Howard High School

A 62-year-old guidance counselor at Howard High School in Ellicott City was arrested yesterday and charged with having crack cocaine in his vehicle in the school parking lot, according to Howard County police. Police received a tip on a drug hot line alleging that Alan Silberman, a 35-year veteran of Howard County schools from Owings Mills, was a drug user, said Sherry Llewellyn, a spokeswoman for police. Detectives took a dog to the parking lot to check Silberman's vehicle about 1:30 p.m., and the dog alerted police, Llewellyn said.

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Lacrosse The Howard Boys Lacrosse program is offering two camps this summer at Howard High School. The first camp will be for grades 6-8 (July 8-11). The second camp will be for grades 2-5 (July 15-18). Call 410-313-7275 for registration or 410-313-4716 for more information. Football The Mt. Hebron football program is sponsoring the 2nd annual Parking Lot Extravaganza on May 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Mt. Hebron student parking lot. The event includes a flea market, scrap iron drop off, comfort food sales and much more.

Four Howard High School seniors were named Outstanding Participants in the 2005 National Achievement Scholarship Program. The program, conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corp., is an academic competition established to honor African-American high school students. Stephanie Agbu, Andre Durham, Raven McGlotten and Carla Thomas were among about 3,000 high school seniors nationally whose 2003 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scores place them in the top 5 percent of the more than 120,000 students who requested entry in the National Achievement Program.

Students at Howard High School emerge from cafeteria lines with plates as green as well-manicured lawns. They reach for steamed broccoli and fresh lettuce as quickly as they do macaroni and cheese and popcorn chicken. And they say they their healthful eating habits extend beyond school hours. "Away from school, I'm a big burger guy," Howard High senior Joshua Steward said. "And a burger, you know what color it is. So I try to make it greener, stacking on lettuce, tomatoes, everything to make it healthier, and it always turns out great.

A 17-year-old Howard High School student has admitted he committed a carjacking in the parking lot of The Mall in Columbia and forced the driver to withdraw $200 from a bank machine.Daniel G. Falcone pleaded guilty to carjacking and robbery with a deadly weapon Sept. 25. Falcone is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 7.Falcone faces up to 18 years in prison, said Assistant State's Attorney Thomas W. Rafter, who prosecuted the case. "I think this shows our office treats juvenile crime very seriously," Rafter said.

Hundreds of Howard High School students sat silently at their desks during the brief homeroom period yesterday as their teachers struggled to read a prepared statement aloud.Most of the students had heard the news already, but hearing it from a teacher somehow made it worse: Last Friday, Baltimore County police had found the body of their beloved teacher and coach, Vincent "Craig" O'Connell, 50, lying in 18 inches of water in the Patapsco River after he committed suicide by jumping from a bridge.

JIM ROBEY was one of many Howard High School alumni at the school yesterday afternoon to help celebrate its 50th anniversary. He sat on the stage with other graduates and local officials, waiting his turn to talk, as proclamations were issued and memories shared. When he finally stepped to the microphone, a handful of audience members rose and said in unison: "Yeah, Class of '59." And the crowd burst into laughter. Robey, who was elected Tuesday to a second term as county executive, did his official duty and issued a proclamation in honor of the school.

The graduating classes of five of Howard County's eight high schools earned higher scores last year on the national Scholastic Assessment Test than the classes of 1994.The average SAT math score rose two points last year to 524, and the average verbal score increased six points to 458.The average math score of 524 and the average total score of 982 were the highest in county history, Leslie Walker-Bartnick, the county's director of testing, told the Howard County school board Tuesday night.

If there is one piece of advice business professionals from billionaire Donald Trump to small-store owners tell applicants searching for employment, it is this: You must sell yourself. That means your cover letter and resume must be in top shape, free of grammatical errors. It also means you must dress professionally and sit up straight during an interview and be prepared to discuss why you are the best person for the job. In the Howard County school system, juniors must go through an interview process as part of the World of Work state education requirement.

When he retired after more than 38 years in research and development at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the last thing biochemist Nesbitt D. Brown wanted was a second career. But when Howard High School invited him to be its volunteer scientist-in-residence, Brown couldn't resist. The 70-year-old Columbia resident hasn't missed a Tuesday or Thursday in eight years of working with students. "I never had time to go into that blue mode, depression," after retiring, Brown said.

Atholton Title: "Dream Girl" (a comedy by Elmer Rice) Dates: Nov. 1-3, 7 p.m.; Nov. 4, 3 p.m. Cost: $12; http://www.atholtondrama.org. Centennial Title: "Twelfth Night" Dates: Nov. 15-16, 7 p.m., Nov. 17, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Nov. 18, 3 p.m. Cost: $10; http://www.chstheatre.org Glenelg Title: "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown" Dates: Nov. 29-30, 7 p.m.; Dec. 1, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Dec. 2, 2 p.m. Cost: $10 Hammond Title: "The Mousetrap" Dates: Nov. 8-10, 7 p.m.; Nov. 10, 2 p.m. Cost: $12 at door, $10 advance; http://www.hammondhs.org/DramaAcad.htm Howard Title: "The Miracle Worker" Dates: Nov. 8-10, 7 p.m. Cost: $10; http://www.howardhighschool.net (go to theater department)

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Football High school football officials and timers are needed in the Washington metropolitan area. Anyone who has reached their 18th birthday prior to Sept. 1, 2012 and has a desire to officiate high school football is eligible. No experience is required. Knowledge of the rules and officiating will be provided during training sessions which start in July.

A week ago, authorities were called to the campus dorm room of 19-year-old Alexander G. Song 2nd, who, according to the University of Maryland, College Park police chief, was shouting and acting out. The sophomore who grew up in Howard County told officers he was "very stressed out," the chief said, but "there was nothing that led us to believe he was a threat to himself or to others. " But by Sunday, police had Song in custody, saying he posted messages on the Internet threatening "a shooting rampage on campus.

Here is a list of forums that will be hosting candidtates for the Board of Education: When: March 14, 6 p.m., Where: Starflight Enterprises, 6801 Douglas Legum Drive, Elkridge Sponsor: Thurgood Marshall Democratic Club of Howard County When: March 18, 1:45 p.m. Where: Howard High School, 8700 Old Annapolis Road, Ellicott City Sponsor: Chinese Language School of Columbia When: March 21, 7 p.m. Where: Patuxent Room,...

In the Jan. 19 edition, Sara Toth wrote about Howard county schools and listed some that have been previous Blue Ribbon School winners. Unfortunately, her list is incomplete. I was a teacher at Howard High School when it was given this award. Eugene Streagle was the principal. You should have included all the schools in the county that have been so honored. Elaine Thomas Columbia

  Amanda O'Brien and Collin Smith   Bruce and Debbie O'Brien, of Ellicott City, announce the engagement of their daughter Amanda Michele O'Brien, to Collin Smith, son of Jeffrey and Jeanette Smith, of Catonsville. The bride-to-be is a 2008 graduate of Howard High School and is pursuing a degree in early childhood education. She is currently employed as a teacher at a daycare facility in Elkridge. The future groom is a 2008 graduate from Arcadia University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in print communications.

The principal of Howard High School took a vacation last month, a week after she learned her facility had been added to a list of struggling schools, prompting officials to consider tightening the leave-approval process. Howard High School Principal Mary Day took five days off from work, Sept. 22 to Sept. 26 - one week after she had been told her Ellicott City school was being added to the county's School Improvement Unit, which provides extra resources and attention to underperforming facilities.

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Lacrosse The Howard Boys Lacrosse program is offering two camps this summer at Howard High School. The first camp will be for grades 6-8 (July 8-11). The second camp will be for grades 2-5 (July 15-18). Call 410-313-7275 for registration or 410-313-4716 for more information. Football Sports International will be holding a variety of youth football camps this summer at McDaniel College in Westminster.

Players, coaches and fans at sporting events are often reminded of how important it is to practice sportsmanship and courtesy, but in Howard County, schools officials are hammering home the point with banners that can be seen at every high school football field and gymnasium. The words "Choose Civility" greet those who attend school sporting events as part of a Howard community initiative to ensure that cooler heads prevail even in the heat of competition. The initiative Choose Civility, founded in 2006, is led by the Howard County Library and aims to garner the county a reputation for tolerance and respect of others.