Adoption

The Oldies But Goodies Cocker Spaniel Rescue will host an adoption show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 5 at PetSmart, 9041 Snowden River Parkway. All dogs have been vaccinated and spayed or neutered. Call 703-533-2373 or go to cockerspanielrescue.com for more information.

The Maryland state school board adopted regulations Tuesday that require more concussion training for those responsible for student-athletes and beef up protocols for addressing head injuries. In addition, the board will convene an advisory board to recommend limits on exposure to contact in sports in which concussions can occur. The unanimous vote to adopt the regulations concludes a months-long process to tackle the issue in Maryland, which included emergency regulations and a 21-member task force made up of physicians, athletic trainers and school administrators.

Recently, The Sun reported about a new state initiative to prepare youth for life after foster care ("Preparing foster teens for life," Aug. 20). While helping children in foster care gain the skills they need as adults is good thing, the right thing to do is help them find a permanent family. At the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, we are doing just that. Our child-focused recruitment model, Wendy's Wonderful Kids (WWK), works for all children who are waiting to be adopted from foster care.

The pitch bores in low and skitters under Ian Anderson's mitt. As he chugs to retrieve the baseball, another enemy runner dashes across home plate, putting the Carver Bears more hopelessly behind. Shoulders slump around this West Baltimore diamond, lumpy and pocked with dandelions after weeks of no mowing. Harvey White, pitching his first game ever for Carver, can't find his control. And Anderson, filling in for a suspended teammate, looks like the novice he is behind the plate. But from the bench comes an animated voice, cutting through the dejection: "Good job, Ian!

Could the path to the pot o' gold be paved with pawprints? Two local animal shelters think so, and they've invited you to special St. PAWtrick's Day parties to find out for sure. You are invited to The Humane Society of Harford County 's headquarters at 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, for the wearin' o' the green and a special party that just might bring you a world of luck. Things kick off with a Parade of Dogs at noon that will show off all the pups available for adoption.

With Harford County Council Bill 11-51 having been enacted into law, Harford County has completed the legislative process of updating its building and mechanical codes to the applicable 2012 International Codes, commonly called I-Codes, prior to the state-mandated enforcement date of July 1. The 2009 I-Codes will remain in effect until the July 1, 2012 with one exception. The requirement for installation of an automatic residential fire sprinkler system in new one and two family dwellings has been delayed until the July 1, 2012 date.

Anne Arundel County Animal Control will offer discounted adoptions of older animals during an adopt-a-thon planned for May 11. The event will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the county shelter at 411 Maxwell Frye Road in Millersville. All animals age seven or older can be adopted for no adoption fee. New owners will only have to pay for the county's licensing fee. The event will also feature adoptable pets from other shelters and rescue groups, educational information and a demonstration from the police K-9 unit.

What time is it? Adoption time! Any dogs in the house? Absolutely! Cocoa got game! This beautiful American Bulldog mix is sporting her Ravens pride this week, and the Maryland SPCA has decided to follow her lead and offer a Ray Lewis-inspired special on big dogs like him. This Friday and Saturday, you can adopt a new best friend (one who might even be a Ravens fan like Cocoa) for a reduced price. Large dogs will be available to appropriate homes for $52 in honor of Lewis and the team -- that's a big savings from the regular adoption fee of $125.

Baltimore is about to adopt a "climate action plan" that among other things calls for increasing energy efficiency in city homes and buildings, developing more renewable energy, getting more people out of their cars and planting more trees. The plan, drawn up over the past 11 months, spells out a laundry list of measures aimed at reducing climate-warming emissions of carbon dioxide 15 percent by the end of the decade.  The plan is scheduled for a final hearing before adoption by the city Planning Commission on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 2:30 pm at the Office of Sustainability, 417 E. Fayette St., 8th floor.

A Timonium man has asked the New Jersey attorney general's office to investigate the 1976 adoption in which his infant son was switched with another child. The infant's whereabouts are still unknown, as are the substituted baby's origins. In a 14-page letter, Ron Ryba asked Attorney General Paula T. Dow to seek the facts surrounding the adoption and to order the adoption agency, Catholic Charities of Trenton, to turn over all records relating to the case. Ryba, 51, has been trying since 2008 to learn the whereabouts of the boy he and Kathy Butler, of Medford Lakes, N.J., turned over to Catholic Charities for adoption.

Get your gato on: There's another reason to celebrate Cincy de Mayo this Sunday, May 5. That's because the Maryland SPCA will host its Cinco de Gato Adoption Event, where all cats six months old and older can be adopted for just $5! Shelters usually experience a large influx of cats and kittens this time of year, and they all need to find good homes. All cats at the shelter Sunday will be spayed or neutered and up to date with vaccinations (microchipping and pet licensing are not included in the $5 adoption fee)

Anne Arundel County Animal Control will offer discounted adoptions of older animals during an adopt-a-thon planned for May 11. The event will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the county shelter at 411 Maxwell Frye Road in Millersville. All animals age seven or older can be adopted for no adoption fee. New owners will only have to pay for the county's licensing fee. The event will also feature adoptable pets from other shelters and rescue groups, educational information and a demonstration from the police K-9 unit.

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland recently met with the family of Sergei Magnitsky. The reasons for the meeting: In 2009, Mr. Magnitsky was jailed in Russia for exposing governmental corruption. While in prison, he died after allegedly being tortured. In December, with the energetic legislative support of Senator Cardin, Congress passed a statute, the Magnitsky Act, forbidding those accused of human rights abuses in Russia from traveling to the U.S. This month, the Magnitsky family came to Washington to thank Senator Cardin for his efforts.

Could the path to the pot o' gold be paved with pawprints? Two local animal shelters think so, and they've invited you to special St. PAWtrick's Day parties to find out for sure. You are invited to The Humane Society of Harford County 's headquarters at 2208 Connolly Road, Fallston, from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, for the wearin' o' the green and a special party that just might bring you a world of luck. Things kick off with a Parade of Dogs at noon that will show off all the pups available for adoption.

Recently, I returned home from a three-week stay in Guanajuato, Mexico. I lived with a gracious Mexican family, took Spanish classes and had the chance to immerse myself in Mexican culture. Mexican society was beautiful and vibrant - full of ideas, art and religion. Needless to say, the crude stereotypes of drug cartels and kidnappings were hardly relevant or applicable to my experience, or the experience of anyone I met. As my trip wound down, I said to my host parents, " Por favor, vengan a visitar a mi familia en los Estados Unidos!"

Food banks across the country are adopting policies to make sure the people they serve get nutritious meals, according to Yale research. The groups that help feed the hungry are concerned about the rise in obesity and other illnesses even in those people who cannot afford steady meals, the researchers at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity found.  The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Many who have problems buying food can only afford staples that aren't the most nutritious.

An official at the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been accused of sexual molestation of his adopted daughter in a Baltimore hotel room while she was here for medical treatment, according to State Department investigators. A federal grand jury indicted the man Wednesday on a single charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The alleged victim was also his biological niece, the investigators wrote in an affidavit in the case. The Baltimore Sun does not name the victims of alleged sex crimes, and is omitting the father's name in order to avoid identifying the girl.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Education on Wednesday adopted a $1.01 billion operating budget request that marks a 3.2-percent increase over the current year's budget, and includes $16 million for employee raises. Allocations for a middle school science and technology program, health care costs and an Annapolis-based center for special and alternative education services are also included in the budget plan, which crosses the billion-dollar threshold for the first time. The school board approved the budget 8-1, with member Amalie Brandenburg voting against it. The plan now heads to the county executive - whoever that will be after a successor is chosen to replace John Leopold, who resigned this month.