Bottle

Three members of a key City Council committee say they oppose Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposal to more than double the city's bottle tax — enough to kill the bill. That has angered supporters of the bill, who accuse Councilman Carl Stokes, the chairman of the council's Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee, of holding back public education. The tax increase is part of the mayor's plan to fix dilapidated schools. Stokes is one of the three council members on the five-member committee who oppose it. "Councilman Stokes is standing as a roadblock toward improving the quality of our schools for our children," said Bishop Douglas Miles, chairman of the interfaith group Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the explosion of two improvised bottle bombs in an Aberdeen Dumpster, according to state fire marshals. Aberdeen city police originally responded to the first block of East Bel Air Avenue for a calls of "shots fired" shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, according to a notice of investigation from the State Fire Marshal's Office. Police discovered two explosive devices - bottle bombs - inside a commercial Dumpster at the Magnolia Apartments, according to the notice.

Children in Baltimore County have recently been leaving dangerous homemade "bottle bombs" in mailboxes, on people's lawns and in other outdoor areas around the county, according to Baltimore County police. "They do it as a prank," said Lt. Rob McCullough, a police spokesman, "but once again, it's dangerous. " The so-called bombs are plastic bottles filled with a chemical drain cleaner, a piece of aluminum foil and a little bit of water - three ingredients that, when mixed, cause a gas reaction that fills the bottle until it explodes.

Three members of a key City Council committee say they oppose Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposal to more than double the city's bottle tax — enough to kill the bill. That has angered supporters of the bill, who accuse Councilman Carl Stokes, the chairman of the council's Taxation, Finance and Economic Development Committee, of holding back public education. The tax increase is part of the mayor's plan to fix dilapidated schools. Stokes is one of the three council members on the five-member committee who oppose it. "Councilman Stokes is standing as a roadblock toward improving the quality of our schools for our children," said Bishop Douglas Miles, chairman of the interfaith group Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposed 5-cent bottle tax can add up quickly. For example, five 12-packs of Diet Coke can be bought on sale for $10. Sixty cans times 5 cents equals $3. Add to that the 6 percent sales tax - 60 cents - and the total becomes $13.60. That's why I think city residents will soon find themselves buying sodas and alcohol in the county. Dave Edington

A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the explosion of two improvised bottle bombs in an Aberdeen Dumpster, according to state fire marshals. Aberdeen city police originally responded to the first block of East Bel Air Avenue for a calls of "shots fired" shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, according to a notice of investigation from the State Fire Marshal's Office. Police discovered two explosive devices - bottle bombs - inside a commercial Dumpster at the Magnolia Apartments, according to the notice.

A four-cent tax on bottled beverages that could have prevented scores of city workers from losing their jobs was defeated Thursday at an emergency meeting of the Baltimore City Council. Without the tax — the centerpiece of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's package of new fees and tariffs to help bridge the city's $121 million budget gap — the city plans to scale back street cleaning, graffiti removal and maintenance of vacant properties, among other services. Supporters hold out the slim hope of resurrecting the measure before June 30, the deadline for officials to settle the city's budget for the coming fiscal year.

Sometimes less is more, more or less. Sometimes, less is all you have and all you have will do just fine. Sometimes, the small things, the short things, the bits and pieces are worth keeping because they might be one day useful; my father felt that way about stove bolts. Walter Hard, a Vermont folk poet of Robert Frost's generation, once told of the frugal Yankee woman - was there any other kind? - who left a bag in her attic labeled, "Pieces of string too short to use. " So, alrighty then, that's my preamble and I'm going with it. Here, forthwith, are pieces of column too short to use ... • Suggestion for the Baltimore merchants who oppose Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposal to increase the city's bottle tax to five cents to pay for school renovations: Turn what you see as a problem into an opportunity.

One of the first conversations my fiancé and I had after the spastic, electric dust settled from our engagement was about our registry. I am a slob, wannabe chef and part magpie, so getting presents to help me organize, cook and fulfill my need to see sparkly stuff seemed awesome. It didn't occur to me at first that we wouldn't register -- until Rob (my fiancé) suggested something radical. No gifts. Just wine. We're moving into a new home and hope to build a wine cellar in the stone basement.

How do you get a 2-year-old off the bottle without disrupting him or upsetting him? I'd like to hear from parents who have done it.Georgia CampanelliCanton, OhioThe dilution solution does the trick for most toddlers without too much fuss. Watering down what's in the bottle helps children switch to sipper cups, which are much safer for a young child's teeth."The answer is shockingly simple," says Edward Christophersen, chief of behavioral pediatrics at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.Expect the dilution approach to take a few weeks.

Teens learn on YouTube to make the "bombs" with a few cheap, household items, then travel in groups late at night — eager to hear the boom, laugh with friends and gauge whatever damage they've wrought. According to Lt. Carlton Saunders of Howard County's office of the fire marshal, teenagers consider it a prank when they experiment with "bottle bombs," which have been found over the years in counties all across the Baltimore region. The explosions are rarely associated with damage greater than a busted mailbox, and are even more rarely associated with injuries, Saunders said.

The kerfuffle over the proposed wine store in Wegmans' newest location in Columbia heralds the next looming battle in consumers' fight to modernize Maryland's alcohol policy. The recent Howard County liquor board hearing demonstrated the intensity of both sides' arguments. The local retailers, backed by the alcohol distributors, fear increased competition — while consumer groups clamor for greater convenience and selection, and lower prices. The alcohol industry in Maryland has traditionally dictated its own regulations.

Children in Baltimore County have recently been leaving dangerous homemade "bottle bombs" in mailboxes, on people's lawns and in other outdoor areas around the county, according to Baltimore County police. "They do it as a prank," said Lt. Rob McCullough, a police spokesman, "but once again, it's dangerous. " The so-called bombs are plastic bottles filled with a chemical drain cleaner, a piece of aluminum foil and a little bit of water - three ingredients that, when mixed, cause a gas reaction that fills the bottle until it explodes.

If the julep ceremonial previously described is too fussy for you, I offer a traditional drinking game from the Commonwealth.  Two people go into a room. Each has a bottle of bourbon.* They sit at leisure, drinking and talking.  When the whiskey has been consumed, one of them stands up and walks out of the room. The other tries to guess who left.    *Please, no Tennessee whiskey. 

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposed 5-cent bottle tax can add up quickly. For example, five 12-packs of Diet Coke can be bought on sale for $10. Sixty cans times 5 cents equals $3. Add to that the 6 percent sales tax - 60 cents - and the total becomes $13.60. That's why I think city residents will soon find themselves buying sodas and alcohol in the county. Dave Edington

Baltimore City has a serious problem with run-down, antiquated school facilities. They represent a major impediment to progress in improving the education of Baltimore children and a drag on the city's efforts to shake off decades of decline. MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blake's plan to fund a new school construction and renovation program through an extension and increase in the city's bottle tax may not be the perfect solution, but it is a good start. The beverage industry has mounted a campaign of opposition to the proposal that borders on the hysterical.

TELEVISION coverage of the Orioles' games these days finds the camera reaching out beyond the stadium to make the point that the stadium is, happily, located downtown, well within the old city. Frequently, the camera finds its way to, and comes to rest at, the old Bromo Seltzer Tower building -- sans the "blue bottle." All of which has been leading to suggestions from fans (and this newspaper) to the city fathers that they "bring back the blue bottle."That's not a bad idea, but it will take some doing.

Save a few empty plastic and glass bottles for these easy-to-do projects:* Tear off short strips of masking tape and tape in a random, overlapping fashion around a smooth-sided glass bottle, except the opening and the base. Rub your favorite shade of shoe polish over the bottle with an old rag. Let polish dry. The bottle is now ready for a spring bouquet.* Run hot water over the outside of a clear plastic 2-liter soft-drink bottle and remove the label. Remove the black plastic base.With adult assistance, use sharp scissors to trim off the closed rounded end of the clear plastic container.

Teachers, students, retailers and beverage industry lobbyists are preparing for a showdown Wednesday as the battle over raising Baltimore's bottle tax to fund school repairs moves to a skeptical City Council committee. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake wants to increase the tax from 2 cents to 5 cents and use the proceeds to float bonds. The mayor, who saw her school construction initiatives wither in the General Assembly, is pushing the council to quickly pass the tax, although it would not go into effect for more than a year.

After a yearlong round of escalating international economic sanctions and rhetoric, the regime in Iran has finally come around to raising expectations that it will take some constructive steps in reining in its nuclear weapons ambitions. But this cycle of threat and accommodation has played out before, and its outcome should have been predictable. According to the information provided by Iranian dissidents obtained from their sources inside the regime, as well as the U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency, the nuclear genie is out of the bottle in Iran, and the regime's genius for delay and subterfuge will only give it the time to complete the dash to a workable weapon.