The aroma of Italian cuisine wafted through the lobby of the Ramada Plaza on Sunday, signaling a 44-year tradition near Hagerstown. It was the Antietam Exchange Club's Italian Festa, one of the biggest fundraisers for the local service organization. Organizers were expected to dish out enough spaghetti and sauce for at least 750 people in the feast that ran from noon to 5 p.m.

Barbi Hill, who helped run the event, said there had been a steady stream of guests, which filled up a front room plus two rooms behind it. "We have a lot of regulars every year. They are very faithful to us," said Hill's husband, George "Frit" Hill, who has been chairman of the club for 40 years.