Volunteer Coordinator

Simonson named disaster volunteer coordinator Pamela Simonson is the new disaster volunteer coordinator for the Volunteer Center Serving Howard County. Her role is to work with local governmental and nonprofit agencies to recruit and affiliate volunteers with agencies before a disaster, and to help manage spontaneous volunteers in crisis situations. Starting in the position before Tropical Storm Isabel, she and her staff recruited 53 volunteers for a standby list; 25 volunteers contributed 145 hours answering phones at the nonemergency public information line, canvassing flood-prone areas to distribute information and dispensing ice to those without electricity.

When the 2012 Westminster Fallfest celebration kicks off on Thursday night, Sept. 27, with the annual parade, Woody Higgs will be right at the front. Higgs, along with five other residents representing Special Olympics-Maryland, Carroll County, will carry the Fallfest banner. "We're really excited," said Donna McGuire, assistant volunteer coordinator for Special Olympics, and Higgs' mother. "This is our first time in Fallfest. " Special Olympics, along with Carroll Hospice, the Taneytown Lions Club and the Stacey Davis Breast Cancer Fund, was selected to be the partners for this year's annual Fallfest.

Ending months of bitter wrangling, Harford's school board has put off creating a controversial $54,000-a-year position to coordinate parent volunteer efforts.The money will instead go toward upgrading assistant principals at four elementary schools to full-time administrators, the school board decided last week.The assistant principals are among 18 who now must split their time between teaching and administrative duties.Money for upgrading assistant principals, the top priority of a countywide PTA group, became the focus of a fierce tug of war this spring between the County Council and County Executive Eileen M. Rehrmann.

Zach Teal is just 17, but his love for books led him to write one of his own and to volunteer more than 250 hours at the Finksburg branch of the Carroll County Public Library. "Two hundred and fifty hours is quite unusual for our teen volunteers," said Heather Owings, who was volunteer coordinator at the library and now works at the North Carroll branch. Zach logged those hours over the course of three years, performing such tasks as making crafts for story times, signing in reading program participants, even wearing a mouse costume for a reading of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Area schools and literacy programs seek volunteers to help children and adults improve reading skills and to assist with related projects. Among them: South Baltimore Learning Center, 28 E. Ostend St., Baltimore, needs classroom assistants to work with parents and grandparents who are trying to improve their limited literacy skills to read with their children. Classroom assistants are asked to volunteer two mornings or two evenings a week. The summer session runs through June 29. Contact: Shannon Curran, volunteer coordinator, 410- 625-4215.

Area schools and literacy programs seek volunteers to help children and adults improve reading skills and to assist in related projects. Among them are:The Learning Bank of COIL Inc., 1200 W. Baltimore St., which teaches adults literacy skills and prepares them for the General Educational Development exam. Tutors are needed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 9 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. Saturdays. Contact: Marie Schultz, volunteer coordinator, 410-659-5452.

Vira Schoenfeld of Cape St. Claire; Bill and Susan White of StevensvilleVolunteers' work: Ms. Schoenfeld, daughter Susan White and son-in-law Bill White volunteer for First Night Annapolis. Ms. Schoenfeld is the volunteer coordinator at the First Night office on Cathedral Street in Annapolis.Volunteers' comments: "All my life it never occurred to me not to volunteer for something. I really firmly believe that if you give of yourself as a volunteer it's impossible not to get something back," Ms. Schoenfeld said.

Howard County Tourism launches redesigned Web site Howard County Tourism has launched its redesigned Web site, www.VisitHowardCounty .com. The site includes "Virtual Tours of Howard County," "Cool Road Trips" a calendar of events and other Howard County features. The site, which includes animation, photographs and links to restaurants and hotels, is designed to be useful as a resource for residents, visitors, meeting-planners and the media for quick, accurate information on the county and its attractions.

Last October, Sarah's House had more Halloween candy than its residents could eat.A local distributor donated 280 pounds of sweets tothe non-profit homeless shelter at Fort Meade."

Cranberry Mall picks Owings Mills ad agency Bonnie Heneson Communications of Owings Mills has been named advertising agency of record for Cranberry Mall in Westminster. The agency is handling all advertising for the largest mall in the county. An advertising campaign, in print and on radio, will promote the mall's activities. The account is managed by agency President Bonnie Heneson, with Gerry Laue as creative director. Silver Run Liquors receives license for beer, wine The Board of License Commissioners for Carroll County has approved a request for a Class A beer, wine and liquor license for Silver Run Liquors.

Tower Federal Credit Union employees teamed up with volunteers from the Gilbane Building Co. and other local organizations and subcontractors to work on upgrading a home in Laurel in support of Christmas in April, a national nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities. The volunteers arrived early in the morning on Saturday, April 28, and put in a full-day's work providing much-needed repairs at the home of an elderly Laurel resident who uses a wheelchair.

Murphy, DeSanti join arts festival Leigh Murphy has been hired as fundraising coordinator for the Columbia Festival of the Arts. She will be responsible for coordinating corporate sponsor and individual donor fundraising for the 2008 season, which is to be held June 13-28. Murphy was director of special events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Metropolitan D.C. Chapter, and was special events coordinator for the Montgomery County Humane Society in Rockville. She was also director of humane education and public relations/volunteer coordinator for the Montgomery County Humane Society.

Stream cleanups set for July 15, Aug. 3 Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway will hold a stream cleanup from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. July 15 at Miller Run, off U.S. 40 in Catonsville. In addition, Howard Community College freshmen and other volunteers will clean up along Bascom Creek, off Deep Run, one of the major streams flowing into the Patapsco River in Elkridge, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 3. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Long pants and shirt are recommended to ward off insects and guard against prickly underbrush.

National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, is an opportunity for Neighbor Ride and various other nonprofit organizations to recognize and appreciate their volunteers. Neighbor Ride is a volunteer-based supplemental transportation program that is making a world of difference in Howard County. The program's goal is to help seniors, age 60 and over, maintain a good quality of life by providing friendly and reliable door-to-door transportation for medical appointments, religious services, educational pursuits, recreational and social events, exercise classes, and other day-to-day activities.

It just flows out of her like a concert pianist," said Cindy Devereux of her sister Terry's drawing talent, on display in the new mural they painted together for the day room at The Arc of Howard County. "It's just a doodle," said Terry Junggust. If it's a doodle, it's a doozy. The mural is 25 feet long and 5 feet tall; a striking abstract of geometric shapes, whorls, spirals and florals in colors that Devereux describes as "true, clear, bold and intense." The mural was a volunteer project of the two Glenwood sisters, who have owned a decorative painting company, "Urban Colors" for the past 15 years.

When Richard Davis was told he had coronary artery disease seven years ago, he never imagined that the diagnosis would have a profoundly positive effect on his life. With a 99 percent blockage in one of the main arteries in his heart, Davis no longer was able to walk without shortness of breath and pain. The blockage was cleared with angioplasty, which set the course for his recovery, with the help of medication, diet and an exercise regimen. When Davis retired in 2003, he jumped at the opportunity to volunteer at Howard County General Hospital, where he received his treatment.

School-supplies drive for needy seeks donations Prepare for Success is collecting backpacks and school supplies for Howard County children in need. Drop-off boxes are available at Howard county government office buildings, libraries, Columbia village centers, Columbia Association sites and at other locations. Cash donations are also welcome, and should be mailed to Prepare for Success, 6800 Oakland Mills Road, Columbia 21045. The campaign ends Aug. 9. Volunteers are needed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 10, 11 and 12 to help organize and stuff backpacks for delivery to schools.