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Habitat ReStore, a nonprofit retail outlet specializing in the resale of new and gently used furniture, appliances and building materials, is celebrating Earth Day this weekend and you are invited.

It is also the store's fourth anniversary.

"It is no coincidence that Earth Day is our birthday," said Adeela Abbasi, Habitat for Humanity Montgomery County ReStore spokeswoman. "ReStore's mission is to offer the community the opportunity to reuse, reduce and recycle, all while contributing to safe, decent, energy efficient and affordable housing."

From Thursday to Saturday, Habitat ReStore will be giving "trash to treasure" demonstrations on how to creatively recycle furniture, offering free food and drinks, and giving out free compost bins.

A representative of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Division of Solid Waste Services will be on hand with information about responsible recycling.

Thursday also marks the beginning of ReStore's third annual Denim Drive, which will run until August 20.

Donated denim will be recycled into natural insulation for communities in need. Denim drop off locations can be found on ReStore's Web site, www.ReStoreMoCo.org.

All materials at ReStore are donated by local businesses, building contractors, suppliers and individuals, and are made available for sale to the public at 50 to 75 percent below retail prices. All donations are tax deductible, and proceeds go back to the local Habitat for Humanity Affiliate to build houses for low-income families in the community. Visit www.ReStoreMoCo.org for more information.

Academic honors

Two local residents have been named to the dean's list for the fall 2009 semester at Stevenson University in Stevenson.

Lauren Zegowitz is a business communication major and graduate of Damascus High School. She is the daughter of Kathryn L. Zegowitz and Bill M. Zegowitz.

Cassandra Auguste is an accounting major and graduate of Watkins Mill High School. She is the daughter of Sonia Auguste and Joseph Auguste.

The dean's list honors students who have achieved a 3.5 or higher grade point average for the semester.

Dr. Seuss's Whoville

comes to Gaithersburg

The Art Barn will resemble a place out of a Dr. Seuss book next month as "Seussical," a musical adaptation of some of the author's best known stories come to Gaithersburg.

A revival of KAT 2nd Stage's production will run from May 8 to May 23, with performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Admission is $18, $16 for City of Gaithersburg residents and $9 for children and students.

This fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza brings to life favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie, and a little boy with a big imagination – Jojo. Horton must protect his tiny friend Jojo from a world of naysayers and dangers, and must guard an abandoned egg, left to his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird.

The powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and ultimately emerge triumphant in a story that will make you laugh and cry.

The Arts Barn is located at 311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg. For more information and tickets call 301-258-6394 or visit online at www.gaithersburgmd.gov/artsbarn.

Inaugural Book Festival opens up with authors, workshops

Ever wonder who writes your favorite books?

Young adults, from tweens to teens, will have an opportunity to get up close and personal with their favorite authors and express their creativity in workshops at the first Gaithersburg Book Festival on May 15.

A free event open to all, the book festival promises a day packed with activities for young adults, from author presentations to interactive discussions, hands-on workshops and book signings.

Featured authors for young readers include:

-Tom Angleberger, author of "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda." He was inspired by both his love of the Star Wars movies and his disastrous middle school years.

-Fred Bowen, writer of the weekly KidsPost sports column in The Washington Post. His new book "No Easy Way" is an illustrated biography of Red Sox slugger Ted Williams. Bowen has two other new books, "Hardcourt Comeback" and "Dugout Rivals," to add to his sports-fiction series for ages 8 and up (13 books in all).

-Marfé Ferguson Delano, author of more than a dozen non-fiction books for children, including award-winning biographies of Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Annie Sullivan. Her most recent book, "Earth in the Hot Seat: Bulletins from a Warming World," explores global warming and won the 2010 Green Earth Book Award.

Others include Elizabeth Eulberg, Sara Lewis, Erica Perl and Jennifer Roy.

Three workshops will be offered as well: Basic Drawing for Comics and Graphic Novels (ages 8-adult), Poetry and Prose, Ideas Alive: Discover Your Inner Writer (grades 4-8), and Comedy Writing (ages 12- Adult).

The Gaithersburg Book Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 15, on the grounds of City Hall in historic Olde Towne Gaithersburg. More than 45 nationally renowned fiction and non-fiction authors - many of whom live in the Washington, D.C., area, have been invited to participate. For information, visit www.gaithersburgbookfestival.org.

The festival is organized in partnership with Barnes & Noble-Gaithersburg, Friends of the Library, the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, and Chloe's Coffee and Gallery.

Church holds sixth annual Community Day

The Bethany Presbyterian Church will have its 6th annual Community Day celebration on May 15 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The goal of the free event is to give back and show appreciation for the community.

There will be carnival games, food, giveaways and martial arts demonstrations. Local officials who have worked to better the community will be honored and the 2010 Bethany Presbyterian Church Scholarships will be presented to local high school students.

Church officials ask that anyone interested in attending RSVP to parkmat2@comcast.net by May 7.

Gaithersburg Presbyterian Church is located at 1201 Quince Orchard Blvd. in Gaithersburg.

Hoist a few

for your local police

No kidding.

The Gaithersburg Police Foundation will hold a fundraiser at the Dogfish Head Alehouse, at 800 West Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg, on May 18, from 11:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.

The Alehouse will donate 15 percent of the day's proceeds to the Gaithersburg Police Foundation.

Drop by for a fun time, good food and an opportunity to meet the members of the Gaithersburg Police Department and the Gaithersburg Police Foundation, who will be on hand throughout the day.

For information contact Keith Bryan, foundation president, at chief@bryan-investments.com.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the foundation supports the Gaithersburg Police Department by raising funds to offer educational opportunities for department staff, enhance recruitment and retention, provide logistical support, technology assistance and help finance community outreach initiatives.

Cough cough, tweet tweet

New media could help get word out faster about health issues, researchers at one Rockville company say.

Simini Price and Jennifer Berktold of Westat, a D.C.-based research company, will discuss how health communicators use new vehicles such as blogs, applications, social media, online videos, computer games, and text messaging to reach their audiences.

Their presentation, "Health Communication in the New Millennium: Getting Health Information to a Population through New Media," will take place at 4 p.m. April 29 in the Camille Kendall Academic Center at the Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville.

Items appropriate for this column should be sent to Nathan Carrick, The Gaithersburg Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md. 20877; faxed to 301-670-7182 or 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to ncarrick@gazette.net. Deadline is Thursday at 5 p.m. for consideration for the following week. Items are subject to editing and used on a space-available basis.