Items Of Interest - October 23, 2009

Volunteers Needed

Red Cross

The Western Potomac Chapter American Red Cross is seeking volunteers to help with setting up displays for their annual Mountain Reflections light show. Volunteers are needed Saturday, October 24th and Sunday, October 25th from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Please contact Michelle Harris at 301-722-1760 ext. 107 or email at michelleharris@allconet.org.

if you or any organization is willing to help with this special event or have any other questions. Thank you!

Need Somethng To Do…Check Out These Events!!!

Ride The Rails Fundraiser

The Potomac Eagle and the Loy Foundation are pleased to extend a special invitation to residents and friends of Hampshire County for a day of history, countryside and fun aboard the Potomac Eagle Train for the second annual Ride the Rails for Your Community. The event will take place on Sunday, November 1 and will benefit the United Way of Hampshire County and the Hampshire County Community Foundation.

The morning train will depart from Wappocomo Station just outside of Romney at 10 a.m. and will return at 12:30 p.m. The afternoon train will depart at 1 p.m. and return at 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 for adults, $37 for senior citizens, and $10 for children ages 6-16. Children under 6 ride for free. Riders can pay one price and enjoy both trips! Contact the Hampshire County foundation at 1-822-7200 or the Potomac Eagle ticket office 304-424-0736.

Artful Objects Sale

Want to find a new home for your excess "artful" stuff? The Allegany Arts Council will have an Artful Objects Sale during the next Saturday Arts Walk on October 24 from 5-8PM at 50 N. Centre Street---next to Off Centre. We are looking for donations of gently loved artful things such as prints, photographs and paintings, ceramics, hand-made jewelry, artful clothing and home accessories. Bring your donations to the Allegany Arts Council any time before the Arts Walk when the office is open. We will give you a receipt to be used to claim a tax deduction. Then come to the sale to see what treasures await your home.

Fiddle, Banjo & Mandolin Championship

The 16th Annual Mid-Atlantic Grand Fiddle, Banjo, and Mandolin Championship hosted by the Cumberland Lions Club will be held Saturday, October 24, 2009. The event will be held at the Gateway Center on the Downtown Cumberland Mall from 1-6pm. Food and refreshments will be available. Proceeds from the event support the Cumberland Lions Club sight conservation projects.

Cumberland Arts Walk
Come out and enjoy the arts on Saturday, October 24th from 5-8pm, as the Downtown Cumberland Arts & Entertainment District hosts its final Saturday Arts Walk of the 2009 season. The Arts Walks are self-guided walking tours that feature opening receptions and exhibitions at downtown art galleries, theatre performances, live music at several downtown locations, shopping at a variety of retail destinations, and dining at some of the area's finest restaurants. While some of the evening performances may require the purchase of tickets, most activities are free, and many participating venues offer special discounts to Arts Walk participants. Brochures for the October 24th Arts Walk are now available from the Allegany Arts Council (located at 9 N. Centre Street in Downtown Cumberland) and from each of the more than 30 participating Arts Walk destinations. You may also download a copy of the Arts Walk brochure at www.alleganyartscouncil.org.

For more information, please call the Allegany Arts Council at 301-777-ARTS (2787).

Halloween in Downtown Cumberland

Join in the fun! The annual children’s Halloween Parade, Trick or Treating, Halloween DJ and a Haunted Trolley ride will take place on October 31st on the historic Downtown Cumberland Mall. Trick or treating will be from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the Downtown Cumberland Mall and 1 – 3 p.m. at Canal Place.

60th Annual Halloween Parade & Mummers Contest

The Mummers contest ( children dressed up for Halloween) begins at 5:30PM at Smith Park. Last year 190 children enter the contest. Each child entering receives a Gold dollar coin then they are divided up into 4 groups by age up to 18 years of age. The 1st place winners in each group receive $20; 2nd Place winners of each group receive $15; The 3rd place winner of each group receive $10. Of all the groups the best Dressed costume is selected as the Grand Mummer and given a Trophy and $25. The Mummers start the Parade with the Grand Marshal at around 7:00 PM. This year Jim Scarpelli Sr. was asked to be the Grand Marshal since he is the last living founder of the Parade. He is 94 years young and said he could not ride in front for the whole parade, so a float dedicated to him will be at the beginning of the Parade. The Parade starts down First Street, then down Virginia Avenue to Industrial Blvd. Presently 9 Bands will be participating and the parade officials are waiting for 2 more to respond. Many floats and antique cars as well as marchers will participate.

Food Bank Benefit
October 29th 2009: Allegany Radio Corporation (ARC) will hold its semi-annual Food Drive to benefit the Western Maryland Food Bank. In cooperation with Martin’s Food Market in the Queen City Plaza ARC will be holding a live broadcast and food drive from 6 am to 7 pm. Participants are asked to bring their monetary or non-perishable food donation to Martin’s where it will be collected by WMFB volunteers and distributed throughout our region.
Food donations will be collected for the Western Maryland Food Bank during the event in Downtown Cumberland and from 6 am to 7 pm at the Martin’s Food Market in the Queen City Plaza in Cumberland. For more information you can call Allegany Radio Corporation at 301-759-1005

Soup Line Will Benefit Food Bank

In Conjunction with the semi-annual food drive ARC will present “Fighting Hunger and Feeding Hope.” October 29, 1929 marks an unforgettable day! It was the day that the Roaring 20’s came to a grinding halt and a new era of hard times began. After the “Crash of 1929” bread kitchens and soup lines sprang up everywhere.

As we mark this day ~ 80 years later we are forever mindful that many people are still experiencing hunger in our community, so we will mark this day with our “Fighting Hunger & Feeding Hope” fundraiser to support the Western Maryland Food Bank.

Join us on the Downtown Cumberland Mall
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
In front of the Oxford House
129 Baltimore St
11:00 am - 2:00 pm (or until the soup is gone)
Soup & Bread will be served
Donations for the Food Bank will be accepted

Cumberland Arts Walk
Come out and enjoy the arts on Saturday, October 24th from 5-8pm, as the Downtown Cumberland Arts & Entertainment District hosts its final Saturday Arts Walk of the 2009 season. The Arts Walks are self-guided walking tours that feature opening receptions and exhibitions at downtown art galleries, theatre performances, live music at several downtown locations, shopping at a variety of retail destinations, and dining at some of the area's finest restaurants. While some of the evening performances may require the purchase of tickets, most activities are free, and many participating venues offer special discounts to Arts Walk participants. Brochures for the October 24th Arts Walk are now available from the Allegany Arts Council (located at 9 N. Centre Street in Downtown Cumberland) and from each of the more than 30 participating Arts Walk destinations. You may also download a copy of the Arts Walk brochure at www.alleganyartscouncil.org.

For more information, please call the Allegany Arts Council at 301-777-ARTS (2787).

Ghost Hunting In Allegany County

Come see and hear the local Western Maryland Paranormal Society discuss paranormal investigations! They will have their equipment with them as well as a presentation to show how they do what they do! Join us Thursday, October 29 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Washington Street Library!

Cumberland goes to war guest speaker: dr. Janet sims-wood
For the first time, during World War II, African-American women were allowed to enter the military. They were housed in segregated barracks, at separate dining tables, and used segregated recreational facilities. Despite the hardships and discrimination, the women persevered…The Allegany County Library will host Dr. Sims-Wood – Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 7 p.m. Downtown Cumberland Mall’s Windsor Hall. Dr. Sims-Wood is the former Assistant Chief Librarian in the Reference. Reader Services Department at the Moorland-Springarn Research Center at Howard University, she also taught at the University of Maryland in the Afro American Studies Department.

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