Drain

ALL IT TAKES is a few chilly nights to remind us that it won't be long before freezing temperatures move in for winter. So, before the wind chill heads into negative figures, now is the time to think about winterizing your house.The first thing to do is shut off exterior hose bibs. This is surprisingly easy to forget. Turn the faucet off on the inside and open it up on the outside. This will allow the water to drain out of the pipe and prevent it from freezing and possibly breaking the pipe.

IF YOU LIVE in a climate where winter is just around the corner, you're probably thinking about getting out winter clothes, taking coats to the dry cleaner and generally preparing yourself for cold weather. You should also be thinking about preparing your house's plumbing.There are few things more annoying, frustrating and potentially dangerous than frozen pipes. It usually happens in a crawl space under the floor or in an exterior wall. A frozen pipe deprives you of an element essential for life, but it also has the potential to break and cause a great deal of damage from flooding.

The way John Naumann Jr. sees it, Baltimore County officials caused $30,000 in damage to his home because they ignored a leaky storm drain for 10 years -- and he wants them to pay up.Naumann claims that the underground drain, which runs between the two houses he owns on Goldenwood Road in Rosedale, is responsible for erosion that led to an unstable foundation under one home, cracks running up the walls and across the driveways, sloping sidewalks and sinkholes.But...

IT WASN'T the dog fur, or the dryer lint, or the scraps from laundering the rag rugs that clogged up the main drain leading from Karol's house to the sewer connection at the street."

The parents of a 4-year-old boy injured in a freak motel swimming pool accident last year have reached a $20 million settlement with the motel operators and the pool maintenance firm -- one of the largest payments of its kind in Maryland.Gary and Lisa Boulay of Glen Burnie dropped the lawsuit they filed in 1995 after their son William had much of his intestines sucked out by a damaged drain in the Glen Burnie Holiday Inn wading pool.The settlement was reached yesterday in a jury room of the Anne Arundel County Courthouse in Annapolis, the day before the Boulays' $222 million negligence suit was to be tried before a Circuit Court jury.

Jet Blast Corp., the Baltimore company that uses water pressure for everything from cleaning cars to unclogging drains, said yesterday that it won a new packaging award at the National Hardware Show last week in Chicago.Jet Blast's Home Drain Care Kit includes three sizes of the Drain Blaster, a product that uses rotating water jets to clear drains without chemicals.The new package features a porpoise, inspired by the National Aquarium's use of another Jet Blast product, Pro Jet, as a toy for porpoises, said spokesman Dan Frantz.

William Boulay is only 4, but he knows he will never eat solid food, must always wear a colostomy bag, be accompanied by a nurse and keep a tube in his chest that connects him to a computer-assisted feeding pump.The boy and his parents will ask an Anne Arundel Circuit Court jury this week for millions of dollars in damages for the near-fatal injuries he suffered at the Glen Burnie Holiday Inn pool in 1995.Gary and Lisa Boulay of the 800 block of Jack St. in Baltimore filed a $222 million negligence suit against the motel operators and pool maintenance firm last year, two weeks after their son had much of his intestines sucked out when he become trapped against the drain in the motel wading pool.

The reality of homework, lunch boxes and car pools is a rude awakening after 10 weeks of taking things a little easier. Even if you don't have kids in school, you're no doubt getting caught up in the heavier traffic and busier pace of post-summer life.It's time to regroup: Do some planning, grocery shopping and maybe even a little cooking ahead; a ready-made pot of chili or soup can be a lifesaver on a hectic weeknight.We've rounded up a workweek's worth of quick main-dish recipes to get you started.

William Boulay is only 4, but he knows he will never eat solid food, must always wear a colostomy bag, be accompanied by a nurse and keep a tube in his chest that connects him to a computer-assisted feeding pump.The boy and his parents will ask an Anne Arundel Circuit Court jury this week for millions in damages for the near-fatal injuries he suffered at the Glen Burnie Holiday Inn pool in 1995.Gary and Lisa Boulay of the 800 block of Jack St. in Baltimore filed a $222 million negligence suit against the motel operators and pool maintenance company in 1995, two weeks after their son had much of his intestines sucked out when he become trapped against the drain in the motel wading pool.

A quarter of a million yards to go before the Ravens have anew home."We've been hauling 300 to 400 truckloads of dirt a day with 40 dump trucks, or about 19,000 to 22,000 yards in a good week," Charlie Mash said yesterday as he peered down into the giant crater near Camden Yards, where three bulldozers hoisted tons of earth. "We figure we'll move a quarter-million yards before it's done. That's a lot of dirt."Mash, a ruddy-faced 35-year-old construction superintendent from Dundalk, is among 150 workers laboring on what they call "the bowl" -- Baltimore's new football stadium.

State health officials closed portions of the Patapsco River in Carroll County to fishing and other recreational uses yesterday after more than 10,000 gallons of untreated sewage overflowed into a drain near the Carroll-Howard border. A contractor's backhoe struck a sewer main in Sykesville at 10:15 a.m., rupturing the pipe and sending the sewage into a drain that leads to the river. The rupture occurred along Sandusky Road near College Avenue, where pipes were being installed to connect water mains in the area.

Glenn, Jessup: Do you think the gentleman that caught the fish is pulling a hoax? I do. O'Brien: I don't think so. Keep in mind the fisherman was with a friend at the time, and that at least one other person apparently saw the snakehead lakeside on the ground before it was turned in. baltimoresun.com staff: Should we expect to see snakeheads pop up in another Maryland community in the near future? O'Brien: I hope not, but it's a possibility. While federal officials banned importing snakeheads in 2002, someone could still have one, purchased from either a fish market or a pet store.

The Army's mustard agent destruction program at Aberdeen Proving Ground resumed Thursday night after a second work stoppage in November for repairs, a spokesman said. Project leaders halted destruction of the banned chemical warfare agent after a low-level leak was detected inside one of the specially ventilated drain stations, where the molasses-like substance is collected and pumped into treatment tanks, said Jeff Linblad, spokesman for the Aberdeen Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Workers discovered corrosion in some of the drain station's pipes and collection pans, Linblad said.

AS NEIGHBORS put up decorations and Christmas cards dropped though the mail slot, I got our home ready for the holiday season by prowling round with Bill, the assistant plumber, searching for sewer gas. We did not detect any. That may or may not be a good thing. It could mean that the sewer gas has gone away. Or it could also mean it is lying in wait like Marley's ghost, ready to bushwhack us on Christmas Eve when the house is full of relatives. It showed up last Saturday and we gagged.

Ron Landy of Woodbine informed me about an incident where he had water flood over his basement door threshold, and he's worried that it will recur even though the builder made improvements to the drain. He wrote: "I recently moved into a new home with an areaway - a stairwell leading to a below-ground basement. The bottom of the well has a drain that leads directly to the sump pump. ... During a serious storm in early July, we had 5 inches [of water] in one hour, the drain was overwhelmed, and water seeped under the door to the stairwell and damaged the carpet in the finished basement.

Item: StarKist Tuna in the No Drain Package What you get: 3 two-ounce servings Cost: About $2.25 Nutritional content: Premium Chunk White Albacore in water - 70 calories, 1 gram fat, 0 grams saturated fat, 250 milligrams sodium, 0 grams carbohydrates, 0 grams sugars Preparation time: Tear open package and use Review: Can you improve a product just by improving its packaging? Well, this StarKist Tuna in the No Drain Package sure tastes better to me. Maybe I'm just taken in by how neat and easy it is to use. There's no can to open, no water to drain off. The tuna inside is firm, not mealy like some canned tuna.

NOT EVERYONE who requested a Clinton pardon received word from the White House about the status of their request. My grandfather, former U.S. Sen. Harrison A. "Pete" Williams Jr. of New Jersey, submitted a pardon application, having gone through all the appropriate legal steps. He was promised a call and never got one, even after the Inauguration Day deadline passed. My grandfather had been denied a pardon. He had been a popular and influential Democrat. Having served from 1958 to 1980, when he resigned, he authored the nation's first assistance program for urban mass transportation, created the first Senate panel to investigate the plight of migrant workers and, as chair of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, fought for equal opportunity legislation.

Capers are tiny, unopened buds of a flowering bush that grows in Mediterranean regions. They give a piquant little bite to sauces or salads and are often used as garnish for fish or meat. To release their flavor in sauces, coarsely chop capers before using. Bottled capers packed in vinegar will keep for months in the refrigerator. Drain off the liquid before using. If you prefer a less salty taste, rinse and drain capers before using. Salt-packed capers stored in glass or ceramic containers will keep for several months at room temperature.

ALL IT TAKES is a few chilly nights to remind us that it won't be long before freezing temperatures move in for winter. So, before the wind chill heads into negative figures, now is the time to think about winterizing your house.The first thing to do is shut off exterior hose bibs. This is surprisingly easy to forget. Turn the faucet off on the inside and open it up on the outside. This will allow the water to drain out of the pipe and prevent it from freezing and possibly breaking the pipe.

IF YOU LIVE in a climate where winter is just around the corner, you're probably thinking about getting out winter clothes, taking coats to the dry cleaner and generally preparing yourself for cold weather. You should also be thinking about preparing your house's plumbing.There are few things more annoying, frustrating and potentially dangerous than frozen pipes. It usually happens in a crawl space under the floor or in an exterior wall. A frozen pipe deprives you of an element essential for life, but it also has the potential to break and cause a great deal of damage from flooding.