Calvert will be buzzing with spellers March 11

EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Friday, Feb. 27, 2009

Students in grades 6 through 8 have been competing in their school bees for a chance to stand up and spell at the county level. The winner of the county bee will be going on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee's Bee Week in Washington, D.C., May 24 through 30.

The night of the local bee, the winner will receive a Samuel Louis Sugarman Award Certificate donated by Jay Sugarman; Webster's Third New International Dictionary; and a one-year subscription of Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Going to Bee Week is also taken care of and sponsored by The Calvert Recorder, Chaney Enterprises, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative and College of Southern Maryland.

Every speller at the local bee also gets a special prize as a token of their participation. The gift is given by The Calvert Recorder and College of Southern Maryland with help from Educate & Celebrate in Prince Frederick.

The local bee on March 11 starts at 7 p.m. Spellers should be at the arts center by 6:30 p.m.

League of Women Voters to host Sojourner Truth lecture Tuesday

The public is invited to a one time special lecture about The Sojourner Truth Statue that will permanently grace the U. S. Capitol Building during March, which is National Women's History Month.

The lecture will be held on Tuesday, March 3, at the Calvert Library Fairview Branch, located near the intersections of Routes 4 and Chaneyville Road, from 7 to 9 p.m.

The league's focus of this lecture is to raise the public's level of awareness about this outstanding woman and this historical event. Sojourner Truth was born a slave became a famous national Civil Rights and Women's Rights leader. She will be the first black woman honored in the Capitol Building of the United States, according to a press release.

Distinguished guest lecturer Dr. Michelle Battle, second vice president of Cammack Media Group LLC and former chief operating officer with the National Congress of Black Women, will present a lecture titled "Historic Installation of the First Black Woman to be Memorialized in the United States Capitol — Pioneering Suffragist: Sojourner Truth."

Come hear about the life struggles and hardships that this suffragist endured. Hear how the process worked over the years to make this project a success starting with grassroots lobbying efforts by community organizations, overwhelming support by the U. S. Congress and signing of legislation into law by the President of the United States of America to make this installation possible.

Co-sponsors of the lecture include the Calvert Library, the College of Southern Maryland Prince Frederick Campus, Sojourner Douglass College Annapolis/Southern Maryland Campus, Calvert County Commission for Women, Calvert County Council of PTAs, Concerned Black Men of Calvert County, Concerned Black Women of Calvert County, the NAACP and the American Association of University Women.

Questions from the public about the lecture may be referred to League of Women Voters of Calvert County President Kathleen Riley or board member Annette Funn at the League of Women Voters voicemail at 410-586-2176.

The league, a nonpartisan organization, informs voters and advocates good government to make Democracy work.

ArtLinks announces art scholarship opportunity

ArtLinks Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts while benefiting the community, has established a scholarship to be awarded in the areas of visual and performing arts, according to a press release.

Eligible applicants must be graduating seniors residing in Calvert County with plans to further their education in the arts and incorporate the arts in their career. Up to four scholarships in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded.

Requirements include the completion of an ArtLinks scholarship form, two written references (other than from family members) including contact information, an up-to-date copy of a transcript (applicants must have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher) and submission of three to five photographs of original art on compact disc (in jpeg format) or 8x10 prints for the visual category.

The performance category requires the submission of a compact disc or VHS tape recording of selected piece, preferably with accompaniment, not to exceed five minutes.

The performance should be a complete and unedited version of the piece. Submitted discs, tapes or prints must be clearly labeled with the applicant's name, school and talent category: visual art, performing: instrumental piano, performing: instrumental trumpet, vocal, dance, film etc. Title of the pieces being presented should be included. Submitted materials become the property of ArtLinks Inc. and will not be returned, according to the release.

Application forms may be found at Calvert County high schools and libraries. The application package must be postmarked by April 1. Applications should be submitted in a single envelope containing the disc/tape/photos, completed ArtLinks Scholarship form and two references to ArtLinks Inc., Attn.: Scholarship Committee, 710 Patuxent Reach Drive, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.

Winners will be announced in May, and checks will be issued once a letter verifying enrollment has been received.

For more information on ArtLinks and the Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship program, contact ArtLinks president JoAnn Kushner on 410-257-2627.

Annmarie Garden to open ‘TOUCH!,' host ‘date night'

Annmarie Garden will stay open until 9 p.m. on March 6, for a special March Date Night to coincide with the opening of the Garden's newest exhibit, "TOUCH!"

Local restaurant and sponsor of the evening, Vincenzo's Restaurant at Calvert Marina will provide gnocchi and wine, and offer visitors a chance to win a free cooking lesson at the restaurant, according to a press release.

The evening will celebrate the opening of the newest exhibit, and guests are invited for a sneak peek at the art while mingling with the artists.

Visit the Garden before or after dinner for live music, savory treats, wine and gift shop specials. Art provokes great conversation, so bring a date, pals or come to meet new friends and fellow art enthusiasts at this evening affair.

"TOUCH!," the newest exhibit, invites guests to break the rules and use their sense of touch to explore the texture and shape of the art. Guests will be permitted to touch all of the pieces in the show which includes bronze, wood, stone, glass, ceramic and mixed media pieces.

The March Date Night will be held March 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $3 per person.