situation. Her great-great- grandfather, Nathan Williams, whose family owned Fort Frederick, a stone fort built in 1756-57 by the colony of Maryland during the French and Indian War. Today, Fort Frederick, which is located in Big Pool, is a historical site and state park.
Brooks was unsure where Nathan Williams was buried. Then she came across someone who shared with her a photo of his grave. Brooks was beside herself.
“I asked him, where did you find it?” she says of the grave. The person wasn’t sure but told her that the grave was in a cemetery in the Clear Spring area. Brooks went looking for it herself.
“I remember on a cold day, tramping around the bushes,” she recalls. Then she noticed it. A gravestone. But not just any gravestone. It was the gravestone of Nathan Williams, her great-great-grandfather.
“It was the largest stone there,” she says.
Lola Mosby holds a photo of her grandmother, Jacqueline French Lewis, who is buried at Halfway African American Cemetery.
Now found, she would like to preserve the cemetery and its connection to local history.
“I would like to see it given the dignity that it really deserves,” she says. “Make it a state site with a marker that gives respect to Nathan Williams.”
Adding, “He took such good care of the fort. When they bought it, they could have torn all the walls down and that would have been the end of it. It wouldn’t be a state park.”
When she visits the cemetery, she has mixed emotions.
“It warms my heart to know where they are, but it also hurts my heart to see the condition they are in,” says Brooks.
Organizations such as the nonprofit African American Historical Association of Western Maryland are also stepping up to do their part to help restore and preserve these cemeteries. The association has focused on Red Hill Cemetery, located outside of Keedysville, which through efforts of AAHA has been formally recognized by the town of Keedysville and Washington County.
“We tend to look outside of our backyard to see history,” says Richard Kline, AAHA president. “And it wasn’t until I really started spending more time on local history that I realized how rich our history is and how much we lack in protecting African American history.”
Red Hill Cemetery has a historical connection of its own, says Kline. Rev. Thomas W. Henry who was affiliated with the Underground Railroad and one of the original founders of the church connected with the cemetery, “was burying people in that cemetery from the 1830s to the 1850s,” says Kline. According to Kline, Thomas was implicated in the John Brown plot against slavery when he was recommended to Brown as a “trusty” agent to contact
The organization comes out twice a year to do clean up days. However, the efforts are not just limited to cleanups.
“We’re trying to identify graves,” says Kline. “We’ve identified about 50 or so, so far. But I’m sure there’s more there.”
Fixing up the cemetery and identifying those buried there is not the only task.
“We’re trying to prevent more encroachment,” says Kline. “There are houses now up on either side and some businesses behind it. We’ve seen similar cemeteries that have just been run over by sprawl, etc. We want to make it a spot where people want to stop by and visit.”
For Claire Connor it was just good old fashion curiosity that first drew to locating lost African American cemeteries in the area.
“I’ve always been fascinated with abandonment in general,” says Connor. “I was doing photographs of abandoned places. I would say it wasn’t until maybe 2020 that it even occurred to me that there could be such a thing as an abandoned cemetery.”
Her interest would result in her becoming a volunteer for the Find a Grave website and going to graveyards to photograph various memorials and add them to the site. It was through Find a Grave that she first came across Bagtown Cemetery, which is located between Smithsburg and Boonsboro.
“I noticed that of the 14 memorials that were said to be there, not a single one had a photo,” she says. “This led me to believe that no one had been there in a long while, and that perhaps no one even knew
mined to locate the cemetery at this point. I couldn’t bear the thought of it being forgotten.”
Her search was not easy.
“I don’t know that anyone other than maybe adjoining landowners who have the slightest clue that it’s there,” she says. “Other locations kind of still look like cemeteries when you go. But this is just woods.”
Not only has she found the cemetery, but she has been busy learning more about the people buried there. She relied heavily on the information provided by an individual named Samual Piper who visited all the known cemeteries in Washington County between 1936 and 1941 and made a list of the names of the deceased on cemetery markers.
“At this point, I have located all but one of the marked burials that Samuel Piper documents to account for 13 memorials,” she says. “The graves have all been photographed and added to Find a Grave. Additionally, I am slowly combing through old Washington County death certificates in an effort to find others buried there. I have located 13 additional decedents, bringing the number of known burials up to 27. There are undoubtedly more.”
And Connor will keep working at it.
“I’ve been inspired to reclaim people’s legacy,” she says.
As more of these lost and neglected cemeteries come to light, organizations such as the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites, which is a nonprofit, are working to encourage state laws that are more adaptable to protecting and preserving them. These include creating a commission to address abandoned and neglected cemeteries and establishing penalties for destruction and removal of remains.
A significant issue, says Eileen McGuckian, presi dent of the coalition, is the idea of ownership.
“Without clear ownership, you are limited on a lot of things,” she says. “You can’t go for grants. You probably can’t get insurance for these cleanups that are happening. You are not eligible for things if no body knows who exactly they are dealing with.”
Some of the cemeteries are connected to churches that are no longer standing, for example.
However, says McGuckian, bills presented before the recent Maryland General Assembly if passed may help clarify the idea of ownership. “One of the bills this year says it outright and another bill hints at it,” she says, “that counties and municipalities are enabled to take title to a property for the purpose of transferring ownership to someone who will take care of it.”
Thus, paving the way for care and preservation. Those like Ellen Fowler would be pleased by all these efforts, thinks Amt. Fowler’s own grave, in fact, is now enclosed within the property of the cemetery and is no longer part of the neighbor’s yard.
“We talked to those neighbors where her gravestone was placed,” says Amt. “The neighbors were like, ‘Absolutely you can fence that back into the cemetery. We know it belongs to the cemetery.’”
Yet work still needs to be done.
“Her stone is still kind of in pieces,” says Amt. “It’s not all properly put together because that will take a crane. And we will do that eventually. But we have taken a step toward carrying out the wishes of her will by at least keeping the dogs away and restoring that part of the cemetery to the cemetery.”
As she stands next to his tombstone, Carolyn Brooks holds a long-cherished family photo of her great-great-grandfather, Nathan Williams, who at one time owned Fort Frederick. The cemetery in Clear Spring was recently discovered by Brooks, who hopes now to preserve it.
Carolyn Brooks, Emilie Amt, Lola Mosby, and Elizabeth Paul discuss the tombstone of Ellen Fowler, one of the earliest burials at Halfway African American Cemetery. Brooks and Mosby have family buried at the cemetery, while Amt, a local historian, and Paul, whose property adjoins the remains of the cemetery, have worked diligently to preserve it.
Steaming Along
The rest of Maryland may have the crabcake sandwich, but ‘steamers’ are a Washington County classic
By April Bartel
It’s from an old hobo who came into the town of Williamsport many years ago and traded this recipe for some food. “ “
— Jeff Cline
t’s not a clam or steamed hams. Technically, it’s not a “loose meat” sandwich or even (gasp) a sloppy Joe. It’s a steamer—a humble, handheld meal that’s been quietly simmering in the hearts and kitchens of Washington County for nearly a century. And while it may fly under the radar of national food trends, around here,
For many folks, from Clear Spring to Sharpsburg and up to State Line, Pennsylvania, these meaty morsels taste like childhood, church dinners, carnival season, and Little League games. Depending on who you ask, a steamer is either an art form, a comfort food, or an easy, economical way to feed the masses.
Ask a local where steamers come from, and you’ll get a subtle variety of answers, all tied to the heyday of the railroads around Williams port circa 1930, hungry drifters, and a good-hearted tavern-keeper. Williamsport native and county commissioner Jeff Cline is a go-to guy for steamer lore.
“It’s from an old hobo who came into the town of Williamsport many years ago and traded this recipe for some food,” Cline says, sharing an excerpt from a com munity cookbook printed decades ago. It lists the ba sics: hamburger, diced onion, salt, and a generous dash of pepper, with a can of tomato soup, all “steamed” in boiling water until tender, up to two or three hours. “The longer you cook them, the better they taste.”
Cline explains how to spot an authentic steamer. Aside from their fine texture and restrained use of sauce that packs neatly into a bun, he says, “Steamers come in dark brown. Sloppy Joes come out red.”
And he should know. “Steamers were a staple in my family—mom and four boys and a husband. It was quite common on a Saturday for her to cook several pounds of steamers. We just loved them.”
When his mom passed away, he inherited a treasured possession, her steamer pot.
“It is sitting on my stove right now, and I use it.”
More than meat on a bun
Everyone agrees that a steamer is ground beef on a soft, white bun, but after that things start to diverge. Some people lean toward ketchup for sweetness, others swear by tomato paste or adding a spike of mustard.
Online groups abound with suggestions from adding stuffing mix for texture or bits of green pepper, subbing tomato paste for soup. Purists, like Bonnie Hawker of Bonnie’s at the Red Byrd in Keedysville, keep it simple.
“People get used to what a steamer tastes like,” she warns, noting the number of uber-local variations. “From here to Lovettsville
April Spessard prepares another steamer to serve at Holsinger’s Meats & Deli.
Holsinger’s
Hartle’s
Hartle’s Subs is a Hagerstown favorite for steamer sandwiches.
there’s a difference.” And while fans may try them everywhere, they always go back to their favorites.
Steamers are a weekly special at Bonnie’s. She says steamers probably gained popularity because they were fast and cheap—a budget stretcher using relatively-affordable ground beef and easy cooking technique. But don’t let their simplicity fool you.
“It’s just a good, wholesome sandwich,” she says. “And it’s great with my coleslaw.”
Like any regional dish, steamers come with their share of fierce defenders. Mark Brugh, who lives in Hagerstown and spends time giving Civil War ghost tours in Sharpsburg, has strong opinions.
“Throwing meat in a frying pan is not the answer,” he says, only half joking.
Brugh’s earliest memory of steamers goes back to Halfway and Little League games in the 1960s.
“You got either a hot dog or a steamer after the game,” he says. “I could put a steamer away real easy.” He remembers school lunches, too. “If it was steamer day, that was just great. That sealed the deal.”
He describes the flavor he wants: a slight sweetness, some tomato taste, a bit of mus tard or Worcestershire—not too fancy. And don’t even think about mushrooms.
“I love mushrooms,” he says. “But I’d never put them on a steamer.”
Among friends, he’s known for posting about steamers every year on July 9, homage to Funkstown icon and steamer-maker, Junior Hose. Nowadays, his favorite steamer spot is Locust Point Market in Hagerstown for flavor and value. “I’m living in a memory when I eat one.”
Crowd pleasing fare
I eat a lot of steamers, sometimes I just put it in a bowl. ”
— Rich Robertson
and Noni, started the business. At one point, the family also ran a store in Falling Waters. Firehalls, churches, and businesses would buy steamers in bulk for their own events. People regularly tell him they come from West Virginia, Chambersburg, or Sharpsburg for his steamers… and a hit of nostalgia.
“There are not too many more of these mom-and-pop shops,” he says. “When people pass so many other places to come in here for steamers,
Hartle’s is another contender on the steamer scene. This beloved sub shop turned 60 this year. Their Italian sub may be a classic, but their steamer sub is a hefty meal, especially paired with their uniquely seasoned fries. Diners could opt for a smaller hot dog bun, but owner Rich Robertson says bread makes the sandwich. For his two locations, rolls are hearth-baked in Baltimore on a bed of cornmeal.
“I eat a lot of steamers,” he says, sheepishly admitting, “sometimes I just put it in a bowl.”
Locust Point Market gets plenty of rave reviews online. Kelly Marconi, owner, along with his wife, Kristin, make their steamer filling on a little stove at the back of their old-school quick mart, along with homemade soups, salads, subs, sides, and desserts. Folks stream in continuously, so they usually cook more than 10 pounds of steamer filling per day. They use ketchup and a few “special seasonings.” And folks can add cheese for a few cents more.
“We’ve been making steamers the same way since 1982,” he says, when his parents, Frank
Steven Schuhly says Hartle’s is a crave-worthy Hagerstown staple.
“As long as I’ve been alive, it was pizza from Rocky’s and subs from Hartle’s.” Steamers are also tied to family events, warming in a crock pot for Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, even Christmas. When he thinks of the perfect steamer “it needs to be savory, sweet, and most importantly, finely ground. That’s the most important bit. Personally, I like a Martin’s potato roll, a bit of diced onion, and yellow mustard.”
For longevity, Holsinger’s Meats & Deli gets the award. This business was founded in 1876, well before steamers became entrenched on local menus. Sixth generation family mem bers, Richie Holsinger and his sister April Spessard run the current location, opened in 1964. Holsinger’s supplies plenty of local restaurants as well as individual customers who come for their fresh ground chuck, steaks, and house-made smoked specialties like balo ney, jerky, bacon, hot dogs, and ham.
“We have a high standard for our products,” says Holsinger, who says they grind hamburg er five times a day. “We purposely do small batches for freshness.”
That meat goes into their steamers, which are a regular Friday special. Normally, their steamers come on a five-inch potato roll, but shoppers can order a sub, pint or a quart… until they sell out. You can call ahead but remember to add some fresh cut Boardwalk style fries.
Byers Market originated in Williamsport, the steamer capital, in 1956. Michael Byers, with his son Jeremy and daughter Kaylin Staley, represents the third generation of a family steeped in sandwich lore.
“Steamers have always been on the menu,” he says. “Ever since I took over in 1987.”
Their remaining store on North Burhans Boulevard is bigger than it looks. It’s 7,500 square feet of groceries and sundries, ready-toeat meals, including a luscious peanut butter frosted chocolate cake, Krumpe donuts, made-
It needs to be savory, sweet, and most importantly, finely ground. That’s the most important bit. “
— Steven Schuhly
to-order eats, as well as check cashing and a
He remembers getting steamers from Erns Tavern as a kid.
“I haven’t been able to duplicate theirs for some
But people still come to Byers for that nostalgic hit, and now you can even personalize your steamer through their kiosk and app. It’s easy to get carried away, adding grilled peppers, olives,
“Most people are purists,” Byers says. “But
They keep the original Williamsport recipe alive at Byers Market and serve it on a classic
“The hallmark of a classic steamer? Steamed, seasoned ground beef. That’s it,” Byers says. “Well, maybe a little mustard and onion.” Cheese is optional. “And we have the best chocolate milk in town.”
Out and about
In local restaurants and community stores around the county, steamers are de rigueur. They always have them at woman-owned Battleview Market in Sharpsburg where Patricia Lowery is the manager.
lunch version growing up but, now that her mom’s recipe is on the shop’s menu, it’s their most popular sandwich. You can even get it atop a hot dog, a “steamer dog.” Not satisfied with mere Manwich or ketchup, she says, “I added a little sweetness, and people loved it.”
extensive menu includes breakfast treats like blueberry hotcakes or chipped beef on biscuits as well as lunch and dinner specials like crispy fried chicken, liver and onions, or spaghetti. If you’re stopping by their Sunday farm market or an other event in Battleview’s back field, it’s a great excuse to try a steamer. Lowery admits, “I could eat one every day.”
Market in Pennsylvania extends the tradition to a second state. Owners Beth and Brad Wise both grew up eating steamers. Original
ly a meat market and grocery begun in 1951, the full deli was added about 15 years ago.
As long as anyone can remember there have been country hams and giant wheels of sharp Wisconsin cheddar, sliced to order. When the couple took over almost three years ago, Beth Wise tweaked the original steamer recipe. Her version is subtle, familiar, and steeped in family memory.
“I make it the way I always did at home,” she says.
She uses fresh ground beef with a little onion and light sauce piled on a hamburger bun—hold the green peppers.
“Gibbles potato chips with a steamer,” she sighs. “That is perfection right there.”
In a region where history runs deep and community matters, steamers have become a cultural icon—something you offer with pride to guests and family alike.
“It’s a part of the tradition of many people’s lives,” says Jeff Cline. “It’s comfort food. It’s memory. It’s love on a bun.”
Tasting all the region has to offer is an opportunity, according to Visit Hagerstown’s Dan Spedden, for folks to find their own favorite.
“Explore the wonderful breadth of restaurants in (and around) Hagerstown,” he declares, “where locals can find hidden gems right in their backyard.”
And if you’re lucky, that gem just might be a perfectly seasoned, tender, and tidy little sandwich that’s been steaming in a pot for ages. One bite and you’ll never confuse a steamer with a sloppy Joe again.
Earl’s
Starting with just steamed hamburger, the recipe at Earl’s Market continues with onions, which are then steamed with the meat, then mixed with ketchup and mustard.
Locust Point
Kelly Marconi from Locust Point mixes up another batch of steamers.
Local Livestock History
With cattle prices at record highs, the weekly Four States Livestock Sales auction is riding high in its 90th year.
Four States Livestock Sales, a local livestock auction business, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary for owners, James and Barb Starliper. Four States was originally established in 1935 by founders E.B. Clark and William Garrott making the local livestock auction business 90 years old.
Starliper didn’t grow up on a farm but rather developed his passion for the livestock industry by working on nearby farms. “I remember my dad bringing me to the Four States Livestock Sales when I was 12 years old and I guess I got the bug,” Starliper says. “I worked on a dairy farm, but every Wednesday I’d take off to go the Four States Livestock Auction. My father, Jack, owned and managed Four States until he passed away in 1988.”
By Rebecca Chaney
Today, Starliper is 74 years old and can’t imagine doing anything else.
Jim and Barb Starliper (right) with new partners Ryan and Shelby Burcker and their daughter Bodie.
“I got out of the Army in 1971 and I started working at the sales barns in Hagerstown, Frederick, and Westminster,” he says. “I took over the ownership in 1985 and ran all three sales barns just my father had done.”
The livestock sales enthusiast said his wife, Barbara, has been a key part of the business and handles most of the book work in the office.
“I met Barb when she was 15 years old and working in the office at the Westminster Livestock Sales barn,” Starliper says.
Owning and operating a sale barn is fulltime commitment.
“There’s no time off,” Starliper says. “It’s seven days a week. I have 22 part-time employees. They mostly only work on Wednesday, which is sale day.”
In September, 2024, Starliper welcomed new partners Ryan and Shelby Burcker into the livestock auction business. Ryan Burcker said he grew up on a beef cattle farm in Washington County.
“I started going to the Four States Livestock Sales on Wednesdays with my grandfather, Floyd Davis, when I was about 5 years old. My grandfather has been the auctioneer at Four States for 50 years. He used to sit me in the stands with some of his farming friends and they enjoyed my company.”
Once Burcker was about 10 years old, he was able to start helping with the bottle calves and pigs.
“As soon as I turned 15, I started working at Four States,” he says. “I left for a couple years but came back, and I’ve worked here ever since, more than 15 years.”
The new co-owner said he’s always enjoyed cattle, seeing different breeds sold at the auction, and visiting with the customers.
“I want to do what we can for the farmers and get the best possible market value for their animals,” he says.
Starliper has been a true mentor to Burcker, who is just 30 years old and has three children with wife, Shelby, who is learning all the ins and outs of the Four States office. “Jim has taught me a lot about the auction business,” Burcker says.
Both Starliper and Burcker believe that it’s a great time to be in the auction business as well as the cattle business.
“We work on commission,” Burcker says. “If cattle prices are up, that’s good for us.”
According to Starliper, Wednesday night has always been sales night and cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep are sold, but the majority of their business is cattle.
“The cattle business is crazy right now, a three-day old calf that brought $50 about 15 years ago brings $700 or $800 today,” Starliper says. “Some calves are bringing over $1,000.”
The Four States Livestock Sales owners attribute the record prices to increased demand for beef by consumers and a decrease in cow numbers in the United States. “Beef is always the protein of choice in affluent societies,” says Jeff Semler, Washington County Extension agriculture agent. “Our economy is robust no matter what the news media says. Additionally, programs like The Drive by the National
Four States Livestock Sales auctioneer Floyd Davis.
Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Certified Angus Beef have greatly driven consumption.”
According to Kevin Good, vice president of market analysis at CattleFax, the U.S. beef cattle inventory is the lowest since 1951. Ranchers haven’t been able to keep enough replacement beef heifers back, therefore causing a beef cattle-inventory drop.
“The U.S. beef cow herd is expected to see the cycle low to start 2025 at 28 million head, 150,000 head below last year and down 3.5 million head from the 2019 cycle highs,” Good says.
“The key is expansion, the cattle cycles are similar to the late 1800s,” Good says. “The challenges we face today are multi-faceted. Pasture and drought conditions, labor issues, urban sprawl, and farmers aging are just a few challenges and will be key factors influencing the rate of expansion, with a slower herd rebuild anticipated compared to the last cycle.”
Good says he believes cattle prices will continue with record highs and stay historically strong for the next couple years.
“Then it comes back to demand and demand has been robust and in a good place,” he says. “The U.S. beef market will stay strong, driven by tight cattle supplies and increased consumer demand. We are optimistic.”
The cattle cycle is typically 10 years, and we are in year 12, according to Semler. “The end is coming, but a lot of factors are at play. This bubble will burst. It always does.”
But for now, cattlemen are excited for a profitable market.
Everyone agrees, the contribution of the Starlipers to the local agriculture market has been great.
“Jim and Barb have been outstanding servants of the livestock industry,” Semler said. “They work hard to advertise, promote, and market livestock for local producers. They don’t just sell livestock. They have been long-time supporters of 4-H and FFA.”
According to Semler, the average person doesn’t understand the importance of the Four States Livestock Sales barn.
“People from all over come to Four States to buy and sell livestock,” Semler says. “There is no other sale barn east of the Four States auction barn. The Maryland Eastern Shore farmers have to go to Pennsylvania.”
Four States Livestock Sales gets buyers and sellers from multiple states, near and far. “Right now, we have an Indiana pig producer bringing his hogs to our auction barn,” says Starliper. “He gets 60 cents a pound in Indiana and here in Maryland he’s getting 80 cents per pound.”
The Hagerstown livestock auction got its “Four States” name from the original founders, who had opened livestock sales facilities in Hagerstown; Charlestown, West Virginia; Harrisonburg, Virginia; and Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
The Starlipers and Burckers plan to continue providing a livestock auction venue to meet the demand of their customers. They enjoy the weekly livestock sale and hope to be in business for another 50 years.
Inside the Four States Livestock Sales auction house.
“True Prosperity Lives at the Crossroads of Money and Meaning”
THE ILLUSION OF PROSPERITY
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Family Ties
Residents in Hagerstown, Maryland, share valuable bonds and heritage with our (little) sister city Hagerstown, Indiana
Hagerstown resident, Michael Keifer was just curious one day. “I was sitting at the computer and wondered if there were any other towns named Hagerstown,” he says. There was. One.
“I saw only two, one in Maryland and one in Indiana,” says Keifer. “I thought to myself, ‘As big as this country is and there are only two towns with that name.’”
Keifer did a little more digging and even reached out and spoke to Bob Warner, the town manager at the time of the small town, which numbers under 2,000. Through Warner, Keifer learned that the two places shared more than just a name.
By Lisa Gregory
“I found out that the folks who settled in Hagerstown, Indiana, actually came from this area,” he says. “That really got my blood stirred up. Hagerstown, Maryland, was first named Elizabethtown after Johnathan Hager’s wife,” says Keifer. “It was Elizabethtown first. And
Brielle Thames, a 10th grader at Barbara Ingram School for the Arts created the sister city flag.
when Hagerstown was first developed in Indiana it was called Elizabethtown also.”
Given the more-than-likely family ties that already existed, Keifer came up with the idea of the two becoming sister cities. Hagerstown and the city of Wesel in Germany have been sister cities since 1952. And Xinjin in China is also a sister city with a signed proclamation in 2016.
“I’m thinking, what the heck is going on here?” says Keifer. “We have a relationship with Germany, which is clear across the Atlantic Ocean. And here we have a town that was named after Hagerstown, Maryland. And we don’t have any kind of relationship with those folks at all. Why not? “
In 2013 Keifer went to the mayor and city council with his sister city suggestion. That same year mayor David Gysberts signed a special recognition certificate establishing the sister city partnership between the two. And it has been a good relationship for both, says Kiefer.
“We have had folks from each town visit the other,” he says. “We have hosted bus loads of students from there on their trip to Washington, D.C.”
find it interesting to see how we’ve tried to deal with some of those situations.”
Residents from both have readily embraced each other. “My wife and I have been to Hagerstown, Maryland, three times,” says LaMar. “I think the first time was in 2014 and we were in the Mummers Parade, and we were just overwhelmed with how friendly and courteous the people of Hagerstown were.”
He adds, “And when we’ve had guests form Hagerstown, Maryland, they say the same thing about our residents.”
Hagerstown, Maryland, residents have
it around Hagerstown, Indiana.”
Keifer felt that Hagerstown, Maryland, should honor Teetor for his accomplishments as well and petitioned the mayor and city council to name a small alleyway near his home, Ralph Teeter Way.
In continuing to cement the bond between the two places, Keifer is looking to the younger generation and their involvement.
“I am currently working with the school systems to develop a pen-pal relationship with their only elementary school,” he says “As well as, maybe starting a student exchange
The purpose of the relationship, says Keifer, is “first, to learn the history of each area. Next, is having folks from both come together and discuss ideas for economic development and growth.”
Chris LaMar, current town manager for Hagerstown, Indiana, agrees.
“It’s a good exchange of ideas and solutions for handling situations,” says LaMar. “It’s interesting because Hagerstown, Maryland, is several times larger. But we still have some of the same problems and issues. We have a housing shortage, and we have issues of substance abuse. It’s interesting though to be able to see how Hagerstown, Maryland, is handling those situations. And I think likewise, the people who have come here from Hagerstown, Maryland,
also shown up in unique ways for their sister city. “Two years ago, the team in Hagerstown, Indiana, found their way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania,” says Keifer. “I took a small group of folks from our Hagerstown up there to root the team on.”
Keifer, for one, has enjoyed learning about Hagerstown, Indiana, and natives like Ralph Teetor. He was a blind inventor responsible for the invention of the technology we now know as cruise control for automobiles.
“He’s responsible for everybody who has a vehicle with cruise control in it,” says Keifer. “This man built himself his own car when he was 10 years old, completely blind, and drove
program between their only high school and our high schools here.”
Keifer has also established a scholarship for a graduating senior from Hagerstown, Indiana. “I wanted to do more,” he says of the scholarship and the town he has come to grow quite fond of.
Other sister city projects include Keifer recently going before the city council to propose a design for a sister city flag.
No matter the project or effort, Keifer is proud of his part in all of it. “It’s wonderful,” he says. “It’s my legacy.”
All because of a curious mind and a computer search.
Italian fare; Maryland Soul
A quick turnover from Bulls & Bears to Veva’s on Potomac gives downtown Hagerstown a restaurant with a unique identity
Everyone loves a nice Italian dinner. Americans practically claim pizza and spaghetti as our own. Now, a new restaurant in downtown Hagerstown is offering its unique interpretation of classic Italian fare, infused with a distinct Maryland soul.
Veva’s on Potomac, located at 38 South Potomac Street—the former home of Bulls & Bears—recently emerged under new ownership, sporting a fresh menu and vision while preserving much of what fans loved about the original.
By April and Andrew Bartel
Cort and Chelsea Meinelschmidt, already familiar faces in the local scene, took ownership of Bulls & Bears, rechristening Veva’s after Chelsea’s grandmother. Owners of Meinelschmidt Distillery, situated just across the way, made the ambitious leap from
Cort and Chelsea Meinelschmidt at their new Veva’s on Potomac restaurant downtown.
distillers to restauranteurs. The couple reopened swiftly, within days.
“The quick transition has been a little bit painful, but we wanted to ensure the staff didn’t have to get laid off or worry about their jobs while we got everything fixed up,” Cort Meinelschmidt says. The process kept most of the previous front-of-house team intact, preserving the sense of community that patrons had come to appreciate.
At the culinary helm is new executive chef Larry Messenger, who, alongside a mostly familiar kitchen crew, has been integral in shaping Veva’s unique identity—Maryland soul, Italian spin. This creative direction offers diners comfortingly familiar dishes elevated by local ingredients, imaginative culinary techniques, and thoughtful presentations.
Standout dishes include a hearty smoked cheese-stuffed meatball, pistachio crusted salmon, and house-made pasta drenched in rich vodka Bolognese sauce. Another customer favorite, Chicken Chesapeake risotto, gives a nod to Maryland’s iconic flavors.
Additionally, Veva’s showcases an evolving menu that includes daily “Carnivore du Jour” specials highlighting steaks sourced from Hidden Creek Pastures Farms like T-bones, porterhouses, and tender filet steaks as well as less common cuts like skirt steak, tri-tip, or brisket among others, in appreciation of the whole animal.
One favorite is their Ossobuco, a traditional Italian dish featuring slow-braised veal shanks simmered with vegetables and white wine. Its indulgent marrow center, aptly described as “meat butter,” is usually lavished over toast. Pasta Primavera, with a rotating array of seasonal vegetables, reflects Veva’s dedication to using fresh, local products whenever possible.
For a more laid-back dining experience, Veva’s offers a range of sandwiches, including a juicy Italian beef hoagie—a savory creation paired with giardiniera and a side of au jus. The menu retains beloved dishes from the former establishment, such as the inventive Cajun Elvis burger, lamb lollipops, crab dip, and broiled crab cakes.
Community engagement and support of local agriculture are central to Veva’s
Chicken Chesapeake Risotto chicken breast atop creamy risotto with crab and Old Bay cream sauce.
identity. The Meinelschmidts embrace locally-sourced ingredients in every facet of the meal, just as their distillery uses grains harvested in Clear Springs and Keedysville.
Cort Meinelschmidt says, “We want to make sure that when you’re coming downtown, you’re getting high-quality food, great cocktails, and everything is locally sourced.”
Veva’s connection to Meinelschmidt
Distillery offers diners a distinctive twopart experience. If tables at Veva’s are fully booked, guests are encouraged to visit the distillery across the hall to enjoy a carefully crafted cocktail. Once the table is ready, staff members personally inform patrons, who may bring their drinks along. An appetizer menu, designed to complement distillery beverages, can also be ordered directly from Veva’s.
This integration illustrates Cort and Chelsea’s vision for a cohesive downtown atmosphere: “Chelsea and I really want to help downtown grow. This was just a natural progression.”
May marks an exciting milestone, with Veva’s set to unveil a new on-site sports bar, aptly named The Dugout, formerly known as The Bullpen. Patrons can anticipate classic pub fare, including burgers, wings, pizzas, and chili fries. Two entrances—one through Veva’s main entrance and another via the second-floor parking deck—offer convenient accessibility.
The restaurant is also prepared to host a range of events with diverse spaces, from its mezzanine to the Potomac Walk, or even the adjacent distillery for larger groups.
Born and raised in Hagerstown, Cort Meinelschmidt’s commitment to the community extends beyond business. Following his
time in the Navy and return to Hagerstown, he has dedicated himself to local revitalization efforts. This dedication was recognized when Meinelschmidt Distillery earned top honors as the Washington County Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year. Further accolades include international recognition for their whiskey at the Tokyo International Spirits Competition and potential export opportunities with Japan.
Veva’s pedigree puts it on track to be more than a restaurant, but an inspired fusion of flavors thoughtfully delivered by local entrepreneurs who are deeply invested in building a vibrant community.
Whether you’re drawn by the promise of classic dishes or intrigued by its local charm, Veva’s invites you to savor a memorable dining experience in the heart of Hagerstown.
Orange Sesame Hanger Steak with caramelized onions and creamy horseradish mashed potatoes, paired with sautéed zucchini, squash, and red onions.
DINING GUIDE
ALEKOS 2 GO
511 Northern Ave., Hagerstown, 240.313.4976
Freshly prepared and cooked Greek food made daily. $
AMERICAN PIE PIZZERIA
17520 Virginia Ave., Hagerstown, 301.582.6281
Family run business that serves not only pizza but several authentic Italian dishes as well. $$
BENNY’S PUB
49 Eastern Blvd. N., Hagerstown, 301.791.5915
Relaxed venue serving specialty burgers and other pub grub, plus bespoke beers in convivial surrounds. $–$$
BISTRO 11
13208 Fountain Head Plaza, Hagerstown, 301.733.2222
Relaxed and refined cuisine. Full menu of specialties, steaks, and seafood. $$–$$$
BJ’S RESTAURANT & BREWHOUSE
17318 Valley Mall Road, Suite C, Hagerstown, 240.513.4040
Handcrafted beer, Chicago-style pizza with a Southern California twist, and Pizookies. $$-$$$
BLACK ROCK BAR & GRILL
17301 Valley Mall Road, Hagerstown, 240.850.3365
An award-winning steakhouse specializing in Certified Angus Beef steaks served and cooked to perfection by you on a 755-degree volcanic sizzling rock. $$-$$$
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are covered with a wide selection of sandwiches and entrees. $–$$
THE BROAD AXE
28 W. Franklin St., Hagerstown, 301.733.8454
Daily specials featuring top-notch pub fare and a quickly rotating tap list. $–$$
BROTHER’S PIZZA
75 Eastern Blvd. N., Hagerstown, 240.625.9215
Fresh, fast, and affordable pizza, sandwiches, and Italian classics. $–$$
CACIQUE
1101 Opal Court, Hagerstown, 301.739.7207
Fresh, creative, and classic Mexican, Spanish, and Latin American cuisine. $$
CAFÉ DEL SOL
1481 Salem Ave., Suite 1, Hagerstown, 301.739.3072
Gourmet pizza, flatbreads, and pasta with a California twist. $$–$$$
CAFÉ ITALIA
935 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown, 240.420.6677
Classic Italian dishes, and they offer one of the biggest pizzas in town. $–$$
CHIC’S SEAFOOD
300 Summit Ave., Hagerstown, 301.739.8220
Daily specials featuring some of the freshest seafood around. $–$$$
COLONIAL SPORTS BAR AND GRILL
14130 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown, 240.203.6206
The best game-day food at the best prices around. $–$$
THE DOG HOUSE CAFÉ
53 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown, 240.850.2883
Family-owned and operated restaurant that specializes in dozens of unique hot dog creations, great fries, and more. $
DISTRICT PROVISION & SUPPLY CO.
6 Rochester Place, Hagerstown, 301.791.1717
Open for breakfast and lunch, featuring gourmet sandwiches, salads, and soups. $
DOLCE PIZZA GOURMET
792 Frederick St., Hagerstown, 301.745.6300
Italian flavors complemented by Eastern European dishes. $–$$
EL CASTELLO PIZZERIA & TEX MEX
15616 National Pike, Hagerstown, 301.582.4727
Pizza, salads, lunch specials, and a spicy array of Tex Mex. $–$$
EL RANCHERO MEXICAN RESTAURANT
1481 Wesel Blvd., Hagerstown, 240.420.2842
1715 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, 301.797.7589
Fresh, authentic Mexican cuisine using the highest-quality ingredients available. $$
FAJITA GRANDE MEXICAN RESTAURANT
12818 Shank Farm Way, Hagerstown, 240.707.6333
Where the fiesta never ends. $
FOSTER’S ON THE POINT
1437 Salem Ave., Hagerstown, 301.739.7182
Soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and a rotating list of entrées and specials offered in an inviting rustic atmosphere. $$–$$$
FRATELLI PIZZERIA AND GRILL
120 E. Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown, 301.393.8733
Italian specialties like pasta, pizza, in addition to Mexican options. $–$$
FREE RANGE CAFÉ
520 Northern Ave., Hagerstown, 240.513.6070
Food that makes you feel good! $-$$
FUJI ASIAN FOOD & SUSHI BAR
11205 John F. Kennedy Drive, Suite 205, Hagerstown, 301.393.9099
Authentic traditional Chinese cuisine options and sushi. $–$$
GREENLEE’S
A full menu of steaks, seafood, and other American specialties. $$–$$$
THE GRILLE AT RUNWAYS
18421 Henson Blvd., Hagerstown, 240.707.6996
Traditional American dining with a quiet and relaxing view of the airstrip. $–$$
HAGERSTOWN FAMILY DINER
431 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, 240.707.6330 Great hidden gem of Hagerstown. $
HOFFMAN’S ALL AMERICAN GRILL
18203 Mason Dixon Road, Hagerstown, 240.707.6600
Casual dining at its finest featuring burgers, steaks, salads, and seafood. $$–$$$
HONG KONG CHINESE RESTAURANT 1075 Virginia Ave., Hagerstown, 301.733.1292
Veteran eatery serving familiar Chinese dishes in an informal setting. $$
HOUSE OF KOBE
757 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, 301.797.6979
Fine dining featuring sushi and hibachi cooking right in front of you. $$–$$$
HUB CITY DINER
190 Railway Ln., Hagerstown, 240.707.6638
Comfort food served hot and fresh in a family friendly atmosphere. $
HUMMUS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL
11205 John F. Kennedy Dr., Unit 108A, Hagerstown, 240.513.6020
A blend of authentic Mediterranean recipes with modern flavors. $–$$
J’S DINER
43 Eastern Blvd N, Hagerstown, MD 21740, 301.745.3091
Innovative breakfast destination for those in search of an unpretentious place to begin the day. Everything they offer is made from scratch, so you can feel good about what you’re eating. $$
LEDO PIZZA
1423 Dual Highway, Hagerstown, 301.766.4900
Creative flavor combinations and lots of sandwich and gluten-free options. $–$$
LOS AMIGOS MEXICAN RESTAURANT
29 N. Burhans Blvd, Hagerstown, 240.420.8000
18330 Spark Dr., Hagerstown, 240.707.6250
The finest authentic Mexican food prepared just the way you like it. $
LOTUS MOON CAFÉ
16 Conococheague St., Williamsport, 240.366.1335 Unique sandwich and salad creations to please any taste. $-$$
MANGO GRILL INDIAN & THAI CUISINE
11205 John F. Kennedy Drive, Suite 201, Hagerstown, 240.707.6220 Experience the flavors of India and Thailand with daily lunch buffet deals. $$
Dine in and carry out Vietnamese cuisine. Small venue but the portions are authentic and large. $
POKÉ & SUSHI
11347 Robinwood Dr. Hagerstown, 301.393.8833
Refreshing Asian alternative. Choose your own ingredients for soups, Poké, rice bowls and sushi. Boba (bubble) tea. $$.
PRETZEL & PIZZA CREATIONS
20 W. Washington St., Hagerstown, 301.733.7795
Calzones, sandwiches, hot dogs, and of course pizza featuring pretzel dough as the star. $–$$
PRIMANTI BROS.
17301 Valley Mall, Hagerstown, 301.228.0933
High-piled sandwiches equipped to quell the heartiest of hungers. $
PURA VIDA COFFEE
14035 Pennsylvania Ave., Hagerstown, 240.707.6540
Costa Rican inspired coffee shop/restaurant featuring craft coffees/teas, onsite baked goods, breakfasts, and lunches. $
RAD PIES
10210 Governor Lane Blvd., Williamsport, 240.366.8634
Unique, wood-fired pizza options for the adventurous. $$
REAL DEAL JAMAICAN RESTAURANT
71 W. Franklin St., Hagerstown, 240.513.6393
A concise menu of classic Jamaican comfort foods & soft drinks amid casual digs. $
RHUBARB HOUSE
12 Public Square, Hagerstown, 301.733.4399
Sandwiches, burgers, wraps, salads, and soups with a unique touch. $–$$
RICE THAI DINING
40 N. Potomac St., Hagerstown, 301.766.9559
A taste of authentic Thailand, without needing a passport $$-$$$
RIK’S CAFE
1065 Maryland Ave., Hagerstown, 301.302.7541
California-inspired contemporary American cuisine featuring sandwiches, hearty soups, small plates, and salads. $$–$$$
ROCKY’S NEW YORK PIZZA
907 S. Potomac St., Suite 1, Hagerstown, 301.791.6810
Great pizza in addition to other classic Italian fare. $–$$
ROCKY’S PIZZA ROBINWOOD
11351 Robinwood Drive, Hagerstown, 301.790.3853
Delicious Italian cuisine at an affordable price $-$$
ROOSTER MOON COFFEEHOUSE
Longmeadow Shopping Center, 1551 Potomac Ave., Hagerstown, 301.790.5040
Fine coffee, espresso drinks, organic teas, with a full breakfast and lunch menu. $
SAKURA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
102 Railway Lane, Hagerstown, 301.393.8680
Part Japanese steakhouse, part sushi bar, featuring hibachi dining. $$–$$$
SARDI’S POLLO A LA BRASA
100 Railway Lane, Hagerstown, 240.382.1214
Casual Peruvian chain serving charbroiled chicken, ceviche, and other traditional dishes. $–$$$
SCHMANKERL STUBE
58 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown, 301.797.3354
Old World-style Bavarian dining with an emphasis on German traditions. $$$
SCHULA’S GRILL AND CRAB HOUSE
11205 John F. Kennedy Drive, Hagerstown, 301.714.1397
Seafood and sandwiches are served in a casual setting with polished wood tables and a bar. $$–$$$
SILK THAI RESTAURANT AND BAR
1580 Wesel Blvd. K, Hagerstown, 240.267.2142
Spreading good vibes of Thai culture by introducing the wonderful food and scenery of the land of smiles. $$–$$$
SITAR OF INDIA
110 Railway Lane, Hagerstown, 301.733.8223
A contemporary atmosphere that complements their traditional Northern Indian specialties. $-$$
STADIUM TAVERN
401 S. Cannon Ave., Hagerstown, 301.714.0849
Crabs and steam buckets, shrimp, and oysters, and don’t forget the wings. $–$$
TACOS CARLITOS
Food Court, Valley Mall, Hagerstown, 240.452.1888
100% authentic genuine Mexican food – the best in town! Daily specials and delivery available. $
TASTE OF REGGAE
40 E Washington St, Hagerstown, MD 21740, 240.513.1101
Authentic Jamaican restaurant specializing in made-to-order Caribbean and Jamaican food. Packed with flavor and cooked the way it is done in Jamaica. $$
TAQUERIA JALISCO AUTHENTIC MEXICAN GRILL
1037 Maryland Ave., Hagerstown, 301.797.2000
Authentic Mexican cuisine with the experience of being in Mexico. $
THE CRAB 99
116 Railway Lane, Hagerstown, 240.452.1937
Tasty seafood dishes with a wide range of flavors. Make your own seafood combinations. $$
VEVA’S ON POTOMAC
38 S. Potomac St., Hagerstown, 301.791.0370
Italian fare; Maryland soul. $$-$$$
SENIOR LIVING CALENDAR
Every Wednesday
OF EVENTS
CONTEMPORARY RETIREMENT
9:06 a.m. to 10 a.m., WJEJ Radio
Tune in for topical discussions on issues affecting retirees.
Wednesdays, May 7 and June 4
NEW TO MEDICARE WORKSHOP
1 p.m. to 3 p.m., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 535 E. Franklin St., Hagerstown
Hosted by the Washington County Commission on Aging. To register call 301.790.0275.
Tuesdays, May 6 and June 3
ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP
4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Somerford Place
Hosted by Somerford Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s Care. For more information, call 301.791.9221.
Tuesdays, May 6, 13, 20 & 27 and June 3, 10, 17 & 24
HEALTH MATTERS RADIO SHOW
9:30 to 10 a.m., WJEJ radio (1240 am)
Tune in for information on health topics that matter. Call 301.739.2323 during broadcast times with your health questions.
Thursdays, May 8 and June 5
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP
11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., Western Sizzlin Steakhouse, 17567 York Road, Hagerstown
Parkinson’s Disease patients and caregivers meet to hear a variety of speakers and enjoy lunch and conversation. Call Linda at 301.790.8606 or visit www.hagerstownparkinsonsupport.org.
Mondays, May 12 and June 9
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP
2 p.m. to 3 p.m., LIFE Lutheran Services, 840 Fifth Ave., Chambersburg, Pa.
Covers a new topic each week. Free; light refreshments served. Call 717.709.2342.
Mondays, May 12 and June 9
BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
7 p.m., Breast Cancer Awareness — Cumberland Valley, 12916 Conamar Dr., Suite 201, Hagerstown Call 301.791.5843 or visit www.bcacv.org.
Mondays, May 19 and June 16 SPINAL CORD INJURY SUPPORT
3 p.m. to 4 p.m., Robinwood Medical Center, Suite 201
Education and support for those who have suffered a spinal cord injury and are now adjusting to their disabilities. Call 301.714.4070.
Tuesdays, May 20 and June 17 SMART SENIORS
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Diakon Senior Living — Robinwood Campus
Educational forum about topics of interest to older adults; sit-down meal served. $9. For reservations, call 240.420.4119.
Tuesdays, May 20 and June 17 LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA
6 p.m., Robinwood Medical Center, Suite 129
Open to those affected by leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, MDS or myeloma. Call 301.665.4650.
Thursdays, May 8 and June 5 ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT GROUP
Family and friends of those suffering from dementia are invited to network with others who are experiencing similar situations in a safe, non-judgmental setting. Call 301.733.3353.
Tuesdays, May 27 and June 24 55 UP
11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Cortland Mansion 19411 Cortland Drive, Hagerstown Lunch and educational seminar for people ages 55 and UP. $13. Call 301.790.8907.
GROW IT ALL
COLOR ALL SEASON
Spring is a gardener’s happy time. May this beautiful season inspire you to plant more flowers, in addition to trying some new things.
Annual flowers are standouts for bridging landscape color gaps after flowering plants finish blooming. Most are flowering powerhouses, extending the color splash all summer until frost. Plant them in focus points (walkways, mailbox, decks, etc.) to add “pop” and appeal.
Sadly, in return for spending their photosynthetic energy on blooming, annuals aren’t as well adapted to withstand stressful hot, dry weather. It’s like having a weak immune system when harsh weather comes–especially drought. Remember how dreadful they looked when you got back from vacation last year? That’s why annuals still need regular water, fertilizer, and mulch. That’s why grouping annuals near entryways is advised: you will see them start to wilt and water them.
To minimize watering, select the most heat and drought tolerant annuals. The toughest annuals are native prairie flowers bred and selected for landscape performance. Cultivar names can be a hint (e.g., ‘Endurascape’ verbenas take the heat better than older cultivars). Some of the toughest are wax Begonia, globe Amaranth, Lantana, periwinkle, Portulaca, and Salvia.
Similarly, consider lesser-known annuals that aren’t bothered by sunny, hot sites and bloom all summer:
• Angelonia (Summer Snapdragon) 12- to 18-inch upright plant with multiple large snapdragon-like flower spikes in shades of purple, pink, or white; also great in containers.
• Gloriosa Daisy Cultivated relatives of Black-Eyed Susans (strains of Rudbeckia hirta) with larger flowers. AAS winner ‘Prairie Sun,’ boasts prolific five-inch yellow-orange blooms bordering a yellow-green eye; two-and-a-half to three feet; deer resistant; attracts butterflies and pollinators; wonderful cut flower; self-seeds.
• Euphorbia (Diamond Frost) Comparable to baby’s breath, this compact 12- to 18-inch plant is
By Deborah Smith Fiola
covered with inexhaustible tiny white flow ers all season. This is one tough plant, indoors and outdoors. ‘Diamond Delight’ is shorter (six- to eight-inches) with showy double flowers and deer resistant.
• Melampodium This is my favorite, reliable, low-maintenance annual. It’s a 10-by-10-inch mounding plant covered with small daisy-like yellow flowers; prolific bloom from May until frost; tolerates aw fully hot, full-sun sites; deer resistant; attracts butterflies and pollinators.
• Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) This four- to six-inch groundcover spreads to 12- to 18-inches with petite zinnia-type flowers; the toughest have ‘Zahara’ or ‘Profusion’ in the cultivar name.
Make a note: Don’t overdo flower colors: more than three colors in one site or pot appears distracting, whereas one color looks striking. Perceive that reds and yellows stand out as bold accents and draw attention. Alternatively, blue, purple, and pink are considered tranquil and make small spaces seem more expansive. White blooms are the twilight VIPs, illuminating the darkening landscape.
Speaking of color, consider planting yellow veggies like yellow or golden beets, carrots, peppers, watermelons, and tomatoes. They are incredibly sweet and delicious. ‘Golden Treasure’ tomato is purportedly the best storage variety keeping for four months in fall and winter storage.
For what it’s worth, I’m often asked why healthy spring zucchini dies abruptly. The primary culprit is the squash vine borer, which lays eggs in June that hatch to kill plants in July. Borers are incredibly hard to control. So instead of planting early zucchini (in May), change your timing: wait until mid-June to plant to avoid the borer. You’ll get fruit later, but hopefully your neighbor will share in the interval. Alternatively, plant the resistant Tromboncino squash.
Deborah Smith Fiola is a professional horticultural consultant who lives in Keedysville. A former university professor/Extension agent, she has a B.S. in horticulture and an M.S. in entomology/pest management (from the University of Maryland). Email your questions to: landscapeipm@gmail.com.
The first time my parents took me to the Atlantic Ocean I was young enough that I hadn’t started school yet. We went to Assateague Island and camped in a tent along the seashore. I don’t recall much from that trip. I most remember a storm coming in off the water to blast sand against my face with such force that I closed my eyes so long and tight that I fell asleep on the beach.
Usually, people aren’t drawn to places that throw sand in their eyes, but for me that was the start of a love affair.
Almost every summer, my parents and I would make the supposed four-hour drive–but let’s be honest with traffic and the Bay Bridge to get to the shores of the Atlantic it’s usually somewhere right under six–to Assateague Island. We’d unload our car, carrying camping gear up and down the sand, set up our tent, and call ourselves home for the week. We didn’t do much. We’d stay at the beach until we were baked. We’d hit the trails covered with enough DEET that I’m sure we were on the verge of a toxicity issue, but at least we weren’t getting bit by the hundreds of mosquitos that seemed to swarm whenever we left the coast. We’d watch the horses and comb the beach for washed up treasure.
By the time I left for college I’d been to Assateague enough times that I should have been over it.
But I wasn’t.
In the beginning of our relationship, I took my would-be husband camping at Assateague during a record heat weekend. He had never been. The temperature got well above 100 for hours during the day, didn’t dip below 90 at night. We were constantly hot and fighting off mosquitos. Again, it didn’t seem like this was the kind of place he was going to fall in love either with after being roasted and then eaten alive. But he did.
During the early years of our marriage, we ran to Assateague often. We were drowning in student loan debt, working round the clock, but we could get to the island relatively quickly, camp for next to nothing, and be in the wild with all we could eat seafood buffets and mini-golf and bars less than a half
By Laura Forrest Hopfauf
hour away in Ocean City.
But even though we were going to the same place time and time again, even multiple times in the same season, it was never the same spot, and it was never the same vacation.
We had weekends where the weather was perfect, and we never wanted to leave the beach. We had a trip where we were hit with thunderstorms so bad that our tent collapsed in on itself while we were sleeping inside it. The wind beat the side walls off of me like I was stuck inside a drum. We had rain and meteor showers and even saw snow during the winter. It was like every time we went, even to the same spot, it was somewhere new.
Our daughters aren’t in school yet, and the oldest two have already been to Assateague multiple times. They like the horses, but more than anything they like the beach. They want to stay there forever.
And that’s the beauty of vacations.
It doesn’t matter that we go to the same spot with the same people and drive the same car every year. When we’re on vacation we step out of our daily life into the time we dream we had every day. The time to do what we want, when we want, to take time doing nothing but seeing each other and where we are. On vacation the same old spot can be new again because we give ourselves the time to see it with fresh eyes.
I’ve seen Assateague more times than I can count, but this year, once again on our yearly vacation, it’ll be new.
