Features (All)

Article - Places; by Bay Weekly staff - 9/9/10

Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s Annual Affair...

It only sounds ritzy.

Sunflowers and flowering grasses stuffed into mason jars atop picnic tables covered by red and white checkered tablecloths decorate the park’s Pavilion, a fully-renovated historical barn. Flickering lanterns add to the homespun charm. A generous spread and open bar keep you fed and watered. The lively auctions — both silent and live — give you a head start on holiday shopping. Awaiting your bid: Jewelry, sports tickets, gift baskets, fine art, romantic getaways, surfing...

Article - Places; by Bay Weekly staff - 9/9/10

The American Chestnut Land Trust’s Annual Auction...

On September 26, celebrate all things local, starting with community farming on ACLT land.

“This year kicked off our CSA,” says spokesperson Joy Woppert. Named Double Oak Farm, the garden was planted on farmland that had been fallow for years. The other local milestone ACLT is celebrating is the planned Prince Frederick Overlook Trail. The new seven-and-half-mile trail will connect an existing trail to Prince Frederick’s Main Street. Capping off the busy year is Locally Yours. Calvert caterer Dream Weaver will be filling bellies with menu items made using...

Article - Creature Feature; by Diana Beechener - 9/2/10

Are You in Good Paws?

These pet insurance claims will make you check your policy

Insurance covers many members of your family, including the furry ones. The nation’s oldest pet insurance company, Veterinary Pet Insurance, rewards the most daring clients with its annual VPI Hambone Award, celebrating the most unusual claim. This is not the Darwin Awards. All pets considered for the competition have made full recoveries if not learned their lesson. The 12 most bizarre insurance claims are posted on the VPI website, where readers and pet fanciers vote for their favorite...

Article - People; by Diana Beechener and Margaret Tearman - 9/2/10

America’s Deadliest Job

A Bay Weekly conversation with the captains of Deadliest Catch, Sig Hansen and brothers Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand

For six seasons, the Discovery Channel’s reality show Deadliest Catch has followed Bering Sea crab boats on their quest to find king and opilio crab. The conditions are dangerous: Freezing temperatures adding dangerously heavy ice to over-laden boats, mountainous waves careening across the decks and heavy machinery swinging overhead. This is a job where men are men and women are nearly non-existent. The perilous profession is ranked the deadliest job in America. The show is ranked as...

Article - People; by introduction by Margaret Tearman - 9/2/10

Back to Work

Celebrating Labor Day

Where oh where did summertime go? Even though the weather will likely remain warm for at least another month, the calendar tells us it’s the end of summer — marked by the arrival of Labor Day. The long weekend pleads for one more picnic, one more barbecue, one more nap in the hammock. Then vacation is over. Labor Day traditionally means it’s time to put away the white shoes, deflate the pool floats, pull out the marigolds and plant mums. But Labor Day wasn’t established...

Article - Creature Feature; by Sandra Olivetti Martin - 8/26/10

This Week’s Creature Feature

Maryland’s Most Humane Lawmakers

The Maryland General Assembly is a pretty animal-friendly place, according to the Maryland Humane Scorecard released this month. Across both houses, 117 of 188 members scored 75 percent or higher; only 12 legislators scored less than 50 percent. Forty lawmakers — six senators and 34 delegates — scored 100 percent. Representing Anne Arundel and Calvert, House Speaker Michael Busch (District 30) and Del. James Proctor ((District 27A) are 100-percenters. Eight lawmakers scored even...

Article - Features; by Diana Beechener - 8/26/10

Sit. Stay. Heal

For mobile vets, house calls are the norm

Ozzy isn’t sure about the ladies with the needle. The Jack Russell-Dalmatian mix warily eyes the women kneeling on owner Mary Quayle’s kitchen floor, even though the ladies in pink T-shirts pat the ground and offer treats. Ozzy would rather not be Mobile Pet Vets’ first patient of the day. Dr. Lisa Beagan and tech Robin Hennick brush off Ozzy’s rejection. They have plenty of time to win over the anxious pup. House calls don’t have a time limit. Eventually, Ozzy...

Article - Features; by Margaret Tearman - 8/26/10

Scratching Out a Home in the Woods

Friends of Felines sanctuary provides a last chance for feral felines

From the road, the 198-acre tract is unremarkable, anonymous by the absence of signs and unscathed by improvements. The woman driving the green John Deere Gator knows her way through the woods of almost-wild Southern Maryland. She’s been driving these rutted dirt paths for eight years to care for the hundred-plus inhabitants of the region’s only sanctuary for feral cats. Petite, energetic and almost fanatically committed to the cats, Carol Hall is a founder of Friends of Felines,...

Article - Features; by Diana Beechener and Margaret Tearman - 8/26/10

Bay Weekly’s Paws and Claws Pose-Off

And the Winners Are …

In Bay Country, our pet photos are as precious to us as our baby photos — and often a lot cuter. Which is why we asked you to send us your pictures to feature in our annual Pet Tales issue. We were wrong to worry you wouldn’t respond. You did, in abundance, from near and far, confirming the reach of our online edition. We’ve learned many things from the photos of your furry, feathered and scaled friends. Bella is a favorite pet name, but not all Bellas are beautiful in...

Article - Creature Feature; by Sandra Olivetti Martin - 8/19/10

Pain-Free Prognostication

A new website takes the sting out of your summer by predicting jellyfish migration patterns

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water — it is. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has created a website that forecasts the location of sea nettles throughout the Chesapeake and its tributaries. NOAA colors the Bay map according to a sliding population scale, using bright red for heavily infested and cool blue for jelly-free swim zones. To predict nettle nests in the water, scientists relied on their knowledge of environmental factors. Using satellite...