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News Clips Report

Date HeadLine Outlet

04/03/2009 TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.

Live Tonight - NewsChannel 8

04/03/2009 Inside the Beltway The Washington Times04/03/2009 JEOPARDY! AT MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S

GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.ABC 7 News at Noon - WJLA-TV


Live This Morning - NewsChannel 8


Morning Report - NewsChannel 8


Morning Report - NewsChannel 8

04/03/2009 Of Ambulance Fees and Recreation Montgomery County Sentinel04/03/2009 State's clean-energy center opens in Rockville Gazette, The04/02/2009 bride-to-be The Gazette Papers04/02/2009 Education Notebook The Gazette Papers04/02/2009 College Events Celebrate Arab American Heritage The Washington Post04/02/2009 Calendar April 2-8 Alexandria Gazette Packet04/02/2009 Montgomery Community Events April 2-9, 2009 Washington Post - Online04/02/2009 WHAT'S HAPPENING Washington Post - Online04/02/2009 Woman shares wool weaving, spinning skills The Frederick News-Post via04/01/2009 McDermott to headline spring Fitzgerald literary

conferenceThe Gazette Papers

04/01/2009 Padula said he wants to end ‘abuse' of District 4 The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 Montgomery College students share tales of life,

personal struggle in exhibitThe Gazette Papers

04/01/2009 People and Places The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 Education Notebook The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S ROCKVILLE

CAMPUS RECENTLY BANNED STUDENTS FROM SMOKING ON CAMPUS.

Live This Morning - NewsChannel 8

04/01/2009 People and Places The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 People and Places The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 Gangs, budget hot topics at candidate forum The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 People and Places The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 From All-Gazette to all over The Gazette Papers04/01/2009 Piasecki tosses no-hitter as ’Jacks sweep Rockville Chesapeake College04/01/2009 You've got art: County-owned collection of works

on displayThe Gazette Papers

04/01/2009 Activists see red over Rockville's green center Gazette, The04/01/2009 Clarksburg's future tied to hospital Gazette, The04/01/2009 COUNTY EXECUTIVE LEGGETT, MAYOR

O'MALLEY ANNOUNCE SELECTION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY AS HEADQUARTERS FOR

Federal News Service

04/01/2009 Education Notebook Gaithersburg High student shatters school's pi record

Gazette, The

04/01/2009 Facility will promote clean energy, but some say location is too isolated

Gazette, The

location is too isolated04/01/2009 Montgomery College biotech funding gets OK Gazette, The04/01/2009 Montgomery College Smoking Ban Lights Up

ControversyWJLA-TV - Online

04/01/2009 Teen among Edison students bringing home medals

Gazette, The

03/31/2009 MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S ROCKVILLE CAMPUS RECENTLY BANNED STUDENTS FROM SMOKING ON CAMPUS.

Washington Report - NewsChannel 8

03/31/2009 I'm going to Montgomery College for like an Live Tonight - NewsChannel 803/31/2009 Area Roundup — Hawks sweep Rockville The Herald-Mail03/31/2009 Community colleges do it cheaper Marketplace03/31/2009 Area Roundup - Hawks sweep Rockville Herald-Mail03/31/2009 Washington Area Schools, Including Hollin

Meadows, Take Lessons OutsideWashington Post - Online

03/30/2009 Weighing the costs of a college degree Marketplace.03/30/2009 A dream of dance fulfilled for Arden Courts resident Gazette, The03/30/2009 Planting the Seeds of Life Skills Washington Post - Online03/29/2009 At Area Schools, Planting the Seeds of Life Skills Washington Post - Online03/29/2009 SKY WATCH U.S. Naval Observatory Hosts Open

HouseWashington Post - Online

03/28/2009 U.S. Naval Observatory Hosts Open House Washington Post - Online03/28/2009 What’s doing at the National Cherry Blossom

Festival &raquoDCExaminer.com

03/27/2009 FMU to host undergraduate mathematics conference

WMBF-TV

TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.Live Tonight - NewsChannel 8

04/03/2009AUDITIONS FOR THE GAME SHOW START AT TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS. JUST AHEAD ON NEWSCHANNEL EIGHT. IT'S BEING CALLED THE ULTIMATE BIRTH CONTROL. WE'LL EXPLORE THE UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MONEY AND VASECTOMIES. PLUS, SLEEP DEPRIVED? HOW A NEW WATCH-LIKE DEVICE CAN KEEP YOU SOUND ASLEEP. s NEW TONIGH She needs medical care. She needs clothes and shoes to protect her feet. She needs to go to school. Instead, she crouches here, covered in dust, breaking rocks for pennies a day, day after day, after day. And she's not alone. Children International has identified thousands of desperately poor children, like Loveness -begging in the streets, lonely, hungry, sick and dying from diseases that we can easily prevent. But there is hope. Because when you sponsor Loveness, or a child like her, you'll change her life completely. Your sponsorship will give your child access to emergency food, medical and dental care, clothing, and the opportunity for the education she desperately needs. In return, you'll receive personal letters, updated photos and, of course, her love and gratitude. And now, you can find out if sponsorship is right for you, with absolutely no cost, no risk and no obligation. Simply call and we'll rush you the photo and family history of a special boy or girl who desperately needs your love and help. Then, if you decide to become a sponsor, your gift will be only 72 cents a day. That's only 22 dollars a month. You can help stop the suffering of a child in poverty right now. Please don't delay. Please call now. Find out if sponsorship is right for you, with absolutely no cost, no risk and no obligation. Call now and we'll rush you your free information kit. Call the number on your screen right now. Or visit us online. A child who needs you is waiting. Please call. AT LEAST TWO ATTACKS BY RABID ANIMALS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. AS SCOTT THUMAN TELLS US, ITS CAUSING NEIGHBORS TO FEAR FOR THEIR SAFETY. Oakton, Virginia 00 - 05 Jeanne Marie Corrado, Neighbor 17 - 22 Steve Guptill, Neighbor 26 - 30 McLean, Virginia 43 - 48 Jennifer Milburn, Fairfax Co. Animal Services Division 51 - 56 Ken Gazzola, Neighbor 113 - 118 SCOTT THUMAN 120 - 125 TRT 142 OC SOC TRT: OUT: THE WORD OF WARNING IS OUT TONIGHT, ON CARS, AND IN MAILBOXES. FIRST HERE IN OAKTON. WHERE ONE CAT HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR RABIES. AND NOW OFFICERS ARE TRYING TO CATCH AS MANY AS 30 OTHERS, LIVING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND LEAVING PET OWNERS WITH A PREDICAMENT. - 111946 I'm worried to leave her out, she's an outside dog. she usually stays out 10 hours a day, as you can see she's inside - HERE POLICE WENT DOOR TO DOOR. - 112329 I think it just makes you beware that if you see them acting strangely, you should, not approach them! - BUT THAT, JUST ONE OF THREE INCIDENTS IN THE PAST THREE DAYS. INSERT MAP/PREPROD HERE ASIDE FROM OAKTON, THERE WAS A RABID RACCOON ON BUENA VISTA AVENUE &POSSIBLY ANOTHER ON SOUTHRIDGE DR IN MCLEAN. - THERE A RACCOON RAN AT A 19 YEAR OLD, THEN HIS 12 YEAR OLD BROTHER. - ON BUENA VISTA, A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION. - "113120 was extremely aggressive came out charging lunging and attacking. when those situations happen you have to act instinctively for self preservation" - THERE, A RACCOON BIT TWO LANDSCAPERS AND THEN WHEN IT TRIED TWICE TO LUNGE AT AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER, HE PULLED HIS GUN AND SHOT IT. - 113628 it shocks me in that I haven't heard of it and there are so many dogs being walked up and down and I haven't heard any incidents WE HAVE SOME ALARMING NEWS TONIGHT REGARDING POWDERED BABY FORMULA.

News Clips Report

Inside the BeltwayThe Washington Times

04/03/2009Inside the Beltway

John McCaslin (Contact)

Friday, April 3, 2009

DAILY DOUBLE

"Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek is grand marshal of Saturday's always-spectacular National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade, which runs (walks, marches and floats) along Constitution Avenue from Seventh to 17th Streets NW, 10 a.m. to noon.

We have it on good authority that the furry red Sesame Street character Elmo will be on hand, as well as "American Idol" finalist Kimberley Locke, who will be singing "Band of Gold." Grammy award-winning disco diva Thelma Houston will also perform "Don't Leave Me This Way," fresh off the release of her 22nd album.

And talk about timing, the city's cherry blossoms are at peak bloom for the parade, which features dozens of other celebrities.

(Trivia junkies take note: After the parade, the quiz show master Mr. Trebek will be holding "Jeopardy" tryouts from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Montgomery College's Germantown Campus.)

News Clips Report

JEOPARDY! AT MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.ABC 7 News at Noon - WJLA-TV

04/03/2009THERE COULD BE MORE MOSQUITOS, BECAUSE BATS EAT THEIR WEIGHT IN INSECTS EVERY DAY. AMAZING. WE HAVE ALARMING NEWS REGARDING POWDER BABY FORMULA. THE CENTERS A CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL STUDY FOUND THAT TRACES OF THE CHEMICAL FOUND IN ROCKET FUEL OR FOUND IN FORMULA SAMPLES. IT COULD EXCEED WHAT IS CONSIDERED A SAFE DOSE FOR ADULTS IF MIXED WITH WATER. SCIENTISTS SAY THAT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF THIS CHEMICAL COULD END UP AFFECTING YOUR THYROID FUNCTION. IT LOOKS LIKE MADONNA WILL NOT BE ADDING TO HER FAMILY AFTER ALL. HER APPLICATION TO ADOPT A COND CHILD FROM ALAWI WAS REJECTED. THE JUDGE AND LAWYERS SAY THAT THE REQUEST WAS DENIED BECAUSE OF A REQUIREMENT THAT PROSPECTIVE PARENTS LIVE IN MALAWI FOR A LEAST 18 MONTHS. IT LOOKS LIKE REALITY TV IS COMING TO THE DISTRICT. AN ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION COMPANY PLACED ANDVERTISEMENT LOOKING FOR A PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT WHO IS BASED IN DCTHE JOB DESCRIPTION SAYS THAT THE ASSIGNMENT BEGINS IN APRIL AND LAST ABOUT 20 WEEKS, ND THIS ADVERTISEMENT, BUT THE BY, WHEN THE COMPANY RESPONSIBLE FOR AND TV'S SH MTV'S SHOW "THE REAL WORLD. " A SPECIAL GUESTS WILL BE JOINING US THIS WEEKEND FOR THE CHERRY BLOSSOM PARADE. ALEX TREBEK IS THE GRAND MARSHAL. WE ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE. YOU ARE NOT JUST IN TIME FOR THE POSSIBLE. WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THIS LITTLE SHOW YOU DO. WE ARE DOING TESTING IN VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND. THE PEOPLE WHO PASS THAT TEST WILL GET A CALL TO COME BACK AND INTO THE BIG TEST OF THE 50-QUESTION TEST LATER ON THIS YEAR. I HEAR THEY ARE ACTUALLY QUITE A FUN EXPERIENCE. WHAT DO PEOPLE EXPECT? THEY CAN ENJOY PLAYING THE GAME EVEN IF THEY DID NOT PASS THE TEST. PLAY THE GAME, AND IT WILL GET LITTLE PRIZES AND STUFF LIKE THAT. FOR PEOPLE WHO PASS THE TEST, THEY CAN AFFORD TO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU WERE WATCHING RECENTLY, YOU SAW A YOUNG MAN FROM THE DC AREA WHEN A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, AND A YOUNG LADY PICKUP $100,000. WE JUST TAKE OUR KIDS WEEK, WI 10, 11, AND 12-YEAR-OLDS, AND 112-YEAR-OLD $29,000. ONE 12-YEAR-OLD 1 AT $29,000. WITH THE TUITION AND ROOM RATES AT SOME OF THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IT'S, $39,000 WILL G A LONG WAY. ONCE IN AWHILE, YOU COME TO DC FOR THE GEOGRAPHY BEE. WHAT ARE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF WASHINGTON? I LOVE WASHINGTON, DCI AM OFTEN ASKED BY PEOPLE WHO COME TO OUR STUDIOS, "WHERE DID THE BEST PEOPLE COME FROM? " I SAY WASHINGTON, DCBY AND LARGE, WE GET MORE PEOPLE FROM THE DC AREA PASSING HOUR TESTS THAN FROM ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY. IT MEANS THAT THE CAPITAL HAS ATTRACTED THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST THAT AMERICA HAS TO OFFER. I WAS HERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO FOR THE GEOGRAPHY BEE WHEN WE HAD THE CICADA INFESTATION. THERE WAS NOISE THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND ALL THESE BUGS WERE FALLING ON THE SIDEWALKS. YOU WILL BE GLAD TO KNOW WE WILL NOT BE HAVING THAT ISSUE. IT IS ALWAYS FUN TO COME HERE, PARTICULARLY THIS VISIT, BECAUSE I BROUGHT MY FAMILY WITH ME. THE KIDS THAT GOT INTO THE CITY BEFORE, AND THEY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE PARADE AND SIGHTSEEING. A FEW YEARS BACK, WE HAD YOUR GOOD FRIEND PAT SAJAK. HIS PROMISE NEAR INDIANAPOLIS. HIS HOME IS NEAR INDIANAPOLIS. I AM ON THE WEST COAST. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW. IT IS TO 25TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR FOR "JEOPARDY! " SO IT HAS THAT THE SECRET. IF YOU WANT TO TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE, YOU CAN AUDITION FOR "JEOPARDY! " AT MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS. IFOU CANNOT MAKE A DOWNTOWN TOMORROW, YOU CAN WATCH THE PARADE RIGHT HERE WITH ALL OF THIS ON ABC 7 FROM 10:00 UNTIL NOON. ALEX WILL JOIN US IN THE HOSTS. DO YOU WANTED TO THE WEATHER, OR SHOULD WE LET ADAM? NO, BUT I WANTED TO ASK, DO YOU WANT TO TAKE OUR TEST? WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IS THAT PEOPLE FROM LOCAL STATIONS TO TAKE THE TEST WILL INVARIABLY NO OFFENSE HERE, ALLYSO LISON WHETHER PEOPLE SCORE THE PAST.

News Clips Report

TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.Live This Morning - NewsChannel 8

04/03/2009NOW WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET YOU TO SWITCH BACK TO CABLE? HOLD ON. HOW MANY HD CHANNELS? OVER 100. AND HOW MUCH CASH BACK? YEAH, (announcer)WHEN VERIZON BRINGS FIBER OPTICS STRAIGHT TO YOUR HOME YOU'LL NOT ONLY UPGRADE YOUR ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE BUT CALL NOW AND YOU CAN GET AN ASTONISHING $150 BACK. ENJOY TV PICTURE QUALITY PC WORLD CALLS RAZOR-SHARP, BLAZING FAST INTERNET, AND CRYSTAL CLEAR PHONE SERVICE. GET IT ALL TOGETHER FOR JUST, AND GET A PRICE THAT'S GUARANTEED FOR TWO WHOLE YEARS. PLUS ASK ABOUT ADDITIONAL PACKAGES WITH OVER 100 HD CHANNELS HURRY, CALL THE VERIZON CENTER FOR CUSTOMERS WITH DISABILITIES AT 800-974-6006 TTY/V TODAY TO GET FiOS TV, RANKED HIGHEST IN OVERALL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BY JD POWER AND ASSOCIATES. AND HIGHEST RATED INTERNET, SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? CALL NOW AND SIGN UP FOR ALL THREE SERVICES AND GET AN AMAZING $150 BACK. CALL THE VERIZON CENTER FOR CUSTOMERS WITH DISABILITIES AT 800-974-6006 TTY/V TODAY BEFORE THIS LIMITED-TIME OFFER RUNS OUT. IS LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM WITH A LOOK AT STORIES MAKING HEADLINES, BRUCE. UPDATING OUR TOP STORIES, THREE SUSPECTED THIEVES ARE BEHIND BARS. A SURVEILLANCE CAMERA CAPTURED THE ARMED MEN ROBBING AN ARMORED TRUCK OUTSIDE OF A WOODBRIDGE BANK OF AMERICA ON WEDNESDAY. POLICE SAY AFTER THE ROBBERY, AN ELDERLY MAN REPORTED THE LICENSE NUMBER OF A SUSPICIOUS CAR PARKED NEAR THE BANK, THAT LED TO THE ARRESTS OF CHRISTOPHER BLAKENEY, HIS COUSIN MICHAEL BLAKENEY AND THEIR NEIGHBOR CARLIC BROWN. FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW INSPECTING THE SISTER PLANT OF CALIFORNIA -BASED "SETTON FOODS. " COCKROACHES AND RODENT DROPPINGS WERE RECENTLY FOUND THERE. SETTON FOODS RECALLED TWO-MILLION POUNDS OF PISTACHIOS THIS WEEK OVER FEARS OF SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION. JEOPARDY IS HEADED OUR WAY AND THEY COULD BE LOOKING FOR A BRANIAC LIKE YOU. SO PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP AND GET READY TO "ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS". AUDITIONS FOR THE GAME SHOW START AT TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS. THAT'S AT 20-200 OBSERVATION DRIVE. THOSE ARE OUR TOP STORIES THIS HALF HOUR, FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD FORMER ILLINOIS GOVERNOR ROD BLAGOJEVICH INDICTED YESTERDAY NOW FACES FEDERAL CHARGES OF CORRUPTION. PROSECUTORS SAY BLAGOJEVICH SCHEMED TO AUCTION OFF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S VACANT US SENATE SEAT AND TRIED TO EXTORT A CONGRESSMAN. WITH MORE ON THE CASE IS OUR COLLEAGUE AT THE POLITICO REPORTER JOSH KRAUSHAAR, COMING UP, THE LATEST ON WALL STREET AND THE BIG BUSINESS HEADLINES, THE LATEST ON WALL STREET AND THE BIG BUSINESS HEADLINES, THE BIG BUSINESS HEADLINES, NEXT.

News Clips Report

TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.Morning Report - NewsChannel 8

04/03/2009REPORT, FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL MEET WITH LOCAL LEADERS TODAY, TO DISCUSS D-C'S GUN LAWS. DC DELEGATE ELEANOR HOLMES-NORTON IS HOLDING THE HEARING. THEY'LL DISCUSS AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD GIVE THE DISTRICT A SEAT IN THE HOUSE BUT ELIMINATE THE CITY'S TOUGH GUN LAWS. THE HEARING STARTS AT 10 THIS MORNING IN ROOM 21-67 OF THE RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING. AMERICA WELCOMES NEARLY 150-NEW CITIZENS DURING A NATURALIZATION CEREMONY TODAY. UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES OFFICIALS WILL PRESIDE OVER THE CEREMONY AND ADMINISTER THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO NEW CITIZENS FROM 48-COUNTRIES. THE CEREMONY STARTS AT 10 THIS MORNING. IT'S IN THE CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER. JEOPARDY IS HEADED OUR WAY AND THEY COULD BE LOOKING FOR A BRANIAC LIKE YOU. SO PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP AND GET READY TO "ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS". AUDITIONS FOR THE GAME SHOW START AT TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS. THAT'S AT 20-200 OBSERVATION DRIVE.

News Clips Report

TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS.Morning Report - NewsChannel 8

04/03/2009REPORT, FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL MEET WITH LOCAL LEADERS TODAY, TO DISCUSS D-C'S GUN LAWS. DC DELEGATE ELEANOR HOLMES-NORTON IS HOLDING THE HEARING. THEY'LL DISCUSS AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD GIVE THE DISTRICT A SEAT IN THE HOUSE BUT ELIMINATE THE CITY'S TOUGH GUN LAWS. THE HEARING STARTS AT 10 THIS MORNING IN ROOM 21-67 OF THE RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING. ALL FOUR CANDIDATES IN THE VIRGINIA GOVERNOR'S RACE WILL FACE OFF THIS MORNING IN A TOWN HALL FORUM. THEY INCLUDE DEMOCRATS TERRY MCAULIFFE, BRIAN MORAN, AND CREE DEEDS, AND REPUBLICAN BOB MCDONNELL. THEY'LL WILL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE. IT STARTS AT 8-15 THIS MORNING AT THE MICROSOFT OFFICES. THAT'S AT 12-THOUSAND-12 SUNSET HILLS ROAD IN RESTON. AMERICA WELCOMES NEARLY 150-NEW CITIZENS DURING A NATURALIZATION CEREMONY TODAY. UNITED STATES CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES OFFICIALS WILL PRESIDE OVER THE CEREMONY AND ADMINISTER THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE TO NEW CITIZENS FROM 48-COUNTRIES. THE CEREMONY STARTS AT 10 THIS MORNING. IT'S IN THE CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER. JEOPARDY IS HEADED OUR WAY AND THEY COULD BE LOOKING FOR A BRANIAC LIKE YOU. SO PUT ON YOUR THINKING CAP AND GET READY TO "ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS". AUDITIONS FOR THE GAME SHOW START AT TWO O'CLOCK TOMORROW ON MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S GERMANTOWN CAMPUS. THAT'S AT 20-200 OBSERVATION DRIVE. TOSS TO WEATHERÈN YARDS ON MONDAY FOR ORIOLES OPENING DAY. THE MARYLAND LOTTERY p RÒLLIN' WITH FABULOUS 50'S FUN@D GAMES TO RICAN CLASSICS p S@CRATCH-OFF. THIS EXCITING NEWÈNTER YOUR NON-WINNING AMERICAN CLASSICS SCRATCH-OFF FOR THE CHANCE TO THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH AT AN COULD WIN A NIFTY 50'S TABLE TOP JUKEBOX. SPEAKING ÒF WINNING. CONGRATU LATIO NS TO BRYAN BOUSHELL AND HIS WIFE DONNA FROM GLEN BURNIE, HUNDRED THOUSAND D@OLLARS FOR SATURDAY. THE p URSELF@!

News Clips Report

Of Ambulance Fees and RecreationMontgomery County Sentinel

04/03/2009At a time of fiscal crisis, nothing is more disheartening than seeing a half-hearted effort by county leaders to deal with the county's economic problems.

Such is the appearance given by County Executive Ike Leggett in re-proposing an ambulance fee to help his sagging budget numbers.

For those who've been sleeping under a rock, Leggett proposed months ago that the county charge a fee for utilizing ambulances in the county.

How it would work is simple enough; if you call for an ambulance, then your insurance company gets assessed a fee.

Those without insurance were worked into the formula, but what was glaringly obvious to everyone on the County Council was that the idea wouldn't work.

It was shot down as sure as if Leggett had proposed to outlaw crab cakes.

Everyone knows now and knew then that all the proposal would do is defer the costs. The insurance companies may have had to pay up front, but who couldn't see our insurance rates rising on the back end?

That problem and a variety of others led to the County Council shooting down Leggett's tepid and questionable proposal months ago.

But here it is, the beginning of spring, Leggett has a budget that he can't balance, and in an act of defiance and what appears to be desperation, he has re-inserted the ambulance fee proposition into his budget.

It certainly makes his budget numbers look good, but he knows this will never fly with the council. All Leggett has really done is toss the budget back to the council, and forced them to make the tough decisions he apparently didn't want to make.

He has washed his hands of the budget and given himself a political 'out' if things go south. He can always say, 'Well, I had everything worked out, but it was that darn County Council that changed my plans and ruined life as we know it in Montgomery County.'

It's a shame that he has taken this tactic, because there are plenty of tough decisions to make in the county. Leggett proposes increases for the fire and police departments, but cuts just about everywhere else. He has also proposed tuition increases at Montgomery College, and for families fighting to afford college it's a situation that puts another undue burden on the middle class.

Even with his cuts and his increases, Leggett couldn't come up with a budget he liked unless he tossed in the ambulance fees.

It will be interesting to see how the county ultimately deals with this problem.

Right now of course the council seems mired in another problem.

Merging the Parks and Recreation departments has been under consideration at some level, or discussed in some civic circles for many years.

Now it's taken on a life of its own and is seen, mistakenly according to some, as a panacea for the budget crisis.

Nancy Floreen, for one, isn't buying this idea and wants to know why in a time of fiscal concerns we are considering a move that won't save us that much money.

News Clips Report

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That's a fine question.

There are many fine questions out there and many voices of concern, from activists such as Robin Ficker, to more stoic members of the County Council - all of who are looking at a budget shortfall and struggling to provide leadership and answers.

Getting rid of the stipends for the Fire and Rescue Commission was an excellent first step in saving money for the county.

Many of the stipends the county pays to its various commissions is worthy of a second glance.

The county saved $100,000 this week with a swipe of a pen that eliminated stipends for Fire and Rescue commissioners.

If we are willing to re-evaluate other ways we spend money in the county we can make up the budget shortfall - and without having to resort to the fiction of charging for ambulance services.

State's clean-energy center opens in RockvilleGazette, The

04/03/2009Location draws fire from environmentalists

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The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville will be the headquarters for a new Maryland Clean Energy Center to promote green business, officials announced Tuesday, but some activists challenged the location as unfriendly to commuters.

'If the center were located at Twinbrook, eastern Montgomery, Prince George's County or Baltimore, it would also promote transit use, reduce the length of commutes and give economic development to places that need it,' Pamela Lindstrom, smart growth chairwoman of the Sierra Club's Montgomery chapter, said in a statement.

The center, which was established by state legislation last year as a quasi-governmental corporation, is intended to encourage clean-energy economic development across the state.

Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) told a crowd Tuesday outside the Camille Kendall Academic Center, where the center will be located, that it will recruit green energy companies, promote green innovation and entrepreneurship and serve as a resource to train a green work force.

The center's goal is to 'create good jobs, well-paying jobs that cannot be exported offshore,' he said.

Plans are still in the early stages, but the center will serve as a 'clearing house' to provide businesses with information on grants and work force training programs, said Kristina Ellis, spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development.

'There's no better place than here,' said P.J. Hogan, a lobbyist for the University System of Maryland, adding 'this is nine universities under one roof.'

Nine of the system's 11 colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs at the Shady Grove campus.

Johns Hopkins University's Montgomery campus nearby and Montgomery College joined in the winning proposal.

'Montgomery County offered the best community asset' to support the center's program, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) said.

Eight other jurisdictions competed for the center, but the Maryland Energy Administration declined to identify them, except to say that applications came from across the state.

Montgomery County government will contribute $606,000 over three years to the program, said Christina Twomey, spokeswoman for the Maryland Energy Administration.

The energy administration will provide the center with a $400,000 no-interest loan to be used as seed money; a staff of five, supplemented by student interns and volunteers, is expected to begin work at the center this year, Twomey said.

The city of Annapolis is offering the center free use of part of 500 acres it has designated as a clean-energy park, for which it is seeking a developer.

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A yet-to-be-determined demonstration site in Frederick and an incubator site at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County also may be used, Twomey said.

'As far as the center goes, we're very happy it's going to be in Montgomery County,' said Scott Friedman, co-owner of Greenavise, a Silver Spring company that provides green products and services to businesses and residential customers. 'A big part of our business is knowing what is coming, and the center will help with that.'

Tina Benjamin, Montgomery's acting director of economic development, heralded the county's selection as recognition of its 'statewide leadership in sustainable economic development and progressive environmental policies.'

But local environmental activists criticized officials for selecting a site that is not served by Metrorail and has limited bus service.

'Why aren't we sharing the wealth here?' asked activist Greg Smith of Takoma Park, who said he would have preferred the center go to an industrial site in Baltimore City or Prince George's County, where there is also an educated work force but more jobs are needed.

'The choice of this outer-suburban location is a wasted opportunity for Maryland to use public funds to address many public priorities instead of the single priority of clean energy,' said the Sierra Club's Lindstrom.

But Del. William A. Bronrott, who sponsored legislation to create the center, defended the location.

'The synergy in Montgomery County is a powerful force that is going to spawn the clean-energy economy that we need,' said Bronrott (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda.

Staff Writer C. Benjamin Ford contributed to this report.

bride-to-beThe Gazette Papers

04/02/2009Thursday, April 2, 2009King, Tracey

Doug and Nancy King of Absecon, N.J. and Joan Tracey of Emmitsburg are pleased to announce the engagement of their children Christine Marie King to Jeffrey Curtis Tracey.

The bride-to-be, a graduate of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, N.J., received her Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2001 from Villanova University. She completed her masters in information systems and library science at Drexel University and is currently employed as a librarian at Montgomery College in Rockville.

The prospective groom, a 1999 graduate of St. John's Literary Institution at Prospect Hall in Frederick, graduated from Villanova University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in astronomy and astrophysics in honors. He is currently employed with the U.S. Naval Observatory as an astronomer.

An October wedding is planned in southern New Jersey.

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Education NotebookThe Gazette Papers

04/02/2009Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Education Notebook: Silver Spring teacher is Leaders in Learning finalist| Montgomery College collects from the county for exhibit

The Public Arts Trust is pleased to announce the opening of an exhibition of works from the County's Art Collection at Montgomery College. The "County Collects" is a selection of works on paper (prints, drawings, and collages) that have been collected by Montgomery County since the mid-1970s. The exhibition began March 11 and will run through April 11 at the King Street Gallery of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center at 930 King St. in Silver Spring. Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public.

The "Works of Art in Public Places" program was begun in 1975 with $7,000 for the County to purchase works of art from local, area and national artists. The collection includes works by local artists Carla Klevan, Kevin McDonald and Raya Bodnarchuk as well as nationally known artists such as Jim Dine, Ilya Bolotowsky, and Ellsworth Kelly.

Pieces from the collection were selected by Montgomery College and the Public Arts Trust and will showcase the breadth of the collection. It is the first time in several years that such an exhibit from the collection has been put together.

The Public Arts Trust is administered by the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County. For more information about this exhibit or the Visions Exhibition Space, please contact the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County at 301-565-3805.

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College Events Celebrate Arab American HeritageThe Washington Post

04/02/2009Thursday, April 2, 2009; Page GZ12

College Events Celebrate Arab American Heritage

Montgomery College will host a month-long series of discussions, musical and dramatic performances, film screenings, book signings, exhibits and other activities to celebrate April as Arab American Heritage Month.

Topics highlighted will include "Postcards From America: A Lebanese Perspective," "Dubai Architecture," "How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America," "Identity in a Diverse Community," Hollywood stereotypes of Arabs, Arabian cooking, folklore dancing and using comedy to combat bias.

Events are free and are scheduled through April 29 at the college's Rockville, Germantown and Silver Spring/Takoma Park campuses. A full schedule is available at http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/newshttp:///files/PDF/AAHM__2009.pdf. For information, contact Enas Elhanafi at 240-567-1759 or [email protected].

'Jeopardy!' Auditions Planned for Saturday

Representatives from "Jeopardy!" will host auditions for contestants 18 and older from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday in the High Technology and Science Center at Montgomery College's Germantown campus, 20200 Observation Dr.

The first 1,000 eligible people will be tested.

The game show's Clue Crew will host brain games, answer questions, sign autographs and give out prizes. A "just-for-fun" version of the game will be available, featuring authentic "Jeopardy!" signaling buttons and categories.

During the event, Montgomery College will host an information fair, featuring representatives from the college's nursing, workforce development, continuing education and other programs. Attendees can find out about admissions, financial aid and other college services.

For information, call Kani Holt at 240-567-5348.

-- Compiled by SARAH MARSTON

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Calendar April 2-8Alexandria Gazette Packet

04/02/2009Fund-raiser. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. at Whole Foods Market, 5269 River Road, Bethesda. Whole Foods will donate 5 percent of all proceeds to Imagination Stage. Enjoy events by students, faculty and more of Imagination Stage.

Japanese Tea. 1 p.m. at Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. $26/person. Reservations required, 301-581-5108.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear John Kocur, the artist in residence. $10/person. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Thursday/April 2

Cabaret Act. 8 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore. See Bebe Neuwirth perform. $32-$78/person. Visit www.strathmore.org for more.

Blues Dance. 8:30 p.m. at Ballroom Annex at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Learn the dances and then enjoy music from a DJ. $8/person.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Hear Geri Allen perform on the piano. $25/person. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Discovery Hike. 10 a.m. at Locust Grove, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Children 3-5 can enjoy a rainy celebration. $4/child. Visit www.parkpass.org or 301-299-1990.

Friday/April 3

Contra and Square Dance. 7:30-11:30 p.m. at Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Enjoy live music to dance. $9. Visit www.fsgw.org for more.

Music Performance. 8 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear the soulful symphony. $25-$55/person. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Peeps in the Night. 7 p.m. at Locust Grove, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Children ages 6 and up can learn about animals in the park. Free. Visit www.parkpass.org or 301-299-1990.

Saturday/April 4

Theater Performance. 8 p.m. at the Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. $15/person. Comic plays by Precipice Improv theater. Visit precipiceimprov.com for more.

Park Movie. 4 p.m. at Arcade Building at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Watch a movie documenting the parks 115-year history. Free. Visit www.nps.gov/glec or 301-320-1400.

Carousel Tours. Noon at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. See how it was made, how it works and more. Free. Visit www.nps.gov/glec or 301-320-1400.

Nature Programs. Enjoy activities, stories, animals, hikes and more from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Free for members and children under 2, $5/non member. Visit www.discoverycreek.org or 202-488-0627.

Lacrosse Day. Lacrosse players of all ages can get free instruction from Gary Gait. Boys time is 4-5 p.m. and girls is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Both at Champions Field House, 40 Southlawn Court. Registration required, www.championsfieldhouse.com for more.

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From the Garden to the Bay. 1 p.m. at Bethesda Library, 6400 Arlington Road. All ages can learn about watershed gardening, recycling and more. 240-777-0970.

Watershed Cleanup. 9 a.m.-noon around the Potomac River. Visit www.PotomacCleanup.org or 301-292-5665 to sign up and for locations. Free.

Art Exhibit. Noon-5 p.m. at Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. see paintings by Erik Ramsey. Free. Visit www.yellowbarnstudio.com or 301-371-5593.

Climb Wall Weekend. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the old stables building at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Free for members and $5/nonmember. Visit www.discoverycreek.org or 202-488-0627.

Swing Dance. 8 p.m.-midnight at Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $14/person. Visit www.glenechopark.org for more.

Music Performance. 8 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. $25-$80/person. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Auditions. 2-4 p.m. at Montgomery College, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown. Audition for Jeopardy! Free. 240-567-5348.

Sunday/April 5




Cinema Art Bethesda. 10 a.m. at Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave. $15/person. Watch Roman De Gare. Visit http://CinemaArtBethesda.org or 301-365-3679.

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at Glen Echo Town Hall, 6106 Harvard Ave., Glen Echo. Hear Ed Trickett perform. $15/member; $18/nonmember; $10/student, child. Visit www.fsgw.org or 202-386-8252.

Art Exhibit. Noon-5 p.m. at Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. see paintings by Erik Ramsey. Free. Visit www.yellowbarnstudio.com or 301-371-5593.

Climb Wall Weekend. 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the old stables building at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Free for members and $5/nonmember. Visit www.discoverycreek.org or 202-488-0627.

Cajun/Zydeco Dance. 3-6 p.m. at Bumper Car Pavilion in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Price to be determined.

Waltz Dance. 3-6 p.m. at Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $8/person. Live music. Visit www.glenechopark.org for more.

Contra and Square Dance. 7-10:30 p.m. at Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Enjoy live music to dance. $12/nonmember; $9 to member. Visit www.fsgw.org for more.

Music Performance. 7 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear Mccoy Tyner Quartet. $25-$68. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Author Reading. 2 p.m. at The Writers Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. Richard Currey will read from Fatal Light. Free. Visit www.writer.org or 301-654-8664.

Tuesday/April 7

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Tiny Tot Tuesdays. 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. at Puppet Co. in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $5/person. Watch Clowning Around. Visit www.thepuppetco.org or 301-634-5380.

Teddy Bear Tea. 1 p.m. at Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Children can hear stories, listen to music and enjoy tea with their favorite teddy bear. $26/person. Reservations required, 301-581-5108.

Beastly Buddies. 10 a.m. at Locust Grove, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Children 3-12 years can learn about animals through pet rescue and more. $4/child. Bring a towel or blanket for a prize. Visit www.parkpass.org or 301-299-1990.

Wednesday/April 8

Teddy Bear Tea. 1 p.m. at Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda. Children can hear stories, listen to music and enjoy tea with their favorite teddy bear. $26/person. Reservations required, 301-581-5108.

Music Performance. 8 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear Krystian Zimerman on the piano. $27-$77. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Thursday/April 9

Blues Dance. 8:30 p.m. at Ballroom Annex at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Learn the dances and then enjoy music from a DJ. $8/person.

Basket Making for Children. 1 p.m. at Locust Grove, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Children 7-12 can learn to weave a paper basket out of grocery bags. $6/child. Visit www.parkpass.org or 301-299-1990.

Friday/April 10


Family Splash. 1 p.m. at Locust Grove, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Learn about some underwater animals. Children 6 and up. Registration required. Visit www.parkpass.org or 301-299-1990.

Bethesda Art Walk. 6-9 p.m., meet at Bethesda Metro Center. Free. Browse paintings, sculpture, photography and more. Visit www.bethesda.org or 301-215-6660.

Saturday/April 11

Music Performance. 8 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore. Violinist Nicolas Kendall will perform with the National Philharmonic. $29-$79/person. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Art Exhibit. Noon-5 p.m. at Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. See paintings by Jessica Rush. Free. Visit www.yellowbarnstudio.com or 301-371-5593.




Swing Dance. 8 p.m.-midnight at Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $18/person. Visit www.glenechopark.org for more.

Music Performance. 8 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear the National

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Philharmonic and Nicholas Kendall. $29/adult; child free. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Sunday/April 12

Art Exhibit. Noon-5 p.m. at Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. See paintings by Jessica Rush. Free. Visit www.yellowbarnstudio.com or 301-371-5593.





Champagne Sunday Brunch. 11 a.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear music by the artist in residence while enjoying brunch. $42/person; $15/child. Reservations required, 301-581-5253.

Easter Egg Hunt. 11:45 a.m. at Geneva Presbyterian Church, 11931 Seven Locks Road, Potomac, on the playground behind the church immediately following the 10:30 morning service. There will be three different kinds of Easter Egg hunts in three different areas of the playground for three different age groups of children, from toddlers to teenagers. 301-424-4346.

Monday/April 13

Brownie Try-it: Earth and Sky. 10:30 a.m. at Locust Grove, 7777 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda. Brownies can explore the watershed. $7.50/person. Visit www.parkpass.org or 301-299-1990.

Tuesday/April 14

Afternoon Tea. 1 p.m. at Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike. Hear live music and enjoy a tea. $21/person. Reservations required, 301-581-5108.

Wednesday/April 15

Afternoon Tea. 1 p.m. at Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike. Hear live music and enjoy a tea. $21/person. Reservations required, 301-581-5108.

Friday/April 17


Swing Dance. 8 p.m.-midnight at Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Admission to be determined. Visit www.glenechopark.org for more.

Blast From the Past. 7:30 p.m. at Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road. Enjoy a rock and roll revue. $20/adult; $14/student. Visit www.churchillhs.org or 301-469-1243 for matinee times.

Saturday/April 18

Art Talk. 10 a.m.-noon at St. James Episcopal Church, 11815 Seven Locks Road. Robin Russo will talk about silk. Free. Visit www.potomaccraftsmentguild.org for more.

Art Exhibit. Noon-5 p.m. at Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. See paintings by Pat Liebowitz. Free.

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Visit www.yellowbarnstudio.com or 301-371-5593.




Tiny Tot. 10 a.m. at Puppet Co. in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $5/person. Watch Clowning Around. Visit www.thepuppetco.org or 301-634-5380.

Swing Dance. 8 p.m.-midnight at Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Admission to be determined. Visit www.glenechopark.org for more.

Blast From the Past. 7:30 p.m. at Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road. Enjoy a rock and roll revue. $20/adult; $14/student. Visit www.churchillhs.org or 301-469-1243 for matinee times.

StoryTheatre Series. 10:15 a.m. at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. Watch Magpie. $7/person. Visit www.imaginationstage.org or 301-280-1660.

Sunday/April 19

The Language of Dogs. 3-5 p.m. at Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road. Learn about what dogs are saying. Free. Registration required, www.yourdogsfriend.info or 301-983-5913.

Bug Walk. 1 p.m. at River Center at Lockhouse 8, 7906 Riverside Ave., Cabin John. Discover the animals that people can find along the Potomac River. Visit www.potomac.org.

Reception. 6-8 p.m. at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Iconic Glen Echo Park features Daniel Schreiber's photographs of historic Glen Echo Park. 301-634-2222 or visit www.glenechopark.org.

Art Exhibit. Noon-5 p.m. at Yellow Barn Gallery in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. See paintings by Pat Liebowitz. Free. Visit www.yellowbarnstudio.com or 301-371-5593.

Critiques and Coffee. 10 a.m. at Photoworks studio in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. Bring a photo and get some critique from peers. Free. Visit www.glenechophotoworks.org or 301-229-7930.




Waltz Dance. 3-6 p.m. at Spanish Ballroom in Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $8/person. Live music. Visit www.glenechopark.org for more.


Monday/April 20

StoryTheatre Series. 10:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. at Imagination Stage, 4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda. Watch Magpie.

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$7/person. Visit www.imaginationstage.org or 301-280-1660.

Tuesday/April 21

Tiny Tot Tuesdays. 10 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. at Puppet Co. in Glen Echo, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $5/person. Watch Teddy Bears Picnic. Visit www.thepuppetco.org or 301-634-5380.

Wednesday/April 22

Music Performance. 7:30 p.m. at Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda. Hear John Kocur, the artist in residence. $10/person. Visit www.strathmore.org or 301-581-5100.

Montgomery Community Events April 2-9, 2009Washington Post - Online

04/02/2009LEGAL ADVICE CLINIC, for low-income community residents, consultations on custody and child support issues, financial problems, immigration and more. Clients must complete intake procedures in the first half-hour to receive assistance; sponsored in part by the Montgomery County Bar Foundation pro bono program. 5:30-8:30 p.m., Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Rd., Silver Spring. Free, registration required. 240-777-8400 or 301-424-7651.

USED-BOOK SALE, more than 20,000 volumes, including children's books, cookbooks, fiction, and scientific and technical publications; proceeds will benefit scholarship funds and research on women's issues; sponsored by the American Association of University Women. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. today and tomorrow; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Rosborough Center, Asbury Methodist Village, 209 Russell Ave. (enter at Lost Kinfe Road and Odendhal Avenue), Gaithersburg. Items priced as low as 50 cents; filled bag, $10, Saturday. 301-869-6039.

ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENT, the kickoff of a series of programs spotlighting the cultural traditions of the world's 22 Arab countries; Kareem W. Shora, executive director of the Arab American Discrimination Committee, speaks on 'Identity in a Diverse Community,' 12:30 p.m.; guitar trio performance and a student colloquium on Arab and Arab American issues, 2 p.m. Montgomery College, Theatre Arts Arena, 51 Mannakee St., Rockville. Free. 240-567-1759 or [email protected]. ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH EVENING EVENT, the first evening of the celebration features presentations by Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, president of Minaret of Freedom Institute, and Reema Ali, founder of the Ali and Partners law firm; entertainment and a reception will follow. 6-8:30 p.m., Executive Office Building, lobby level, auditorium, 101 Monroe St., Rockville. Free. 240-777-2584 or http://[email protected].

DIGITAL TV TECHNOLOGY TALK, Tom Scanlon, from the Federal Communications Commission, will discuss the June 12 conversion to all-digital TV broadcasting and explain how to determine whether a TV is capable of digital-signal reception. 1 p.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-8085.

OPERA CONCERT, the Forum Opera Ensemble, featuring mezzo-soprano Deborah Keiffer, soprano Barbara Collier, baritone Jonathan Paul and pianist Sue Petito, performs a repertoire of classical, bel canto and romantic opera. 1:15-2:15 p.m., Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton. $1. 240-777-4999.

CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT GROUP, for those who suffer with chronic pain, and their family and friends, a presentation by the Arthritis Foundation at a meeting of the Pain Connection Chronic Pain Support Group. 1:30-3 p.m., Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda. Free. 301-309-2444 or http://www.painconnection.org.

OLNEY PUBLIC MEETING, a discussion of the proposed renovation and expansion of the Olney Library; architects working on the design will participate. Sponsored by Montgomery County Public Libraries and the Department of General Services, Building, Design and Construction. 7-9 p.m., Olney Library, 3500 Olney-Laytonsville Rd. Free. 240-773-9545.

TAX-RETURN ASSISTANCE, for middle- and low-income Montgomery County residents, volunteers help with tax-form preparation; call for an appointment; sponsored by RSVP of Montgomery County and AARP. 10 a.m., White Oak Library, 11701 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-2577.

WASHINGTON NATIONAL PARKS TRAVELOGUE, a screening of a National Geographic video spotlighting the flora, fauna and history of Mount Rainier National Park and Olympic National Park. 11 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-8085.

GOOD TIMES SHOW BAND, a four-piece orchestra plays upbeat and popular tunes; audience singing and dancing encouraged. 1 p.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-8085. 'BETHESDA GOES GREEN,' third in a series of programs on the environment focuses on recycling, with staff from the Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services talking about composting, how to find recycled-content products and ways to reduce waste, 1 p.m.; and Battery Council International representatives giving a presentation on batteries and their carbon footprints, 1:30 p.m.; sponsored by Friends of the Library, Bethesda chapter. Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd., Bethesda. Free. 240-777-0970.

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TAX-RETURN ASSISTANCE, for seniors, AARP volunteers help with tax-form preparation; call for an appointment. 11 a.m., Long Branch Library, 8800 Garland Ave., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-2577.

CARIBBEAN CULTURAL PROGRAM, music, dancing and languages of several Caribbean islands featuring Goombay, an ensemble that performs on keyboard, steel drums and other percussion instruments while teaching phrases in Spanish, French and Creole, 2 p.m. The event is part of the library's 'Celebrate Many World Cultures' program; a book sale benefiting the library will be held 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Long Branch Library, 8800 Garland Ave., Silver Spring. Admission, free. 240-777-0910.

SINGLES DINNER AND MOVIE NIGHT, for separated and divorced men and women, a fixed-price dinner starts at 5 p.m., followed by a choice of movies at Regal Town Center; sponsored by the New Beginnings support group. 5 p.m., La Tasca Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant, 41 Gibbs St., Rockville. $30, includes dinner, soda, tip and a movie ticket. Reservations required. 301-924-4101, http://www.newbeginningsusa.org or [email protected].

JEOPARDY! AUDITIONS, for adults, Jeopardy! game show representatives will test 1,000 potential contestants and stage a just-for-fun version of the TV show, plus other brain games, with prizes. At the same time, Montgomery College will be hosting a college fair featuring representatives from various programs, including continuing education, as well as from admissions and financial aid offices. 2-4 p.m., Montgomery College, Germantown Campus, High Technology and Science Center, 20200 Observation Dr. Admission, free. 240-567-5348.

SPRING WILDFLOWER WALK, Marijke Gate points out Virginia bluebells, Dutchman's breeches and other spring wildflowers and discusses plant interaction during a stroll along the towpath and the banks of the canal and river; a Potomac Conservancy program. 10 a.m.-noon, C&O Canal National Historical Park, River Center at Lockhouse 8, 7906 Riverside Ave., Cabin John. Free. 301-608-1188 or http://www.potomac.org.

ROCK CREEK CHAMBER PLAYERS, a performance of Georg Philipp Telemann's 'Concerto in G Major' for four violins, Zoltn Kodaly's 'Duo for Violin and Cello' and Benjamin Britten's 'Phantasy Quartet' for oboe and strings. 3 p.m., Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bethesda, 8011 Old Georgetown Rd., Bethesda. Free. 202-337-8710.

JAZZ PERFORMANCE, Christiana Drapkin sings George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin and others. 1:15-2:15 p.m., Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton. Free. 240-777-4999.

POETRY AND MUSIC, poets Barbara Crooker and Rosemary Winslow read from their works, and Michael Davis plays classical guitar; refreshments served; sponsored by the Village of Friendship Heights and Word Works. 7 p.m., Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase. Free. 301-656-2797.

DANCE-STYLE EXERCISE CLASSES, for seniors, Marcia Young leads a drop-in exercise class to improve flexibility and balance. All routines can be followed by sitting or standing. 11-11:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton. $2 per class. 240-777-4999.

GAITHERSBURG SPRING BREAK ENTERTAINMENT, for children of all ages, Benjamin Corey sings, dances and performs magic tricks; part of the 'Schools Out for Arts' program. 1 p.m., Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Rd., Gaithersburg. City residents, $5; nonresidents, $6. 301-258-6394 or http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

RECYCLING TALK, Alan Pultyniewicz, a recycling coordinator from the Montgomery County Environmental Protection Office, talks about recycling, water use and waste management. 1:15-2:15 p.m., Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton. Free. 240-777-4999. 'COUPLES COMMUNICATION' WORKSHOP, social worker Marian Horton and life coach Clyde Horton lead a discussion and interactive exercises to show couples how to communicate more effectively, to build good will in a relationship and to speak for themselves rather than for their partners. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Montgomery County Commission for Women Counseling and Career Center, Suite 100, 401 N. Washington St., Rockville. $40 per couple, reservations required. 240-777-8300.

EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION, for adults, a librarian leads a discussion of Richard Wright's 'Native Son' (1940), a novel about Bigger Thomas, a black man living in Chicago during the Depression. 7 p.m., Marilyn J. Praisner Branch Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. Free. 240-773-9460.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SCREENINGS, for ages 3 to 9 accompanied by an adult, occupational therapists will help identify possible issues and suggest therapy for sensory processing difficulties, visual motor delays, and fine motor and gross motor delays. The Treatment and Learning Centers, Suite 110, 2301 Research Blvd., Rockville. Free, call for an

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appointment. 301-424-5200.

BACK HEALTH LECTURE, for people with lower back pain, physiatrist Ana Acevedo will discuss lower back pain and approaches for care; part of a Suburban Hospital lecture series. 1 p.m., Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase. Free. 301-656-2797.

CHESS CLUB, for age 8 and older, of all skill levels, learn how to play or play better. 3:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Long Branch Library, 8800 Garland Ave., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-0910.

HEALTH AND EXERCISE PROGRAM, for seniors, Chris Haynes, a nurse from Suburban Hospital, leads a weekly walk for exercise. 9-9:30 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 240-777-8085.

WHEATON EVENING BOOK DISCUSSION, for adults, a librarian will lead a discussion of Mariama Ba's novel 'So Long a Letter,' which is written in the form of a single piece of correspondence from a widow to a friend. 7 p.m., Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave. Free. 240-777-0678.

GLEN ECHO BLUES DANCING, for beginners. Blues steps lesson, 8:30 p.m.; DJ-provided music, 9-11:30 p.m.; no partner necessary. Glen Echo Park, Spanish Ballroom Annex, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $8. 301-634-2222, http://www.capitalblues.org or [email protected].

AUTISM-CARE RESOURCES FAIR, more than 50 organizations and businesses will take part in an informational program April 29 on recreation, employment, behavior management services, respite for families and other support services for children with autism; sponsored by the Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services Community Support Network; call by April 10 to request special accommodations. Universities at Shady Grove, Building II, 9630 Gudelsky Dr., Rockville. Free. 240-777-1216, TTY 240-777-1217 or Maryland Relay Service, 711.

BUS TRIP TO BROOKSIDE GARDENS, ongoing registration for a visit April 28 to Wheaton Regional Park's 50-acre display of azaleas, roses, a children's garden, a fragrance garden, Japanese-style plantings and the 'Flower Power: A Riot of Color!' exhibit in the conservatory; lunch will be at Westfield Wheaton Shopping Center. Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at the Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring. $7 (course number 235743), meal not included. 301-431-5708 or http://www.recweb.montgomerycountymd.gov.

-- Compiled by LISA M. BOLTON

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WHAT'S HAPPENINGWashington Post - Online

04/02/2009'MA LIEN AND THE MAGIC PAINTBRUSH' -- 2 p.m. Saturday. The Fun Company performs a stage adaptation of Hisako Kimishima and Kei Wakana's book about a girl whose paintings come to life. Maryland Ensemble Theatre, 31 W. Patrick St., Frederick. $12. 301-694-4744 or http://www.marylandensemble.org.

PASSOVER WORKSHOP -- 3-5 p.m. Sunday. Children will learn how to make matzoh ball soup, charoset and sponge cake with strawberries; followed by a search for the afikomen, with a prize for the winner. Young Chefs Academy, 5626 Randolph Rd., Rockville. $45; members, $35. 301-816-2433 or http://www.youngchefsacademy.com/rockville.

Dancing

'SUNDAY AFTERNOON WALTZ' -- 3-6 p.m. Sunday. A 30-minute introductory waltz workshop, followed by dancing to music by Blue Bamboo. Glen Echo Park, Spanish Ballroom, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $8. 202-238-0230 or http://www.waltztimedances.org.

'ZYDECO DANCE PARTY' -- 3-6 p.m. Sunday. A 30-minute introductory zydeco dance lesson, followed by dancing to music by Brad Randell and the Zydeco Ballers. Glen Echo Park, Bumper Car Pavilion, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. $15. 301-762-6730 or http://www.dancingbythebayou.com.

Exhibitions

PRINTMAKING AND BEYOND -- 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, through June 5; reception, 2-4 p.m. Saturday. Works in printmaking processes by Montgomery College faculty artists Nancy McNamara, Joyce Jewell, Wilfred Brunner, Mary Staley, Carla Klevan and Maureen Feely-Kohl. Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel. Free. 301-953-1993 or 410-792-0664.

'THREADSCAPES' -- Noon-6 p.m. today-Saturday. New ceramic works by Kanika Sircar. Waverly Street Gallery, 4600 East West Hwy., Bethesda. Free. 301-951-9441 or http://www.waverlystreetgallery.com.

BARBARA McCANN -- 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. today-Saturday and Monday-next Thursday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. The artist exhibits her abstract and representational paintings. Marin-Price Galleries, 7022 Wisconsin Ave., Chevy Chase. Free. 301-718-0622 or http://www.marin-pricegalleries.com.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PLEIN AIR ARTISTS -- 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays through May 17; reception, 7-8:30 p.m. next Thursday. Members of the group exhibit their oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel works. Gaithersburg City Hall, 31 S. Summit Ave. Free. 301-258-6310 or 301-258-6394 or http://www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

'A PROMISE OF SPRING' -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today and tomorrow. Watercolors and pastels by the Laurel Art Guild. Brookside Gardens, visitors center, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton. 301-962-1400 or http://www.brooksidegardens.org.

'LIVING ON THE WIND' -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today and tomorrow. Kandy Phillips exhibits her watercolors. Brookside Gardens, visitors center, 1800 Glenallan Ave., Wheaton. Free. 301-962-1400 or http://www.brooksidegardens.org.

'DETAILS, AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS' -- 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, through April 22. Montgomery College art professor Harry St. Ours displays his recent photographs. Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Visions Exhibition Space, 5701 Marinelli Rd., North Bethesda. Free. 301-565-3805 or http://www.professorharry.com.

'THE COUNTY COLLECTS' -- 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, through April 11. An exhibit featuring prints, drawings and collages from Montgomery County's Public Arts Trust. Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center, King Street Gallery, 930 King St., Silver Spring. Free. 301-565-3805 or http://www.creativemoco.com.

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Woman shares wool weaving, spinning skillsThe Frederick News-Post via

04/02/2009'> Photo by Graham Cullen

Rebecca Trussell spins wool at the Brunswick Southern States store on Saturday. When Rebecca Trussell overheard plans being discussed for a 4-H sheep shearing event at Brunswick 's Southern States store, she volunteered to demonstrate her wool weaving and spinning skills.

Trussell fell in love with textile work in the '80s, and it has been part of her life ever since.'I've sewn all my life but I fell in love with the rudimentary, craft part of it,' she said.Trussell, who lives in Rosemont , studied textile history in college and teaches it at Montgomery College. She drew a constant flow of spectators as she and her husband, Richard Cavey, and 4-H Clover members demonstrated wool weaving and spinning and felt production at the 4-H sheep shearing event. Trussell has also taught the 4-H Clovers Club of Jefferson how to produce felt.

She lectured onlookers while pedaling a spinning wheel, creating yarn from wool. Cavey and the 4-H members straightened, combed and fluffed wool fibers with a drum carder and made balls of felt.

Many people don't know how versatile wool is, she said. Most people would associate wool with clothing, but it is even used for heavy panels to build houses in some parts of the world, she said.

Trussell and Cavey participated in the 4-H event because they appreciate the role the organization plays in children's lives, she said.'4-H is one of the few places where kids can learn stuff, like the basic industrial process and agriculture, of course,' Trussell said. 'They learn how to create and design and what it takes to do something.'She said learning how to make things, employing ingenuity and education will help end the economic recession.'For a great family craft, idle-time child occupier, stress reliever, last-minute gift item, nothing can compare with making felt balls,' Trussell said.Felt is an ancient material and is believed to be one of the earliest techniques for making textiles, Trussell said. She invited the public to visit Cooperhewitt.org for information.'I think this is a good time for people to think about being creative,' Trussell said.

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McDermott to headline spring Fitzgerald literary conferenceThe Gazette Papers

04/01/2009Wednesday, April 1, 2009McDermott to headline spring Fitzgerald literary conference| National book award winner Alice McDermott will read from her work and lead a literary discussion at the Spring Event of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference.

The event is set for 7:30 p.m. April 16 in the Faculty Staff Dining Room of the Campus Center at Montgomery College's Rockville campus.

McDermott has been a finalist for the National Book Award twice and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice. She won the National Book Award with 1988's "Charming Billy."

Other acclaimed novels include "The Bigamist's Daughter," "That Night," "At Weddings and Wakes," "Child of My Heart" and "After This."

She will answer questions from the audience and sign books after the presentation.

The event is free to members of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference Inc. and their guests. Admission is $10 for the general public and $6 for students and seniors. Refreshments will be served.

Support comes from the City of Rockville, Montgomery College, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, The Gazette, the Rockville Cultural Arts Commission, Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation Ltd., Chase Hotel Suites and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.

To learn more about the spring event, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Short Story Contest or about the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/potomacreview/fsf_notice.html.

College, county to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month

Montgomery College and Montgomery County will commemorate Arab American Heritage Month with events beginning Thursday.

The college will offer a discussion titled "Identity in a Diverse Community" at 12:30 p.m. in the Theatre Arts Arena of the Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee St., followed by a Student Colloquium, featuring Bruce Adams of the County Executive's Office, 2-3 p.m.

For more information, call Enas Elhanafi, program coordinator, at 240-567-1759 or e-mail [email protected].

Questions wanted

for contest tryouts

Think you have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with Alex Trebek?

"Jeopardy!" will hold auditions at Montgomery College's Germantown campus 2-4 p.m. on Saturday.

The tryouts are open to those ages 18 and older with a photo ID, and selected participants will be chosen to compete on the show. Representatives of the show will see the first 1,000 people.

Tryouts will be held in Globe Hall in the High Technology and Science Center, 20200 Observation Drive. There will be a written test and "Brain Games" while contestants wait.

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Montgomery College will hold a Program Fair showcasing some of the school's academic programs during tryouts, and tours and refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Kani Holt at 240-567-5348.

Padula said he wants to end ‘abuse' of District 4The Gazette Papers


Padula said he wants to end ‘abuse' of District 4by Nathan Carrick | Staff Writer

Andrew Padula, a political advisor, activist and musician, is seeking the District 4 County Council seat because he wants to see better transportation and land use in eastern Montgomery County.

"Transportation on this side of the county needs to be fixed," he said. "We need some form of mass transit, and don't just throw buses at us."

A lifelong resident of the county, Padula said he is running for the seat left vacant by the recent death of Councilman Don Praisner (D) because he sees "a pattern of abuse developing using [District 4] as a piggy-bank for political favors."

"The eastern part of the county is the victim of poor planning and policy, and I'm sick of it," he said.

In 2008, Padula was the senior policy advisor to Steve Hudson, the Republican candidate who ran against U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D) of Kensington for the District 8 congressional seat.

Padula earned an associate's degree in mass communication from Montgomery College in 1983, followed by a bachelor's degree in media arts in 1987 from the University of Maryland. He received a certification from the Musicians Institute of Hollywood in 1991 and now teaches guitar lessons at the Music and Arts Center in Burke, Va.

He said the county needs to invest in planned communities on the eastern part of the county, like the Kentlands in Gaithersburg.

He would also like to see upgrades to roads in District 4, such as Route 28, Route 108 and Ednor Road.

One example Padula gave of his work as an activist was a letter-writing campaign to Just Born Candy, the company that makes Marshmallow Peeps. He said he was upset that the company was considering manufacturing some of its candy in China, so he wrote several letters requesting production stay in the United States.

He received a letter from the company telling him the enclosed sample Peeps were made in the company's Bethlehem, Pa., factory.

Padula also said he owns 60 acres of land in Texas for the express purpose of conservation.

Although Padula did not want to discuss the exact moment he decided to run for the County Council, he said his decision came after the field of candidates "started to round out" and he saw "no one was serious."

"I'm not in this to stuff my pockets, stroke my ego or promote a business," Padula said. "I'm in this because I live here."

Republican

-Residence: Silver Spring

-Age: 46

-Top Issues: Transportation and land use

-Web site: www.padula4mcc.com

-Contact: 301-233-5504

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Montgomery College students share tales of life, personal struggle in exhibitThe Gazette Papers


Montgomery College students share tales of life, personal struggle in exhibit

by Jeremy Arias | Staff Writer

For the last few weeks, visitors to the Takoma Park Community Center have gotten an exclusive look into the lives and personal struggles of 24 Montgomery College students and alumni.

The "Portraits of Life: Student Experiences" exhibit, spearheaded by the college's arts institute, features often-tragic stories juxtaposed with a now-positive outlook on the future. The students and alumni were interviewed and photographed over 14 months, leading up to the March 4 opening of the exhibit on display in the community center's entrance hall.

"These are people who have experienced things that nobody would wish on anybody," said David Fogel, who conducted interviews. "These experiences, while they will be a part of [these people] for the rest of their lives, don't have to define them."

Many of the stories, like alumna Usa Bunnag's, revolve around foreign students who fled wartorn or impoverished nations. Bunnag, 45, remembers being teased by peers for her dirty clothes and poverty growing up in Thailand. She now volunteers her time to ensure a better life for rural Thai.

"I go back twice a year," she said. A dentist, Bunnag's Bethesda-based nonprofit, Smiles on Wings, provides everything from dental and medical care to clothing and schoolbooks to rural Thai villages. "My goal with the nonprofit is to keep some of those young boys and girls out of the child sex-slave trade."

Alice Claudine Mucyo's portrait details her harrowing escape with her family from the mid-1990s Rwandan genocide. Now far from the killing and working toward a bachelor's degree in social work, Mucyo's warm smile and open attitude offer no sign of her violent ordeal.

"I remember when we were taking Claudine's picture, and she just knew exactly what to do," Fogel joked at the exhibit's opening ceremony as Mucyo blushed slightly. "She was born for the camera."

So far, two identical sets of the portraits have been made; the community center will host the plaques until April 20, while the second set adorns the walls in the State House of Delegates building in Annapolis, according to David Phillips, the college's Arts Institute Director.

Both sets of portraits cost about $60,000, which was largely paid for by the college's supporting foundation and a grant from the Carl M. Freeman Foundation, Phillips said.

He said he feels inspired by the students in the portraits and hopes the work will be exhibited for many years to come.

"We have students from more than 176 countries on our three campuses, and until you sit down and talk to them, you just walk by them like you'd walk by anybody," he said. "We all get caught up in our own stories, and it's helpful to see that other people have overcome greater challenges than we have."

Visitors to the community center have been quite receptive to the portraits. Takoma Park residents Randy Cleaver and his wife Beth Richwine came out to admire the plaques on opening night, strolling up and down the two aisles to read each story.

"It's been very interesting – eye-opening in many ways," Cleaver said. "They're all very compelling stories, how they were all able to rise above what happened to them, [plus] I didn't realize that there were so many students with different ethnicities going to Montgomery College."

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People and PlacesThe Gazette Papers


People and Places | Melissa A. chadwickE-mail this article \ Print this article

Recognizing Arab Americans

Montgomery College will screen "A Land Called Paradise" at its Germantown campus on April 14 in honor of Arab American Heritage Month.

After the movie, which won the grand prize at the 2008 One Nation Film Contest, Barbara Petzen, educational director of the Middle East Policy Council, will facilitate a discussion.

The free event is 1-3 p.m. at the High Technology and Science Center, Globe Hall, 20200 Observation Drive. For more information on this and other Arab American events at Montgomery College in April, contact Enas Elhanafi at 240-567-1759 or [email protected].

Questions wanted


"Jeopardy!" will be holding auditions at Montgomery College's Germantown campus from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday. The tryouts are open to those ages 18 and older with a photo ID, and selected participants will be chosen to compete on the show. Representatives of the show will see the first 1,000 people.

Tryouts will be in Globe Hall in the High Technology and Science Center, 20200 Observation Drive. For more information, call Kani Holt at 240-567-5348.

Share your good news! Send submissions to Melissa A. Chadwick via e-mail at [email protected], fax at 301-670-7183 or mail to The Germantown-Boyds-Poolesville Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Photos will be considered.

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Education NotebookThe Gazette Papers


Education Notebook: Van Hollen announces annual Congressional Art Competition— Bradford Pearson |

Northwest to host

education conference

Northwest High School will host the fifth annual Partners for Rigor Through Relevancy Conference on June 23.

Parents are invited to attend the conference, "Challenging 21st Century Learners—Connecting Classrooms," which will focus on challenging and engaging students and connecting classroom instruction to the global community. The conference will run from 8-4 p.m. at Northwest, 13501 Richter Farm Road, Germantown.

Scheduled speakers include economist Ronald Ferguson; Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy; Joshua Wyner, executive vice president of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation; Michael Martirano, superintendant of St. Mary's County Public Schools; 2009 Maryland Teacher of the Year William Thomas; and 2006 National Teacher of the Year Kim Oliver.

The event is sponsored by Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education, the Universities at Shady Grove and the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associates. Early bird registration is $20, including meals and materials, and ends April 17.

Contact conference coordinator Laura Grace at 240-632-6937 or [email protected] or visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

departments/cte/conf.

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MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S ROCKVILLE CAMPUS RECENTLY BANNED STUDENTS FROM SMOKING ON CAMPUS.Live This Morning - NewsChannel 8

04/01/2009AND THIS MORNING AT 10, THE CITY COUNCIL IS ASKING FOR YOUR INPUT ON A FIVE CENT GROCERY BAG TAX. THE NICKLE CHARGE WOULD BE TACKED ON BAGS PROVIDED BY RESTAURANTS AND FOOD RETAILERS. IF YOU LIVE IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA, YOU COULD SOON PAY MORE FOR ELECTRICITY. DOMINION VIRGINIA POWER IS ASKING FOR A SIX-POINT-NINE PERCENT RATE INCREASE. COMPANY OFFICIALS SAY THE RATE HIKE IS NEEDED BECAUSE OF AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR ELECTRICITY, AND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMS. BUT MANY CUSTOMERS AREN'T HAPPY. "It's concerning, and I mean with people already experiencing layoffs, cuts, bonuses and raises withheld, it's concerning, but what can you do? " IF APPROVED, THE NEW RATE HIKE WOULD BE PHASED IN OVER 14 MONTHS. IT WOULD EVENTUALLY ADD ABOUT SEVEN DOLLARS AND 54 CENTS TO THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER'S MONTHLY BILL. THE FBI AND HOMELAND SECURITY ARE MONITORING A MAJOR THREAT TO THE INTERNET, TIMED TO COINCIDE WITH TODAY'S DATE. THE GOOD NEWS: SO FAR, SO GOOD. BUT WE'RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. APRIL FOOL'S DAY IS BEING CALLED D- DAY FOR THE CONFICKER VIRUS. W HAT COULD IT DO, AND WHAT'S BEING DONE TO STOP IT? ABC'S PIERRE THOMAS EXPLAINS. TRT 149 SCRIPT: To understand the scale of this OUTBREAK, take a look at THIS HUGE COMPUTER SCREEN in the WAR ROOM of SYMANTECH, a cybersecurity firm battling what has been dubbed CONFICKER. 20:42:12 FEED/ 17:27:15 Pierre: "So these are all the place Conficker is showing up? 17:27:18 Geyer: "We've seen over three million computers world wide infected by the Conficker worm over the past several months. POSSIBLE CUT Home computers, businesses - 20:42:37 What has many security officials worried is that you may already have the CONFICKER' virus and not know it. 13:43:09 "this virus is like a sleeper cell in the sense that it breaks into innocent people's computers and just waits there until it's given a command to wake up and do something harmful. " Conficker is a classic BOTNET, malicious software, that allows a hacker to secretly control an ARMY of COMPUTERS. Analysts have been notifying clients, tracking the virus, trying to isolate and neutralize it. But the virus keeps MUTATING, EVOLVING. 20:52:32 3 takes So this is what the virus looks like? Yes this is the code. Hidden in the virus, analysts say, are instructions TIMED for activation, GFX #2 TODAY, April 1ST, APRIL FOOLS DAY. "On April 1st, it's going to wake up, look for other infected systems and call home for instructions. "20:43:19 There could embedded instructions to launch attacks to disrupt websites or your computer. GFX 3 OR, instructions to steal information from your computer, while you work on it, clueless as to what is happening. As you type, everything APPEARS on the hacker's screen. It's like something out of a movie 17:34:46 "Unfortunately it's real. " 20:49:15 ONE LOCAL COLLEGE'S SMOKING BAN HAS LEAD TO DEBATE BETWEEN STUDENTS, NEIGHBORS AND SCHOOL LEADERS. MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S ROCKVILLE CAMPUS RECENTLY BANNED STUDENTS FROM SMOKING ON CAMPUS. THEN, THE SCHOOL BUILT A FENCE TO KEEP THEM FROM VENTURING IN NEIGHBORING AREAS TO SMOKE. NOW, IT'S HARD TO GET TO THE CAMPUS, ROCKVILLE PIKE AND EVEN BUS STOPS. "I think the college needs to come up with a better solution, A lot of people use this as a pathway" SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THEY GET EMAILS FROM PEOPLE ON "BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE" EVERYDAY. MANY COME FROM STUDENTS WHO ARE OKAY WITH THE BAN, BUT DON'T BELIEVE BLOCKING SUCH A POPULAR WALKWAY IS THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. THE SAFETY CLAIMS OF BATTERY-POWERED ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES ARE UNDER FIRE. NOW, NEW JERSEY SENATOR FRANK LEUTENBERG IS ASKING THE FDA TO BAN THEM.

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People and Places | Robert Dongu

Celebrated sculptor to speak at Montgomery College

For the fifth event in its academic year-long Lincoln Bicentennial Commemoration, the Paul Peck Institute for American Culture and Civic Engagement will present sculptor Ivan Schwartz, speaking on "Sculpture and the Visual Storyteller."

The talk, from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. April 8, will focus on the new Lincoln sculpture designed by Schwartz's studio and installed at the Lincoln Cottage on Lincoln's birthday, Feb. 12. The event will take place in the first floor auditorium (room 204) of the Resource Center on New York Avenue at Montgomery College's Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus.

This program, which is free and open to everyone, is underwritten by a grant from the Maryland Humanities Council.

An independent artist and designer, Schwartz is founder and director of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based StudioEIS, which has produced hundreds of sculpture projects for major museums and cultural institutions in the United States and abroad.

Community members are welcome, and students are encouraged to attend.

Contact Francine Jamin, director of the Paul Peck Institute for American Culture and Civic Engagement, at 240-567-1385 or francine.jamin@

montgomerycollege.edu.

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People and Places | susan singer-bart

Naomi Brookner/The Gazette

And the question is…


"Jeopardy!" will hold auditions at Montgomery College's Germantown campus 2-4 p.m. Saturday.

The tryouts are open to those ages 18 and older with a photo ID, and selected participants will be chosen to compete on the show. Representatives of the show will see the first 1,000 people.

Tryouts will be held in Globe Hall in the High Technology and Science Center, 20200 Observation Drive. There will be a written test and "Brain Games" while contestants wait.

Montgomery College will hold a Program Fair showcasing some of the school's academic programs during tryouts and tours and refreshments will be available.

For more information, call Kani Holt at 240-567-5348.

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Gangs, budget hot topics at candidate forumThe Gazette Papers


Gangs, budget hot topics at candidate forum

by Amber Parcher | Staff Writer

Combating a perceived rising gang problem and balancing an education-heavy budget were two of the hottest topics at one of the first forums for candidates vying for the District 4 County Council seat.

About 35 residents attended the forum, which took place Tuesday night at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, writing questions on note cards for the nine out of 10 candidates who were present.

The Democrats at the forum were Montgomery County Board of Education member Nancy Navarro (Dist. 5) of Silver Spring; former Montgomery County Civic Federation president and civic activist Cary Lamari of Silver Spring; attorney Robert Goldman of Burtonsville; funeral director Michael L. Bigler of Silver Spring; and information technology developer and civic activist Thomas Hardman of Aspen Hill.

Del. Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Dist. 19) of Derwood wasn't able to attend because he was held up by votes in Annapolis, said Councilwoman Duchy Trachtenburg (D-At Large) of North Bethesda at the forum, who, along with County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), has endorsed Kramer.

The three Republican candidates included real estate broker Robin Ficker; artist and activist Andrew L. Padula; and entrepreneur and nonprofit organization executive Louis August, all of Silver Spring. Independent consultant George Gluck of Rockville was also there. He has been endorsed by the Green Party and is not required to run in the primary.

One of the first questions asked was how candidates plan to tackle the gangs in District 4. Some, such as August, who said his older sister was shot and killed by a gang member while teaching at a school in Detroit, said they'd promote a zero-tolerance policy of locking up one-time offenders. Hardman and Bigler said they'd help fund more police investigations; Bigler even suggested he'd bring in officers from New York or Los Angeles to help county police.

Some candidates said the problem lies not in enforcement but in youth support. Navarro said she'd improve coordination among county departments to make sure a teen suspended from school is still engaged in wholesome activities.

Lamari and Ficker said they'd work to keep youth busier with after-school recreation programs, and Gluck said he'd start education on the dangers of gangs as young as kindergarten.

The county budget deficit was at the forefront of one question, which asked candidates what they'd do to balance the scales that are tipped heavily in favor of the public school system.

The Republican and Green candidates agreed with Ficker that the school system has a "top-heavy administration" that could be trimmed, both in salaries and jobs. Padula said he'd consider compensating teachers with something other than cash, such as helping them with home ownership. August said he'd attract teachers not by salaries but by letting them create a green job center.

Lamari said he'd cut down on money spent on technology, saying the county bought the energy-saving Promethean boards, which are electronic interactive white boards, with money it didn't have.

But Navarro defended the high price tag for the county's public school system. It's one of the largest and best in the nation, she said, but teachers face huge challenges with a high number of impoverished and non-English speaking students.

"We enjoy a high-quality school system, and that does cost money," she said.

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A special election will be held to fill the seat of Councilman Don Praisner, who died Jan. 30 after undergoing surgery for colon cancer. The primary election will be held April 21, and the general election will take place May 19.

Stuart Rochester, chairman of the Fairland Master Plan Committee, said he was impressed by the number of "excellent candidates" on both sides of the aisle, and that many candidates he hadn't previously heard of gave well thought-out answers to questions.

Rochester said the forum cemented some clear choices for voters, mainly between those who want to be frugal in growth and spending and those who don't.

"I think we got some good choices," he said.

Republican Louis "Lou" August of Colesville is hoping to use his background in technology to bring innovative changes to Montgomery County.

August never sought public office before this race to fill the District 4 seat left vacant by the death of Councilman Don Praisner (D), but said he decided to do so because he believes he can make a difference.

"For a long time, I have been concerned about the direction in which the world is going, the rate of change and how we are addressing that," he said. "I think both parties have been looking at old models, but we need to be looking at new ways to solve problems."

August said he is concerned over the county's budget deficit and the way businesses are viewed. He said that local businesses need a county government that understands their needs and creates an environment conducive to business, while addressing wider community needs.

"I've run a business and had to make tough decisions, and that's what is going to need to happen with a $500 million budget deficit," he said.

August is the director of information services for development and partnerships for Save the Children Inc., an international nonprofit that provides humanitarian services to more than 50 countries in the developing world and the United States.

Education is one of his key concerns. His focus is not only on quality teachers, buildings and instructional materials, but in taking an aggressive stand on behavior issues.

"In U.S. schools, I think we have lost something," he said. "We have a high tolerance for behavioral issues and I think that hurts our children's education. I'm concerned about our own children's ability to compete, and believe we need aggressive intervention at the early ages."

August would also like to incorporate more parental involvement and work-based learning experiences into county schools.

He is also the founder and president of the Wilderness Technology Alliance, which sets up technology enterprises for schools. Through the program, he created a partnership with the Community for Creative Non-Violence and began operations of a high technology company operated and managed by residents of the homeless shelter.

August grew up in Detroit. He founded a company that provided technological solutions to businesses and schools in Los Angeles, and later moved it to Seattle.

His wife Monique grew up in Kensington, so when the opportunity arose, they moved back to the area seven years ago. They have four children attending county public schools.

"If voters give me a chance, I promise that I will give this everything I've got," he said.

-Party: Republican

-Residence: Colesville

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-Age: 50

-Top issues: Fiscal responsibility, improved business climate, education

-Web site: www.louaugust.com

-E-mail: 301-879-3331 or [email protected]

After Montgomery County voters passed Robin Ficker's property tax-limiting amendment in November despite opposition from virtually every county official, the Republican candidate claims he is the person who is truly in touch with county residents.

The so-called "Ficker Amendment," which requires all nine members of the County Council to approve a budget that exceeds the county's charter limit on property tax collections, passed by 51 percent of the vote — for the first time in more than 30 years since Ficker has tried to get property tax limits approved in the county.

The real estate broker and lawyer said he will be sure to "protect" homeowners much the same way on the council.

"I think the council is interested in using homeowners as an ATM," Ficker said about why he's running for the District 4 seat during the special election. "I didn't think that homeowners could wait until December 2010 to have a friend on the council."

Regular elections for council seats are set for November of next year. The special election is being held this year to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Don Praisner (D).

If elected, Ficker, 65, said he plans to oppose any tax hikes on residents, saying the county is spending money like the stock market is soaring.

Instead, he'll help balance the county's ever-increasing budget deficit by reining in unnecessary spending, he said.

Formerly a Boyds resident, Ficker relocated to Fairland for the District 4 election, a neighborhood he said he has lived in "off and on" since the 1960s.

Ficker served as a Republican in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1979 to 1983 and has run for various public offices ever since, including a 2006 failed bid as an independent for Montgomery County executive.

He's had a lengthy legal career that includes being appointed the first legal counsel for the National Caucus on Black Aged in 1974, a position Ficker said will help him represent the diverse population in the eastern part of the county.

-Party: Republican


-Age: 65

-Top issues: Keeping property taxes down, advocating for a tax credit for first-time home buyers, establishing a permanent council committee to monitor waste and duplication

-Web site: www.robinrealty.org

-E-mail: 301-652-1500, [email protected]

George Gluck has lived in Rockville since 1968 and says he and his family feel a strong connection to Montgomery County.

"We've got roots here and reasons to be concerned about what happens in the county," he said.

Gluck, a mathematician and computer analyst who works as an independent consultant, said he pondered his retirement and how he could make the best use of that time. He thought about spending time with his five grandchildren or teaching, but eventually decided his golden years would be best spent serving the people of the county by filling the District 4 seat

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left empty by the death of County Councilman Don Praisner.

His three major issues are protecting the environment, focusing on the economy and education, the latter of which is "close to his heart," he said. His two children graduated from Rockville High School and his wife and daughter are math teachers at Thomas W. Pyle Middle School in Bethesda. He said he has also occasionally filled in for his wife as a substitute teacher.

"I think education is the best way to promote equality and it's one good way people can pursue happiness," Gluck said.

The 62-year-old Rockville resident said education helped him get to where he is today. He has 42 years of experience in mathematics and computers under his belt and said he knows how to work his way through a problem.

"If I get elected, I promise to be a problem-solver and not a politician, although I will listen to my constituents and their concerns," he said.

Gluck said the Green Party stresses decentralization, ecological wisdom, social justice and other values and he thinks the county could use a "progressive thinker" like him.

"Times are tough right now and I think we need to go back to the measures that helped the country get through the Great Depression and those were progressive measures," he said.

Although he had received no major endorsements at Gazette press time, Gluck said he has received encouragement in his bid from Bill Sher, a former member of the County Council and a fellow congregant at Kol Shalom, a synagogue that holds services at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington in Rockville. Gluck served two years as chair of the synagogue's social action committee.

As the only candidate of the Green Party, he will not run in the April 21 primary election, but will advance directly to the general election May 19.

-Party: Green

-Residence: Rockville

-Age: 62

-Top issues: Protecting the environment, the economy and education

-Web site: www.georgegluck.com

-E-mail: [email protected]

Andrew Padula, a political advisor, activist and musician, is seeking the District 4 County Council seat because he wants to see better transportation and land use in eastern Montgomery County.

"Transportation on this side of the county needs to be fixed," he said. "We need some form of mass transit, and don't just throw buses at us."

A lifelong resident of the county, Padula said he is running for the seat left vacant by the recent death of Councilman Don Praisner (D) because he sees "a pattern of abuse developing using [District 4] as a piggy-bank for political favors."

"The eastern part of the county is the victim of poor planning and policy, and I'm sick of it," he said.

In 2008, Padula was the senior policy advisor to Steve Hudson, the Republican candidate who ran against U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D) of Kensington for the District 8 congressional seat.

Padula earned an associate's degree in mass communication from Montgomery College in 1983, followed by a bachelor's degree in media arts in 1987 from the University of Maryland. He received a certification from the Musicians Institute of Hollywood in 1991 and now teaches guitar lessons at the Music and Arts Center in Burke, Va.

He said the county needs to invest in planned communities on the eastern part of the county, like the Kentlands in

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Gaithersburg.

He would also like to see upgrades to roads in District 4, such as Route 28, Route 108 and Ednor Road.

One example Padula gave of his work as an activist was a letter-writing campaign to Just Born Candy, the company that makes Marshmallow Peeps. He said he was upset that the company was considering manufacturing some of its candy in China, so he wrote several letters requesting production stay in the United States.

He received a letter from the company telling him the enclosed sample Peeps were made in the company's Bethlehem, Pa., factory.

Padula also said he owns 60 acres of land in Texas for the express purpose of conservation.

Although Padula did not want to discuss the exact moment he decided to run for the County Council, he said his decision came after the field of candidates "started to round out" and he saw "no one was serious."

"I'm not in this to stuff my pockets, stroke my ego or promote a business," Padula said. "I'm in this because I live here."

-Party:Republican


-Age: 46

-Top issues: Transportation and land use

-Web site: www.padula4mcc.com

-Phone: 301-233-5504

A debate for the District 4 special election will be held at 7:30 p.m.

at the AFI Silver Theatre and

Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring. The Young Democrats of Montgomery County is sponsoring the event.



People and Places | Judith hruz

College, county to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month

Montgomery College and Montgomery County will commemorate Arab American Heritage Month with events beginning Thursday.

The college will offer a discussion titled "Identity in a Diverse Community" at 12:30 p.m. in the Theatre Arts Arena of the Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee St., followed by a Student Colloquium, featuring Bruce Adams of the County Executive's Office, 2-3 p.m.

For more information, call Enas Elhanafi, program coordinator, at 240-567-1759 or e-mail enas.elhanafi

@montgomerycollege.edu.

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From All-Gazette to all overThe Gazette Papers


From All-Gazette to all over

by James Peters | Staff Writer

The uniform colors have changed from blue and gold to orange and purple, and the competition level has skyrocketed. But former Gaithersburg baseball standout Kevin Brady's lofty performance level has remained the same at Clemson (S.C.) University.

Brady finished high school with a career earned-run average of 1.05, with 19 wins and 249 strikeouts. The 2007 and 2008 Gazette Player of the Year has been equally impressive during his brief time on the mound this spring for the Tigers.

Through the team's double-header sweep of Boston College on Saturday, Brady had compiled a 1.69 ERA over 10 2/3 innings. He has made four appearances — three of them starts — as a midweek starter, which is the equivalent of a mid-rotation starter in the Major Leagues.

He has allowed two earned runs with eight strikeouts and five walks. Brady's longest outing came Feb. 25, when he went 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with three strikeouts. He last pitched March 11 against Michigan State, allowing no runs and no hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.

Also like his high school career, the hard-throwing right-hander is experiencing plenty of team success. Clemson had compiled an 18-7 overall record and a 7-5 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference, placing it first in the league's Atlantic Division.

An all-star in the Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League last summer, Brady chose Clemson over numerous other Division I college programs and the Baltimore Orioles, who drafted him in the 44th round of last year's June draft.

Brady is one of six 2008 All-Gazette first-teamers playing college baseball this spring.

Former Sherwood infielder/outfielder Tom Gilchrist is the starting center fielder and closer for former Montgomery College-Germantown coach Tom Cassera at Colorado Northwestern Junior College.

Gilchrist was a key member of last year's 4A state championship team, but did not pitch for the Warriors. He has a 1-0 record and 13/50 ERA in 5 1/3 innings of relief for the Spartans. He has also started 29 of 31 games in center field and was batting .162 with six runs, six doubles and six runs batted in.

"It's going really well right now," said Gilchrist, a two-time Team Maryland member. "It's the toughest competition I've ever played against in my life. We played a team with 17 potential draft picks and a pitching staff with guys throwing 92 [miles per hour]. …

"It's kind of hectic playing a role I've never played before. It's a little more challenging. Coach Cassera said it gives you one more thing to get looked at [by scouts]."

Gilchrist's double-play partner at Sherwood, John Wagner, and former Magruder left-handed pitcher Brian Brusoe are also at the junior college level, though much closer to home. They play for Dan Rascher at MC-Germantown (11-6 through Saturday), which has reached the NJCAA World Series the past three seasons.

Wagner has helped spark the team's offense, batting .358 with 14 runs, nine RBI and five stolen bases through Saturday. Brusoe has become one of the team's top starters, going 2-3 with 4.00 ERA. He had struck out 19 batters in 27 innings.

"Johnny is doing a great job at second base," Rascher said. "He's making a good adjustment to college baseball. He's doing really well. Brian has fallen on some hard luck in terms of wins and losses. He's 2-3. That's not indicative of how

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he's pitching. We haven't backed him up and we've lost some real close games we should have won."

After being front-line players at Damascus and Blake, respectively, outfielder Shane Boyd and left-handed pitcher Ryan Rehman have settled into reserve roles. Boyd has been used primarily as a late-game defensive replacement at Frostburg University. He has collected a double in six at-bats spanning 12 appearances.

Rehman, the ace for Blake last year, had appeared in 11 games, including two starts, for Shippensburg (Pa.) University. He carried a 1-1 record with a 3.60 ERA in 20 innings, surrendering just eight earned runs but issuing 23 walks.

Former Good Counsel catcher Danny Angle is currently on the United States Naval Academy roster, but had not seen any action through the weekend.

A trio of last year's first-team performers — Wootton's Michael Campos, Quince Orchard's Kevin Johnson and Clarksburg's Zach Skellchock — decided not to play baseball in college, while former Whitman shortstop Matt Kaler has been sidelined by a viral infection that caused him to lose 30 pounds, Vikings coach Joe Cassidy said.

Kaler has since transferred from the University of Massachusetts to Mary Washington College to be closer to home. Cassidy said he plans to play next spring.

Piasecki tosses no-hitter as ’Jacks sweep RockvilleChesapeake College

04/01/2009Piasecki tosses no-hitter as ’Jacks sweep Rockville

Buck’s two-hitter completes sweep, gains Chesapeake third straight win

ROCKVILLE – Melanie Buck was recruited as an outfielder and Jill Piasecki wasn’t recruited at all. Yet both are playing increasingly important roles on the mound for the Chesapeake College women’s softball team.

Piasecki, a walk-on who attended Kent County High School, threw a no-hitter for her second shutout of the season in a 9-0, five-inning win at Montgomery College/Rockville. Buck, who played at Lackey High School in Charles County, followed up with a complete-game two-hitter as the Skipjacks finished last Wednesday’s sweep with a 12-1 victory.

"I didn’t even know who she was," said Hayes of Piasecki, who struck out five and walked four while going 2-for-4 at the plate. "She’s got a lot of raw talent. She also has a lot of power and might be the fastest girl on the team. The more she’s played at this level, the more consistent she’s been with her hitting."

The sweep, which gave the Skipjacks a three-game winning streak, improved Chesapeake’s record to 6-8 overall and 3-1 in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference. Julia Carr went 3-for-4 while Antoinette Hughes (three RBI), Amber Johnson and Jordan Wright added two hits each in Chesapeake’s 14-hit attack. The Skipjacks’ followed up that performance with 18 hits in Game 2, highlighted by Wright’s 4-for-5 effort that included six stolen bases and five runs scored.

That was more than enough offensive support for Buck, who walked a career-high six batters but balanced that out with a career-high seven strikeouts in the nightcap.

"It was cold and it was windy," said Hayes. "Melanie wasn’t quite as sharp as usual, but she had a lot of pop on the ball."

Piasecki and Buck provide great depth for a pitching staff led by Wright, whose 2-3 record is less indicative of her ability than her 2.41 earned-run average, which is 10th-best in the conference.

"She (Wright) always gets the tough assignments," said Hayes, adding, "Jill and Melanie do a better job so far than any No. 2 pitcher we’ve seen around here."

Wright, who is also the league leader in steals, was the picture of consistency in Game 2. Three times she singled, stole both second and third, and eventually came in to score. Wright, with the conference’s fifth-best batting average (.596), scored in each of the five innings that the Skipjacks pushed across runs in the nightcap.

Anna Morris went 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI, while Carr (two RBI), Buck, and Lauren Howell each went 2-for-4 for the Skipjacks in Game 2.

"You win with pitching and defense, but it’s nice to score some runs," said Hayes, whose team hosts Harford Community College in a 3 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.

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You've got art: County-owned collection of works on displayThe Gazette Papers


You've got art: County-owned collection of works on displayby Chris Slattery | Staff Writer

There's a hush to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center on a rainy Silver Spring morning.

Upstairs, printmakers and lithographers make art in the big, sunny studios carved out from the former Giant Food bakery. Below, the King Street Gallery, all blond wood floors and tall windows, is empty despite the wall-to-wall art from nationally-known artists like Jim Dine, Ilya Bolotowsky and Ellsworth Kelly. There's a stunning color lithograph by Tadeusz Lapinski, the pioneering Polish-American artist who teaches at the University of Maryland. There are drawings by Kevin MacDonald, the late local artist whose work also may be found in in the collections of the Corcoran Gallery, the Phillips, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Baltimore Museum of Art. More than four dozen pieces on paper by contemporary artists line the gallery walls, and they all have one thing in common.

They're ours.

"People make fun of the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) and earmarks, but this is a wonderful earmark," says Joyce Jewell, a professor of art in Montgomery College's visual arts department. "This is Montgomery County's art collection. Isn't it cool?"

It is. All these works belong to the county because of a program that started in 1975. Jewell was at Montgomery College back then; she's an alumna who went on to American University for a bachelor's degree and to George Washington University and a master's in fine arts – and she remembers the program, which began with $7,000 in county bond money and matching funds from the NEA.

"There are some really well-known artists in the collection," she says. "Mostly prints, because the idea was to collect affordable art that could be displayed around the county — in public buildings, libraries, offices. The Public Art Trust is effectively the manager; the art work belongs to the county – and it has evolved into a very valuable collection."

Susie Leong, director of the Public Arts Trust of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, says that a Jim Dine etching that the county bought in 1975 could be worth tens of thousands of dollars today. She's seen Peter Milton prints offered for $4,000 and says the county bought Milton's art in the seventies and paid "$500 for the collection.

"In the past this program has provided financial support and encouragement to local artists," she says. "The county still tries to buy local artists who are good, but not ‘known' so the pieces will appreciate.

"The artists really like that, and when people see the work of an artist they like, it could literally be their neighbor."

Leong and Jewell worked together to prepare this show, finding and cataloguing works from all over the county. A few of the 500 pieces, Leong notes, "do need archival care.

"But we're on our way to getting the program in order."

Jewell, a Silver Spring native who can point out the gallery window at the house where she grew up, says some of her work is in the collection, although not in the show. Securing the art is a priority, but through the years, certain pieces have been lost, misplaced or perhaps even stolen. Bringing the art together, she says, is a good way to ensure the collection is maintained for the future, especially since the county continues to collect, with a focus on up and coming local artists.

"We want to raise awareness," says Leong. "And we want to continue the tradition of celebrating our local artists."

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News Clips Report

"The County Collects: Selected Works on Paper from Montgomery County's Contemporary Art Program" is on display through Saturday, April 11, in the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center's King Street Gallery, Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, 930 King St., Silver Spring. The exhibit is open to the public and admission is free. Gallery hours are weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 240-567-1368 or visit www.artsinstitute.

montgomerycollege.edu.

Activists see red over Rockville's green centerGazette, The

04/01/2009Facility will promote clean energy, but some say location is too isolated

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The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville will be the headquarters for a new Maryland Clean Energy Center to promote green business, officials announced yesterday, but some activists challenged the location as unfriendly to commuters.

'If the center were located at Twinbrook, eastern Montgomery, Prince George's County or Baltimore, it would also promote transit use, reduce the length of commutes and give economic development to places that need it,' said Pamela Lindstrom, smart growth chair of the Sierra Club's Montgomery chapter, in a statement.


Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) told a crowd assembled yesterday outside the Camille Kendall Academic Center, where the center's offices will be located, that the center will recruit green energy companies, promote green innovation and entrepreneurship and serve as a resource to train a green workforce.


'There's no better place than here,' said P.J. Hogan, lobbyist for the University System of Maryland, adding 'this is nine universities under one roof.'

Nine of the system's 11 colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs at the Shady Grove Campus.

Johns Hopkins University's Montgomery Campus, nearby, and Montgomery College joined the University System of Maryland in the winning proposal.


Eight other jurisdictions competed for the center headquarters, but the Maryland Energy Administration declined to identify them, except to say that applications came from across the state.

Montgomery County government will contribute $606,000 over three years to the center under a memorandum of understanding with the state, said Christina Twomey, spokeswoman for the Maryland Energy Administration.


The city of Annapolis is offering the center free use of part of 500 acres it has designated as a clean energy park, for which it is seeking a developer.


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Frederick County officials said Tuesday their application was among finalists for the center and that they offered 'a move-in-ready office location adjacent to the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc., located on the campus of Hood College.' They said Frederick County will remain an active partner in the effort.

According to the center's mission statement, it 'will transform the energy economy in the state of Maryland by dramatically increasing the number of clean-energy-related technical innovations, entrepreneurial businesses, jobs and consumer adoption of products and services.'



'Why aren't we sharing the wealth here?' said activist Greg Smith of Takoma Park, who said he would have preferred the center go to an industrial site in Baltimore city or Prince George's County, where there is also an educated workforce but more jobs are needed.


But, Del. William A. Bronrott, who sponsored legislation to create the center, defended the choice of location.


Clarksburg's future tied to hospitalGazette, The

04/01/2009Adventist argues its upcounty plans were set before those from Holy Cross

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Illustration courtesy Adventist HealthCare

An artist's rendering of the proposed hospital site in Clarksburg. Buildings in gray denote the hospital complex.

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How the state rules on whether a hospital is built in Germantown or Clarksburg could drastically alter the community envisioned for Clarksburg.

If the Maryland Health Care Commission approves Holy Cross Hospital's plan to build a hospital on the Germantown Campus of Montgomery College rather than Adventist HealthCare Inc.'s plan to build one in Clarksburg, the community fears it would lose its last chance to become an employment center as outlined in the 1994 Clarksburg Master Plan.

'It's fast becoming a dormitory town unless we get some employment here,' said Kathie Hulley, president of the Clarksburg Civic Association. 'It's not even a town, it's just houses.'

The federal Food and Drug Administration was seriously considering building a campus in Clarksburg west of Interstate 270 when the Master Plan was being written. The county expected Clarksburg to become a balanced community with a mix of houses, employment and retail. It was to be a transit-oriented community so homes were allowed to be built closer together in a more urban configuration, Clarksburg ombudsman Kathleen Mitchell said.

'The county fights this all the time,' she said. 'When you do a master plan and you want it to come out balanced, it's very difficult to get it developed in a balanced way due to market conditions.'

Generally, houses are built first, Mitchell said. In Silver Spring, for example, office and retail development was more than 20 years behind residential development and only with the county's intervention did downtown Silver Spring become a vibrant mix of housing and businesses.

In Clarksburg, some of the transit plans have been scrapped and others, such as the Corridor Cities Transitway, are many years away.

'The Master Plan is a dream, but it's not a fiction,' Mitchell said. 'It's very meticulously thought out. Unfortunately, the county can't force things.'

The county Planning Board has allowed developer Newland Communities to remove office buildings from its plans for Clarksburg Town Center and plan a town center on a smaller scale than envisioned in the Master Plan.

Clarksburg residents see the Adventist Healthcare proposal as the last chance to attract a major employer. The first piece of its campus, a 100-bed hospital, would employ about 600, said Thomas Grant, hospital spokesman.

Stores and restaurants depend on customers throughout the day, Mitchell said. Without businesses such as the hospital complex, the community will not have the economic base to support them.

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News Clips Report

'Retail and office go together,' Mitchell said. 'We haven't figured out a way to make a community work without it. The small, little shopping centers will spring up and the downtown is never going to develop.'

Adventist submitted a letter to the state last week arguing against the Holy Cross hospital in Germantown and stating it has the better proposal for an upcounty hospital.

'Rather than looking outward with a focus on community need, [Holy Cross'] strategy is an inward-looking approach that seeks to maximize its own capacity and maximize market share, while at the same time blocking other health care providers from meeting community need,' the letter reads.

But Holy Cross officials contend they want to build in Germantown because the elderly population in the Gaithersburg and Germantown corridor is the fastest growing upcounty population in need of service.

'Our research is showing that is where the aging is going to occur,' said Yolanda Gaskins, hospital spokeswoman.

Adventist bought a piece of what was to be the FDA campus seven years ago and has been working with the community to plan a health care campus on its 60-acre site. It has received the major zoning, land use, traffic and environmental approvals required by the county.

Adventist questions whether the county would grant permits for the Holy Cross project.

'[Holy Cross] should be required to demonstrate that the project will receive the various approvals the [Adventist campus] already holds,' the letter states.

The lack of permits makes it impossible to know whether the project can be built as proposed, the letter states.

Adventist further argues that the Holy Cross proposal is too expensive at a projected cost of $3.3 million per bed versus costs of $1.5 million and $1.1 million per bed for the two most recently approved hospitals in the state. Adventist's proposed Clarksburg hospital will cost less than the Holy Cross proposal by more than $1.1 million per bed, Grant said.

Adventist will spell out the details of its proposal in an application it plans to file with the state April 10.

'For seven years Adventist HealthCare and the residents have envisioned a medical campus as an integral part of the community,' Grant wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette. 'Seven months ago, a hospital in Germantown was not on anyone's radar screen, including the county which was putting the finishing touches on the Germantown Master Plan.'

In its letter, Adventist argues its hospital and campus would serve the health care needs of the growing populations in Germantown, Clarksburg and Urbana and said it was partnering with Frederick Memorial Healthcare System.

Gaskins would not comment further on the letter and its contentions, saying she did not want to argue the matter in the press.

The Clarksburg Civic Association sent a letter to the state asking to participate in the Holy Cross case. Holy Cross responded with a letter saying it objected.

'We don't think they have standing for a hospital application in the Germantown area,' Gaskins said.

Holy Cross will file its response to the Adventist letter next week, she said.

COUNTY EXECUTIVE LEGGETT, MAYOR O'MALLEY ANNOUNCE SELECTION OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY AS HEADQUARTERS FORFederal News Service

04/01/2009ROCKVILLE, Md., March 31 -- Montgomery County issued the following press release:

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and the Maryland Clean Energy Center Board of Directors today announced the selection of Montgomery County as the new home for the Maryland Clean Energy Center (MCEC). Montgomery County competed to host the center's headquarters in partnership with the University System of Maryland and the City of Annapolis, and with support from a broad coalition of partners from the business and academic communities and leading policy makers.

"It is a great honor to be selected to host the Maryland Clean Energy Center headquarters," said Leggett. "Montgomery County is a nationally recognized leader in advancing clean energy and promoting sustainability, and we are committed to making our community a model for developing a 21st century green economy. No jurisdiction in the state can match the County's track record in successfully nurturing the growth of fledgling industries. Montgomery County, the University System of Maryland and the City of Annapolis offer an unparalleled package of resources, experience, partnerships and access to federal agencies that will help drive the future of clean energy and green technologies in the State of Maryland."

The MCEC headquarters will be located at the LEED-gold Camille Kendall Academic Center at the Universities at Shady Grove, one of Maryland's most sustainable and technology-enabled educational facilities. The Academic Center is ready within days to begin hosting the MCEC, offering a suite of fully outfitted offices and access to meeting rooms, classrooms and conference space. As part of the partnership, the City of Annapolis is offering access and free use of the 500 acre Annapolis National Clean Energy Park.

"Maryland has emerged as a national leader in smart, green, and growing initiatives, and this exciting announcement today demonstrates our unified commitment as One Maryland to this cause," said O'Malley. "These developments mark yet another large step towards increased green collar jobs for our workers and a cleaner, greener Maryland for our families."

The Kendall Center is one of the state's premier academic hubs, bringing together nine University System of Maryland institutions and over 60 academic programs. The Center provides access to the faculty and resources of three of the state's leading academic institutions: the University System of Maryland (USM), Johns Hopkins University's Montgomery Campus and Montgomery College, which were partners in the successful proposal. MCEC will also receive in-kind support from faculty, students, and County energy policy and economic development experts.

"Just as budgets must be sustainable, so must energy use if we are to protect the environment and human health," said Montgomery County Council President Phil Andrews. "Montgomery County has been at the national and state forefront in enacting clean energy measures in recent years, which makes us proud that our County was chosen as home of the Maryland Energy Center. The Center will catalyze the state's efforts to advance the development and use of clean, renewable energy."

The MCEC was established through legislation during the 2008 Maryland General Assembly session.

"There is no better choice than Montgomery County and the Universities at Shady Grove's LEED-Certified Gold building to grow our state's renewable energy supply, promote energy efficiency, and create green collar jobs," said Delegate Bill Bronrott (D-District 16, Bethesda), a chief sponsor of the Maryland Clean Energy Center legislation enacted into law in 2008 and a lead organizer of the effort to locate the MCEC in Montgomery County. "The synergy of our county's extraordinary tech community, institutions of higher education, and government at all levels will jumpstart and sustain this 'One Maryland' mission to green up our state's power grid, environment and economy."

The purpose of the MCEC is to promote clean energy economic development and jobs in the state; encourage deployment of clean energy technologies across Maryland; assist newly developed technologies with pilot projects; collect, analyze and disseminate industry data; and provide outreach and technical support to further the clean energy industry in Maryland. The Center will provide a coordinated approach to building a strong, clean energy economy in

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News Clips Report

Maryland through technology commercialization, business incubation and workforce development and training.

"To achieve the reductions in fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and secure energy independence, we must forge a clean energy based economy," said Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Director Bob Hoyt. "The Maryland Clean Energy Center will be essential to making Maryland an international clean energy leader, securing a sustainable, prosperous, and healthy future for our community and the state."

"The selection of Montgomery County as the headquarters of the new Maryland Clean Energy Center is recognition of the County's statewide leadership in sustainable economic development and progressive environmental policies that will help foster the growth of Maryland's emerging green/clean technology cluster," said Tina Benjamin, acting director, Montgomery County Department of Economic Development. "This new Center will help us move aggressively to develop, commercialize and deploy the green technologies necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move our country towards energy independence."

In February, County Executive Leggett officially kicked off the County's new Green Economic Development Initiative, a public-private collaborative effort to grow Montgomery County's green economy. Part of the Initiative was the creation of a Green Economy Task Force, which is comprised of public and private sector leaders and representatives from the academic, business, federal government and non-profit communities. The Task Force is working with County staff and consultants to craft a strategy to foster the development of a clean energy/green technology cluster and the growth of related green product and service companies.

For more information, contact the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection at 240-777-7700 or the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development at 240-777-2000.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- [email protected].

Copyright © 2009 US Fed News (HT Syndication)

Education Notebook Gaithersburg High student shatters school's pi recordGazette, The

04/01/2009Who needs supercomputers when you have Gaithersburg High School math whiz William Briggs?

The honors pre-calculus sophomore obliterated the field of 50 at the school's third-annual pi reciting contest on March 14 where students recited from memory the digits of Pi, the ratio of every circle's circumference to its diameter.

Starting with 3.141529, pi goes on to infinity. The human reciting record stretches beyond 100,000 digits, while the latest supercomputers have calculated more than 1 trillion digits.

With 675 digits this year, reigning champ Andre Benhaim, also an honors pre-calc sophomore, shattered last year's record of 499 digits. But Briggs had been practicing since the summer, and he took the game to a whole new level, reciting a mind-boggling 2,007 digits without a mistake, raking in a tidy $100 payday and bragging rights for a year.

Daniel Meksap, an honors Algebra II sophomore, rounded out the top three, with a nothing-to-sneeze-at 150 digits. Gaithersburg High's pi-demonium has become such a frenzy that math teacher Melissa Ashby expanded this year's festivities to a week to included a T-shirt design contest, poster contest, 'best pi presentation' (i.e., rap, poem, cheer) and 'most creative human pi,' where teams of students were challenged to arrange themselves in ways that represented the ratio. 'We're definitely going to keep this going,' Ashby said. Redland student to compete

in geographic bee

Jonathan J. Rodriguez, an eighth grade student at Redland Middle School in Derwood, will compete as a semifinalist in the 2009 Maryland Geographic Bee, sponsored by Google and Plum Creek. The competition will be held Friday at the Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville campus. Bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout Maryland to determine each school's Geographic Bee winner. School-level winners then took a qualifying test, which was submitted to the National Geographic Society. In each of the 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C., the Department of Defense Dependents Schools and the U.S. territories, the National Geographic Society invited students with the top 100 scores to compete at the state level.

Nanoparticles lecture at MC

A NIST scientist will give a free lecture at Montgomery College's Germantown campus on April 6 all about the little things in life.

Dr. R. David Holbrook, a National Institute of Standards and Technology research chemical engineer, will talk about the behavior of engineered nanoparticles, microscopic particles of metal, polymer or oxide, in an aquatic environment. The presentation is geared toward a non-scientific audience.

The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at the college's High Science and Technology Center, Globe Hall, 20200 Observation Drive.

For more information or to request accommodations for a physical disability, contact Susan Bontems at 240-567-7740.

Kindergarten orientation

Darnestown Elementary School, 15030 Turkey Foot Road, Gaithersburg, will hold its kindergarten orientation on April 21. Orientation is by appointment only. For more information, call the school at 301-840-7157.

Northwest to host

education conference

Northwest High School will host the fifth annual Partners for Rigor Through Relevancy Conference on June 23.

Parents are invited to attend the conference, 'Challenging 21st Century Learners Connecting Classrooms,' which will

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News Clips Report

focus on challenging and engaging students and connecting classroom instruction to the global community. The conference will run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Germantown school, 13501 Richter Farm Road.

The event is sponsored by Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College, Montgomery County Business Roundtable for Education, the Universities at Shady Grove and the Montgomery County Council of Parent-Teacher Associates. Scheduled speakers include economist Ronald Ferguson; Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy; Joshua Wyner, executive vice president of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation; Michael Martirano, superintendant of St. Mary's County Public Schools; 2009 Maryland Teacher of the Year William Thomas; and 2006 National Teacher of the Year Kim Oliver.

Early registration is $20, including meals and materials, and ends April 17.

For more information, contact conference coordinator Laura Grace at 240-632-6937 or laura_r_grace@

mcpsmd.org or visit www.montgomery

schoolsmd.org/departments/cte/conf.

Van Hollen announces annual Congressional Art Competition

The 28th annual Congressional Art Competition is now accepting submissions. High school artists who live or attend school in the 8th Congressional District are invited to submit work for the competition, which is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-Dist.8) of Kensington.

The winning entry will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and runner-up artwork will be displayed in Van Hollen's offices. A juried exhibition of approximately 80 pieces of the submitted artwork will be shown May 4-30 at The Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike in North Bethesda.

To participate, students must complete and submit an entry form at www.vanhollen.house.gov or by calling 301-424-3501. Entry forms must be faxed to the Rockville district office by April 17.

For more information, call the Rockville district office at 301-424-3501 or Linda Pepper, Congressional Art Competition coordinator, at 301-657-8650 or e-mail her at [email protected].

Share good news about your school! Send items to Melissa A. Chadwick via e-mail at [email protected], by fax to 301-670-7183 or by mail to 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Photos will also be considered.

Facility will promote clean energy, but some say location is too isolatedGazette, The

04/01/2009\

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The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville will be the headquarters for a new Maryland Clean Energy Center to promote green business, officials announced yesterday, but some activists challenged the location as unfriendly to commuters.

'If the center were located at Twinbrook, eastern Montgomery, Prince George's County or Baltimore, it would also promote transit use, reduce the length of commutes and give economic development to places that need it,' said Pamela Lindstrom, smart growth chair of the Sierra Club's Montgomery chapter, in a statement.


Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) told a crowd assembled yesterday outside the Camille Kendall Academic Center, where the center's offices will be located, that the center will recruit green energy companies, promote green innovation and entrepreneurship and serve as a resource to train a green workforce.


'There's no better place than here,' said P.J. Hogan, lobbyist for the University System of Maryland, adding 'this is nine universities under one roof.'

Nine of the system's 11 colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs at the Shady Grove Campus.

Johns Hopkins University's Montgomery Campus, nearby, and Montgomery College joined the University System of Maryland in the winning proposal.


Eight other jurisdictions competed for the center headquarters, but the Maryland Energy Administration declined to identify them, except to say that applications came from across the state.

Montgomery County government will contribute $606,000 over three years to the center under a memorandum of understanding with the state, said Christina Twomey, spokeswoman for the Maryland Energy Administration.


The city of Annapolis is offering the center free use of part of 500 acres it has designated as a clean energy park, for which it is seeking a developer.


Frederick County officials said Tuesday their application was among finalists for the center and that they offered 'a move-in-ready office location adjacent to the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc., located on the campus of Hood

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College.' They said Frederick County will remain an active partner in the effort.

According to the center's mission statement, it 'will transform the energy economy in the state of Maryland by dramatically increasing the number of clean-energy-related technical innovations, entrepreneurial businesses, jobs and consumer adoption of products and services.'



'Why aren't we sharing the wealth here?' said activist Greg Smith of Takoma Park, who said he would have preferred the center go to an industrial site in Baltimore city or Prince George's County, where there is also an educated workforce but more jobs are needed.


But, Del. William A. Bronrott, who sponsored legislation to create the center, defended the choice of location.


Montgomery College biotech funding gets OKGazette, The

04/01/2009The County Council unanimously approved $3.2 million in state and federal grants for infrastructure at Montgomery College's planned Science and Technology Park in Germantown at its Tuesday meeting.

The business park is a planned partnership between the college and private industry that will create 1 million square feet of office space on 40 acres adjacent to the campus.

Margaret Schoap of Dayspring Church in Germantown and Dolores Milmoe of the Audubon Naturalist Society testified that they opposed locating any of the business park or its infrastructure, such as an extension of Observation Drive proposed by the college, in a 50-acre forest stand on the campus.

'Montgomery College has been given a gift of 50 acres of mature forest and this acreage should be used to educate the public about the natural world,' Schoap said.

The supplemental budget appropriation only gave the college permission to access the funding for infrastructure, Council members said, adding that the alignment of Observation Drive will be discussed in the upcoming weeks during capital budget worksessions for the proposed road extension and public hearings for an update to Germantown's Master Plan.

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Montgomery College Smoking Ban Lights Up ControversyWJLA-TV - Online

04/01/2009ROCKVILLE, Md. - A smoking ban has led to controversy at Montgomery College between students, residents and school leaders.

Students at the Rockville campus were forced off school grounds if they wanted to light up, but that has led to a new set of problems.

A fence has been put up this week to keep students out of the neighborhood where residents say students were taking parking spots, playing loud music and even drinking alcohol. ABC 7 Talkback: Rockville resident Julie Lynch says she has walked and jogged the same path for more than 30 years but now she can no longer easily get on the campus of Montgomery College, Rockville Pike or even use nearby bus stops. 'I think the college needs to come up with a better solution because there's a lot of people who use this as a pathway,' said Lynch. Ever since the school implemented its no smoking policy on campus last August, students had been using the walkway and neighborhood to light up -- something that burned neighbors like Reid Miller. 'Some of them brought Hookah pipes, guitars...,' said Miller. Residents who live on or close to this cul-de-sac claim the students are to blame for the fence. They say their yards were being used as an off-campus hangout. 'It was a picnic every day,' added Miller. Now that the school has decided to block access, students like Orion Corbin are forced to find another spot to smoke. 'That was the only place that we could actually smoke that was off campus,' said Corbin. 'Every day we get e-mails and letters from people on both sides of the fence, both literally and figuratively,' noted Brett Eaton of Montgomery College.

Student Rebecca Hunter says she agrees with the school's smoking ban, but believes blocking a popular walkway is absurd. 'I think that smoking is people's own problem. [But] people need to go get across to catch the bus and stuff. Why should that have anything to do with smoking?' Hundreds of universities and colleges throughout the country are already using the tobacco-free policy. In Rockville, county and school officials are trying to find a location off campus where students can smoke safely.

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Teen among Edison students bringing home medalsGazette, The

04/01/2009Jordan Johnson, 17, has a national carpentry competition to win the Marines will have to wait.

The senior, who attends Thomas Edison High School of Technology in Silver Spring, recently became the school's first carpentry student to win a gold medal at the Maryland State SkillsUSA competition in Baltimore. The competition tests students in their career fields.

Johnson answered carpentry questions and built two retaining walls during the competition, in which students take a written knowledge test and do a skill-performance event that involves a role-playing scene. Seventeen students from the Silver Spring school won medals at competition, which was held March 20-21 at various sites in Baltimore; three won gold and 14 won silver or bronze.

Johnson, who wants to become a Marine scout sniper, will set his sights on winning the national championship in Kansas City, Mo., June 21-26. A member of the Marines' delayed entry program, Johnson was scheduled to start basic training in June but postponed it because he advanced to nationals.

Carpentry runs in Johnson's family; his father operates a carpentry business in Silver Spring. The SkillsUSA competition, which included a day of physical labor, served as good preparation for a carpentry career if he chooses to take one. 'It was definitely physical,' said Johnson, whose base school is James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring. 'It was actually pretty intense.' Attending Edison for part of the day allows Johnson to take a road less travelled than some of his peers. It also lets him earn credit for working at Zimmerman's Home Center in Burtonsville.

After working at Zimmerman's in 2007, Johnson took a job with his dad's business until times got tough. Johnson then came back to Zimmerman's, a hardware store near the intersection of routes 29 and 198, where he cuts keys, mixes paint, stocks shelves and works the cash register. 'It's different everyday,' said Johnson, who said he likes the variety of the work.

While Johnson built championship-quality walls, Edison student Angel Galvez, 17, of Wheaton, stunned himself by winning a gold medal in basic health care skills. The emotion reached its peak when he received the medal. 'I was shocked when they called my name,' he said. But Galdez kept his composure, answering questions about the human anatomy amid tough competition from across the state.

In the calm before the storm, Galdez sat down and listened to his iPod. Then he saw the parents begin to make their way to the crowd. 'I'm like, wow, this is a big deal,' said Galdez, a senior at Wheaton High School.

Adrian Woolcock, 17, a Rockville resident who attends Rockville High School, won a bronze medal for a promotional board he made with Aleah Bond, an 18-year-old Silver Spring resident from John F. Kennedy High School.

Quince Orchard High School senior Juana Majano, 17, of Gaithersburg, took some time off from her server job at Edison Caf, a student-run restaurant at Edison, to talk about the competition. She won a silver medal in the food and beverage service event. 'I didn't really expect it,' Majano said. 'The competition was stiffsecond place meant a lot.' For Majano, knowing some of the ingredients from the menu was the toughest part of the competition. But she said she got some valuable feedback from the judges while learning more about serving. Majano plans on attending Montgomery College this fall before transferring to a four-year school.

Galdez also plans to focus on his career track in college. Some of the top schools on his list include Marymount University in Arlington, Va., and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

The health program at Edison helped Galdez decide he wanted a career in physical therapy. When he joined the program, he wanted to become a nurse. But when work experience provided him a real-world glimpse into a nursing career, he decided on physical therapy because he likes working one on one and enjoys the work setting. '[Nurses] work 18 hours a day,' said Galdez, who interned at Randolph Hills Nursing Home in Silver Spring and now interns at Bethesda Naval Hospital. 'I don't think I can stand that long.'

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MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S ROCKVILLE CAMPUS RECENTLY BANNED STUDENTS FROM SMOKING ON CAMPUS.Washington Report - NewsChannel 8

03/31/2009" FILE DOROTHY BRIZILL/ DC WATCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 20 - 25 RON MOTEN/PEACEOHOLI CS CO-FOUNDER 37 - 42 MARY CHEH/DC COUNCILMEMBER WARD-3 55 - 1:00 NATS: AMBULANCE SIREN IT STRUCK MANY PEOPLE AS ODD THIS WEEK, TO HEAR THAT AN AREA NON-PROFIT GROUP CALLED PEACEAHOLICS, WAS SOMEHOW INVOLVED IN AN EFFORT, TO DONATE A DC FIRE TRUCK AND AMBULANCE, TO A SMALL BEACH TOWN IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, NEARLY 15-HUNDRED MILES AWAY! FRUSTRATION OVER THE UNUSUAL TRANSACTION, CAME TO A HEAD MONDAY, ON NEWS CHANNEL 8'S NEWS TALK. "if nothing else- if nothing else, it smells! It smells terribly" ACCORDING TO PEACEAHOLICS, THE CONTRIBUTION WAS ARRANGED THROUGH AN EMERGENCY RULE WITH THE CITY'S OFFICE OF CONTRACTING AND PROCUREMENT. AND THEY INSIST THE ELEVEN YEAR-OLD VEHICLES WERE WORTH NEXT TO NOTHING, AND OUT OF SERVICE HERE. "they were surplus. They were not being used by the DC government, They were not being used by any fire department here. " BUT FEW IN THE DC GOVERNMENT, SEEM TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE TRANSACTION, "My reaction was, "what? " SO NOW COUNCILMEMBER MARY CHEH CHAIR OF GOVERNMENT it was a good deal. But right. a DC WATCH-DOG GROUPS WORRY THIS LONG-DISTANCE DELIVERY WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF DISTRICT GOVERNMENT. "This comes at a time when peeple are very concerned about all this secrecy. " ", concerns about a whole host of things. This just gets added to the pile. " THE CITY DID PAY FOR A DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF, TO GO TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC FOR A FIRE TRUCK DONATION MEETING. BUT, PEACEAHOLICS NOW TELLS US, THE DEAL IS OFF. THE VEHICLES WERE TURNED AROUND IN MIAMI, AND ARE NOW ON THEIR WAY BACK TO WASHINGTON. AT LEAST UNTIL ALL OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS DEAL ARE FULLY ANSWERED. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY POLICE ARE HOPING SURVIELLANCE PHOTOS WILL HELP IDENTIFY THE SUSPECTS INVOLVED IN A DEADLY CLUB SHOOTING. POLICE SAY THE MEN SEEN IN THESE PHOTOS MAY BE INVOLVED IN A SHOOTING AT TRADEWINDS NIGHT CLUB IN CAMP SPRINGS. OFFICIALS SAY DARRYL ROBINSON WAS SHOT OUTSIDE OF THE CLUB ON JANUARY 31ST AROUND THREE A-M. HE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS LATER PRONOUNCED DEAD. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS URGED TO CALL PG COUNTY POLICE. THE SEARCH FOR MISSING DISTRICT WOMAN PAMELA BUTLER HEATED UP TODAY WITH OFFICERS SCOURING ROCK CREEK PARK. BUTLER DISAPPEARED NEARLY SEVEN-WEEKS AGO. SHE WAS LAST SEEN ON SURVEILLANCE VIDEO NEAR HER NORTHWEST HOME. POLICE AND FBI OFFICERS SEARCHED HER HOME SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE DISAPPEARANCE, BUT NOW INVESTIGATORS ARE SHIFTING THEIR FOCUS TO ROCK CREEK PARK. HER FAMILY SAYS THE ALL-OUT EFFORT BY INVESTIGATORS IS COMFORTING. "It really helps, you know? It makes a big difference to us. We don't want anybody to forget what's going on. Pam is not somebody you just throw away. " INVESTIGATORS ARE NOT DISCLOSING WHAT LEAD THEM TO THEIR SEARCH OF THE PARK. DOMINION VIRGINIA POWER ANNOUNCED JUST HOW MUCH IT WANTS TO INCREASE ITS BASE RATE. THE COMPANY FILED ITS REQUEST WITH THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION TO RAISE THE RATE BY SIX-POINT-NINE PERCENT, PHASED IN OVER 14 MONTHS. THAT WOULD EQUAL ABOUT SEVEN DOLLARS AND 54 CENTS MORE A MONTH FOR THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER. DOMINION SAYS IT WOULD ROLL BACK SOME OF ITS 18 PERCENT FUEL PRICE HIKE FROM LAST SUMMER. A LOCAL COLLEGE'S SMOKING BAN LEADS TO DEBATE BETWEEN STUDENTS, RESIDENTS AND SCHOOL LEADERS. MONTGOMERY COLLEGE'S ROCKVILLE CAMPUS RECENTLY BANNED STUDENTS FROM SMOKING ON CAMPUS. IT THEN ERECTED A FENCE TO KEEP THEM FROM VENTURING IN NEIGHBORING AREAS TO SMOKE. JOHN GONZALEZ IS ON CAMPUS TONIGHT WITH MORE ON THE DEBATE. TRT 1:18 OC: TO DO WITH SMOKING 00-12 Rockville, MD 12-18 -Julie Lynch / resident 23-26 Reid Miller / resident 54-57 Orion Corbin / student 57-1:01 Brett Eaton / Montgomey college 1:06-1:09 Rebbeca Hunter /student RACK Rockville resident Julie Lynch says she has walked and jogged this path for more than 30 years, But now she can no longer easily get on the campus of montgomery college, rockville pike or even used these bus stops. THE CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL IS NOW IN FULL SWING. AND THE PEAK BLOOM COULD HAPPEN IS NOW IN FULL SWING.

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I'm going to Montgomery College for like anLive Tonight - NewsChannel 8

03/31/2009d COMPENSATED AFTER DC POLICE OFFICERS RAIDED HER HOME WITH WHAT SHE CALLS UNNECESSARY FORCE. JAY KORFF HAS THE DETAILS. NO SUPER OFF TOP DUE TO PICTURES Jerry Youngbey/DISTRICT RESIDENT 13 - 22 NORTHEAST 23 - 35 Carl Takei/ACLU 1:09 - 1:14 TRT 1:21 OUT STANDARD ACCORDING TO THE LAWSUIT THE POLICE LEFT THE HOUSE WITH NOTHING. MS. YOUNGBEY IS ASKING FOR UNSPECIFIED DAMAGES. AS FOR HER SON, SHE HAS NO IDEA WHERE HE IS. A CALL AND EMAIL TO POLICE FOR COMMENT HAS NOT BEEN RETURNED. A FAIRFAX FAMILY CONTINUES TO MOURN THE LOSS OF THEIR LOVED ONE WHO WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER. who's so heartless and cruel and to know that they struck somebody, and that they could just go and leave her on the street. POLICE BELIEVE 80-YEAR OLD YIKE-OH DUPREE WAS WALKING TO THE DRUGSTORE WHEN SHE WAS HIT ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 8TH. FAIRFAX COUNTY POLICE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR THE DRIVER, AND THEY BELIVE THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. A 4-YEAR-OLD IS HOSPITALIZED TONIGHT, AFTER A PIT BULL ATTACK IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED THIS MORNING IN DISTRICT HEIGHTS. POLICE SAY THE DOG BIT THE CHILD IN THE FACE, DAMAGING AN EYE. THE INJURIES ARE NON LIFE-THREATENING, BUT OFFICIALS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE CHILD'S EYE SIGHT. NEIGHBORS SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY. have you ever seen that pit bull? Yes, gonna turn. THE PIT BULL HAS BEEN CONTAINED, PENDING AN INVESTIGATION BY ANIMAL CONTROL. OFFICIALS BELIEVE IT WAS THE FAMILY DOG. PIT BULLS HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL IN PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SINCE 19-97. A FORMER VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER IS SUING THE TANEYTOWN FIRE COMPANY FOR A MILLION AND A HALF DOLLARS, ALLEGING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. PERNELL HAMMOND, WHO IS BLACK, SAYS HE WAS MOCKED WHEN HE ASKED THAT RACIST SONGS DOWNLOADED ONTO A COMPANY COMPUTER BE REMOVED. HAMMOND ALSO SAYS HIS MANAGER ENCOURAGED RACIST JOKES. THE FIRE COMPANY SAYS IT'S NOT AWARE OF THE LAWSUIT. IT WAS FILED IN FEDERAL COURT LAST WEEK. TONIGHT, PROJECT IMMIGRATION TAKES US TO ANNAPOLIS. THAT'S WHERE A SHOWDOWN IS BREWING BETWEEN THE MARYLAND HOUSE AND SENATE, OVER DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THE SENATE VOTED LAST NIGHT TO DENY LICENSES FOR UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS. BUT THE HOUSE PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD LET NON-CITIZENS RENEW THEIR LICENSES, IF THEY ALREADY HAD ONE. BUT IT WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT LOOK AND COULD NOT BE USED AS A FEDERAL I-D. CASH-STRAPPED MONTGOMERY COUNTY MIGHT SCRAP FREE BUS RIDES FOR SOME PASSENGERS. JULIE PARKER HAS THE DETAILS ON HOW IT WILL EFFECT YOUR COMMUTE. TOP-05 Rockville 07-12 Irma MacDonald, Rockville Resident 25-29 Nancy Floreen, Montgomery Co. Council Transportation Cmte 100-105 Shaquasia Gaynor, Rockville Resident 108-113 Matilda Rabczenko, Rockville Resident 119-END Julie Parker Rockville TRT: 1:30 OUT: SOC " Everything's on the table here! The taxpayer puts in about five dollars to subsidize every $1 the rider puts in the farebox. We're looking at finding $50 million dollars. Not easy when most things have already been cut by the County Executive. Everything's on the table right now in Montgomery County. Everything. I'm going to Montgomery College for like an internship and that's a lot of money to pay like every single day. The busdrivers that I ride with they let us get on for free because we go to school so I mean it's bad, it's ridiculous how this economy is going. It's ridiculous. This is the best thing for all the seniors! Because we live on Social Security and transportation is very important. Another cut? Hahaha. Everywhere you go, they're cutting everything! That's $1.20 out of my pocket.

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Area Roundup — Hawks sweep RockvilleThe Herald-Mail

03/31/2009Area Roundup — Hawks sweep Rockville

March 31, 2009

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

Hawks sweep Rockville

Megan Holmes went 4-for-4 with six RBIs, including a solo home run, to lead Hagerstown Community College to a 19-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of Montgomery College-Rockville.

Amanda Waltman (2-2) pitched all five innings of the opener, giving up just two hits while striking out seven for HCC.

Emily Myers hit a grand slam in the first inning for the Hawks (8-3) in the shortened nightcap. MC-Rockville, carrying just nine players, was forced to forfeit Game 2 in the top of the second inning after catcher Natalie Stempel became injured and was forced to leave the game. The Hawks were leading, 12-3.

HCC 19, MC-Rockville 0MC-Rockville 000 00 — 0 2 5HCC 0(10)7 2x — 19 12 1Stempel and Lopez. Amanda Waltman and Megan Holmes. WP — Waltman (2-2). LP — Stempel. HR — H: Holmes (4th, none on).

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Community colleges do it cheaperMarketplace

03/31/2009Mobile Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Community colleges do it cheaper

As the cost of college tuition continues to climb, students and their families are beginning to explore more affordable options for education. Emily Hanford reports how community colleges are stealing the thunder of larger institutions.

Kathy Moore, the college counselor at Blake High School, meets with a student in the school's college counseling center.

First day of spring semester classes in the student center at Montgomery College in Silver Spring, Md.

The campus of Albright College in Reading, Pa.TEXT OF STORYSteve Chiotakis: Ah, it's the time of the year for parents and students to decide about college. But in this economic fallout, that decision is causing some anxiety. For parents, who are looking for deals. And for four-year schools, which are seeing smaller community colleges competing for dollars. Here's Emily Hanford of American RadioWorks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily Hanford: Kathy Moore is a counselor at Blake High School in suburban Maryland. As the price of college shot up over the past decade, she received more and more glossy brochures in the mail. Schools touting new athletic facilities, dorms with private bathrooms, fancy campus centers.

Kathy Moore: This is all glitz. But let's face it, our generation is used to all this.

They might need to start getting used to something else.

Sekouh Bah's an example. He started out at a four-year school in Pennsylvania. He had financial aid, but still had to borrow about $12,000. Watching the economy melt down last fall, he got nervous about graduating with lots of debt. So he transferred to a community college.

Sekouh Bah: I mean college is worth it, my parents have always told education is the most important thing. But when colleges get ridiculous, I don't think it's worth, it cause you can get the same education somewhere else for way cheaper.

Bah now takes a full load of classes at Montgomery College in Maryland, where tuition is less than $4,000 a year. And he likes it.

The community college doesn't keep track of how many students transfer from four-year schools, but enrollment is up nearly 10 percent, and officials expect even more students in the fall. And this has expensive private colleges nervous.

Mary Ellen Duffy: Why should I send my child to your school when there's a public institution down the road that costs a lot less?

This is a question Mary Ellen Duffy gets a lot these days. She's director of financial aid at Albright College, a small, liberal arts school in Reading, Pennsylvania. Tuition, room and board add up to about $40,000 a year. To keep students coming, Albright has always had to offer a lot of financial aid. And next year, they're offering even more -- and freezing staff and faculty salaries to do it.

I'm Emily Hanford for Marketplace.

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Area Roundup - Hawks sweep RockvilleHerald-Mail

03/31/2009Megan Holmes went 4-for-4 with six RBIs, including a solo home run, to lead Hagerstown Community College to a 19-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of Montgomery College-Rockville.

Amanda Waltman (2-2) pitched all five innings of the opener, giving up just two hits while striking out seven for HCC.

Emily Myers hit a grand slam in the first inning for the Hawks (8-3) in the shortened nightcap. MC-Rockville, carrying just nine players, was forced to forfeit Game 2 in the top of the second inning after catcher Natalie Stempel became injured and was forced to leave the game. The Hawks were leading, 12-3.

HCC 19, MC-Rockville 0

HCC 0(10)7 2x 19 12 1

Stempel and Lopez. Amanda Waltman and Megan Holmes. WP Waltman (2-2). LP Stempel. HR H: Holmes (4th, none on).

COLLEGE TRACK

Mounts Brown wins 100, 200

COLLEGE PARK, Md. Smithsburg graduate Chad Brown won the 100- and 200-meter dashes to lead the Mount St. Marys men to a third-place team finish at the Maryland Invitational on Saturday.

Brown won the 100 in 10.77 seconds and the 200 in 21.71. He has qualified for the IC4A championships in both events.

COLLEGE BASEBALL

Rams ranked sixth in region

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. Shepherd University climbed to sixth in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Atlantic Regional Poll for March 30. Shepherd went 4-1 last week to improve to 15-11.

Kutztown (22-5) remained No. 1.

HAGERSTOWN SUNS

Free Business Persons Lunch on Thursday at Municipal Stadium

The Hagerstown Suns will hold their first Free Business Persons Lunch at Municipal Stadium on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Suns will give away lunch to anybody who drops off one of their own business cards on the way through the gates.

Business people in the Hagerstown area will have an opportunity to sample the Suns ballpark fare, and also get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the programs happening in 2009.

The Suns have placed no restrictions on who may attend, other than requiring all attendees to provide a personal business card.

For information, call the Suns at 301-791-6266.

YOUTH LACROSSE

U-13 Boys

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Smithsburg 11, Hagerstown Black 3

Smithsburg: Josh Thomas 4 goals; Luke Grove, Garrett Brenk 2 goals each; Garrett Ghafir, Zach Schaeffer, Steven Rishell goal each.

Jefferson Cup

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. Brian Fouche of Hagerstown placed 27th out of 70 riders at the Jefferson Cup in the mens Category 1/2/3 pro race.

Three members of the Antietam Velo Club/Team Hagerstown-Washington County Tourism cracked the top 20 in the mens 50-plus age division. Don Feinberg was fifth, Dennis Crockett was 15th and Mike Spinnler was 17th.

The riders covered 70 miles, completing a hilly 10-mile loop seven times.

Washington Area Schools, Including Hollin Meadows, Take Lessons OutsideWashington Post - OnlineFairfax, VAMichael Chandler03/31/2009By the first week of spring, a crowd of shivering daffodils offered a lonely spray of color to a still-dormant garden outside Hollin Meadows Elementary School. But the bright blooms were not safe for long amid the prying fingers of two dozen curious fourth-graders.

Winter coats guarded the children against a chilly breeze, but their mittens came off as they pulled leaf after buttery leaf from the flower and gave names to each of its parts. 'It's breathtaking,' said Nikos Booth, 9, as he rubbed the golden pollen from the stamen onto his finger.

Lots of elementary students learn plant anatomy by studying a diagram and labeling the parts or circling terms on a worksheet. At Hollin Meadows in Fairfax County, they get their hands dirty.

Science teacher Jason Pittman said students often say their favorite class is recess. 'That's disappointing to hear as a teacher,' he said, 'but you can capitalize on that and take the learning outside.' Five years ago, a small group of parents sought to create a garden at Hollin Meadows. Now, 14,000 square feet of gardens surround the school, and virtually every classroom has spilled outside.

Students measure worms in math classes and plant peanuts when learning about Virginia history. Reading time happens in an outdoor courtyard where the walls are painted like library shelves. Cinnamon basil plants are growing hydroponically in the science lab from seeds that astronauts flew into space. The children are growing seedlings to sell on Earth Day, an early lesson in entrepreneurship.

As more children struggle with obesity and awareness grows about global warming, outdoor learning is becoming a popular education concept.

Environmentalists are lobbying Congress to attach a 'No Child Left Inside' provision to the No Child Left Behind law when it is reauthorized. The provision would set aside money for opportunities, including gardens, for children to learn about the natural world. 'When kids graduate, they need to not only read, write and count, but they need to know something about the environment,' said Don Baugh, vice president for education at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Students from Bancroft Elementary in Northwest Washington became instant symbols for healthy eating and sustainability when they helped first lady Michelle Obama break ground for a White House garden this month. They have been tending their own vegetable garden back at school.

About 80 D.C. public schools have a garden or have attempted one in recent years, said Grace Manubay, co-president of the D.C. Environmental Education Consortium, which keeps a list at http://www.dcschoolyardgreening.org.

The list includes a 'peace garden' at Cardozo High School, created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and a range of butterfly, native species or rain gardens that often serve as outdoor classrooms. An annual D.C. School Garden Week includes a bus tour through a handful of new projects.

In Montgomery County, a garden project that links students from Takoma Park Middle School, Montgomery Blair High School and Montgomery College is underway. Students, many of them English learners, earn community service credit, and the younger ones get a glimpse of college life. In Arlington County, Tuckahoe Elementary maintains a blog with regular updates about classroom excursions in its extensive gardens and wildlife habitats.

Hollin Meadows Principal Jon Gates said the gardens boost school pride and help children learn through exploring and observing rather than memorizing.

Test scores, parents point out, have improved in recent years, and the achievement gap is narrowing at a school in which almost half the students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, a measure of poverty. They attribute some gains to the highly engaging outdoor learning approach.

The gardens are also a bridge between school and community. Many nurseries and businesses donate tools, and

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parents are often on hand to help with weeding.

Shawn Akard, a parent who spearheaded the project, is now on staff as a part-time outdoor education coordinator. Her job: helping teachers 'green' their lesson plans and 'digging in the dirt' with students. One afternoon last week, she helped fourth-graders plant lettuce seeds, showing them how to poke their finger in the soil and then shake the pots lightly back in place so the seeds would have room to grow.

Then she taught a science lesson about constant and changing states of matter by digging holes in the 'soil exploration area' with a handful of enthusiastic second-graders.

Akard's office is a wooden tool shed. It's painted blue. It smells of cedar, and it's stocked with hand trowels and potting soil. Outside the door, a cross-stitched sign reads: 'All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.'

Weighing the costs of a college degreeMarketplace.

03/30/2009MarketplaceHomepage Marketplace Morning Report Marketplace Marketplace Money About Local Air Times Contact Newsletters Support Mobile Monday, March 30, 2009

Weighing the costs of a college degree As college admissions letters are sent out, high school seniors and their families must weigh the prospect of going deep into debt for a degree. Emily Hanford reports from one school in Maryland.

Kathy Moore, the college counselor at Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., meets with a student in the school's college counseling center. (Emily Hanford)More on Spending, Education

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James Hubert Blake High School

The board outside the college and career center at Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md.TEXT OF STORYTess Vigeland: You've heard it most of your life: A college education is an expensive but undeniably worthwhile down payment on the rest of your life. Well, as that down payment gets more and more expensive, some families are wondering if going into deep debt for an education is really worth it. At a suburban high school in Maryland, money is a key factor in students' decisions about which college to attend. Emily Hanford of American RadioWorks reports.

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KATHY Moore: These came today, and my mail is sitting over there.

EMILY HANFORD: Kathy Moore is sifting through scholarship brochures. She's the college counselor at Blake High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside of Washington. Her walls are covered with banners and fliers from colleges all over the country. One promotional poster says: "Everyone can afford Duke." But this year even wealthy families aren't so sure. And students from those families are coming to her and saying...

Moore: . . . "My parents say I gotta start filling out scholarships."

STUDENT: OK, so I'll do the application right now.

Moore: If you don't get anything into FAFSA right now, they don't even know you exist.

Moore has a line of students waiting to ask questions. She says there wasn't as much focus on money in the past.

MOORE: There were more kids who rolled through here and said, "I'm not going to Maryland. I'm getting out of Dodge. I'm going to be adventuresome. My parents said I could."

And often it was parents pushing the prestigious schools. But...

Moore: That kind of push isn't happening anymore. If the kid wants to go to Maryland, by all means go.

And even state schools can be a stretch. The average cost is close to $15,000 a year, more in Maryland. Some parents have lost jobs or homes, but mostly everyone's just edgy and anxious. Spending a lot on college feels like more of a risk

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now.

Natasha GORDON: A lot of my friends, they're getting into schools that they really wanted to go to but then like when they think about the money they're like, "This is unrealistic. I'm probably not going here."

For Natasha Gordon it was all about money from the start. Mrs. Moore told her about a full-tuition scholarship at Lafayette, a private college in Pennsylvania. She applied. She got it.

GORDON: And I was like, "Well, the money's here with Lafayette," and I did like the school, so I don't think I'm losing anything if I choose to go there.

She never really let herself dream about anywhere else. She knows her family can't afford big tuition.

GORDON: It's not like we're struggling but we don't have it like that. So it's like we're right in the middle, so you kinda gotta watch and make sure that you don't fall under.

Natasha's friend Cateatra Mallard says cost was not the main thing on her mind when visiting colleges last summer. Instead she was marveling at how fancy everything was -- new buildings, beautiful dorms, even good food.

Cateatra MALLARD: The food was amazing.

She had her sights on a college in South Carolina. But at $30,000 a year her mother says...

CONNIE Pearsall: That's off the table. Uh-um, $30,000 is scary.

Connie Pearsall once thought she'd have the money to send her daughter wherever she wanted. Five years ago she bought a condo when everyone was flipping real estate. That's what she planned to do. But now the condo's not worth what she paid for it. And while she has a good job, and she's not really worried about being laid off, the economy has her spooked. And her credit-card debt freaks her out.

Pearsall: I just want to get rid of it all. And I don't spend.

She says her daughter is now looking at a less expensive school. They're waiting to find out what financial aid they'll get. And Pearsall says if it includes loans, Cateatra's going to have to pay them back herself after graduation.

RECRUITER: So typically for the admissions process you have to go to campus, but if you can fill out that application and hand it in to Ms. Moore...

Back at Blake High School a recruiter from Montgomery College has set up a table in front of the counseling office. It's the local community college. You can take a full load of classes for a year for less than $4,000. Kathy Moore is encouraging her students to just fill out an application.

Moore: Have this in your back pocket. You could be accepted to all your four-year schools, and if it turns out that your family can't follow through and it's too expensive, you always have MC to fall back on.

Most students tell her there's no way they're going to community college. Moore just smiles.

Moore: All right buddy, uh-huh, yeah.

I'm Emily Hanford, for Marketplace.

VIGELAND: Tomorrow we'll go to the community college, where classrooms are packed with students seeking a cheaper path to a college degree.

A dream of dance fulfilled for Arden Courts residentGazette, The

03/30/2009Marcia Keyser, a resident of the Arden Courts Alzheimer's assisted living facility in Potomac, recently had a lifelong wish come true, thanks to the staff there. The facility recently started a 'Heart's Desire' program, in which they ask residents whether there's something they've always wanted to do, but never had the chance. Once the resident's 'heart's desire' is revealed, the staff works closely with local community organizations, family, friends and physicians to make the wish come true.

A lifelong ballet fan, Keyser, 79, often frequented the Kennedy Center in her younger years to watch dance performances there. Her wish was to be a ballerina. On March 14, Keyser got the chance to watch Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy perform 'Sleeping Beauty' at the Montgomery College Rockville Campus, thanks to free tickets provided by the organization. At the performance, Keyser got the opportunity to come onstage to be presented with a pair of ballet slippers, making her an honorary ballerina. Keyser was also presented with a poster displaying a group photo of the ballet performers. 'I'm just speechless never in all my dreams did I think this would come true,' Keyser said in a statement. 'I've always wished that in my next life I would be a ballerina but tonight my dream came true.' Keyser had her hair styled and colored in preparation for the big evening, thanks to the facility's hairstylist, and a florist donated a pink rose corsage. During the evening, guests were asked to remain seated after the performance for a special guest, and clapped and cheered when Keyser was named an honorary ballerina. Afterwards, Keyser was able to mingle and take photographs with the performers.

For Keyser, the memory is a poignant one, and her new poster and slippers will remain reminders of the special night. 'Whenever I'm feeling sad or depressed I will look at this picture and I will become happy again, because I will never forget this,' Keyser's statement read. Puffed up with pride

Kudos to Zachary Williams of Darnestown, a member of Cub Scout Pack 1094, who sold a whopping $11,343 worth of Trail's End popcorn to help scouting in his community. Williams placed in the top 10 sellers nationwide in the Boy Scouts' annual popcorn sale, which earned almost $110,000 for scouting activities. Williams' contribution came to $7,940 returned to local scouting, according to Cathy Yingling, a Trail's End spokeswoman. Local scouts honored

Congratulations to Potomac residents Kelly Seegers, 14, and Chloe Hand, 14, members of Cadette Girl Scout Troop 3288, were both awarded the prestigious Girl Scout Silver Award for their working planning a 'World Thinking Day Celebration' in Potomac Village. The celebration honored Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world, incorporating paper dolls dressed in traditional uniforms, native arts and crafts, food samples, songs and games and a 'peace pole' with flags from the nations they nodded to in the celebration. They focused the theme around four World Centers, hospitality buildings operated by the Girl Scouts located in Cuernavaca, Mexico; Adelboden, Switzerland; Pune, India and London where Girl Scouts from around the globe are encouraged to meet, train and interact. The girls also prepared a video infomercial for troop leaders.

The Girl Scout Silver Award is the highest honor awarded to Cadette Girl Scouts, or girl scouts in seventh through ninth grades. The honor is awarded to those who master the leadership and planning skills necessary to execute a project which makes a positive impact in their community, and calls for over 40 hours of planning and execution.

Seegers is a freshman at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, and Hand is a freshman at Winston Churchill High School.

Touring for charity Potomac's Congregation Har Shalom is gearing up to sponsor the inaugural 'Entertaining You' Potomac Spring House Tour. Tickets are on sale now for the tour, in which seven Potomac area homeowners will open their doors to participants from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 3 and 4. Proceeds will benefit several local charities including the Children's Inn at NIH, D.C. Central Kitchen, the Darfur anti-genocide Movement, Manna Food Center and others. Tickets, which cost $25, are limited and can be reserved in advance. The congregation is also sponsoring a raffle in conjunction with the tour, in which prizes are a dinner for four at an area restaurant or one of several pieces of artwork by local artists.

Donations are being accepted for the effort, and donors who give $150 or more will be invited to an April 26 gala Homeowners' Cocktail Reception.

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News Clips Report

Tickets may also be purchased online at www.potomachousetour.org. Previews are also available on the Web site for each of the seven houses. For more information, call 301-299-7087, extension 336, or email [email protected] Gliding to glory

Potomac speedskaters from the Potomac Speedskating Club competed recently at the National Short Track Speed Skating championships in Midland, Mich.

The Arlington-based Potomac Speedskating Club, formed in May of 2008, is geared to develop skills for speedskaters of all ages, and many of its members hail from Montgomery County.

The group is coached by Dong-Sung Kim, an Olympic speedskating champion from Korea.

Young members of the Potomac Speedskating Club have been training hard for the event, and parents often note that Kim runs the group professionally and pushes skaters to perform their best. Skaters train both on ice and off to develop the muscles necessary to maintain the exaggerated 'crouch' form necessary for speedskaters.

Many Potomac residents have been training under Kim, including brothers Shaner and Nathan LeBauer.

Potomac resident April Shin finished sixth for girls in her age group, while Nathan LeBauer also placed fifth for boys. Tiziano D'Affuso, also of Potomac, placed third in his age group. Potomac residents Shaner LeBauer placed fifth, and TJ Vongkovit placed eighth. Shaner LeBauer received a Bronze medal in the 777 meter race and a Silver medal in the 500 meter race.

To learn more about the Potomac Speedskating Club, visit www.potomacspeedskating.org.

Feeling great at Lockhouse 8

Volunteers interested in local history and the Potomac River are needed at the River Center at Lockhouse 8 this summer to act as docents. The River Center at Lockhouse 8 is an educational center located in a historic Cabin John lockhouse, and run through the Potomac Conservancy, a conservation group geared at protecting the Potomac River and its tributaries. Docents serve as representatives for the Conservancy on weekends from May through October, sharing their knowledge about the C&O Canal and the Potomac River with visitors. The group also works with college students seeking internships or other class credits. Volunteers must be 18 years old, and must commit one weekend per month. New docents will be trained from 2:30-3:30 p.m., April 19, at the River Center, and current and past docents are invited for a meet and greet from 3:30-4 p.m.

Also at the Lockhouse from 10 a.m. to noon on April 5, wildflower expert Marijke Gate will host a spring wildflower walk along the towpath. Visitors will explore the banks of the canal and river in search of spring wildflowers such as Spring beauties, Virginia bluebells, Dutchman's breeches. Gate will also discuss how the plants interact with other organisms to create a complex ecosystem along the Potomac.

Lockhouse 8 is located at 7906 Riverside Ave. in Cabin John. For more information about becoming a docent or River Center events, contact River Center coordinator Bridget Chapin at 301-608-1188, ext. 213 or e-mail [email protected]. To learn more about the River Center at Lockhouse 8, visit www.potomac.org.

This column is for you. Send press releases, news tips and other information to Erin Donaghue by phone to 301-280-3007, by e-mail edonaghue@ gazette.net, by fax to 301-670-7183 or by mail to 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.

Planting the Seeds of Life SkillsWashington Post - OnlineFairfax, VAMichael Chandler03/30/2009By the first week of spring, a crowd of shivering daffodils offered a lonely spray of color to a still-dormant garden outside Hollin Meadows Elementary School. But the bright blooms were not safe for long amid the prying fingers of two dozen curious fourth-graders.














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News Clips Report





At Area Schools, Planting the Seeds of Life SkillsWashington Post - OnlineFairfax, VAMichael Chandler03/29/2009By the first week of spring, a crowd of shivering daffodils offered a lonely spray of color to a still-dormant garden outside Hollin Meadows Elementary School. But the bright blooms were not safe for long amid the prying fingers of two dozen curious fourth-graders.














News Clips Report

News Clips Report





SKY WATCH U.S. Naval Observatory Hosts Open HouseWashington Post - Online

03/29/2009The U.S. Naval Observatory will hold a rare open house Saturday as part of a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first examination of the heavens with a telescope.

The free open house, at 3450 Massachusetts Ave. NW from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., is the Washington area keystone of four days of events called '100 Hours of Astronomy.' It will be the first time since 2001 that the observatory has opened its doors fully to the public.

Visitors can see the famous -- and still used -- 26-inch 'Great Equatorial' telescope and the 115-year-old, 12-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope. They will learn the exact time from the country's Master Clock, which helps keep accurate everything from watches to Global Positioning Systems. After dark, telescopes will be trained on the moon, Saturn and other celestial sights.

Parking will be limited; visitors should use the lot across from the British and New Zealand embassies. The N2, N4 and N6 Metrobus routes serve the Dupont Circle Metro station and pass the observatory. Riders should alight at the British Embassy and walk to the observatory gate. Coolers and large bags are not allowed. Cameras will be permitted.

For information: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/tours-events.

Other events of 100 Hours of Astronomy (http://100hoursofastronomy.org):

Thursday: Michael Shay, a University of Delaware astronomer who studies plasma physics, lectures on space weather at Owens Science Center, 9601 Greenbelt Rd., Lanham. Hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt. 7:30 p.m. http://www.greenbeltastro.org

Saturday: Explore the Universe -- Family Day. Hands-on activities at the National Air and Space Museum, National Mall. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. http://www.nasm.si.edu

Stroll the Planet Walk along the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail. Get your passport to the planets at the Sun Station Sculpture behind the Harundale Mall, Glen Burnie, or the Pluto sculpture at Earleigh Heights ranger's station, Severna Park. Hosted by Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails, with experts from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. http://www.friendsofaatrails.org/Galaxy%20Gala.htm

Elementary and middle school students can explore the universe. Goddard Visitor Center, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Greenbelt. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html 'Yuri's Night' celebration of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first flight into space. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at Goddard Visitor Center, Greenbelt. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html Astronomical Society of Greenbelt dedication of the new Greenbelt Municipal Observatory, which features a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron telescope, at Northway Fields Park, Greenbelt. 2 p.m.-5 p.m. After sunset, enjoy a star party with society members. http://www.greenbeltastro.org Goddard Visitor Center concert by the Chromatics, noon-1 p.m., then model rocket launches, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html Astronomer Megan DeCesar explains 'Pulsars: The Universal Timekeepers' at an open house at University of Maryland observatory, College Park. View the night sky through a telescope afterward, weather permitting. 8 p.m. 301-405-6555; http://www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

April 6: Early spring blooms with constellations. Find out more with 'The Stars Tonight.' At Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St. 7:30 p.m. $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and children. Call 703-228-6070. http://www.apsva.us/planetarium

April 9: Vera Rubin of the Carnegie Institution of Washington explains 'What IS the Universe?' Lockheed Martin Imax Theater, National Air and Space Museum, National Mall. 6 p.m., special Imax presentation of '400 Years of the Telescope;' 7 p.m., meet the lecturer; 7:30 p.m., lecture. http://nasm.si.edu

April 11: Astronomer Rachel Osten discusses stellar fares at the regular meeting of the National Capital Astronomers, University of Maryland observatory. 7:30 p.m. http://capitalastronomers.org

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News Clips Report

April 16: Astrophysicists John Mather, Vera Rubin, Charles Bennett and Adam Riess join moderator Marcia Bartusiak in a panel discussion, from the Big Bang to dark energy, hosted by the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Resident Associates program. Bartusiak's book, 'The Day We Found the Universe,' will be available for signing. 7 p.m. National Academy of Sciences, enter at 2100 C St. NW. Resident associate members $15, general admission $25. For tickets, 202-633-3030 or http://smithsonianassociates.org.

April 18: Find out about quantum gravity at the Montgomery College planetarium, Takoma Park. 7 p.m. http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/departments/planet.

April 18: The first 'Exploring the Sky' program this season at Rock Creek Park. Hosted by the National Park Service and the National Capital Astronomers. Meet near the Nature Center in the field south of Military and Glover roads NW. 8:30 p.m. 202-895-6070.

April 19: Storyteller Elizabeth Forbes Wallace on 'Look Up! The StarryTelling Festival' at the regular meeting of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Room 80, Enterprise Hall, George Mason University, Fairfax. 7 p.m. http://novac.com

April 20: Astronomer Mia Bovill talks on 'Inside the Soap Bubbles: Looking for Galaxies in the Voids,' at an open house at University of Maryland observatory, College Park. Weather permitting; scan the heavens afterward through a telescope. 8 p.m. 301-405-6555; http://www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

April 25: Enjoy the real night heavens as Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum leads a star party at Sky Meadows State Park, near Paris, Va., from dusk to 11 p.m. Parking: $4. Arrive before dark. 540-592-3556; http://nasm.si.edu/events/skywatching.

Blaine Friedlander can be reached at [email protected].

U.S. Naval Observatory Hosts Open HouseWashington Post - Online

03/28/2009The U.S. Naval Observatory will hold a rare open house Saturday as part of a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy marking the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first examination of the heavens with a telescope.

The free open house, at 3450 Massachusetts Ave. NW from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., is the Washington area keystone of four days of events called '100 Hours of Astronomy.' It will be the first time since 2001 that the observatory has opened its doors fully to the public.

Visitors can see the famous -- and still used -- 26-inch 'Great Equatorial' telescope and the 115-year-old, 12-inch Alvan Clark refractor telescope. They will learn the exact time from the country's Master Clock, which helps keep accurate everything from watches to Global Positioning Systems. After dark, telescopes will be trained on the moon, Saturn and other celestial sights.

Parking will be limited; visitors should use the lot across from the British and New Zealand embassies. The N2, N4 and N6 Metrobus routes serve the Dupont Circle Metro station and pass the observatory. Riders should alight at the British Embassy and walk to the observatory gate. Coolers and large bags are not allowed. Cameras will be permitted.

For information: http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/tours-events.

Other events of 100 Hours of Astronomy (http://100hoursofastronomy.org):

Thursday: Michael Shay, a University of Delaware astronomer who studies plasma physics, lectures on space weather at Owens Science Center, 9601 Greenbelt Rd., Lanham. Hosted by the Astronomical Society of Greenbelt. 7:30 p.m. http://www.greenbeltastro.org

Saturday: Explore the Universe -- Family Day. Hands-on activities at the National Air and Space Museum, National Mall. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. http://www.nasm.si.edu

Stroll the Planet Walk along the Baltimore-Annapolis Trail. Get your passport to the planets at the Sun Station Sculpture behind the Harundale Mall, Glen Burnie, or the Pluto sculpture at Earleigh Heights ranger's station, Severna Park. Hosted by Friends of Anne Arundel County Trails, with experts from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. http://www.friendsofaatrails.org/Galaxy%20Gala.htm

Elementary and middle school students can explore the universe. Goddard Visitor Center, Goddard Spaceflight Center, Greenbelt. 1 p.m.-3 p.m. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html 'Yuri's Night' celebration of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first flight into space. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at Goddard Visitor Center, Greenbelt. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html Astronomical Society of Greenbelt dedication of the new Greenbelt Municipal Observatory, which features a 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Celestron telescope, at Northway Fields Park, Greenbelt. 2 p.m.-5 p.m. After sunset, enjoy a star party with society members. http://www.greenbeltastro.org Goddard Visitor Center concert by the Chromatics, noon-1 p.m., then model rocket launches, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/visitor/events/index.html Astronomer Megan DeCesar explains 'Pulsars: The Universal Timekeepers' at an open house at University of Maryland observatory, College Park. View the night sky through a telescope afterward, weather permitting. 8 p.m. 301-405-6555; http://www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

April 6: Early spring blooms with constellations. Find out more with 'The Stars Tonight.' At Arlington's David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St. 7:30 p.m. $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and children. Call 703-228-6070. http://www.apsva.us/planetarium

April 9: Vera Rubin of the Carnegie Institution of Washington explains 'What IS the Universe?' Lockheed Martin Imax Theater, National Air and Space Museum, National Mall. 6 p.m., special Imax presentation of '400 Years of the Telescope;' 7 p.m., meet the lecturer; 7:30 p.m., lecture. http://nasm.si.edu

April 11: Astronomer Rachel Osten discusses stellar fares at the regular meeting of the National Capital Astronomers, University of Maryland observatory. 7:30 p.m. http://capitalastronomers.org

News Clips Report

News Clips Report

April 16: Astrophysicists John Mather, Vera Rubin, Charles Bennett and Adam Riess join moderator Marcia Bartusiak in a panel discussion, from the Big Bang to dark energy, hosted by the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Resident Associates program. Bartusiak's book, 'The Day We Found the Universe,' will be available for signing. 7 p.m. National Academy of Sciences, enter at 2100 C St. NW. Resident associate members $15, general admission $25. For tickets, 202-633-3030 or http://smithsonianassociates.org.

April 18: Find out about quantum gravity at the Montgomery College planetarium, Takoma Park. 7 p.m. http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/departments/planet.

April 18: The first 'Exploring the Sky' program this season at Rock Creek Park. Hosted by the National Park Service and the National Capital Astronomers. Meet near the Nature Center in the field south of Military and Glover roads NW. 8:30 p.m. 202-895-6070.

April 19: Storyteller Elizabeth Forbes Wallace on 'Look Up! The StarryTelling Festival' at the regular meeting of the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club, Room 80, Enterprise Hall, George Mason University, Fairfax. 7 p.m. http://novac.com

April 20: Astronomer Mia Bovill talks on 'Inside the Soap Bubbles: Looking for Galaxies in the Voids,' at an open house at University of Maryland observatory, College Park. Weather permitting; scan the heavens afterward through a telescope. 8 p.m. 301-405-6555; http://www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

April 25: Enjoy the real night heavens as Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum leads a star party at Sky Meadows State Park, near Paris, Va., from dusk to 11 p.m. Parking: $4. Arrive before dark. 540-592-3556; http://nasm.si.edu/events/skywatching.

Blaine Friedlander can be reached at [email protected].

What’s doing at the National Cherry Blossom Festival &raquoDCExaminer.com

03/28/2009Dozens of events make the National Cherry Blossom Festival an action-packed event. Many events are free, but we recommend you double-check details by calling 877-442-5666 or checking online at nationalcherryblossomfestival.org. There youll also find maps and plenty more activities from which to choose. Here are some of the events listed by the National Cherry Blossom Festival organization:

1. Explore a floating Japanese teahouse: Family Day, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the National Building Museum. (401 F St. NW) Free

2. The Nutcracker leaps into spring: Washington cultural icon Septime Webre brings the Washington Ballets magical movements to the festivals opening ceremony in a special springtime version of the holiday favorite Waltz of the Cherry Blossoms. (Opening ceremony, 4 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, National Building Museum) Free

3. The Target Tidal Basin Stage rocks the blossoms every day at noon with a diverse lineup from Furia Flamencas passionate dance and Fox Mill Elementarys powerful 75-student chorus to the Metropolitan Youth Tap Ensemble. See nationalcherryblossom

festival.org for schedules.

4. Trevor Corson, author of The Zen of Fish, shares savory sushi secrets with renowned Japanese cuisine authority Hiroko Shimbo and sake expert Michael John Simkin. Hear the raw truth at A Taste of Japan: A Guided Sushi & Sake Evening and indulge in a succulent sustainable sushi and sake feast. (Sushi and sake tasting, 6 p.m. April 1, National Geographic Live, 1600 M St. NW)

5. Go fly a kite: The 43rd annual Smithsonian Kite Festival is more than just kite flying. Everyone can learn about the pastime, participate in kite making, learn about kite history and even learn about green kite demonstrations. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Washington Monument Grounds, Constitution Avenue and 17th Street)

6. Local restaurants showcase how sweet (and savory) cherries can be through their creative cherry picks dishes and cocktails. Check GoOut2Eat.com for a delicious deal to boot.

7. Travel Green through the Pink: Take advantage of the festivals free bike valet, available on weekends and located at East Basin Drive in the parking lot south of the Jefferson Memorial.

8. World-renowned game show host Alex Trebek leads the 2009 Cherry Blossom Parade as honorary grand marshal. Trebek will challenge Washingtons brightest to buzz in to win at Jeopardy! tryouts the following day. (Parade is April 4; Jeopardy! tryouts are 2 p.m. Sunday at Montgomery College, 20200 Observation Drive, Germantown)

9. Watch the parade along the standing-room-only route from Seventh to 17th streets on Constitution Avenue, or reserve a special seat in the grandstands ($17; ticketmaster.com) with the most colorful view available. The popular Sakura Matsuri festival entertains the rest of the day, with a Japanese beer garden, marketplace, music and sumo in the largest street festival of its kind. (10 a.m. April 4, Sakura Matsuri Festival follows)

10. Put your heart into it: The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Washington Monument Grounds (15th Street and Jefferson Drive SW). Theres also a 5K and 1K kids run. Visit cherryblossom.org for more information.

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FMU to host undergraduate mathematics conferenceWMBF-TV

03/27/2009FLORENCE, SC (WMBF) - College students from the eastern Carolinas and Georgia will participate in the Spring 2009 Francis Marion University Undergraduate Mathematics Conference, Saturday, March 28.

The conference will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lee Nursing Building on campus. The keynote speaker will be Elizabeth Teles, former director of the National Science Foundation. The topic of her speech is 'Should I Be a Mathematician? Past, Present and Future.'

Teles was the lead program director of the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program in the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) and a program director for mathematics. During 2002 and 2003 she served as the acting division director for DUE. Teles taught mathematics and served as department chair at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, Md., from 1969 to 1991 when she joined National Science Foundation (NSF).

She earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Winthrop College, a master of arts in teaching in mathematics from Johns Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from the University of Maryland.

In 1994, she received the NSF Program Director's Award for Excellence for her work in initiating the ATE program and in 2002 the Director's Award for her work in work in broadening participation in NSF activities by two-year colleges. In November of 1994, she received the Presidential Award from the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges for outstanding contributions and dedicated service to two-year college mathematics education and in 2000 received the Mathematical Association of America's award for service to mathematics.

At NSF, she served on a short-term assignment as the NSF science manager at the South Pole Station during the summer of 1999, for which she was awarded the Antarctica Service Medal. She was also selected as one of the Department of State-NSF Embassy Fellows and served her fellowship in August and September of 2001 at the US Embassy in the Ukraine.

The conference will include student presentations in all areas of mathematics and is funded by an NSF grant through the MAA Regional Undergraduate Mathematics Conferences program and Cengage Learning.

For more information on the math conference, call Timothy Lance, FMU professor of mathematics, at 843-661-1585.

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