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Hope Lee, a 10-year-old girl from Burtonsville, placed within the top 10 of the Nationals' 2009 Miss Pre-Teen Washington pageant Oct. 17. Her ranking has qualified her to move on to the Nationals' Cities of America pageant to be held December in Orlando. She will compete for more than $60,000 in prizes and awards during the six-day pageant, her mother said.

East County board

meets tonight

The East County Citizens Advisory Board meets at 7:15 p.m. tonight at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road in Silver Spring. All meetings are open to the public, and a citizens' forum is held before each meeting for citizens to bring up any concerns. This week, Roylene Roberts, chief of neighborhood revitalization for the county's Department of Housing and Community Affairs, will give an update on Burtonsville revitalization. The board advises County Executive Isiah Leggett on East County issues and advocates for regional issues. Call 240-777-8400 for more information.

America Recycles Day

at regional services center

Help prevent identity theft by shredding old personal documents 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road in Silver Spring. Residents can bring boxes of sensitive documents to the drive-through event to be shredded in front of them in seconds, according to Chuck Crisostomo, assistant director of the center. Residents can also bring gently used clothes and small household goods to donate. "America Recycles Day" is sponsored by the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Solid Waste Services. Call 240-777-8400 for more information.

Senior brush-up course

on driver safety

Senior citizens are encouraged to stay safe on the road by attending a four-hour driver-safety class from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road in Silver Spring. The class costs $12 for AARP members and $14 for non-AARP members. Seating is limited, so register early by calling 240-777-8400.

Countertop Ensemble

continues with opera singer

The 2009-2010 Resurrection Catholic Church continues 6 p.m. Nov. 22 with Harolyn Blackwell, an opera singer and stage performer. Blackwell has performed on stages worldwide, in Broadway musicals and at the White House. All concerts in the series are free, though donations are welcome. For more information, contact Annick Kanter-St. Hubert at annickkanter@gmail.com.

Seeking craft vendors

for Winterfest

Resurrection Catholic Church is seeking crafters for its annual Winterfest, held 3 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5 at the church, 3315 Greencastle Road in Burtonsville. All jewelry and cosmetic vendor spaces are full, but other types of crafters are welcome to register for a booth. The festival includes a bake sale, breakfast with Santa, a raffle and a silent auction in addition to the craft sales. Registration costs $85 for both days, but single-day registration is available. For more information or to register, call Phyllis Bottegal at 301-260-1528 or e-mail dbottegal@aol.com.

Donations needed

for Christmas charity

Residents can drop off school supplies and toys for children ages 2-13 between 4 and 7 p.m. Nov. 19 to Nicholas Dental Care, 3905 National Drive, Suite 170, in Burtonsville. The dentist's office's annual open house will be collecting supplies for Samaritan's Purse, which donates shoe boxes of supplies to children worldwide. For more information, call 301-989-0088.

Buy local bulbs, earn

local gardens 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 www.bloominbucks.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.

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 months away, the group is already taking orders. 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.

Montgomery College will teach federal resume clinic

A comprehensive workshop on finding and applying for federal government jobs will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 17 to 19 at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center at 3300 Briggs Chaney Road. The three-session course costs $95 for Maryland residents.Contact Harriet Lebowitz at 240-567-2595 or harriet.lebowitz@montgomery

county.edu.

Free legal advice available

for low-income residents

Low-income residents can receive free legal advice on the first and second Thursdays of each month, courtesy of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program in partnership with Eastern Montgomery Regional Services.

The clinic will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 5, Nov. 12, Dec. 3 and Dec. 9. The clinics will be held at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Center at 3300 Briggs Chaney Road.

For more information, call the Pro Bono Program from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 301-424-7651.

Wanted: snacks for backpacks

Nonperishable snack items are needed for the Valley Brook Community Church's new project to supply five low-income families with backpacks full of snack items. The project gives donations monthly and organizers hope to expand their efforts throughout the school year. Donors can bring nonperishable snack items to the church at 3333 Spencerville Road in Burtonsville. Drop-off times are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For more information, call the church at 301-476-9499.

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. Call 240-473-7505. Deadline is one week prior to publication for consideration.

Noncredit Spanish classes to be held in Briggs Chaney

Montgomery College is offering two non-credit Spanish classes to be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday evenings at the Eastern Montgomery Regional Services Center at 3300 Briggs Chaney Road. Spanish I (part 1) and Spanish I (part 2) will be held Sept. 21 through Dec. 14. To register, go to www.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce/ce/foreignlanguages02.html. For information about class schedules or cost, contact Martha Price at 240-567-5515 or Martha.price@montgomerycollege.edu.

Evening English classes open to Montgomery Residents

Interested Montgomery County residents can register for English classes, which will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Episcopal Church of our Savior at 1700 Powder Mill Road in Hillandale.

The course, offered by the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation, in partnership with Crossway Community Center and CASA of Maryland, costs $20, but scholarships are available. Students are accepted on a rolling basis and can register by arriving 15 minutes early to the class location.

Silver Spring learning center looking for high school tutors

The Gapbuster Learning Center in Silver Spring is looking for high school and adult volunteers to tutor young students.

Volunteers are needed from 3 to 6 p.m. High school students should be in grades 10 to 12.

The Gapbuster Learning Center is a community-based program dedicated to closing the academic performance gap of students in Montgomery County. For information on how to volunteer, contact Sheila Clyburn at 301-779-4252 or at gblc_office@yahoo.com.

For more information on Gapbuster Learning Center, visit www.gapbuster.org.

Senior volunteer drivers 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 medical appointments, helping with grocery shopping and running errands, and paying a 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 seniorconnectionmc@gmail.com.

Volunteers sought for blood collection

The American Red Cross is looking for volunteers ages 14 and older to assist its blood-collection staff at blood drives and blood-donor centers.

Responsibilities include greeting donors and providing them with essential reading materials, serving refreshments and observing donors for post-donation reactions to giving blood.

Volunteers will be trained and must make a commitment of two or more blood-collection events each month. Blood drives last four to six hours.

To register for training or for more information, call the American Red Cross volunteer office at 800-272-0094, Ext. 1, or e-mail karlofft@usa.redcross.org.