Improv Group

A strong summer carnival has allowed the board of directors of the Glen Burnie Improvement Association to propose a $162,656 budget for next year, up more than $16,000 from the current spending plan.Katherine DeGrange, the association's treasurer, said the Big Glen Burnie Carnival raised $114,222 this year. Last year, it brought in $97,008. Carnival revenue makes up almost 70 percent of the association's budget.In the past, the carnival often closed some nights of its weeklong run because of rain, which hurt profits.

A strong summer carnival has allowed the Glen Burnie Improvement Association to propose a $146,270 budget for next year, up more than $4,000 from the current spending plan.Community activities, athletic programs and schools would receive extra money under the proposed budget.Katherine DeGrange, the association's treasurer, said the Big Glen Burnie Carnival raised $97,008 this year. Last year, it brought in $87,000. Carnival revenue makes up almost 70 percent of the association's budget.Richard Henry Lee Elementary, Glendale Elementary and Corkran Middle schools each would receive $1,000 under the new spending plan.

The March meeting of the Linthicum Improvement Association on Wednesday will be devoted to the proposal by a communications company to erect a 102-foot radio tower on 1.3 acres off Camp Meade Road.The meeting, in the Linthicum Elementary School band room, will start at 7:30 p.m.Nextel Communications plans to lease the land from BWI Partnership to build the tower and a small, unmanned equipment building. The site is just south of Andover Road, across from the health center.The company has sought a zoning variance and special exception from the county for the tower and building.

The Greater Odenton Improvement Association will hold its general membership meeting at 7: 30 p.m. tomorrow at the Odenton Volunteer Fire Hall on Route 175. A speaker from the state Office of Planning will talk about Gov. Parris N. Glendening's "Smart Growth" initiative, a series of bills aimed at discouraging suburban sprawl. No state money will go to county projects outside planned growth areas. That idea squares with the county's new General Development Plan.Retired Officers' WivesThe Retired Officers' Wives will be host of a luncheon at 11 a.m. March 4 at the Fort Meade Officers Club.

THE ARUNDEL Improvement Association's annual Easter egg hunt will take place from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Community Hall, 705 Cross St. Children ages 1 to 11 are invited to join.Prizes will be awarded in four age groups. All children will receive candy and must be accompanied by an adult.Volunteers are needed at 7 p.m. Friday to help dye eggs at the Community Hall. Parents are asked to donate cupcakes. For more information, call 789-2192.St. John services226 Washburn Ave, has scheduled a Lenten service for 11 a.m. Wednesday but no evening service.

The Chesapeake Bay's health appears to be slowly rebounding, but still has a long way to go to be considered fully recovered, according to the region's largest environmental group. The Annapolis-based Chesapeake Bay Foundation rated the estuary's overall condition last year slightly better than it was two years ago, when the group took its last comprehensive look.  CBF gave the bay a score of 32 out of 70 for 2012, a one-point gain from two years ago and up four points since 2008.

Entering the house, my friend paused and sniffed the air."Potpourri?" she asked. "Who's coming to visit?"I chose to ignore her.Giving me a smile suggesting I was way out of my league, she explained:"You're removing the labels from old TV Guides and attempting to affix them to copies of New Republic. There's a box in your trash from a recently purchased step aerobic bench. These clues taken alone could mean it's an old school friend."Moving into the kitchen, she continued."Fresh fruit artfully arranged in a basket replacing the Tupperware bowl of Gummy Bears and Gushers.

Members of the Glen Burnie Improvement Association voted last night to spend nearly $1,000 in overlooked carnival revenue on civic activities and insurance.The extra $956.86 was discovered after the association's $162,656 budget for 1997 was presented to the membership. The budget was approved last month.Last night, members decided to use the extra money to give $500 to the North County Emergency Outreach Network (NCEON) and $250 to Corkran Middle School, and to use the remaining $206.86 for insurance.

Buoyed by the success last month of Celebrate Taneytown, the city's first festival, business and government leaders now are hoping to reinvent the city's central business district.Fresh paint is Mayor W. Robert Flickinger's vision. Frank W. Neubauer, chairman of the Taneytown Economic Development Commission, looks for aesthetics and an active, not just cosmetic, business redevelopment. Nancy McCormick, chairman of the commission's beautification committee, wants an atmosphere that will nurture existing businesses and attract new ones.

SEOUL, South Korea - Soon, the debacle of 1998 will no longer matter. Sixteen days from now, the United States' men's soccer team's woeful performance in the 1998 World Cup will have ceased being an issue. Instead, fans might well be talking about the debacle of 2002. Four years have passed, new players have emerged, a new coach has revitalized the team, and more than a few results have gone the Americans' way, but all that does not mean that the United States team will do any better competitively this time around.