Monday, December 31, 2012
If you're out celebrating on New Year's and don't have a designated driver, here are some choices for getting home.
The highest number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the last decade occurred on New Year's Day, according to Michael Green, AAA spokesman. But once you start your 2013 pre-celebration, you may not be thinking about statistics. So right now while you're thinking clearly, consider your options. Getting a designated driver or hailing a cab are some of your choices. But if you find yourself with empty pockets and no driver, you have options. Sober Ride Call Sober Ride 1-800-200-TAXI (1-880-200-8294) for a free ride home (up to a $30 fare) from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP). It says rides started Dec. 14 and are available every night until Jan. 1, 2013. People using the service must be 21…
Friday, December 14, 2012
While the two holidays fall in close proximity to each other and are celebrated in popular culture together, Hanukkah does not hold the religious significance for Jews that Christmas holds for Christians.
Each year, Hanukkah falls in close proximity or during Christmas according to the Hebrew calendar. Because of that, the two are celebrated side by side under the “Happy Holidays” moniker. But in terms of religious significance, Hanukkah doesn’t rank as high for Jews as Christmas ranks for Christians. “It’s hard to not make a big deal of out Hanukkah living in America, and I’m not sure it’s a bad thing,” said Rabbi Rhoda Silverman of Temple Emanuel in Reisterstown. “That’s not a problem for me as long as we don’t forget about everything else that makes us Jewish.” Jonathan Schwartz, senior aide to Baltimore County Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond and a member of Temple Emanuel, sees Hanukkah as having two roles in the lives of American Jews…
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Santa Claus myth is all kinds of fun when your kids are little, but when are they too old to still believe?
I remember when I first told my oldest son, Sam, about Santa Claus. He was two months old and obviously incredibly invested in the myth. He stared vacantly at me, digesting the importance of my words. He may not have awoken with wonder and excitement to find his filled stocking that first Christmas morning, but he really liked the toy Santa brought him that flashed lights and sounds when he kicked it. Naturally, it probably took him a couple more years to really understand who Santa was and why he should care (and then maybe another year before he would agree to sit on his lap at the mall), but once the story took, it took hard. Sam believed in Santa with all of his heart—and once his two brothers came along, they did as well. I know a lot…
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Did you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for your local school district and $500 to pay your electric bills!
We’re launching our annual Deck the House Contest to find the most over-the-top holiday decorations in America—the best “decked” house in the country—the one home so spectacularly decorated that everyone in town jokes your holiday decorations could rival Rockefeller Center’s. If this sounds like your house, upload a photo or video of your home to our contest page from Nov. 26 to Dec. 16. (Check back here next Monday for a direct link to our contest page so you can enter.) Only residents of Patch towns are eligible to enter. We’ll select 24 regional finalists, and from them, pick one grand prize winner. Patch will pay up to $500 of the utility bill for each finalist, while our national winner will have $100,000 donated to his or her local…
Saturday, November 17, 2012
A handy guide to donating toys this holiday season.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Ben Gross
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Saturday, November 17, 2012
In 1947, Diane Hendricks made a doll and asked her husband, Maj. Bill Hendricks, US Marine Corps Reserve, to find a local charity in the Los Angeles area that would give it to a needy child. When he was unable to locate one, she suggested that he start one. That year, Maj. Hendricks teamed with other Marine reservists, collecting and distributing 5,000 toys to children that year. In 1948, the Marine Corps adopted the Toys for Tots program and it has been running steadily since, with the help of celebrities such as Bob Hope, Kenny Rodgers and First Lady Michelle Obama. One little known fact – Walt Disney designed the organization’s logo. You can drop off toys at Toys and/or Babies R Us, or one of the locations listed below. You can also …
A primer on sending items to military troops this holiday season
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Ben Gross
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Saturday, November 17, 2012
The holidays can be one of the most difficult times of the years for military personnel serving away from home. The simplest gesture—a call, a card or a gift can make a huge difference in their morale. There are countless organizations that help facilitate the gift giving process, and we’ve put together this guide to help you select a group to help you send something to the troops this holiday season. Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes Program The Red Cross will accept holiday greetings through Friday, Dec. 7 at the following address: Holiday Mail for Heroes P.O. Box 5456 Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456 The organization offers the following tips to help your letter pass through the screening process: Shutterfly The popular photo card website…
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
A Wider Circle needs sponsorship for needy families in Silver Spring, Aspen Hill and Wheaton this Thanksgiving and holiday season.
- VOLUNTEERS IN THE NEWS
- Whitney Teal
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Montgomery County families facing hard times and a rapidly approaching holiday season need help, organizers of nonprofit A Wider Circle told local news outlets. The organization was chosen as the county's partner in the annual Holiday Giving Project, which pairs faith-based, nonprofit and government sponsors with people in need by zip code. This year, organizers told the Gazette newspaper that two zip codes in Silver Spring, one zip code in Wheaton and one zip code in Aspen Hill are still without a sponsor, a week before Thanksgiving. "Some families may not get the help in Silver Spring that they will get in Rockville or Gaithersburg," Mark Bergel, founder and executive director of A Wider Circle, told ABC7. The zip codes without a …
Find out when Santa is coming to Westfield Wheaton mall.
Thanksgiving has not arrived yet, but Santa will be at Westfield Wheaton mall starting Nov. 17. You can have your photo taken with Santa in the upper level of the mall, in the Costco wing. Santa will be there until Christmas Eve, at the following hours: See where else Santa will be in Montgomery County this holiday season. For more details, see Westfield Wheaton's website.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Popular event runs for a total of 24 nights in 2012.
On Nov. 23, almost two weeks before the First Family lights the National Christmas Tree, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo will brighten the metro area with ZooLights, the popular annual DC event. Thousands of environmentally friendly LED lights – in the shapes of pandas, snakes, flowers, trees, butterflies, elephants and more – lining the pathways and decorating buildings such as the Small Mammals House, Reptile Discovery Center, Great Apes House, Think Tank and Kids’ Farm – make for a unique and fun experience for the whole family. Also on display will be entries to the zoo’s “Gin-GRR-Bread Habitat Contest,” with a theme of “A Winter’s Tale on the American Trail. Winners will receive a special behind-the-scenes tour of the American Trail …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Support animal care, science and research with these great gift options.
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
- Ben Gross
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Sunday, October 28, 2012
Do some good for yourself, your family and friends and the animal kingdom by doing your holiday shopping at the National Zoo this year. For the kids: Bring home plush versions of Crystal or Cody, the zoo’s gray wolves with these realistic 16” renditions of the popular canines for just $20. Colorful owl or butterfly-themed purses are always in style and sure to be a hit with the girls in your life. Each version features working zippers, an inside pocket and a 10” strap for $22. For the animals: Show your favorite zoo animal how much you care by purchasing one of these great enrichment toys. You can either purchase items on the zoo’s online store, or visit the Enrichment Giving Tree to find out what’s on their wish list and you can drop it…
Gregg Roberts
4:11 am on Sunday, December 16, 2012
It drives me crazy when people keep repeating the line ''Hanukkah is a minor holiday.'' In Israel children have off all week for Hanukkah. Orthodox Jewish schools in Baltimore have a 4 day weekend. Hanukkah is other then Purim the only holiday that traditionally doesn't have restrictions on music, travel etc. and is the last holiday historically and the only one to have happened in Israel. No … more ›