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Montgomery Talent Search, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing out performance talent in at-risk youth, held its Black History Month Showcase last month at Wheaton Community Center, which featured dozens of local youth performances. The family event featured local teen poets, dancers, rappers and models all showing off their talents. Local historian John McMillan began the show by reciting several renowned poems, including a reading of Maya Angelou's classic "Still I Rise." Between performances, local comedian Big Mo kept the crowd enthused with his wisecracks and outlandish behavior.

This showcase was the second event in a series of productions presented by Montgomery Talent Search, which partners with the Wheaton Community Center to take talented teens off the streets and place them into a safe and structured after-school environment. MTS founder Huwey Kelly, a personal trainer and aspiring musician, conceived the program after he was enlisted to assist several young women plan a fashion show for Wheaton High School. Kelly wanted the group to be more inclusive, so he opened up the event to adolescents from all over Montgomery County. The group held their first talent show April 10 at the community center, which was featured in The Gazette.

One of the participants in the first showcase, Tanisha Henry, was encouraged by its success and played a more active role in the planning for the second showcase. In addition to performing, Henry choreographed the dance routines and trained all the models. Guiding Henry was the show's director, Sandro Victoriano. Several months of practice came to fruition Feb. 19, and the show impressed the audience of approximately 200 people.

In addition to producing the fashion and talent showcases, MTS also offers a mentoring program and workshops that support self-esteem, individuality and discipline.

Wheaton Library to host Grammy nominee performance

Christylez ("Chris-styles") Bacon, a 2010 Grammy nominee for "Best Musical Album for Children," will perform his eclectic blend of classical, jazz and hip-hop arrangements 2 p.m. Saturday at the Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave. Bacon has performed at the National Cathedral, Strathmore Hall and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is credited for becoming the first hip-hop artist to be featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

ChristyLez uses instruments such as the West African djembe drum, acoustic guitar, and the human beat-box (oral percussion) while continuing the oral tradition of storytelling through his lyrics. To learn more about this artist, visit his website: www.christylez.com/about.

He will perform as part of the county library's "Live Music @ the Library" program, which is appropriate for all ages. For more information on library programs, call 240-777-0678.

Habitat for Humanity

of Montgomery County

donates 50th home in county

This Saturday, Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County will celebrate the completion of its 50th home to house low-income county residents. The county's Habitat organization has built 38 new homes and rehabilitated 12 since its inception in 1982. One of the largest was a 24-townhome project in Burtonsville, which opened in 2008.

For the past year, Habitat for Humanity has partnered with the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs to revitalize foreclosed homes in neighborhoods in the county hit hard by the economic crisis. The homes are provided to qualified low-income county residents.

In all, more than 220 county residents, including 132 children, live in a Habitat home.

Brookside Gardens looking

for a program assistant

Share your love of the growing world with children as a children's program assistant with Brookside Gardens. Brookside Gardens hosts many programs for schools and other youth groups throughout the year and is looking for a qualified program assistant to lead many youth activities at the garden. Typically, staff conduct a program in the children's classroom exploring some aspect of horticulture, and a volunteer will lead a tour through the garden to reinforce the concepts.

Training occurs in March and includes taxonomy, botany and horticulture, teaching techniques and tour guidelines. For more information, call Nancy Traubitz at 301-962-1429 or send an e-mail to MCP-GardenVolunteer@montgomeryparks.org. Applicants must be Montgomery County Public Schools certified.

Recycle old electronics Sunday

From 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, bring your used and likely useless electronics to Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown, for recycling. Accepted items include small appliances, calculators, camcorders, CDs and CD players, cell phones, charges and cables, copiers, printers, VCRs, electronic toys and really old things such as typewriters and floppy disks. The electronic recycling program is open to all county residents and businesses. The only items not accepted for recycling are compact fluorescent lights and appliances containing Freon. Bring those to the Solid Waste Transfer Station, which accepts electronics daily at its 16101 Frederick Road, Derwood location. Visit www.montgomerycounty

md.gov/gogreen or call 301-417-1433.

Local band to release

long-awaited album

Urban Funk, a Montgomery County-based band with members from Wheaton, Kensington, Rockville and Silver Spring, is releasing its 13-track album, "Heroes and Legends," 8 p.m. to midnight March 17 at Clydes of Chevy Chase, 5441 Wisconsin Ave. The album includes original material from the band, produced by woodwind artist Wayne Sulc and percussionist Tim Cutrona, both veterans of the Washington, D.C.-area music scene; as well as compositions by Carlos Santana, Chic Corea, Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye and many others.

It's taken almost five years for performers such as Paul Bell, Tommy Lepson, Jennifer Smith, Chuck Underwood, John Thomakos, John Cocuzzi, Didier Prossaird, Ronnie Newmeyer, Steve Wolf, Mike Davis, Ronald Mendoza, Tim Cutrona, Tammy Sullivan, Steve Long, Jeff Bonk, Kyle Minor, Don Junker, Gil Hoffer, Wayne Sulc and Juan Cayrampoma to create the album. Many are winners of the Wammies, the Washington-area version of the Grammy's, and have significant influence on the area's modern jazz scene. Purchase the album at CDBay.com or attend the release party.

Items for People and Places may be sent to Amber Parcher, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. The fax line is 240-473-7501; or e-mail aparcher@gazette.net. Call 240-473-7505. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.

Gilchrist Center to host

pro-bono financial clinic

Let the financial experts help you at the Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity, 11319 Elkin St. in downtown Wheaton. They can help you solve financial problems, obtain a car loan, plan your financial future, save for education, improve your credit rating, buy your first home, pay off your credit cards and save money on financial services. The free clinic will be held 6-8 p.m. March 17 and 2-4 p.m. March 21. First-come, first-serve until full. Call 240-777-4940 for more information.

Senior volunteer drivers needed

The Senior Connection urgently needs Montgomery County residents to volunteer to help their neighbors 62 and older live as independently as possible by providing escorted transportation to scheduled medical appointments, helping with grocery shopping and running errands and paying a friendly visit or making a phone call to share companionship.

The time commitment and schedule are flexible, and volunteers are provided with life-skills training and recognition events. The Senior Connection also provides volunteer liability insurance coverage.

Call The Senior Connection at 301-962-0820, or e-mail seniorconnectionmc@gmail.com

Catholic Charities to hold weekly immigration ‘charlas'

Come "chat" about immigration at 11 a.m. every Tuesday at Catholic Charities Montgomery County Center, at 12247 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton. For $30 a person, learn about law, your rights and the potential benefits of your immigration situation before hiring an immigration attorney.

Bilingual karaoke in Wheaton

Every Friday, grab dinner and a microphone with Blinkie for Blinkie's Karaoke, held at Sergio's Place, 11324 Fern St. in Wheaton, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The bilingual karaoke event features hundreds of popular songs in Spanish and English. Fore more information on Sergio's, visit www.lasgunacas.com /sergios.htm.