Awards Ceremony

The Greater Patapsco Community Association will receive the prestigious $1,000 W. Boulton Kelly Prize today from the Baltimore County Historical Trust.The association will use the money to develop a National Register Historic District in the western Baltimore County community of Granite.Seven other individuals and community groups also will receive grants at the Trust's ninth awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. today in the Orangery at the Hampton Mansion, a National Historic Site in Towson.The other grant winners are:* The Friends of the Oliver House in Chase, for continuing efforts to preserve the area around a home designed by Robert Mills, America's first native-born architect.

The national, non-profit School Nutrition Association has awarded Beth Freeman from C. Milton Wright High School in Harford County Public Schools the regional Louise Sublette Award of Leadership Excellence in School Nutrition, considered the highest honor a school nutrition manager can earn. The award recognizes a manager who has demonstrated dedication and ingenuity by successfully implementing a project to improve his or her school meal program. Freeman significantly strengthened her school's breakfast program, which had extremely low participation in previous years.

More than 40 Carroll County police officers were honored Friday at the Maryland State Police Superintendent's Promotional/Awards ceremony in Pikesville. Two of the three group awards -- unit citations -- went to the Carroll County Drug Task Force and the Criminal Investigative Section of the Westminster barracks. Col. Edward T. Norris also gave individual awards for valor and lifesaving to three Westminster troopers and a civilian. The nine-member Drug Task Force -- made up of officers from the state police, the Carroll County Sheriff's Office and the Westminster Police Department -- was praised for its 92 drug arrests last year, out of 188 criminal investigations.

The James Beard Foundation announced the winners of the 2013 James Beard Foundation Awards on Monday night at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center , capping a weekend of gastronomic events in New York City . Spike Gjerde of Baltimore's Woodberry Kitchen attended the awards ceremony and was among the five finalists for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic, one 10 regional categories in the JBF Awards. But Baltimore is still without a JBF Award winner in a chef category. The Mid-Atlantic winner announced on Monday was Johnny Monis of Koni in Washington.

Academic, activity and leadership awards were presented to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and nongraduating seniors, including nine students from Carroll County, at the annual Spring Awards Ceremony at Western Maryland College. Erin M. Clarke of Finksburg, an English major, was given the Jean Alpaugh Award for Interdisciplinary Study. The award is given to a student with appreciation for cross-cultural experiences and whose proposal for off-campus study will most benefit the scholarship and interdisciplinary interests of the late Jean Alpaugh, who graduated in 1990.

When Edward T. Norris became Maryland State Police superintendent this year, he pledged to shake up the agency. At an awards ceremony yesterday, he celebrated the changes with troopers who have been promoted into his new command structure. Despite some criticism of his personnel moves - including a vote of no confidence by one of the Fraternal Order of Police lodges that represents troopers - Norris said the promotions help fulfill the goals he has for the department. "I told you we'd find the future leaders of this department," he said during the ceremony at state police headquarters in Pikesville.

A sixth-grader who helps people achieve a better quality of life, a dedicated coach and mentor for three decades, and a man who is helping to revitalize Dundalk were among the honorees last week at the seventh annual Good Neighbor Week Awards ceremony at Towson University. The awards recognize outstanding volunteer efforts of Baltimore County organizations and individuals. A record number of nominations -- more than 70 -- were received this year by the Good Neighbor Week Committee. Good Neighbor Week is coordinated by Baltimore County government, the Concerned Religious Leaders of Baltimore County, and Baltimore County public schools.

Academic, activity and leadership awards were presented to seven area students at the annual Spring Awards Ceremony at Western Maryland College.Laura Boesler of Westminster, a junior mathematics major, won the Charles J. Miller Award for Excellence in Mathematics.Gaelen Cross of Sykesville, a junior biochemistry major, was given the Harry Clary Jones Scholarship in Chemistry. The award, along with a scholarship in physics, honors the memory of Jones, a longtime faculty member at WMC.Lindsey Drager of Eldersburg, a junior history and English double major, was given the James D. Essig Memorial Scholarship.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- The first of the entourage to arrive at the Beverly Hills Hotel was Camilla Grace, wearing a short blue dress, fluffy blue slippers and a dog collar studded with flashing, battery-operated lights.Next came Trudy Truelove, in a dress cut just low enough in the back so that the top of her extensive tattoo work could be seen. She also wore one of the flashing collars, as did Craig Inglis, whose tuxedo shirt was so ruffled it would have embarrassed a matador.Half a dozen more twentysomethings emerged from cars near the front entrance of the fabled landmark, all wearing the collars.

Anne Arundel County has the best plan in the state for managing growth and development, and county officials will be honored during an awards ceremony at the end of the month.The Maryland Chapter of the American Planning Association announced Friday that Anne Arundel won a statewide competition of comprehensive land-use plans. The awards ceremony will be held at Benjamin Banneker Historical Park in Catonsville on Oct. 28.Anne Arundel's plan includes 120 recommendations on how to manage growth, conserve the environment and meet residents' educational and recreational needs.

Ever wanted to make like you won an Oscar without having to do anything like actually act in a movie? Area awards-show fans will get their chance Friday when one of the real statuettes makes a stop at Baltimore's Inner Harbor -- part of an 11-city "Roadtrip" to drum-up interest in the Feb. 24 awards ceremony. Fans will have the chance to pose with the Oscar, practice their acceptance speeches and snap a picture. Short of actually walking the red carpet on Academy Awards night, it may be the closest they'll ever come to one of the coveted figurines.

The latest episode of "Parks and Recreation" did so many things to make me happy. Let's make a list. 1.) Acknowledged the rare and beautiful thing that is Ron and Leslie's deep friendship that has not a trace of romance to it, despite the fact that they are of opposite gender and both heterosexual. 2.) Let Lucy Liu be a badass in the most subtle and wonderful of ways. 3.) Unleashed Megan Mullally in full-crazy mode. 4.) Not only acknowledged that the meanness toward Jerry is that, but had the characters acknowledge it and correct their behavior.

Dr. Charles E. Rath Jr. and Charles Shyab both earned the Bronze Star for their valor in battle, but neither soldier collected his medal. At a recent ceremony at Fort Meade, the two veterans, who served in battles more than two decades apart, stood together and received the Bronze Star, awarded for valor and meritorious service. Officials also awarded each a congressional citation and an American flag that has flown over the Capitol against a background of plaudits from a U.S. senator, Army officers and a roomful of young soldiers.

Severna Park High School physics teacher Barry Hopkins has been named the only winner in Maryland of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the highest honor given by the U.S. government to K-12 math and science teachers, Anne Arundel school officials said Wednesday. Hopkins, who has taught in the Anne Arundel County school system for 37 years, was notified by the White House that he had won, school officials said. Hopkins has spent the last 18 years at Severna Park High, where he teaches Advanced Placement physics and honors physics.

Sunday, April 29 Classical music The Sundays at Three Chamber Music Series presents Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Associate Concertmaster Madeline Adkins and other orchestra members in a performance of the Schubert Octet and Mozart's String Quartet in C, K.465 at 3 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia. Tickets are $15, ages 17 and younger admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Information: 443-288-3179 or sundaysatthree.org. Dance performance The Kinetics Dance Theatre presents "Fashion & Dance Through the Ages" at 4 p.m. at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane in Columbia.

The Charlie Riley Community Service Scholarship Foundation celebrated a milestone at its annual awards ceremony on Nov. 9 where the foundation surpassed the $100,000 mark in scholarships given out in the past six years to Harford County high school students and fire/EMS personnel. The foundation awarded $24,000 in scholarships during the ceremony held at the Level Fire Company. The scholarship program honors the memory of the late Charles W. Riley, a 52-year-member and chief of Abingdon Fire Company as well as a member of the Harford-Cecil Volunteer Firemen's Association and Maryland State Fireman's Association Hall of Fame.

Linda Cromwell , owner of Being There Senior Care, LLC, has been selected by a Business Women's Network committee of her peers to receive the prestigious Woman of Distinction award for 2011, by the Howard County Business Woman's Network. The awards ceremony took place May 18 at Aida Bistro, in Columbia.

Bryan Voltaggio presented Governor Martin O'Malley with Share Our Strength's 2011 Humanitarian of the Year Award on Sunday for his leadership in working to end childhood hunger in Maryland at a ceremony before more than 500 national and state anti-hunger advocates, government leaders, corporate partners, chefs and restaurateurs on Sunday in Baltimore. The presentation was made at as part an annual conference being held in Baltimore by Share Our Strength , a national non-profit working to end childhood hunger.  "With so many of the country's leading anti-hunger advocates in the audience, it's a particular honor to be presented this award for our work in Maryland," said Gov. O'Malley at the awards ceremony.

The Maryland State Fireman's Association Annual Convention was held June 18 through 22 in Ocean City, and this year was special for The Community Fire Company of Perryville, Inc., which had several own members recognized during the annual awards ceremony. The MSFA awards ceremony was held on June, and several local volunteers were recognized for their outstanding service to their community. Hall of Fame Daniel "Skip" Mahan was inducted into the MSFA Hall of Fame, which was established by the MSFA in 1979 to recognize the distinguished service of individuals.