Landmark honored for preservation

The home still stands today on the same parcel of land first referenced in records dated June 1740, albeit with a 19th-century full-length front porch addition. Several indicators point to the possibility that the house was once meant to be a tavern.

"It is unusual because it has double front doors which attest to the possibility that it was originally intended to be a tavern," said Lucille Davis, the chairperson of the foundation's plaque committee. "The walls separating the two front bedrooms upstairs were big doors and the assumption is they were made to swing up and tie to the ceiling so it could become one big room such as a ballroom or a tavern room Ò very unusual."

And on July 23, the home's current owners and occupants, Clarence and Barbara Horst, were presented with an historic plaque for the property.

The plaque was awarded through the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation plaques program. The program recognizes structures that are more than a century old and have either historical and/or architectural merit. There are restrictions as to what types of structures can be awarded a plaque based on such considerations as additions to the original homes, maintenance, and configuration. The foundation only awards about eight plaques per year, according to Davis.

To learn more about the plaque program visit: www.frederickcountylandmarksfoundation.org or call the foundation at 301-668-6088 for a brochure and application. The application fee is &#e6;100. This fee is returned if a structure is deemed ineligible for a plaque.

PAL Track Team

places first

Congratulations to the members of the Frederick Police Department's Police Activities League (PAL) Track Team, which won first place in the Maryland PAL Track and Field Championships.

This is the second year in a row the Frederick team has won the statewide honor. More than 25 youth from 23 PAL Centers across Maryland competed in a track meet on July 30 at Catonsville High School in Baltimore County.

The Frederick team, comprised of young people ages 7 to 15, participated in 10 events: 50, 100, 200, and 400 yard dashes, 4 x 100 relay, tug of war, running long jump, standing long jump, softball throw, and football throw.

The members of this year's team are: Geena Bracewell, Gerlyn Bracewell, Edward Bryant, Zachary Bryant, Shablis Curley, Shantel Disney, Paulrell Dudley, Nicholas Gennes, Ivan Estep-Helms, Anaya Helms, Tajdana Hollenbeck, Wanda Hollenbeck, Zaquieona Hollenbeck, Larryl Jackson, Naomiee Kirby, Cyndra Mappy, Fantasia McKnight, Kendle Pitts, Brittany Robinson, Deyana Sewell, Isiah Thompson and Kenya Tuck.

"These kids very hard to train for this event," Michele Bowman, community outreach coordinator for Frederick police, said. "We are very proud of them for taking first place in the state but more importantly for their team work and support of their fellow team mates and for the other teams that participated."

Formed in 1999, the Police Activities League (PAL) is a recreation-oriented juvenile crime prevention program that relies on a variety of activities to create positive bonds between city police and youth.

School's in session

for Frederick duo

When couples plan their summer vacation, many head to exotic locations out of the country. Jack and Heidi Baggett are no exception, but for them a trip to the Northern Canadian town of Inuvik was more about education than rest and relaxation.

The couple, who has lived in Ballenger Creek for seven years, spent just over a week in the Northwest Territories as part of "On Eagle's Wings," an ecumenical Christian ministry that sponsors a summer Bible school for native people in small, isolated villages.

Three years ago, the Baggetts heard about the program at the Evangelical Lutheran Church on East Church Street. In 2007, they made their first trip together to Fort Liard, a village of about 300 people in the far southwest of the Northwest Territories.

There, living in trailers, they taught 30 Acho Dene children, from a tribe of Canada's "First Nations Peoples," akin to the North American term of Native American, that struggle with poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse.

"The community was very warm and welcoming," Jack Baggett, 45, said. "And the kids were fantastic. We wanted to go back again."

So when the opportunity came up this year, Jack planned to go solo, as the &#e6;1,500 per person price tag was a bit restrictive for them both to return.

For more information regarding "On Eagle's Wings," visit www.oneagleswings.org.

Do you have an item for Valley Voice? Contact reporter Connor Adams Sheets at 301-846-2130, e-mail csheets@gazette.

net or fax news to 301-846-2124.