Glenwood

A master gardener will be at the Glenwood library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville, to answer questions from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Those who attend are invited to take plant samples. Registration is not necessary. The library will sponsor a Writers' Circle, for aspiring authors in search of feedback and support, at 7 p.m. Thursday. The library will celebrate its fifth year of service with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 27. There will be refreshments and an opportunity to share experiences of a favorite storytime program, book or staff member.

Cooksville resident Rosemary Clark will demonstrate the art of quilting with step-by-step instructions at 7 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Glenwood branch library on Route 97. Clark, who lives across the street, runs a home-based quilting business called RC Dream Quilts. She teaches in her studio and sells her quilts twice a year, in May and September, "right on the front lawn." She has made 12 Harry Potter quilts - one with a three-dimensional cloak with Harry's initials monogrammed on the lining.

MASTER GARDENER Marilyn Rogers demonstrated how to create "A Basketful of Flowers" at the Glenwood library Monday. Her presentation is part of a blossoming trend to get area residents involved at the library. "We try to get people from the community, like Marilyn, to come in and present programs that would be of interest to the community," said library associate Lucie Pettis, who designs many of the library classes. "We want it to be a place that people come to and have fun and learn new things that might affect their lives."

THIS YEAR, several construction projects will alter the western Howard County landscape. The new Glenwood library, scheduled to open in the spring, will be part of Western Regional Park on Route 97, at Carrs Mill Road. The 29,500-square-foot building is designed to fit into the existing landscape, which includes nearby farms. Its main entrance is designed in the shape of a barn frame, a theme carried through the interior of the building. The interior will be an open space with furniture and shelving defining the sections.

About 40 pupils at Glenwood Middle School staged another sit-in yesterday on the heels of the dismissal of English teacher Kristine Lockwood, two Glenwood seventh-graders said. Several demonstrations on Lockwood's behalf have been held since Thursday, when the Howard County school board voted not to renew the untenured teacher's contract, then reassigned her to an as-yet-undetermined location. Glenwood pupils have staged sit-ins, made fliers and worn black clothing to school. Parents have held a news conference and are planning other meetings to try to save Lockwood's job. Glenwood Principal Dan Michaels said through a spokeswoman for the county schools yesterday that he was aware of a planned sit-in but that it never materialized.

A fire damaged a family's Glenwood home Sunday afternoon and killed four pets who were trapped inside, Howard County fire officials said.The state fire marshal's office is investigating Sunday's fire, which apparently started while a mother and her two daughters were away. Two dogs, a cat and a bird died in the blaze, said Sgt. Bob Wiseman, a Department of Fire and Rescue spokesman.About 3:30 p.m. Sunday, units from four stations responded to the fire in the 15700 block of Union Chapel Road.

A Prince George's County couple and an Odenton man, driving in a truck that had been reported stolen, were arrested Wednesday and charged in the burglary of a Glenwood home, Howard County police said.County police received a tip about a burglary about 2:50 p.m. and began searching for a maroon Ford Ranger.Police spotted the vehicle on Route 32 near Cedar Lane in Columbia and stopped it on U.S. 29 at Route 216, where three people were arrested.The truck had been reported stolen in Anne Arundel County.

The Glenwood library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville, will sponsor a slide show and oral history program by Ralph Vincent of the Baltimore Civil War Museum, "Baltimore and the Civil War," at 2 p.m. April 13. "The Rotten Truth: Composting," presented by master gardener Virginia Pausch, will be held at 7 p.m. April 18. Registration is required. Information: 410-313-5577. American Legion post plans bingo and dinner American Legion Gold Star Post 191 will hold a Bonanza Bingo with Sunday dinner April 21 at the post, 801 Prospect Road, in Mount Airy.

The Glenwood library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville, will present "Managing Your Well and Septic System" at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Representatives from the Howard County Health Department will speak. The library's Contemporary Fiction Book Club will discuss The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon, at 7 p.m. May 2. Library associate Lucie Pettis will lead the discussion. The Western Howard County Seniors Book Club will meet at 10 a.m. May 4. The group, made up for retired women, will discuss Wish You Well by David Baldacci.

Western Howard countians grumble because we have few parks and other facilities out here. Now the Department of Recreation and Parks is beginning to plan a 181-acre park on the northwest corner of Route 97 and Carrs Mill Road in Glenwood.Planners want to know how to make this park meet the needs of western Howard County residents. Mark your calendar for Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. and plan to attend a meeting at Glenwood Middle School and voice your opinion.This new park will be next to the proposed Glenwood Center, a multiagency complex that will include a recreation center, fire and rescue station, police satellite office, health office, facilities for the Department of Citizen Services and, best of all, a library.