More News

The Damascus Theatre Company holds auditions for its fall show, "She Loves Me," from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday at The Academy of Fine Arts, 8451 Helgerman Court in Gaithersburg.

"She Loves Me" is a romantic musical set in 1930s Europe, in a perfume shop. It was the inspiration for the movie, You've Got mail," producer Carol Boyle said.

"I love the idea of doing a show that's been around forever but it still fits in today's world," she said. "It has a modern feel to it even though it's set in the '30s."

Auditions will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Send an e-mail to Boyle, at brandtandcarol@comcast.net if you want to audition. Prepare 32 bars of a song that best shows off your voice. Actors may be asked to read from the script.

The show will be performed the weekends between Nov. 12 and Nov. 20 at the Olney Theatre Center's Mulitz-Gudelsky Theatre Lab.

Call 301-253-6210 or check the company website at damascustheatre.org for more information.

Pack a picnic, enjoy the music

BlackRock Center for the Arts will present the following artists during its 2010 Free Summer Concert Series.

The Saturday night concerts begin at 7 p.m. and will be presented on the center's outdoor stage. BlackRock is at 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown.

Bring chairs or blankets and a picnic dinner. Alcohol is not permitted.

-Saturday — Bad Influence, a blues band rocking into its third decade

-July 24 — Country Current, the Navy's finest, playing country-bluegrass music.

-July 31 — Patty Reese, winner of six 2009 WAMMIES including Album of the Year, Artist of the Year and Roots Rock, playing bluesy rock and soul.

-August 07 — Carl Filipiak, playing a cool jazz guitar with a rock roots edge.

For information about the concert series or inclement weather, call 301-528-2260 or visit www.blackrockcenter.org.

Fun in the sky

The District of Columbia Radio Control Club hosts their Small Fry Fun Fly event for airplanes three pounds or less Sunday at Walt Good Field, 16200 Schaffer Rd. in Boyds. The field will open at 8:30 a.m. for registration and flying will begin at 9:15 a.m.

This event is for radio-controlled airplanes. All participants who wish to fly their planes must be current Academy of Model Aeronautics members. The $5 landing fee includes lunch.

For information, send an e-mail to Don Gray at degray@verizon.net.

Farm tour next weekend

The county's annual Farm Tour and Harvest Sale celebrates its 21st anniversary July 24-25.

Fourteen farms will participate in at least one day of the self-guided tour. Fresh produce, vegetables, flowers, plants and other local products will be available for purchase and some farms will offer activities such hayrides, pony rides and demonstrations.

About 7,000 people attended last year's event, according to a county statement.

Participating farms in the upcounty include Blue Ribbon Accoyo Alpacas in Gaithersburg, Butler's Orchard in Germantown, Button Farm Living History in Germantown, Fox Hollow Farm in Gaithersburg, Homestead Farm in Poolesville, King Barn Dairy MOOseum in Boyds, Lewis Orchards in Dickerson, Star Gazing Farm in Boyds, Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard in Dickerson, Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville and Red Wiggler Community Farm in Clarksburg.

Event is rain or shine but participating farms may cancel or delay some activities.

For information, call 301-590-2823 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/farmtour.

Countryside photo contest

The Montgomery Countryside Alliance is sponsoring a photo contest in honor of the 30th anniversary of the county's Agricultural Reserve.

Pictures will be judged by a panel of local photographers and should capture the function and beauty of roadway trees and hedges in the 93,000-acre Ag Reserve. First- and second-place winners in the 16 and under and 17 and up age groups will have their photos featured on the nonprofit's website.

Submit low resolution photos to info@mocoalliance.org by Sept. 1 and include the entrant's e-mail address and full name and when and where the photo was taken. For more information, visit www.mocoalliance.org.

Grill safely

It's time to fire up the grill, and county fire officials have released these safety tips to keep your next barbecue from going up in flames:

-Clean the grill; scour the grate with a wire brush, if it hasn't been used in a while.

-Use nonstick cooking spray to keep food from sticking to the grill.

-Make sure the grill has not been recalled due to safety issues.

-Place the grill on a flat, well-ventilated surface away from houses, overhangs, deck railings, tree branches, shrubbery or anything else that can burn.

-Never use a grill indoors or leave a grill unattended; always supervise pets and children around the grill.

-Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking.

-For gas grills: follow manufacturer's instructions for checking the connection to the cylinder; check grill hoses for cracking, corrosion, brittleness, holes and leaks, and make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing; hire a professional for repairs; always keep propane containers upright and open the lid of a grill before igniting it; regularly remove grease and fat buildup from trays below the grill; store propane tanks in well-ventilated areas; if you smell gas, turn off grill immediately and do not use until it is repaired.

-For charcoal grills: use proper starter fluid; store can away from heat and children; do not store grill indoors with freshly used coals.

Help provide health care

for the uninsured

A massive free clinic in Washington, D.C., will provide free medical care to uninsured people in the greater Washington area.

The National Association of Free Clinics will sponsor the free clinic from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, N.W.

Both medical and nonmedical volunteers are needed for this one-day free clinic. Volunteers are needed the day of the event and to help with set up on Aug. 3.

"Although this has been a historic year with the passage of federal health care reform legislation, uninsured people throughout the country still need free medical resources now," Nicole Lamoureux, executive director of the association stated in a release. "This free clinic is not just for the sick but also for anyone who is uninsured and has not seen a doctor recently. All participants will receive preventive primary medical care and be connected to the area's safety-net providers."

This is the seventh in a series of large clinics around the country that bring together physicians and other health care professionals, as well as nonmedical volunteers, to serve the needs of people who might otherwise go without medical care.

The clinics connect the uninsured with providers such as free clinics, sliding-scale clinics and federally qualified health centers near where they live so they can receive regular treatment on an ongoing basis, the release stated.

Information on the event and how to register is online at www.regonline.com/DCCARE.

Items and pictures for People and Places must be received by 5 p.m. Thursday for consideration for the following week. They can be mailed to The Damascus-Clarksburg Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877; sent by fax to 301-670-7183; or e-mailed to ssingerbart@gazette.net. Items are used on a space-available basis.