Poster Contest

Hearings planned for nominations to school board The process of filling a seat on the county school board begins this week. Board President Paul G. Rudolph, a retired engineer from Severna Park, is seeking a second five-year term. Crofton educator Koh Herlong wants to unseat him. The first of three hearings held by the county's School Board Nominating Convention is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at North County High School, 10 E. First Ave., in Ferndale. The second will be at 7 p.m. April 19 at Annapolis High School, 2700 Riva Road, and the final hearing at 7 p.m. April 25 at Meade High School on Clark Road at Fort Meade.

In an effort to get children more involved in its annual "Books for Kids Day" book collection drive, the Baltimore Reads literacy organization is sponsoring a poster contest, with the winners to be judged by a group of pupil volunteers. Last year, the drive brought in more than 25,000 books for the group, which operates a year-round book bank for low-income families in the area along with other child and adult literacy projects. This year's goal is 50,000 books, and to reach that target organizers are enlisting the help of a committee of children from area public, private and parochial schools.

ON THE FIELD, the Freedom Flyers and the Chaos are soccer rivals, competing against one another in exhibition games. But something wonderful has happened off the field between these two teams, one from Freedom Area Soccer League and the other from North Carroll Recreation Council. Both teams play in 12-and-under leagues. After each exhibition game, regardless of the outcome, the two teams get together for "happy hour." It's a time for players, coaches and parents to socialize, enjoy hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.

The Carroll County Volunteer Firemen's Association's Prevention & Life Safety Committee is sponsoring its annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest for public school pupils in grades one through five. Children must draw an original poster using the theme for their grade level: first grade, "Don't Play With Matches"; second, "Smoke Detectors"; third, "Kitchen Safety"; fourth, "Household Fire Safety"; and fifth, "Fire Extinguishers." Deadline for entries is Wednesday. Posters must be turned in to the child's participating school or nearest fire station.

FOR SIX weeks, Keisha Reynolds followed in author Alex Haley's footsteps, touring West Africa in an effort to connect with her roots. In May, Reynolds, 25, joined students and graduates from St. Mary's College for a trip to Gambia and Senegal. "I've always wanted to go to Africa. I wanted to learn more about my roots," she said. "I also wanted some international exposure, and I thought this was a good opportunity. I knew that going with a group, I'd get to learn a lot and see a lot." While in Africa, Reynolds, a resident of Wilde Lake, studied the Mandinka language for four hours a day with Peace Corps trainer Ebrima Colley.

WHEN LOCAL REAL estate agents saw Sinclaire Vinson's vision of fair housing, they knew they had a winner. The 5-year-old Marriottsville pupil's entry in the annual fair housing poster contest - which won first place at the state and county levels - features two red houses holding hands. Both houses - one of which has black features, the other white - stand within a caption that reads "Have a Heart! Be a good neighbor!" Sinclaire submitted two entries. "Both her posters were easy favorites of the committee," said Karen Blandford, head of Westminster's Office of Housing and Community Development.

In Baltimore County Dental poster contest won by 3rd-grader at Harford Hills PARKVILLE -- Lauren Shepherd, a Harford Hills Elementary School third-grader, is the grand prize winner in the Maryland State Dental Association's dental health poster contest. Lauren's poster was selected from 600 submitted by third-graders statewide. Lauren won a $500 savings bond from the association and $500 to purchase educational materials for her school. Senior health day to be held at St. Joseph Medical Center TOWSON -- St. Joseph Medical Center, 7601 Osler Drive, will hold Senior Health and Fitness Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today.

WHEN NORTHWEST Middle School pupil Kelly Heck was a toddler, she got the artist bug and turned her mother's wall into a mural. "I remember when she grabbed a crayon and drew a picture all over my wall," recalled Kelly's mom, Susie Heck. "And the truth was, it was so nice I didn't want to wash it off. I don't ever remember her not drawing." Today, Kelly, an eighth-grader, is drawing award-winning pictures. She is the first-place winner of the local 1999-2000 Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest.

Westminster Police Department has announced the winners of its annual "Safety Is Only a Click Away" seat belt poster contest.Awards were presented Nov. 16 and included three winners from each of the county's public elementary schools.The grand-prize winner is Vitalius Brand from Linton Springs Elementary.Other winners are:Carrolltowne: Megan Hoke, Lindzey Galliford, Jessica Geyer.Charles Carroll: Gabrielle Balassone, Madeline Scott, Mandy Talbert.Cranberry Station: Robert Eyler, Kelsey Fendlay, Michael Russo.

A Taneytown girl has become the first contender to win two poster contests sponsored by Westminster Police Department.Lisa Garner, 11, stood in the shadow of a billboard along Route 140 in Westminster yesterday. In December, her first winning entry was reproduced on a billboard on Railroad Avenue (Route 27).In December, Lisa, who will be a sixth-grader at Northwest Middle School in the fall, won the department's "Buckle Up" poster contest. She said yesterday she had not expected to win again -- this time in an anti-drug poster contest -- as a fifth-grader representing Runnymede Elementary School.