The award-winning Atholton High School Marching Band will premiere "Dreamcatcher, a journey through Native American culture," Oct. 20 at the Howard County Music in Motion band competition. The event, to be held at Centennial High School from 12:45 to 5 p.m., is sponsored jointly by Atholton, Centennial, Long Reach and Hammond high schools and will feature 12 high school marching bands from up and down the East Coast.

Atholton's soloists for "Dreamcatcher" are Colleen Bredland, Charlie Feldman, Casey Gallas, Tristan Horrom and Christine Yu.

Color guard captains are Andi Marini, Charissa Luman and Rachel Baratta and drum majors are Alex Tsikerdanos and Christine Yu.

The four Howard County bands will come together to perform the "Star Spangled Banner" and other music for the audience. Sounds like an awesome event!

The Atholton marching band also will perform at the grand reopening ceremonies for the Howard County Central Library, Oct. 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. The library is located at 10375 Little Patuxent Parkway (at South Entrance Road) in Columbia.

There will be much pomp and circumstance, plus an appearance by Clifford the Big Red Dog, tours and samplings from the new cafe.

Maryland author Tim Junkin will read from and sign his new book, "Good Counsel."

Since the terrible events of Sept. 11, I've been amazed at the kids in our community who continue to employ their creativity and give their time to help the victims of terrorism.

The student council at Forest Ridge Elementary School organized a community collection that netted $2,500. In addition, students made cards and wrote letters that the student council sent to the New York Firefighters 911 Disaster Relief Fund.

The after-school programs at Murray Hill Middle School get more exciting every year. Nearly 300 sixth- through eighth-graders are involved in clubs that stretch both mind and body.

New this year for After School at the Hill is a golf club. Thanks to First Tee of Howard County, a world golf foundation initiative that gives youth the opportunity to experience golf, 20 students spend 90 minutes each week learning golf skills, rules, etiquette, and more at the Fairway Hills Golf Club in Columbia.

The middle-schoolers are accompanied by social studies teacher and golfer Phil Fairbanks. The first session ends Oct. 30. Then the school and First Tee will evaluate the program.

Hammond Elementary School has an ongoing collection for the American Red Cross, and donations have already totaled more than $4,000. You can still contribute; the deadline is Nov. 6. To contribute, make checks payable to the American Red Cross.

To accommodate the opening of Reservoir High School in Fulton next year, the Howard County public school system put together a boundary line advisory committee, which has been working for nearly a year on plans for comprehensive high school redistricting.

Four original boundary line proposals have been whittled to two, which are still under review and will be presented at two informational meetings next week _ Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. at Hammond High School and Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Centennial High School. These are informational sessions, not official public meetings on the plans; those meetings will be held in December.

On Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. the Atholton High School Redistricting Committee, in conjunction with Atholton's PTSA, will sponsor an informational meeting in the school's cafeteria to review the plans and discuss the effects on the Atholton High School district and its students. For more information about the Atholton community meeting, contact Joan Lancos at jlancos@home.com.

For more information about the redistricting process, check the county school Web site at www.howard.k12.md.us and click on What's New?

The Laurel Woods Elementary School PTA will hold its third annual Family Health and Fitness Fair Oct. 23 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the school. The activities are free and fun.