Recreation And Parks

The proposal was supposed to enrich the programming at the Roosevelt Recreation Center in Hampden, city officials and social service providers said. College students were to be brought in as tutors at the center's already popular after-school program. Another bonus: Instructors from Baltimore City Community College would be at the disposal of those studying to take the General Educational Development test. But some particularly vocal Hampden residents saw only drawbacks, decrying the plan as a takeover of the facility - an illustration of the challenge facing city recreation officials who want to supplement their tight budgets with nonprofit assistance.

Melissa Calleri Recreation coordinator Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks Salary --$37,500 Age --27 Years on the job --Two How she got started --"It was a fluke," said Calleri, who attended Green Mountain College in Vermont. "I was there for graphic design." But after working with a friend at a nearby summer camp for children and adults with special needs, she knew she would pursue recreation as a career. Calleri graduated with a degree in therapeutic recreation. From there, she moved back to Maryland and completed her internship working with the City of Greenbelt's therapeutic recreation program.

Michael J. Dombrosky, a retired Baltimore City recreation counselor and former Remington resident, died of kidney and liver failure Thursday at Cumberland Memorial Hospital. He was 56. Mr. Dombrosky was born and raised in Baltimore. He was a 1967 graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington and attended what is now Baltimore City Community College. He was a recreation counselor for 25 years at the city Bureau of Recreation and Parks. He worked at the Woodholme and Lakeland recreation centers before retiring in 1997.

After complaints about the management of the city-run Patterson Park pool emerged this week, Mayor Sheila Dixon yesterday announced a plan for the pool that includes greater oversight by top Recreation and Parks administrators, increased staff training and recruitment of additional "experienced" staff members. "I was deeply troubled by the concerns the community has about the center," Dixon said in a statement. "Residents bring their children and families to enjoy the summer by the pool.

Tennis tournament -- Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks will hold its United States Tennis Association-sanctioned tennis tournament - The Centennial Open -tomorrow through Sunday. Men's singles, men's 35+ singles, men's 45+ singles, women's singles, women's 35+ singles and women's doubles are planned. Mark Pendleton, 410-313-4703.

For now, the fields at Cloverland Park in northern Baltimore County are bare, save for swirls of yellowed grass and the occasional deer track. But by summer, athletes are expected to be scurrying across a manicured playing field here. Dressed in white and thwacking leather balls at a wooden wicket, they won't be playing baseball or lacrosse or any of the sports more commonly associated with this region. They will be playing cricket. After more than 30 years of playing at various locations in the county, the men of the Maryland Cricket Club will be granted a semipermanent home at the park, near the old Peerce's Plantation restaurant on Dulaney Valley Road.

Football summit -- Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association and USA Football, will hold the first Howard County Youth Football Summit. County Executive Ken Ulman will be on hand to discuss youth football in Howard County with coaches, parents, program administrators and players. Originally scheduled for March 7, the summit was postponed because of inclement weather. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 9 at the Department of Recreation and Parks Headquarters, 7120 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia.

The city of Annapolis will break ground today on a 60,000-square-foot recreation center at Truxtun Park, 20 years after it was first recommended in a master plan for the city. The $12.5 million facility, named for former Mayor Roger "Pip" Moyer, will be accompanied by a $1 million maintenance building and will replace the 15,000 square-foot Annapolis Recreation Center downtown. "It gives us a single location to get the entire city together for recreation, whether it's indoor basketball or a crafts class," said Ward 6 Alderman Julie Stankivic, whose district includes Truxtun Park.

The recreation center in Violetville Elementary School was shut down Tuesday after workers discovered asbestos floor tiles in the 3,300 square-foot area near the school's cafeteria. The center was sealed off after the discovery of the asbestos tiles and it will remain closed until the tiles are replaced and other maintenance work is done, said Kurt Kocher, spokesman for the city's Department of Public Works. The school remains open and the tiles did not pose a health risk, Kocher said.

The final minutes of the game between the Royal Blue and Teal teams sure didn't seem like a summer field hockey matchup. The players chased every ball at a full sprint. They banged into each other as they fought for the ball. They argued with the referee. A few minutes later, though, players from both sides stood on the field and the track, laughing and joking with each other. It was hard to comprehend that a hard-fought game had just ended. "It's definitely a competitive league," said Liz McNichols, who runs the Teal team.

Durden resigns as parks director The director of Baltimore's Department of Recreation and Parks, Wanda S. Durden, resigned Monday for "personal reasons," said Scott Peterson, a City Hall spokesman. She is being replaced on an interim basis by Dwayne B. Thomas, who has been with the agency since June. Peterson declined to comment on whether Mayor Sheila Dixon had asked for Durden's resignation from the $127,500 position that she held for 17 months. Durden also refused to comment. Durden oversaw the $31 million agency during a difficult time - declining tax revenues caused the mayor to slice $2.6 million from the parks and recreation budget this year, close pools, lay off workers and shorten recreation center hours.

When President John F. Kennedy stood before the world in 1962 and vowed that the United States would put a man on the moon before the decade ended, something stirred deep inside 10-year-old Joel Goodman. But he didn't set his youthful sights on becoming an astronaut like thousands of other kids who were captivated by JFK's "We choose to go to the moon" speech. Instead, he realized he'd rather train his gaze on the night sky with his feet firmly planted on Earth. More than four decades later, Goodman still surveys the cosmos with the same childlike awe. But this year the Glenelg dentist has joined with the 130 members of the Howard Astronomical League to take their hobby a giant step farther.

Ralph Vincent Chase Sr., a former Baltimore City Recreation and Parks official who had been manager of the old Memorial Stadium, died Sunday of heart failure at Sinai Hospital. He was 71. Mr. Chase, the son of a federal worker and homemaker, was born and raised in Washington. After graduating from Spingarn High School in 1956, he attended what is now Morgan State University on a football scholarship. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1961 in physical education. After serving in the Army as a military policeman, Mr. Chase was honorably discharged in 1963 and then began his 28-year career with the city's Recreation and Parks Department.

Shiretta Henderson can step outside her front door and see the front door of what used to be Rosemont Police Athletic League Center in West Baltimore. Her children, ages 16, 9 and 5, used to head over there and play, do their homework and get an after-school snack. They knew the two police officers assigned there by their first names. The signs are still there, but the doors are locked, permanently, and on Monday the mother of three guarded her front door to make sure her children stayed inside.

Joey, a 6-year-old Brittany spaniel, was having the time of his life. He sprinted around the emerald expanses of the 2.7-acre Worthington Park Off-Leash Area on a recent visit, tracing a circuitous path through the manicured yet somewhat lumpy lawn. When Genie the English shepherd romped over, Joey switched into an impossibly higher gear. In the meantime, three dozen owners relaxed on scattered benches and chairs, enjoying a few moments of social time before the sun slipped below the park's wooded perimeter.

Pro cantare auditions Columbia Pro Cantare is holding auditions for all parts for the coming season. Tenors and basses are especially welcome. Among the works to be performed with soloists and orchestra are Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Faure's Requiem, and "An American Celebration." Rehearsals begin Sept. 1 and are held from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays at Hammond High School, 8800 Guilford Road in Columbia. Call 410-730-8549, 410-799-9321 or go to procantare.org for more information.

Adult basketball leagues The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks is accepting registrations for its fall basketball leagues. Play begins Sept. 6. The $570 fee includes an eight-game regular season schedule, single-elimination playoffs, game officials and awards. Registration deadline is Friday. Men's leagues are on Sunday mornings and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday evenings. Men's over-30 league runs Tuesday evenings. Women's league play takes place Thursday evenings and the co-rec league on Wednesday evenings.

Home building award The ARC of Howard County's Awake House at 9359 Torrent Row in Columbia has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for achievement in green home building and design. The Awake House, owned by Supportive Living Inc., provides 24-hour personal care for tenants with physical and/or developmental disabilities. Go to usgbc.org for more information. Summer camp Howard County Recreation and Parks will offer a nature camp Aug. 17-21 at the proposed Blandair Regional Park in Columbia.

Fire protection project A road construction project along River Valley Chase Road near Route 32 is scheduled to begin on or about Monday. The project involves minimal clearing and excavation to provide for the installation of a 30,000-gallon underground water storage tank for fire suppression. It is expected to be completed by mid-September. There may be delays along River Valley Chase Road during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. For questions or concerns about the project, call 410-313-3440 or e-mail publicworks@howardcountymd.

Cradlerock students win 2nd in Trebuchet competition Four middle school students, Alexis Ligon, Caroline Pyon, Xinxin Guo and Ben Kale from Cradlerock School in Columbia, won second place for design efficiency and accuracy in the Trebuchet, a sophisticated type of catapult, competition at the 2009 Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) USA National Engineering Contest held in Denver on June 25 and 26. Professional engineers evaluated the student projects on the basis of performance in mathematics, oral and written communications, and expertise and proficiency in architectural and engineering applications.