Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Governor calls budget package "good for all Marylanders." Republicans say burden to local governments may force county governments to increase taxes.
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of three bills that increases taxes on some state residents, shifts part of teacher pensions to local governments and undoes the so-called "doomsday budget." The votes Wednesday afternoon capped the three-day special session called by Gov. Martin O'Malley in order to override more than $500 million in cuts made in a budget passed in early April. The Senate approved the same three bills Tuesday. As part of the package, legislators approved by a vote of 86-51 what amounts to a 50-50 split of teacher pension costs with local governments. The split will be phased in over the next four years beginning July 1 with the new budget year. That bill also includes a doubling of…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Building will be part of C Street Flats development.
The City of Laurel has completed the sale of the old police headquarters building, Mayor Craig Moe announced Tuesday. San Francisco-based Klingbeil Capital Management paid $2.3 million for the building at 350 Municipal Square. The building will be developed into a mixed-use community of apartments with commercial space called the C Street Flats. City officials had marked the area around the building as a revitalization zone, focused on transit-oriented development because it sits near the city’s MARC station and is part of the Laurel arts and entertainment district. Moe said in a press release that the C Street Flats project would help advance the development of galleries, shops and residences in the arts and entertainment district with C …
Monday, May 14, 2012
This local business at Savage Mill can make your high-soaring dreams a reality.
Have you ever dreamed of soaring through the treeline or climbing a mountain? Do your kids need a new way to get some energy out? Well you don't have to travel far to get that kind of experience, with Terrapin Adventures at Historic Savage Mill. Boasting four rock climbing walls, elevated ropes courses, a giant swing and a locally famous zip-line, Terrapin Adventures is a must-do activity and is our first installment on the Howard County "Bucket List," a list compiled of must-see, must-do items in Howard County. "Basically, we're all about connecting–making people connect on a different level with each other," says owner Matt Baker, who set up shop at the Mill four years ago. Baker says students and tour groups go through team-building …
39.1281
-76.8484
Savage Mill
8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD
/articles/howard-county-bucket-list-terrapin-adventures
1409213
/locations/7002247
39.13604
-76.82494
Terrapin Adventures
8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD
/articles/howard-county-bucket-list-terrapin-adventures
1876386
/locations/7002248
Saturday, May 12, 2012
A list of our winners from our Readers' Choice polls across the county.
It's almost Mother's Day, which means if you actually planned ahead you either have flowers headed to mom's door or are taking her out to a meal. For nearly a two-week period we asked our Patch readers in Prince George's County to tell us which restaurants were the best within their region for a meal with mom this Sunday, May 13. In Bowie and Upper Marlboro, the decision was simple for our readers as Rip's Country Inn took another Readers' Choice win with 69 percent of the vote. Rip's Manager Bill Burgess was pleased to hear the Bowie establishment won top honors in this week’s Readers’ Choice. They will be serving a buffet-style brunch from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. In the western part of the county— College Park, Hyattsville, Riverdale Park and …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The proposed liquor store in Wegmans has sparked the debate.
The proposed 10,000-square-foot liquor store inside the new Columbia Wegmans has reignited the debate on whether wine, beer and liquor should be sold in Maryland grocery and convenience stores. In an expansive article on Saturday, the Baltimore Sun examined how multiple grocery stores are trying to find ways around rules that generally ban chain grocery stores from selling wine, beer and liquor. (There are some exceptions, such as an Eastern Shore Giant location that has a license that has been grandfathered.) Adam Borden, the president of Marylanders for Better Beer & Wine Laws, said the bans are antiquated. “Our culture has evolved,” said Borden. “It used to be one where temperance and orderly tax collections were our most paramount …
Even without a liquor license, Salute Ristorante Italiano remains a community favorite.
When Meriem Kass opened Salute Ristorante Italiano on Main Street along with her brother and husband, she knew one factor about their restaurant would probably hurt business: the lack of a liquor license. The one-year-old, family-owned restaurant sits between two churches. According to Prince George’s County law, it can't sell alcohol because it is within 500 feet of the churches’ doors. But this hasn’t stopped Kass and her business partners from keeping the restaurant going. Instead, regulars walk down the block to Cork & Bottle and bring their own wine. “We saw this as a good idea, a good place,” Kass said. After graduating from a hotel school in her home town of Fez, Morocco, Kass and her husband, Abdella, moved to the U.S., to …
Monday, May 7, 2012
Main Street to be closed between Rt. 1 South and 7th Sts., 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Old town Laurel is gearing up for the 2012 Main Street Festival, set for this Saturday, May 12. The street will be completely closed between Route 1 South and 7th streets, to make room for the thousands of expected attendees. Visitors will be treated to a day of entertainment, food, vendors, music, arts and crafts and other activities. Local businesses will also be open for strolling visitors. The festival is put together by the Laurel Board of Trade, and--in addition to being a family-friendly event--showcases Laurel's proud small town roots and close-knit community, said Mayor Craig Moe. The festival will kick off with a parade at 9:00 a.m. It will continue till 4:00 p.m., rain or shine For more information on the festival, contact …
Sunday, May 6, 2012
This week's top Prince George's County news.
Here are the biggest stories that made the headlines across Prince George's County: Upper Marlboro Youth Takes on Cancer and Wins Now 9-year-old Zane Mosby is living cancer-free and raising funds and awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Jackson Found Guilty of Planning Greenbelt Woman's Acid Attack Tamara Jackson, of Bladensburg, was found guilty of planning an acid attack that injured a woman and her toddler, according to NBC Washington. The woman who confessed to throwing the acid-like substance is Tikia Anderson, of Greenbelt, testified against Jackson, leading to Friday's verdict. Carjacking Story Fabricated A victim's car and property were allegedly stolen late Tuesday night near the University of Maryland in College …
As part of our series on veterans and jobs, we're posting veterans' resumes on Patch. If you're a potential employer, we invite you to take a look.
If you're a veteran or have a veteran in your family, you know that the job market for those formerly in the military can be worse than for civilians. In Maryland, the 8.9 percent unemployment rate among the 28,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is higher than the state’s overall average. Veterans often get preference in hiring from government agencies but it's still tough out there. Patch has begun telling some of the stories of the struggles of veterans facing fewer employment opportunities, and the successes, too. We want to do more. If you are a veteran and are looking for work, we invite you to contact us so we can put your job search information on our sites. We'll feature you in your hometown Patch among hometown employers. We'll …
Friday, May 4, 2012
After years of redevelopment plans, the mall finally closed its doors.
Laurel Mall moved a step closer toward redevelopment this week. On Monday, the mall officially closed its doors, The Gazette reports. The mall had been slated for redevelopment since at least 2007 and now developers are positioning plans to move the project forward. About 10 stores were open in the mall at the beginning of the year when the developer delayed demolition of the site’s parking lot. Tom Fitzpatrick, president and chief operating officer of the Owings Mill-based firm Greenberg Gibbons, which is redeveloping the mall, told The Gazette that his firm is finalizing an agreement with Burlington Coat Factory. The store has eight years left on its lease and is still open at the mall. There isn’t a specific timetable of when the …
Joshua Garner
7:02 am on Wednesday, May 16, 2012
We last reported that the mall had closed and is awaiting demolition work to begin, who knows when that will happen, but we will keep you posted. more ›