Banneker

College Park.--In March Richard Riley, the new secretary of the Department of Education, wrote to all university presidents expressing his support for race-based scholarships. By doing so he implied that the department might soon reverse the position it had taken during the Bush administration. The letter was heralded by many, and criticized by others, as having legalized the use of race-based scholarships. Such is not the case. The issue of the legality of race-based financial-aid programs can be settled only by the courts.

Banneker Christian Community Church and the Gyung Hyang Garden Presbyterian Church sit about 100 yards apart on Route 108 near Howard High School. The churches are caught in a bind that, seemingly, only money can solve. Banneker, which has been at its location since about 1902, is a one-room church that can seat no more than 35 to 40 people. Gyung Hyang is a rapidly growing church that serves 150 people and wants to expand. The Presbyterian church owns the land that Banneker sits on, having bought it from Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal about 10 years ago with an eye toward expansion, and has asked the small congregation to move its building.

Public hearing set on state legislation affecting Howard The Howard County delegation to the Maryland General Assembly will hold a public hearing on state legislation that affects Howard County only at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, Ellicott City. A list of bills to be discussed will be available just before the hearing. The public is invited to comment. The delegation will decide whether to support them at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 in the Banneker Room.

Because of erroneous information supplied to The Sun, the size and location of the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum was incorrectly reported in a Nov. 11 article. The 142-acre park is at Oella Avenue and Old Frederick Road in Baltimore County. The Sun incorrectly reported that the museum's new supervisor, Steven Lee, formerly worked at the city's Heritage Museum. Lee continues to work as director of the Heritage Museum.The Sun regrets the errors.Pub Date: 11/18/97

TOMORROW Board of Zoning Appeals The hearing examiner will hear Case BA 05-018C (Robert and Elaine Schulze) at 6:30 p.m. in the Ellicott Room, George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City. Zoning Board The board has tentatively scheduled a hearing of Case ZB 1039M (G&R Maple Lawn Inc.), continued, at 6 p.m. in the Banneker Room, George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City. 410-313-2395. Commission on Aging Will meet at 7 p.m. at Ellicott City Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Road, Ellicott City.

Properties to be sold at the Howard County tax sale can be accessed from the Internet at www.co.ho.md.us/taxsale.xls. The file is an Excel spreadsheet that may be viewed online and saved. The sale will be tomorrow at 10 a.m. in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City. Information: 410-313-2022.

Twenty students and a bus driver were injured today when two school buses collided in front of the Benjamin Banneker Middle School in Burtonsville, but Montgomery County officials said the injuries did not appear to be serious.Fire officials said the accident occurred about 8:15 a.m. when two buses were delivering students to the school at 14800 Perry Wood Drive. They said six ambulances responded.

The University of Maryland at College Park, acknowledgin that some blacks perceive its campus climate as "hostile," said yesterday that it plans to keep offering race-based scholarships as a way of attracting African-American students.President William E. Kirwan issued a report concluding that College Park's Banneker scholarship program, which pays the full costs of about 25 black students a year and isn't open to members of other races, is a "necessary and effective tool."In a national test case of race-based scholarships, the Banneker program has been challenged in a federal lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old biochemistry major at College Park.