As the school year draws to a close this week, our community offers some terrific volunteer opportunities for families.

The Howard County Conservancy, 10520 Old Frederick Road, in Woodstock, seeks drop-in gardeners (all skill levels welcome) on Wednesday mornings to help maintain the property's many thematic and native gardens.

For more information, call Chris Garbart at 410-465-8877. The Conservancy website is www.hcconservancy.org.

Additionally, Neighbor Ride invites you to "Make Summer Count" by bringing the kids along as you help transport a local senior.

The nonprofit Neighbor Ride organization aims to decrease isolation and improve the quality of life for Howard County residents, age 60 and older, by providing low-cost rides to appointments, classes, social activities, religious services, and other area destinations.

If you would like to participate in this flexible and gratifying volunteer experience, call Rosemary Noble at 410-884-RIDE or e-mail volunteer@neighborride.org.

How reassuring to know that one can venture out into the world and yet still return to the security and familiarity of home. The River Hill High School theater arts department thus presents its second annual performance of the You Can Always Come Home Players. The group appears this year in Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," a light-hearted comedy about a novelist haunted by the ghost of his first wife.

This collaborative effort between River Hill and Marriotts Ridge high schools features past and present fine arts students under the direction of Marriotts Ridge theater arts teacher Sally Livingston and assistant Cara Antico (MRHS Class of '08).

Cast and crew include Rocky Bostick (RHHS '09), Mike Brophy (RHHS '09), Jamie Driskill (RHHS '04), Gabe Fremuth (RHHS '07), Jimmy Hession (RHHS '09), Robert Kubisen (MRHS '09), Jonathan Kwolek (MRHS '10), Pam Land (RHHS theater arts director), Mike Leon (RHHS '07), David Llanso (RHHS '12), Amanda Ogorzalek (RHHS '08), Martin Proulx (RHHS '10), Abby Schwarz (MRHS '08), Michelle Shankar (RHHS '08), Sara Vanasse (RHHS '09), and Nick Woodhouse (RHHS '09).

Performances take place June 25-27 at 7:30 p.m. in the River Hill High auditorium, and tickets cost $10. Proceeds benefit the You Can Always Come Home Players Fine Arts Scholarship Fund.

To purchase tickets, go to the RHHS front office weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or the box office from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on show nights.

For more information, call Nancy Duffy or Carla Styczynski at 410-313-7120.

Bon Secours Spiritual Center offers three more events this month, starting June 25 with "Being the 'Human' in Human Resources," a retreat day designed for Human Resource professionals.

Sharon L. Scibek, SPHR, addresses issues such as work/life balance, an increasing workload, and recession-related fears and challenges.

The day runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and costs $99, which includes breakfast hospitality, lunch and retreat materials.

Also beginning June 25, social psychologist Diarmuid O'Murchu leads a four-day exploration of creationism juxtaposed with modern science and cosmology in "Finding God in Creation's Story."

Check-in begins June 25 at 5 p.m. with dinner at 6 p.m. and check-out takes place June 28 at 4 p.m. The retreat costs $275 with a $50 deposit.

To register for either retreat, call 410-442-1320 or go to www.bonsecoursspiritualcenter.org.

Lastly, BSSC invites you to attend its monthly Music at Marriottsville event in the chapel June 28 at 3 p.m. Bring the family to hear intuitive pianist and composer Robert Hitz perform a fusion of classical, romantic, Latin, jazz and Middle Eastern music.

Hitz improvises much of his concert for a fun and interactive experience.

To learn more, go to www.roberthitz.com.

Bon Secours does not charge for Music at Marriottsville events, but does collect a free-will offering. The address is 1525 Marriottsville Road.

Best wishes to our county students and teachers as summer break begins, and remember, as school activity winds down, so too does a great deal of neighborhood news.

I would therefore like to make an appeal for your input and ideas. Have you taken an interesting vacation? Would you like to announce a milestone or accomplishment? Are you working on a project for the Howard County Fair? Has your child participated in a fascinating camp?

I would love to hear about your experiences and share them with the community, and as an added bonus, you get a keepsake column to clip and share with family and friends (Grandparents love them!)

I look forward to hearing soon about your summer adventures.

user comments (0)