Department Of Recreation

The proposal was supposed to enrich the programming at the Roosevelt Recreation Center in Hampden, city officials and social service providers said. College students were to be brought in as tutors at the center's already popular after-school program. Another bonus: Instructors from Baltimore City Community College would be at the disposal of those studying to take the General Educational Development test. But some particularly vocal Hampden residents saw only drawbacks, decrying the plan as a takeover of the facility - an illustration of the challenge facing city recreation officials who want to supplement their tight budgets with nonprofit assistance.

Melissa Calleri Recreation coordinator Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Salary --$37,500 Age --27 Years on the job --Two How she got started --"It was a fluke," said Calleri, who attended Green Mountain College in Vermont. "I was there for graphic design." But after working with a friend at a nearby summer camp for children and adults with special needs, she knew she would pursue recreation as a career. Calleri graduated with a degree in therapeutic recreation. From there, she moved back to Maryland and completed her internship working with the City of Greenbelt's therapeutic recreation program.

Football summit -- Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association and USA Football, will hold the first Howard County Youth Football Summit. County Executive Ken Ulman will be on hand to discuss youth football in Howard County with coaches, parents, program administrators and players. Originally scheduled for March 7, the summit was postponed because of inclement weather. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 9 at the Department of Recreation and Parks Headquarters, 7120 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia.

The recreation center in Violetville Elementary School was shut down Tuesday after workers discovered asbestos floor tiles in the 3,300 square-foot area near the school's cafeteria. The center was sealed off after the discovery of the asbestos tiles and it will remain closed until the tiles are replaced and other maintenance work is done, said Kurt Kocher, spokesman for the city's Department of Public Works. The school remains open and the tiles did not pose a health risk, Kocher said.

The final minutes of the game between the Royal Blue and Teal teams sure didn't seem like a summer field hockey matchup. The players chased every ball at a full sprint. They banged into each other as they fought for the ball. They argued with the referee. A few minutes later, though, players from both sides stood on the field and the track, laughing and joking with each other. It was hard to comprehend that a hard-fought game had just ended. "It's definitely a competitive league," said Liz McNichols, who runs the Teal team.

Gary J. Arthur, acting director of Howard County's Department of Recreation and Parks since January 1997, has been appointed permanently to the post by County Executive James N. Robey.Arthur, 51, will earn $84,533. The appointment means he will continue to preside over one of the key projects in the department's history -- development of Blandair, the 300-acre farm in the center of Columbia once owned by the late Elizabeth C. "Nancy" Smith."Gary has proven himself," Robey said. "His management skills and experience are a great asset to the citizens of our county.

25 years ago: The Carroll County Department of Recreation and Parks has procured a mobile recreation unit for the recreation councils of the county. The unit is to be on loan to the various councils upon request. It contains the necessary materials for a variety of activities. -- the Community Reporter, July 26, 1974.75 years ago: At the call of T. W. Mather, Jr., Charles W. Klee and C. Edgar Nusbaum, well-known businessmen and boosters of Westminster, about 75 citizens from this city gathered at the Firemen's building Wednesday afternoon to consider and hear the views of the businessmen about forming a Chamber of Commerce for this city.

When Nickelodeon surveyed its viewers last year, one in four children in Maryland told the network they wanted help renovating local parks.In response to the overwhelming number of calls it received, Nickelodeon will videotape and pay for cleanup efforts at Middle Branch Park, 3301 Waterview Ave. in southern Baltimore, on Saturday.Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks is expecting thousands of children at the event from 10: 30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Activities will include building a playground, planting trees along Gwynns Falls Trail, cleaning up the waterfront, creating two butterfly gardens and participating in a fish release along the Patapsco River.

In response to criticism from neighbors, the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Advisory Board voted 5 to 1 last night to scale back plans to develop a park on part of a 77-acre lot near Ellicott City.The board deadlocked 3 to 3 about whether to allow lights at the facility, which neighbors oppose.The seventh board member, Mary "Clem" Aquilea, was absent because of health problems.The meeting was tense as those who believe space is needed for passive recreation -- walking and bird-watching -- debated with those who want more active recreation -- ball fields and tennis courts.

Though Elizabeth C. "Nancy" Smith died in February 1997, she's getting her wish to preserve 300 acres of land in the heart of Columbia -- for another five months, at least.The long-anticipated recreational development of Smith's Blandair farm off Route 175 has been thrown into question by a lawsuit and a postponement of the trial has pushed its resolution back to December.That worries residents who were eager to see a park, replete with baseball diamonds, soccer fields and nature trails."I am starting to have serious concerns on [whether]

Shiretta Henderson can step outside her front door and see the front door of what used to be Rosemont Police Athletic League Center in West Baltimore. Her children, ages 16, 9 and 5, used to head over there and play, do their homework and get an after-school snack. They knew the two police officers assigned there by their first names. The signs are still there, but the doors are locked, permanently, and on Monday the mother of three guarded her front door to make sure her children stayed inside.

Adult basketball leagues The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks is accepting registrations for its fall basketball leagues. Play begins Sept. 6. The $570 fee includes an eight-game regular season schedule, single-elimination playoffs, game officials and awards. Registration deadline is Friday. Men's leagues are on Sunday mornings and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evenings. Men's over-30 league runs Tuesday evenings. Women's league play takes place Thursday evenings and the co-rec league on Wednesday evenings.

Home building award The ARC of Howard County's Awake House at 9359 Torrent Row in Columbia has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for achievement in green home building and design. The Awake House, owned by Supportive Living Inc., provides 24-hour personal care for tenants with physical and/or developmental disabilities. Go to usgbc.org for more information. Summer camp Howard County Recreation and Parks will offer a nature camp Aug. 17-21 at the proposed Blandair Regional Park in Columbia.

Fire protection project A road construction project along River Valley Chase Road near Route 32 is scheduled to begin on or about Monday. The project involves minimal clearing and excavation to provide for the installation of a 30,000-gallon underground water storage tank for fire suppression. It is expected to be completed by mid-September. There may be delays along River Valley Chase Road during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. For questions or concerns about the project, call 410-313-3440 or e-mail publicworks@howardcountymd.

Discount tickets The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, through the Maryland Recreation Parks Association, is offering discount tickets to area theme and water parks. Tickets are for one-day visits and in some cases, season passes, to Busch Gardens, Six Flags Great Adventure and Six Flags America, Water Country USA, Kings Dominion, Dorney Park, Hershey Park, Dutch Wonderland and Sesame Place. Tickets may purchased from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Aug. 28 at recreation and parks headquarters at 7120 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia, 410-313-7275 or at the Glenwood Community Center at 2400 Route 97 in Cooksville, 410-313-4840.

Manamus Willie Gregory, a retired city Department of Recreation and Parks manager and longtime West Baltimore resident, died Tuesday of lung cancer at a sister's home in Woodlawn. He was 62. Mr. Gregory was born in Baltimore and raised on Thomas Avenue. He was a 1963 graduate of Douglass High School. From 1964 to 1965, he served in the Job Corps before going to work for the city Department of Recreation and Parks. Mr. Gregory was a manager at Druid Hill Park until his retirement in the late 1990s.

Wanda S. Durden, a former official at a government contracting firm who previously served as an interim director of Washington's parks department, was nominated as the director of Baltimore's Department of Recreation and Parks yesterday. Durden, 40, would replace Connie A. Brown, who retired from the position in February. Durden most recently worked as the senior director of operations for Motir Services Inc. in Washington. "The Department of Recreation and Parks is a vital, vital tool to help us with some of the systematic issues that impact us," Mayor Sheila Dixon said.

Healthy day slated June 1 Healthy Howard Day, a day of outdoor physical activities, health education and screenings, will be held from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. June 1 in Centennial Park in Ellicott City. Games, crafts, performances and a Healthy Kid Zone specifically designed for children are also planned. The event is presented by We Promote Health and supported by County Executive Ken Ulman, the county school system, county Health Department, county Chamber of Commerce, county Department of Recreation and Parks, Howard County General Hospital, the Columbia Association, the Y of Central Maryland and the Horizon Foundation.

The Blandair Advisory Committee will meet at 7 p.m. today at the Department of Recreation and Parks Headquarters, 7120 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia. This is a regular meeting. The public can attend, but testimony from residents will not be allowed. Blandair is a 300-acre county-owned parkland with portions on both sides of Route 175 in east Columbia between Thunder Hill Road and Tamar Drive. Work on restoring the 19th-century Blandair mansion began in 2006, and plans call for the park to include athletic fields and a natural setting with pedestrian and pike paths.

Melissa Calleri Recreation coordinator Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Salary --$37,500 Age --27 Years on the job --Two How she got started --"It was a fluke," said Calleri, who attended Green Mountain College in Vermont. "I was there for graphic design." But after working with a friend at a nearby summer camp for children and adults with special needs, she knew she would pursue recreation as a career. Calleri graduated with a degree in therapeutic recreation. From there, she moved back to Maryland and completed her internship working with the City of Greenbelt's therapeutic recreation program.