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A spell that will be cast on Halloween has nothing to do with ghosts and goblins, but with the classic Broadway musical "Godspell."

The Creative Force Players, a newly formed group of young performers sponsored by Damascus United Methodist Church, will begin a six-performance run with a Halloween matinee and evening performance on the stage of the Great Hall at the church, 99700 New Church St.

Young theater-goers may attend Saturday's performances in costume and trick or treat the cast.

The cast includes Carly Colburn, Preston Henry, Lauren Koeritzer, Ian Lacy, Samantha Melkonian, Mary Quinn, Tyler Motter, Mitchell Osherovich, Taylor Katherine Payne, Laura Searles, Brett Springirth, Taylor Stull, Graham Taylor and Judith Tsoi.

The production team includes musical directors Polly Edmonds Baldridge and Walt Edmonds and director Nancy Lacy.

In addition to Saturday's performance, the play will be presented Sunday and again Nov. 14 and 15. Saturday matinees start at 2 p.m., Saturday evening performances begin at 6 o'clock and Sunday evening performances begin at 6:30.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and seniors and $3 for children 12 years and under. Tickets will be available at the door or can be purchased weekdays by calling 301-253-0022, ext.101.

Clarksburg Sports

to hold football playoffs

The Clarksburg Sports Association Coyote football playoffs will be held Saturday.

The day of football and community spirit will begin at 9 a.m. in the Coyote Canyon Stadium at Clarksburg High School.

CSA Youth football teams, cheerleaders and poms will perform throughout the day as part of the Mid-Maryland Youth Football and Cheer League playoff schedule. Coyote football teams will compete against some of the best youth league teams in Maryland as they defend their top-seeded positions going in to the playoffs.

Admission is free, but donations to the CSA football program will be accepted at the gate. Coyote spirit wear and food will be available for purchase

Clarksburg Elementary

will celebrate its 100th

Clarksburg Elementary — the oldest public elementary school in Montgomery County — will celebrate 100 years of public education Nov. 7.

The Centennial Celebration will begin with a parade at 11 a.m. in the town center and travel west on Clarksburg Road to Spire Street, and then south on Frederick Road to the school on Redgrave Place. The roads will be closed from 10:30 a.m. until the parade ends.

Following the parade, a program at the school will include proclamations by guests, speeches, musical performances, multimedia presentations and historical displays.

The historic 100-year-old, one-room schoolhouse as well as the modern facility will be open for tours.

The community, alumni, former staff and current students and staff are invited to the celebration.

A Celebration Walkway is being created and engraved bricks are available for purchase to honor a current or former student, staff member, administrator or family. Call Clarksburg Elementary at 301-353-8060 for more information.

Train Day will roll into

the Damascus Library

The 22nd annual Train Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 7 at Damascus Library.

Special events will include a preschool story time at 10:30 a.m., train music by the First Fruits Band throughout the day, model train layouts, B&O Historical Society, Operation Lifesaver and N Trackers layouts.

A hobo lunch will be on sale in the adjoining senior center until 2 p.m., which will also open its holiday boutique.

The free event is sponsored by Friends of the Damascus Library. The library is located at 9701 Main St.

For more information, call 240-773-9444

On campus

-Tom Ching of Clarksburg received his white coat during the Notre Dame of Maryland School of Pharmacy ceremony earlier this month. The ceremony is the School of Pharmacy students' formal induction into the profession. After receiving his white coat the dean, Dr. Anne Y.F. Lin, and his adviser, Ching then signed the pharmacy code of ethics and as a group all students recited the Student Pharmacist Pledge of Professionalism. October is American Pharmacists Month.

Free seasonal

flu shots available

Parents may obtain the seasonal flu vaccine for their children at clinics run by the county's Department of Health and Human Services.

Only the injectable seasonal flu shot will be available. The vaccines will be provided free of charge.

Seasonal flu vaccines will be available for elementary and secondary students at the School Health Services Center, Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road in Rockville, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Seasonal flu vaccine will be available to everyone at county flu clinics on the following dates:

-Silver Spring Health Center, 8630 Fenton Street, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

-Germantown Recreation Center, 18905 Kingsview Road, 8:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 5

-University of Maryland, Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Drive, in Rockville, 4-7 p.m. Nov.12

Sponsors needed

for Holiday Giving

Each year communities reach out during the Thanksgiving and December holidays to provide meals and gifts to families in need.

Faith Connections and Damascus Help work together to coordinate the Holiday Giving Program for the Damascus-Clarksburg area. The organizations recruit sponsors to provide food and gifts and then match them with a family in need.

With so many people facing financial hardships, organizers are expecting more than 300 families to register for holiday assistance this year, so more sponsors are needed. In the past, sponsors have been local churches, businesses, civic organizations and individual families.

To learn more about the program, call Faith Connections at 301-483-0522 or e-mail Jill@Faith-Connections.org

Monetary donations and gift card donations may be sent to Faith Connections, P.O. Box 28, Damascus, MD 20872.

Art wing dedication

The public is invited to the Leonard E. Cave Memorial Art Wing Dedication on Sunday at Northwest High School, 13501 Richter Farm Road in Germantown.

The dedication, slated to begin at 2 p.m., will feature music from the school's band, said School Director of Choirs Carolyn Gipe. A statue sculpted by Cave, donated to the school through his estate, will be on display and will be a permanent fixture in the wing, Gipe said.

Cave of Jefferson was killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver July 11, 2006, in Frederick County. Gipe, Cave's fiancée, was in the car with him and was critically injured.

Gipe said guests should enter through the school's gymnasium entrance in the lower parking lot. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP to Gipe at Carolyn_a_gipe@mcpsmd.org.

Items appropriate 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.