Stuart Sinclair

Stuart Sinclair (Submitted photo / October 24, 2012)

BOONSBORO — Laureen Valentine of LRA & Associates Inc. in Boonsboro recently passed Intuit’s Professional Advisor certification for QuickBooks 2012 products.

She has successfully passed the regimented testing routine since 1999. The certification testing is Intuit’s method of qualifying individuals who have demonstrated expert knowledge of the accounting software package and its capabilities.



Jack Gaughen Realtor ERA

GREENCASTLE, Pa. — Scott Palmer and Karen Starr, with Jack Gaughen Realtor ERA, were recognized as agents of the month for August in the Greencastle office.

The award is given based on the number of listings taken, sales made and closed sales, as well as attendance at Realtor functions and continuing-education classes completed.

Palmer has been selling real estate for 26 years and is an associate broker. He lives in Greencastle with his wife, Dawn, and daughter.

Starr has been selling real estate for 14 years. She is a native of Greencastle.



The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership

Fourteen individuals recently completed the Certified Tourism Ambassador, or CTA, program offered through The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the natural, cultural and historic resources within a four-state, 15-county region.

The organization oversees The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area, a 180-mile-long, 75-mile-wide area stretching from Gettysburg, Pa., to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, Va.

The program trains those who interact with visitors to national parks, Civil War battlefields, Main Street communities and historic sites. Graduates of the program are well-versed in the professional standards of customer service, as well as the unique features of The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area.

The Sept. 20 class was at the Best Western Grand Venice in Hagerstown. Those completing the CTA program include Jason Butt, Holiday Inn Express; Arnold Callaham, volunteer; Kirk Davis and Diana Forgett, American Historic Productions; Lauren Detwiler, Best Western Grand Venice Hotel; Barb Estrada, Comfort Inn and Suites; Melanie Gettier, Frederick County (Md.) Landmarks Foundation; Bonnie Hawker, Bonnie’s at the Red Byrd; Burma Miles, Roadrunner Services; Donna Rastelli, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts; Candace Sullivan, River and Trail Outfitters; Ellen and Thomas Tholen, Inn Boonsboro; and Audrey Vargason, National Museum of Civil War Medicine.