Births

Liam Nicholas Hammett Melissa Lescht Hammett and John David Hammett , of Ellicott City, announce the birth of their son, Liam Nicholas Hammett , on May 7, 2011. He weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces. His grandparents are Stephen and Suzanne Lescht, of Ellicott City; and Frank and Cindy Hammett, of Ellicott City.

A new poll released today shows the largest measured gap between Americans who believe individuals are born gay and those who believe sexual orientation is caused by external factors. According to Gallup , 47 percent of Americans chose "nature" over "nurture" when asked about same-sex orientation, while 33 percent say they believe being gay is a product of an individual's upbringing and environment. As recently as 2011, public opinion on the causes of sexual orientation were about equally split.

Melissa and Michael Britton , of Columbia, announce the birth of their son, John Michael Britton , on April 19, 2011, at 3:45 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. His brothers are Ben and Will. His grandparents are Doug and Debbie Sharp, of Columbia; and Jim and Gingie Britton, of Mount Carmel, Pa.

I am in total agreement with Kim R. Filer ("Authorities too quick to kill rescued baby fox" May 7). This poor baby fox was doomed from birth. First by an accident that put him in harm's way and then by "authorities" who had to show their big nasty hand of power to kill. How sad for those who have so little care and empathy for creatures who are at mercy of men who couldn't even take a week to see if the fox was a rabies carrier before snuffing out his little life. Mary-Jo Dale, Baltimore Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Laurissa S. and David E. Flowers , of Fort Meade, announce the birth of their daughter, Emma-Claire Lynn Flowers , on June 17, 2011, at 2:27 a.m. She weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Her grandparents are Gary and Cecile Swanson, of Mission Viejo, Calif.; and Phillip and Linda Flowers, of Newbern, Tenn.

Kenna and Andrew Hill, of Glen Burnie, announce the birth of their son, Covin Marsden Hill, on June 25, 2011, at 8:01 p.m. He weighed 8 pounds, 7 ounces. His sister is Briella. His grandparents are Maureen Marsden, of Columbia; Thomas Marsden, of Glen Burnie; Steele and Gail Hill, of Columbia; and Lynn Walters, of Orange Park, Fla.

Kimberly and Travis Williams , of Columbia, announce the birth of their son, Brayden Paul Williams , on Oct. 17, 2011, at 8:02 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces. His siblings are Keagan and Landon. His grandparents are Linda Hayden, of Silver Spring; Paul Hayden, of Lititz, Pa.; and Lena Williams, of Reisterstown. Renee and Gary Williams Jr. , of Columbia, announce the birth of their daughter, Jeanne Lillian Williams , on Sept. 8, 2011, at 7:04 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces.

Johns Hopkins will use a $2 million federal grant to look for new ways to prevent premature births. The Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School was among 27 hospitals nationwide awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The grants are part of a $41.4 million, four-year initiative called the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns.  “This initiative will help us find new ways to reduce the rate of preterm births, improve the health outcomes of pregnant women and newborns and decrease the anticipated total cost of medical care during pregnancy and delivery and over the first year of life for children,” Dr. Andrew J. Satin, director of the Hopkins gyn/ob department and chair of the Medical Board at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, said in a statement.

Little Leapers was unveiled to an excited crowd of children and caregivers along with program sponsors and library staff on March 27 at the Bel Air library. More than 80 people were in attendance, including 30 children, to see the new kits and have the opportunity to participate in several experiments put on by local scientists. Little Leapers is Harford County Public Library's newest early literacy initiative which consists of pre- and early-literacy kits that focus on fostering and developing pre- and early literacy skills through STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)

An endangered lemur species native only to the island of Madagascar has grown its global population by one with the birth last month of Maximilian - the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore 's newest Coquerel's sifaka. The species (pronounced CAHK-ker-rells she-FAHK) produce babies that resemble "tiny gremlins" before their white hair begins to grow in, the zoo said. Images of "Max," as he's known, show his hair has come in - he was born March 30, though his birth was announced Wednesday - and he can now be seen on some days with his parents inside the zoo's sifaka exhibit at the Chimpanzee Forest, zoo officials said.

We baby boomers get blamed for just about every economic hiccup, because there are so many of us. And our children are particularly furious because they believe the crisis in Social Security, which may affect their ability to retire, can be laid at our feet like kindling for a burning at the stake. They are convinced we boomers, with our outsized appetites and sense of entitlement, are going to consume everything on our way to the cemetery, right down to the amount of ground we leave for those who die after us. But data from the Social Security Administration itself, provided by chief actuary Stephen Goss, demonstrates that boomers are not the pig-through-the-python that we have been described as being.

When it comes to spring color, Washington knows how to put on a show. The National Cherry Blossom Festival blossoms each year to commemorate the gift of some 3,000 cherry trees from Tokyo to the nation's capital in 1912. While the festival had modest beginnings, the event has since evolved into a springtime celebration that attracts millions of visitors from around the world. "It's truly amazing how a gift from over 100 years ago has now reached so many people," says Diana Mayhew, the festival's president.

One in 5 of teen births are from young moms who already have children, new CDC data shows. The Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday that although teen births have declined in the last two decades, one problem that remains is girls who get pregnant multiple times. There are about 183 "repeat teen births" each day, the CDC found. It is the second birth for 86 percent of the girls and the third birth for 13 percent of the moms. Teens with more than one child may find it difficult to finish school and get a good job. The babies are also often born premature.

Congress' inability to agree on matters of import isn't exactly a new phenomenon, but the Colonial Players' current production of the musical "1776" reminds us that fiery debate has been a part of our nation from the outset. Sherman Edwards' 1969 Tony Award winner for best musical, with book by Peter Stone, chronicles the vote for independence by the Continental Congress in the summer of 1776. Director Beth Terranova says the musical reveals "the enormity of the task our founding fathers set out for themselves.

When Whitney Watts of Columbia agreed to bear twins on behalf of an infertile Boston couple two years ago, she entered a murky area of Maryland law. Nothing forbade her from signing a contract to carry babies conceived through in vitro fertilization and implanted in her uterus. But neither were there guarantees that Maryland courts would enforce the contract if something went wrong. To this day, such questions are left up to individual judges. Watts' experience had a happy ending, despite serious complications that arose midway through her pregnancy.

Orioles left-hander Mark Hendrickson returned to camp on Saturday after joining his wife, Cortney , for the birth of the couple's third child back home in York, Pa. Hendrickson missed the child's birth -- he was standing in the line at the airport for a 6 a.m. flight on Wednesday while his wife was in labor, video chatting with her she was in the delivery room -- but was in the air when the baby, which they named Sophia Joy , was delivered....