Around West County: Frights and fun at Piney Orchard skate party

The 12th annual Piney Orchard Figure Skating Team Halloween Party at Piney Orchard Ice Rink was the place to be Saturday as members took to the ice in costume - but not their usual sparkling dresses and elegant hairstyles.

Instead, they donned costumes of pirates, fish, fairies, artists and storybook characters. Members not only skated right out of the Renaissance era, the pink ladies and groovy girls made sure the '60s and '70s weren't forgotten. It was "fright at first sight" because the vampire queen, the gothic witch, Freddy Krueger and even one of the Munsters made sure the chill in the air wasn't just from the ice.

POFST student representatives and party organizers Lauren Risher, Sarah Jane Levine and Regan Ellis orchestrated a successful "cake skate" where lots of skaters won deliciously ghoulish desserts.

Team members might be strong competitors when they're on the ice preparing for competitions, but POFST helps foster friendship, goodwill and sportsmanship among its members through skating parties like this as well as charitable efforts throughout the year, such as the "Toys For Tots" campaign, just around the corner.

More information on POFST can be found at www.pofst.org.

Local Girl Scout cookie booth sales begin Friday and continue through Nov. 29. Girl Scouts will be at Superfresh in the Odenton Shopping Center every weekend of the sale. There will be Girl Scouts at the Safeway-Waugh Chapel Shopping Center on Nov. 6, 13 and 20.

This year's theme is "Inspired by U." During the cookie sale, the Scouts will be learning sales, marketing, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, goal-setting skills and other life skills.

A new cookie this year sure to be a hit is called "Thank U Berry Munch." It is a crunchy cookie filled with dried cranberries.

The public is encouraged to stop by a booth and buy a box of cookies for the Girl Scouts' Operation U.S. Mint project, where they donate the cookies to our troops. The donated cookies are at the USO at BWI, where every soldier leaving or coming into BWI can have a box. The Scouts also donate them directly to soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Halloween events:

The Knight of Columbus is hosting its annual children's Halloween party for children ages 12 and under from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the council hall at 1381 Becknel Ave., in Odenton. The event is open to the public. There will be fun, food, crafts and prizes.

The Arundel Baptist Church, located at 886 Annapolis Road in Gambrills, is hosting a "Trunk or Treat" for children at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Watch out for trick-or-treaters as they walk through the neighborhoods Saturday evening from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Knights of Columbus Keough Council 5263 is having its monthly pancake breakfast from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the council hall at 1381 Becknel Ave., in Odenton.

The menu includes eggs (and Egg Beaters) to order; omelets with choice of any combination of onions, tomatoes, green peppers, cheese, mushrooms and salsa; biscuits and gravy; hash browns; sausage; bacon; turkey ham; toast (white and wheat); buttermilk pancakes; peach pancakes; coffee, tea, cocoa and orange juice. The specialty pancake flavor of the month is pumpkin.

The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children between the ages of 6 and 12, and children age 5 and under eat free. Maximum cost for a family is $24. The public is invited to attend.

More than 80 employers will be in attendance at the Fort Meade Veterans Job Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 4 at Club Meade, 6600 Mapes Road. The fair is open to the public.

Applicants should bring several copies of their resume, dress for success and be prepared to apply for a job and meet prospective employers. There are no fees for job seekers to attend the event.

For more information, call Jerome Duncan at 410-674-5240.

O'Malley Senior Center: November is National Hospice Month, and in recognition of this, the O'Malley Senior Center is offering a three-part series on "Final Life Stage Family Care and Guidance."

There will be a featured speaker each week, with the first presentation at 10 a.m. Nov. 3 offered by Hospice of the Chesapeake on CPR and DNR issues including the Emergency Medical Systems pre-hospital "Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Form," a legal document that gives the 911 responders permission not to perform CPR. The DNR form is prepared in advance of any situation and kept at home.

The second presentation, on artificial nutrition and hydration, is at 10 a.m. Nov. 10 and also offered by the Hospice of the Chesapeake. Artificial nutrition and hydration is a form of life-sustaining treatment. Marie Schafer, RN, will discuss the pertinent issues related to this topic and will answer questions afterward.

The final presentation is at 10 a.m. Nov. 17 and will address the legal documents necessary to document end-of-life stage wishes. Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to convey your decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. Join attorneys Katherine Stabley and M. Boisvert as they guide you through the legal maze of "getting your house in order."

These presentations are free and open to the public. For more information, call the center at 410-222-6227 or 301-621-9515.

The Odenton Volunteer Fire Company is hosting its annual oyster and bull roast from 7 to 11 p.m. Nov. 7 at the fire hall, 1425 Annapolis Road. Tickets are $30 per person. Food includes pit beef, ham and sausage. There will be oysters on the half shell and oyster fritters along with side dishes and dessert. For more information or to reserve tickets, call 410-674-4444 or visit www.ovfc28.org.

The Trinity UMC-Community UMC Cooperative parish will be holding its second annual car show and chicken barbecue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 7. Barbecue chicken lunches will be available for $10. The car entry fee for the show is $18, which includes one barbecue chicken lunch. The event will be held at the Trinity UMC campus, 952 Patuxent Road in Odenton. For questions, e-mail trinityumc_odenton@yahoo.com.

The Howard L. Turner Post #276 Legion family will show its appreciation to all military veterans and personnel, both past and present, and their families, with a Thanksgiving Day dinner at the post at 8068 Quarterfield Road in Severn from 1 to 6 p.m. Nov. 26.

Join them for a relaxing and fun-filled afternoon to include music and entertainment, door prizes, and good food and drink. Dinner will be served from 2 to 5 p.m.

Seating is limited; RSVP to Roy Dixon at 877-736-8956 and make advanced seating reservations by Nov. 15. Donations are welcome.

Operation Welcome Home, a nonprofit organization, provides a hero's welcome every week at BWI Airport to military personnel returning home from the war. Volunteers are needed to attend welcome-home events to greet by cheering, clapping and shaking hands to say thanks.

Groups such as community organizations, schools, Scouts and church groups are also welcome to host an event, and/or contribute water and snacks for the troops. Volunteer team leaders, two for each event, also are needed to arrive an hour early to stage supplies and to make an announcement when the event begins.

Training for team leaders is required along with a commitment to two events per month. For more information, call 410-757-0982, e-mail webmaster@owhmd.org, or visit www.operationwelcomehomemd.org.

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