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Julianna Walsh has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest ranking in the organization. Walsh, who was honored at the recent Baltimore Area Girl Scouts of America 20th Annual Gold Award Banquet, is the daughter of Kevin and Mary Kay Walsh of Mount Airy.

For her service project, Walsh created an interactive cookbook and worked with the Carroll County Farm Museum to fill their need for a book with recipes and information about cooking in the 1800's. The interactive cookbook keeps young kids engaged in cooking, and the Farm Museum's visitors, school tour groups and summer camps benefit from use of the cookbook.

The Gold Award is the highest rank earned in Girl Scouting. To earn the award, a Girl Scout must use organizational, leadership, project management and networking skills that were acquired as a result of Girl Scout experiences in completing a project benefiting the community. The project shows the determination to set goals and make a plan to carry out those goals while putting Girl Scout values into action. According to a press release by the Girl Scouts Council of the Nation's Capital, nationally, only 5.4 percent of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the prestigious award.

Walsh just completed her freshman year at Carroll Community College, and will attend the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall as an elementary education major. She has been involved in girl scouting for 12 years and has earned both the bronze and silver awards.

Linganore High graduate admitted to state bar

Christina Lynn Pickrell of Mount Airy took the oath of the Maryland Bar Association on June 11 in Annapolis, and now is licensed to practice law in the state.

Pickrell graduated from the University of Delaware in 2006 with a double major in political science and Spanish and a minor in English.

She studied for one semester at the University of Sidney Australia, and was an active member in Alpha Theta Beta sorority. She completed post-graduate law studies at the University of Baltimore and finished at the University of California - Hastings in San Francisco.

She is the daughter of Paxton and Beverly Pickrell of Mount Airy and a 2002 graduate of Linganore High School. 

New month brings new produce at market

On Wednesday afternoon, the Mount Airy Main Street Association Farmers Market will feature freshly picked seasonal fruits and vegetables from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

According to an e-mail from market chair Debbie Holt, onions, squash, beets, broccoli, kale, peaches, corn, cauliflower, white and red potatoes and tomatoes will be available in August. Also available are eggs, coffee, flowers and baked goods. George's snow cones are available for sale.

The market is staged from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday in the municipal parking lot located at the intersection of Park Avenue and Veteran's Lane, Mount Airy. Check for weekly produce and events at mountairymainstreet.org, and click on Farmers Market or e-mail farmersmarket@mountairymainstreet.org. The market runs through Sept. 29.

Ijamsville resident named Distinguished Young Woman

Rebecca Mitchell recently distinguished herself in the eyes of a national competition for young women.

She won the title of 2011 Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland on July 17 at the State Scholarship Program in Westminster, taking home a total of $3,300 in cash scholarships.

She plans to travel to Mobile, Ala. next June to participate in the 53rd National Finals competing with young women from around the country for the opportunity to become the 2011 Distinguished Young Woman of America and a share of more than $125,000 in scholarships.

Rebecca, who lives in Ijamsville, is a rising senior at Urbana High School. She said she hopes to study elementary education and business while in college, and dreams of being a teacher and working for her family's business, Woodside Farm Creamery in Hockessin, Del.

The creamery is part of the family's farm, which they have owned for more than 200 years, Rebecca said.

She sees the competition's "Be Your Best Self Program," which is an outreach effort by state winners to encourage children to develop along five guidelines: health, studiousness, responsibility, ambition and involvement, as an opportunity to reach out to young people and encourage success. Rebecca said she looks forward to inspiring children, but hadn't yet had the opportunity, as she'd just attended a youth conference for the Church of the Brethren in Colorado.

"It's important to me," she said. "It's such an opportunity to impact kids."

Rebecca said she has not yet settled on a college yet, but hopes to stay in the area to be close to her family. She said she plans to stay busy in the coming academic year by keeping up with her Advanced Placement classes and maintaining her 4.0 grade point average.

She can be reached to appear as a speaker by e-mailing mdjuniormiss@comcast.net or calling 443-277-7694.

Urbana dance studio is honoring "National Dance Day"

Urbana Dance and Performing Arts Studio hopes to fill the parking lot at the Urbana Village Center Saturday as members honor National Dance Day.

The day was created by Nigel Lythgoe, co-creator of the Fox television show "So You Think You Can Dance," and is aimed at promoting health and self-esteem through dancing.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and will feature other activities as well, including face painting, a moon bounce, zumba and the opportunity to celebrate the relocation of the Urbana Dance Studio, which recently moved from Worthington Boulevard to the Urbana Village Center. 

For more information, contact the studio's director, Sonja Davis, at 301-874-4367.

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.