Savage Park

THE BEAUTIFUL 100-acre park in Savage becomes more popular every year. In addition to tennis courts, a playground, baseball fields, basketball courts, picnic pavilions and a horseshoe pit, seven miles of hiking trails border both sides of the Little Patuxent River. This Labor Day weekend, the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks will be out in force to help everyone celebrate with Public Education Day at Savage Park. The park's beauty and accessibility have made it popular.

An early-morning fire caused about $500,000 in damage Friday to three parked commercial buses in Savage. There were no injuries. State fire marshals hadn't determined the source of the fire, which started at about 2:50 a.m. in the parking lot belonging to Yellow Transportation Inc. Twenty firefighters were called to contain the blaze.

LIVING IN an old town is like living in an old house -- there's always work needed to keep the joint up.Savage is no exception. Residents periodically invest sweat equity to make our town a pleasant place to live.Maintenance work, such as the cemetery cleanup last fall, is an example of that sweat equity.Now members of the Savage Community Association and the Carroll Baldwin Hall Committee have decided that it is time to do a little more. And, like all the best ideas, this one serves several purposes: to get rid of junk, bring in money and improve the appearance of Savage.

AFTER MORE than a year of waiting and countless inspections, Savage United Methodist Church is moving forward with plans to expand its physical plant.The church offices and Sunday school have moved into their new home on Foundry Street.The Victorian house across the street from the church has been renovated and now includes an apartment for the newly installed minister of visitation, Pat Dols, and her husband, Tom.She will visit shut-ins and hospital patients.The congregation contributed financial and spiritual support and labor to the church expansion.

WELL, THE summer is almost officially here. And after just a week with no school, many of our children are restless.Fortunately, there are interesting activities for everyone this summer, beginning with "The Magic of Plastic Model Building" from 10: 30 a.m. to noon June 27 at the Savage library.Timothy Linge, who will present the program, is bringing free materials and kits for participants to make their own models.Parents must be present during the first half-hour of the workshop.Space is limited.

PERHAPS IT'S something you've always wanted to do, but were afraid to admit it. Perhaps there was worry about what the neighbors would think.But now, thanks to the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, it's easy to take that first step and learn to play the bagpipes.Playing bagpipes is among the diverse skills included in evening classes offered by the department at Hammond High School in coming weeks. Others include home-repair skills and fixing clocks.Lesley Seplaki will be teaching beginners to play the bagpipes at Hammond at 7 p.m. Tuesdays.

SO IT'S VACATION -- and all the little ones are out enjoying a sneak preview of what summer will be like.It will be vastly more pleasant now that Savage Park is being renovated.Recently, the tennis courts were resurfaced. Instead of a peeling deck that looked like a sci-fi landscape, the new courts look terrific -- if a bit underused.However, this problem will soon disappear. The Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks is holding tennis classes this month at the park.Six-week sessions for middle schoolers, at 10 a.m. Saturdays, begin April 19. Classes for parents are at 11 a.m.For information about the tennis lessons, call 410-313-7275.

One picturesque middle-class cul-de-sac in the western Savage area seems serene -- until you get out of your car. The roar from nearby Interstate 95 assaults residents' ears, prompting them to seek peace and quiet away from their own back yards.Now the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is buying land near those back yards to expand Savage Park, which many area residents use as a haven away from the diesel-fueled din."Living next to I-95, it's nice to have a place to get away," said Danny Walburn, who lives on Spring Water Path, a stone's throw from the new park land.

THE DANCE DEPARTMENT at Hammond High School proudly presents its 1996 spring recital featuring the works of talented students. This year's program, "Radiant Journey," is offered tonight -- the first performance was last night -- at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium.Tickets are $4 at the door. For details and directions call Hammond High at 313-7615.In other news from Hammond, the Parent Teacher Student Association is raising money to sponsor the graduating class's chemical-free graduation party.

NOTE: Lourdes Sullivan's column appears a day early because of the holiday press schedule. Montpelier Cultural Arts Center will present Maxine Clair, author of "Rattlebone," April 20 at 7:30 p.m.Ms. Clair will read a selection from her works and answer questions afterward. Ms. Clair's essays and poetry have appeared in many literary magazines, but she is perhaps more known for "Rattlebone," the story of a family struggling through segregation and toil. Ms. Clair's appearance is part of a three-day residency at Bowie State College and co-sponsored by the Associated Writing Programs.