Howard Community Events Aug. 7-14, 2008

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Thursday 7

NEWCOMERS MEETING, for new county residents, a coffee social hosted by the Newcomers Club of Howard County, with an overview of the club's activities. 10 a.m., Panera Bread, 6435 Dobbin Rd., Columbia. 410-465-0522 or 410-379-2898.

SENIORS DROP-IN EXERCISE CLASSES,8:30-9:20 a.m. Thursdays and Tuesdays, Elkridge Senior Center, 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. $2. 410-313-5192.

ERIC CARLE'S BUGS, for ages 4-6, a program about author and artist Eric Carle's "The Very Lonely Firefly." 10 and 11 a.m., Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. Free; registration required. 410-313-1955.

BUG ART AND FOSSILS, for ages 6-10, create fossil-like art with materials found in nature. 2 p.m. today, 11 a.m. tomorrow, Glenwood Branch Library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville. Free; registration required. 410-313-5577.

WIDOWED PERSONS SUPPORT GROUP, for widows, widowers and people grieving the death of a life partner. 2:30-4 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 11, Gilchrist Hospice Care, Suite 433, 5537 Twin Knolls Rd., Columbia. Free; registration required. 410-730-5072.

FLOWER POUNDING AND TRANSFER, master gardeners demonstrate how to transfer flowers and leaves onto cloth and paper. 7 p.m., Glenwood Branch Library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville. Free. 410-313-5577.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION CLUB, for non-native speakers, an informal group setting in which to practice speaking English; register before your first meeting. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9:30-11 a.m. Mondays, Central Library, 10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. Free. 410-313-7800.

Saturday 9

BASEBALL DISCUSSION GROUP, a monthly meeting of "Talkin' Baseball," with speaker Ted Patterson, author of "The Golden Voices of Baseball." 9 a.m., East Columbia Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. Free. 410-740-1145.

Sunday 10

OAKLAND MILLS FARMERS MARKET, local fruits, vegetables, flowers, baked goods and coffee; vendors include Great Harvest Bread, Hondo Coffee, Bonaparte Bakery, Shaw Farms, Homestead, Mustachio, Penn Farms and Lewis Orchard. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sundays, Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Pl., Columbia. 410-730-4610 or omca@columbiavillages.org.

Monday 11

PLANT CLINICS, master gardeners will answer plant-related questions. 7-8:30 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays, through September, Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. Free. 410-313-1955.

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING, walk-in blood pressure screening and monitoring by Howard County General Hospital staff. Noon-3 p.m., Savage Branch Library, 9525 Durness Lane, Laurel. Free. 410-313-5577.

ASTRONAUT'S LIFE, for ages 7-13, listen to former astronaut Don Thomas's account of a mission to space. 2 p.m., Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. Free; registration required. 410-313-1955.

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE, for parents of infants and preschoolers. 5-7 p.m., Our Savior Lutheran Church, Open Arms Christian Child Development Center, 13611 Laurel Bowie Rd., Laurel. 240-568-9352.

"TEEN 'ZINE," for ages 13-17, help create an online newsletter for teens. 7-8 p.m., Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. Free. 410-313-1955.

WRITERS' CIRCLE, for writers, take original work for mutual feedback. 7 p.m., Savage Branch Library, 9525 Durness Lane, Laurel. Free. 410-880-5980.

Tuesday 12

VIDEO GAME CLUB, for age 55 and older, Wii interactive video games. 10 a.m. Tuesdays, through Aug. 26, Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia. First game, free; fees for subsequent games. 410-313-7320.

MENTAL ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUPS, sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. For people with mental illness who work, go to school or regularly interact in the community, 6:30-8 p.m., Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., Columbia. For families and friends of adults with mental illness, 7:30 p.m., Harmony Hall Retirement Community day room, 6336 Cedar Lane, Columbia. Free. 410-772-9300 or http://www.namihcmd.org.

SPANISH-SPEAKING MENTAL ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP, for family members of adults and teens with a mental illness, sponsored by the Howard County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 7-8:30 p.m., Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Rd., Columbia. Free. 410-772-9300 or http://www.namihcmd.org.

PFLAG MONTHLY MEETING, for members of the gay community and their families and friends, a discussion of "Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask." 7:30 p.m., Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. Free. 410-290-8292, http://www.pflagmd.org or robertscp@aol.com.

Wednesday 13

CANCER CAREGIVER'S SUPPORT NETWORK, a facilitated discussion. 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 3, Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource Center, 5900 Cedar Lane, Columbia. Free; registration required. 410-740-5858.

CHESS CLUB, for players 13 and older; snacks provided. 7-8:30 p.m., Elkridge Branch Library, 6540 Washington Blvd., Elkridge. Free. 410-313-5077.

COLUMBIA SIP AND KNIT MEETING, for knitters and crocheters of all skill levels. 7 p.m. Wednesdays, Panera Bread, 6435 Dobbin Rd., Columbia. Free. 410-997-3965 or http://knitting.meetup.com/1040/.

ENGLISH CONVERSATION CLUB, for nonnative English speakers, a group setting to practice speaking English. Register before your first meeting. 7:45-8:45 p.m., Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Rd., Ellicott City. Free. 410-313-1950.

Thursday 14

"LESSONS OF FORGIVENESS," a talk about justice, forgiveness and remembrance by Katharina von Kellenbach, associate professor of religious studies at St. Mary's College of Maryland, part of Howard County's Choose Civility initiative. 6:30 p.m., East Columbia Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. Free. 410-313-7700 or http://www.choosecivility.org.

FAVORITE SUMMER HERBS AND EDIBLE FLOWERS, cookbook author Susan Belsinger demonstrates summer recipes. 7 p.m., Glenwood Branch Library, 2350 Route 97, Cooksville. Free. 410-313-5577.

-- Compiled by CARRIE DONOVAN

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