Montgomery Community Events June 26-July 3, 2008

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Thursday 26

PLANT CLINIC, Montgomery County master gardeners answer gardening questions; bring in plant specimens and insect samples for diagnosis. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. weekdays, Montgomery County Extension Office, 18410 Muncaster Rd., Derwood. Free. Plant hotline: 301-590-9650, weekday mornings.

SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELING, members of the Senior Corps of Retired Executives provide one-on-one counseling. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Thursdays and Tuesdays, Rockville Library, Meeting Room No. 2, 21 Maryland Ave., Rockville. Free. 240-777-0001.

INSURANCE FRAUD DISCUSSION, for seniors, Joy Hatchette of the Maryland Insurance Administration leads a discussion on fraud and how to avoid being a victim. 10:30 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 301-681-1255.

Friday 27

MORNING FAMILY FILM SERIES, last in a series of G-rated movies on a big screen. 10:30 a.m., Marilyn J. Praisner Branch Library (the former Fairland Library), 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. Free. 240-773-9460.

YOGA CLASS, for seniors, Jane Adams instructs on exercise, breathing and meditation to enhance agility, balance, strength, muscle tone, bone mass, endurance and vitality; wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a mat. 10:45-11:45 a.m. Fridays, Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. $5 per session. 301-681-1255.

CHINESE ECONOMICS DISCUSSION, Erland Heginbotham, professor of Asian studies at Johns Hopkins University, discusses "China: Inside and Out," about economic reforms and the effect on energy, finance, commodities and globalization. 2 p.m., Friendship Heights Village Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase. Free. 301-656-2797.

DINNER THEATER,"Evita," the musical about Eva Peron, who rose from poverty to become Argentina's most powerful woman. Andrew Lloyd Webber's signature hit, "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" is in the score. The Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre is an annual training program for students. 6:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 12:30 p.m. Sundays, through July 6, Montgomery College, Theater Arts Arena, 51 Mannakee St., Rockville. $37; age 12 and younger, $27; ticket price includes a full dinner buffet. 240-567-7676 or http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/sdt.

CRAFT AUCTION AT STRATHMORE, live and silent auctions of fiber, glass, ceramic and mixed-media art objects; proceeds support the Creative Crafts Council. 7 p.m., Mansion at Strathmore, 10701 Rockville Pike, Bethesda. 301-460-6404 or http://www.creativecraftscouncil.org.

Saturday 28

SILVER SPRING FARMERS MARKET, goat and cows' milk cheeses, goat-milk soap, yogurt, fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs, pies, preserves, salsas, cut flowers and more. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, Silver Plaza, on Ellsworth Drive between Georgia Avenue and Fenton Street, Silver Spring. Admission, free. 202-362-8889.

WEEKEND NATURE PROGRAMS, for all ages, a Forest Tales exhibition, science and nature activities, live animals, crafts, hikes and more. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Discovery Creek Children's Museum (the former Glen Echo Park stable building), near the entrance to Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo. $5; members and age 2 and younger, free. 202-488-0627 or http://www.discoverycreek.org.

BLOOD DRIVE, community drive sponsored by Omega Psi Phi fraternity, the American Red Cross and Gold's Gym. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Rockville Town Center, Maryland and East Montgomery avenues, Rockville. Free. 404-425-2323 or seanskipbland@gmail.com.

GLEN ECHO PARK FESTIVAL, for all ages, the fourth annual summer festival with bumper cars, a spin ride, vintage cars and a trackless train, miniature golf and arcade games, a history exhibition and video on the Glen Echo trolley line; plus dance performances and instruction, face painting, hula hooping and rides on the 1921 Dentzel carousel; sponsored by the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture and the National Park Service. Free admission, but rides and some activities require ticket purchase. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd. 301-634-2222 or http://www.glenechopark.org.

RAILROAD STATION OPEN HOUSE, for all ages, tours of the restored station and an operating N-gauge train layout on display, "Thomas the Train" layout for children, railroad-theme exhibits, vintage Silver Spring photographs and a continuous screening of the documentary "Next Stop Silver Spring." Limited parking in front of the station a short walk from the Silver Spring Metro station; sponsored by the Silver Spring Historical Society. Noon-4 p.m., Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station, 8100 Georgia Ave. Free. 301-537-1253 or sshistory@yahoo.com.

HISTORIC WALKING TOUR, a guided tour of the National Park Seminary Historic District; extensive walking on outdoor paths, with steps and rough areas; tour signs will be posted on Linden Lane; visit the Web site for details. Sponsored by Save Our Seminary at Forest Glen. 1 p.m. Saturdays, National Park Seminary Historic District, Linden Avenue, Silver Spring. $5. 301-654-3924 or 301-589-1715 or http://www.saveourseminary.org.

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE PROGRAM, for children 5 and older accompanied by an adult, members of the Maryland Science Center present an interactive program on dinosaurs. 2:30 p.m., Marilyn J. Praisner Branch Library, 14910 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville. Free, seating on a first-come, first-served basis. 240-773-9460.

WEB SITE WORKSHOP, for beginners, Angela Render offers instruction on the creation of a well-formed Web site and the importance of look, feel, form and function, with tips on accessing free software. 3-5 p.m., the Writer's Center, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. $58; members, $43; registration required. 301-654-8664, http://www.writer.org or postmaster@writer.org.

IN-LINE AND SKATEBOARD COMPETITION, for skaters of all experience levels, contestants choose between novice and advanced competition. Each participant gets two one-minute runs through the course, with prizes to the top three contestants in each category; skaters must sign a liability waiver, and skaters younger than 18 must have the waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian. 4-8 p.m., Gaithersburg Skate Park, 510 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. Fee, $5; registration required. 301-258-6350, Ext. 168, or skatepark@gaithersburgmd.gov.

PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION, a meeting of Socrates Cafe Rockville, open to anyone eager to talk about life's big questions in a small-group format, discussions based on Socratic dialog. 7-9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville, 100 Welsh Park Dr. Free. 301-762-7666 or http://www.uucr.org.

Sunday 29

WILDLIFE PRESERVATION LECTURE, Carter Roberts, president and chief executive of the World Wildlife Fund, discusses the best ways to work with government and business to help preserve ecosystems. 10 a.m., Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, 1 Westmoreland Cir., Bethesda. Free. 301-229-7766.

AUTHOR READINGS, Judy Neri reads from "Always the Trains," a new collection of poems, and Robert Friedman reads from his novel "Shadow of the Fathers." 2-4 p.m., Writer's Center Book Gallery, 4508 Walsh St., Bethesda. Admission, free. 301-654-8664.

Monday 30

CURRENT EVENTS DISCUSSIONS, a volunteer leads a discussion of local, national or world events, feedback encouraged. 10 a.m. Mondays, Long Branch Senior Center, Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 301-431-5700.

AUTHOR APPEARANCE, Diana Peterfreund talks about her novel "Rites of Spring (Break)." 7 p.m., Borders Books & Music, 11301 Rockville Pike, Rockville. Free. 301-816-1067.

Tuesday 1

LAUGHING-YOGA CLASS, for people with cancer, their family and caregivers, laughing-yoga instructor Nira Etons Berry demonstrates the health benefits of a good laugh; no floor exercises are involved. 9:30-10:30 a.m., the Wellness Community Greater Washington, Suite 100, 5430 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda. Free, reservations required. 301-493-5002 or twcdc@thewellnesscommunity.org.

EYE-HEALTH DISCUSSION, Natasha Herz, a Rockville-area ophthalmologist, talks about dry-eye syndrome. 10:30 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 301-681-1255.

SPANISH CULTURAL DISCUSSION CLASSES, for adults who want to improve Spanish conversation skills, led by Elsa Rivera-Sinclair, a clinical psychologist. Discussions in Spanish on literature, architecture and geography. 10:30 a.m.-noon, Silver Spring Library, 8901 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 240-773-9420.

INDEPENDENCE DAY PIANO, Dale Jarrett, local singer and pianist in a performance of songs of hope, peace and patriotism. 1:15-2:15 p.m., Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton. Free. 240-777-4999.

Wednesday 2

WAR AND FREEDOM TALK, Capt. Erik Enyart talks about his career in Army intelligence and his experiences in Iraq; part of the "Operation Tribute to Freedom" program. 10:30 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 301-681-1255.

DEPRESSION SUPPORT GROUP, for family and friends of people who have depression or are bipolar, sponsored by Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of the National Capital Area. 7:30 p.m., St. Raphael's Church, Parish Hall, 1513 Dunster Rd., Rockville. Free. 301-299-4255 or 301-570-9065 or http://www.dbsanca-family.org.

Thursday 3

CHILDREN'S STORY TIME, for children ages 3 to 5 accompanied by an adult, a librarian shows short films, sings and leads stretches. 10:30 a.m., Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase. Free. 240-773-9590.

DRAWING AND PAINTING CLASS, for seniors, Maria Gonzalez of Arts for the Aging teaches a beginner's class and offers tips on drawing techniques and subjects. 11 a.m., Long Branch Senior Center, Long Branch Community Center, 8700 Piney Branch Rd., Silver Spring. Free. 301-431-5700.

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION, for seniors, a picnic lunch and live music by the Good Times Band. 11:30 a.m., Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center, 1000 Forest Glen Rd., Silver Spring. $8; if purchased by tomorrow, $5; reservations required. 301-681-1255.

JAZZ MUSIC PROGRAM, Woody Seybert leads a discussion on New Orleans jazz musicians Louis Armstrong, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain and others and plays some of their recordings; sponsored by the Himmelfarb Foundation. 1:15-2:15 p.m., Holiday Park Senior Center, 3950 Ferrara Dr., Wheaton. Free. 240-777-4999.

-- Compiled by LISA M. BOLTON

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