North Beach will welcome 2015 with its annual Polar Bear Plunge Jan. 1, at 1 p.m. Plungers can either take a quick dip, splash or swim in the frigid Chesapeake Bay.

  

Plungers and their guests can also enjoy hot cocoa and roast marshmallows around a warm bonfire. This year the net proceeds go to The Autism Project.      

  

Each year, Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center invites guests to help create a community art installation in honor of a dream. Celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a community art activity Jan. 17-19, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Stop by and create a beautifully adorned heart for a clothesline display. Use a prompt to create a heart with a positive message or start from scratch and use your own creative ideas to embellish your work. Choose from the varied supplies to make your creation-felts, yarns, glues, glitters, buttons, beads, threads and more. This is a give-and-take project. The idea is to make a heart to leave for others and take a finished heart created by a stranger as a reminder that good, kind people are all around us.

 

Reservations are not required. Children are encouraged to just drop in and join the fun, meet new people and make friends!

 

         

USO performer Vincent Turner will bring to life a "USO Show - Entertaining the Troops" at the North Beach Town Hall Jan. 25, at 2 p.m.

  

Olivia Turner and Vince Turner sing together during the "USO Show - Entertaining the Troops" event at the Bayside History Museum last month.

The USO has supported the members of the armed forces and their families since 1941. What you may not know is that during World War II there were a number of other federal, military and private organizations which gave their time, talent and energy toward providing a boost in morale for all service members while away from home. From USO and Service Member Clubs to town-sponsored railway canteens and recreational and entertainment activities on the battle front, this lecture and exhibit showcase their stories through a series of informative displays and period artifacts that have been brought together to show what it meant to entertain the troops.

 

This event is sponsored by the Bayside History Museum and Calvert Library.

 

For more information, contact Bayside History Museum at 410-610-5970 or Calvert Library, at 410-535-0291.

 

If you were not able to attend the Mrs. World competition in Solomons to see women from 50 countries compete for the crown, you can still watch the rich pageantry online. Click here to watch Mrs. Marina Alekseychi of Belarus earn the title of Mrs. World in the beautifully appointed Patuxent Auditorium.

 

Mrs. World is an international beauty pageant organized to honor married women across the globe. An emphasis is also placed on contestants' opinions regarding family values and current events. When you see the video, you'll understand why the pageant organizers chose Calvert County for their event.

 

For more information about Calvert County and its many venues, visit Choose Calvert.

 

 

Calvert County's eclectic restaurants will showcase their creative cuisine and offer delicious deals during Calvert County Restaurant Week Feb. 20 - March 1.

 

Whether you love local seafood, Italian cuisine or anything in between, Restaurant Week has something to satisfy any taste. Restaurateurs are offering lunch and dinner specials along with their regular menus. Stay tuned for details and a full listing of participating restaurants.