Candle

Three children and their grandmother were killed early yesterday when a candle used as the only source of light sparked a fire in a narrow West Baltimore rowhouse that had been without electricity for nearly a year. A fourth grandchild, Dominique Derico, 10, suffered severe burns and was in critical condition yesterday at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Deputy Mayor David Scott called it a "tragic day" for Baltimore as he stood outside the charred blue rowhouse at 129 N. Amity St., which had no smoke detectors, and said the fire demonstrated the "sense of urgency" in repairing the city's poorest neighborhoods.

Simmering pots of potpourri can spice up a stuffy house with all kinds of pleasant scents. However, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that the devices can flare up when the candle acummulates soot, wax or wick debris.The CPSC suggests you should clean the outside of the bowl before each use, never allow soot to accumulate above or around the candle flame, and keep the candle and wick clean of debris or wick droppings. Also, never let the bowl burn dry and never leave it unattended while burning.

John Wagener in Pikesville asks, "How far away from a candle would I have to hold my hand to equal the heat that the Earth gets from the sun?" Huh? You'd need a bazillion candles to match the heat the sun pours onto the Earth. But let's say you're asking for heat per square inch. My experts at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center say you have to get very close to feel any heat beside a candle flame. Their best answer to your query: a tenth of an inch.

Lazarus United Church of Christ, 5101 S. Church St. in Lineboro, will have Sunday school for all ages at 9 a.m. Sunday. Morning service will begin at 9:45 a.m. when the Gospel Gang presents a play, "Thanksgiving at Plymouth."The first candle in Advent, the "Candle of Expectation," will be lighted by the Donnan family.The morning message, "Live in Anticipation," will be delivered by the Rev. Verna Call. Holy Communion will be celebrated during the morning worship.The Sunday school and the church are collecting stocking gifts for needy children in Garrett County through the Appalachian Project.

A memorial service was held late Friday - the longest night of the year - at the Inner Harbor to honor the more than 100 homeless men and women who died this year in Baltimore. The ceremony, in its 22nd year, was also intended to raise awareness for the struggles of the homeless, said Adam Schneider, spokesman for Healthcare for the Homeless. He said men and women who are homeless are three to four times more likely to die prematurely than those with a home. The average age of a homeless individual at death is 47. The names of those who died were read aloud for the roughly 150 people in attendance, and a candle was lit in honor of each of the deceased.

On November 4, 2003, BLANCHE M. (nee Euler), beloved wife of Henry Green and devoted mother of Christine MacDonald and Robert Urban. Dear grandmother of Alex and Cara Urban, Michael and Matthew MacDonald, Jamie and Jason GrimmA Memorial gathering will be held at the Candle Light Inn, 1835 Frederick Rd. on Saturday, November 8 at 11:30 A.M. In lieu of flowers family request donations to the Alzheimer's Association, Baltimore Chapter, 1850 York Rd., Suite...

Like fireflies, the white stars burn through bonesof dark December trees. A wolf wind howls,blows scraps of moon across the river. Stonesbleach silver in the midnight. Graveyard owlscruise over houses islanded in snow.The apparatus of the seasons swingsto winter solstice. Candle blossoms glow.(The bell has tolled and tolled and still it rings.)Now sings the carol, blooms the Christmas rose.ornamented hemlocks spill their lightin houses where the children died of blowson waters where the children entered Night.

Around the house* Make a spooky light for trick-or-treaters. Paint a metal vegetable grater with black paint and place it over a votive candle. Also, illuminate the front porch area with a few candles that have been stuck into apples and tiny pumpkins. Carve a small hole in the top of the fruit to insert candle.* Need an instant pair of horns for a costume? Cut two fingers from an old rubber kitchen glove. Stuff them with cotton, then paint them.* Lubricate and adjust the garage door.* When a fireplace isn't in use, close fireplace dampers, so room heat does not escape up the chimney.

A cat and a candle may have been the cause of a smoky fire that forced dozens of people from the Topfield apartment complex in Cockeysville yesterday and sent at least four people to hospitals.Battalion Chief Mark Hubbard, a Baltimore County Fire Department spokesman, said three residents were flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center for treatment of smoke inhalation and a firefighter was released after treatment from a local hospital for an apparent asthma attack.Hubbard said investigators confirmed that a candle started the two-alarm blaze, but did not know whether a cat found dead in the middle-floor apartment had tipped it over.

Around the house* For a festive July Fourth, arrange small paper sandwich bags around outside deck or patio. Fill partially with sand or cat litter and position a candle inside. When the candle is lighted, bags will glow. Make sure the bags are safely placed away from children, pets and clothing.* Wash fabric cushions from outdoor furniture with one part dishwashing liquid to four parts water. Scrub fabric with suds. Wipe off with a clean, damp sponge.* To sweep up broken glass, try using a slice of bread that will attract tiny fragments.