Foreign Language

KEEDYSVILLE - Of the major movies associated with the Academy Awards this year, Karen Adams saw just one - "Little Miss Sunshine. " She loved it so much she picked Alan Arkin to be the upset winner for the supporting actor Oscar. That decision helped her win The Herald-Mail's fourth Oscar picks contest. "Oh, thank you. That's exciting," Adams said upon learning the news Monday. "That's wonderful news, and it's my birthday today so that's even a double whammy. " Adams guessed correctly for nine of the 10 categories.

If it were up to Anthony Billotto, "The Dark Knight" would have won best picture at the Oscars a week ago. "I'm more into Quentin Tarantino-type movies, (and movies) like 'The Usual Suspects,' thrillers," said Billotto, 32, of Waynesboro, Pa. But Billotto didn't go renegade with write-ins, instead sticking to his strategy of picking favorites for his entry in The Herald-Mail's sixth Oscar Picks Contest. That strategy led him to pick nine eventual Oscar winners of the 10 categories in The Herald-Mail's Oscars contest.

Marie Antoinette Melaro, 85, of Hagerstown, Md., passed away Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at the Western Maryland Hospital Center. Born Saturday, May 14, 1927, in Oakmont, Pa., she was the daughter of the late John B. Melaro and Rose D. Toia Melaro. She received her bachelor's degree from Hood College in 1949 and later received her master's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1956. She taught foreign language in Pittsburgh-area schools for many years. She was a member of St. Ann Catholic Church.

Take a shot at winning $50 by guessing who you think will win Oscars on Sunday, Feb. 25, by participating in The Herald-Mail's fourth Oscar picks contest. Pick the winners from 10 categories to win: 1. Picture 2. Director 3. Actor 4. Actress 5. Supporting actor 6. Supporting actress 7. Adapted screenplay 8. Original screenplay 9. Animated film 10. Foreign-language film Contest entry guidelines To be eligible to win, contestants must live in Washington or Frederick counties in Maryland; Franklin or Fulton counties in Pennsylvania; or Berkeley, Jefferson or Morgan counties in West Virginia.

pepperb@herald-mail.com The Washington County Board of Education held an Evening with the Board at Northern Middle School Tuesday, asking parents for feedback on recent School Board decisions. About 40 people were present at the roundtable discussion held in one corner of Northern Middle School's media center toward the closing of the 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. meeting. School Board members and school officials were present along with some parents, teachers and coaches.

Qualified high school students can spend an academic year, three-month program or summer holiday in Europe, Asia, North and South America, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa as part of the ASSE International Student Exchange Program. Students ages 15 to 18 qualify on the basis of academic performance, character references and a desire to experience abroad with a volunteer host family in one of the many ASSE host countries. ASSE host families are carefully screened to provide a caring environment for the student.

"Nim's Island," Past child star Jodie Foster and Hollywood's current go-to girl Abigail Breslin team up for this sturdy family adventure adapted from Wendy Orr's novel. DVD, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.98. (20th Century Fox) "The Counterfeiters," The 2007 Academy Award winner for foreign-language films is based on a true story from World War II, the Austrian film follows the convoluted path of a master counterfeiter (Karl Markovics) who is thrown into a Nazi concentration camp.

Frostburg State University will present a joint informational meeting for prospective applicants for its Master of Arts in Teaching (6 p.m.) and Master of Business Administration (7 p.m.) Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the University System of Maryland-Hagerstown at 32 W. Washington St. FSU's full-time MAT program is designed to lead to teaching certification in one year. The MAT Elementary program is designed for those who have a bachelor's degree in any field and courses in various content areas.

Larry D. Steinly Supervisor of English for Speakers of Other Languages and Foreign Language Family: Wife, Stephanie; daughter, Julia; twins Jackson and Savannah. Education: Master's degree. Mentor: Dr. Emily DeCicco, a university professor, and Dr. Noel Farmer, former superintendent and university professor. Favorite part of the job: "I truly enjoy working with people to accomplish our goals. " Biggest challenges of your job: "Working with people from different cultures is very rewarding and also quite challenging at times.

The Shepherdstown and Martinsburg Rotary clubs recently sponsored their annual World Affairs Seminar for area high school students at the National Conservation Training Center. More than 70 students and teachers participated, representing Hedgesville, Martinsburg and St. Maria Goretti high schools. The Rotary has sponsored the seminar for 48 years. The event was started by the Martinsburg Rotary Club and Dr. Blaine Groves, a Martinsburg physician, and it has been a collaborative project of the Martinsburg and Shepherdstown Rotary clubs for the past 20 years.