When Den 4 of Hampstead Cub Scout Pack 790 studied inventions for the month of January, den mother Cheryl Wahl decided the cubs might enjoy Hampstead's own cache of inventions, the clock collection of Steve Ashe at Roy's Clock Shop.
"I thought the boys would enjoy all the working parts of the clocks," said Mrs. Wahl. "Cub Scouts are great at inventing things from the genius to the absurd, and I thought they'd like to see how things really work. Roy's is a nice local place."
Last week, the 8-year-olds assembled at Roy's Clock Shop on Main Street, Hampstead. The store is like a museum of clocks crafted through the past century arranged among new clocks that replicate the antique. Mr. Ashe led the boys through his collection, detailing his ideas about history, agriculture, decorative arts, timekeeping and physics, all as related to the clock.
"Railroads made timekeeping very important," said Mr. Ashe, particularly in places such as Hampstead, where a single track winds through town. He showed a Regulator brand clock. Combined with the telegraph, he said, the Regulator allowed trains to travel two directions on a single track.
In an eight-day grandfather clock, Mr. Ashe showed how two monstrous weights were cranked up once a week. One weight powered the pendulum and hands, the other weighted the bell to strike on the hour.
"Why were clocks made so pretty?" Mr. Ashe asked, showing the painting of an 1807 steamship above the clock face and the handsome woodworking of the cabinet. "The only high-tech things of the day were clocks. People were very proud of their clocks."
He explained how farmers treasured pocket watches, which "worked all by itself," that the farmer kept in a pocket in his overalls.
He showed the kitchen clock, mounted in a pressed oak relief cabinet.
The cubs saw more fancy clocks, such as a French candelabra and clock done in green marble with Rococco cherubs.
"That one is beautiful, can tell time and you can use the candles at night to see the clock with," explained Mr. Ashe. He dated this clock to the 1870s because, he said, that's when the first sulphur matches came into use.
Another ladies' clock combined the clock with a comb and brush set. A baseball card clock caught the boys' eyes. Nearby was a steeple clock, built to imitate a church.
The Cub Scouts used a flashlight to watch the gears and hammers at work in the free-standing grandfather clocks. Each clock was several timepieces in one.
Behind the face, one rotating dial showed phases of the moon. Moon phases were important to farmers and sailors.
"Potatoes planted in a certain moon phase would mature not as deep in the ground and would be easy to dig up," explained Mr. Ashe. "And the outgoing tide is stronger at certain times of the month, strong enough to pull the ship out of port."
There's also the hunter's moon, when the moon is not seen at night.
"The animals are then more active in daytime, because they can't see at night," and are easier to hunt, he said.
The blue moon is also shown on the clock.
"When two full moons fall in the same month," explained Mr. Ashe, "the second is blue."
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Students at Spring Garden are completing a candy sale this week. Chocolate bar sales will benefit the school's computer system goal of one computer per classroom. The school's computer lab opened last month and will also benefit from the sale.
% The sale ends Friday.
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Geography Day is Feb. 15 at Hampstead Elementary School, and students will wear shirts or buttons that name a town, state or country and then find that place on a map in the cafeteria.
The school plans a month of geography activities, from map reading to guessing the origin of songs.
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At Spring Garden Elementary, at least 525 students have signed to jump rope to benefit the American Heart Association.
The annual "Jump Rope For Heart" for first, second and third grades occurs during physical education class next week. Fourth- and fifth-graders jump together March 1.
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This weekend, the All-American Wrestling Federation makes its first Hampstead appearance with a match Saturday at Hampstead Fire Hall. Bell time for the six-event match is 8 p.m.
Tickets for seats in Rows 1 through 3 are $10; 4 through 15 are $8 and are available at the fire house Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Information: 374-2424.
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North Carroll Recreation Council is holding registration for sports Saturday at North Carroll Middle School. Sign-ups are from 9 a.m. to noon.
Registration will be taken for baseball in the Babe Ruth league, Manchester baseball, or Rangers teams.
Other sign-ups are for spring soccer, girls slow-pitch softball, girls lacrosse or boys lacrosse.
For membership in the rec council, call Peggy Malcolm at 239-7886.