Tag Archives: Maryland

All Politics is Local, Crime & Punishment, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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HOV Violators Beware

Photo courtesy of
‘Wanna go for a ride?’
courtesy of ‘warrenski’

Today, local area police are cracking down on High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane violators, aka: you lousy, stinking cheaters, as part of Capitol Region HOV Awareness Day.

So if you’re traveling in an HOV lane during rush hour either by yourself or with a dummy or your imaginary friend Buster, or with a blow up doll as your “other passenger,” you could a face a $90 fine and one point on your Maryland driving record or fines reaching as high as $1,000 and three points on your Virginia record.

Don’t mess with the law. Cheaters.

Adventures, The Daily Feed
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PG County Boy Rescued From Ravine

Photo courtesy of
‘ACC Mountaineering Course: Gummi Bear Crevasse Rescue’
courtesy of ‘iwona_kellie’

According to WBAL and WTOP, last night a PG County teenager slipped down a snow covered hill, near Marlton Center Drive, and landed 100ft down the ravine. Fortunately, the boy managed to keep himself out of the nearby creek and was unharmed after the fall.  The boy then struggled to get a little more than half way back up the steep incline. Exhausted, he secured himself to a stable tree branch and began calling for help.  After about two hours, local residents heard his cries and directed rescue crews to his location.  Emergency services rescued him from the ravine and transported him to the nearby hospital, where last night he was being evaluated and treated for hypothermia.

News, The Daily Feed
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VA gets $75M, MD $70M for Railway Improvements

Photo courtesy of
‘Tomix EF66 41 Hauling Hayabusa’
courtesy of ‘foolish adler’

Both Virginia and Maryland will received funds from the federal government’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to improve local railway infrastructure and services.

Virginia’s $75 million dollars in funding will build an additional 11 mile track to the current railway service between Woodbridge and Quantico.  The new track will allow freight and passenger trains to simultaneously navigate this bottle-necked section and will allow trains to reach speeds up to 100mph. Improving this stretch is only part of a proposed $1.8 billion dollar project to create a Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor.

According to WTOP, the $70million awarded to Maryland will rebuild a highly-traversed Baltimore tunnel and will speed both commuter and freight  traffic.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Bag Fees May Come to MD, VA

Photo courtesy of
‘Reusable Giant Bags’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Break out those reusable totes! DC’s new 5 cent fee for disposable bags is such a great idea that Virginia and Maryland may soon follow suit. That is, if two new bills pass.

This week, Maryland Del. Alfred Carr (D-18) introduced a bill patterned after the District’s that would give 3 to 4 cents per disposable paper or plastic bag to the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays 2010 Trust Fund to pay for pollution mitigation.

Last week, Virginia Delegate Adam Ebbin (D-49) introduced a similar bill that works the same way and would benefit the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund. He says this approach could reduce taxpayers’ costs for cleaning waterways and lower stores’ expenses on bags.

Both bills exempt some bags, including those for meat and produce, restaurant carry-out and dry cleaning.

Business and Money, News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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DC Area’s Most Expensive Toll Road…

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

…will be the Intercounty Connector in PG and Montgomery counties.  The ICC, which will be completed next year, is scheduled to levy a $6.15 toll, each way. That amounts to around $0.35/mile, shattering the standing area record at $0.28/mile, held by the Dulles Greenway.  According to MTA, the exorbitant fee is necessary to cover road maintenance and construction costs.  If it makes you feel any better, the ICC will not be the most expensive road in the nation.  That distinction is held by SR-91 is California, which charges nearly $1/mile.

The Daily Feed
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Tan Ban for Howard County Kids

Photo courtesy of
‘day003’
courtesy of ‘Photomish Dan’

As of tomorrow, if you’re under 18 and live in Howard County, MD, it’s illegal for you to step into an indoor tanning booth. The surprising thing about this little piece of news is that a) this is the first time it’s occurred to the board of health to do this b) they’re the first jurisdiction in the country to ban underage indoor tanning. Perhaps health officials have never visited my high school? There were so many girls walking around tinted a strange oompa-loompa orange, complete with those weird little goggle marks, you would be forgiven for thinking that you were actually in the chocolate factory. Time to embrace the pasty, kids. It’s really not so bad.

Farm Fresh, We Green DC
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Farm Fresh: Redwood Restaurant and Bar

Photo courtesy of
‘Cherry Tomato & Watermelon Salad’
courtesy of ‘snapzdc’

Here’s another feature where WeLoveDC authors Donna (greenie) and Katie (foodie) have paired up to tell you about local restaurants that take on the challenge of being green. Donna will explain the logic behind the environmentally friendly trends, and Katie will tell you if the food tastes any good. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it, right?

Katie: Located in the heart of Bethesda Row, Redwood Restaurant and Bar is sleek, clean and stylish. With high ceilings and unsurprising wood decor, it’s a huge modern space with some seriously tasty food. And not only that, they do a great job of sourcing their products from local farmers, and utilizing the Bethesda farmer’s market, conveniently located right outside their door. Donna and I were invited to explore Redwood’s local food, so we went one Thursday night and sampled the fare and heard from Executive Chef Blake Schumpert exactly how he chooses the produce and meats he uses.

Donna: I like that at Redwood, they spell out their philosophy toward local foods up front, with a statement from owner and CEO Jared Rager posted on the Web site and a shorter message printed on the menus, so there’s no mistaking: “We are an independent, locally owned restaurant that showcases a seasonal menu featuring the best mid-atlantic ingredients available. Our produce, cheese, meat, and seafood is naturally-raised, organic, or sustainable whenever possible and is sourced from local growers. We’ve assembled a wine list from around the world with a particular focus on small production vintners who practice sustainable viticulture – making wine in a way which is economically viable, socially supportive and ecologically sound.” Hooray!

Katie: So with a clear mission, and a farmer’s market right outside their door, Redwood is an excellent place to eat some savory fare while feeling good about your meal’s carbon footprint. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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“Glamping”? Oh, Come On.

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0097’
courtesy of ‘puregin’

Did you see this in today’s Express — that you can go glamorous camping, or “glamping” in Maryland?

Here’s how it works. If you want to go camping but are simply too lame to set up your own campsite, you can pay the fine folks at Montgomery County’s Little Bennett Regional Park to do it for you.

For “Camper Ready Camping,” (no hyphen included) they will prepare for you a tent, a stove, a lantern, and two chairs for your pampered behind. (Note that it’s a four-person tent, so either you’ll have lots of room, or two of you will be parking your butts on logs where they belong.)
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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And the Winner Is…

Photo courtesy of
‘The result of a Maryland driver’ courtesy of ‘terabithia4’

The results of the National Driver’s Test for 2009 have been released and guess what? We have proof once again that Maryland drivers are indeed worse than Virginians. But worst of all are those who live in the District.

The test measures basic knowledge of driving laws and how much we know about safe driving. And the fact is, we all suck. (Just that some states suck worse than others.) GMAC stated in their press release that they “found that 20.1 percent of licensed Americans – roughly 41 million drivers – would not pass a written driver’s exam if taken today.” Sobering thought.

The District is the 8th worst on the list, followed by Maryland at 11th and Virginia at 31st. The worst? No surprise there: New York.

Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Black’s Bar & Kitchen

Black's Entrance BEST

Known as  one of the best happy hours in the northern Metro area, Black’s Bar & Kitchen is situated a few blocks from the Bethesda Metro station. WLDC author Acacia and I were headed to Bethesda to review Menopause the Musical (which you can read all about) and we decided we could make it a double feature – a We Love Arts and a We Love Food, all in one trip.  I would recommend you replicate our Bethesda trip, I enjoyed the play, but I will probably look back with even more fondness on our eats.

We stepped into Black’s and basically halted, it was absolutely packed. The interior is sleek, stylish and clean. The bar features two and four-seater booths are built into the back wall with a few free standing tables between the booths and the bar. Large windows look out onto Woodmont Ave. and the patio featuring a small modern pond. We couldn’t find a seat in the bar area, and it was one of those pre-spring days too chilly to sit outside, but we had plenty of time to waste before the show so we decided to wait it out. Soon thereafter a table opened up, but the wait gave us time to survey the crowd. Around 6 p.m., we were bringing down the median age – it was mostly a 35-55 aged crowd, complete with power suits and ties. But by the time we left around 7:15,  the average age had lowered considerably, and there were plenty more jeans and after-work twenty-somethings mixed in the crowd.

Black’s is also an oyster bar, with the goods laid out on display when you walk in the door. I was eager to try the seafood, so we grabbed beers and gave our order. Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Terps Move on to Regional Play

umd

They’ve done it again! Last night the Maryland Terps dominated Utah, 71-56, in the second round of NCAA play at the Comcast Center.  Besides being a one-seed, having 10,000 screaming fans on your side can’t hurt. Oh, and not having lost a home game in 2 years ain’t bad either. 

Senior standouts Marissa Coleman (above far left) and Kristi Toliver said goodbye to their home court last night. Coleman had a double-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and Toliver clocked in with 17 points. “Don’t forget my two rebounds,” she piped in in the post-game. Continue reading →