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A Gaithersburg woman and self-confessed pirate enthusiast Allison Harris believes in Jack Sparrow's philosophy that "the ocean stands for freedom."

When she learned of the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Harris decided that it would be "un-pirate-like" of her not to act.

Harris is a maker of pirate hats and other items and runs an online shop, Caribbean Rose Pirate & Millinery. She enjoys attending pirate-themed events and Renaissance fairs. Through these, she has met a number of people who share her passion, and hopes to call on this network of fellow pirate enthusiasts to bring together a "swashbuckling soiree" at Holly Hills Country Club in Ijamsville.

Tickets to the event are $60, and must be purchased in advance, and according to its page on Facebook, the social networking website, there were 13 confirmed guests as of Monday morning. The page promises music, dancing and food in addition to a variety of other entertainment such as belly dancers, a hypnotist and sword-swallower.

The money raised by the party will benefit two organizations that will be sending people to tend to the animals affected by the spill: Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research Center, a Delaware-based organizations that specializes in rehabilitating injured and oiled wild birds; and the Audubon Society's Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program.

Harris said she organized the soiree with her fellow pirates Virginia Smyers, who goes by the name of "V the Not So Pure," and her daughter, Hillary Harris. She hopes that offering the opportunity to fellow fans of the swashbuckling milieu to dress in their buccaneer finest and party all evening will be incentive enough to support her cause.

"It's a fun way to raise money," she said.

She said if people can not attend, they can still donate money or raffle prizes to the event. She said that she has already received donations of skydiving lessons, stays at bed and breakfasts among others.

Harris said it's easy to blame the spill on BP Oil or the government, but in her opinion everyone who uses oil shares a measure of responsibility for the disaster. "I hope this is a wake up call to people to start conserving," she said.

For more information about the event, contact Harris at souloftherose@starpower.net, or to learn about the online group, search for Pirates for the Gulf on www.facebook.com.

Frederick County's NAACP names award winners

The Frederick County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced this week that the following activists and community leaders will be recipients of 2010 Youth Awards Banquet under the theme "Building Bridges, Connecting with our Community."

Awards will be given during the Frederick County NAACP Youth Banquet, from 6 to 9 p.m., July 2, at Café 611, 611 N. Market St., Frederick.

Ernestine Shepherd has earned the 2010 Freedom Fighter Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions in civil rights and who have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in the battle for human and civil rights.

Joe Foster has earned the 2010 NAACP Humanitarian Service Award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of humanities and bring people and culture together.

Dr. Olivia White has earned the 2010 NAACP Community Service Award, which honors adult or youth whose actions exemplify a caring spirit.

Guyan Sampson has earned the 2010 Youth Award of Excellence, which honors young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of peace initiative and social justice advocacy.

Reservations for the banquet may be made via e-mail at contact@naacpfredco-md.org by June 26. Tickets for adults are $40; students pay $30. For additional information, call 240-415-0174.

On campus

- Kimberly Ann Maley, of New Market, received a bachelor's degree in English from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Okla., in May.

Several local students have been named to the deans' lists at their college and universities for the spring 2010 semester including:

- Bethany Sherman, of Monrovia, a senior Japanese major at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa.

- And from McDaniel College in Westminster: David M. Hughes and Rebecca A. Shuford of Monrovia, and Catherine M. Mills and Kelly A. Schaub of Ijamsville.

Frederick recognized as

‘Top 25 City for Art'

"AmericanStyle" magazine has named Frederick one of its Top 25 Small Art Cities in the United States.

Each year, the magazine, a national publication that promotes the significance of handmade objects of art, has an annual competition to select the top 25 arts destinations in the United States, based on population numbers.

Downtown Frederick was recently honored by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development as the top Arts and Entertainment District in the state.

The magazine's 2010 Arts Destination poll recognizes a total of 75 cities, the top 25 in each of three categories: big cities (populations of 500,000 or greater), mid-size cities (populations of 100,000 to 499,999), and small cities (populations of less than 100,000).

Other area cities named by the magazine in the small city category were Annapolis and Cumberland in Maryland and Berkeley Springs, W.Va. Top large and mid-size cities in the area include Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Alexandria.

In a press release announcing the designation, Hope Daniels, editor-in-chief of "AmericanStyle," said the winners "are perfect examples of how art, culture, and tourism can make great things happen."

Copies of the Summer issue, which lists the Top 25 Cities for Art, is available for purchase at a discounted rate at the Cultural Arts Center, at 15 W. Patrick St., in downtown Frederick.

For more information, visit www.frederickartscouncil.org or contact the Frederick Arts Council at 301-662-4190.

Ability Prosthetics donates $750,000 worth of limbs to Physicians for Peace

Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics of Frederick has collected more than 100 prosthetic limbs, with a value in excess of $750,000, according to a press release from the business.

It began collecting patients' old prosthetic limbs in February, immediately following the destructive earthquake in Haiti. Through Physicians for Peace, Ability will send the collected prosthetics to Haiti to aid in the disaster relief process.

The collections have taken place at Ability's five locations: Gettysburg, Exton and York, Pa., and Frederick and Hagerstown. Because of U.S. law, these limbs cannot be reused within the United States. Purchased new, the limbs would range in price from $8,000 to $25,000 each.

Shelton promoted to senior airman

Brandon J. Shelton has been promoted to the rank of senior airman in the U.S. Air Force.

Shelton is a security forces member assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea. The airman has served in the military for three years.

He is the son of Rodney H. Shelton of Frederick and Jeri D. Shelton of Berlin, Md. The airman is a 2006 graduate of Frederick High School.

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