Carroll Community College

For some, continuing education classes represent the chance to take that watercolor class, explore interior decorating or get to know Microsoft Excel. But among the traditional offerings, Carroll Community College - and other Maryland schools - is providing lifelong learners with additional skills, using the advantages of the Internet. How to be funny. Assertive. A better communicator. Under the broad umbrella of "personal development," the courses have cropped up at colleges across the country - and their niche nature seems to make them perfect for the online classroom format.

Carroll Community College is offering five classes this fall in Italian language, traveling in Italy and Italian cooking. Seasons of Italy will offer travel tips for all seasons from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays Sept. 12 to Oct. 3. The cost is $95. Italian Basic I will be offered from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays Sept. 11 to Oct. 30, cost $159; and Basic II Nov. 6 to Dec. 11, cost $118. Italian for Conversation & Review will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays Oct. 10 to Nov. 14. The class integrates music, photos, travel tips and conversation to provide language skills for a vacation in Italy.

Book fair set for Nov. 10 The 11th annual Random House Book Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 10 at Carroll Community College. Local authors are invited to participate in the event. Applications can be downloaded from www.carrollcc.edu. Forms and a registration fee of $25 must be returned by Wednesday to the Carroll Community College Foundation Office at 1601 Washington Road, Westminster, Md. 21157. Local artisans and non-profit organizations also can participate as exhibitors.

24 CCC graduates meet challenge Carroll Community College recently graduated 24 students who successfully completed the Leadership Challenge Program in fiscal year 2007. Students document their program experiences in a portfolio that they can take with them to transfer colleges, scholarship boards and job interviews. Students completing the program are: Julie Bittner, Kimberly Brenneman, Jenna Contestabile, Sean Drawbaugh, Tamara Duff, Rachel Freiert, Angie Greer, Rachel Hartig, Deanna Herald, Heather Hofmann, Leah Hoskins, Angela Liberto, Amber Martin, Amber McConnell, Diana Messina, Sarah Reeb, Danielle Shade, Melissa Stickles, Laura Stitely, Andy Stone, Angela Vaughan, Erin Wanzer, Catie Windisch, and Sevgi Yurtbasi.

The Carroll County Manufacturing Consortium held its first organizational meeting last month at Carroll Community College. Members discussed apprenticeship training, regional wage data overview, work force recruitment and retention, the Governor's Workforce Investment Board's skill standards project and collaborative marketing. Twelve companies attended the gathering: IntelliTech Inc., Evapco Inc., Shelter Systems Limited, Universal Forest Products Inc., GT Brothers Inc., Maple Grove Machining, General Dynamics Robotics Systems Inc., Black and Decker Inc., MasterWorks Machining Inc., Western Industrial Machining Inc., Fairlawn Tool and Die Company Inc., and Flowserve Pump Division.

Westminster Mayor Tom Ferguson said he never imagined he would find himself welcoming to town the author of a play as candid and jarring as The Vagina Monologues. But feminist playwright Eve Ensler, who promotes her work around the world, is coming to Carroll Community College for a local rendition of her play Friday. It's the county's fifth performance of The Vagina Monologues. Activist and organizer Sylviea Tejeda said she has wanted to bring Ensler to Westminster since she watched a captivating performance of the play at Gettysburg College seven years ago. Tejeda said she met Ensler last fall at the opening of an eating disorders clinic at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Towson.