Two Household Dangers to Avoid

By Cassie Felch
Posted: August 27, 2008

This summer, my family experienced two unusual and potentially dangerous events that I would like to share in hopes of relaying some important safety information.

In the first incident, my husband, Brian, found some batteries on his work bench that he assumed were old, so he tossed them into a plastic bag with other old batteries and then walked upstairs. Luckily, our daughter, Mallory, remained in the basement and began screaming for us when she smelled smoke and realized the bag was on fire. She quickly extinguished the pink flames and thus contained the damage to the bag and a very small area of the workbench.

When I contacted the Department of Public Works Bureau of Environmental Services at help@howardcountyrecycles.org, recycling coordinator Kim Reichert explained that one of the batteries may have retained enough charge to ignite when it struck another battery. Although such occurrences remain rare, she advises storing household and button batteries separately in metal containers, such as old coffee cans, and always placing them gently into the cans.

Kim also clarified that button batteries are considered Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and must be disposed of properly – for instance, at the drop-off area at Alpha Ridge Landfill or at local Radio Shack or camera stores. Household batteries can safely go into the trash. Alpha Ridge accepts HHW Saturdays only, April through November, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Our second unusual experience this summer involved nature rather than electronics. Brian noticed a large cobweb on his grill cover but did not give it a thought until he pulled off the cover and saw the spider behind the masterpiece. Because the creature was so remarkable, he called me out to take a look.

As soon as I saw the glossy, round black body with red markings, I wondered whether we had discovered a black widow spider. Brian captured it in a jar and then searched Google and the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Insects & Spiders. Sure enough, we had sighted our first (and hopefully last) female Northern Black Widow Spider. The Northern Black Widow displays a row of red spots on its body rather than the red hourglass shape typical of the Southern Black Widow. Most amazing to me was the spider’s large size – its body measured almost one-half in diameter, and the overall length, with legs, was about 1 1/2 inches. The male of the species is smaller and harmless. Since I am not a fan of spiders under any circumstances, the fact that a big, venomous one had taken up residence in our grill did not fill me with comfort.

Brian tried calling the University of Maryland Home and Garden Center at 800-342-2507 but received no answer, so he then called the University of Maryland Entomology Department and spoke to a professor about our captured spider. He learned that black widow bites, though typically not fatal to humans, are certainly more harmful to children than adults and can prove deadly to small pets. The professor recommended that we spray the foundation of our house with a pesticide to prevent other arachnids and insects from making our house theirs. He also suggested that we either release our current unwanted visitor into an unpopulated area or dispatch it to that “great cobweb in the sky.” Brian chose the latter alternative.

If you have a child who enjoys capturing critters, please make sure that he or she can recognize a female black widow spider and knows to avoid it.

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Studio Dans Appeals to Current Dance Interests

By Cassie Felch
Posted: August 27, 2008

Samantha “Sam” Hunter and Dana Keane, directors of Studio Dans in Marriottsville, have seen dance trends transform even since their studio opened in 2006.

Zumba, a Latin dance workout, has become so popular that they have added more classes, including Zumba Gold for ages 55 and older. Sam and Dana are also excited to offer a new drop-in class for preteens and teens called “Friday Nights with CJ.” CJ Cunningham, aka Bboy Bouncer, teaches a unique form of hip hop that he creates by melding different styles, such as break dancing with popping and locking. CJ has trained with some of the best hip hop choreographers in the business, including Marty Kudelka, who choreographs Justin Timberlake, and Jamal Sims, who choreographed the movies Step Up, Step Up 2 and Get Smart.

Go to www.studiodans.com or call 410-442-0226 for more information.

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MRHS Offers PSAT/SAT Prep Course

By Cassie Felch
Posted: August 21, 2008

Karen Chase, publicity coordinator for Marriotts Ridge High School PTSA, shares that the school will sponsor a prep course for the fall PSAT and SAT tests beginning Sept. 11, 7-9:15 p.m.

Dr. Martha Gagnon, education specialist and former Director of Admissions at Loyola College in Maryland, and her staff, will teach testing strategies, problem-solving, vocabulary development and math concepts during the four-week course. For additional information or to register, go to marthagagnon.com. The phone number is 410-442-1600.

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Local Young Man Needs Community Support

By Cassie Felch
Posted: August 21, 2008

Prior to the opening of Marriotts Ridge High School, some of the youth in our area attended Glenelg High School with Nick Antlitz of Woodbine, now 19 years old. On July 7, Nick suffered a devastating accident in Bethany Beach, Del., and remains paralyzed from the chest down. Nick recently transitioned from Christiana Hospital, in Delaware, to Kennedy Krieger Institute, International Center for Spinal Cord Injury, in Baltimore.

As you can imagine, injuries of this magnitude drain families, emotionally and financially, but we can do our part as a community to provide assistance. To offer emotional support, go to www.carepages.com and complete the free registration to access Nick’s care page. From there, you can read updates on Nick’s progress and send messages of encouragement to the family.

For details on how to contribute financially, go to www.nickantlitz.com and select the Fund Raising tab. Friends of the family have also planned a fundraising cookout at Circle D Farm, in Woodbine, Sept. 14, 3-7 p.m.

For more information on this effort, select the Events tab on the Web site. Although walk-ins are welcome, coordinator Jennifer Kraemer asks that you RSVP to her at JenniferKraemer@verizon.net by Sept. 7, if possible.

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Make New Friends at the Classic Cup

By Cassie Felch
Posted: August 19, 2008

Our resident Waverly Woods coffee shop, The Classic Cup, has recently made some changes. Last month, owners Phyllis Greenbaum and Pete Cook switched to 100 percent organic, fair trade, shade-grown, kosher coffee from Dean’s Beans in Orange, Mass. They welcome your feedback on their new flavors.

For those who do not yet know the pair, Phyllis and Pete first met in 1979 when they began working together at Patuxent Publishing Co., the publisher of this newspaper. In March of 1997, they founded The View newspapers, which they sold a decade later to Patuxent Publishing. They then purchased The Classic Cup in September 2007.

One of Phyllis and Pete’s goals, which is near and dear to my heart, is to bring neighbors closer together. Some of their customers have expressed an interest in forming both a book club and a knitting circle that will meet at the coffee shop. If you are interested in joining one of these groups, look for the signup sheets on the bulletin board at The Classic Cup. The phone number is 410-750-7200.

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