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The Mount Airy Lions Club and the Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company are sponsoring an Easter breakfast and egg hunt on Sunday at the firemen's carnival grounds, located at the corner of Md. Route 27 and Twin Arch Road.

The breakfast will be from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., and cost is $8 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 10, and children under 5 eat for free. There is no cost for the Easter egg hunt. The Easter Bunny will be at the breakfast from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

"There's plenty of parking and plenty of room," said Mount Airy Lions Club president Ben Gue.

Around a dozen volunteers stuffed eggs on Monday night in preparation for this weekend's event.

"We may not want to see chocolate again after tonight," Gue said on Monday, saying there were 3,000 eggs to stuff. "I'm eating dinner tonight before we go!"

The Easter Egg Hunt will start at noon at the carnival grounds. Children up to 12 years old are invited to join in the hunt for the candy-filled eggs, along with special eggs for prizes, such as free McDonald's desserts.

Prizes will be awarded to the children in each age category. Prizes include: for children up to 3 years old: a tricycle, Little Trike and Bubble Lawn Mower; 4 to 8 years old: a bike, portable CD player, and $20 gift certificate; 9 to 12 years old: a portable stereo, portable CD player or $20 gift certificate. Prizes will be given to the children that locate specific eggs.

The rain date for the event is March 28 at the same time.

For more information, contact Charlana Hornick at 301-829-0100, voice mail box 51, or Gue at 301-829-LION.

Area teachers

nominated for award

The annual Outstanding Teacher Award from the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce recognizes teachers in the Carroll County Public School System for their excellence.

Local nominees include the following teachers: Erica Warner from Mount Airy Elementary; Gail Dziorney from Mount Airy Middle; Ginny Beazley, Kimberly Heirsetter, Patricia McHale, Jan Nies, Amanda Robinson, Mary Schmidt, Vanessa Stewart and Pamela Uhlman from Parr's Ridge Elementary School; Karen Anderson, Matthew Joseph, Susan Miller and Laura Streicker from South Carroll High School, and Christopher Kolakowski from Winfield Elementary School.

Any full-time elementary, middle, high school, career and technology, special education teacher, counselor or media specialist that works in Carroll County Public Schools is eligible to be nominated. Parents, students, other teachers or school administrators may submit the nominations.

The nominated teachers who submit their biography will be honored on Wednesday at a ceremony at Winters Mill High School.

The Chamber will select eight teachers to be presented with the Outstanding Teacher Award. These eight will become candidates for the Carroll County Public School's Teacher of the Year. The Chamber will also present three teachers with the Chamber's Wilhelm Scholarship to be used for continuing education. 

Students achieve honors

on campus

The following area students have been named to the dean's list at Frostburg State University in recognition of outstanding academic achievement for the fall 2009 semester. To be eligible, a student must take at least 12 credit hours and earn a cumulative semester grade point average of at least 3.4.

Mount Airy students who made the list include: Shelby Conboy, Brittany Harris and Nicole Rieland. Mount Airy students achieving a 4.0 grade point average include: Derek Bozzell, Hannah Ehlman and Candice McDonald.

Chili cook-off plans heating up

The Mount Airy Main Street Association is getting ready for its sixth annual chili cook-off, "Main Street Heat," on March 27.

The event is a sanctioned International Chili Society cook-off, meaning that the winner can advance to a higher level of competition. The red chili winner is given the chance to move on to World Championship Chili Cook-off held in October.

There are currently more than 30 cooks registered.

"We had 28 last year which means we are bigger and better," said Ellie Bonde, promotions chair for Mount Airy Main Street Association.

Bonde said there will be official $5 tasting kits that include a cup, spoon and napkin that allow people to taste the chili. In addition to chili competitors and vendors, the event will also have hot dog eating contests, a beer tent, kids activities, karate demonstrations and more.

Parking and admission are free.

For more information on the event, volunteering or cooking, check out the association's Web site at www.mountairymainstreet.org.

Fifteen students advance to 3rd annual spelling bee final

Forty students from across Frederick County participated Saturday in two qualifying spelling bees at the C. Burr Artz Public Library in downtown Frederick. The students were vying for 15 spots at The Gazette's 3rd annual Frederick County Spelling Bee, scheduled for 2 p.m., May 2 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick.

At the final bee, the winning speller will earn a $1,000 U.S. savings bond, and the runner-up will receive a $500 bond, both provided by Frederick County Bank.

The spelling bees are sponsored by The Gazette, Frederick County Public Libraries and Frederick County Bank.

Jacob Manley, 11, a seventh-grader at Monocacy Middle School, correctly spelled the word "adversary" to win the first qualifying bee on Saturday. The middle-schooler has participated in the spelling bees each year since 2008.

Other finalists from the morning bee included Amelia Edwards, 10, a fifth-grader at Spring Ridge Elementary; Therese Konopelski, 11, a sixth-grader at St. Thomas More Academy; Anna Kulangara, 11, a sixth-grader at Ballenger Creek Elementary; Manav Mathur, 9, a fourth-grader at Urbana Elementary; Samuel Morrison, 10, a fifth-grader at Trinity School of Frederick; John Nalley, 10, a fifth-grader at North Frederick Elementary; Mikey Schnepfe, 10, a fifth-grader at Walkersville Elementary; and Grace Wittenbach, 9, a fourth-grader at Spring Ridge Elementary.

At the afternoon qualifying bee, Hirsh Shah, an eighth-grader at Urbana Middle School, spelled "disentangle" correctly to win. The 14-year-old also competed in the 2008 and 2009 spelling bees.

Joining Hirsh as finalists for the countywide regional bee are Katie Cannon, 9, a home-schooled fourth-grader; Jonathan Leao, 12; John Lucado Jr., 11, a sixth-grader at Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle; Divya Uttarwar, 10, a fifth-grader at Ballenger Creek Elementary; and Ryan Will, 11, a sixth-grader at Monocacy Middle School.

Qualifying bee winners earned a "Bananagrams" game, provided by Dancing Bear Toys and Gifts in downtown Frederick, and a gift card for that store provided by Friends of Frederick County Public Libraries. The Friends group also provided refreshments.

Three more qualifying bees are scheduled this weekend. On Saturday, Urbana Regional Library will host a bee at 11 a.m., and one at 2 p.m.; and the Thurmont Regional Library will host a bee at 2 p.m., Sunday. Spots are still available at both locations — go online to www.fcpl.org/spelling or call your local library branch to register.

Students must be between the ages of 9 and 14 and in grades fourth through eighth to compete in the spelling bees. They must also possess a library card at Frederick County Public Libraries or be Frederick County resident.

Do you have an item for Mount Airy Moments? Contact reporter Angie Cochrun at 301-846-2117, e-mail acochrun@gazette.net or fax news to 301-846-2124.