Parents of schoolchildren, take note: If you sent your child to the bus stop this morning as usual, perhaps now would be a good time to go and get him or her. There are no classes for public school children. None. They're home. All day.
And if you are wondering what possessed school officials to select a Wednesday as a professional workdayfor county teachers, I have a few ideas of my own I'd like to share.
Perhaps it was these same people who decided that having a Fridayand a Monday off was enough to qualify as a spring vacation? Guess again, guys.
When my children discovered every other school district in the Western Hemisphere was off for an entire week, they started calling Realtors and moving companies.
Maybe the professional workday was selected by the person who decided the school lunch menu should consist of pizza (on 20 percent of the menus), steak subs and the ever-popular potato rounds.
Or could it be the children campaignedfor Wednesday so they could stay up late Tuesday night, watch "thirtysomething" and in some way relate to the angst their parents' generation must endure.
Riva Road, feel free to call.
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Feel like dropping into Manhattan this weekend? Enjoy dinner, dancing, maybe stop by a club and hope the guy at the door lets you in? Are you prepared to spend $70 to travel by bus, $154 to travel by Metroliner or $282 in airfare?
You don't have to travel to New York; New York has come to Dorsey Road in Glen Burnie. The Home School Association of Arthur Slade Regional Catholic School will transform the school into "Manhattan After Dark" this Friday and Saturday evening.
Five rooms of entertainment and a casino will offer hours of enjoyment for a cover charge of $7.50 Friday and $8.50 Saturday. Cash bars will be in each room. In addition, food will be available at an extra cost in the coffeehouse, the New York deli and the restaurant.
The evening starts at 6 p.m. when "La Casa Slade" begins serving dinner with an international flavor. The menu will include herbed roast chicken, chicken enchiladas, fettuccine and seafood chowder.
Entertainment will begin at 7 p.m. in the clubs, each of which sports a different theme.
The Top-40 sound, as performed by the popular band Appaloosa, will welcome visitors to "Arthur's." Everybody dance now!
If the two-step and clogging are more your style, then stop by "The Dew Drop Inn" and listen to the sounds of the New Early Sunrise Band. Buy a few nachos and stomp your heart out.
Take a step back in time in two of the clubs. The sounds of swing by the 16-piece orchestra Wolftrap will help you get "In the Mood."
Murph the Music Man will be spinning platters "At The Hop," surrounded by poodle skirts and '50s prom dresses. Root-beer floats and hula-hoop contests will add to the atmosphere.
Dancers from the Starlight Ballroom dancing school will show the big band and bobby-sox crowd how it's done Friday night.
Andre Browne will be back by popular demand at "The Comedy Club." Steve Melcher will join him.
Each room will have four shows, except "The DewDrop Inn," where country-and-Western fans can enjoy five shows. A program with a listing of the shows' starting times will be available at the door to help you in your room-hopping.
The Knights of Columbus will be hosts for the "Big Apple Casino" throughout the evening for those in the mood to test the odds.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling the school at 766-7130.
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It's another Kunz-Smith extravaganza when the Glen Players of Glen Burnie Senior High present the musical "Grease" Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in the school auditorium. The curtain goes up at 7 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Co-directed by drama teacher Helen Kunz and William Smith of the English department, this doo-wop musical follows the romance of a "greaser" and a "square" as theytry to fit love, fun and high school into 1959.
Mike Chester, as Danny Zuko, and Andrea Johnson, as Sandy Dumbrowski, offer their interpretations of the roles made famous by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the movie version. (Note to Andrea: stay away from the Australian accent. It really brought down the movie.)
Matt Clark, Bobby Simmons, Mike White and George Yancy are the boys in Zuko's greaser group, "The Burger Palace Boys." Tanisha Figueroa, True Hall, Danielle Praley and Stacey Jorden are their girlfriends and Sandy's back-up singers.
Under the direction of Tony Pinder, the musical combo members are Heather Schneider, Jennifer Roth, Bill Barrington, Ryan Levo, Jason Free, Nichole Fagg, Julie Ferraro and Bill Smith. The play has been choreographed by Laura Serafin-Bagnell.
Kunz swears this is her last production. "I was bound and determined to go out with a bang, and I promise that what's going to happen."
Sales are going well, and there are only a limited number of weekend seats available.Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling the school office, 761-8950.
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It's "Spring For Reading" time at Marley Middle School, where reading can earn students "Book Bucks" that can be used to purchase services from teachers and coupons from area stores.
The idea came to English teacher Mark Lynch last year as he was tryingto find a way to promote reading among the students. It was an immediate success, with students earning one "Book Buck" for every 50 pages read and confirmed by a parent.
"Nearly all the teachers, administrators and staff donated services to be auctioned off," explained Lynch. "We have a teacher who will clean out your locker, one will bake cookies and another will serve the student lunch in the cafeteria. The most popular is the chance to be principal for the day. The firstthing they ask is 'Who can I suspend?' We have to tell them that it looks good, but it is really boring."
In addition to the teacher services, several area businesses have donated items for the auction.
The reading program will continue until April 30 when the participants can bid at the auction.
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The Glen Burnie Senior High Student Government Association is sponsoring a blood drive from 8 a.m. to2 p.m. Thursday in the school auditorium.
SGA hopes to reach its goal of 130 pints. It is 40 pints away.
Donors must be 17 years old at the time of the donation, weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and be in generally good health.
The Red Cross reminds donors that there is no risk in giving blood.
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There is still time to register for the 1991-1992 school year at the Olde Mill Christian Academy, 651 Olde Mill Road.
Principal Elizabeth Rogers invites the community tovisit to see "a small school offering quality education at affordable prices in an interdenominational Christian atmosphere."
The school offers instruction for children from prekindergarten to grade 12. There are four learning centers similar to four one-room school houses. The curriculum is based on the Accelerated Christian Education system.
"We are more or less one big family here," said Rogers. "The size of the classes allows us to be more involved with our students and offer personal attention."
The school will provide an information packet if you call 987-4744.
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The deadline has been extended for Glen Lutheran Church's free fellowship spaghetti dinner Sunday.
Reservations, which will be taken through tomorrow, can be made by calling 987-1528, 768-0516 and 768-4779.
Dinner will be served from 4 to 8 p.m. in the church hall, 106 Carroll Road.
Sunday is also visitor's Sunday at Glen Lutheran. Members of the congregation areinvited to bring their friends and the community is invited to visit. The Rev. Alan Traher will address the congregation and guests at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School begins at 9 a.m.
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The students in the Glen Burnie Senior High Foreign Language Club also cook!
"Soaring High With Foreign Language" is the theme of this year's dinner at 6:30p.m., May 2, in the school cafeteria, which will be decorated for the occasion by the language clubs.
The dinner will offer a wide variety of foods from around the world.
"We plan on having something for everyone -- French, Spanish and German foods. We even will have some from America," said Charlie Day, head of the foreign language department.
Each family is requested to bring a covered dish. Suggestions and recipes are available. A fee of $2 per person will cover breads, coffee and soft drinks.
Information: 761-8950.
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Briefly noted:
A flea market is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdayat the Country Club Estates Recreation Association Hall on Paul MarrDrive. Junior Girl Scout Troop 1630 will be selling baked goods to raise money for Girl Scout camp.
Information: 761-0317.
The Parke West Community Association is sponsoring a Spring Craft Fair from 9a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Quarterfield Elementary School on Quarterfield Road. Spaces are available for $15 each; tables are $20; electricity to the table is an additional $5. To reserve a space, call 969-5196 or 768-3815.
Dancers, get out your blue suede shoes. The Greater Glen Burnie Chapter of Parents Without Partners is having a '50s dance from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday at the Orchard Beach Fire Hall,7549 Solley Road. The dance is open to the community. Tickets are $8for members and $10 for non-members and include beer, chips, pretzels and set-ups.
Information: 987-4639