Kendall scholarships awarded

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Montgomery College students Mary Vargas, Natalya Safronova and Parissa Youssefi, all of Gaithersburg, were among seven students receiving 2006 Clifford and Camille Kendall Endowed Scholarships.

The annual scholarship program awards $5,000 to students in the third or fourth year of a baccalaureate program offered at the Universities at Shady Grove and $2,500 to students at Montgomery College.

To be eligible, students must begin their studies at Montgomery College and complete their baccalaureate degree in a program offered at USG, a regional center of the University System of Maryland.

‘‘We are delighted to have the opportunity to help these talented Montgomery County students achieve their potential,” Clifford Kendall, member and immediate past chair of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents and former chairman and chief executive of Computer Data Systems Inc., said in a statement.

Food donations neededin spring Manna drive

Donations of non-perishable food items for Manna Food Center, a nonprofit that collects and distributes food to the needy, are being collected at Lakeforest mall from March 25 through April 15.

Organizers said Manna has had a 15 percent increase in the number of Montgomery County households needing food.

The goal is to collect 2,000 boxes of cereal, 2,000 jars of peanut butter and 2,000 cans of tuna fish.

Canned soup, fruits and vegetables, as well as pasta and rice are also needed.

‘‘Many people donate food during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, but hunger exists year ’round,” Amy Gabala, executive director at Manna Food Center, said in a prepared statement. ‘‘We are thankful to have Lakeforest and its customers join us in the fight to eliminate hunger.”

Visit www.mannafood.org for more information.

The mall said shoppers who drop off food at Lakeforest Customer Service at Center Court will receive a $2 discount on any photo package from its seasonal Bunny’s Garden. Lakeforest said it will also offer special springtime activities, including the Month of the Young Child event for Montgomery County Public Schools Division of Early Childhood Programs and Services on April 1.

Recruits join the ranksof county fire service

James Logan, Bryan Loop, Mithra Nagaraj and Joel Rosario of Gaithersburg were among the 28 Montgomery County fire and rescue recruits to complete the county’s fire-fighting and emergency medical technician training program and graduate Friday.

They were in a recruit class that started last October.

The county’s fire-rescue service has nearly 1,000 career, uniformed personnel and civilian support staff and an equal number of volunteers, nearly half of whom actively participate in emergency response.

AAUW book saleis approaching

The annual book sale of the Gaithersburg branch of the American Association of University Women, in cooperation with Asbury Methodist Village, will be March 30, 31 and April 1 at the Rosborough Center community rooms, 409 Russell Ave. in Gaithersburg.

Proceeds are used for scholarships and grants to women seeking degrees, as well as to support legal redress in cases of gender discrimination, the group announced,

Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. March 30 and 31 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1.

For information call 301-869-1314.

City fills spots on committees

Gaithersburg Mayor Sidney A. Katz appointed the following people to city committees: Charles Crisostomo, Elizabeth Notter, Victor Smigel and Thomas Snyder, the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory committee; Elan Kruegar and Michael Kane, the commission on Landlord⁄ Tenant Affairs.

Montgomery Village club joins ‘first book’ program

The Kiwanis Club of Montgomery Village announces that it has joined the National First Book organization in setting up and taking the lead in a new advisory board for Montgomery County.

The national organization obtains new books from major publishers. The books are then given to children and the group said the effort is a large step in the battle against illiteracy.

Kiwanis Club of Montgomery Village is using First Book as their ‘‘Young Children Priority One” project.

The goal for this year is 300,000 books. To achieve this, an aggressive new-member drive is under way.

The first project under this new program will be working with the Montgomery County Health Department in setting up a reading corner in each patient waiting room throughout the county, and supplying it with books.

For further information call 301-530-1165.

Annual glass show is this weekend in Gaithersburg

The National Capital Heisey Collector’s Club presents the 34th Annual All-Heisey Glass Show this weekend at the Bohrer Park Activity Center, 506 S. Frederick Ave. Gaithersburg.

Proceeds benefit the National Heisey Glass Museum.

Heisey glassware was made by A. H. Heisey & Co., which opened in 1896.

Admission is $6. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19. For more information, go to www.capitalheiseyclub.org

Cooking classesscheduled by Cancer Project

The Cancer Project, a national nonprofit trying to advance cancer prevention efforts, is offering a free, eight-week cooking course in Gaithersburg.

‘‘The single easiest and best thing most of us can do to prevent cancer or its recurrence is to eat right,” Jennifer Reilly, a senior nutritionist with The Cancer Project, said in a statement.

Each class centers on cancer-nutrition topics. The series begins March 28 at Whole Foods market in the Kentlands.

For more information, call 202-244-5038, or go to www.cancerproject.org The Cancer Project is an affiliate of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Potomac River watershed cleanup nears

Volunteers are needed for the 18th Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup, sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation, from 9 a.m. to noon April 8.

For more information, call 301-292-5665 or visit www.potomaccleanup.org

Summer career camps accepting applicants

Plan for the Future Summer Camp 2006 (formerly Career Camp), a one-week, half-day summer experience for middle-school students, will be offered June 19 to 23 at Seneca Valley High School, Germantown, and June 26 to 30 at Wootton High School in Rockville.

Students will have the opportunity to explore two careers and solve real-work challenges. Students can elect to attend one or both camps. The hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and cost $150 each. Transportation is the responsibility of participants.

All current fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders are welcome to apply. Brochures with applications will be sent home in mid-March. Detailed information can be found at www.mcps.k12.md.us⁄departments⁄cte⁄camp2006.

Have a newsworthy note, a tale to share or an offbeat picture? E-mail us at gaithersburg@gazette.net. By snail mail: People and Places, Gaithersburg-Montgomery Village Gazette, 1200 Quince Orchard Blvd., Gaithersburg, MD 20878.