Semifinalists

It took an hour to read all of the Beard Foundation nomimations. When it was over, there were no nominations for Baltimore area chefs restaurants. Sam Caglione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery was nominated for Outstanding Wine, Beer or Spirits Professional, an award that goes to "A winemaker, brewer, or spirits professional who has had a significant impact on the wine and spirits industry nationwide. Candidates must have been in the profession for at least five years. "   The James Beard Foundation announced the list of restaurant and chef semifinalists for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards.

The Severna Park Kiwanis Club, has installed its first female president, Jonnie Mann."I really do believe that Kiwanis is the best," said the new president, who has been a member for six years and held every office but president in that time.She said she wants to increase the club's contributions of money and time to worthy causes to make its already impressive community involvement even "bigger and better."Her favorite project is Christmas in April, a countywide program where volunteers help the elderly and disabled clean up and repair their homes.

County students receiving honors in the Maryland Distinguished Scholar Program were recognized at the Jan. 9 school board meeting.Thesole finalist from Carroll is Cynthia Green from South Carroll High.Semifinalist students from Liberty High are: Chad Epler, junior, and seniors Michael Adams, Denise Westrick, Jeffrey Wollschlager and Rebecca Woodford.Liberty students receiving honorable mention, all seniors, are: Rachel Horneman, Joshua Mackert, Kathleen McCloskey, Wendy Pahl and Aimee Spafford.

Towson High School reported six students placed as semifinalists and 16 placed as commended students in the 1994 Merit Scholarship Competition. Semifinalists are Thomas Carruthers, Eva Kaplan, Franklin Liu, Alicia Rabins and Dan Scheflen. Commended students include Peter Allen, Ara Armen, Dan Bredbenner, Christine Cooney, Jason Hammer, Lauren Jones, Josh Kaminsky, Emily Nothstein, Carrie Peck, Carter Petty, Elizabeth Revelle, Dan South, Robert Tillman, Elisabeth Vaeth, Ian Wilmoth and Amy Wirth.

Six county students have been selected to compete in the semifinal round of the state finals of the National Geography Bee, sponsored by National Geographic World magazine, Amtrack and Kudos snacks.The state champion will compete in the national contest to take place in May in Washington, D.C.County semifinalists are: Jeffery Cole from MacArthur Middle; Timothy Fegan From Central Middle; Rebecca Adamarczyk from Chesapeake Bay Middle; Ian Dowling from Annapolis Elementary; Stacey Krammer from St. Jane Frances School; and Stephen McClurkin from Old Mill Middle-South.

The student: Clay Hambrick, 17 School: Centennial High Special achievement: Clay was one of two Centennial High School seniors named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. School activities: He is on the Math and "It's Academic" teams at Centennial, and he plays violin in the orchestra. College: Clay plans to continue his studies at California Institute of Technology.

7 seniors named test semifinalists Seven Anne Arundel County seniors were named National Merit semifinalists last week. They were among 16,000 seniors nationwide who scored in the top 1 percent on the 2005 PSAT/National Merit qualifying test. The semifinalists are: Christopher W. Hart-Moynihan of Annapolis High School. Alyssa R. Massey of Glen Burnie High School. Matthew C. LeFavor and Keith T. Rafferty of Old Mill High School. Alexander J. Fu of Severn School. Emily A. Frost and Mark C. Strother of Severna Park High School.

For the sixth time in seven years, former Ravens majority owner Art Modell is among the 25 semifinalists for the Hall of Fame. The list for the class of 2010 will be cut to 15 finalists Jan. 7, and the selection committee will announce the inductees Feb. 6, the day before the Super Bowl. Modell's candidacy has been a hot-button issue with voters because of his unpopular relocation of the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore in February 1996. Modell was a finalist for the Hall of Fame in 2001.

With the exception of Maryland's two wealthiest school districts, the state's major school systems fall short when it comes to producing top students.Baltimore is the biggest loser, home to only two of this year's crop of 241 National Merit semifinalists, the top-scoring 11th-graders in the state on the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test who are rewarded with scholarships, prestige and recruitment offers from colleges all over the country.With about 10 percent of the state's 11th-graders, the city has produced for the past three years between 1 percent and 2 percent of the state's semifinalists -- the same as rural counties with junior classes a quarter the size of Baltimore's.

Montgomery County has once again dominated the National Merit Scholarship competition in Maryland, while most Baltimore-area school systems lagged far behind.Of the major counties in Maryland, Montgomery has the mostSee MERIT, wealth per pupil, according to figures compiled by the state Department of Education. Yet Baltimore County, which ranks just behind Montgomery, had far fewer semifinalists.George A. Gabriel, director of education research for Baltimore County, said he believes that families in the Washington suburbs are more attuned to the idea of competing in school and doing well in order to get ahead.