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As new library prepares to open, old library will close

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006

Montgomery County Public Library officials announced this week that Rockville residents will get a ‘‘sneak peek” of their new $26 million library in the heart of downtown Rockville on Nov. 11 at 12:30 p.m., prior to the facility’s official opening later in the month.

The Friends of the Library, Rockville Chapter, will hold a fundraising gala that same evening to benefit the new library.

Meanwhile, library officials also announced that the old Rockville Library will close to the public on Saturday to allow staff to begin moving the collection to the new library located in the new Rockville Town Square project.

In the interim, the public is encouraged to use other nearby libraries, such as Twinbrook, Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, Quince Orchard, Kensington Park and Davis.

‘‘We’re very excited that we are moving one step close to opening this new, state-of-the-art facility,” County Executive Douglas M. Duncan said in a press release. ‘‘This library will have something for everyone and meet the diverse needs of our community. It will also serve as an anchor to the new Rockville Town Center and become the first building to open in that exciting project.”

Fitzgerald Conferenceis just 10 days away

One of the more interesting events in Rockville each year is only 10 days away.

The 11th annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, featuring workshops, panel discussions and other activities for writers and lovers of good writing, will be held Oct. 14 at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus.

Award-winning and prolific writer Jane Smiley will accept the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award. She will join the ranks of William Styron, John Barth, Joyce Carol Oates, E.L. Doctorow, Norman Mailer, Ernest J. Gaines, John Updike, Edward Albee, Grace Paley and Pat Conroy, who have accepted the award in past years.

The event originated as a way to honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of American literary giant F. Scott Fitzgerald, who is buried in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Rockville with his wife, Zelda, and other Fitzgerald family members. Since 1996 it has turned into a much-heralded event in the region, and in the literary world.

But even if you’re not a writer, the conference offers something for you. It offers stimulating discussions, a chance to learn more about Fitzgerald and his connection to Rockville, and the opportunity to hear from a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer.

For more information, call 301-309-9461.

MTC receives Choice grant

The Rockville-based Musical Theater Center has received a grant of $5,000 from the Choice Hotels International Foundation, a tax-exempt entity established by Choice Hotels International Inc.

The grant will be used to support the Musical Theater Center’s 2006-2007 Community Outreach Program, a partnership with local schools and service organizations that brings musical theater training and performance experiences to children in the community who otherwise might not have these opportunities.

‘‘This grant will provide The Musical Theater Center with much needed support and enable the organization to carry out its core mission,” said Chuck Ledsinger, president and chief executive officer of Choice Hotels.

Musical Theater Center officials are thrilled with the grant.

‘‘This is our fourth year of partnering with the Choice Hotels Foundation, and they have increased their support by over 50 percent,” said Rex Bickmore, executive director of MTC. ‘‘We want to make musical theater available to every child in Montgomery County, and the generosity of Choice Hotels is a tremendous step forward in making that happen.”

In salute

* Marc A. Fitzgerald has entered Basic Cadet Training at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., in preparation to enter the first academic year at the academy. The six-week, two-phased orientation program must be successfully completed by the cadets prior to entering their freshman year. The training prepares men and women to meet the rigorous mental and physical challenges experienced by new cadets. He is the son of Susan and Alan Fitzgerald of Old Stage Road in Rockville.

* Air Force Airman Francisco J. Orellana has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He is the son of Manuel and Sabina Orellana of Rockville and is a 2005 graduate of Rockville High School.

Youth Pressaccepting submissions

The Gazette Youth Press, which appears each week in the Gazette2 section of the paper, welcomes the creative works of students in kindergarten through grade 12.

We are interested in stories, photographs, essays, editorials and drawings created by youths. The work can be submitted by students, parents or teachers.

Anyone interested in submitting creative works for possible inclusion in The Gazette Youth Press, or any high school student interested in becoming more actively involved in the program, should contact Judith Hruz, Youth Press Director, at youth@gazette.net or call 301-670-2073.

To send items, mail them to The Gazette Youth Press, 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878; or fax them to 301-670-7183.

Items appropriate for this column should be sent to Judith Hruz, Editor, The Rockville Gazette, 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, Md. 20878; faxed to 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to jhruz@gazette.net. Deadline is Thursday at 5 p.m. Items are subject to editing and used on a space-available basis.