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For saving lives, busting drug dealers, investigating fraud and other commendable acts, 58 public safety employees in Gaithersburg and Germantown were honored recently by the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce.

Awards went to officers with the Gaithersburg Police Department and Montgomery County Police 5th and 6th districts, and rescuers with Montgomery County Department of Fire and Rescue and the Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association.

The annual awards program was held at the opening day of the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. A selection of the winners:

From the Gaithersburg Police Department:

Officers John Duke and Christopher Jones were cited for bravery for saving a man as he tried to jump off the Washingtonian bridge over Sam Eig Highway in March. The officers saved the man by handcuffing him to the fence.

Cpl. Dwight Lumsden and Officer Matthew Bellard received a distinguished service citation for responding to a shooting call at Washingtonian Towers on May 23. Lumsden and Bellard found a victim in a 12th floor apartment and the suspect. Officer Herbert Ackermann received a meritorious service citation for his involvement in the incident – helping to treat the victim with his first aid kit.

Officer Jesse Argueta was cited for bravery for an off-duty action. On Jan. 14, Argueta was driving on University Boulevard when he noticed a woman in a wheelchair stuck in a lane of rush-hour traffic. The woman, attempting to commit suicide, resisted Argueta's help. She was taken by to a hospital for evaluation.

From Montgomery County Fire and Rescue:

Sixteen members of Company 17 in Laytonsville received a meritorious service citation for rescuing a trapped driver from a crashed car on Route 108 in front of Johnson's Nursery in November 2009. The car was on its side, wrapped around an electrical pole with live wires down. The responders moved the car and helped the driver out. Honored were: Mike Close, Buddy Sutton, Mike Glazier, Thomas Baker, David Berk, Ryan Gaskell, Scott Kramer, Christopher Rivera, Jason Kessler, Roger Fails, Timothy Whirley, David Reidman, Robert Hilleary, Scott Henry, William Holsinger and Tesa Baker.

Lt. Donald Yingling and firefighters Sean Sandifer, Damien Madamba, Kyle Helmer, Ellis Murphy and Bradley Logsdon were given a distinguished service citation for responding to a Gaithersburg crash in July. Three people in a minivan off the road near Brink Road and Brink Court were unable to respond to rescuers because of exposure to gasoline fumes and carbon monoxide. Responders broke a window and treated the three with oxygen before they were taken to Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.

From Montgomery County Police, Sixth District:

Officers Scott Feldman, David Mitchell and Justin Hair received a citation of bravery for responding to a report of suicide by firearm.

Officers Diane Tillery and Marisol Orlina earned a meritorious service citation for investigating a scam in Gaithersburg in which 52 Latino residents paid large sums to a fake Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. More than 396 people could have been defrauded in the crime, according to the police.

Sgt. Matthew Domer and Officer Megan Eaton received a distinguished service citation for seizing drugs, two semiautomatic handguns and $7,000 cash from a Gaithersburg hotel room after receiving a complaint about the smell of marijuana. One of those arrested was wanted on warrants for attempted murder and first-degree murder in Rockville and another warrant in Texas. The second arrest uncovered a warrant from Texas as well.

From Montgomery County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association:

Marcine Goodloe received the distinguished service citation for serving eight years as the association's president and leading more than 1,600 volunteers. Goodloe has been a volunteer for more than 20 years. After Hurricane Katrina, she led a fundraising effort that sent more than $20,000 and a chief's vehicle to New Orleans.

Fire Chief Herbert Leusch of the Glen Echo Fire Department received a distinguished service citation for helping to create the Bicycle Emergency Response Team.

Vice President of the Conduit Fire Board Jane Callen received a meritorious service citation for promoting the establishment of an advanced life support program at the Glen Echo department.

BlackRock hosts block party

BlackRock Center for the Arts will host its first Family Block Party this weekend to kick off registration for fall classes and programs.

The free event is noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at BlackRock, 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown, and will feature a performance by tot-rock group "Rocknoceros," sidewalk chalk art, food, art exhibits and sales, as well as sample violin, acting and dance classes.

"It's very much family oriented," executive director Charlotte Sommers said. "We wanted to make this more about family and fun. We're just so happy to be a part of this community."

The choice to transform BlackRock's usual registration event was easy, Sommers said. Registration is now done online and the block party will provide residents with the opportunity to see what the center has to offer.

"Before it was always about registration," Sommers said. "Now, it's going to be a showcase to show off our venue."

For information, call 301-528-2260 or visit www.blackrockcenter.org.

Family Night at MLK

Join staff at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Thursday for the Germantown school's second annual Family Night.

The free event is 6 to 7:30 p.m. at King Middle, 13737 Wisteria Drive, and will include hot dogs and popcorn, basketball and volleyball games, music and MLK spirit wear for sale. Attendees may bring clothes to tie-dye and/or pick up a copy of their child's schedule.

About 300 people attended the event last year, Principal Dana Davison said.

For information, call 301-353-8080 or visit www.montgomeryschools

md.org/schools/mlkms.

Asbury exec joins chamber board

David Denton, executive director of Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, was elected Aug. 13 to a two-year term on the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce's board of directors.

The 28 board members serve rotating one- to two-year terms. Appointees are submitted for consideration by a nominating committee and voted on by members.

"Asbury Methodist Village is an important part of the Gaithersburg community and David is certainly a strong leader, so he was a natural fit," President Marilyn Balcombe wrote in an e-mail to The Gazette.

For information on the chamber, visit www.ggchamber.org.

Building bones and better health

Want to learn how to increase your bone density while helping others do the same?

The county's Retired Senior Volunteer Program and Department of Health and Human Services are seeking volunteers to lead free "Bone Builders" bone density classes in Germantown, Silver Spring and Wheaton. The one-hour classes are held during the day and volunteers lead two classes a week. Participants learn to increase their bone density naturally through balance and weight training based on research conducted by Tufts University.

Training is 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at the Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Drive, Wheaton. Volunteers will receive ongoing supervision by a master trainer.

For information or to register for training, contact Shawn Brennan at 240-777-1350 or shawn.brennan@montgomerycoun

tymd.gov.

This column is for you! Share your good news! Send items to Meghan Tierney at mtierney@gazette.net or mail to The Germantown-Boyds-Poolesville Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Don't forget to send us photos!

SVHS principal blogs on

Keep up on the latest happenings at Seneca Valley High School with Principal Marc Cohen's new blog.

Cohen, who replaced former Seneca Valley Principal Dennis Queen in July, launched the blog this month to communicate with students, staff and parents. It will include personal commentary, education links, news, polls and other information.

Visit www.svhsprincipalblog.blogspot.com or access Cohen's blog through the Germantown school's website, www.senecavalleyhighschool.com.

Campus congratulations

Cameron Rhode of Gaithersburg, a rising junior at Poolesville High School, completed a seven-day educational course in business leadership at Susquehanna University's Sigmund Weis School of Business July 11-17.

The Leadership Institute for Entrepreneurship is a hands-on introduction to the decision-making components of entrepreneurship. As a member of a small team, Rhode created and managed a company in a competitive environment.

Kevin K. Milner of Germantown earned a master's degree in legal studies Aug. 7 through an online program offered by Kaplan University.