What’s New in Maryland
For you Merliners out thereArchive for April, 2008
Over 12,400 Votes Cast….
Most people have a name picked out when their baby is born or name their baby very soon after. One Maryland baby though didn’t have a name for over a month and thousands of people across the state joined in to name him.
So the cute and not really so little baby elephant that was born at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore on March 19th finally has a name. A panel narrowed down the possible names to Zeus, Crush, Samson, Duke, or Chewie and voters chose Samson. To learn more, visit http://www.marylandzoo.org.
It’s Official…Smith Island Takes the Cake
So as of today Smith Island Cake is Maryland’s new state cake. Did we have a state cake before? I didn’t even know there was a such thing as a state cake, but apparantly there is and we have one.
The cake comes from Smith Island, a Chesapeake Bay island with less than 400 residents. Though you might not be familiar with the name, chances are you’re familiar with the cake. It usually has at least 8 very thin layers and is often a yellow cake with chocolate icing but can be a variety of flavors. Ever baked a 10 layer cake before? Want to try? Here’s a receipe http://www.marylandtraditions.org/smith4.htm
Bamboo Shirts, What Will They Think Of Next?
I remember Earth Day in school as buying a t-shirt with whales, a panda, or other animals / nature scenes on them. It was always fun picking out exactly what shirt I wanted.
Now, environmental clothing is taking on a whole new meaning. There are actually shirts made out of bamboo and like organic food, some customers are already buying clothes made out of materials such as organic cotton. But what about a skirt made out of recycled newspapers or pants made from a blend that includes soy? Hmm…I don’t know. We’ll see where this trend goes.
Earth Week 2008
Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22nd this year, but this week is officially Earth Week with various locations holding events to celebrate. The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore is having an Earth Week and the National Mall in DC, a short metro ride away from Prince George’s County or Montgomery County, had their Green Apple Festival over the weekend, where musicians, comedians, and other celebrities appeared in recognition of Earth Day.
Though it’s great to help the environment, sometimes you hear certain things like skimping on heating and air or starting a compost pile and think “…that’s just too much for me. Whatever the environmental benefits, it’s just not worth sacrificing my comfort level.” So in honor of that, here’s a few great tips for those of us that want to keep our comfort levels while still being environmentally friendly:
- Take off bottle caps before recycling plastic bottles like water bottles and soda bottles because their caps are made from plastic that can’t be recycled.
- Unplug appliances even when they are turned off because yes, they continue to use energy, running up the electric bill.
- Wash clothes in warm or cold cycles, instead of hot as hot uses the most energy.
For environmental volunteer opportunities with parks, streams and other projects, visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/volunteer/ for the Department of Natural Resources
Want to Help Improve Baltimore City?
Baltimore City Schools is looking for volunteers to help make schools safer. Is this a good idea? Yes, if school administration and teachers plan for these volunteers and what they could do to help either individual children, classrooms, or maintaining the schools in general. If volunteers are kept busy and given the opportunity to help with classwork and classroom projects, this strategy could work really well for improving both safety and academic achievement in the city.
So if you’re a parent or other adult who has an interest in this type of work, could benefit from the experience on a resume or simply wants to help the city’s students succeed in school, consider helping out the schools and your children. View a list of Baltimore City schools at http://www.bcps.k12.md.us/School_Info/schoolsearch.asp?schoolNum=DAS
Where to Find Blogs
Ok, so this isn’t exactly Maryland-specific news, but I wanted to make this blog accessible to more people so I added What’s New in Maryland to the blog search website Technorati by setting up a Technorati Profile. If you have a blog, Maryland-related or not, submit it to Technorati so that people can find it easier. Their website is http://www.technorati.com
Or if you just find yourself bored, they have blogs on topics like politics, entertainment, and sports.
Welcome
Welcome to What’s New in Maryland, a site that will discuss news and other events happening in Maryland’s communities. From Baltimore and Central Maryland, to the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, and Northern Maryland, the site aims to be a great community resource for all Marylanders. Whether you’re a native Marylander or new in town, visit the site for thoughts on Maryland news and share your opinions too.
