Ferndale

Margaret Mary "Pat" Lowman, a retired electronics assembly worker who served in the British Army during World War II, died of ovarian cancer Sunday at Hospice of the Chesapeake. The Ferndale resident was 76. Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, the former Margaret Mary Coleman borrowed an older sister's birth certificate to enlist in the British Army in 1941. She was stationed in London during the war years, working as an enemy-aircraft spotter. When the war ended, she was sent to Berlin as part of the British occupation forces, and it was there that she met and married Melville W. Lowman, a U.S. Army sergeant, in 1946.

WHEN WE think of a garden, different things come to mind. It could be that the colors of flowers and shades of greenery make it a place of beauty and serenity. Or it could be that gardens are a place to grow vegetables and flavorings for the kitchen. They can also add a pleasant framework for our houses or provide a beautiful backdrop for artwork. Whatever your idea of a garden, seeing what others in the community are doing with their yards might inspire you. With that in mind, you are invited to take a tour of the "Secret Gardens of North County" from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. May 18. Linthicum Heights United Methodist Church and St. Christopher's Episcopal Church will sponsor the tour with the proceeds benefiting the FOUSE Center-House of Hope.

Jackie Olson likes a dare. Told that, because she's a woman, she'd never pass the exam to become a firefighter, she promptly signed up for the training and passed. Knowing that no female had served as president of the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company, she ran for the post and won - and later was elected to lead the umbrella organization for volunteer fire stations in Anne Arundel County. Warned that chemotherapy would disrupt her life, Olson barely slowed down. In the ranks of volunteer firefighters, it is rare to see a woman at the helm, much less one who is fighting breast cancer.

Jackie Olson likes a dare. Told that, because she's a woman, she'd never pass the exam to become a firefighter, she promptly signed up for the training and passed. Knowing that no female had served as president of the Ferndale Volunteer Fire Company, she ran for the post and won - and later was elected to lead the umbrella organization for volunteer fire stations in Anne Arundel County. Warned that chemotherapy would disrupt her life, Olson barely slowed down. In the ranks of volunteer firefighters, it is rare to see a woman at the helm, much less one who is fighting breast cancer.

LOOKING FOR a fun time for the whole family? Ferndale Day can fit the bill. A parade, pony rides, crafts for sale, children's games, a beauty pageant, raffle and good food will be featured. Starting at noon May 5, a parade of old cars, marching bands, fire equipment and contestants in the Little Miss Ferndale contest will make their way from North County High School down Baltimore-Annapolis Boulevard to Broadview Boulevard, ending at the field on Third Avenue, where the other festivities will be held.

Police boost patrols in Ferndale after reported abduction try Anne Arundel County police increased their patrols yesterday in Ferndale, where a man reportedly tried to abduct a 7-year-old boy Monday. The child's parents told police that a man in a black sedan approached their son, who was walking on Forestdale Avenue near Andover Road about 6:40 p.m. Monday. The boy told police that the man said, "Get in the car," and tried to grab him. The boy ran away and was not injured, said Officer Charles Ravenell, a county police spokesman.

FERNDALE VOLUNTEER Fire Company Station 34 marked 60 years of service to the community last week by dedicating the new ambulance it received from the county and recognizing volunteers who have given years of service to the community. County representatives who helped the station get the ambulance were also honored at the event Thursday night. The Ferndale station has been using a county reserve ambulance for the past few years after its ambulance was in an accident. With hard work and help from county representatives, the county gave Ferndale a new ambulance to add to its fleet of vehicles.

Weapons stolen in early-morning burglary of gun shop An unspecified number of handguns were stolen from an Odenton gun shop in an early-morning burglary yesterday, Anne Arundel County police said. Police officers responding to an alarm about 5 a.m. found the front door open at the On Target gun store in the 2600 block of Annapolis Road. Inside, officers found a display case had been smashed and guns had been taken, according to police reports. Police would not say how many guns were stolen.

This year's annual decorating show by the Ferndale Garden Club, "'Tis the Holiday Season," will take place Wednesday at Michael's Eighth Avenue. The program is open to the public. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., displays and demonstration booths will be set up so participants can learn holiday decorating and entertaining tips. Christmas cookies and holiday punch will be served during this time. The formal show will begin at 8 p.m. Demonstrations will include how to make a holiday arrangement using silk flowers by Bonnie Lear, a floral designer at A.C. Moore; hands-on bow making by Barbara Barillaro from Evergreen Gene's; using rubber stamps to make homemade Christmas cards, tags and packaging items, by Almee DeGrange, a Stampin' Up demonstrator; and Maria Price-Nowakowski of Willow Oak Herb Farm, who will share ways of using herbs during the holiday.

The crumbling but beloved Ferndale Elementary School - after teetering on the brink of closure for years - won a promise yesterday that it will stay open and it will be fixed. The Anne Arundel County school board voted 6-1 to keep the 76-year-old school open and to put $450,000 into it next year, with more money in the future, until Ferndale is whole again. Supporters of the tiny school, who waged an intense, personal struggle to save it, couldn't believe their grass-roots effort had succeeded.