Maryland Community Newspapers Online
An evening of Halloween-themed treats for kids ages 12 and under will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Marilyn J. Praisner Community Center, 14906 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. Kids can dress in costume — or come as they are — for a night full of tricks, treats, dancing and crafts. Parents are asked to donate individually wrapped candy if possible. Call 240-777-4970 for more information.
Wanted: snacks for backpacks
Nonperishable snack items are needed for the Valley Brook Community Church's new project to supply five low-income families with backpacks full of snack items. The project gives donations monthly and organizers hope to expand their efforts throughout the school year. Donors can bring nonperishable snack items to the church at 3333 Spencerville Road in Burtonsville. Drop-off times are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For more information, call the church at 301-476-9499.
Local band wins
D.C. Blues challenge
The Big Boy Little Band, whose frontman is from Silver Spring, won the D.C. Blues Society's annual competition on Oct. 10, according to a press release. The contest, which has helped launch the careers of blues artists Susan Tedeschi, Watermelon Slim, Zac Harmon and the late Sean Costello, featured eight bands from the Washington, D.C., area, the release says. The band will go on to compete in the 26th annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn., from Jan. 21 to 23, 2010.
Burtonsville native receives $60,000 scholarship
Richard E. Mellish, a Cloverly native, received the Rensselaer Medal and a $60,000 to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. The Rensselaer Medal is awarded to a high school junior who is the school's most promising science and mathematics student, according to a press release. Mellish is still deciding between his options, but will be accepting the medal this weekend at the institute's family weekend, his mother says.
Free microchipping for pets adopted at humane society
Have you ever seen the joy of a family reunited with a long-lost pet? Microchipping is one way to make those reunions happen faster, and the Montgomery County Humane Society is offering free microchipping for dogs and cats adopted at the shelter this month. For more information, visit www.mchumane.org or call 240-773-5960.
Buy local bulbs, earn
local gardens funds
The Friends of Brookside Gardens, a support group of the public Wheaton gardens, has registered for the Bloomin' Bucks fundraising program by Brent and Becky's Bulbs. Anyone planning to purchase bulbs from Brent and Becky's Bulbs should visit their Web site, www.bloomin
bucks.com, and select "Friends of Brookside Gardens." Friends of Brookside Gardens will earn 25 percent of all sales designated with their name. This program runs until mid-November, so get spring bulbs orders in now.
Friends of Brookside Gardens taking orders for wreath sale
Back by popular demand, the Friends of Brookside Gardens will hold their annual Wreath and Centerpiece Sale from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12th at the visitor's center in Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton. Although the sale is months away, the group is already taking orders and will offer a $2 discount on all items pre-ordered by Sunday.
Two types and sizes of wreaths will be sold:18-inch Boxwood wreaths made exclusively by Friends members and 24-inch Balsam Fir wreaths shipped in fresh from Maine. Boxwood centerpieces will also be sold. To obtain a preorder form, visit the Brookside Gardens Web site at www.brooksidegardens.org or pick one up one the next time at the gardens. For questions, call 301-962-1435.
Montgomery College will
teach federal resume clinic
A comprehensive workshop on finding and applying for federal government jobs will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 17 to 19 at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center at 3300 Briggs Chaney Road. The three-session course costs $95 for Maryland residents. To register or for more information, contact Harriet Lebowitz at 240-567-2595 or harriet.lebowitz@montgomery
county.edu.
Evening English classes
open to Montgomery Residents
Interested Montgomery County residents can register for English classes to be held 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Episcopal Church of our Savior at 1700 Powder Mill Road in Hillandale.
The course, offered by the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation, in partnership with Crossway Community Center and CASA of Maryland, costs $20, but scholarships are available. Students are accepted on a rolling basis and can register by arriving 15 minutes early to the class location.
Noncredit Spanish classes
to be held in Briggs Chaney
Montgomery College is offering two non-credit Spanish classes to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday evenings at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center at 3300 Briggs Chaney Road. Spanish I (part 1) and Spanish I (part 2) will be held Sept. 21 through Dec. 14.
To register, go to
www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce/ce/foreignlanguages02.html. For information about class schedules or cost, contact Martha Price at 240-567-5515 or Martha.price@
montgomerycollege.edu.
Free legal advice for
low-income residents available
Low-income residents can receive free legal advice on the first and second Thursdays of each month, courtesy of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program in partnership with Eastern Montgomery Regional Services.
The clinic will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Dec. 3 and Dec. 9. A client intake must be completed before 6 p.m. on the night of each clinic. The clinics will be held at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Center at 3300 Briggs Chaney Road.
For more information, call the Pro Bono Program from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 301-424-7651.
Items for People and Places may be sent to Jeanette Der Bedrosian, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. The fax line is 240-473-7501; or e-mail jderbedrosian@
gazette.net. Call 240-473-7505. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.
Silver Spring learning center looking for high school tutors
The Gapbuster Learning Center in Silver Spring is looking for high school and adult volunteers to tutor young students.
Volunteers are needed from 3 to 6 p.m. High school students should be in grades 10 to 12.
The Gapbuster Learning Center is a community-based program dedicated to closing the academic performance gap of students in Montgomery County. For information on how to volunteer, contact Sheila Clyburn at 301-779-4252 or at gblc_office@yahoo.com.
For more information on Gapbuster Learning Center, visit www.gapbuster.org.