To have an item listed free in The Potomac Almanac, send mail to 10220 River Road, Suite 303, Potomac, MD 20854, e-mail to almanac@connectionnewspapers.com, or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week’s paper. Photos and artwork encouraged. Unless otherwise noted, all events are in Potomac. If you have any questions, call Miguel Koropecky at 703-917-6407.
SPARK, Single Parents Raising Kids, is a non-profit, all volunteer organization designed to support single parent families through social, family, and educational activities. Any parent who is single, separated, divorced, widowed, or never married and has at least one child under the age of 18 is eligible to join. There is no time commitment required. Members can choose each month the activities that suit their interests and schedules. Dues are $25 per year. Prospective members can join after attending a one-hour info session— children are welcome. The next orientation is Sunday, June 5 at 3 p.m. at Bauer Drive Rec Center. Call 301-598-6395 or visit www.sparkinc.org.
The silver anniversary of Women Business Owners of Montgomery County (WBO), the Montgomery County Women's Fair and the Women's Legislative Briefing are looking for nominations for an outstanding Montgomery County woman, who is a positive force in the community and a role model for others. This committee will select 25 finalists, all of whom will be honored at WBO's annual luncheon on Oct. 21 at the Gaithersburg Hilton. One of these will be chosen to receive the prestigious ATHENA Award. Call 301-421-4890, nomination forms are on-line at http://www.wbo-mc.com/nomination05.pdf.
The International Center for Language Studies is recruiting families to host 25 "English as a Second Language (ESL)," high-school students, from France for two, three-week sessions in the summer. The sessions are July 10-July 30 and July 31-Aug. 20. Call 202-639-8800 or visit www.icls.com
The Montgomery County Commission for Women Counseling and Career Center is providing counseling services for adults. The types of counseling include Personal Counseling for people who are experiencing a variety of issues and concerns, Career Counseling that can help with career planning and work-related issues, and Couple Counseling that focuses on helping couples improve their communication and problem-solving skills. The sessions are 50 minutes. Cost: $30 for Montgomery County residents, $45 for non-residents. To schedule an appointment, call 240-777-8300. For more information, visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland has recorded a message after attending the funeral of Pope John Paul II. In the message, recorded on a plane bound for the United States, Mikulski shares her thoughts and observations on the funeral and what the pope meant to the world. Mikulski has met the pope several times, including in Baltimore, when he was Bishop of Krakow, and in the White House. Mikulski was at his investiture in 1978 and presented him with the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001. To hear audio from the interview, call 1-800-511-0763 and, when prompted, enter # 7206. An mp3 file of the interview can be found at http://democrats.gov/actualities/mikulski.
The Montgomery County Commission for Women Counseling and Career Center, 401 N. Washington St., Suite 100, Rockville, is looking for volunteers. Opportunities include Information and Referral specialists, General Office Assistant, and Marketing/Publicity Specialists. Training is provided. Weekdays and evenings are available. This can be an opportunity for high school students to fulfill community service requirement. For more information, contact Alyssa Philipp at 240-777-8307 or e-mail at alyssa.philipp@montgomerycountymd.gov. Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cfw.