The trend toward replacing small, older houses with much larger, often completely rebuilt structures has left people "concerned, amazed and frightened by the dramatic changes," said Wayne Goldstein, president of Montgomery Preservation Inc., the group sponsoring the event.

Individual residents have had "no voice in these changes," he said. "In some neighborhoods it's as if entirely new subdivisions are being created, but they're being done one house at a time."

Goldstein sees the conference as a community forum, with residents, planners and politicians exchanging views and looking at alternatives.

Montgomery Preservation is an advocacy group supporting historic and community preservation.

General registration for the conference is $25 before April 2, $35 after. For more information, contact Goldstein at 301-942-8079 or waynemgoldstein@hotmail.com.

Nominations sought for

Henry L. Dixon Award

The Montgomery County Community Action Board, a county commission advocating for low-income individuals and families, is seeking nominations for the Henry L. Dixon Award.

The late Henry Dixon was a long time member of the board and an advocate of low-income families. Three awards are given in his name each year to an adult, youth and organization that volunteer to help the poor and disadvantaged in their communities.

Nominations are due April 1, and winners will be recognized at a reception in May. For nomination forms or more information, call the board at 301-565-7460.

Salisbury University

announces winter grads

Thomas Carlin and Adam Grant, both of Kensington, were among the 28 Montgomery County residents who graduated from Salisbury University last December. Carlin received a bachelor's degree in history and Grant, a bachelor's degree in art. More than 300 students received degrees at the winter commencement.

Kensington prepares

for blood drive

The Town of Kensington will hold its annual blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell St. Time slots for giving blood are being scheduled at 15-minute intervals. Donors must not have given blood since Jan. 22 and must also be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and be 17 years of age. To schedule an appointment, contact Andrea Gill, at 301-949-4030 or rgill3@aol.com.

Spring Mulch Sale at Einstein

The Albert Einstein High School Booster Club is having a Spring Mulch Sale 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (rain date, March 26). Club members will deliver orders within a 5-mile radius of the school, but buyers can also pick up orders at 11135 Newport Mill Road, Kensington. Cost per bag is $3.75 for home delivery, and $3.50 for pick-up. For more information, call Gordie Brenne, 301-588-7206.

Garrett Park Nursery School holds open house

The Garrett Park Nursery School is holding an open house from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at 4812 Oxford St. The event is geared toward parents who are interested in openings for the class for 4-year-olds. For more information, call the school at 301-933-5254.

Rachel Carson Council

hosts spring open house

The Rachel Carson Council will host a spring open house 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Rachel Carson House, 11701 Berwick Road, Silver Spring. The event is being held in conjunction with a series of nature walks on the Rachel Carson Greenway, led by staff from the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

The open house will feature music by the Takoma Park folk duo, Magpie, along with a talk by Lance Estabez of the Maryland Organic Farmers Association and free organic treats. The Rachel Carson House is a national historic landmark, where the author Rachel Carson (1907-1964) wrote "The Silent Spring," her groundbreaking book on pesticides. The council is dedicated to continuing her work and educating the public on environmental issues. For more information on the open house, contact the council at 301-593-7507 or rccouncil@aol.com. For more information, call 301-495-4600.

Einstein Jazz Ensemble plays for Parent-Community Dance

The award-winning Einstein Honors Jazz Ensemble headlines the Parent-Community Dance from 7-11 p.m. Saturday at Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Road, Kensington.

Enjoy light snacks, swing and salsa dance lessons, and performances by the school's two jazz ensembles: the Honors Ensemble, which took first place at the Silver Spring Jazz Festival's Battle of the High School Bands last September, and the newly formed "Regular" Ensemble. Tickets are $15. For more information, contact Kym Wilson at wilsonpk@verizon.net.

Be a weed warrior!

Carole Bergmann, the forest ecologist for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, is recruiting volunteers to remove non-native invasive plant species from county parks. Training sessions will be held the last Wednesday of the month, beginning March 30. For more information, call 301-949-2818

This column is for you. Share your good news! Feel free to send press releases and news tips. Contact me via e-mail at kkaufmann@gazette.net, phone at 301-280-3005, fax at 301-670-7183, or snail mail at 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878.

Skate time at Wheaton

Ice Arena

Slide by Teen Skate Nights at Wheaton Ice Arena are held one Friday a month 8-10 p.m. The next nights are April 15, May 20 and June 17. Teens between 11 and 19 years old are welcomed. Skate rentals are $6 with student identification or report card.

Wheaton Ice Arena is located at 11717 Orebaugh Ave. Call 301-649-3640.

Free tax preparation offered

April 15 is fast approaching. Low-income families can get help preparing their taxes 5-9 p.m. Tuesdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Montgomery County Child Care Resource and Referral Center, 332 W. Edmonston Drive, Rockville. Families with children and incomes below $35,000 may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The center will be offering free tax preparation assistance right up to the 15th. Electronic filing for faster returns is also available.

The center provides child care referrals, training for child care providers and a resource library. For more information or to make an appointment for tax preparation, call 301-279-1035.

Artists Network forming in Wheaton

The Wheaton Arts and Entertainment Task Force, a citizens' advisory group sponsored by Montgomery County, is creating a network of performing and visual artists who live and work in Wheaton and Kensington. Artists in the network will take part in developing the arts as a vital part of economic and cultural life in the area. The network will also serve as a resource for sharing information on exhibition and performance opportunities.

To join the network, contact Nancy Gasko at 240-777-8126 or by e-mail nancy.gasko@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Einstein alum starts scholarship fund

Albert Einstein High School and Howard University alumnus Serge Sejour is organizing a celebrity basketball game that will raise money to give four Einstein students college scholarships.

The game will be held at the school, located at 11135 Newport Mill Road, on April 9, but fund-raising activities have already begun. Sejour, a professional football player in the Canadian Football League who is working out with the Washington Redskins and hoping to make next year's roster, said he knows the value of a scholarship from personal experience.

"Students from low-income households with the potential to obtain and make the most of a college education give up because of what they perceive as an insurmountable financial obstacle," he said. "I know if I didn't get a scholarship to college that I would not have gone."

Sejour said he hopes the celebrity basketball game will raise $30,000 for the scholarship fund. Donations are tax-deductible and can be sent directly to Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Road, Kensington, MD 20895. Questions can be sent to sergesejour@hotmail.com.

Reading helpers needed

Interages is looking for volunteers to tutor second-graders in reading. Volunteers would tutor the same child in basic reading skills each week, at one of 56 Montgomery County public elementary schools. Tutors can select a convenient school location and time. They will receive training, books and other materials, as well as ongoing on-site support. For more information or to sign up, contact Sara Cartmill at Interages, 240-463-7411 or e-mail cartmill@interagesmd.org.

Interages is an 18-year-old nonprofit organization that works to build relationships between older adults and children.

SPARK seeks tutors

Students Practicing and Respecting Knowledge provides free tutoring to public school students in Kensington. SPARK is looking for people to volunteer at least once a week beginning this month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. one night a week. Volunteers would help either an elementary or middle school student complete homework and long-term assignments. The program is held at the Ken-Gar Community Center, located at 4111 Plyers Mill Road in Kensington. For more information, contact Karen Jackson-Knight at 301-942-3514 or via e-mail at sparktutor@hotmail.com.

Volunteers 55-plus needed

Easter Seals is seeking volunteers for its intergenerational Family Friends Program, matching volunteers 55 years of age and older to a child with a disability.

Family friends build stronger families and communities by providing necessary social support for a family with a child with a disability.

Volunteers spend time each week playing, reading and mentoring a child with a disability.

Family Friends volunteers receive pre-service and ongoing training, community connection and a rewarding relationship with a child and family.

Times and locations are flexible. Contact Carolyn Bull, Family Friends director, at 301-931-8925, ext. 115, or cbull@eseal.org.

Mentor a young person

Interages is looking for adults, age 50 and older to tutor and mentor in schools in Wheaton, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg and Germantown. Training is available. For more information, call Sharon Gobel at 301-949-3551.

Volunteers needed at Children's Resource Center

The Montgomery County Child Care and Referral Center of the Children's Resource Center is looking for volunteers in its offices. Volunteers would answer questions from visitors, answer phones, direct visitors to training programs, meetings and agency offices and assist with other general office duties. The office is open Monday through Friday and hours are flexible. For more information, contact the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600.

This column is for you. Share your good news! Feel free to send press releases and news tips. Contact me via e-mail at kkaufmann@gazette.net, phone at 301-280-3005, fax at 301-670-7183, or snail mail at 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878.