Family advocacy center in So. Md. seeking interpreters

Friday, Oct. 3, 2008

‘‘We’re looking for volunteers,” executive director Laura Joyce said. ‘‘We need them for a couple of different things.”

The center is hoping to increase its ride-alongs with law officers and expand its legal services including helping with protective orders, and another need is for interpreters – people who are fluent in perhaps Urdu, Hindi, Vietnamese, Spanish or sign language.

The center provides court advocacy and legal representation at no cost to victims of domestic violence. The volunteers who can interpret for clients would assist at consultations with the center’s attorneys and at protective order proceedings and other legal hearings. Training will be provided to interpreters about the legal process and domestic violence.

The center is also in need of volunteers to assist court advocates by providing on-site child care to the children of domestic violence victims while they are attending emergency legal proceedings. Volunteers will be trained. The center conducts a criminal background check on all volunteers working with children. For more information on volunteering, call Rebecca Ellis at 301-373-4141 or send e-mail to rebeccae@smcfa.net.

Stalcup brought wide repertoire to piano

Ulysses Usher ‘‘Rocky” Stalcup died last month at the age of 95, and the Hollywood resident’s legacy includes his legendary piano performances at Sunday brunch at Lenny’s Restaurant in California.

‘‘I’ll take ‘Turkey in the Straw’ and put a boogie beat on it,” Stalcup said in a 1990 interview at the end of a three-hour performance. ‘‘I guess if I had to play the whole weekend without repeating myself, I could. If I want to learn a piece of music, I read it and whistle it and then I go to the piano and play it. That sounds fantastic, but it isn’t, because it’s a hell of a lot easier to remember my arrangement than somebody else’s.”

The Nebraska native was playing fiddle as a teenager when disease took his eyesight, and during the 10 years before a series of surgeries partially restored his eyesight, he took up the piano and eventually found work at nightclubs and restaurants. He adjusted his selections to suit each venue.

‘‘You couldn’t go into a beer joint and play classical. They’d run you out of there,” he said, and his performances led to additional work as a piano tuner and piano instructor.

Mechanicsville VRSto host pitch party

The Mechanicsville Volunteer Rescue Squad auxiliary will sponsor a pitch card party at 7:30 p.m. today, Friday, at the squad building on Old Flora Corner Road. The $5 fee includes refreshments. Participants must be 16 or older. For more information, call 301-884-4108.

Town 300th anniversarytalk set for Friday

The Leonardtown 300th Anniversary Lecture Series continues at 7 tonight, Friday, at the College of Southern Maryland’s Leonardtown campus with ‘‘A Photo Presentation of Life in Leonardtown: Yesterday and Today” presented by Frank ‘‘Frankie” Tippett of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society. The lecture will be in Building A’s auditorium.

Using old photos dating back to the 1880s and current photos, Tippett will provide a pictorial guide of Leonardtown through the years. There is no charge for admission. For more information, call 240-725-5499, ext. 7703, or go online to www.csmd.edu or http:⁄⁄leonardtown.somd.com⁄300thanvy.htm.

First Fridays events continue in town

Leonardtown will celebrate another First Friday tonight, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the North End Gallery, Heron’s Way Gallery, Quality Street Kitchen and Catering, Cafe des Artistes, Good Earth Foods, the Brewing Grounds, Fenwick Street Used Books and Corbel’s restaurant. On a Roll, Leonardtown’s hot dog vendor, will be in operation. Special activities also are planned at the Maryland Antiques Center and its Leonardtown Galleria, Tea Room, Shelby’s Creative Framing and Creek Side Gallery. Call 301-475-9791.

World Animal Day event set for Saturday

A World Animal Day celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, at The Good Earth Natural Foods Co. on Park Avenue in Leonardtown.

A special guest appearance is scheduled for noon by Socks, the former ‘‘First Cat” of the White House, and his guardian angel Betty Currie, President Clinton’s personal secretary. Retired racing greyhounds, adorable kittens and an array of other small furry creatures also will be in attendance at the event designed to highlight humankind’s unique relationship with the animal kingdom, and acknowledge the numerous ways in which animals enrich our lives. Ten percent of that day’s sales and all raffle proceeds will be donated to local animal rescue groups. Call 301-475-1630.

County seeks update on tourism offerings

The St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism is seeking information on new hospitality and tourism-related businesses such as hotels, restaurants and specialty shops, for inclusion in the St. Mary’s County Destination Guide and on the St. Mary’s County Tourism site.

Information including the business’ name, street and mailing address, phone and fax number, e-mail address, Web site and a 35-word maximum description of the business can be mailed to St. Mary’s County Division of Tourism, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Listings also can be e-mailed to visitus@stmarysmd.com, or faxed to 301-475-4414. Call 301-475-4200, ext.1404.

Sheriff’s office to host Oct. 18 open house

The St. Mary’s Sheriff’s Office will host an open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, featuring activities for all ages, designed to be both fun and educational.

Events will include McGruff safety talks, taser demonstrations, police dog demonstrations, a detention center tour and an emergency services team demonstration.

Christmas in April applications sought

Christmas in April St. Mary’s County is distributing free applications for assistance. Anyone living in a house they own in St. Mary’s County, who is among the low-income, elderly or disabled and in need of help with home repairs, can obtain a free application by calling 301-863-2905. Applications are also available in all county public libraries, most post offices, the St. Mary’s Health Department in Leonardtown, the St. Mary’s County Office on Aging and social service offices. Applications can also be downloaded online at www.christmasinaprilsmc.org. The deadline to apply for help is Oct. 13.

Health department seeks volunteers

The St. Mary’s County Health Department needs people to volunteer to scan records and drive citizens to doctor appointments. Call volunteer coordinator Cindy Spalding at 301-475-4328.

Leadership Southern Maryland coming

The Leadership Southern Maryland Board of Directors has announced that the organization and the College of Southern Maryland have signed an agreement to share offices with the corporate center at the college’s Leonardtown campus.

This year, Leadership Southern Maryland will hold classes for 30 participants reflecting a cross-section of the region to pursue comprehensive leadership, regional awareness, collaboration, management development and life-long learning. Successful candidates must have the willingness to commit the time, energy and resources to complete the program. Go online to www.leadsomd.org, or contact Executive Director Karen Holcomb at 301-481-2727 or by e-mail at holcombke@msn.com.

jwharton@somdnews.com