HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Romance novelist Nora Roberts is helping the western Maryland town of Boonsboro build a public swimming pool.

The Herald-Mail (http://bit.ly/1oYkan5 ) of Hagerstown reported in its Monday edition that the Nora Robert Foundation has approved a $25,000 grant to help the town build the pool.

Roberts and her husband Bruce Wilder live in nearby Keedysville. They own several Boonsboro businesses and have grandchildren in Boonsboro schools.

Foundation Vice-President Kathryn Pong says Roberts and Wilder think swimming is important for children. The nearest public pool is in Hagerstown, about 10 miles away.

The foundation also awards grants to promote literacy, education, the arts and humanitarian causes.

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Information from: The Herald-Mail of Hagerstown, Md., http://www.herald-mail.com

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