5 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. Free music series at University Plaza on West Washington Street in downtown Hagerstown featuring a variety of regional performers. Sponsored by the City of Hagerstown and Washington County Arts Council. For information, call (301) 739-8577 ext. 183

June 3rd – 6th. Sunday is the free day in the city park!

Held on the first weekend following Memorial Day, the Western Maryland Blues Fest serves up an annual community celebration centered around one of America’s most enduring musical forms-the blues.

Set amidst raw-boned guitar riffs and emotionally charged vocals, the Blues Fest represents a unique “home-grown” partnership between public and private concerns. Conceptually conceived in 1995, and annually hosted by the City of Hagerstown, the Western Maryland Blues Fest has mushroomed into a critically acclaimed blues event in the mid-Atlantic region since its modest inception in 1996.

With spring in the air, Hagerstown, Maryland and the League of American Bicyclists, the national organization of bicyclists, announce that May is National Bike Month, May 17 to 21, 2010 is Bike to Work Week and Friday, May 21, 2010 is Bike to Work Day.
Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II urges everyone to bike to work or try cycling for fun, fitness or transportation. “I would like to remind everyone that the City of Hagerstown has adopted a Bicycle Master Plan which is available for people to review at hagerstownmd.org. This plan was adopted by the City Council in March 2010.”

Mayor Bruchey went on to explain that the City is in the process of selecting members to be a part of the newly formed Bicycle Advisory Committee. “This group will be selected by the City Council in May and will begin meeting in June to advocate and promote bicycle riding in the City.”
Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, said, “Biking to work is an efficient and fun way to get the exercise you need, without having to find extra time to work out. And this year, with gasoline prices as high as they are, biking to work makes more sense than ever.”
Following are some tips that will help you enjoy biking to work more:

• Have your bike checked over by your local bike shop
• Always wear a helmet to protect your head in the event of a crash
• Ride in the right-most lane that goes in the direction that you are traveling
• Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings
• Look before you change lanes or signal a turn; indicate your intention, then act
• Be visible and predictable at all times; wear bright clothing and signal turns

“This is our first promotion that bicycling is a viable transportation option in the City in which we can use the City’’s established bike routes,” stated City Engineer Rodney Tissue.

Join The Herald-Mail Company and the area’s finest restaurants and caterers for a celebration of all things food. Enjoy delicious food sampling and wine tasting along with live entertainment, culinary demonstrations, and cook-offs. Plus there’s a free cookbook for all of our guests!

Here is an advance look at some of the local favorite who will be there sharing their food (& trade secrets!):

• Leiter’s Catering
• Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyards
• The Greene Turtle
• Edible Arrangements
• Hard Times Cafe
• Barefoot Bernie’s
• 1912 Hoover House
• Pampered Chef
• Tastefully Simple
• Aqua 103
• Palmyra Farm Cheeses
• Spriggs Delight
• Mrs. Gibbles
• SIlpada Jewelry

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at the Herald Mail or Barefoot Bernies.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will benefit Food Resources.

TASTE OF THE ARTS

HAGERSTOWN, MD (May 11, 2010) – The entertainment for Taste of the Arts was announced today. The event will occur on Thursday, May 13, 2010 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Downtown Hagerstown. The event is being sponsored by the City of Hagerstown and the Downtown Alliance. The net proceeds will assist The Maryland Theatre and the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Foundation (BISFA).

Participants will be able to listen and view local artists at work while simultaneously tasting culinary sample treats from 12 restaurants. The restaurants and their featured entertainment include: Uncle Louie G’s Homemade Italian Ices & Ice Creams, 34 E. Washington St.; Bulls & Bears Pub & Restaurant, 38 S. Potomac St. (Barbara Ingram School Musical Theatre); Taj India, 28 S. Potomac St. (BISFA Dance, Instrumental & Vocal Music and a Visual Arts Display); Rocky’s Pizza Caffe’ Napoli, 40 N. Potomac St. (BISFA Vocal Music); Schmankerl Stube, 58 S. Potomac St. (Visual Art); Skyline Coffee Co., 2 W. Washington St. (BISFA Visual Art); The Rhubarb House, 12 Public Square (BISFA Vocalist Megan Lancaster); Leiters Fine Catering Inc, 28 S. Potomac St.(BISFA Dance, Instrumental & Vocal Music and a Visual Arts Display); Ava, 28 S. Potomac St. (Jazz Music); The Peach Pub, 43 S. Potomac St (BISFA Visual Art); Durango Restaurant, 12 E. Washington St. (BISFA Vocalists); and Laila’s Kitchen, 4 E. Franklin St (BISFA Vocalists).

Passport tickets for the event are $20 with a $3 mailing fee and a $4 internet charge (if purchased online). The passport ticket also entitles patrons to free entrance into the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts Instrumental Music Concert at Bridge of Life (14 South Potomac St.) from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The Phantom Flash Photo will also be taking place during intermission at 9 p.m.

Individuals who get their passport ticket stamped at every restaurant are eligible to enter to win a $500 gift certificate from Anderson Photographs, 4 S. Potomac St., or $300 in Downtown Dollars. The winners will be drawn at the Concert.

Advance passport tickets can be obtained by calling 301-790-2000, by stopping by 21 South Potomac St. (the Maryland Theatre) or on-line at www.mdtheatre.org. END

It’s been a long cold winter and The Historic City Park Neighborhood’s 1st Group is ready for spring! Please help us raise money to clean up our neighborhood and bring pride back to Hagerstown! Help us reach our goal of $2000 to address our safety issues (click here for a list of safety issues) and support our beautification ideas (click here for a list of beautification ideas). So please purchase some flowers from our fundraiser site – http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/campaign?campaign_id=1989 and help support our newly formed group!

If you aren’t interested in purchasing flowers you may make a donation to our cause by contact Heather @ (240) 329-0547 or heather@historiccitypark.com.

Our fundraiser was recently shown on WHAG with the mayor talking about our group! Just to clarify WE ARENT MAKING ANY PROFIT OFF THIS 100% of the money we make goes to the neighborhood, the rest covers the cost of the flowers/plants and goes to the flower/plant company.

So PLEASE HELP US BY BUYING FLOWERS –>CLICK HERE TO SHOP ONLINE<– for the flowers, plants and bulbs!!!!!!!! If you would rather make your purchase in person please call Heather @ (240) 329-0547 or heather@historiccitypark.com. Let’s make Hagerstown the most beautiful city in Maryland!

The plants are 100% Guaranteed to grow or a replacement will be issued! They are shipped as bulbs, small plants and bare roots.

If you aren’t interested in flowers/plants but still want to donate, 100% of your money will go in to making the park safer and is tax deductible. Make checks payable to “The City of Hagerstown” with Historic City Park in the note and mail to:

City Park Neighborhoods 1st
c/o Heather Holman
1 E. Franklin Street
Room 401
Hagerstown, MD 21740

Businesses who would like to donate $50 or more to our cause will be listed on our website as sponsors!

An opportunity to learn about the organization, operations and services of city government,
the Hagerstown Neighborhood College is sponsored by the City of Hagerstown as part of its
Neighborhoods 1st program. Over the course of 9 sessions every Monday beginning in March
college participants will receive a wealth of information in order to further empower them in
leadership roles.

Schedule and Curriculum

Hagerstown Neighborhood College Spring Session 2010 will begin Monday, March 8, 2010.
Classes start at 6:30 p.m. at municipal facilities throughout the city. Transportation is the
responsibility of participants. Light refreshments will be provided. The curriculum includes the
following subjects:

• Introduction to City Governance Utility Department
• City Hall Departments Parks and Recreation
• Police Department Public Works
• Fire Department
• Presentations of Participants’ Projects
• Eligibility Criteria

To be considered for Hagerstown Neighborhood College, an applicant must Commit to attending at least 7 of the 9 sessions

Selection Process

Space in each session of Hagerstown Neighborhood College is limited to 20 participants.
Applications will be selected to create a diverse participant population from as many Hagerstown
neighborhoods as possible. Applicants who are not selected for a particular session will be put on a
waiting list with weighted consideration for future sessions. Applications received by February 26,
2010 will be given priority consideration; applications received after this date will be accepted as
space is available.
How to Apply
Applications are available through the City of Hagerstown’s Community Development
Department on the fourth floor of City Hall, or may be downloaded from the Neighborhood’s 1st
website at www.neighborhoods1st.net.
For more information, please contact the Community Development Department at
301-766-4055 or email cblackstock@hagerstownmd.org.

Download Application