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The College Park Animal Welfare Committee is holding a fundraiser at Franklin's Restaurant, Brewery and General Store on Tuesday.

Franklin's is located at 5123 Baltimore Ave., and will run from 11:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Franklin's closes at 10 p.m. on Tuesdays.

During that time, 20 percent of all proceeds at Franklin's will go to the Animal Welfare Committee. The committee will use the funds to help provide care for sick, abandoned, homeless and stray animals in College Park.

"By showing up, it helps us to provide the animals we take in with veterinary care," College Park Animal Control Officer Abigail Lightning said. "Without fundraising efforts we wouldn't be able to provide for as many animals as we do. It's what keeps our programs running."

For more information, contact Lightning at alightning@collegepark

md.gov or at 301-864-8877.

Distinguished guests expected at Rosapepe's Beltsville party

Maryland State Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D- Dist. 21) of College Park is holding an inaugural celebration in Beltsville on Sunday.

The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at Behnke's Nursery, located at 11300 Baltimore Ave.

The party's featured guests will be US Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Dist. 7) of Baltimore, Baltimore County and Howard County and Earnest Green, of the "Little Rock Nine", a group of nine black students who were the first to integrate Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957.

"Most people in this area are excited about President Elect Obama," Rosapepe said. "There are lots of ways to participate. We thought having a celebration that is easy for families to get to, where you don't have to go downtown was a good idea."

Cummings, who is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park School of Law, was the first African-American to be named speaker pro tem of the Maryland House of Delegates.

He is also a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus was the co-chair of the Obama campaign in Maryland.

Cummings was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996.

Green was the subject of the 1993 movie "The Ernest Green Story," about the Little Rock Nine and their successful integration of Little Rock schools despite the opposition of the Arkansas Governor.

"Earnest Green has been a friend of mine for 30 years," Rosapepe said. "As a high school student, he had to lead the kind of change that got Obama to the White House."

The event is open to families and Beltsville residents. Admission for the celebration is free.

Rosapepe has requested those wishing to attend to RSVP at 301-441-8690 or by e-mail at jim.rosapepe@gmail.com.

MLK announces final 2008 Renaissance Roll winners

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Beltsville announced its Renaissance Roll winners from the week of Dec. 19 - the final week before the school's winter break.

Students that demonstrate good behavior are given "Renaissance Living the Dream" cards by their teachers.

Each week, those students put their cards in a pot for a weekly drawing. Students are eligible to win prizes such as pencils, pens, locker mirrors and calculators.

Four winners are selected from each of the school's three teams.

The winners from Team M are Jaela Gant, Kendrell Jones, Aubria Owens and Shawn Suser. The Team L winners are Adrian Addae, Ebenezer Boateng, Gracious Mathi and Alex Vy. From Team K, the winners are Sam Brogi, Lyndsey Llewellyn, Karolyn Martinez and Jonathan Tsang.

UMUC expands

campuses into Iraq

The University of Maryland, University College became the first College in the United States to open up a campus in Iraq.

UMUC opened its Education Centers at Camp Victory in Baghdad and Joint Base Balad, just 40 miles north of Baghdad. The very first classrooms opened in November.

The school is for American military serving in Iraq and 150 service members have already enrolled in classes.

Plans for the UMUC locations in Iraq began in May 2008 when the Department of Defense granted the Adelphi school an education contract. Under the contract, UMUC agreed to provide undergraduate and graduate programs for troops in Iraq as well as other countries within the U.S. Central Command.

UMUC has locations open at other Central Command sites in Europe and Asia including Afghanistan. The school has offered classes to overseas military personnel for 50 years.

The school in Iraq currently has seven professors and four full-time staff members.

Hispanic College Fund Opens Scholarship Application

The Hispanic College Fund recently opened applications for scholarships to be awarded in 2009. Scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing careers as engineers, pharmacists, nurses, doctors, hotel executives or chief financial officers, among other fields.

Scholarships range from $500 to $10,000 and are renewable.

In 2008, the Hispanic College Fund awarded $1.8 million to more than 615 students nationwide, of which 35 were from the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

Students can apply online at www.hispanicfund.org/scholarships. The application deadline is March 15.

Vansville holds

inaugural science fair

Vansville Elementary held its first Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fair on the night of Jan. 7.

The fair featured individually prepared projects by students in third- through sixth-grades. The kindergarteners, first-graders and second-graders completed their projects during class and will also have their work on display.

The students' STEM projects require a student to complete a scientific investigation, complete research, develop a question, create a hypothesis, conduct an investigation and then present a conclusion.

The projects were all related to science, math, engineering or technology.

Parents, staff and students were all on hand to view the work.

Residents may give input at District 3 meeting in Riverdale

County Councilman Eric Olson (D-Dist. 3) of College Park is holding a community meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at Parkdale High School in Riverdale, located at 6001 Good Luck Road.

Acting Police Chief Roberto Hylton will be there to give a public safety presentation. Call Olson's office at 301-952-3060.

Slots informational meeting

District 21 legislators and Sen. James C. Rosapepe (D-Dist.21) of College Park are having an informational meeting about the recently passed slots referendum at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Maryland City Volunteer Fire Department Hall, 3498 Fort Meade Road.

Maryland State Lottery Agency director Buddy Roogow, Anne Arundel County Councilman Jamie Benoit (D-Dist. 4) of Odenton and Donald Hall, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration division director will also be present.

To RSVP call 301-858-3141 or e-mail 21stDistrictDelegation@

gmail.com.