Labor Day

For the first time in more than a month, the players will have a rare weekend off as coach John Harbaugh sent them home to take care of their families and tie up loose ends before the start of the regular season. And with the Ravens slated to open the season on Monday, Sept. 10 and many of the starters kept out of Thursday night's preseason finale against the St. Louis Rams, the players will enjoy a rare extended chance to rest and relax. Harbaugh said the time off should be a significant benefit for the players.

This schedule will be in effect Monday: Government offices, courts and libraries Closed in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Frederick counties, and in Baltimore City and Annapolis. Public schools Closed in all jurisdictions. Trash No pickup in Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard counties, and in Baltimore City (landfills and transfer stations closed) and Annapolis. Harford waste disposal center is closed. Check with contractor in Carroll, Harford and Frederick counties.

UPDATE: Scapescape preview: Wye Oak and Flock of Dimes play Scapescape Aug. 31 Coming at the conclusion of the month-long Station North Arts Festival, Scapescape will take place during Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30-Sept. 2). Baltimore acts Celebration, Dope Body, Labtekwon, J Roddy Walston and the Business, White Life, Wye Oak and more will play at three different locations around Station North, including the parking lot next to Metro Gallery as the main stage, Metro Gallery and Windup Space.

In years past, Sima Blue would never have dreamed of stocking her Green Spring Station boutique with ivory sheath dresses, cream lace blazers and eggshell pleated skirts this late in the season. But times are changing. With major designers including Marc Jacobs and Celine showcasing white frocks and accessories for their fall collections, white will not only be accepted after Labor Day this season - it will be considered fashion-forward. The trend starts now and will lead up through more traditional "winter" whites.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blakesays the new organizers she has selected for September's Baltimore Grand Prix - including a member of the legendary Andretti family - "have what it takes to move forward and make this world-class sporting event successful for Baltimore. " Isn't that what she said about the last group of people she brought in to save the race? That the lead promoter, Dale Dillon, was a race-savior who would make sure everything went smoothly this year? (Unless, as it happened, he stopped talking to his Baltimore-based partners and dropped off the face of the Earth?

Data-stream around Grandpa, youngsters 2.1 and 3.1, while he tells you about the time long, long ago when a certain elected official grew so nostalgic about a time even longer ago when Labor Day marked the beginning of the school year. Way back in the last millenium, people always knew that public schools started the day after Labor Day. Why begin classes that Tuesday? Well, probably because the school calendar was based on the farm calendar and the growing season. It might also have just been a convenient date.

WEATHER Today's forecast calls for highs in the lower 70s and clear skies. Clouds are expected to move in for the evening, with a 20 percent chance of showers after midnight. TRAFFIC Check our traffic map for this morning's issues as you plan your commute. FROM LAST NIGHT... Former mayor Dixon roasted for charity : Sheila Dixon sat onstage at the Comedy Factory in Power Plant Live as radio hosts and comedians skewered her over the scandals that led to her resignation from the mayor's office two years ago. City pastor convicted of sexually abusing a teen girl : Pastor Leon W. Jones, who founded the Renewed Hope Christian Church on the 700 block of N. Paca St., was convicted Wednesday of sexually assaulting a teen girl, the Baltimore State's Attorney's Office announced.

Maryland State Comptroller Peter Franchot says for the sake of tourism and family memories, schools should open after Labor Day. Most public schools in the state begin school about a week before Labor Day each year, depending on the calendar. This year, many school systems started on Monday, Aug. 27 and Labor Day was on Sept. 5.   “The chance for families to spend precious time together and to build those lifelong memories during that final, end-of-summer vacation has been lost by the decision to begin school a week, or even ten days, before Labor Day,” said Franchot.

Women spend longer in labor than they did 50 years ago, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health . The study of 140,000 deliveries said the main reason may be due to changes in delivery room practices. The study, published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, compared childbirth data in the early 1960s to data from the early 2000s. Researchers found that the first stage of labor -- when the cervix dilates but there's no pushing -- increased by 2.6 hours for first-time mothers.

In what could be a preview of a campaign theme in an expected 2014 run for governor, Comptroller Peter Franchot suggested the state should return to the days when public schools didn't reopen until after Labor Day. Using his seat on the Board of Public Works as a platform, the comptroller urged the state and its 24 jurisdictions to consider the advantages of pushing the current August start of the fall semester into September. "I'm not sure why all these things began to change and why," Franchot said.