Attention

John Pittas' mother spent six months in a Pennsylvania facility recovering after an auto accident, then moved to Greece to be with her other children. Left behind: $93,000 in unpaid care bills. The facility sued to collect - from John Pittas. A court sided with the care facility last year and ordered the son, who runs a diner in Schnecksville, Pa., to pay up. The basis of the lawsuit is a so-called filial support law, which requires adult children to be responsible for the care of indigent parents.

A section of Shamrock Park in Bel Air may end up getting some major upgrades, or at least town officials are talking about the possibility. Some of the early discussion includes installing additional playground equipment, defined pathways and shade trees on either side of the Humbert Amphitheater, and all of these suggestions deserve the full attention of the Board of Town Commissioners. There's good reason to want to keep Shamrock Park in top shape. It's one of the crown jewels of a top-flight municipal park system in Bel Air. The maintenance of park space is a municipal responsibility on par with keeping streets and sewers up to standard and providing police protection.

Hundreds of students, alumni and professors at Towson University gathered Tuesday to declare that the school stands for tolerance and diversity, and that a student who has attracted international news coverage for advocating racial segregation does not represent them. Some of those attending the student-planned rally said they were deeply frustrated and angry with news media attention to student Matthew Heimbach's White Student Union and the nighttime patrols that he said are aimed at fighting crime.

One of the more highly anticipated games in Division III will take place next Wednesday when No. 5 Stevenson (8-1) visits No. 7 Salisbury (9-2). The two teams will continue their rivalry although they're no longer in the same conference. The Mustangs moved from the Capital Athletic Conference to the Middle Atlantic Conference after last season. But the coaches of both teams said that their focus is on Saturday's games. Stevenson hosts No. 8 Lynchburg (6-1) at Mustangs Stadium in Owings Mills, while the reigning national champion Sea Gulls will play host to CAC foe Marymount at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury.

If coach Mark Turgeon considers the postseason an educational opportunity for his young Maryland team, then Tuesday night's National Invitation Tournament game at top-seeded Alabama must represent an advanced class. The second-seeded Terps (24-12) are trying to move into the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 2005. Maryland will be seeking its first road victory against a team with a winning record. The Crimson Tide (23-12) have won 12 straight home games.

Barely a week after the group made national news for advocating for racial segregation at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Towson University's White Student Union is again drawing attention for plans to conduct nighttime patrols to watch for crime. Matthew Heimbach, a 21-year-old senior and founder of the group, said his group plans to go out a few nights a week - the men armed with only Maglite flashlights, the women with pepper spray - and will attempt to make a citizen's arrest if they witness a "violent felony.

Bridget Gregory loves many things about her cat, Curtis, but finds his feet among his funniest features. "Curtis is a polydactyl cat, meaning he has more than five toes on one paw," says the 11-year-old Towson resident. "He has six!" Bridget's family adopted Curtis the 24-toed cat from the animal shelter last year and say he's about a year and a half old. "Curtis is very, very friendly and likes being the center of attention," says Bridget. Given the chance, he meanders into neighbors' homes for a visit and loves meeting new people and being loved by family and friends.

No. 13 Washington College has long forgotten about Saturday's 16-8 victory over Goucher, a result that avenged a two-game sweep by the Gophers last season. The impending visit by a higher ranked opponent can have that kind of effect. Washington & Lee (4-0) is scheduled to visit Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium in Chestertown this Saturday. The Generals edged then-No. 1 Salisbury, 7-6, in double overtime and then-No. 10 Denison, 8-7, last week to move up to No. 9 in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll.

There were two odd things about Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's presentation Wednesday at the Walters Art Museum to introduce "Change to Grow," her ambitious plan to put Baltimore's budget on a sustainable path, cut taxes and increase investments in infrastructure. First: the trivial. As her PowerPoint ended, music swelled in the background, specifically the opening guitar riffs to U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," which includes the lines, "City's aflood/And our love turns to rust/We're beaten and blown by the wind/Trampled in dust.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Tsuyoshi Wada realizes he's still a long way to go in his tedious return from Tommy John surgery, but the Japanese left-hander still hopes to make his major league debut soon. Wednesday was the Orioles' first workout for pitchers and catchers, and Wada leaned up against a gate and watched as his teammates opened with long-toss throwing sessions, but he was cleared to participate in pitchers fielding practice drills. It'll still be about three to four weeks before Wada will be able to throw his first bullpen session, and he's gradually building up his throwing distance in a long-toss program he began in November.