Bloom

Suddenly, on August 16, 2007, ROBERT L. FRONCKOSKI ; dearest husband of Donna L. (nee Bloom); devoted father of Robert T. Fronckoski and Amy M. David and husband Jeremiah; beloved son of Joan F. Fronckoski and the late Robert L. Fronckoski, Sr. loving son-in-law of Jo Ann Bloom and the late Thomas Bloom; dear brother of Gary Fronckoski and Nancy Furman and husband Michael; loving grandfahter of Jeremiah, Bradley, Kiera and Owen David; Also survived by...

Three people were injured and one woman was killed after an Anne Arundel County ambulance responding to an emergency call collided head-on with another vehicle yesterday.Police said the ambulance driver, Joseph Bloom, was traveling with passenger Lori Brothers north on Route 648 in Ferndale about 5: 30 p.m when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a car in the southbound lane. Bloom and Brothers were taken to North Arundel Hospital, where they were treated and released.The driver of the car, Brigitte Fleet, 34, of Baltimore, was pronounced dead at North Arundel.

Bowling Brook Thoroughbreds1998-99 record: 2-8Coach: Jim TavennerTop wrestler: Mike Price, Sr., hwt.Outlook: At first glance, the likelihood of the Thoroughbreds' winning their fourth state private schools B Division title in six years appears distant. Tavenner doesn't have a wrestler in six weight classes from 103 to 130 pounds and at 140, and 31 of the squad's 32 wrestlers have never performed on the varsity level. But the lone returner is Price, who went 24-5 last season and placed fifth in the state individual tournament to earn all-county honors.

Q. Two shade trees came down during Hurricane Floyd. I've never had to deal with stumps. Should I remove them to plant replacements in the same area?A. Yes, check with your neighbors or consult the phone book to find businesses that grind stumps. They can usually give you an estimate over the phone. It pays to be home during the grinding to help the operator spot the large, deep roots that extend 1 to 2 feet out from the base. All large roots should be ground. But don't pay extra to have the wood chips hauled away.

With revenue limited by state efforts to hold down hospital charges, Sinai Hospital announced yesterday that it will lay off some employees, although none of those cuts are expected to be in primary patient care.Jill Bloom, a hospital spokeswoman, said the number will be "less than 70" of its 3,000 employees.Bloom said some of the employees have been notified, but that the hospital had not completed its review of potential cost-cutting measures. "We're looking at everything -- people and programs," she said.

Q. I'm noticing some small, strange bumps on my pecan and peach trees. They are white and black and I can scrape them off with my nail. What in the world are they?A. You're seeing the adult female form of calico scale, a common soft scale that can be observed on many different landscape trees. They cause little damage, and are controlled by beneficial insects such as lady bird beetles.Q. My cucumber plants are big and loaded with blooms. But I'm not getting any cucumbers. Is something wrong with my plants?

Gardeners are a perverse lot. No matter how appalling the summer, or how welcome the respite of fall, the minute we close the storm windows, we want to start gardening all over again -- this time indoors. There was a time when poinsettias, with their cheerful red and green leaves, were the main horticultural event in winter. But we were hungry for more -- more color, more bloom, more scent, more choice. Plantsmen and women have responded. Now we have a host of things to satisfy the winter palate, several of which can be blooming by Christmas.

Nothing says winter is really, really over better than the sight and scent of daffodils, geraniums, daisies, petunias and ever-hardy marigolds.Maybe spring is discovering a beautiful new flower to grace your garden. Or maybe spring means the annual trip to the store to purchase potted plants for displaying on decks, balconies and patios.However you cut it, flowers and plants add a lot to our lives, particularly during this time of year, as we shake off the winter blues. This is the season to check out what is out there, see how others are decorating with flowers, choose how to plant your garden or decide on a landscape design.

Sinai Hospital is negotiating the possible sale of facilities on the Children's Hospital campus to Kennedy-Krieger Institute, officials of Sinai and Kennedy Krieger confirmed yesterday.Children's ended inpatient care in March under pressure from state regulators, who were concerned about low occupancy, high costs and large losses at the hospital. Children's sought a merger that would keep the hospital open, but it could not find a partner willing to keep it operating.Children's then announced that its assets were being transferred to nearby Sinai, which will use the Children's endowment, valued at about $20 million, to support pediatric services.

A Woodstock couple last night cleared the first hurdle to obtaining permission to operate a kennel for dalmatians on their property.The five-member Howard County Planning Board unanimously recommended approval for a 20-dog kennel on 10 acres owned by Stephen D. and Beth E. Winick in the 10300 block of Cavey Lane.The panel endorsed the project despite opposition from a handful of neighbors who argued that the kennel would be a nuisance and lower property values in the Woodstock Ridge Estates community.

Zach Rose is a farmer, not a painter, but he has inadvertently created a brilliant yellow landscape in northern Harford County. His fields of sunflowers have become the talk of the town, a magnet for photographers and a mood-lifter for those who happen upon the cheerful, end-of-summer vista. When Rose planted 600 acres of sunflowers at his White Hall farm in July, he was thinking birdseed. He expects to harvest thousands of pounds of seed around the first of December from the sunflowers now in full bloom.

Even after turning 34 on Monday, there is little doubt that Trevor Pryce is among the fittest Ravens at the start of training camp. His secret: playing football twice a week during the offseason. No, not the American version with helmets and shoulder pads. In the spring, Pryce plays indoor soccer in a Denver coed league. Every Monday and Friday, the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Pryce is outrunning an 18-year-old and dribbling around players half his size. "As big as he is, you would think he would be a big lug and just kill people," said Brandy Bloom, who plays soccer with Pryce.

Question: : My irises haven't bloomed for three years. Leaves come up, but no flowers. Answer: : Your irises may be planted too deeply. This is a classic reason why they fail to bloom, even when foliage is present. The top of the rhizome should be showing at the soil's surface. Irises also require at least six hours of sun a day to bloom, and cannot be allowed to dry out, especially in the critical spring months when buds are set. At the same time, if they are over-watered then you may get some rot, so watering should be done carefully.

I bought an amaryllis in a glass jar on sale. It grew leaves and a flower without roots or water. I was told to leave it alone and let the leaves die. Will it bloom next year? Your amaryllis had a huge quantity of stored energy and moisture in its bulb in order to flower without water. Now the bulb is depleted. It cannot sprout again without renewing its reserves. To help it bulk up, plant your bulb in a pot, keeping the top 1/3 of the bulb above the soil line. Slowly move it into bright sunlight so the leaves can carry on photosynthesis and manufacture carbohydrates.

Why don't my chrysanthemums keep blooming through the whole fall season? Most years, I have to buy mums twice. Then they die! Aren't they supposed to be perennials? Yes, chrysanthemums are perennials, but to survive the winter they need time for their root systems to get established. Plant early in the fall and keep them moist by supplementing rainfall through autumn. Protect tender roots with evergreen boughs or an airy mulch if you cut the mums down after frost kills the tops. Remove any mulch early in spring.

John Neukam has been catching crabs in pots near the Middle River for decades. But this year, the crabs have been dying in the water, suffocated by a bright green algae bloom that is choking off oxygen and worrying watermen and recreational boaters. "You crab all week, you get a bushel and a half in your live box, and they die," said Neukam, after checking his pots yesterday morning. "I've been here all my life - 64 years - and we've only had this one other time, when fertilizer from a farm seeped into the cove."

When is the best time to see the cherry blossoms in Kyoto, Japan, before the crowds arrive? Your window is so small that it's almost impossible not to encounter crowds. Because the blossoms are in bloom only about 14 days (usually late March), you're likely to see lots of people at temples, gardens and parks every day enjoying the flowers. If you go, here are some favorite spots in and around Kyoto: Maruyama Park, a public park next to the Yasaka Shrine, features a large weeping cherry tree that is lit up at night.

Sedum `Autumn Joy'(Sedum spectabile `Autumn Joy')`Autumn Joy' sedum rates as one of the best and easiest perennials for Maryland. Long-living and with a long season of bloom, it continues to shine when summer perennials peter out. Flowers form in midsummer, gradually turn pale pink and mature to a rusty red in fall. Then, sturdy flower heads dry and provide interest in the garden all winter. In spring, clear away old stalks for the attractive emerging growth. It grows best in full sun, but blooms in some shade.

Theodore G. Bloom, a retired Maryland Court of Special Appeals judge known for opinions peppered with literary references, died of pancreatic cancer complications Saturday at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He was 81 and lived in Annapolis. "He was a beloved figure in the Maryland judiciary," said Joseph F. Murphy, chief judge of the Court of Special Appeals. "His mind was razor-sharp, and he quoted beautifully from poetry and song. He was a real scholar with an appreciation for literature."

Suddenly, on August 16, 2007, ROBERT L. FRONCKOSKI ; dearest husband of Donna L. (nee Bloom); devoted father of Robert T. Fronckoski and Amy M. David and husband Jeremiah; beloved son of Joan F. Fronckoski and the late Robert L. Fronckoski, Sr. loving son-in-law of Jo Ann Bloom and the late Thomas Bloom; dear brother of Gary Fronckoski and Nancy Furman and husband Michael; loving grandfahter of Jeremiah, Bradley, Kiera and Owen David; Also survived by...