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…
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The yearly feast for the needy is a Bethesda community tradition.
County officials and community leaders gathered Tuesday at the Bethesda- Chevy Chase Rescue Squad to serve up the 24th annual Goodwill dinner to those in need. More than 400 guests, many of them homeless or low-income seniors and families, enjoyed a holiday feast, pictures with Santa and gifts courtesy of local businesses. The community tradition was launched by the Bethesda Hyatt after a homeless person was found frozen to death one winter in the stairway of the hotel. For nearly a quarter century, the tradition has carried on. The event was organized by the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Bethesda Urban Partnership, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Five Star Premier Residences Chevy …
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…
Monday, December 10, 2012
Try one of the thrift or secondhand stores in Montgomery County for holiday gifts.
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
- Ben Gross
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Monday, December 10, 2012
Have you ever regifted? You know, taken that unwanted desk adornment you got from your uncle last year and given it to a co-worker. While regifting has traditionally been frowned upon, the economy and environment may be helping shed some of the stigma associated with it. Some see it as a smart way to keep items out of landfills, while others view it as an opportunity to save money. In fact, regifting websites are cropping up all over the place, each with their own spin on the closeted practice. One site has proclaimed Dec. 20 as “National Regifting Day,” another has given prizes for the best regifting story and a third offers a “Gift Giver’s Guide to Gracious Regifting.” Even if you don’t have some unwanted gifts on the top shelf of …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Comptroller kicked off 'Shop Maryland for the Holidays' campaign by patronizing downtown Bethesda businesses Wednesday.
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot kicked off his “Shop Maryland for the Holidays” tour in Bethesda Wednesday, encouraging Marylanders to get off the Internet and shop local for the holidays. “There is something to be said for the personal interactions with other shoppers and store employees at the holidays. It’s warm and inviting, unlike a cold, unfeeling computer,” Franchot said in a statement. “Plus when you shop in state and support your community businesses, you are bound to find great deals and help the more than 500,000 Marylanders employed in our state’s retail sector. And really, isn’t the spirit of the holidays all about helping others and kindness?” Franchot spoke in Veteran’s Park with Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce…
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Some toys on store shelves this holiday season could cause choking, have toxic components or damage children’s ears
- NEWS
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Sunday, November 25, 2012
By Maria-Pia Negro for Capital News Service Some toys on store shelves this holiday season could cause choking, have toxic components or damage children’s ears, according to the annual report of the Maryland Public Interest Research Group, a consumer advocacy organization. “Choking toys are still the most prominent (hazardous toys) in the market this holiday season,” said Jenny Levin, an advocate for Maryland Public Interest Research Group, at an annual press conference. According to the group’s research, choking - on small toy parts, on small balls and on balloons - is still the leading cause of toy-related deaths and injuries. Between 1990 and 2011, more than 200 children died from choking incidents, the group reported. The report also…
Saturday, November 17, 2012
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.
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 ›