Oakland Mills

Sometime around 9:30 tonight a bus will pull into the parking lot at Oakland Mills High School. For those inside, the long journey from Russia will have ended.And for the families of Oakland Mills' students that will house the visitors, their journey into another culture and lifestyle -- not to mention language -- will be just beginning."It's going to be very interesting," said Oakland Mills boys indoor track coach Sam Singleton.This is the sixth year that Pangaea, Inc., a nonprofit Maryland corporation whose slogan is "One Earth/People Together," has brought Russian athletes to the United States as part of its indoor track and field exchange with the Russian Federation.

The first act of Atholton-Oakland Mills IV took place yesterday.The two boys teams have slugged it out three times this spring. They finished in a dead heat in a regular-season meeting, but Atholton won the Howard County and region championships -- with Oakland Mills second each time.And in yesterday's first day of the Class 1A and 2A state championship meet at Western Maryland College, Atholton took another step toward coming out of the long Oakland Mills shadow by edging the Scorpions for the top spot.

After weeks of discussion about the fate of the ailing Oakland Mills Village Center, residents there have formed a committee to spur the Rouse Co. to revitalize the shopping area.The Village Center Steering Committee, formed at a village board meeting last week, will meet for the first time tomorrow, said Erin Peacock, village manager.The board also formed two other committees -- one to monitor the fate of a large piece of undeveloped farmland adjacent to Oakland Mills and another that will focus on the condition of local schools.

The Oakland Mills Community Association will hold a town meeting on the village's revitalization projects and plans for a new restaurant for the village center. The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. June 13 at The Other Barn, 5851 Robert Oliver Place. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings will speak, and representatives from the office of Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin and other officials from state and Howard County government and the Board of Education will be on hand. The Oakland Mills Community Association has been awarded a grant by the Columbia Foundation to promote communication and revitalization initiatives.

Oakland Mills finished first in seven of the 12 events to win the Howard County Indoor Track and Field Championships yesterday at the Fifth Regiment Armory.Hammond had the girls title won by the sixth event, defeating second-place Glenelg by 42 points. There were eight individual champions for the Golden Bears.The Scorpions have won four of the past five championships, including the last three."It's our plan to peak in the county and keep up this level for the states," said Oakland Mills coach Caskie Lewis-Clapper.

The Oakland Mills International Fall Festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8 at Oakland Mills Village Center. Entertainment is to include the Kinderman, the Teelin Irish Dancers, the Polka Kids, Columbia's Teen Idol and MirMar Klezmers. Food, games and activities for children are planned. Children's events, which include pumpkin decorating, a Moon Bounce and "tattoos," are free. A display of foreign cars will be featured, and handmade crafts will be for sale. Local nonprofit groups plan to be at the festival to offer information about their services.

Oakland Mills coach Phil Stephenson wasn't making any excuses after watching his team bow to North Harford, 10-7, in yesterday's Class 1A-2A state semifinal game at UMBC."

Oakland Mills and Atholton will have new varsity girls soccer coaches this fall.Nancy Shea, the Baltimore Sun's 1992 All-Metro Girls Soccer Coach of the Year, has resigned from her position at Oakland Mills High School.Shea coached the Scorpions to a 14-1-1 record and state Class 1A-2A championship last season -- just her second as varsity coach.The Scorpions beat Loch Raven, 1-0, in the state championship game and won four of their last five games -- including two against defending state champion Hammond by 1-0.Shea, mother of three school-age children, is leaving because she feels she no longer will have enough time to run a first-class program.

Leading 15-14 with time running out, the last thing Howard wanted to do was give Oakland Mills a free-position shot.But that's exactly what Howard's defense did yesterday.As Scorpions' speedy third home Kathy Hurley ran to goal, she drew a foul from the collapsing Lions' defense in front of the crease. With 13 seconds left, Hurley set up for the 8-meter shot on the center hash mark."We couldn't have had it any better to tie it up," said Oakland Mills coach Chris Marsiglia, adding that Hurley is one of her best shooters.