Classes

Roberto Pagan-Franco didn't have a bank account for decades. His employer paid him in cash or with a check that the Baltimore resident took to a check-cashing store. A few years ago he lost his job after a severe illness and for a time was homeless. Not exactly the type of customer you'd expect a big bank to court. But Pagan-Franco enrolled in a PNC Bank program that targets consumers who otherwise might be shut out of the banking system. And today, the 54-year-old has checking and savings accounts at PNC and is in the process of getting a credit card.

The No. 2 Liberty girls repeated as the Class 2A state champions on Saturday, but it wasn't an easy task. The Lions gathered points in an array of events to rally late and win the title at Morgan State. Michelle Keller led the final push that helped Liberty finish with 73.5 points and beat out Largo (62). Last year, Liberty edged out North Hagerstown by 3 1/2 points. This year, Keller finished second in both the high jump and shot put for 16 crucial points to push Liberty ahead.

Meet Emily Savopoulos and the educators at Clarksville middle school in Howard County who get in a little exercise after classes. Type of workout: Full body workout: upper body, lower body, cardio, weight training, balance, etc. Who's in the group: The group varies from five die-hard participants to a full classroom. The age range varies, but the core members of the group are in their 40s and 50s. When they do it: Monday through Friday after classes are over for 40-60 minute sessions.

Art & Appetizers An open house will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, June 2-3, at Maple Lawn, 7769 Tilghman St. in Fulton. Information: 410-489-6065. Saturday night movies The Gary J. Arthur Community Center offers a monthly movie screening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 2400 Route 97 in Cooksville. Admission is $4, $2 for center members, and includes popcorn and a drink. Free for children 4 and younger. •June 16: "The Great Outdoors" (rated PG)

The charge for many senior citizens classes will quadruple starting later this month, and instructors and students fear the higher fees will result in too few students to continue some courses.The classes, conducted at the Florence Bain Senior Center for county residentsover age 60, have been offered by Howard Community College at a $5 fee for nearly a decade. School officials blame state budget cuts for forcing them to hike the fee to $20 for the 20-hour courses.A group of students has submitted a petition to the school protesting the increased fees, and many students say they expect enrollmentto drop when the spring programs begin Jan. 22.Already, administrators have trimmed the spring course offerings to 16 from the usual 18 in anticipation of some reduced enrollment.

Cary Murphy had doubts about offering yoga-style relaxation classes during the holiday season."I thought that nobody would come. The holidays are crazy. Why bother?" the yoga instructor said.But he decided to try anyway, figuring the worst thing that could happen would be that no one would sign up for the six-week sessions held at the Merritt Athletic Club in Annapolis.He was wrong. All three classes, even one on Friday night, have at least eight people enrolled -- largely, Mr. Murphy says, because people really do need a mental break from the good cheer, party plans, shopping, wrapping, cooking, entertaining, decorating, travel, family scenarios and daily workload of the holidays.

When the 2011-12 high school wrestling season rolls around, coaches are going to have to cope with a number of changes, including major modifications to one of the most basic rules — weight class designations. Officials at the National Federation of State High School Associations Board of Directors calls it the "most significant changes" to high school wrestling weight classes in 23 years. The NFHS Board approved an upward shift in weights. There will no longer be a 103-pound class.

Recent articles and editorials touched on some of the relationship between school hours and suspension rates and teenagers' biological clocks and the benefits of keeping kids in school ("How early is too early for high school students," March 8; "Suspension as a last resort," March 5). But they omitted any discussion of how high school students should be spending their afternoons. By the end of eleventh grade, the average public school student in Maryland has acquired most of the credits that they will need to graduate.

Baltimore County schools spokesman Charles Herndon told The Sun there is no empirical evidence that class size is linked to student achievement ("Smaller Balto. Co. class sizes urged," May 150). But if that's true, then why did officials limit class sizes at the lowest-performing high schools, where smaller classes were deemed important for struggling students? The answer is that they, like everyone else other than maybe Mr. Herndon, recognize the simple truth that bigger classes make it harder for students to learn.

There are always studies showing how many people are obese and overweight. Well if more places around the world had free classes, such as yoga or biking, more people would be out getting into shape. It all comes down to money: People who have enough money can buy memberships in order to work out, but people that lack money are unable to do so. When one doesn't work out they will only gain weight. No matter how healthy you eat, there are many factors that contribute to how healthy you live in life.

It was one of the most improbable endings in the history of the state softball tournament. Liberty let several crucial scoring opportunities slip away in the first six innings of Friday's Class 2A state championship against McDonough at Maryland's Robert E. Taylor Stadium. The Lions, however, refused to quit and loaded the bases in the seventh with no outs and trailing by two runs. Rebecca Oneto tied the game with a single up the middle. Sammy Bost then stole third, but slid past the bag. The third baseman missed the tag, allowing Bost to get to her feet, and instead of trying to get back to the bag, she just took off for home, sliding safely for the walk-off 3-2 victory as three McDonough players scrambled around her. The Lions, who were appearing in their first championship game in 29 years, clinched their first-ever softball title.

Joan Munn , Eastern Technical High School; Andre Keyser , Overlea High School; Kathleen Crane , Parkville High School and Kristen O'Gorman , Perry Hall High School recieved college scholarships of $3,000 each from First Financial Federal Credit Union. Scholarship winners were selected based on their academic achievement and commitment to school and community. The following students earned medals at the Baltimore County NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO)

This championship was for Tracy Vander Kolk. The sophomore on the Severna Park girls lacrosse team died of undisclosed reasons May 10. Even though her teammates have been in mourning, the Falcons still managed to advance through the state playoffs, finding strength from one another and the support of the Anne Arundel community. Their resilience culminated in Thursday night's Class 4A-3A state championship game at UMBC, where No. 8 Severna Park knocked off Westminster, 13-6.

Baltimore Baby! I was so proud how the Maryland Jockey Club had fixed up Pimlico for the Preakness. Every building, every railing and sign - all were freshly painted with magnificent yellow flowers everywhere! Baltimore is first class! Jim Holechek, Baltimore

The first African-American to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy has died, according to an announcement from the school Wednesday. Wesley Brown started at the academy in 1945, after the first five black men to attend failed to complete their first year there. He graduated 370th out of nearly 800 graduates in 1949, gaining national media attention, and went on to have a 20-year career in the Navy. Brown, who was in his 80s, was a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and spent time with the Navy working in various other countries.

A year ago, Century's Angela Flister and Alice Mercer left UMBC after the state championship lacrosse game with plenty of regrets. Tuesday night, they did not. The No. 3 Knights' only two senior starters combined for five goals and junior Hayley Bordner added five more in a 12-9 victory against Queen Anne's in the Class 3A-2A final for Century's sixth state title and the third for the Class of 2012. "Last year, Alice and I regretted every second," said Flister of the 8-4 state final loss to Marriotts Ridge.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Towson University is a 50-50 proposition this fall, when Osher offers adults 50 and older nearly 50 classes and activities for "cultural and social enrichment. " Though classes will be held at TU, the preview of what Osher has to offer will be held at Goucher College in Merrick Lecture Hall on Thursday, July 7, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. There are no grades or credits given for classes, which and no educational requisites for membership, according to Osher's mission: "The basic concept is...learning is a lifelong process and is enhanced in a congenial atmosphere with like-minded individuals.

The Maryland CASH Campaign on Saturday launched a slate of free and low-cost financial management classes that organizers say will help people navigate complicated subjects — from budgeting to borrowing to buying a house. Shoppers at Security Square Mall were encouraged to register for classes at the new CASH Academy, including credit and debt management, budgeting, savings, taxes and investing. The campaign, whose name stands for "Creating Assets, Savings and Hope," is paying for the short courses.

The Fallston boys lacrosse team made the final quarter of the season its finest in Tuesday's Class 2A-1A state semifinal against South Carroll. The No. 15 Cougars scored six unanswered goals to turn a close game into a 14-7 win over the Cavaliers at UMBC Stadium. Senior midfielder Zach Wheeler provided most of the offense with a record-breaking performance, finishing with five goals and five assists. His 10 points broke the single-game record in Class 2A-1A , previously nine, and tied the mark for all three classifications.