How Can We Make Every Day Earth Day? (Sponsored)

Here are some family activities you can do to foster environmentalism. Sponsored by Sony.

Very few events are celebrated around the globe, but Earth Day is. This year, it’s come and gone. But we’re here to ask: What can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? On May 31, Sony will release After Earth, an action-packed movie that takes place 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity to leave. It’s the kind of scenario that makes you want to donate to Greenpeace, recycle everything, and start biking every where, immediately. So, in honor of Earth Day, Patch has teamed up with Sony to present these ideas for making every day Earth Day. How can we make every day Earth Day? Begin with little things. Easy things. Obvious things. Things we take for granted each day, and use and/or abuse because of …

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Letter to the Editor: A Vote for the Firearm Safety Act

A Germantown Patch reader shares her reasons for supporting Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's gun violence prevention bill.

Editor's note: The following letter was submitted by Patch reader, J. Elizabeth Rodriguez: Some legislators in Annapolis want to vote against Governor O’Malley’s gun violence prevention bill.  I urge EVERY Maryland lawmaker to vote for the Firearm Safety Act of 2013.  It will prevent criminals, like the one who mugged my son, from purchasing guns. My son was held up at gunpoint when he was going to the library to complete his English paper. Fortunately he was not hurt physically. I grew up in Brooklyn New York where I was faced with gun violence and did not want this for my children. I moved to Maryland and apparently the violence has moved here as well.  We can end much of this violence by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.  If …

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Sequestration, Papal Retirement and the Best of Maryland Local Voices

Here are the best of this week's Local Voices posts from Maryland Patch sites.

Here are some of the best Local Voices posts in the past week from around Maryland's Patch sites. Remember, if you have something on your mind, it's quick and easy to join the conversation. Just click "Start a Blog" under the top story on our front page. Sequestration: We Have a Choice: U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin talks about the impact budget cuts mandated by sequestration will have on Maryland. Gratia Benedictus XVI: In Montgomery County, a reader wonders what the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI will be. Benedict stepped down from the papacy on Thursday. Starting School Later Does Not Have to Cost More: A Howard County dad points out other jurisdictions that have later start times for schools. Marks Changes Position On County Cars for …

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Opinion: Raising ICC Speed Limit An 'Insane Idea'

A letter to the Patch about raising the speed limit on the Intercounty Connector and other state highways. This letter originally sent to Gaithersburg Patch.

The following is a letter from Fred Flaharty, a Montgomery County school bus driver, in regards to a late January story about the Intercounty Connector potentially having a 70 mph speed limit: The bill that would raise the maximum speed limit on interstates and expressways statewide from 65 to 70 miles per hour is an incredibly BAD IDEA!....no...INSANE idea. As a regular daily driver of the ICC both in my personal car (twice per day) and as the driver of a Montgomery County school bus (4 trips per day) I protest in the strongest possible terms this proposed raising of the speed limit on the ICC. There are several important reasons for this the first of which is the road was never designed for faster speeds as are interstate highways. As is…

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Blog: DC Region's Reaction to Snow is 'Ridiculous'

Are we a bunch of weather wimps? A local blogger thinks we are.

Legislation Would Ease Pressure on Pit Bull Owners and Landlords

Bills in the House of Delegates and Senate would create a new standard where all dog owners are presumed liable for dog attacks, regardless of the breed of the animal.

Legislation overriding a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling that made landlords liable for pit bull attacks, and put owners at risk of being evicted or having to give up their dogs, will be heard Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee. Identical House and Senate bills seek to create a new standard where all dog owners in civil action cases, regardless of the dog’s breed, are presumed liable for attacks unless owners can prove they did everything possible to avoid the attack, said Sen. Brian Frosh, sponsor of the Senate bill. It would also reverse the strict liability on landlords. “The interest groups: pet owners, landlords, and animal rights groups are pleased with it,” said Frosh, a Montgomery County Democrat who is also chairman of …

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Would Schools Be Safer With Armed Officers?

After the Newtown, CT school shooting, Maryland legislators are looking at a number of ways to make schools safer.

According to Annapolis Patch, delegates from Anne Arundel County are introducing legislation on Tuesday, Jan. 22 in hopes of increasing security and mental health services at public schools across the state. The proposed bill would also pay for an armed resource officer at each school. "If you really understand public schools in Maryland, you know this: They are becoming increasingly more difficult for classroom teachers because discipline is lacking at home and teachers are spending an increasing amount of time maintaining discipline in the classroom," said Del. Nic Kipke (R-Pasadena). In Montgomery County, Councilman Craig Rice (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown, a vocal advocate of school resource officers stationed in schools, told a room full …

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Weird MD News: ‘Orgazmo’ Incense Stolen, Multi-State Drug Ring Busted

Patch rounds up the top weird news headlines of the week in Maryland.

  Burglar Steals ‘Orgazmo’ Incense from Adult Gift Store A thief broke into an adult gift store in Owings Mills and stole 30 packages of incense. Homeless Man 'Sleepy' Allegedly Found Crashing in Parkville Home A homeless man, which a police report notes is nicknamed "Sleepy," was arrested after a property manager allegedly discovered him sleeping on the floor of a Parkville residence.  Twitter Battle Between Lesbian, Transgender Advocates Leads to Court Order A Twitter message about spitting led Towson lawyer and lesbian advocate Cathy Brennan to file for a peace order against a transgender advocate. Urn Stolen from Columbia Residence: Howard County Crime Reports An urn containing ashes was stolen from a hallway closet from a residence in…

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FIFA_archived

12:09 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013

I can no longer resist, a failing on my part I understand, but someone stole 30 packages of "Orgazmo"? Never having purchased "Orgazmo" in my life, please someone tell me what the purpose of this incense is other than the obvious. Also, has the FDA verified its positive effects?   more ›

Weekend PatchTag Project: #Hashtag Patriotism In Your Patch

Post a patriotic photo from your Patch using the hashtag #PatchInauguration on Instagram.

We're starting something new here at Patch, borrowing an idea from social media networks. We're calling it the Weekend PatchTag Project. It's simple. Using your Instagram account, post a photo of patriotism in your community—you know, getting into the spirit of a presidential inauguration and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Tag it with #PatchInauguration and it'll appear in our grid of images on every Patch site in Maryland. It's your chance to show off how patriotic your community is to the rest of the state. Now get to it! Oh, and while you're at it, what's your Instagram handle? Post it in a comment below, and let us know what Patch you live in, and we'll follow you! 

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Speak Out: School Safety In Montgomery County—Is It Enough?

Do guns belong in schools? How do we handle bullying? Should schools be a fortress or remain relatively open?

There are seven armed police officers in high schools, 214 school security officials placed throughout the county, buzzer entry systems, locked doors and security cameras—but is it enough to keep Montgomery County’s public school children safe? Dozens of Montgomery County parents packed the Montgomery County Public Schools headquarters in Rockville last night for a community discussion on school safety, but Wednesday's meeting was just the beginning of an ongoing conversation, according to officials. What are your thoughts on safety in Montgomery County public schools? Some talking points from recent county discussions: Tell us your answers in the comments below.

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