Well, here it is, the first week in June. And you know what that means- high school graduation at Merriweather Post Pavillion, in Columbia.

This year, there are approximately 3,800 graduating seniors. Wow. That's a lot of teens! Of course, that figure is county-wide.

But, allow me to put this into perspective. My graduating class from my high school (Bensalem Senior High in Cornwells Heights, Pa.) had 425 graduating seniors; the incoming class of freshmen students the year I graduated was more than 2,100; our arch-rivals, Bristol High School, had more than 1,100 graduating seniors. And we think our schools are crowded.

Anway, congratulations to the class of 2009. There's one young lady I'd like to recognize publicly: Katrina Zack. She graduated from River Hill High School and her plans are to attend Howard County Community College. We've known Katrina, her sisters and her parents for a long time and it has been fun watching her grow up.

Well, since we're talking about June, that also means the annual Clarksville Picnic is right around the corner. This year, the 131st picnic is June 27 from noon to 9 p.m.

Back when the picnic started, the area was a farming community and the parish and the Clarksville community were one in the same. Now, the community is quite diverse, a real suburbia with many of the amenities and conveniences of a large, metropolitan area. And this is one of the constants that brings a community together. The cost of the "all-you-can-eat" ham and fried chicken dinner is $12 for those 11 and older, $6 for ages 5-11. Take-out is also available. While you're there, stop by my personal favorite, the white elephant book sale.

Back in 2005, the "75-80" drag strip in Monrovia, near Frederick, closed. It was sold to a developer who planned to turn the land into a large housing development. Fast forward to today and the drag strip has re-opened due to the softness of the housing market. The drag strip was one of only a handful remaining in the region.

It was where the local motorheads raced. And, the fastest postal clerk, Geneva "Gee Whiz" Williams, of the Highland Post Office, races there regularly. She was interviewed recently for an article about the drag strip that was published in the Sports section of the Washington Post. At this time, her car is running in the high 180's -- that's a fast quarter-mile! But she's not settling for that: Geneva is shooting for the 200 mph mark. Make sure to tell her "hi" when you stop by the Highland post office.

That's all for this week. Look after your neighbors. Say a prayer our troops who are serving in harm's way. And remember their families. Pay it forward and commit a random act of kindness.

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