Cabinet

Ellen Thomas of Fresno, Calif., searched high and low for new kitchen cabinets to replace her whitewashed oak ones. There were a couple of requirements, however. "My husband said, `I don't care what you get, as long as it doesn't fall apart,'" says Thomas, a stay-at-home mother. As for her, "I wanted the cabinets to look like beautiful furniture." So when she started her kitchen-remodeling project a year ago, she hunted for cabinets that were both elegant and functional. What they looked like was important, because they would set the tone of the room, she says.

Eugene "Gene" Raymond Lynch III, a member of Gov. Parris N. Glendening's Cabinet who orchestrated the preservation of Deep Creek Lake for future generations, died of metastatic bladder cancer Friday at Casey House, a Rockville hospice. He was 50. The former governor described his friend and colleague as a "renaissance man of public service," given Mr. Lynch's background as a civic activist, labor organizer and small-business owner. "Very few people brought that kind of diversity of background to his service," Mr. Glendening said.

Around the house Prevent bursting pipes by keeping the house above 65 degrees and occasionally opening cabinet doors in the kitchen and bathrooms since the temperature inside the walls, where the pipes are located, is substantially colder. Keeping cabinet doors open allows the warm air to circulate around pipes, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom. Also, keep the water trickling, especially through outdoor pipes and faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space.

BAGHDAD -- Lawmakers from several Iraqi parties boycotted a parliamentary session yesterday, essentially derailing efforts by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to get approval for nominees to fill two vacant Cabinet posts. At least 196 legislators signed their names as present at the parliament, but almost 100 of them failed to show up for the session when they learned that voting for new ministers of justice and communications would occur, according to those in attendance. Without a simple majority of its 275 members present, the parliament could not hold the vote.

Senator cries foul on `strongarm' e-mails Republican Sen. Andrew P. Harris said recent e-mails by O'Malley administration officials concerning the governor's revenue proposal are intended to "strongarm" people into supporting the governor's plan. Harris shared two e-mails with reporters yesterday at the close of a rally of education leaders and students supporting Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan. The first, sent Oct. 23 by Stephen J. Kearney, O'Malley's communications director, warns Cabinet secretaries of cuts in vital programs if the legislature fails to pass the governor's plan to eliminate what he is calling a projected $1.7 billion "structural deficit."

The administration of County Executive Ken Ulman is moving to create a Cabinet-level environmental office and a companion advisory panel as recommended recently by a citizens commission, but the County Council's lone Republican member questioned at a meeting yesterday the need for new employees. Another council member, Ellicott City Democrat Courtney Watson, expressed concern about the commission's use of the word require when discussing potential changes to homeowner association covenants that sometimes prohibit practices that could help the environment.

Cabinets can be repainted, refinished or refaced, then dressed up with new hardware - all without having to change the floor plan or replace the counters (a relief if you put in that granite a few years ago). Painting is the simplest and least expensive fix. Refinishing cabinets can update good quality wood, but it's a more costly option. Refacing offers the most significant change. "Refacing is basically leaving the boxes, throwing out old doors, old hinges and old drawer fronts," says Lamar Ireland, manager at the Kitchen Store in Culver City, Calif.

We've chosen cherry cabinetry in a medium color as the first step in remodeling our kitchen and breakfast area. What should we do about the flooring and countertops? I've seen wood-planked flooring in a color similar to the cabinetry, but it's quite expensive. We want to give the space a cheerful and contemporary look. Since you seem partial to wood, I suggest you think hard about planked flooring, though not in a color similar to your cherry cabinetry. Keep in mind that hardwood floors can actually prove an economical choice, given their durability and ease of maintenance.

JERUSALEM -- Hamas has smuggled 40 tons of weapons into the Gaza Strip this summer, apparently intent on resuming suicide bombings in Israel, according to an Israeli intelligence assessment of the militant Islamic group. Also, Israel won't be able to carry out a major West Bank pullback for 2 1/2 years because it first needs a missile defense system in place to protect it against Palestinian rocket fire, Defense Minister Ehud Barak told a parliamentary panel yesterday. Barak's timetable - announced a day before a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and as preparations move ahead for a U.S.-sponsored peace conference in the fall - cast doubt on chances of a quick breakthrough in stalled Mideast peacemaking.

Gov. Martin O'Malley and his Cabinet closeted themselves with former Gov. Parris N. Glendening and out-of-state planning experts yesterday to hash over ways to reinvigorate Smart Growth, the state's decade-old sprawl-fighting effort that some say has failed to live up to its promise. "The public is crying out for this," O'Malley said in opening the two-day internal workshop on growth management at an Annapolis hotel. Though welcoming up to 60,000 new jobs to the state from military base realignment, the governor said Maryland needs to figure out how to accommodate the new people while still preserving its environment and quality of life.