(Enlarge) The cast of Marriotts Ridge High School's production of "The Boy Friend" includes: back row, from left: Robert Zhang, Malena Silva, Erica Fedor, Thomas Conchie, Natalie Carlyle, Thiery Banks, Noah Farrell and Jon Ferrell; middle row, from left: Annie Heimsoth, Leslie Decker, Madeline Whiting and Briana Lawton; bottom row, from left: Christina Ritter and Meysarah Goffi. Performances are March 19-21 at 7:30 p.m. and March 22 at 2 p.m. at the school. (Photo courtesy Marriotts Ridge High School)

With all of the bad news of late, many of us seek relief in the form of light-hearted entertainment. Marriotts Ridge High School offers one solution: "The Boy Friend," a fun and flirtatious spoof of 1920s musical comedy. More than 100 students will help bring to life this family-friendly production, which first catapulted Julie Andrews to fame in the 1950s.

Set in the French Riviera, "The Boy Friend" follows the romantic antics of an English heiress and her finishing school friends and promises humor, jazzy tunes, lively dancing, and the requisite happy ending.

Performances are March 19-21 at 7 p.m. and March 22 at 3 p.m. Purchase tickets at the door or in advance by calling Jeanne Jurney at 301-854-5628 or e-mailing her at jcjurney@verizon.net. The school is at 12100 Woodford Road in Marriottsville.

The Marriotts Ridge High School Boosters look forward to seeing you aboard the SS Ridge for their Mustang Madness event Saturday, March 14! Set sail from the Columbia Hilton at 7 p.m. and spend the next four hours playing the casino tables with "funny money" for a chance to win great prizes. The evening also includes a silent auction and a selection of tasty hors d'oeuvres and chocolate fondue, plus a cash bar.

Tickets cost $50 per person and proceeds will help fund the various academic, athletic, and performing arts clubs at the school.

To order tickets online, click here. E-mail Paula Reidy at VeryA@aol.com for more information.

The youth of St. James United Methodist Church also plan a fundraiser for Saturday, March 14. They are hosting a lasagna dinner in support of their annual Camp Hope mission trip, where they will perform home repair for needy families in Western Maryland.

The youth offer two dinner seatings, at 5 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $7 per person, and children younger than 5 are free. Call the church office at 410-442-2020 to make your reservation. St. James is at 12470 Frederick Road in Marriottsville.

Get ready for St. Patrick's Day with an Irish sing-along and dance! The Knights of Columbus Council #13294 invites the community to their annual St. Patrick's Celebration March 21, from 7 p.m. to midnight, in the St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Church Hall. Tickets cost $12 per person and include snacks, beverages, and live entertainment by the Lenny Adams Trio. Proceeds will help fund various community projects. St. Alphonsus is located at 10800 Old Court Road in Woodstock. To order tickets, call Ed Polinsky at 410- 313-8808.

Last year, after losing several large trees in my yard, I decided to take advantage of the somewhat sunnier spot to create an edible garden. After carefully researching fruits, vegetables and herbs that would tolerate the less-than-ideal lighting and soil conditions, I tackled the biggest hurdle of all: how to deter deer from enjoying my new, all-you-can-eat salad bar.

The garden now boasts an extremely unattractive yet effective seven-foot high fence. However, had I waited until this year, I would now have a better option.

The Howard County Conservancy plans to break ground this spring on an exciting new community garden composed of 63 individual plots. Each plot costs $40 to rent, measures 20- by 25-feet and includes deer fencing, water, compost bins and a nearby pollinator garden to attract beneficial insects.

HCC encourages Bay-wise gardening techniques and insists that all gardens remain pesticide-free; it also plans to offer workshops and lectures of interest to gardeners.

The Howard County Master Gardeners will assist the Conservancy in maintaining the pollinator garden and in designing a new children's vegetable garden. The group will continue to perform monthly composting demonstrations.

Gardens provide wonderful opportunities for us to minimize our ecological footprint, grow healthy food and beautiful flowers, teach our children about agriculture, and gain some valuable exercise.

Located at historic Mt. Pleasant Farm, 10520 Old Frederick Road in Woodstock, the HCC Community Garden will also provide a scenic location in which to commune with nature and like-minded residents.

To reserve your garden plot, e-mail garden manager Rita Hamlet at garden@hcconservancy.org or call 410-465-8877.

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