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A nonprofit dedicated to providing programming for the upcoming civic building and Veteran's Plaza in Silver Spring elected the manager of Downtown Silver Spring and a local jazz star to its board of directors.

At its March 18 meeting, the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. elected Marcus Johnson of Silver Spring and Jennifer Nettles of Gaithersburg as members of the Board.

Nettles is the manager of Downtown Silver Spring for Ellsworth Drive property manager Peterson Cos. and serves as a board member of the Silver Spring Urban District Advisory Board and the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce.  Johnson, a jazz pianist, is the founder, president and CEO of the Three Keys record label based in Silver Spring and has been involved in planning the annual Silver Spring Jazz Festival.

Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. was established in 2004 to provide community-based programming for the civic building site at the corner of Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street. The civic building is scheduled to be completed in March 2010 and the Veteran's Plaza is scheduled to open Nov. 11, which is Veteran's Day.

"It was thought that when the building design was completed there should be a community vehicle to enliven the new building," said Alan Bowser, president of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. "… We want this building to be the living room of the community."

Bowser said Nettles and Johnson will help the organization through their business connections in the community and experience with planning events downtown. Both are partners in the Silver Spring Blues Festival, which will be held May 9 on Ellsworth Drive.

The group has been meeting with the community to gauge the type of events residents would like to see at the site and given a recent focus on the presence of youth downtown, offering events to people of all ages and ethnicities is a priority, Bowser said.

"The civic building and Veterans Plaza are in the location where the turf was located," Bowser said. "We want young people to be involved in the maximum extent possible."

The 42,000 square-foot civic building will be complemented by Veterans Plaza, which is nearly an acre of public-use space for outdoor events. The estimated cost for the civic building is $19.7 million.

‘Play Ball' at sports registration event downtown

Join the Takoma Park Silver Spring Youth Baseball and Softball Leagues and the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts noon to 3 p.m. Saturday on Ellsworth Drive in Silver Spring for their spring registration event and other festivities.

Attendees can register for spring baseball and softball leagues, but they can participate in baseball, tee-ball and softball demonstrations, a moon bounce, face painting and win prizes. There will also be live music from Jelly Roll Mortals and Jalopy as well as an appearance from Thunderbolts player Sean Swetnam to sign autographs and help run a batting demonstration.

The event is being hosted by Downtown Silver Spring.

There will be a cleat exchange for old athletic gear, live music and Silver Spring-based sports memorabilia services House of Cards and Huggins and Scott Auctions will be on hand for a "Cash in the Attic" event where they will offer money for old baseball cards that attendees bring to the event.

"People can bring their collections to be appraised and get the offer right on the spot," said Laurie Yankowski, marketing manager for Downtown Silver Spring. "It's very cool in this economy to find found money in your house."

The Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts are a charter member of the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, which is comprised of teams throughout Maryland and Virginia who play a 40-game regular season in June and July. The team plays games at Montgomery Blair High School

TPSS Youth Baseball and Softball is offered to ages 6 to 18 with leagues beginning in equal and running through the summer. Go to www.takomabaseball.org or www.takomasoftball.org.