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Noted R&B/Funk keyboardist Elliot Levine will take the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday as part of the ongoing Silver Spring Swings concerts at the recently-opened Veterans Plaza at Fenton Street and Ellsworth Drive in downtown Silver Spring.

Levine's performance will coincide with a reunion of the Silver Spring Redevelopment Committee and, like all of the Silver Spring Swings performances, will be free and open to the public. In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to the nearby Silver Spring Civic Building. For additional information, please contact the Silver Spring Regional Services Center at 301-565-7300.

Montgomery County

Ag Fair starts Friday

Gaithersburg will be a "barnyard boogie" when the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair opens Friday afternoon. Bring out the whole family for carnival rides, stilt walkers, musical entertainment and monster trucks. The fair opens at 3 p.m. Friday, and runs from 10 a.m. to midnight every day afterward until Aug. 21. Special events at the grandstand include an antique modified tractor pull Friday, a Battle of the Beast rodeo Saturday and Sunday, and a tractor pull Monday, among others.

General admission is $10/person and parking is $5/car. Free parking with shuttle service is available at Lake Forest Mall. Children under 11 are admitted free all week long. Family Days are next Monday and Wednesday, where fairgoers can purchase an all-you-can-ride wristband for $15 between noon and 5 p.m. The wristband is good through midnight. Senior Citizens Day is Tuesday, where seniors 62 and older will be admitted free between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Volunteers from Manna food pantry will be at the doors of the fair collecting non-perishable food donations to help restock their shelves.

Godspell at

Randolph Road Theater

The Musical Theater Center presents Godspell, the 70s rock musical based on the gospel of St. Matthew, this weekend at the Randolph Road Theater, 4010 Randolph Road in Silver Spring. In 1971, Godspell became one of the longest-running Off-Broadway musicals before it moved to Broadway in June 1977. The show is still dazzling audiences ages 8 and up with its catchy songs and biblical parables. Showtimes are at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $8, and can be reserved by calling 301-251-5766.

Colorful artwork

on display in Takoma Park

The "Play of Color" art exhibit will be on display through Sept. 11 in the Atrium Gallery on the main floor of the Takoma Park Community Center, 7500 Maple Ave.

The gallery will also host the closing reception shortly before the exhibit is taken down from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 27 featuring a live painting demonstration by one of the five artists, Jennifer Brewer.

The gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For additional information, including a schedule of upcoming performances or art shows hosted by the city, please contact the city's Arts and Humanities Commission at ahc@

takomagov.org or call 301-891-7224.

Magic, music and

meet-the-author events

Educational summer events are in full swing in East County's libraries. While school's out, bring your kids into one of the following events at your local library:

-American Musical Roadtrip, an American roots music adventure for elementary-age children, hosted by Tracey Eldridge. Held 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the White Oak Library, 11701 New Hampshire Ave. in White Oak.

-Mike Rose Magic, an interactive magic show for children and teens. Held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Silver Spring Library, 8901 Colesville Road in Silver Spring. Also held with an ice-cream social at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Marilyn J. Praisner Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville.

-Shazam Magic, a magic show for elementary-age children by Peter Wood filled with wonder, comedy and participation. Held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Long Branch Library, 8800 Garland Ave. in Silver Spring.

-Meet the Author with Mary Amato, a sneak peak at author Mary Amato's newest book, a mystery that includes some funny poems. Learn some of her tricks for writing poetry and have fun making up a laugh-out-loud poem of your own. Event is for kindergarteners and elementary-age children. Held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18.

-Storytelling with Diane Macklin, an event for elementary-age kids with the acclaimed narrator who captivates audiences with her dancing hands, lyrical voice and energy. Held at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton.

Items for People and Places may be sent to Jeanette Der Bedrosian, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. The fax line is 240-473-7501; or e-mail jderbedrosian@

gazette.net. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.

Pinch your pennies, the Montgomery County way

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services' Community Action Agency will hold a free financial education workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday in the meeting room of the Silver Spring Library at 8901 Colesville Road in downtown Silver Spring.

The workshop will cover the importance of making wise choices concerning the use of credit and will be completely open to the public.

For additional information, please call county Financial Education Program Specialist Elvie Lancaster at 301-565-7456 or at Elvira.Lancaster@

montgomerycountymd.gov.

Rent stabilization reports

due in Takoma Park

Ah, the joys of renting a house in the People's Republic of Takoma Park; a steady source of income from mostly quiet, environmentally friendly tenants, the attractiveness of renting rooms in a tree-lined suburb, filing your rent stabilization report online before Sept. 30 to avoid a $500 fine ...

That's right; as of Aug. 1 the city's Housing and Community Development Department is requiring all landlords to submit detailed reports of rents and fees collected from rent-stabilized tenants for the year online at www.tprents.takomagov.org.

For additional information, contact Housing Specialist Jean Kerr at 301-891-7216 or by e-mail at Jeank@takomagov.org.

Blood pressure screening

Get your blood pressure checked free-of-charge by the American Red Cross 10:30 a.m. Aug. 18 at the Wheaton Library, 11701 Georgia Ave. in Wheaton. This event is for adults and runs until 12:30 p.m.

Sunday service starts

at select libraries

Starting this Sunday, six Montgomery County libraries will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays year-round, except on certain holiday weekends. In East County, these libraries include the Marilyn J. Praisner Library, Silver Spring Library and Wheaton Library.

County police youth group

wins national awards

Montgomery County Police Explorer Post 1986, a group of local youth law enforcement enthusiasts, was awarded two trophies and two certificates for top placement at the 2010 National Exploring Conference in Atlanta last month.

From July 19 through 24 more than 2,000 explorers from all over the country and Puerto Rico competed in a round of 12 team and 15 individual competitions to test their skills in real-life police tactics including first aid, hostage negotiation, marksmanship and domestic crisis handling. Post 1986 members won a second-place trophy in crime prevention and a third place trophy in community service. The post was also awarded certificates for placing among the top 10 percent of teams competing for awards in white-collar crime resolution and crime prevention, according to a Montgomery County Police press release.

Post 1986 meets weekly from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Training Academy, 9710 Great Seneca Highway, in Rockville, where experts from around the department teach the youth about various aspects of police work. An open house for new members will be held Sept. 29, with additional details to be released later this month.

For additional information about the explorers or the Montgomery County Police Department, please visit the MCPD website by visiting the county's website, www.montgomerycountymd.gov.

Indian dance team seeks donations

The University of Maryland Baltimore County's garba-raas dance team is looking for donations to help spread understanding of Indian dance and culture to today's youth. Their mission is to compete at various national intercollegiate competitions across the country, but they first need to raise $5,000 in funds to pay for costumes and travel expenses. Donations can be sent to Khushbu Shah, 15104 Swiss Stone Court, Burtonsville, MD 20866. Call Shah with questions at 240-498-2149.