Ballinger

Howard County Board of Education candidate Robert Ballinger has been a fixture at this year's county fair. He has been gathering ideas from county residents on what they believe works in the school system and what could be changed. He has discovered that people don't mind taking a break from the shows, auctions and food lines to offer their opinions. "They talk about individual issues with the schools. They think that teachers in the classroom, knowing the students and knowing the involvement of the families, should have more leeway," said Ballinger, who lives in the Dorsey Hall community in Ellicott City.

Robert Ballinger and David Gertler both ran unsuccessfully for the Howard County school board in 2010. They are candidates again and say their unsuccessful attempts have left them optimistic about their chances this year. "I feel stronger about this campaign because I was so close the last time," said Ballinger. Ballinger advanced to the November 2010 general election, where he finished sixth in the race for four seats with 10.6 percent of the vote. He was 1,363 votes behind fourth-place finisher Cindy Vaillancourt.

I had the opportunity to testify at last week's Board of Education meeting asking for fiscal responsibility, leadership, transparency and for community input about the recently found $10 million surplus in the school system budget. I do not believe it is fiscally responsible or prudent to say, "We don't have enough money for certain priorities" like our school liaison positions or our move to a virtual education program, when in fact, a couple weeks later the board says, "We not only have enough money, but we have extra money.

More than 40,000 yellow perch have washed up along a four-mile stretch of the Potomac River in Southern Maryland. The cause of the fish kill is not known, but the Maryland Department of the Environment is investigating whether the recent cold snap might have played a role, said Robert Ballinger, a spokesman. The location, between Swan Point and Morgantown in Charles County, is near a power plant, but investigators have concluded that it was not responsible, Ballinger said. "We are looking to a wide range of possible causes, from the cold snap to wind gusts to fishermen," he said.

Police are investigating the theft of two laptop computers containing the names and Social Security numbers of more than 1,300 people formerly employed by the Maryland Department of the Environment. The laptops were reported stolen from the state office building at 300 W. Preston St. in Baltimore on Nov. 12, a spokesman for the MDE, Robert Ballinger, said in a statement yesterday. The Maryland Department of General Services police, which is investigating the theft, has no evidence that personal data were retrieved or misused.

Hampden's Alchemy may have one of the tiniest upstairs bars in Baltimore. But there are some serious, high-end cocktails being crafted in this small space. Dubbed "Potions" (see what they did there?), the cocktail menu features an extensive selection of hand-crafted and tweaked blends of traditional drinks that demonstrate a lot of care, craftsmanship and, best of all, lots of flavor. "It's fun, I love doing it. We find what's trending and give it our own twist," said bartender Matthew Ballinger.

In loving memory of RUTH JOHNSTON DIETRICH, age 91, formerly of LaRue, Ohio, died peacefully on October 7, 2007 at Kentwood Extended Care in Augusta, GA. Ruth was born on March 30, 1916, in Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest daughter of Elmer Parke and Anne (Booth) Johnston. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Richard A. Dietrich, her brother Willard Westerman Johnston and her two sisters Anne Elizabeth Johnston Klemm and Dorothy Eleanor Johnston Kier. Ruth is survived by her five children; Dr. Gail (David)

On April 7, 2003 EUGENIA V. sister of Mary L. Williams. She is survived by one niece Ruby Williams-Townes, two nephews James A. Williams, Sr. and wife Ione and Rev. Dr. Maceo M. Williams and wife Margaret; great-nephew James A. Williams, Jr. and wife Cheryl and Michael Ballinger, Sr. deceased; great-niece April Y. Williams, one great-great-niece, seven great-great-nephews, numerous cousins and friends. Friends may call Nutter Funeral Home, Inc., 2501 Gwynns Falls Parkway on Sunday 12 noon to 5 p.m. On Monday family will receive friends at Martin Luther King United Methodist Church, Windsor Mill Road and Forest Park Avenue from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. with funeral services to follow.

A leak in Deep Creek Dam in Garrett County prompted an alert to area residents, Maryland Department of the Environment officials reported. There was no immediate threat of the dam failing, according to state officials. "MDE has sent staff from our compliance program to investigate the leak," MDE Secretary Shari T. Wilson said in a statement. "We will continue to monitor the situation as long as necessary to ensure the safety of Maryland residents living in the vicinity." The leak is in the penstock, which takes water from Deep Creek Lake to the dam's powerhouse.