Fuel Fund

The Fuel Fund of Maryland said BGE customers will now be able to donate money online to help residents who can't afford their energy bills. Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., which sends out Fuel Fund envelopes with its bills in December and January, will now also offer a "virtual envelope" for customers who pay their energy bills online. The Fuel Fund said fundraising has been slow this year. As a result, the funds it has put toward low-income residents' energy bills have dropped 25 percent compared with last year.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. said Monday that it had launched a new program that allows customers to make a tax-deductible monthly donation to the Maryland Fuel Fund, which helps low-income families with bill assistance and energy conservation. Under the new Dollar Donation Fund, BGE customers can elect a monthly amount - $1, $2, $5 or $10 - to give to the Fuel Fund. The utility will add that amount to the bill and when customers make a full payment, BGE will forward the contribution to the Fuel Fund.

The Fuel Fund of Maryland may help provide one type of energy assistance to needy families, but this particular morning, it was providing another type to some of its most stalwart supporters. About 100 guests gathered at the Holiday Inn Select in Timonium for the fund's Annual Breakfast. As they shared a hot morning meal together, they also honored local investment celeb Julius Westheimer and several Fuel Fund volunteers for their charitable efforts. Among those at this energizing get-together: Victorine Q. Adams, Fuel Fund founder and honorary board chair; Donna Morrison, event chair; Bill McLennan, board president; Bob Geis, Rebecca Biggers and Jane Christie, board members; Mary Ellen Vanni, Fuel Fund executive director; Erla McKinnon and Joanne Bowman, honorees; Harold Gordon, president of the Victorine Q. Adams (Baltimore City)

The Fuel Fund of Maryland said BGE customers will now be able to donate money online to help residents who can't afford their energy bills. Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., which sends out Fuel Fund envelopes with its bills in December and January, will now also offer a "virtual envelope" for customers who pay their energy bills online. The Fuel Fund said fundraising has been slow this year. As a result, the funds it has put toward low-income residents' energy bills have dropped 25 percent compared with last year.

Salsa was everywhere inside Port Discovery. It could be found on the buffet table, along with other Mexican food like empanadas, quesadillas, guacamole and Spanish rice. Salsa was also all over the makeshift dance floor set up in the children's museum entrance hall, as teachers Grace Gonzales and Antonio Delgado instructed folks in that style of Latin dancing. After all, what else would you expect of the Fuel Fund of Maryland's "Salsabration II?" "Ladies, there are three rules to salsa," Grace announced to her assembled pupils, "Number one, men lead."

Patterson High will take the place of Broadneck as No. 4 Lake Clifton's opponent in the 5 p.m. boys basketball matchup of tomorrow's Fuel Fund Classic at the Baltimore Arena. The game is the makeup for the Feb. 11 league game which was postponed because Baltimore City schools were closed because of inclement weather. No. 11 Broadneck was forced to pull out of the tournament because it would have given the Bruins, who play three Anne Arundel County league games this week, a fourth game if they were to play Lake Clifton.

Electric bills are higher than ever. The economy is slowing. What a great time for Baltimore Gas and Electric not to renew a big cash grant for the Fuel Fund of Maryland, which helps low-income families pay energy bills and whose reserves have fallen by 80 percent. "We were trying to get additional monies for this year because of the greater need," says Richard B. Phelps III, president of the fund's board. "We haven't been able to garner the funds that we were hoping to get." BGE blames it on a misunderstanding by the Fuel Fund.

Consider this win fuel for the Fuel Fund Classic.No. 6 Mount Hebron won its sixth straight game, 49-31, over Oakland Mills yesterday. The victory gives the Vikings (11-5 overall, 6-1 league) plenty of momentum going into today's 2 o'clock showdown with No. 3 St. Mary's (16-2) in the Classic at Baltimore Arena."We're on a roll," said Vikings forward Kristen Lloyd. "We're playing well, and we're excited about [this afternoon]. They're quicker than us, but we have size in our favor. I think our chances are pretty good."

Volunteers will be honored Thursday evening by the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland (FFCM) at its annual meeting and dinner.The recognition is for the service volunteers give to FFCM, which provides financial help to low-income households for heat and other basic needs. FFCM is the umbrella organization of affiliates in Baltimore City and in Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, Anne Arundel and Howard counties.Ellen Lockard, FFCM executive director, explains that ''in a low-income household when the utility is being cut off or the oil tank is empty, the fuel fund will help.

The Harford County Community Action Agency will sponsor a chili dinner to benefit the Harford County Fuel Fund from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at the Churchville Presbyterian Church, at routes 22 and 136. Snow date is Feb. 8. The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children younger than age 12 for buffalo chili, venison chili and a variety of other hot and mild blends, cornbread, peach cobbler and beverage (fruit drink or coffee). Take-out orders are available. For tickets and information: 410-638-3240 or 410-734-7934.

Terence Kennedy, a financial consultant and adjunct faculty member of Stevenson University, died Aug. 12 of heart failure at St. Joseph Medical Center. He was 73. The son of a construction worker and a telephone operator, Mr. Kennedy was born and raised in Jersey City, N.J., where he graduated in 1956 from St. Peter's Preparatory School. After attending college for two years, he enlisted in the Army in 1959, where he attained the rank of specialist working in communications.

In addition to the reductions cited in The Sun's article on the effects of federal budget cuts to Maryland families ("Federal cuts loom in Md. " March 6), the $2.5 Billion in proposed cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) means a threat to the well-being of hundreds of thousands of Marylanders. The Fuel Fund of Maryland is supported by individual donations, corporate and foundation grants and local businesses. We work through a network of agencies state-wide to assist Maryland's most vulnerable people.

This morning's article, "Ill Will at BP Stations" (June 15) highlighted the recent experiences of several BP station owners throughout Maryland. While some BP retailers have in fact dealt with isolated incidents of consumer concern and a few of the BP locations we supply fuel to have noticed a slight drop in sales, a majority of stations have not noticed much, if any, decline in sales. Overall, we are very grateful that motorists and consumers in Baltimore and throughout Maryland realize that boycotting BP stations only hurts the independent, local owners and operators of the stations and local distributors, like Carroll Independent Fuel.

The late Victorine Q. Adams helped black politicians challenge Baltimore's white establishment in the 1950s, became the first black woman on the City Council in the 1960s and founded one of the nation's first nonprofits to help people pay energy bills in the 1970s. But the Baltimore organization that represents her legacy isn't assisting anybody this winter. The Victorine Q. Adams Fuel Fund has suspended business, the result of a bitter disagreement with its main financing source, the Fuel Fund of Maryland.

Even before the mercury fell and the economy tanked, thousands more Marylanders were seeking help with utility bills than in years past. "We've had an upswing since probably last April," said Peggy Vick, director of family and volunteer services for the Salvation Army. Given the rising costs of food and fuel, "as soon as the BGE rates went up, people ... were hard-pressed in order to pay their bills." But help from state programs, nonprofits and charities is available for struggling families who meet income guidelines.

Maryland families, already struggling with high gasoline and food costs, will face a major new energy challenge within a few months. The price of home heating oil, used by nearly 38,000 low-income families here, is likely to be more than a third higher than it was last winter. Right now, it's more than twice the $2-a-gallon price of three years ago. The increased cost compounds the problems of many low- and moderate-income families who are struggling to pay overdue utility bills and see no relief in sight.

Temperatures are dropping and the Howard County Fuel Fund is empty.The fund, administered by the non-profit human services organization Community Action Council, provides once-a-year emergency grants to help people pay their utility bills.For the first time in its 12-year history, a record number of requests for help have depleted the fund, which depends on private donations for most of its grant money."There's been an extraordinary demand," said Ray Gosselin, Community Action Council's director of programs.

The Fuel Fund Classic will be played Wednesday at the Baltimore Arena, but without the scheduled boys basketball matchup between No. 5 Lake Clifton (12-5) and No. 12 Broadneck (12-3).State and Anne Arundel County rules prevent Broadneck from playing Lake Clifton."We're trying to find another team to play Lake Clifton, but we're not optimistic," said Joni Scholwin, chairman of the planning committee. "If we don't come up with an opponent for Lake Clifton, we will go with four games."The girls games are No. 3 St. Mary's (16-2)

A little nervously, Marquita Nelson stood at the lectern in front of two dozen other women at the Caroline Center in East Baltimore and delivered what amounted to a testimonial. "This has helped me a lot, it really has," said Nelson, 23, who plans to graduate today from a training program at the center that will certify her as a nursing assistant. Nelson was not referring to the 15-week nursing course she has just completed, but rather to unrelated classes at the center about how to save money by conserving energy at home.