Gartrell

Martha H. ElderPreschool directorMartha Holland Elder, retired director of Trinity Church Day School in Long Green, died Saturday of heart failure at the Dulaney-Towson Health Care Center. She was 76.She had lived in Rodgers Forge for nearly 10 years after living in the Long Green Valley for many years.She retired in the late 1960s as director of the preschool at Trinity Episcopal Church, a post she held for much of the time since the school, which had closed during World War II, was reopened with her help in 1948.

A large Victorian house in Mount Airy was damaged Friday when fire erupted within its walls.Eugenia Gartrell, who stood in the rain near her 100-year-old house while firefighters battled the fire, said, "I was in the kitchen on the first floor [about 12:50 p.m.] and heard a loud squealing noise and thought I left the telephone off the hook."The noise turned out to be a smoke detector."I followed the sound to the third floor, and saw smoke in the hall- way near a bedroom and smoke coming through the wall," Ms. Gartrell said.

Mount Airy Commission OKs dividing Gartrell propertyMount Airy's planning and zoning commission approved a final plan Monday night which will allow Eugenia Gartrell to divide her property on Prospect Road into two pieces.The owner, who is trying to sell her Victorian home, wants to divide the property so she can sell a lot separate from the house. The subdivision will create a 2.2-acre lot where the house is and a 5.37-acre lot beside it.There are no plans to develop the empty lot.In other commission news, members recommended the board of special appeals approve an exception allowing Jennifer Peffley to open an one-chair beauty shop in her home on Carroll Avenue.

BEL AIR -- Mike Weichert kicked a 42-yard field goal with 42 seconds left to give C. Milton Wright a 25-24 win over Aberdeen last night.For heart-stopping thrills, the game was every bit the equal to the Mustangs' 14-13 upset of Aberdeen last year that began their climb toward their regional championship.The teams exchanged the lead seven times before a standing-room-only crowd at C.M. Wright's home field. And the Mustangs withstood a big rushing performance by Aberdeen tailback Demont Blackmon.