Diversity

Last week, I used this column to suggest that the City of Hagerstown create a Community Development Corporation to develop and execute a vision for the downtown. I did not intend to criticize or judge, merely to point out that to my knowledge there is not a cohesive plan to move the downtown forward. I'd like to define in this week's column who I suggest should make up a CDC Board. Other than some time spent doing a little community development here locally, I have no particular bona fides to support my opinion.

Hagerstown Community College will sponsor its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Celebration on Monday, Jan. 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Kepler Theater at HCC. The celebration will begin with a musical performance by the Greater Campher Temple Gospel and conclude with a dramatic rendition of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, performed by the Rev. Darin Mency. The event will also include musical, dramatic and video performances, as well as poetry readings. Students, staff and faculty are involved in planning this event, which is free and open to the public.

HAGERSTOWN In the name of diversity, the Washington County Board of Education is trying to minimize academic disparities and cultural barriers, schools officials said Monday. Maryland is projected to be, within 15 years, a "majority minority" state, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Patricia Abernethy said. That means most residents will belong to what are considered minority groups. Abernethy said the district is working to improve minority students' test scores and to better understand cultural differences.

HAGERSTOWN - A new generation is being introduced to Martin Luther King Jr.'s message. The famous words from his "I Have a Dream" speech and chants of "lead, not follow" rang throughout the Hagerstown Community College Athletic, Recreation and Community Center Monday morning during the college's fourth annual Unity in Diversity celebration. About 500 area students participated in diversity workshops, led by local teachers and HCC staff. Marvin Worthy, CEO of Worthy Consulting, led high school and college students in one workshop.

HAGERSTOWN In a move to increase campus diversity, Hagerstown Community College formed a racially mixed multicultural committee through which members hope to create a more multicultural campus, campus officials said. Donna Rudy, chairwoman of the Multicultural Committee and HCC's dean of student affairs, said the committee also will explore ways to strengthen the recruitment and retention of minority students, faculty and staff. "In higher education, you open the doors for students, so you want to make sure you have a representative body of students, as well as faculty and staff who service those students," Rudy said.

scottb@herald-mail.com Citing an increase in its racial and ethnic diversity, the Washington County Board of Education is asking for a federal grant of about $1 million to implement two new magnet programs and revise three existing ones, a school board official said Thursday. The racial and ethnic diversity of students enrolled in Washington County Public Schools has changed, from about 95.7 percent white in the mid-1980s to about 87.2 percent white this school year, Roger Giles, director of funded and special programs, said during an oral presentation to the board.

WASHINGTON COUNTY - Washington County still is predominantly white, but its minority communities are growing much faster than the population as a whole, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released last week. According to the new estimates, Washington County's population as of July 1, 2006, was 143,748. Of those, 126,359 were white, 13,388 were black, 1,918 were Asian, 283 were American Indian and 65 were Native Hawaiian. The county's population included 1,735 people of two or more races.

When my daughter was 5, she had a favorite doll that she took everywhere. The doll came with a tiny red wagon, and it was precious to see my little one pull the doll from place to place, park the wagon, scoop up the doll and straighten her dress. The doll's hair bow matched her dress - red with white polka dots. With only that much description, what image comes to your mind? Did you imagine that the doll's hair was blonde? brown? red? If you did, your image wasn't reality.

Late one night as he was leaving his church, Pastor Robert Griffin encountered a prostitute outside the 40 W. Church St. sanctuary. "She told me how much it meant to her that she could always look through our front window and see the cross all lit up on the altar," Griffin said. When Griffin invited her to come inside the New Light Metropolitan Community Church to worship sometime, the woman said she'd think about it. Griffin said she hasn't come in yet, but he rejoices that he is the pastor of a congregation that would heartily welcome her into their midst if she does.

Here are some interesting tidbits about artichokes: One of the oldest known foods, artichokes have been cultivated in the Mediterranean for thousands of years. The globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) apparently was carried to Egypt and farther eastward between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. The globe artichoke also is known as the green artichoke, French artichoke and garden artichoke. Artichokes were first planted commercially in California during the 1890s by Italian immigrants near Half Moon Bay. Artichokes grow best in moderate climates.