Max Skelley of Havre de Grace retained his lead in the Havre de Grace Laser Winter Series sailboat races last Sunday.
The seasonal regatta, sponsored by the Havre de Grace Yacht Club, runs every Sunday from January to March on the upper Chesapeake Bay. Races pit an average of 16 single-handed sailboats against each other over a 1-mile course.
In the Winter Series, the course varies from a triangular course some weeks to a windward-leeward course other weeks.
In last Sunday's race, Skelley beat out Randy Eckman of Kennet Square, Pa., to take first. Jeff Scherpf of Havre de Grace was second, followed by ScottKulp and Bob Torr, both of Philadelphia. Dave Steark of Delaware wassixth.
"We have a bunch of short races in a series, which is how frost-biting (winter racing) is done. We're emphasizing boat handing more than boat speed," said Skelley, who taught many of the other racershow to handle the one-man sailboats.
A graduate of Havre de GraceHigh and St. Mary's College, Skelley, 25, is a former East Coast champion and has finished in the top five in national regattas several times.
Skelley, who operates Skelley's Sails in Havre de Grace, also competes nationally in races for bigger boats. He and Eckman are part of the crew on a five-man sailboat that has finished in the top 10nationally during the last two years.
This is one of the more cherished tenets of the environmental movement, but who knows what it means? In simple terms, it means to look at the entire planet, or ecosystem. Then consider what you can do within your own sphere of influence, however large or small it may be.
Since you can't run out and save the world, just start with yourself and what you can do in your own home. After all, what could be more local than that?
Here are just a few simple ideas that should not only help the planet over the long haul, but just might make your own home healthier, cleaner and happier.
The more efficiently a house uses energy (the less you use to stay just as comfortable), the less you pay the power company and the less non-renewable resources like oil or coal the power company needs to take from the earth.
It doesn't take a lot of effort to do this. Proper insulation, weather stripping and the right window glass can make a major impact on your pocket book with minimaleffort.
Insulation reduces the loss of heating or air conditioning so these appliances don't have to work as hard. Weather stripping also might be considered a type of insulation, especially around doorsand windows.
Check the seals in these areas. If you can feel a draft, the seal may be damaged or worn and should be replaced. Caulkingis one option. It eventually will peel as it ages and dries out, butit can be replaced with relative ease.
Window glass, especially the low-emission or the double-glazed variety, also can reduce heat loss. Or, to keep it simpler still, shop for some energy-saving film coverings, which also can work well if properly installed and maintained.
Conserving water -- especially in this area, where protection of the Chesapeake Bay is so crucial -- is something everyone should make an effort to do.
Even something as simple as turning a faucet off can save 20 gallons of water a day. Taking care of a leaky toilet can recover up to 200 gallons a day.
Use water sparingly when brushing your teeth, washing dishes or shaving. Install a water conservation shower head for showers, and shower instead of taking a bath.
Water the lawn by soaking the soil to a depth of four to six inches, and do it only when the weather is dry. Contain rain water or run-offfrom the roof by planting trees, shrubs and other ground cover.
Reduce the amount of hard surfaces around the home. Wood decks with space between the boards let rain drain into the ground. Also, diverting rain onto the grass helps reduce run-off into storm drains that feed into the bay.
Theaverage home is not the toxic nightmare that haunts the dreams of the most fervent environmentalists, but it does have its own modest share of hazardous waste. Just remember to keep your use equally modest.
Buy only what you need of such items as paint, pesticides and thinners -- don't stockpile them. If anything is left over, don't leave it lying around. Get Rid Of It.
Some household hazardous material actually can be flushed down the toilet, because this dilutes the material and carries it away from food preparation areas. But don't flush different chemicals at the same time, since this could cause a dangerous chemical reaction.
If you can't toss something out, give itaway. For example, leftover paint can be donated to church groups orother volunteer organizations. Pesticides can be given to garden clubs.
Many gas stations have posted signs designating them as collection points for the recycling of motor oil.
This is of particular importance, because one quart of oil can contaminate more water than 80 people can drink in their lives. But four quarts can be recycled into 2 1/2 quarts of usable machine oil. And when you buy a new car battery, ask if the dealer will accept old ones for reconditioning.
If you come across a container of something that you can't identify, or something that just doesn't look right, LEAVE it alone until you can get some professional advice on its disposal.
There is a 24-hour emergency number for dealing with hazardous substances, 974-3551. This number is local throughout the state of Maryland.
Other numbers for information on hazardous waste handling are 1-(800)-I-RECYCLE from the Maryland Environmental Service, and (301) 454-3742 for the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service.
The need for cleanliness is axiomatic, but you don't always need to blast your dirtinto oblivion with the latest chemical cleanser. There are certain items that, albeit more prosaic, will do the job just as well.
For example, baking soda, soap (liquid, powder, or bar form) washing soda, white vinegar and borax can replace or supplement what you might normally use. Not only that, they are safer to dispose of and frequently cheaper.
Security issues raised in wake of boy's slaying High-rise residents claim conditions have deteriorated since NOI left - tribunedigital-baltimoresun
Security issues raised in wake of boy's slaying High-rise residents claim conditions have deteriorated since NOI left
Angry over an 8-year-old boy's slaying in a public housing high-rise, relatives and neighbors yesterday demanded better security and urged parents to take better care of their children.
The strangulation over the weekend of Marvin Douglas Wise Jr. -- allegedly by a convicted child molester who was visiting the complex -- became a rallying point for more than 50 residents of Flag House Courts.
At a news conference yesterday, speakers complained that Wells Fargo security guards -- who replaced Nation of Islam Security Agency guards in December -- have allowed conditions to deteriorate by allowing outsiders in without showing identification.
"If we don't do something about this, Baltimore will continue to be the city that bleeds and not the city that reads," said Wennie Gibson, a relative of the victim who lives in South Carolina. "The fight is not over yet. No one will be able to come in here and do what they did to Marvin."
Dorothy Scott, Flag House Courts tenant council leader, warned residents to take a stand and threatened to fine them $10 for missing tenant meetings.
"What we need right now is a solution. What can we do to make this a safer place?" Ms. Scott said. "We have to take the upper hand."
Marvin's mother, Mary Williams, broke down at the news conference, able only to thank friends for attending before losing her composure and sobbing.
In an interview Monday, Ms. Williams, 27, said her son, a third-grader at City Springs Elementary School who was nicknamed "Bear" for his large size, had looked forward to playing basketball and was excited about getting his team uniform. Friday was his first, and last, practice.
Police said Marvin was killed after leaving his mother's 11th-floor apartment at 26 S. Exeter St. to visit a girl in the apartment where the suspect was staying. A security guard found Marvin's body early Sunday in the back room of a vacant, debris-strewn 12th-floor apartment.
Police quickly arrested Shawn Brown, 27, who had been released in June from a New York state prison after serving nine years for attempted murder and for child molestation. He was charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bail until his trial.
Court documents released yesterday say a witness saw Mr. Brown coming out of the 12th-floor apartment after hearing screams.
Housing Authority of Baltimore City police said yesterday that Mr. Brown had been visiting his sister and had correctly signed in with guards on several occasions for overnight stays. Residents said that Mr. Brown befriended children living there and that he took Marvin and other children to the Inner Harbor.
Zack Germroth, a Housing Authority spokesman, said that under rules that took effect in October, Mr. Brown might not have qualified for residency because of his criminal record. But he said it is impractical to run a background check on every visitor.
Housing officials also agreed to board up all 92 vacant apartments in the three Flag House Courts high-rises. Mr. Germroth said the apartment where Marvin was found slain had been sealed, but someone had pried off the boards.
A wake is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at St. Abraham Baptist Church, 1124 W. North Ave. Services will follow at 11:30 a.m.
As president of the National PTA, Joan Dykstra will be at the forefront of this week's celebration of the group's 100th anniversary. But the Ellicott City resident says she wishes she could share the spotlight with all of the organization's 6.7 million members.
"It's a very special time, not so much for the leadership, but for all of the people who are members of local PTAs and are involved in their neighborhood schools every day," Dykstra said. "Sure, it's nice to be in the leadership, but what has been really special is how this anniversary has been an opportunity for PTAs across the country to reflect on its importance."
Those local celebrations can be found in PTAs throughout Howard County, many of which have been serving birthday cakes at school meetings and decorating school display cases.
The national celebration includes a black-tie gala in Washington, D.C., tonight, which will be televised via satellite at PTA parties in Annapolis and every other state capital. The U.S. Postal Service plans to unveil a stamp in honor of the PTA tomorrow morning at the National Postal Museum, a ceremony at which the Howard Children's Chorus will sing.
For Dykstra, the anniversary comes about 20 months into her two-year term as national president, a period in which she has helped raise the PTA's profile and continued her fight for the welfare of children.
"Every step Joan has taken at the PTA, she has worked really hard to build it up at a grass-roots level and make it a strong voice in children's issues," said Linda Oaks, a member of the National PTA's board of directors who lives in Cedarburg, Wis. Oaks has known Dykstra since 1981, when they began working together on Wisconsin PTA issues.
"She has this contagious enthusiasm and a great ability to make volunteers want to challenge themselves," Oaks said.
Dykstra, 50, a native of Racine, Wis., moved to Ellicott City in 1989 because of her husband's job, bringing with her a history of PTA service that dates to 1973 -- the year her oldest child entered kindergarten.
In Wisconsin, Dykstra was elected the state's PTA president and the region's national vice president. The Wisconsin Jaycees called her one of the 10 Most Outstanding Wisconsinites.
Since coming to Maryland, she has served on the executive board of both Howard's and Maryland's PTAs and has been the national vice president for membership.
"We were very fortunate she moved to Howard County -- here was this tremendous resource for both the county and the state PTAs," said Rosemary Mortimer, president of Wilde Lake Middle School's PTA.
Mortimer was elected county PTA president the spring after Dykstra moved to Maryland and says she quickly persuaded the Wisconsin transplant to join her executive board.
The women discovered they both liked to walk -- but not alone -- and quickly struck up a habit of walking around Ellicott City's Centennial Lake, halfway between Dykstra's home in Mount Hebron and Mortimer's in Clemens Crossing.
Instead, Dykstra has found herself on the road at least three weeks a month, speaking to PTAs and other national groups -- as well as spending time in the group's Chicago headquarters.
During her term, she has been active on such issues as television ratings, teen-age smoking, the need to repair school buildings and classroom use of technology.
She declined to reveal which one -- not wanting to earn the wrath of that state's PTA -- but said her visit to Alaska this spring will be No. 49.
With the slogan "Working Together for Children" as the theme of her term, Dykstra said her hope is that she has encouraged more parents to become active in their children's lives.
"That's the No. 1 issue -- parental involvement," Dykstra said. "Parents have to become involved with their children, even in these chaotic times.
"If we've been able to encourage more parents to come out and find a way to get involved, then I think we've been successful."
Regency Homes has opened its third section at the Villages of Winterset, the Owings Mills community that in 1995 received an award for Mixed Use Development from the Land Development Council of the Home Builders Association of Maryland.
Regency is building 75 homes on fifth-acre lots in the Baltimore County development that will feature its own clubhouse and swimming pool.
Regency's model at Winterset is the Windsor, a traditional two-story home with 2,318 square feet and a base price of $205,990.
At the front of the home are a 12-by-11-foot living room, a two-story foyer and a two-car garage. Across the rear are an 11-by-11-foot dining room, a 14-by-11-foot kitchen with a pantry, a 10-by-11-foot breakfast room, a powder room and a 17-by-15-foot family room.
Upstairs, the master suite has a walk-in closet, a 23-by-15-foot bedroom and a bath with a soaking tub, a separate shower, his-and-her vanities and a privacy toilet.
The Harwood is a 2,292-square-foot home with a beginning price of $197,990. The first floor has a 12-by-11-foot dining room, a 13-by-11-
foot kitchen, an 8-by-8-foot breakfast area, a 13-by-11-foot living room, two-level foyer and powder room.
The second-floor master suite has a 19-by-13-foot bedroom, his-and-her closets and a bath with a linen closet, soaking tub, separate shower, dual vanities and privacy toilet.
Take Interstate 695 to I-795 north to Owings Mills Boulevard west, to a right on Lakeside Boulevard to the sales office on the left.
Comedic stuntman and professional escape artist Brian Rudo recently removed celery from someone’s mouth with a bullwhip while telling jokes. That’s just one of the many diverse stunts that make up his Adrenaline Comedy Show, which he has performed at the Inner Harbor for over 13 years. Rudo, Randallstown-born and currently living in Reisterstown, gave b a fascinating glimpse into the personality of a man unafraid to … well … a man unafraid!
Biggest pet peeves? Chewing with your mouth open and lip smacking. That’s quite annoying. And people who are interested in watching a show but still stay as far away as possible.
Worst habit? Lack of memory, paying attention, remembering people’s names, and things of that nature. My wife yells at me quite frequently for that.
Last great meal you had? I don’t know … I don’t have an “oh my God I remember when I ate that!” If I had to pick a food … I like crab cakes.
Favorite sports? To watch on TV, MMA [Mixed Martial Arts]. To participate in, wrestling. Anything sports-related, I’d rather do that than read. I’m starting to train right now for an underwater escape. I did one 10 years ago, but this one’s more dangerous; it’s fully surroundable, no curtains. You’re not gonna miss anything.
What’s on your iPod? I own an iPod but I don’t use it personally. I prefer the radio – in Baltimore, 99.5, 104.3. If I’m exercising I pay attention to what’s around me. I couldn’t name a song, let alone sing the words.
What are your music tastes? I like everything ... Red Hot Chili Peppers, Usher. I try to be eclectic. I don’t have to try hard. I’m not a huge country fan. When you drive a lot, it’s pretty much all you can find.
Favorite saying? “Hard work pays off.” It’s the mantra for my wrestling team. I coach at Franklin High School in Reisterstown.
Last concert you attended? Probably Billy Joel and Elton John, a decade ago. I don’t like crowds — a very common trait among performers.
State lawmakers have placed more than 700 bills before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign, reject or let pass into law unsigned by Sept. 30, and 28 of them come from lawmakers representing Glendale and Burbank.
The most prolific local lawmaker is Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D - La Cañada Flintridge), who has 17 bills before the governor. State Sen. Carol Liu (D - Glendale) has seven under consideration. Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D - Silver Lake), —sworn in two months before the deadline for new legislation—has four.
Portantino's effort to launch a California cord blood bank, inspired by the case of a La Cañada Flintridge neighbor who beat leukemia with the help of donated umbilical cord blood, was revived after stalling in the Senate. It now awaits action by the governor.
Other Portantino bills would allow supermarkets and retailers to buy licenses to offer tastings of wine or alcohol; encourage teens to call in cases of alcohol abuse without risking arrest; make it easier for college students to seek available federal financial aid; require health insurers to cover mammograms for women of all ages; and offer insurance breaks to victims of the Station fire.
The Station fire bill gained momentum when Portantino worked with Republicans representing other regions struck by disaster in 2009.
"I try to work in a bipartisan manner with my colleagues," Portantino said. "I'm pleased I've been successful so far and am hopeful the governor will respect and respond to that effort."
Liu said she has cut back on the number of bills she introduced, recalling her days in the state Assembly that lawmakers once averaged as many as 20 bills each year.
"The last couple of years, because of budget considerations, we've made a conscious effort to not introduce a lot of measures," she said.
Her inspiration for legislation comes from her interest in education and her role as chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, she added.
Liu described spending a night in Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla several years ago, where she learned many were in prison for non-violent offenses, and many were mothers.
The Soviet Union plans to allow 280 Jewish families--about 1,000 people--to emigrate to Israel in April, a sharp increase from recent months, Israel radio reported. The broadcast quoted Yuri Stern, director of the Soviet Jewry Information Center, as saying that according to Moscow sources, the families have been told officially that they will receive emigration documents in a few days. Among them, he said, are several activists who have long been denied emigration.
I wish to thank Nichols for his letter. How often I've been meaning to write on this subject! To think that we are living in one of the most civilized (?) parts of the world, and yet so many drivers are callous and selfish about "beating the light."
What is just as annoying as the daring dasher one has to wait for before one can move on one's own green light, is the Red Runner who pretends that he or she was well across the white line when planning to make a left turn, and the light went red. Being trapped in the intersection or being partly in it is one thing; but how dangerous it is to move forward when that continuous stream of innocent-feeling drivers keeps coming out of nowhere?
It seems to me that we need a public-minded helping hand from the media on this. How about asking the radio and TV traffic announcers to add a brief message, warning of this constant hazard? Like, "Don't be a California Red Runner. It's the dumbest bird around.!"?
By all signs Egypt is not a country destined to enjoy a quiet future. The widespread rioting by security units this week is indicative of the threat to stability that President Hosni Mubarak's regime is likely to continue to confront. The immediate cause of the rampage is said to have been a rumor that conscripts in the miserably paid police forces would have their term of service extended. The more potent and enduring underlying cause is mounting frustration over the feeble and worsening state of Egypt's economy.
Gross inefficiencies, widespread corruption, bureaucratic bumbling and dubious allocations of resources all contribute to a chronic economic malaise. Add to that a birthrate that is one of the highest in the world and that each year puts further strains on social services that have never, by any reasonable measurement, been regarded as adequate. Add to that the insoluble natural constraints of the Nile that limit agricultural production to only 3% of the land.
Add, finally, problems more recent in origin. Falling oil prices and a commensurate cut in production have slashed foreign-exchange earnings. Remittances from the significant part of the Egyptian labor force that is employed in the Arab oil-producing countries have declined. Scores of thousands of these often highly skilled workers have had to come home to a country where jobs are scarce, compensation is poor and living conditions are at best difficult. At the same time fears of terrorism have cut deeply into the revenues from tourism that have always been a major source of national income. This week's attacks on hotels catering to Westerners seem certain to diminish the flow of tourists even more.
Meanwhile, Islamic fundamentalists, for decades a problem for successive regimes, see new chances to widen their appeal. Despising the West, the fundamentalists have grown more active in demanding the adoption of a strict Islamic legal code and the reshaping of society to rid it of the modern traits and influences that they consider to be the source of Egypt's problems. Where frustrations are high, where squalor will not go away, the promise of fundamentalism tends to be listened to. Egypt's present is unquestionably troubled. Its future is likely to be even more so.
Want to bank that $7.50 instead of spending it at the theater? In a growing number of cases, it seems, all you have to do is watch a movie's trailer--either the theatrical or the TV version--to be given a film's entire repertoire of sight gags or plot, twists and all, leaving many to wonder what's left to actually see the film for.
Trailers for "The Mask," "When a Man Loves a Woman," "Iron Will," "Forrest Gump," "Clear and Present Danger" and the upcoming "It's Pat" divulge nearly all plot elements or visual gimmicks, leaving those who actually pay to see the films disappointed to realize they've basically already seen them.
It's certainly not a new trend--trailers for "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Free Willy" and "Home Alone" all essentially gave away the endings--but as the number of releases has grown, competition has become much more fierce, and one of the main weapons in the marketing battle is the trailer. And studio marketing executives cheerfully admit that they sometimes pull out all the stops in making trailers.
Chris Pula, the New Line Cinema marketing president who masterminded the trailer for "The Mask," which showcases nearly all of the film's dazzling special effects (and who also masterminded the tell-all trailer for "Home Alone" when he was at Fox), decided to release the revealing trailer for several reasons--mostly to get as many people to the opening weekend as possible.
"When I started putting together this campaign, I was looking at 'The Mask' going up against 'The Flintstones,' 'True Lies,' 'The Lion King,' 'City Slickers II' and 'Beverly Hills Cop 3,' " recalls Pula. "Although (Jim) Carrey had a hit with 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,' he still wasn't a proven movie star. We knew this film was facing major competition and that we had to create a strong interest and wanna-see. Certainly in the heat of the summer, with a movie like 'The Mask' you have to pull out all the stops." That meant showing most of the special-effects gags in the film.
"Because a movie has to fight for its brand awareness or broad identity, sometimes you have to help the consumers out," adds Pula. "There's a lot of choices out there and they want to know what they're shelling out that $7.50 for."
And in the case of "The Mask," consumers arguably got their money's worth. The film has already grossed $70 million.
"I would say that 'The Mask' trailer is the best trailer of the year," says 20th Century Fox President Bill Mechanic, "and that's certainly not my movie. But the use of that trailer was a major tool in attracting an audience."
But for film purists, the trend comes at a cost. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan and Time magazine critic Richard Schickel both say they receive a large volume of mail from moviegoers fed up with the studios' giving away too much of a movie's story, particularly the ending.
Take "Clear and Present Danger," for example. "The trailer has Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford's character) confronting the President, which is the climax of the movie," says Turan. "Now if you see the trailer before the movie, you don't know that that scene is the climax. But you certainly do afterwards. Sometimes the audience can feel cheated. But I think sometimes the studios are counting on people having short memories."
From the mail Turan and Schickel say they are getting, "the studios may be risking alienating their audiences," adds Turan. Schickel agrees.
A critic for 25 years, Schickel says he's "often lured by trailers. I can tell you in the case of 'The Mask,' I liked the trailer better than the movie! But really, if you give away the 10 best images, you may be giving away the premature deconstruction of the film.
"On the other hand, we're all a little bit childish about the movies. If the story's good, we don't mind seeing it and hearing it over and over again."
That's something that Disney is banking on, say its competitors. The studio has the reputation for being the biggest abuser of the tell-all trailers, especially with recent films like "Iron Will" and "When a Man Loves a Woman."
Richard Cook, president of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, which releases Disney, Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures movies, begs to differ. "Clearly, if you have something that's unique, you want to tease. (But) with kid movies, you have to show them there is a story and identifiable characters. You want to make them excited and lure them into the theaters. You have to get the picture open."
And the objective of trailers, of course, is "to get butts into seats," says Universal Pictures senior vice president for marketing Bruce Feldman. "But there's a fine line between exploiting what you have and going to far. Around here, in all of our discussions, we generally resist giving away too much."
Simply put, he says, the element of surprise--one of the purest treats of going to the movies in the first place--should always win out.
Edward Daumer, former president of Northampton Borough Council, became a member of the Northampton Area School Board during a board workshop last night. Daumer was sworn in by board President Larry Kemmerer.
Daumer, a Democrat, fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Mrs. Linda Filipovits. He will serve until the next general election. Four people applied for the seat.
During a discussion about the $10-million renovation and expansion project for Northampton High School and the Lehigh School rejected in December by the board, district Superintendent Edwin Coyle said alternate proposals will be discussed during the regular board meeting next week. Dr. Coyle said the administration will not be prepared to make a recommendation on a proposal.
Rejection of the project by the board drew criticism from four district residents who spoke in favor of the project, which would have added classrooms and brought the buildings up to current code requirements.
Paul Szabo told the board that, had the project been approved, it would cost the average taxpayer 21 cents a day. He said he sees good things happening in the Lehigh Valley, and that the board should look at the positive things that are happening.
Board member Richard Anthony said he be- lieves something should be done to improve the buildings, but reaffirmed his position that he could not support a $10-million project.
Board member Donald Saul said the project would have required that the district pay back $18 million to borrow $10 million. Of the 40 cents the district would have received in reimbursembents from the state for every local dollar spent, Saul said, "That is not from some philanthropist in Harrisburg, that is from you and I. You and I will pay everything."
Jeff Rogers, former board member and a project supporter, spoke about the importance of quality of education and suggested a survey sponosred by the Parent-Teachers Association or a non-binding referendum. Rogers said there is "overwhelming support" for the project. Kemmerer said that, if a survey is sent home to parents, 20 percent of the district taxpayers will be involved because 20 percent of the tax bills go to people with children in school.
Bill Hickey, a resident, said he has received telephone calls at home about the project. He told the board there are "many concerned parents out there."
Senior high Principal Frank Kovacs told the board he will not recommend the opening of the Central Building for classes next year, but asked for permission to come back to the board if it becomes necessary to open the school. The building, at 15th and Main streets, previously had been used as a junior high school annex.
RESEARCHERS SAY an experimental drug has successfully alleviated some of the symptoms of amytorophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, although they caution it is not a cure. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) has stabilized deteriorating muscles in people with the deadly disease during clinical tests at the University of Wisconsin, says the Muscular Dystrophy Association, which funded the research.
THE LONG-EXPECTED veto of the omnibus trade bill is likely to come today even though the House will be in session and is likely to vote to override right away, White House and congressional officials predict. The battle over the veto will then shift to the Senate, where the president's forces are considered strong enough to sustain it. The Senate approved the bill April 27 by a vote of 63 to 36, three short of the 66 needed to override. The House vote on April 21 was 312 to 107, well over the two-thirds margin required.
She was born in Petoskey on March 26, 1934, the daughter of John and Anna Schwartzfisher. She graduated from Petoskey High School and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she met her husband, Vern Rietdorf. They were married in Ann Arbor in January 1955. They moved to El Sobrante, where they made their home. He preceded her in death in 1990.
She is survived by three sons, Mark and his wife, Beth, Kevin and his wife, Cindy, and Eric and his wife, Katie; and by two daughters, Kim (Frank) Muratore and Lisa (Ben) Carnahan; and by eight grandchildren. Also surviving are three brothers, John, Joseph and his wife, Louise, and Leo and his wife, Beverly, all of Petoskey; and seven sisters, Helen Schwartzfisher of Petoskey, Catherine Schwartzfisher of Petoskey, Agnes (Gerald) Wahl of Lansing, Teresa (Patrick) Biggs of South Bend, Ind., Jean (Don) Haase of Petoskey, Rose (Don) Novey of Saginaw, and Edith (Gordon) Kruskie of Petoskey.
Preceding Rita in death were her parents; her sister, Mary Mead; and brothers, Richard, Bernard and Alfred Schwartzfisher.
The funeral service will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 30, at St. Callistus Church in El Sobrante, Calif.
Lyn Leone of South Bend found out the hard way that when it comes to sending packages via the U.S. Postal Service, not any old box will do. "Here I was running around, and I grabbed the first box I could find," said Leone, a local attorney. "It was the perfect size, everything fit." She packed some gifts for friends in California -- newspaper clippings and a small statue of a moose in fishing gear -- and went to the post office branch at the University of Notre Dame. "I'm looking at (the box) simultaneously as the clerk, and I think, 'Oh my God, this isn't going to work.'æ" The side of the box read "charcoal lighter fluid." As far as the post office was concerned, it could have read "extremely flammable substance that is a definite no-no for shipping." Leone was certainly not the first customer to haul a package to the post office counter, only to have the box rejected. "It's a fairly substantial problem," said Dean McCool, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service's South Bend office. "If the box lists anything that is considered a hazardous material by the Department of Transportation, we can't send it." Even if there isn't anything inside the box that matches the description on the outside, the service won't send the box. Some labels -- such as lighter fluid -- are obvious bad choices, said McCool. But boxes that contained any products designated as "ORM-D," which stands for Other Regulated Materials -- Class D, can't be used. These materials include perfume and laundry detergent that aren't in themselves considered dangerous, but are typically shipped in a large enough volume that they can only be transported by ground services, said McCool. Boxes that contained alcohol are also going to be rejected, he said. Other problems include containers with old address labels or postage. Using competitors' boxes -- such as FedEx and UPS -- is also not a good idea. "We don't encourage it," said McCool. "It's not that we don't like it, it's just that there is the potential for confusion." Containers previously used for priority mail delivery can only be used for the premium service, not parcel post, he said. The best advice to consumers is to use boxes with no markings and to check with the post office or other shippers with questions about the contents. Leone, who describes herself as very security-minded, was able to ship her box by borrowing a felt-tipped pen and some tape and obliterating the offending words. But that wasn't the end of the story. She listed only her initials and a post office box as the return address. Her friends weren't expecting a delivery. The suspect box was redelivered to Leone, who repacked everything and sent the gifts back out. The entire escapade took about two months. She still has the offending box. "In the frenzy of things, I did all the wrong things," she said. "And it came back to bite me." Staff writer Carol Elliott: celliott@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6346
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Coach Sarah Hendricks, who guided Penn to the state championship in 2011, will lead a clinic for middle school volleyball players in March. The clinic will be held at Penn every Saturday in March from 3-6 p.m. Students who are currently in grades 6-7-8 are eligible to participate in the clinic. The cost is $100. For information, visit https://sites.google.com/a/phm.k12.in.us/penn-volleyball/ or contact coach Hendricks at shendricks@phm.k12.in.us.
On June 7th, John Dickinson (DE) motioned “that the members of the second branch ought to be chosen by the individual Legislatures.” The separate question of proportional or federal (equal)… Read more »
Uncategorized Charles Pinckney, George Mason, George Read, John Dickinson, June 11, June 7, June 9, Senate
On the first and second days of June 1787, the Committee of the Whole grappled with the 7th Resolution of the Virginia Plan: “that a national Executive be instituted, to… Read more »