Seniors

Seniors can receive help in completing their federal and state income tax returns from Feb. 1 through April 1 at the county's senior activity centers through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. This free service is available only by appointment and hours are limited. Call 410-222-4464 for more information.

When Salisbury and SUNY-Cortland meet Sunday in the NCAA Division III men's lacrosse final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., there might be no one on the field as emotional as Sam Bradman. The senior midfielder is always excited when he steps onto the field for a game, but in recent years, he has been able to tone it down and save his energy for scoring goals and making plays. But Bradman is still vulnerable to letting his emotions get the best of him. For instance, in last Sunday's 7-2 victory over Stevenson in the semifinal round, Bradman was flagged for a one-minute unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty after scoring a goal to give the Sea Gulls a 3-0 lead with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

At the end of practice Monday afternoon, Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo invited a fellow football coach, Brian Norwood, to address the Midshipmen. Norwood is a former Navy assistant and the current defensive coordinator at Baylor. But more than that, he is Niumatalolo's best friend - the two grew up together in Hawaii and were high school and college teammates - and he represented the message that Niumatalolo wanted to convey to his players, three days before their season ends against Missouri in the Texas Bowl.

Support groups The Department of Aging and Disabilities has updated a booklet on community support groups. The booklet focuses on groups for caregiving, Alzheimer's disease, bereavement for adults and children, diabetes, brain injury, cancer, stroke, cardiac and pulmonary problems, Parkinson's, and bowel and urinary diversions. The booklet is free and available at the department, 2666 Riva Road, fourth floor, Annapolis or online at aacounty.org/aging/resources/community_support_groups.pdf.

Seniors from all 25 Baltimore County Public Schools high schools were recognized on May 4 for achievements as Presidential Scholar candidates, National Merit Scholar semi-finalists, National Achievement Scholars, and Ethics Award winners. Following is a list of local students honored by Superintendent Joe Hairston, principals and others at the ceremony, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Timonium: National Achievement Scholars — Shannon Hubbard, Towson High School. National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists — Dulaney High School students Elizabeth Demetrides, Kun Leng, Jiaqi Liu, Eric Olsen, Kathleen Schmitz, Brett Turlington and Alan Zhang; Elizabeth Pena of the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology; Rohan Goswami of Loch Raven High School; and Towson High School students Johann Amberger, Annie Bishai, Laura Greenbaum and Zachary Nusbaum.

As a retiree, I have appreciated the Medicare services I have received for over 20 years. For some reason, our legislators failed to prepare for people living longer than expected because of the great strides in medical care. When claims increase, insurance companies must increase their premiums accordingly. I think it is time for senior citizens to pay to support this generous service. The alternative is rather dismal, in my opinion. William Huppert, Perry Hall

After finishing in the bottom third of their division last season and missing the playoffs, many members of the Pallotti boys soccer team felt their season was not up to the standards they had set for themselves. They finished the season with a record of 3-11-1. This season, the team has a different feel to it. With 12 seniors on the roster, Pallotti could field its best team in a long time. "It's the best team we've had in the past few years," said longtime head coach Steve Shurman.

There is no better news than having Scott Brown elected to Congress, and seniors are rejoicing. The Congressional Democrats just don't get it. It is difficult to understand why our Maryland Democrats would sacrifice and betray the trust of elderly citizens of Maryland and the USA. They have voted to take away $500 billion from our Medicare to fund Obamacare, which will only speed up Medicare's bankruptcy. Elderly people like me depend on Medicare and are at the end of our lives when we may need more care.

When Salisbury and SUNY-Cortland meet Sunday in an NCAA tournament Division III final at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., it's arguable that anyone on the field will be as emotional as Sam Bradman. The senior midfielder is always excited when he steps onto the field for a game, but in recent years, he has been able to tone it down and save his energy for scoring goals and making plays. But Bradman is still vulnerable to letting his emotions get the best of him. In Sunday's 7-2 victory over Stevenson in the semifinal round, Bradman was flagged for a one-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after scoring a goal to give the Sea Gulls a 3-0 lead with 6:59 left in the third quarter.

Swimming UMBC's Hussein qualifies for Olympics UMBC junior Mohamed Hussein took first place, broke the Egyptian national record and qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the 200-meter individual medley Sunday afternoon at the Auburn Classic at the Martin Aquatics Center. Hussein, who has already qualified for the Summer Games in the 100 freestyle, becomes the first Egyptian swimmer to ever make the cut for two events at a single Olympic Games. He is the second UMBC swimmer to make the Olympics, joining Mehdi Addadi , who qualified for the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney for his native Algeria.

Jazz Napravnik didn't even wait for her sister, Rosie, to get across the finish line. She saw the way the jockey was riding Believe You Can in the Kentucky Oaks, saw the horse stretch its legs down the final hundred yards under guidance from a nearly motionless rider, and she knew. "I just left my box, ran toward the winner's circle," Jazz Napravnik said. With her win in Kentucky, Rosie Napravnik, 24, pushed her name even further into the discussion of the country's top jockeys.

Joe Cummings' game-winning goal with six seconds left in the fourth quarter propelled Maryland to a 10-9 upset of No. 7 seed Lehigh in a NCAA tournament first-round contest Sunday night and a quarterfinal date with No. 2 seed Johns Hopkins. But the senior attackman said the true heroics were provided by senior midfielder Drew Snider, who scored two of his game-high three goals in the fourth quarter and collected a key ground ball that set up Cummings' score. “I can't take that credit,” the Towson native and Loyola graduate said Tuesday when asked about being the Terps' hero.

Alexis Franklin is one of the most successful track and field athletes in Old Mill history. This year, the senior ran the fastest times in the entire country for the 400-meter hurdles (59.05 seconds) and the 300-meter hurdles (41.49 seconds). Those times came while winning the 400 at the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia and the 300 at the Bob Golliday Invitational at Old Mill. The 300 time is also believed to be the fastest time ever run in the event in Maryland. But, to have it count in the state record book, she will have to do it again at the state meet, May 25-26.

Twenty-four graduating high school student-athletes, representing Harford County's 12 senior classes, will be honored at the 27th Annual Al Cesky Scholarship Fund's awards banquet. The banquet will be Wednesday at the Richlin Ballroom, beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 each, with a student price of $35. Call 410-838-6787 for further information. Two of the scholarship winners, one male and one female, will receive scholarship awards amounting to $5,000 each from the Cesky fund to help defray the cost of their post-secondary education.