Alice Murray was a woman of good works: Operator of the South County Emergency Baby Pantry; a voice in the Community Action Agency and the Anne Arundel County Food Bank; volunteer nurse at the flu clinic. She was all these and more.     “Alice was a dedicated community activist whose main focus in life was devoting her time to people in need of any services,” Owensville Primary Care CEO Sylvia Jennings said. “She was an outstanding human being.”  ...

Rockfish season is still four weeks away, but already a small crowd of dedicated anglers is breaking out gear. Their tackle is rather odd for the coming trophy season. They don’t favor the short, stout-as-a-broomstick trolling outfits used by Bay skippers. These specialized anglers prefer equipment more common among coastal surf fishermen.     Their rods are nine to 12 feet long with lengthy butts, and they are hung with big spinning or casting reels capable of 300 or more...

March 20 was the last day of winter. March 21 was the first full day of spring.     As you’ll remember, a season divided those days. Winter threw a hissy fit on its way out. Spring warmed our chilled hearts and invited us out.     In Southern Anne Arundel County, the neighborhoods of Fairhaven and Arkhaven accepted the invitation. Close as we live, many of us hadn’t met for weeks; the weather wasn’t fit for fellowship. Mother Earth was a...

George Washington slept here. So did four signers of the Declaration of Independence. Thurgood Marshall, too.     But making history takes more than a few big names.     History is made by being there. The weight of that daily job is carried by multitudes of people whose names are forgotten.     How many of Lord Baltimore’s colonists can you name? George and Leonard Calvert? Matthias Sousa? Andrew White, Jesuit? How about James Barefoote,...