Sign Up for Scrabble Madness
“Scrabble Madness,” the third annual charity Scrabble contest, will be held on Saturday, February 23, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Decker College Center, McDaniel College. The McDaniel English Department, the Literacy Council of Carroll County, and the Westminster Rotary Club will host the contest. Teams will consist of one to three people, and the youngest team members must be in the sixth grade. The deadline for registration is February 11, but registration will close when 64 teams have entered. The Team Entrance Fee is $100.

Proceeds from Scrabble Madness will benefit the Literacy Council and the Westminster Rotary Club’s community projects. Registration forms are available at Carroll County Public Library branches, the Literacy Council (Carroll Non Profit Center; 255 Clifton Blvd, Suite 314; Westminster, MD) and the Carroll Arts Center (91 W. Main Street Westminster). Forms are also available upon request. Information: mbendels@mcdaniel.edu

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The blues quartet, “Hard Swimmin’ Fish,” returns to the stage of the Carroll Arts Center on Saturday, February 9 at 7:30 p.m. with a snow date of February 19. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for CCAC members, students & seniors.

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2013 marks the 45th Anniversary of the Y of Central Maryland’s Chipmunks preschool program. The Y is planning a reunion of former Chipmunks and their families in late March 2013 at the Hill Family Center Y.

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Mark Lohr and the Lohr Family Clowns will perform on Presidents’ Day, February 18 at 11 a. m. at the Carroll Arts Center. Tickets are $6 for Adults and $4 for CCAC members, students and seniors. The snow date for the show is Tuesday, February 19. The show is sponsored by the Davis Library Inc.

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The Carroll County Ramblers, recent winners of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Alta Award for excellence in the traditional arts, will perform at the Carroll Arts Center on Sunday, February 17 at 3 p.m. The group includes Dale Eyler on fiddle and vocals, Steve Waldon Jr. on banjo, Bonnie Eyler on fiddle, bass and vocals and Dave Dulaney on guitar and vocals. Tickets are $12 for Adults and $10 for CCAC members, students and seniors. Snow date for the concert is Sunday, February 24 at 3 p.m.

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In honor of St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), the Teelin Irish Dance Company returns to the Carroll Arts Center for live performances on Saturday, March 16 at 3 and 7 p.m. The performances are sponsored by Manchester Family Medicine.Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for CCAC members, seniors and students.

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Documentary Explores The Effects of Art
Carroll Lutheran Village launched its new LifeLong Learning program in January with a speech by Leo Eaton, producer of the PBS documentary, “Arts & the Mind.” The LifeLong Learning curriculum was developed as part of the Carroll Lutheran Village’s wellness initiative in partnership with Carroll County Arts Council, Carroll Community College, Carroll County Public Library, Carroll Hospital Center, Historical Society of Carroll County, McDaniel College and the Partnership for a Healthier Carroll County.

Events are either free or low-cost and open to all seniors in the community. Registration is required for all sessions. A complete schedule of events is available on the Carroll Lutheran Village web site at www.clvillage.org under Lifelong Learning or by calling 443-605-1070.

“Arts & the Mind,” will be screened free at the Carroll Arts Center on Tuesday, February 26 at 7 p.m. The film explores the role the arts play in human development, and shares stories and cutting-edge scientific research on how music, dance, painting, poetry and theater markedly improve well-being at both ends of life.

Hosted and narrated by Lisa Kudrow, “Arts & the Mind” makes the point that art is not a “luxury,” but central to the development of the human brain. Experts include Dr. Antonio Damasio (University of Southern California), Dr. Ellen Winner (Boston College), Dr. James Catterall (UCLA), Dr. Charles Limb (Johns Hopkins Medical Institute) and Dr. Peter Davies (Albert Einstein Medical Center).

Filmmaker Eaton will be on hand to lead a post-film discussion. Tickets are not required and seating is on a first-come, first served basis.

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Barleyjuice Returns
The Celtic-Rock band Barleyjuice returns to the stage of the Carroll Arts Center for two live concerts on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. The performance is sponsored by Westminster dentist Dr. Patrick Gallagher and the Best Western Hotel. Wine, beer and snacks will be available for sale at both concerts. Tickets are $28 for adults and $25 for CCAC members, seniors and students.

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10th Annual Foreign Film Festival Scheduled at Carroll Arts Center
The 10th Annual Foreign Film Festival will be held at the Carroll Arts Center on Fridays in February. All films start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for CCAC members, students and seniors. McDaniel College is sponsoring the series, so McDaniel students and faculty are admitted free. All films are shown with English subtitles.
February 1
A Separation (Iran) 2011; PG-13; 123 mins.
A married couple is faced with a difficult decision – to leave Iran or stay to look after a parent who has Alzheimer’s disease.
February 8
The Women on the 6th Floor (France) 2010; Not Rated; 104 mins.
In 1960s Paris, a conservative couple’s lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids.
February 15
Incendies (Belgium) 2010; R; 130 mins.
Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history, and fulfill their mother’s last wishes.
February 22
The Intouchables (France) 2012; R; 112 mins.
The true story of two men who should never have met – a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects.