More News

The city of Greenbelt will host its 56th annual Labor Day Festival from Friday to Monday.

Festivities will include a carnival, parade, live entertainment, food, art exhibits and other activities. It was originally held in 1955 to raise money for a new youth center.

The festival will kick off Friday at the Roosevelt Center with a day of events including art and photo shows and a table tennis tournament, capped by an opening ceremony at 6:30 p.m., the Miss Greenbelt pageant at 7:30 p.m. and the Greenbelt Idol singing competition at 9 p.m.

Other highlights of the four-day event will include a four-day carnival and a parade starting 10 a.m. Monday at Crescent and Green Hill roads.

Most activities will be held at the Roosevelt Center, located at 101 Centerway in Greenbelt. A complete schedule of activities is available at http://greenbeltlaborday.com/.

Laurel resident

graduates from Excelsior

Cassandra A. Bender of Laurel earned an associate degree in applied science administration and management from Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y.

The college, founded in 1971, is a private, nonprofit institution that specializes in teaching working adults.

Bladensburg high school joins paper recycling program

Elizabeth Seton High School will now be recycling and earning money at the same time. The Bladensburg school has joined the Paper Retriever recycling program, which offers money for the paper collected in its bins.

The school earns $5 for each ton of paper collected in a month, but that number can increase to $20 per ton if more than eight tons are collected, said Laura Clark, the school's director of marketing.

Seton High's bin, which can hold more than one ton of paper, will be placed on the front grounds of the school so the entire community can use it. The school is located at 5715 Emerson St. in Bladensburg.

Roosevelt alum graduates

from Catholic University

Rebecca M. Betman, a 2006 graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, has graduated summa cum laude from the Catholic University of America, where she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish.

Betman is the daughter of Danny and Mitzi Betman and granddaughter of Joseph and Joan Robison of Laurel, and will begin graduate study at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore this fall.

The Catholic University of America, founded in 1887, has nearly 3,500 undergraduate and 3,200 graduate students.

Officials named to Maryland Municipal League committees

Gary Comegys, Maryland Municipal League president, appointed Laurel officials to various MML committees. City Councilman Michael Leszcz (at-large) was named vice chair to the Convention Planning Committee, Councilwoman Jan Robison (Ward 1) and Deputy City Administrator Martin Flemion were selected to the Hometown Emergency Preparedness Committee, Lou Ann Crook, executive assistant to Mayor Craig Moe, was named to the Legislative Committee and

Council Clerk Kimberley Rau was named to the Legislative Committee.

Victim advocacy group

needs volunteers

Community Advocates for Family and Youth, a Capitol Heights nonprofit that advocates for and supports crime victims in Prince George's County, is looking for volunteers.

CAFY was founded in 2003 and performs a variety of services, including community outreach programs and moral support for victims. The organization is scheduled to begin training in October, and volunteers will assist in several roles including victim support, work with teens and event planning.

Those interested in volunteering should contact coordinator Lizet Porter at 301-390-4092 or lporter@cafyonline.org. For more information, visit http://cafy

online.org.

Beltsville resident graduates from Elon College

Carmen Isaac of Beltsville has earned a bachelor's degree in public administration from Elon University in Elon, N.C.

Isaac was among 1,118 seniors to graduate from the school on May 22. She is a graduate of St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C.

Her parents are Cecil and Beryl Isaac of Beltsville.

Elon University is a private liberal arts school founded in 1889. It has about 5,700 students.

Adelphi group hosts candidates' forum

The Hillandale Gardens Citizens Association in Adelphi will host a public forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday featuring candidates in this fall's Prince George's County executive race.

The forum will begin with a half-hour session during which attendees will have one-on-one discussions with candidates. Four of five candidates had committed to attend as of Wednesday, said association president Pat Myers.

After one-on-one discussions, candidates will introduce themselves and answer questions submitted to Myers in advance by e-mail. Written submissions turned in during the forum will also be considered.

Five candidates are running to replace County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), who has served a maximum two four-year terms. The candidates — all Democrats — will compete in the Sept. 14 primary.

Tuesday's forum will be held in the sanctuary at Hillandale Baptist Church, located at 2601 Powder Mill Road in Adelphi. For more information, e-mail Myers at

patmyers2@verizon.net.

College Park Youth Choir looking for new members

The College Park Youth Choir will host an open house for prospective new members from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in College Park.

The choir is open to children ages 5 and older, and is directed by Greenbelt resident and University Park Elementary School teacher Chris Fominaya. Members rehearse on Tuesdays and perform several times throughout the year.

The open house is free and the cost to enroll in the choir is $85 per semester. It is held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, located at 4512 College Ave. in College Park. For more information, call the College Park Arts Exchange at 301-927-3013 or e-mail info@cpae.org.

Laurel residents earn degrees

Christopher Packard and Vania Smallwood of Laurel received degrees from the American Public University and American Military University at the schools' spring 2010 commencement in Washington, D.C.

Packard majored in international relations, while Smallwood majored in criminal justice.

The American Public University System offers students more than 100 online certificate and degree programs to more than 70,000 working adult students.

Chavon Rhabb of Laurel has graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. Rhabb received a bachelor's degree from the university's College of Arts and Science at its commencement on May 14. Rhabb is a graduate of Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda. Her parents are Andrew and Susie Rhabb.

Vanderbilt University is a private school founded in 1873. It has about 12,500 students.