Commission For Women

Women filled the Carroll commissioners' meeting room yesterday morning, and the talk bounced from promoting women as political candidates to considering them as sex objects.About 15 women -- and a few men -- asked the commissioners to support legislation to start a Carroll County Commission for Women.Commissioners Julia W. Gouge and Elmer C. Lippy said they would support such a group. Commissioner Donald I. Dell said he was not opposed to the idea, but would have to study the specific proposal before making a decision.

Donna L. Reihl, dean of continuing education at the Community College of Baltimore County at Catonsville who had been named Woman of the Year by the Baltimore County Commission for Women, died Monday of colon cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson. The Parkville resident had celebrated her 60th birthday earlier this month. A daughter of farmers, the former Donna Lee Ensor spent her early years on a My Lady's Manor farm until moving with her family to White Hall. After graduating from North Harford High School in 1969, she earned a bachelor's degree in 1973 from the University of Maryland, College Park in anthropology.

Support commissionFrom: Phyllis B. TrickettChairwomanMd. Commission for WomenOn behalf of the Maryland Commission for Women, I am writing to you at this time to discuss concerns over the proposed elimination of the position of executive director for the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women.Commissions for Women play a vital role throughout the state of Maryland. The Anne Arundel County Commission for Women is locally and nationally recognized as a community leader.Through the commissions' many advocacy and education efforts, the Anne Arundel County Commission for Women, particularly under the direction of Jean Melton, has coordinated numerous educational programs to link Anne Arundel County women to the resources they have needed to address both minor and major concerns.

Used cell phones to benefit Relay for Life in the county The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks is collecting used cell phones in a program to raise money to benefit Howard County's Relay for Life. www.howardcountymd.gov/RAP/RAP_HomePage.htm. Or call 410-313-1675. Women's Hall of Fame The Howard County Commission for Women is accepting nominations of outstanding women to be admitted into the 2009 Women's Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame will induct up to five contemporary women and one woman from the past who have achieved distinction in their work, made lasting contributions to the community and improved the quality of life for others.

The League of Women Voters of Howard County will co-sponsor two candidates forums with the Association of Community Services (ACS), the Commission for Women and other groups. A forum for state Senate and House of Delegates candidates is planned from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Smith Theatre. The league, the Commission for Women and ACS are sponsors. A forum for school board candidates, co-sponsored by ACS, Commission for Women, the PTA Council and the league, is planned from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 25 in Room B-37 of the Applications and Research Laboratory, 10920 Route 108, Ellicott City.

Jazz Star, Ethel Ennis, and WJZ-TV Co-Anchor, Denise Koch, will be the guest speakers during "Album of Maryland Women: Vision and Action," the annual Maryland Women's History Month Breakfast at 11 a.m. Sunday, March 3, at the Sheraton Inn, Aberdeen. The event is sponsored bythe Harford County Commission for Women.Reservations and payment should be made by Feb. 25.Checks should be made payable to Harford County, Maryland and mailed to Harford County Commission for Women, 220 S. Main St., Bel Air,21014.

The Commission for Women will hold its 20th annual Women's History Month Luncheon from 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m. March 7 at Richlin Ballroom, 1700 Van Bibber Road, Edgewood. Harford County District Judges Mimi R. Cooper and Angela M. Eaves will present "Through the Eyes of Her Honors," a discussion of the District Court of Maryland and its agencies. Tickets for the luncheon, which includes a hot buffet, are $22 and must be purchased by Feb. 23. Information: 410-638-3117.

THE BALTIMORE CITY Commission for Women today will induct five new members into its Women's Hall of Fame.They are:Bertha "Betty" Albornoz, the co-founder of Friends of the Colombian Child, an organization that aids children's institutions her native Colombia.Sister Helen Amos, chief executive officer of Mercy Medical Center.Doris Brightful, a retired community health nurse active incommunity and religious organizations.Dr. Flossie McClain Dedmon, for 32 years a teacher, administrator and dean at Coppin State College.

HCC to christen Duncan Hall Mary Ellen Duncan, the third president of Howard Community College, will have a building on the college campus named in her honor. She retired in May. The building, the English, Languages and Business (ELB) building, will be renamed Mary Ellen Duncan Hall. A dedication ceremony is scheduled at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 24 in the lobby. A reception is planned for 4:30 p.m. The building was the first of three constructed under Duncan's leadership to complete the landscaped center of the campus known as the Quad.

The Money Conference for Women, a free seminar on money management, retirement and investment strategies, will take place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on May 14 at Towson University, Baltimore County officials said today. The daylong conference -- a collaborative effort by the Baltimore County Commission for Women, Towson University and Friends of the Baltimore County Commission for Women, Inc. -- will cover financial topics for women of all ages, economic backgrounds and levels of financial knowledge.

Carolyn W. Evans, a principal at Sengstacke & Evans LLC, a Bel Air law firm, has been named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women by The Daily Record. She has more than 15 years of experience as an attorney specializing in personal injury, wills and estates, real estate, corporate, civil litigation and employment. Evans is on the boards of directors for Harford Bank, Home Partnership Inc. and the Bel Air Rotary Club. She was commissioner and chairwoman of the Harford County Commission for Women and is active in professional organizations and government agencies.

As chairwoman of the Harford County Commission for Women, Lisa Tittle is brimming with ideas on how to improve the lives of women. Why not start a halfway house with training programs for women leaving prison, she asked. How about opening a school for young mothers, who want to return to class but cannot overcome hurdles like child care and transportation? Maybe the commission should lend its support to the Homecoming Project, an association that helps women recovering from substance abuse.

Howard County's Commission for Women is sponsoring an essay contest in honor of women's History Month in March. The national theme for this year's celebration is "Women's Art, Women's Vision." The contest is open to Howard County students in grades 6-12. The essays should describe a contemporary or historical American woman who has excelled in the arts and could be considered visionary because of her contributions. First-place winners in each grade category (grades 6-8 and 9-12) will receive a $200 U.S. Savings Bond and be invited to read their essays at the Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, to be held at 7:30 p.m. March 13 in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City.

The Howard County Commission for Women and Howard Community College will co-sponsor a workshop, "Getting the Pay You Deserve: Women Negotiating Better Salaries," on Oct. 27 at the college. Evelyn Murphy, founder and president of the Wage Project and author of Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men and What To Do About It, will speak. Breakfast will be served from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Two workshops - "Start Smart" for women in college and "Get What You're Worth, Get What You Want" for women in or returning to the workplace - will be held from 10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is required.

The Howard County Commission for Women has selected six women for induction into the Women's Hall of Fame for 2001. Selected were county residents Joan Athen, Sharon Bedke, Lucille Clifton, Doris Ligon, Patricia Rouse and Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps. Phelps was headmistress of the Patapsco Female Institute from 1841 to 1856. Joan Athen is founder and president of Maryland Therapeutic Horsemanship Association. Sharon Bedke, who has taken in 178 abused, addicted or abandoned youngsters as foster children, works with Dorsey's Search Women's Foundation.

More recycling allowed Howard County Executive Ken Ulman has announced that the county's new wheeled recycling carts and bins can be filled with additional plastic, aluminum and waxed cardboard products, including yogurt tubs, lawn furniture, flower pots, aluminum foil, pie plates, milk and juice cartons, and other items. Residents can also recycle bags filled with plastic bags as long as the bag is tied shut. A postcard describing the new recycling options will be mailed to every Howard County residence that receives recycling collection service.