Honorees
Maryland's first lady, Katie O'Malley, along with Natalie Ballard, Colleen Moon, Rhonda Caldwell Dove, Michelle Le Furge and Dana Posley Herbert, will be honored at the 16th Annual Fannie Lou Hamer Program and Reception being held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, at St. John's College's Francis Scott Key Auditorium, 60 College Ave. in Annapolis.
Tickets are $35 and may be purchased in advance by calling 410-269-1524 and will also be available at the door. Proceeds to help pay for the newly completed Coretta Scott King Memorial Garden at Sojourner-Douglass College in Edgewater. Information: mlkmd.org.
'Operation Paperback'
Nonprofit organization collects gently used books nationwide and sends them to American troops deployed overseas. Since 1999, more than 1.3 million books have been shipped to military personnel around the world. Interested persons can go to operationpaperback.org to learn more about the program. Organizing the effort in this area is Sandy Marron of Annapolis. She can be contacted at: opbookmilitary@comcast.net. Please put "books" in the subject line.
Haunted tours
Historic Annapolis Foundation and Watermark Tours sponsors a "Haunted Ghost Tour" through Annapolis on Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 29. The two-hour walking tour leaves at 7:30 p.m. from the Museum Store, 77 Main St. Special Halloween tours will be held Sunday-Monday, Oct. 30-31. Tickets are $20, $14 for children 3-11 and free for children younger than 3. Reservations and information: 410-268-7601, ext. 100, or watermarkjourney.com.
Gardening class
Adkins Arboretum will offer an advanced training session for master gardeners from noon to 4 p.m. today at 12610 Eveland Road in Ridgely. Information: 410-634-2847, ext. 0 or go to adkinsarboretum.org.
Fundraiser
Anne Arundel County's annual fundraiser, "Disco Magic," will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight Oct. 21 at the Westin Annapolis, 100 Westgate Circle. Guests are asked to wear their best "disco" attire for this retro event. It also features an open bar, dinner, a silent and live auction, vacation getaways and the drawing for the winners of the 50/50 cash raffle. Tickets are $165. Proceeds benefit the YWCA programs for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Information: 410-626-7800.
Raffle
The Shady Side Rural Heritage Society's annual raffle is under way. First prize is $5,000; tickets are $5 each. The winning ticket will be drawn at the society's West River Heritage Day Oyster Festival on Oct. 16 at the Capt. Salem Avery Museum, 1418 EW Shady Side Road. Proceeds will be used to support the museum's programs and activities, as well as to help with building and grounds maintenance and repairs. Tickets can be purchased by mailing a check payable to the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society, P.O. Box 89, Shady Side, 20764 or by calling 410 867 4486. Local merchants and society members will also sell tickets.
AACC fall registration
Registration for the fall session classes offered by Anne Arundel Community College is under way at the seven senior activity centers operated by the Anne Arundel County Department of Aging and Disabilities. Classes begin the week of Oct. 3.
For a class schedule, visit the senior center you wish to attend or go to aacounty.org/aging and click on a center for its list of courses. Tuition is waived for those 60 and older, but there is an administrative fee of $80. This one-time fee covers all courses taken for the semester. Seniors 55-59 must pay the $80 administrative fee plus $40 per course. A tuition waiver form must be certified by the Social Security Administration to exempt permanently disabled seniors from paying the $40 fee per course, but they will still be responsible for the $80 administrative fee. Some classes may have an additional fee for supplies or textbooks.
For more information, call the center of choice at: Annapolis 410-222-1818; Arnold 410-222-1922; Brooklyn Park 410-222-6847; O'Malley 410-222-6227; Pasadena 410-222-0030; Pascal 410-222-6680; South County 410-222-1927.
Senior Olympics
Registration is under way for the 2011 Maryland Senior Olympics being held through Nov. 6 at various locations statewide. The games have 21 sports with more than 100 events; they include volleyball, basketball, track and field events, bowling, table tennis, archery, horseshoes, racquetball, badminton, billiards, lawn bowling, softball, tennis and swimming.
Cost to participate in one event is $20, and $5 for each additional one. Registration deadline is 30 days before your first event's start date.
To register and get more information, call 240-777-8080 or go to mdseniorolympics.org.
Call for artists
Benfield Gallery, 485 Jumpers Hole Road in Severna Park, invites artists 18 and older to enter its fall juried exhibition. Selected artwork will be on display at the gallery through Oct. 15. Kelly Richard, manager of the gallery, will judge the exhibition. Information: $10-544-2299 or email kellyatbenfield@aol.com.
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