More News

Habit for Humanity of Montgomery County's ReStore in Gaithersburg went "green" Saturday by taking part in America Recycles Day. The store at 9110 Gaither Road gave customers a 25 percent discount on furniture, appliances and building supplies.

The sale was a chance to introduce residents to Habitat's ReStore, which raises money for affordable housing projects, and its efforts to re-use and recycle, Adeela Abbasi, a ReStore manager, said in a statement.

This year, the ReStore has diverted 219 tons of waste from landfills. Habitat took the ReStore's lead and began exploring green-building efforts and making its offices "as green as possible." From buying recycled office supplies to making changes in the way the organization approaches construction, the affordable housing nonprofit is trying to make a difference in the community and the environment, the statement said.

Programs such as Cars for Homes and Cans for Habitat are among some of Habitat's new recycling efforts and green initiatives. Cars for Homes takes donated cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, RVs and other vehicles and sells them through automobile auctions, recyclers or salvage yards to raise money for homes. Cans for Habitat is a program that uses recycled aluminum cans to raise money to build affordable low-income housing.

The Cans for Habitat program, started in 1997, has 1,000 local organizations nationwide and 3,000 participating recyclers.

Girl Scouts go hot and cold

Junior Girl Scout Troop 401 of Montgomery Village reports its members have been busy working on a "Weather Watcher" patch, making weather observations and learning about symbols used in weather reporting. They toured WJLA Channel 7 and met Meteorologist Adam Caskey and Alex Liggitt in the "Neighborhood Weather" department.

Turkey day on the gridiron

Alumni from Seneca Valley and Gaithersburg high schools will face off in their fourth annual football game on Thanksgiving morning.

The game is dedicated to two Seneca and Gaithersburg football players who have passed away — Jerell Bryant, a 1987 SVHS grad and an All-County athlete who played on the 1987 state championship team, and Robert Jackson, an All-Met at Gaithersburg and member of the 1986 state championship team who graduated in 1987.

Seneca Valley has won all three games. The game will be held at 9 a.m. at the school, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive, Germantown.

The game has been organized by Frank Emerson, Steve Kim and Eric Brand.

Trenna Allen (GHS class of 1988), Bryant's sister, said she would love for Jackson's family to attend the annual games, but she has not been able to locate his relatives. Bryant died in 1996. Jackson died in 2006.

For more information about the game, e-mail turkeybowl88@yahoo.com.

A hearty honor

Kathryn Irons of Laytonsville is a junior member of the American Angus Association in Saint Joseph, Mo. The American Angus Association is the largest beef registry association in the world, with more than 36,000 active adult and junior members, according to a statement from the organization.

As a junior member, Irons may register cattle with the association, participate in the association's programs for junior members, cattle shows and other national and regional events.

Never too soon for Santa?

Santa Claus arrived early this year, showing up at Lakeforest mall, where he will be through the holiday season, listening to little ones' wish lists and smiling for cameras.

Santa's hours through Nov. 30: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays with a break from 1-1:45 p.m. and 4:30-5:15 p.m. and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

He'll be ready to dole out candy canes until 9 p.m. Dec. 1-23, with the same time for breaks. On Christmas Eve, Santa will be in his seat 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a break from 1 to 1:45 p.m.

Your furry friends might have Christmas wishes too! Bring them to see Santa 7-9 p.m. Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.

Thanksgiving recycling

Gaithersburg residents whose regular recycling day is Nov. 27 should take their recyclables to the curb on Nov. 29. Contact your homeowners' association or contractor for a holiday collection schedule. For more information, call 301-258-6370 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Christmas Fest

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Laytonsville will hold its 34th Annual Christmas Festival from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 5 and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 6.

The Festival will include wreaths, poinsettias and table arrangements; a themed silent auction baskets; jewelry made by local artist Rosey Poole; photography by Mike Vore; handcrafted teddy bears from Terry Tunstall of Fuzzy Bear Station; custom work from potter Meredith McEver; and a "white elephant" sale of parishioner's treasures.

The festival will also feature a raffle of three items, including two bronze boy sculptures donated by sculptor Marilyn Carollo and a handcrafted quilt.

Admission is free. The church is located at 21611 Laytonsville Road, on Route 108 in the center of town. For directions, visit www.saintbartholomews.org or call 301-355-7189.

Holiday voices

The Gaithersburg Community Chorus will host a free concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 in the auditorium at Gaithersburg High School, 314 S. Frederick Ave.

The 60-member volunteer chorus, directed by Hugh Harvey III and accompanied by Mary Lu Hartsell, will perform a Christmas Cantata by Daniel Pinkham, a Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint Saens and an Israeli Chassidic Medley.

Donations are accepted.

The chorus requires no audition to join and is open to anyone high-school aged or older. Rehearsals are Tuesdays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. September through June. For more information, call Nansie Helmer Wilde at 301-258-6350 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Step to it

Looking for a place to show off your fancy footwork?

The Upper County Steppers are looking for members ages 10-18 to step it up on a community team.

The teams participate in shows and competitions at the middle, high school and college level, attend classes on the history of step and are recognized during an annual awards banquet, according to a statement from the group.

Upper County Steppers also perform at charitable benefits around the region and go on an annual team trip.

For more information, visit www.uppercountysteppers.org, e-mail ucs20874@yahoo.com or call 301-528-9697.

Shine on

Light up the night at Poolesville's third annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony at Whalen Commons, 19701 Fisher Ave.

The free event begins at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 with a visit from Santa and continues as the town flips the switch on its festive lights. There will be caroling, music from local choirs and refreshments for sale.

Visitors may also drop off new, unwrapped toys to be distributed by the nonprofit WUMCO Help. For more information, visit www.poolesville.com.

Submissions for People and Places must be received by 10 a.m. Thursday. Send submissions to Patricia M. Murret via e-mail at pmurret@gazette.net, fax at 301-670-7183 or mail to The Gaithersburg-Montgomery Village Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.