Germantown

On Thursday, June 28, 2007, HELEN M. WALSH (age 79), of Germantown, MD, formerly of Potomac, MD. Beloved wife of the late Edward F. Walsh; loving mother of Maureen Burns (Bob), Joan Walsh, Timothy Walsh (Heidi), John Walsh, Kathleen Kelly (Jack) and Michael Walsh; sister of Edward Lott (Pat). Also survived by seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren. Friends may call at DeVol Funeral Home, 10 East Deer Park Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 on Sunday, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at Mother Seton Catholic Church, 19951 Father Hurley Blvd, Germantown, MD 20874 on Monday, July 2, 2007 at 10:30 A.M. Interment St. Gabriel's Cemetery, Potomac, MD. The family respectfully request, in lieu of flowers, that memorial contributions be made in Helen's name to the Mercy Health Cinic, Attn: Peter Antico, Treasurer, 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown, MD 20874 or the Read Center, 1605 Monument Ave., Richmond, VA 23220, Attn: Carol Holmquist.

Blast, fire hit underground construction site Baltimore firefighters responded last night to an underground explosion and fire at a construction site near Maryland General Hospital. No one was injured. The underground fire broke out before 9 p.m. in the 400 block of W. Madison St. at Eutaw Street, said Chief Kevin Cartwright, a spokesman for the Fire Department. Crews from Baltimore Gas and Electric had completed repairs to a 110,000-volt feeder line on the site of a future switching station when they were attempting to restore electricity.

GERMANTOWN -- A Gaithersburg woman died late Saturday when the car she was driving struck a tree on Cinnamon Drive. A teen-age passenger was injured.According to Montgomery County police, Shirley E. Robinson, 20, of the first block of School Drive, was driving a 1983 Pontiac north in the 12800 block of Cinnamon Drive when the car ran off the right side of the road, striking a tree.Ms. Robinson died instantly.The passenger, Sherry Benjamin, 14, was taken to Suburban Hospital where she was treated and released, a hospital spokesman said.

What are the latest trends in home decor and design? Head to the Maryland Home and Furnishings Show in Germantown this weekend to find out. Hundreds of exhibitors will crowd the Discovery Sports Center at the Maryland Soccerplex to show and sell new flooring, lighting, window treatments, painting, roofing, siding, gutter systems, plumbing, kitchen and bath products and designs. There will also be home furnishings, fine art and accessories for sale. And on Saturday, Home and Garden Television's design expert, Libby Langdon, pictured, (host of Small Space, Big Style)

On July 7, 2008, BONNIE BASENER of Germantown, MD. Devoted daughter of Ronald and Anne Schulcz Basener. Loving sister of Brian R. Basener and Stephen J. Basener. Also survived by a dear friend Tom A. Minto. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Forest Hill, MD, on Saturday, July 12, 2008 at 10:30 A.M. Interment will be in Bel Air Memorial Gardens, Bel Air, MD. Friends may call at the family owned McComas Funeral Home. P.A.. Abingdon, MD, on Friday from 3 to 5 and 6 to 9 P.M.,and on Saturday from 9 to 10:30 A.M., at the church.

Willkommen! Break out the bratwurst and hike up the lederhosen -- it's Oktoberfest time again. It's a time to celebrate oversized beer bellies, oompah and polka music, brewing contests and authentic German dishes. Oktoberfests happening around the state this year serve up traditional activities, including home-brew contests, arts and crafts, dancing and performances from local musicians. Here's a roundup of some of the state's festivals. Maryland Brewer's Oktoberfest Main attractions at this Oct. 15-16 event include beer gardens showcasing beverages from 11 different breweries and two stages of live music, one German-themed and the other local.

Ernest O. Malin, a former maintenance supervisor and longtime Parkville resident, died of cancer Sunday at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. He was 87. Mr. Malin was born in Baltimore and raised on Valley Street. He attended City College and went to work in 1940 as a machinist at the Sparrows Point plant of Bethlehem Steel Corp. He was manager of Schreiber's Market in downtown Baltimore from 1955 to 1957, when he joined Kennecott Copper Co. in Curtis Bay as supervisor of maintenance. He retired in 1981.

The city of Annapolis wants to do a good thing: renovate land around Germantown Elementary into athletic fields for the community. Germantown parents want to do a good thing, too: raise money for their school by using the same land as a parking lot for special events.Mayor Dean L. Johnson is trying to figure out how to do both on the 34 acres to keep the school's PTA, the Citizens Advisory Committee, the community and visitors to the city happy."It's trying to get competing interests squeezed onto one small site," Johnson said.

Traveling art exhibit Taking a peek into African-American art becomes easy this weekend when Glimpses of America comes to Cape May, N.J. Starting on Saturday, the traveling exhibit of 17 contemporary artists will be showcased at the Carriage House Gallery, located on the Physick Estate. Co-sponsored by the Center for Community Arts and the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts, this show will feature a variety of art forms, from paintings to sculptures to collages to tapestries and more. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children ages 3-12.

LOS ANGELES -- The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is accusing Hughes Aircraft Co. of violating federal guidelines that require government contractors to diversify their work forces and management.Officials of the civil rights group said they would present evidence at a news conference in Washington today that Hughes, which employs 55,000 people, has only two black vice presidents and that blacks are grossly underrepresented in its work force.The move by the NAACP reflects its new strategy of scrutinizing industries that do business with the federal government to assure that they comply with affirmative-action requirements.