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Downtown Wheaton's new flea market, separate from the flea markets at Wheaton Regional Park, will have some added entertainment Nov. 1. ElectroKoustic Band will play jazz for shoppers from 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and DeJaBel Café will be selling refreshments such as coffee, hot chocolate and pastries. The farmer's market will also be extended an additional week to coincide with the flea market. The market will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 1 in the Wheaton Triangle, at the corner of Grandview Avenue and Reedie Drive. Vendors selling arts and crafts, antiques, collectibles and jewelry are welcome to participate. For more information, send an e-mail to ljohnsonshows@

aol.com, visit www.wheatonmd.org or call 240-777-8106.

Wheelchair tennis to be held at Wheaton Indoor Tennis

Wheaton Indoor Tennis will be offering an exciting new sport, wheelchair tennis, on Friday nights. United States Tennis Association-sanctioned wheelchair tennis continues to be one of the fastest-growing and most challenging of all wheelchair sports, according to officials at the tennis arena.

Every Friday night from 8 to 11 p.m., several courts will be reserved especially for wheelchair-tennis play. For the rest of the year, the game will be free for players in wheelchairs ages 18 and up. Registration is required; visit www.parkpass.org. The Wheaton Indoor Tennis arena is located in the Wheaton Regional Park at 11717 Orebaugh Ave. in Wheaton.

Wheaton Social Security

office to move

The Social Security office located at 11006 Veirs Mill Road in downtown Wheaton is planning a move. Starting Nov. 9, the office will have minimal service in preparation for closing down completely at noon Nov. 13. It is expected to reopen at the new location, 10230 New Hampshire Ave., suite 304, in Hillandale on Nov. 18. The office is now open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All business can also be done on the Web site regardless of the date at www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling call 1-800-772-1213. Full service will be available at the Rockville office on 315 N. Washington St. or at the Greenbelt office at 7401 C. Forbes Blvd. in Seabrook.

Free microchipping for pets adopted at humane society

Have you ever seen the joy of a family reunited with a long-lost pet? Microchipping is one way to make those reunions happen faster, and the Montgomery County Humane Society is offering free microchipping for dogs and cats adopted at the shelter this month. For more information, visit www.mchumane.org or call 240-773-5960.

Buy local bulbs, earn local garden funds

The Friends of Brookside Gardens, a support group of the public Wheaton gardens, has registered for the Bloomin' Bucks fundraising program by Brent and Becky's Bulbs. Anyone planning to purchase bulbs from Brent and Becky's Bulbs should visit their website at www.bloomin

bucks.com and select "Friends of Brookside Gardens." Friends of Brookside Gardens will earn 25 percent of all sales designated with their name. This program runs until mid-November, so get spring bulbs orders in now.

Gilchrist Center to offer financial workshops

The Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity is offering a series of financial-management workshops and one-on-one counseling with financial experts in English and Spanish.

The class on home-ownership assistance will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

Counseling is offered from 6 to 7 p.m. Nov. 5. To sign up for one-on-one counseling, it is required to attend the corresponding workshop. Space is limited for all classes; register by calling 240-777-4940. The Gilchrist Center is located at 11319 Elkin St. in Wheaton.

Friends of Brookside Gardens taking orders for wreath sale

Back by popular demand, the Friends of Brookside Gardens will hold their annual Wreath and Centerpiece Sale from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12th at the visitor's center in Brookside Gardens, 1800 Glenallan Ave. in Wheaton. Although the sale is weeks away, the group is already taking orders and will offer a $2 discount on all items pre-ordered by Nov.1. Two types and sizes of wreaths will be sold: 18-inch Boxwood wreaths made exclusively by Friends members and 24-inch Balsam Fir wreaths shipped in fresh from Maine. Boxwood centerpieces will also be sold. To obtain a preorder form, visit the Brookside Gardens Web site at www.brooksidegardens.org or pick one up one the next time at the gardens. For questions, call 301-962-1435.

Wheaton Regional Park

offers haunted train ride

During October, the Montgomery County Department of Parks will offer two different Halloween-themed train rides for children. One train ride will be suited for older children, and a second will be geared toward younger children.

At the Wheaton Regional Park, located at 2002 Shorefield Road, the Wheaton Train and Carousel will host the scary "Haunted Train" for ages 8 and up from 6 to 9 p.m. through Friday. In addition to the Haunted Train, there will also be a Creepy Carousel ride, Hall of Jack-o'-Lanterns and face painting.

The Cabin John Train at Cabin John Regional Park, at 7410 Tuckerman Lane in Rockville, offers the alternative not-so-scary option with its "Eye Spy Train" for children under the age of 8. The train will run from 6 to 9 p.m. through Friday. Additional activities include "Eye Spy" cards and flashlights for children, Halloween movies and nightly door prizes.

The cost for the Wheaton Haunted Train and Carousel ride is $6 (which covers all attractions) or $5 with the donation of a can of food. The cost for the Cabin John Eye Spy Train is $5 (which covers all attractions) or $4 with a can of food. Advance same-day ticket sales are available at both train stations beginning at 2 p.m. each day the trains run. The Cabin John train cannot run on wet tracks, so rides will be canceled before 2 p.m. depending on the forecast.

For more on the Haunted Train at Wheaton, see www.WheatonTrain

andCarousel.com or call 301-942-6703, and for more on the Cabin John Eye Spy Train, visit www.CabinJohn

Train.com or call 301-765-8670.

Items for People and Places may be sent to Amber Parcher, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. The fax line is 240-473-7501; or e-mail aparcher@gazette.net. Call 240-473-7563. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.

Senior volunteer drivers

greatly needed

The Senior Connection urgently needs Montgomery County residents to volunteer to help their neighbors 62 and older live as independently as possible by providing escorted transportation to scheduled medical appointments, helping with grocery shopping and running errands and paying a friendly visit or making a phone call to share companionship.

The time commitment and schedule are flexible, and volunteers are provided with life-skills training and recognition events. The Senior Connection also provides volunteer liability insurance coverage.

Call The Senior Connection at 301-962-0820, or e-mail seniorcon

nectionmc@gmail.com.