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Northwood High School will celebrate Silver Spring's newest green space and running trail — once a haven for illicit after-school activity — with a 5K run and hike on Saturday. Funded by a $7,500 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, a group of nearly 60 students and nearby residents started a project in November to turn the 15-acre property behind Northwood High School into a nature trail that could inform the school's students and the surrounding community of the land's connection to the Chesapeake Bay. Northwood's cross-country team will also use the trail to train. More than 50 years ago, the state purchased this land to potentially build a road on it, but it instead it became an unofficial community landfill.

Leaders from each partnering organization will officially open the new green space and the new Northwood Chesapeake Bay Trail at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kaplan Stadium, behind the school at 919 University Blvd. W. The run and hike is open to the community. Sign-in will be open until 10:15 a.m., the run will start at 10:35 a.m. and the hike will take off at 11:15 a.m. Northwood's principal and the area's state senator and members from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Northwood High School, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Friends of Sligo Creek , Neighbors of Northwest Branch and Maryland's State Highway Administration will celebrate the land-restoration project completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event also happens to take place on the American Hiking Society's National Trails Day.

Wheaton Flea Market now open Saturdays and Sundays

The Downtown Wheaton Flea Market, which has been open on Sundays since May 2 on the Safeway parking lot at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Reedie Drive, will now also be open every Saturday starting this week. Given the success of the Sunday market, many customers and vendors have requested that it also open the addition day. This flea market will be open each day from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Organizers of the flea market say the downtown Wheaton area has proven to be an excellent location for the community market. Many vendors sell their merchandise to Wheaton residents and visitors making purchases at reasonable prices. Items being purchased include art, crafts, jewelry, toys, antiques, books, cloths, electronics, new/used household items and much more. It is across the street from the Wheaton Metro Station and one block from the Westfield Shopping Mall. Vendor space is available. For vendor space applications or additional information, call 301-649-1915 or view www.wheatonmd.org.

IRS to hold open house

The Internal Revenue Service will host another open house this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at local offices, including the Wheaton office, at 11510 Georgia Ave. IRS staff will be available to help taxpayers work through their tax problems and walk out with solutions. Taxpayers will be able to get assistance with notices and payments, return preparation and help with a variety of tax issues. For example, a taxpayer who cannot pay a tax balance due can discuss with an IRS professional whether an installment agreement is appropriate and, if so, fill out the paperwork. Assistance with offers-in-compromise will also be available. Likewise, a taxpayer struggling to complete a certain IRS form or schedule can work directly with IRS staff to get the job done. Other IRS locations in Maryland include Annapolis, Baltimore, Hagerstown and Landover. For more information, visit www.irs.gov.

Trade in your

commute for profit

Employers can help bridge the gap between work and home in a free, half-day work session on sustainable commuting. The workshop, sponsored by the county government, will be held 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. June 10 at the Executive Office Building's auditorium at 101 Monroe St. in Rockville. Commutes to work are a heavy burden on businesses and employees in the Montgomery County region, sapping profit margin and productivity for many businesses. At the workshop, learn about financial assistance and other benefits available to employers and employees and find out what area businesses are doing to shorten or eliminate commutes, increase productivity and improve bottom lines. Hear from industry leaders and local experts from the housing, telework and transportation fields. According to the workshop, now is the time to implement commute-reducing programs that can reduce turnover costs, improve morale and better position your business for the competitive future.

Wheaton arts nonprofit

to host summer youth program

In a tight job market that's tough on teens and young adults, Wheaton-based nonprofit Arts on the Block is launching ARTpreneurs this summer, a month-long workshop focused on teaching entrepreneurship skills to creative young people. The workshop will be held June 28 to July 22 in Gaithersburg, and it is open to people ages 16 to 25. Up to 15 young people, guided by an entrepreneurship expert, will meet artists and business owners, learn the basics of starting an eco-friendly arts enterprise, explore in-demand products, investigate a business idea, create and defend a business plan, market and sell their product, work with mentors and create a network of business contacts. No prior business experience is required, and participants will earn a $500 stipend upon completing the workshop.

ARTpreneurs is a partnership of Arts on the Block, Montgomery College, the City of Gaithersburg, Family Services Inc. and a cadre of entrepreneurial artists and design professionals. Curriculum for the workshop is produced by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Montgomery College representatives will be on hand to provide resources and information to participants to encourage them to complete their high school equivalency education and attend college while developing or operating their business ventures.

The deadline for applications is Saturday. To apply, visit www.artson

theblock.com.

Safeway representatives and architects to meet Monday

Join Patriot Realty, the realty company handling the proposed 18-story apartment complex and gourmet Safeway store at the old Safeway site in downtown Wheaton, and representatives from Safeway for a community meeting on the project at 7 p.m. Monday. The discussion will take place at the Crossway Community Center, at 3501 Upton Drive in Kensington. Safeway representatives and Patriot planners will be on hand to talk about the project's site plan and answer any questions residents may have. Call Patriot lawyer Steve Robbins at 301-657-0747 for more information.

Brookside Gardens rolls out twilight concert series dates

Beat the heat at the Gude Garden every Tuesday during the month of June from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. during Brookside Gardens' summer concert series. The lineup is out, and it includes Latin jazz band The Steve Scott Project this Tuesday; Washington, D.C.,-based high-energy blues band Bad Influence Band on June 15; authentic salsa band Latin Soul on June 22; and 1940s and '50s blues-swing band Maxwell Street on June 29.

For more information, call 301-962-1400 or visit www.brookside

gardens.org. Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Ave/ in Wheaton.

Long-running Aspen Hill yard sale to be held Saturday

The Strathmore/Bel Pre Civic Association will be hosting its 29th annual community yard sale 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Strathmore/Bel Pre pool, at 13914 Bethpage Lane in Aspen Hill. The rain date is June 6. For more information, call 301-460-0497.

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.

Brookside Gardens

events in June

Brookside Gardens has a variety of flower and craft events in June. Here is a sampling:

-Plant-identification walks: The gardens offers one of the region's finest collections of plants that are well-adapted for gardens in the Washington, D.C., metro region. Join expert horticulture Brookside staff on two Wednesdays this month to learn all about them in educational plant-identification walks. At 1 p.m. June 9, Brookside staff Diane Lewis will lead a walk focusing on the garden's edible plants in the seasonal and permanent displays. Then at 1 p.m. June 23, rose specialist Phil Normandy will speak on woody plants in the gardens. The fee is $5 or $4 for Friends of Brookside Gardens members. Register by visiting www.parkpass.org and entering course number 102452 for June 9 or 102453 for June 23.

-Butterfly shoots: All photographers: Ramp up your shutter speed, because from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. June 6, 10 photographers will be welcome (with their tripods) into the conservatory at Brookside Gardens to photograph live butterflies in the Wings of Fancy Butterfly Exhibit, before it opens and is filled with crowds. Visit www.parkpass.org to enter course number 100651; check online for more open-house photography Sundays.

-Bead-making classes: Dip into Brookside Gardens' cache of beads to create a unique necklace with Brookside Gardens director Stephanie Oberle. During the class from 10 a.m. to noon June 9, choose a focal bead from a variety of glass, clay, shell and preserved flowers and leaves. Sift through an assorted selection of accent beads and then finish them with a sterling silver or vermeil clasp. Tool kits are available for use in class, but Brookside encourages you to bring your own tools. Fee is $45 or $40 for Friends of Brookside Gardens members. Registration is required at www.parkpass.org; enter course number 101849.

Brookside Gardens is located at 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton. For more information, call 301-962-1400 or visit www.brooksidegardens.org.

Wheaton advisory committee looking for new members

The Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee will soon have at least four positions open on its monthly redevelopment meeting, which advises the County Executive, the Wheaton Redevelopment Program and the Mid-County Regional Services Center on all phases of the revitalization of downtown Wheaton. WRAC, as it is commonly referred to, addresses the Wheaton Sector Plan, proposed development for the downtown, pedestrian safety, environmental concerns, business retention and attraction and much more. It meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 7-9:00 p.m. at the Mid-County Regional Services Center, 2424 Reedie Drive in downtown Wheaton. Participation on a subcommittee, about one hour a month, is also expected.

Committee membership is open to anyone who lives, works, owns a business or conducts business in the Wheaton area. This year the committee is making a concerted effort to diversify its members and is especially interested in any candidate who is ethnically or culturally diverse (such as Latin, African-American, Asian, etc.); a parent with a child in the local school system or an employee of the school system; or someone who has an understanding or interest in the issues affecting the redevelopment of downtown Wheaton.

The County Executive ultimately affirms the appointments, but current WRAC members and the County's Wheaton Redevelopment Program staff are heavily involved by recommending to the executive potential candidates.

For more information about The Wheaton Redevelopment Program and WRAC visit

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/DGS/Dir/OPD/wheaton/wheaton.asp or call Pete McGinnity at 240-777-8126 or send an e-mail to peter.mcginnity@montgomerycountymd.gov.

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.