Fall craft season opens at St. Paul's, Ridgely Middle

Local residents can start the holiday shopping season at a pair of local craft fairs coming up in November.

• St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1609 Kurtz Avenue, kicks off the season with its annual craft show on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the church's Spangler Hall.

The fair is a great place to sell crafts or to buy handmade holiday presents. There will also be gourmet goodies on sale. Patrons can have lunch while browsing, or take home some treats. Admission is $1. To reserve a table, or for details or directions, call 410-252-3768 or email office@stpaulslutherville.org and leave a message for Bonnie.

• Ridgely Middle School, at Charmuth and Ridgely roads, will host its craft fair and silent auction on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is in its 30th year, offering a variety of crafts from more than 100 artists and crafters. Among the handmade creations are jewelry, handbags, pottery, furniture, soaps, American Girl clothes, accessories and quilts.

There will also be an assortment of silent auction items, luncheon offerings and a bake table. Sponsored by the Ridgely PTA, the fair is the group's major fundraiser.

See the Fire Museum of Maryland in a whole new light this Saturday, Oct. 29, as the museum celebrates its annual Lantern Night.

Kerosene lanterns and etched glass signal lamps will be lit on many of the 42 antique fire engines from 6 to 8 p.m., while the lights in the museum are turned down low. Re-enactors in period costume will tell stories of firefighters of the past.

Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens and firefighters; and $5 for children ages 2 to 18. Parking is free, and on Lantern Night, visitors who come in costume get in for half price.

For more details, call 410-321-7500 or go to http://www.firemuseummd.org.

The Church of the Holy Comforter, Seminary Avenue in Historic Lutherville, will host a blood drive this Saturday, Oct. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the church's parish hall.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call the church office at 410-252-2711.

Hampton Elementary School welcomed several new faculty members this fall. New first-grade teachers are Bridget Singleton and Charles Gagliano.

Several familiar faces have also returned to Hampton. Rita Hundley, a former first-grade teacher at Hampton, is back to take care of Melissa Cavender's first-grade class while Cavender is on maternity leave.

Katie Tasch has returned to teach second grade after most recently serving as a school counselor at Oakleigh Elementary School.

Jill Dunham Wright, another returning teacher, will share the technology integration position with Kelly Heil. Then, during Heil's maternity leave, Lisa Yeager will teach her classes.

Also at Hampton, the school will wrap up its fall book fair week with the school's annual fall festival this Friday, Oct. 28.

Residents should mark their calendars now for the annual Dulaney Valley Improvement Association's annual wine and cheese evening, set for Saturday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Fire Museum of Maryland.

Children and grandchildren in Dulaney Village enjoyed a Halloween party on Oct. 24, hosted by Valley Baptist Church.