Baldwin Hall

Thirty-five years after the publication of her book on the history of Savage, Vera R. Filby is pleasantly surprised that people are still interested. "When they asked me to reprint it, I thought, `Who would be interested in it?' " Filby said, smiling. "Then again, history is history, and it's still accurate up to 1965. After that, it's someone else's worry." "They" is Carroll Baldwin Memorial Institute, a community group that works to preserve Carroll Baldwin Hall, a meeting place for Savage residents.

LAST SATURDAY at 7 p.m., the Savage Holiday Tree was dedicated in a brief ceremony, followed by a block party.Savage Community Association member Deb Schultz and other members of the group's Holiday Committee dispensed cocoa, coffee, cookies and good cheer behind Carroll Baldwin Hall, where folks gathered to admire the unlighted tree and greet each other.Elaine Johansen wandered through the crowd giving out raffle tickets for a green Beanie Baby. Santa enjoyed a brief respite from his last-minute chores and stopped by to hand out candy canes to children.

THERE WAS a great deal of fun to be had last weekend, when hundreds of children and their parents came to Carroll Baldwin Hall to play games, see the Deathly Diner and show off their costumes.The Savage Halloween party exceeded its organizers' hopes.Carolyn Adami, who organized Savage Halloween parties a decade ago, was a hit dressed in a white tutu as the Lottery Fairy.Eileen Johanson dressed as a gypsy and read fortunes.Mary Ann Gardes came as a black cat.She kept the ringtoss and other games going.

LIVING IN an old town is like living in an old house -- there's always work needed to keep the joint up.Savage is no exception. Residents periodically invest sweat equity to make our town a pleasant place to live.Maintenance work, such as the cemetery cleanup last fall, is an example of that sweat equity.Now members of the Savage Community Association and the Carroll Baldwin Hall Committee have decided that it is time to do a little more. And, like all the best ideas, this one serves several purposes: to get rid of junk, bring in money and improve the appearance of Savage.

As it approaches its 20th season, the Pasadena Theatre Company can look back on a history of shows such as "Noises Off," "Jesus Christ Superstar," "A Little Night Music," "The Madwoman of Chaillot" and "The Heidi Chronicles."A history to be proud of, and now Pasadena is marking the end of an era with "Li'l Abner." This production will be the last show at Baldwin Hall, the company's home for 14 years."Li'l Abner" re-creates Al Capp's comic-strip world. The 1956 show, with music by Gene De Paul and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, focuses on the simple inhabitants of Dogpatch, who learn their town is so worthless, the U.S. government plans to use it as an atomic bomb test site.

The odds that Pasadena Theatre Company will lease the old Pasadena Elementary School as a permanent home are "decent," a county school official has confirmed."

Imagine, the Pasadena Theatre Company performing in Pasadena.The 200-member theater group, which stages its shows at Baldwin Hall in Millersville, is looking for a home of its own. The old Pasadena Elementary School might fill the bill."

If you have any doubts about the quality of musicals being presented by local groups, head over to Baldwin Hall in Millersville some time over the next two weekends, where the Pasadena Theater Company makes the hills come alive with "The Sound of Music."The 29-member cast, under the direction of Chuck Dick, re-creates the story of the Trapp family, who fled Austria in 1938 just ahead of the Nazis. The players seem to be living their parts rather than merely playing them.Eight musicians provide accompaniment under the confident baton of Roger Compton.

FOLLOWING THE seasonal produce, we're past strawberries, but fast approaching peaches. Lovely time.As mentioned in previous columns, Hammond High has produced a fine crop of scholars ready for college.Let's all remember the names of the National Honor Society members from the graduating class of Hammond High School.In addition to the scholars mentioned in last week's column, the society included:Keri Lynn Bishop, Thomas Patrick Borrego, David Jason Brewer, Jennifer Lynn Cartney, Courtney Rae Daniel, Josselyn Tatiana Essey, Alexander James Pratt Ferguson, Kristen Gayle Fraser, Jessica Leigh Garlick, Daniel Robert Greenberg, Sarah Elizabeth Greenleaf, Andrea Sekyiwa Hayford, Andy Sekyi Hayford and Brandon David Honza.

THE SAVAGE Boys and Girls Club is trying to form a soccer team for girls up to age 11. If your daughter has Sundays free, call Mr. Ryan at (301) 776-0745 soon to enroll her in the Baltimore Beltway League.Cheerleading secretaryI have enormous respect for school secretaries: They are an island of calm in an ocean of swirling chaos.Until last week, I had the good fortune to deal with Gerry Gibeau at Hammond High School. She's unfailingly cheerful and has earrings I envy. But last week she was gone -- off to Florida for a week to cheer on her son. Michael Gibeau, Hammond High alumnus, was competing at Orlando in the Seniors National Swimming Championships.