Marriottsville/ Sykesville /Woodstock

‘Top 10’ lists abound at the turn of each year, and not surprisingly, even New Year’s Resolutions receive a ranking. Many of the Top 10 resolutions remain consistent each year and center around self-improvement, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. However, altruism also makes the cut. If your goal is to create a better 2009 by giving back to the community, then Neighbor Ride offers the perfect solution. Voted the best in Howard County – Charity/Nonprofit, Neighbor Ride is a volunteer-based transportation service that aims to keep the county’s older residents active, independent, and socially involved.

Neighbor Ride needs volunteer drivers to transport seniors to medical appointments, shopping trips, employment and volunteer commitments, religious services, social outings, and other activities. Opportunities are flexible, and drivers may choose to provide rides that are convenient to their homes and schedules. Neighbor Ride also encourages parent volunteers to bring their children for a rewarding intergenerational experience.

For more information, call Volunteer Coordinator Rosemary Noble at 410-884-RIDE (7433) or e-mail volunteer@neighborride.org

Chapelgate Presbyterian Church, in partnership with Grassroots in Columbia, will host the Cold Weather Shelter for the homeless of Howard County during Christmas week, Dec. 23-29. This endeavor requires volunteers to drive, serve food, wash laundry, and the like. If you can help or would like more information, go to www.chapelgate.org and select the “Cold Weather Shelter” link in the upper right-hand corner. The church phone number is 410-442-5800.

Our area churches open their doors in welcome this Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. St. James United Methodist, at 12470 Old Frederick Road (Route 99) in Marriottsville, offers a 6 p.m. family service and a 9:30 p.m. candlelight service of lessons and carols. West Liberty United Methodist, 2000 Sand Hill Road in Marriottsville, will worship at 6 p.m. Services for Friendship Baptist, at 1391 Sykesville Road (Route 32) in Sykesville, take place at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Chapelgate Presbyterian, 2600 Marriottsville Road, in Marriottsville, offers two candlelight services, at 6 and 8 p.m.

Colleen Layton, founder of Frisky’s Wildlife and Primate Sanctuary, asks that you remember our furred and feathered friends this holiday season. Frisky’s rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife for release into the wild, provides a lifetime residence for exotic animals that cannot be released, and helps locate adoptive homes for domestic animals, such as birds, rabbits and hamsters.

An effort of this magnitude requires enormous amounts of time, money, helping hands and supplies. Frisky’s is a nonprofit organization that pays no staff salaries; all donations are tax deductible and directly support the animals. At this point in time, the sanctuary requires funds for two major expenses: its annual primate physicals, and cataract surgery for Oogie, a monkey that faces blindness without medical intervention.

In addition to monetary donations, Frisky’s can also use gift cards, especially to 84 Lumber, Office Depot, Wal-Mart, Giant, and Sam’s Club. To support Frisky’s financially or learn about other ways in which you can assist, go to www.friskys.org and select “You Can Help” from the menu. For more information, contact the sanctuary at 410-418-8899 or e-mail friskyswildlife@yahoo.com. Frisky’s resides on the site of the former Breezewood Farms at 10790 Old Frederick Road (Route 99) in Woodstock.

Amy Bejm, band director for both West Friendship Elementary School and Dayton Oaks Elementary School, would like to congratulate her hard-working Musicians of the Month for December. WFES students receiving this honor are Trey Conroy, Marc Davidson, Grace Ellrich, Grant Felch, Joseph Naidu, Eve Neal, Samuel Running, Benjamin Skopic, Katie Sharbaugh and Julia Ulmer.

DOES Musicians of the Month include Kyra Anderson, Arman Bhardwaj, Sonya Datta, Devin Geibel, Joseph Huh, Derek Isaac, Riley Jongeneel, Riley Kloser, Christina Kratzmeier, Colleen Krein, Katherine Murbach, Cailey Reid, Samuel Reid, Laura Reynolds, Jenny Stidham, and Jesse Wyns.

Bejm would also like to recognize her students who have received band karate belts. To acquire a belt, each student must successfully complete three assessments, which grow progressively more difficult. WFES students Timothy Beschner, Hunter Cestone, Joey Naidu, Eve Neal, Megan Plummer, and Katie Sharbaugh recently earned their white belts. Noah Nies and Jillian Stewart earned yellow belts, while Claire Martin, Alexandra Pickett, Jake Polinsky and Emma Woodbury earned orange belts. Samuel Running earned a purple belt, Cade Buch earned a blue belt, and Anna Lee earned a brown belt. Charis Smith earned the second highest level belt, a silver, while Grant Felch, Niklas Schnake and Sam Sisney earned the top level gold belt.

At DOES, Mason Banner, Nicholas Baronowsky, Kendall Clairmont, Brian Doughty, Edward Frederick-Bittner, Devin Geibel, Joseph Huh, Colleen Krein, Allen Luo, MaryKate O’Neill, Luke Parker, Aaron Phillips, Kevin Reynolds, Nicholas Scaldara, Kayla Sphon, Jenny Stidham and Jesse Wyns all earned their white belts. Justin Argauer, Christina Kratzmeier, Michael Lyons, Laura Reynolds, Alexa Roche and Colin Waddington earned yellow belts. Minna Njeh earned an orange belt, and Kyra Anderson, James Huh, Katherine Murbach and Joseph Thomas earned their blue belts. Tommy Barrett, Griffin Brightbill and Peyton Oakes earned green belts. Julia Swanner earned a red belt, and Daniel Isaac and Riley Kloser both earned brown belts. Alexis Datta earned a silver belt, while Mitchell Evans and Connor Tinker earned the coveted gold belt.

Mt. View Middle School band director, Shelly Williams, proudly announces that French horn player Anna Rimlinger has earned acceptance into the Junior All-State Band, and tuba player Ku Min Kim has been selected as an alternate. Newly accepted members of the Honors Band include flutist Gloria Nam, bassoonist Emily Ingalls, baritone saxophonist Alexandra Peaco, and trumpeter Daniel Park.

Harbin Farms, which lies at the corner of Route 99 and Bethany Lane, will donate money to several area schools for every Christmas tree sold to the schools’ supporters. Marriotts Ridge High and Mt. View Middle schools are among the lucky recipients, so remember to mention the school of your choice when making a purchase.

In addition to fresh and live Christmas trees, Harbin Farms also carries wreaths, roping, pointsettias, cider, jams and jellies. A special treat awaits the kids Saturday, Dec. 13 – Santa will be on hand to greet visitors from noon to 4 p.m.! Call owners Kim and Mike Taylor for more details. Kim’s phone number is 443-864-3536, and Mike’s is 443-864-3194.

St. James United Methodist Church invites the community to attend two upcoming Christmas events. On Sunday, Dec. 14, join in some good old-fashioned Christmas caroling and help spread holiday cheer to friends and neighbors! Because of the distance between homes and neighborhoods in this neck of the woods, carolers will travel between stops via a bus, which departs from the church at 2 p.m.

St. James will also stage a living manger scene, complete with animals, Dec. 20 from 5-8 p.m. The church welcomes all visitors to stop inside for some refreshments and warm drinks.

For more details, call the church office at 410-442-2020. St. James is at 12470 Old Frederick Road (Route 99) in Marriottsville.

The Worship Arts Ministry at Friendship Baptist Church announces a free Christmas musical entitled, “Tonight, Heaven Touches Earth.” Performance dates are Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 6 p.m. Contact church secretary, Paula Berry, at 410-442-5506 with any questions or go to www.fbcmd.org for more information about Friendship Church. The address is 1391 Sykesville Road (Route 32) in Sykesville.

If you hear loud sirens this month, they may be cause for excitement rather than concern. Santa Claus and his friends at the West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department plan to visit area neighborhoods from 7-9 p.m. every evening between Dec. 14 and 21, barring emergencies or inclement weather. Their routes will wind through parts of Glenelg, West Friendship, Sykesville, Marriottsville, and Ellicott City. To view the schedule, go to www.wfvfd.org.