River Hill High School Presents Tiny Tots Concert Dec. 17

By Cassie Felch
Posted: December 3, 2008

On Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., the River Hill High School Band and Choir will present a Tiny Tots Concert for children of all ages. This holiday celebration includes lively music plus special appearances by Frosty, Rudolph, and several elves. Admission costs $5 per person; a group discount is available and individual walk-ins are welcome.

For more information or to make group reservations, e-mail Kathy Hartley at ki.hartley@verizon.net. The address for River Hill High School is 12101 Route 108 (Clarksville Pike) in Clarksville.

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Holiday Sale and Nature Crafts at Howard Co. Conservancy 12/6

By Cassie Felch
Posted: November 26, 2008

On Dec. 6, the Howard County Conservancy, our county’s only nature center, presents its annual Holiday Sale and Nature Crafts from 1-4 p.m. Throughout the day, Master Gardeners will demonstrate how to craft natural holiday decorations from items found in the woods, the garden, and the produce market. Children and adults alike can create holiday critters of their own to take home.

Additionally, the event will feature local artisans selling handcrafted items such as soap, beeswax candles, pottery, jewelry, children’s toys, and more. Proceeds will help fund programs at the Conservancy’s Gudelsky Environmental Education Center. For more information, call Sheila Welton, the center’s manager, at 410-465-8877, or go to www.hcconservancy.org. The Conservancy is based at Mt. Pleasant Farm, 10520 Old Frederick Road (Route 99), in Woodstock.

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Council of Garden Clubs Offers Holiday Tours of Waverly Mansion 12/7-8

By Cassie Felch
Posted: November 26, 2008

The Howard County Council of Garden Clubs is sponsoring its annual holiday makeover of Waverly Mansion, with tours available Dec. 7 from 1-4 and Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. - noon, and candlelight tours offered between 6:30 and 9:00 on Dec. 8. Die Liedersanger Madrigal Singers will perform during the Dec. 7 tours and also during the evening tours on the 8th. Enjoy this chance to view an interesting part of our county’s history!

According to “The Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland,” by J. D. Warfield, Waverly Mansion once housed two of our state’s most distinguished founding families, the Dorseys and the Howards. Nathan Dorsey first built the main house between 1756 and 1764 upon a tract of land known then as “Ranter’s Ridge.” His father, Colonel John Dorsey, was one of the first commissioners of Baltimore City.

In 1786, Col. John Eager Howard purchased the mansion to give to his son George. The elder Howard, our county’s namesake, soon thereafter became the fifth governor of Maryland (1788-1790), and his son later became the 25th governor (1831-1833). The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Web site explains that George Howard and his wife, Prudence, named the mansion after Sir Walter Scott’s first novel, Waverley, published in 1814.

During this holiday season, 10 different Howard County garden clubs will join forces to decorate the mansion, each taking responsibility for a separate room. To view their handiwork, visit the estate at 2300 Waverly Mansion Drive in Marriottsville. The tour costs $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and $2 for children. The garden clubs will also offer wreaths and other holiday decorations for sale during the tours.

For more about the mansion, call 410-313-5400 or go to www.co.ho.md.us/RAP/rap_waverly.htm. For information about Howard County garden clubs, please speak to a member during one of the tours.

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WFES Students Write to President-Elect Obama

By Cassie Felch
Posted: November 21, 2008

On Nov. 13, CNN producer Paul Courson visited West Friendship Elementary School to film Beth Cayer’s fifth-grade students writing letters to President-elect Obama and then reading them aloud in class. Fellow teacher Libby Swords invited me to observe her class completing this same assignment, which reinforces language arts skills and ties into the students’ social studies curriculum about American government.

The students wrote many comments that were both delightful and insightful. Since I cannot include their letters in full, I would like to share some of their words as a montage:

Dear President-elect Barack Obama,

Your election was historical to me (written by Bennet Buch). You are probably very busy right now, but I hope you can take the time to read my letter. (Victor Deppe) There are some things I think need to be handled immediately. (Grace Ellrich)

We are in so many predicaments (Samuel Running). The economy is literally falling apart and has a lot of issues. (Cade Buch) My dad is a land developer and is having problems closing deals because the banks do not want to lend out money (Sean Armiger). People in our neighborhood are trying to sell their homes, but they can’t because the economy is dying and people don’t have the money to buy a new home (Ben Skopic). I think it would be better if you would lower taxes … because my parents could pay less and still keep food in my tummy and a roof over my head (Emily Crumling).

Let’s get off that subject now. Do you like to play sports? I like the Philadelphia Eagles. (Samie Costa)

I have a few questions to ask you…. My first question is what do you plan to do about the war in Iraq? (Brenna Martin) Four of my cousins are in the war, but before you were elected, one of them died fighting for our country and I don’t want more to die. (Luis Lizama).

My second question is, “What are you going to do about America’s schools?” People need to be enriched with knowledge to help them understand things in life and be able to read and write (Amen Okojie). If we learn, we can have more jobs in our future (Amir Mufti).

My next question is what are you going to do about our environment? (Hannah Cimerola) I learned about fossil fuels and gas. If you use them up, then you can never get them back (Briley Hebner). Where I was born, nature was life, our hope. When I came to the United States, I saw forests fall and die by human hands (Luis Lizama). Without trees, we can’t live. That is all I have for you about the environment (Zack Whalen).

My final question is what are you going to do about health care? (Stefanie Kribbeler) I think that it’s important that every child has health care…so that they can go to doctors and specialists (Makenzie Hockensmith). Our country will always need very good doctors to have great health care. I would like to know if you could address the extremely high malpractice fees that many doctors pay in our country. (Eric Winik).

These are just some of the things I think need to be handled in the U.S.A. (Grace Ellrich). I hope you get to read my letter within the next four to eight years you’re in office (Riley McGann). If you don’t, that’s OK because I bet you have a lot on your mind (Briley Hebner). Thanks for all you do for this country (Hannah Cimerola).

Sincerely,

Libby Swords’ fifth-grade class

To view the CNN clip of WFES students reading their letters, click here.

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Local Builder Wins Awards

By Cassie Felch
Posted: November 21, 2008

Marriottsville resident Bob Weickgenannt, president of Starcom Design Build Corp., in Columbia, wrote to share that his company just won three awards at the Home Builders Association of Maryland Remodeling Awards of Excellence. Overall, Starcom has won 15 awards during its more than 20 years in business and is one of the few companies to win multiple awards

Bob would like to extend his thanks to “the many wonderful homeowners we work with every year” and recognize the achievements of the company’s team of project managers, designers, and craftsmen. Congratulations to the staff of Starcom Design Build!

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