Raffle Tickets

What's going faster than a speeding bullet in Union Bridge?Raffle tickets that give residents the chance to win one of 20 rifles, said Town Clerk-Treasurer Kathleen D. Kreimer.The raffle, which began last week, is a fund-raiser for the new town office building."I think it is so popular because we have so many hunters out here," said Ms. Kreimer. "We've sold chances already that have cleared over $1,200."The Town Hall Funding Committee bought 20 rifles -- including Winchesters, Remingtons, Stogers, Brownings and Rugers -- from the Gun Cellar on Main Street for about $6,500, Ms. Kreimer said.

WHENEVER I look in the mirror, the face staring back belongs to a man who has never won a raffle in his entire life.He has never won a late-model Cadillac. Never won a 27-inch color TV. Never won three matching pieces of Samsonite luggage. Never won a basket of cheer.Never even won a turkey.Think about that for a minute: Here's a man who NEVER EVEN WON A TURKEY. EVERYBODY wins a turkey. I know 6-, 7-year-olds who have won so many turkeys they have to stuff them under their beds because there's no more room in the freezer.

Listen to the sounds of the '60s, '70s, Motown and disco eras played by the Winstons , Fri., June 24, 7-9 p.m. at Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry St. This is the first performance in the Concert in the Park summer series, sponsored by the Laurel Department of Parks and Recreation. The performance includes a visual show and a live horn section. Bring a blanket or a chair for seats and enjoy entertainment for the whole family. Children under 13 not permitted without parent or guardian.

Pairsuits Partners to hold session The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region will hold a Pairsuits Partners information session from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at 4513 Philadelphia Road (Route 7) in Aberdeen. Pairsuits is a partnering opportunity for volunteers that matches two people who share common interests, goals, dreams or passions for shared pursuits. Information: 410 836-7177, ext. 381. Free health screenings planned Upper Chesapeake HealthLink's New Medical Mobile Van will be in the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center's parking lot M, MacPhail and Tollgate roads, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 27. Free blood pressure, sleep disorder and body fat analysis screenings will be offered.

THE SCENE was Christmas Eve in a restaurant, about two hours before the youngest two offspring were due in at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. We'd finished dinner early because the restaurant wasn't crowded. What to do?"How about the lights at Sandy Point?" says he."Wouldn't the kids [ages 19 and 23] like to see it while they're here?""I doubt it."The scene shifts to Sandy Point State Park at the Bay Bridge about 40 minutes later."We should have brought the kids," says he.Anne Arundel Medical Center's Lights on the Bay, the first of what certainly should become an annual spectacle for area residents and visitors, is truly a delight.

This Friday in Annapolis dogs will slip into their docksiders, pop on their Panama hats and climb aboard a cruise ship. There, they'll enjoy snacks, drinks and live music. Maybe if you're nice, they'll let you come along. It's Ben's 5 th Dog-Friendly Cruise, an event organized by Paws pet boutique to benefit the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Dogs and people meet at the Annapolis City Dock to board the Watermark's Harbor Queen at 7 p.m. They'll cruise until about 10 p.m., listening to the live music of Dan Haas & Ben's Bones, nibbling finger foods from Whole Foods and perhaps sipping on a little something from the cash bar. There will be a silent auction with the chance to score all kind of goodies from area businesses -- Red Leash Photography, Loews Annapolis Hotel, Davis' Pub, Stoney River Legendary Steaks, Broadneck Grill, Casa Nova and Paws & Possibilities Dog Training are just a few. Peole can also buy $10 raffle tickets for a chance to win two roundtrip tickets on Southwest.

QUILTS, THOSE perennial favorites for bedcovers and wall hangings, have also become a means for fund raising.Across the county, groups of women are forming contemporary quilting bees that decide on quilt patterns, shop for fabrics and then get down to piecing and quilting to produce a work of community art that's raffled or auctioned for a favorite cause.At Elmer Wolfe Elementary School, a dedicated group of creative hand-crafters has been getting together every Monday night for a year to produce a queen-size quilt that will be raffled on the last day of this year's New Windsor Fireman's Carnival in May. The star-patterned quilt in burgundy, gold and green is entirely hand-sewn.

Nomination forms for honoring top volunteer available Nomination forms for Howard County's 2005 Volunteer of the Year award are now available. "We're looking for volunteers who make a difference in the lives of others, a difference in the community," said County Executive James N. Robey in a statement. "Each year we set out to honor volunteers who go the extra mile. They make Howard County a better place to live, work and visit; and we want to thank them and tell them how much we appreciate all that they do."

GET A jump start on the holidays with a visit to Emmanuel Lutheran Church's annual train garden fund-raiser set up inside Glen Burnie Mall, 6711 Ritchie Highway. The train garden is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday now through Dec. 23. Started as a church project by a former pastor and train aficionado more than 10 years ago to raise money for the North County Emergency Outreach Network, the garden continues to flourish with the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Jennifer Buettner grew up in Carroll County, but don't get the wrong idea. Westminster isn't the Wild West. And Jennifer definitely wasn't raised as a "country girl."So when she met Michael Buckley back in October 1996, Jennifer didn't give the chance encounter a second thought. Michael was wearing cowboy boots at the time, and his voice had a slight country twang.A girlfriend had dragged Jennifer to the Lineboro Volunteer Fire Company's annual "haunted hayride." Michael, a member of the company, was selling raffle tickets.