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Bryce Edwards of Clarksburg decided he did not need presents for his eighth birthday as much as the Haitian people needed food.

So he asked the friends and family attending the party at Bounce U in Clarksburg not to bring him any presents but to donate money to Haitian relief instead.

"He's been praying about Haiti every single night," said Karen Edwards, his mother. "It's bothering him."

So when she suggested donations for the Red Cross instead of gifts, Bryce though it was a great idea.

"I wanted to raise some money for the people of Haiti to feed some people," he said in a phone conversation on Feb. 24, his birthday.

The 19 friends at his party "said it was really nice," Bryce said.

A Red Cross representative was expected to visit Bryce and his friends at Clarksburg Elementary School on Tuesday to pick up a check for $896, which includes $108 of Bryce's money from saving coins, his mother said.

Looking for talented seniors

Performers age 55 and older are invited to try out for the Montgomery County talent competition.

In honor of Older Americans Month in May, the county will host a talent competition called "Montgomery's Got Talent." Preliminary competitions will take place at community and senior centers throughout the county in April and May.

The Damascus Senior Center will hold auditions April 16. Singers, actors, dancers, comedians, story tellers, performance artists and musicians are invited to try out for the show. Contestants must complete their registration packets by March 31 and register to participate. Drop-in contestants will not be accepted. Registration forms are available at the senior center.

Winners will advance to the "Montgomery's Got Talent" finals at an area performing arts venue on May 22. Proceeds from the contest and finals will benefit Haitian seniors.

Kite festival

returning to Clarksburg

Clarksburg is preparing to celebrate the end of a long winter with the second annual Kites over Clarksburg Festival on March 27.

The festival will include kite demonstrations, hands-on kite-making activities and children's crafts. 

Whether an expert or novice kite flyer, everyone is welcome to join the family event sponsored by Clarksburg Foundation Inc., the Clarksburg Civic Association and the Montgomery County Department of Parks

Everyone is asked to bring nonperishable food items that will be donated to area food banks and participants will receive a raffle ticket for each donation of a canned food item. Prizes from local businesses will be drawn during the festival.

Kites over Clarksburg is free. The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ovid Hazen Wells Recreation Park, 12001 Skylark Drive in Clarksburg. Free parking will be available by the soccer and ball fields.

Church supper

coming up March 13

Wesley Grove United Methodist Church, 23640 Woodfield Road, will hold its annual spring all-you-can-eat Turkey and Oyster Dinner on March 13, beginning at 1 p.m.

Cost is $14 for adults and $6.50 for children ages 5-12 (younger children eat free). A bake sale and carryout meals will also be available. Cost for carryouts is also $14.

Used car sale coming to DHS

The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation Inc. used car sale has been rescheduled 9 a.m. to noon March 13 at Damascus High School, 25921 Ridge Road.

It was originally held in February during the weeks of inclement weather.

All used vehicles are Maryland inspected and most come with a 30-day, 1,000-miles warranty. Vehicle sale prices start at $1,600. A $100 deposit (check or cash) is required for each vehicle purchased. Tax, tags and fees are in addition to the price of the vehicle.

A lottery for the used cars will begin at 11 a.m. All proceeds from the sale are returned directly to the student training program.

A few remaining vehicles are still available from the December sale. Contact Rick Gangloff or Mike Snyder for details at 301-962-4810 or send an e- mail to richard_gangloff@mcpsmd.org.

Booster Club selling mulch

The Damascus High School Athletics Boosters Club is taking orders for mulch.

Mulch will be on sale outside the school cafeteria from 8 a.m.to 3 p.m. March 13 or can be ordered in advance through the club on the school Web site.

Orders of 10 bags or more will be delivered free of charge.

On campus

-Callum Luff of Damascus, a junior majoring in international business, has been named to the dean's list for the fall semester at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa. To earn the recognition, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.6 or better in 14 or more credit hours.

Encore! Encore! Seniors

invited to join singing group

Encore Creativity Inc. has extended the signup period for senior adults to join the Encore Chorale at the Margaret Schweinhat Senior Center in Silver Spring.

The nonprofit chorale, with more than 50 members, rehearses Monday mornings at the Schweinhaut Center, 1000 Forest Glen Road. Members come from Montgomery County and Western Prince George's County.

Led by Encore Creativity founder Jeanne Kelly, a professional singer and conductor formerly with the Levine School of Music, the chorale is designed for men and women ages 55 and over. Singers are seated and no previous singing experience or auditions are necessary.

Several concerts are planned in the metropolitan D.C. and Baltimore areas for late spring.

A tuition fee for the 15-week semester is charged to cover expenses.

For further information, visit www.encorecreativity.org, or call 301-261-5747 or the Schweinhaut Center at 240-777-8085.

Choral groups to perform

for those in need

Three community choral groups will perform in concert Sunday to benefit Community Ministries of Rockville's program that offers assistance to individuals and families in need of help paying rent, utilities or prescriptions.

The Rockville Chorus, the Rockville Singers and the Rockville Men's Chorus will perform at 3 p.m. in the new Performing Arts Center on the campus of Sandy Spring Friends School, 16923 Norwood Road in Sandy Spring.

The concert will feature classical choral selections, American folk music, pop standards and selections from recent movie musicals.

Proceeds will benefit the Rockville Emergency Assistant Program has been helping the community's needy residents since 1967. REAP is a partnership between Community Ministries of Rockville and the City of Rockville designed to assist with emergency financial support such as rent or mortgage payments when evictions, foreclosure or termination of utilities are imminent. The program also helps with vital medical prescriptions.

For more information on the concert, call Community Ministries of Rockville at 301-637-0730 or Justine Cowan, Rockville Chorus publicist, at 240-475-3550.

Book available for

individuals facing divorce

The Montgomery County Commission for Women has published a new book designed for individuals facing divorce that provides information about the legal system, their rights and responsibilities.

"A Woman's Guide to Surviving the Legal Process of Separation and Divorce in Maryland" is available in English and Spanish, and features a section for immigrant women who may have special needs when it comes to separation and divorce in the U.S.

Copies of the book for circulation and reference are available at county public libraries.

To purchase a copy for $5, visit the Commission for Women offices at 401 N. Washington St, Suite 100, in Rockville. Mail-order purchases of the book are $8 each.

For more information, call 240-777-8300, visit the commission Web site http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw or send an e-mail to cfw@montgomerycountymd.gov.

County libraries to use post cards to notify customers

As part of a county initiative to go green and save money, Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) will switch from paper notifications to post cards in order to notify customers who have materials on hold.

About 25 percent of library customers choose to receive their holds notices via mail, with the rest getting e-mail notifications, library officials reported.

"While we encourage our customers with online access to register for e-mail notifications, we realize that some do not have access to or do not choose to use computers," Public Libraries Director Parker Hamilton said in a prepared statement. "Those customers will now receive their notifications via a post card, which will also help MCPL reduce paper usage and postage and printing costs."

To register for e-mail notification, visit the library Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/

library.

Items appropriate for People and Places must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday for consideration for the following week. They can be mailed to The Damascus-Clarksburg Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; sent by fax to 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to ssingerbart@gazette.net. Items are used on a space-available basis.