Harford Community College

HCC savors growing gains Launched in 1957 with a $10,000 grant from the county government, Harford Junior College - as it was known back then - opened its doors with 119 students and 16 staff members. The college offered night courses at $7 per credit hour in classrooms at Bel Air High School. "When I first started teaching, I had a classroom that I shared with the other part-time instructors," said Dorothy Dare, 84, an Aberdeen resident who taught math in the school's inaugural year. "The rooms were sparsely furnished with a teacher's desk, a chalkboard and desks for the students.

Harford County government offices will be open tomorrow on Columbus Day. The Harford County Waste Disposal Center and Waste to Energy also will be open. Harford County Public Library will be closed for a staff in-service day. Senior centers, public schools and Harford Transit will be open. Upper Crossroads meeting is Wednesday The Harford County Sheriff's Office will hold an Upper Crossroads community-awareness meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Fallston High School auditorium, 2301 Carrs Mill Road.

Business group honors residents Four Harford County residents are Maryland winners of the U.S. Small Business Administration's annual Small Business Week awards program. The awards recognize excellence in business throughout Maryland. Harford winners for 2007 are: Small Business Person of the Year: Hollis Thomases, Web Advantage Inc., Havre de Grace. Family-Owned Small Business of the Year: Chuck Boyle, Boyle Buick Pontiac Inc., Abingdon. Financial Services Champion of the Year: Kathy Wajer, Harford County Office of Economic Development, Bel Air. District Director's Unsung Hero Award: Al Henry, Havre de Grace, and Harford County Small Business Development Center, Bel Air. Maryland winners will be honored at the 2007 Maryland Small Business Week Awards Breakfast at 7 a.m. Friday at Martin's West.

Students getting two days off Harford County public schools will be closed for students tomorrow and Tuesday for teacher in-service days. Information: 410-588-5203. Computer training for women offered Harford Community College is offering its "Computer Training for Re-entry Women" series to help women who are re-entering the work force and need to gain or improve computer skills or want to advance or change their careers. Workshops include Starting Over; Computer Training for Re-entry Women; Next Step; Excel for Re-entry Women; Resume Writing Workshop; and 12 Steps to a Successful Job Search.

John F. Haggerty and James J. Valdes recently were sworn in at the Harford County Courthouse as new members of the Harford Community College board of trustees, after being appointed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Haggerty fills the vacancy created by the end of Bernard Barnes' term. His five-year term runs through June 30, 2012. Valdes will complete the term of S. Fred Simmons. His term will end June 30, 2008. Haggerty, who has a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and a master's in education from the University of Florida, served on the HCC staff for 35 years as associate dean of the health, physical education and recreation division, and as athletic director.

Magnet programs to be showcased The Harford County public schools will hold presentations on the magnet program for eighth-graders. The Science and Mathematics Academy at Aberdeen High, the Global Studies/International Baccalaureate program at Edgewood High, and the 19 career programs at Harford Technical High in Bel Air will be showcased in a video by Harford Cable Network. This week's meetings are at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at Aberdeen High School, and Wednesday at C. Milton Wright High School.

Cecil College will hold a free information session about training options for careers in the allied health field from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday in Room 326 of Elkton Station. The college offers full-time and part-time training programs for medical assistants and receptionists, medical coders and billers, dental assistants, medicine aides, certified nursing assistants and phlebotomists. Full-time programs can be completed in less than a year. Information: 410-287-6060, ext. 641 or ext. 760. Cecil College plans Philadelphia trip Cecil College is observing Constitution Day with a bus trip to Philadelphia to visit the National Constitution Center, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell on Wednesday.

Harford Community College will celebrate International Education Week tomorrow through Friday to showcase the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. The public is invited to participate in the college's events, which include: Tomorrow: The Multicultural Student Association will give "tours" of a Flags of the World display from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Center, Globe Cafe. HCC President James LaCalle will lead a re-dedication ceremony for the international flags flown across the HCC campus at 1 p.m. in the front entrance of the Student Center.

Cecil College will hold a free College Information and Career Advising Session from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Elkton Station, 107 Railroad Ave. Advisers from the college's credit and noncredit programs will talk to prospective students about training programs, workplace readiness classes, lifelong learning resources and financial aid. Information: 410-287-6060, ext. 641. Edgewood High plans reunion weekend The Edgewood High School Class of 1977...

Harford County's multimillion-dollar technology center -- built to forge links between business and higher education -- has come under fire from county officials and business leaders who say it is managed poorly and has failed to live up to its mission.The $4 million Higher Education and Applied Technology Center was designed to capitalize on resources at nearby Aberdeen Proving Ground, offering upper-level degree programs and sites for businesses in Harford County.But three years after it opened, the center is without computers in a planned lab and lacks a high-speed Internet link for classroom and business use, according to the center's Oversight Board and an analysis by the previous county administration.

Towson University is set for a major expansion into Harford County, planning a new classroom building and envisioning student residences in Bel Air, officials said yesterday. To serve a growing student population in northeast Maryland, Towson would build its first satellite campus adjacent to Harford Community College, on land owned by the college. Students would be able to get bachelor's degrees in programs including education, business, criminal justice, science and technology. Within a decade, the university expects up to 6,000 students will be studying at the Bel Air location, off Thomas Run Road.

Harford Community College has new phone numbers Harford Community College telephone numbers will change come the new year. All the new telephone numbers will begin with 443-412-2---. To make the transition as smooth as possible, the college's main telephone number will automatically transfer to the new main number: 443-412-2000. College numbers that now begin with 410-836-4--- will become 443-412-2--- after Jan. 1. Internal phone extensions 4--- will become 2---. For example, extension 4408 will change to extension 2408.

Sweet Pea raising money for preschoolers The Sweet Pea Foundation, the local champion for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, will hold a Schwan's Truckload Fundraiser from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Susquehanna Bank parking lot, Forest Hill location. The raised funds will provide a free new hardcover book each month to preschoolers in the Forest Hill area. Foundation volunteers will hold a holiday gift wrap fundraiser from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Barnes & Noble book store in Tollgate Marketplace, Bel Air. Information: 410-420-3957.

Two schools receive beautification grants Two Harford elementary schools have received county grants that will help volunteers complete several beautification projects. County Executive David R. Craig, who visited both schools last week, commended their PTA volunteers. The program "is an excellent example of an effective government initiative that brings schools, the parent community and businesses together," he said. A $10,000 grant for Riverside Elementary brings to more than $65,000 the funds dedicated to upgrading the playground on the Joppa campus, a project that parent volunteers have tackled for nearly a year.

Lola Tillyabaera shared artifacts from her native Uzbekistan with classmates at Harford Community College at a table set up in the Global Cafe. As students gathered at the table, she donned an ornate gold hat. "This hat is called a duppa," said Tillyabaera, 21. "This is the hat that women wear during their wedding." The hat was one of many things American-born students learned from about 100 international students at the school, who participated last week in International Education Week activities.

Harford Community College will celebrate the ninth International Education Week tomorrow through Friday with activities for the college community and the public. * Tomorrow: A luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Globe Cafe in the Student Center. The Multicultural Student Association will present "This is My Story," a multimedia presentation with personal items and photographs of the students' home countries. The U.S. Postal Service will be in the Globe Cafe during lunch to process passport applications.

Switch to digital TV is focus of session The Harford County Alliance of Black School Educators and the National Association of Broadcasters will hold an information session on next year's switch to digital TV transmission from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. tomorrow at Harford Community College, Chesapeake Dining Room. Jordon Wertlieb, general manager of WBAL-TV, will be the guest speaker. By law, all TV stations must convert from analog to digital by Feb 17. Information: 410-588-5238. Towson-HCC degrees Harford Community College and Towson University are teaming up to offer elementary education and special-education degrees.

Teacher development day to shut schools tomorrow Harford County public schools will be closed tomorrow for teacher staff development. Elementary schools will hold a parent conference day tomorrow. Schools and offices will be closed Tuesday for the general election. Information: 410-588-5203. HCC alumni breakfast Harford Community College welcomes all alumni to the HCC Alumni and Friends Association free continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Chesapeake Center, Dining Room West.

Ralph E. Shear A memorial service will be held at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 622 Joppa Farm Rd. Joppa, MD on Sunday, September 21, 2008, at 3:00. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church or Harford Community College Scholarship fund.

Community resources fair at Richlin Ballroom The seventh annual Faith-Based and Community Resource Fair will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Richlin Ballroom, 1700 Van Bibber Road, Edgewood. More than 70 organizations will offer information on their services, from government agencies to nonprofits and faith initiatives. Hosts of the fair are the Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy and coalition FACE-IT (Faith Activated Community Empowering Intervention Training). The goal of the fair is to provide the community with information on resources available to help with issues it may face.