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Linganore High School will host its 12th Mr. Linganore Competition, which raises money for a school-wide academic awards program.

The theme of this year's male mock beauty pageant is pioneers, and the competition will be held until Saturday, when the 11 seniors will strut their stuff in their costumes and tuxes at Linganore at Oakdale High School's auditorium, according to teacher and organizer, Natalie Evans.

The contestants are Andy Anderson, Alex Eckard, Zach Eisinger, Ryan Hall, Rob Havenstein, Danny Hennigan, Nathan Lorei, Joe Moore, Alex Reifer, Brad Rosen and Mike Schoelen.

This year, the contestants are receiving training in ballroom dancing, courtesy of health teacher Linda Gouker.

James Petersen, last year's Mr. Linganore, will not be able to return this year because of a commitment to a Navy preparatory school, according to Evans. However, Danny French and Jimmy Clark, who took second and third place in the 2009 competition, will return for this year's contest.

Every Mr. Linganore contest has a theme, and this year, the theme is "pioneers."

Contestants will choose a pioneer to dress up in costume for the contest, and also the events leading up to the pageant will have to tie into the participants' themes. For instance, the cake-decorating event set to take place yesterday had to reflect the pioneer that each contestant had chosen.

Evans said the 13th year of the Mr. Linganore contest will be triumphant when students return to their new school on Old Annapolis Road.

"We're looking forward to our big 13th event next year," Evans said.

Tickets are on sale now for $8. For more information, contact Natalie Evans at natalie.evans@fcps.org.

Ijamsville church collects

shoes for Haiti

Ijamsville United Methodist Church recently partnered with Soles4Souls, a charity that collects slightly-used foot ware for the needy, to help collect 575 shoes for the victims of the earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti in January.

Church members were aided in gathering the shoes by Ijamsville Girl Scout Cadet Troop 81047 and Brownie Troop 81850, the Yes I Can Children's Center in Ijamsville, the Howard County Community Center, and Curves of Glenelg.

Soles4Souls has collected more than seven million pairs of shoes since it formed in 2005, averaging a gift of about a pair of shoes every nine seconds.

For more information, visit the group's Web site at www.giveshoes.org, or visit the Soles4Souls donation location at Comfort One Shoes at 5245 Buckeystown Pike in Frederick.

New Market Masonic Lodge to hold benefit for armed forces personnel

The New Market Masonic Lodge will be collecting toiletries for armed service personnel from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. March 20 at 19 W. Main St.

"From communications members have with service personnel, these personal items are badly needed and would be greatly appreciated by our troops much more than the basic nature of these items would suggest," wrote Ben Madrid.

The lodge members hope that the items will improve the quality of life for servicemen and women service in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Guardsman returns from

Iraq deployment

Army National Guard Spec. Korey R. Beach recently returned to the U.S. after a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Beach returned to Fort Dix, N.J. for debriefing, evaluations and out-processing procedures before returning to his to National Guard unit.

Beach served in the Iraq Theater of Operations as an intelligence analyst with the 150th Assault Helicopter Battalion, based in Lakehurst, N.J. He has served in the military for four years.

He is the son of Heidi T. Adams of New Market, and Kent Beach of Hampden, Mass.

Beach graduated in 2000 from Damascus High School.

Frederick County spelling bee registration almost complete

Competitive spellers have until Saturday to register for the 2010 Frederick County Spelling Bee. Early bird registration ended on Feb. 28, and Alessandro Quintanilla, a fifth-grader at Tuscarora Elementary School, won the early bird registration prize.

Sponsored by The Gazette and Frederick County Public Libraries, this year's competition is the third annual event.

The first two of the competition's qualifying bees will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., on Saturday at the C. Burr Artz Library in downtown Frederick. Registration is open until the qualifying bees begin.

The next qualifying bees will be held at the Urbana Regional Library on March 20 and Thurmont Regional Library on March 21.

Spellers must be between the ages of 9 and 14 and be in fourth through eighth grade at any public, private or home school in Frederick County. Specific eligibility requirements are available at all library branches and at www.fcpl.org/spelling. Spellers may register at any library branch or online at www.fcpl.org.

The Championship Bee featuring 40 finalists to be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 2, at The Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick.

Weinberg Center celebrates St. Patrick's Day with benefit dinners

The Weinberg Center invites residents to take part in the Second Annual St. Patrick's Day celebration of Life, Luck, and Laughter at Volt restaurant, at 228 N. Market St., on Tuesday.

The event, which will be hosted by the Weinberg Center for the Arts Board of Directors, will benefit the Weinberg's capital campaign.

Residents can choose from a three-course dinner with wine pairings, seated at 6:30 p.m. for $150 per attendee or a six-course formal dining experience complete with wine pairings, seated at 6 p.m. for $225 per attendee.

For $500, diners can experience the restaurant's popular and exclusive Table 21experience, with wine pairing and a photo with chef Bryan Voltaggio, who will also autograph menus. The first seating is at 5:30 p.m., with a second at 9 p.m. There are only eight tickets per seating.

Local businessman and community activist Marvin Ausherman and John Healey, executive theater manager of the Weinberg, will serve as bartenders in the Volt lounge during an open bar from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.

Do you have an item for News & Notes? Contact reporter Christian Brown at 301-846-2132 or e-mail chbrown@gazette.net.