Lawn

Want to make the planet a little greener? Look no farther than your own backyard —- or, for that matter, your own front yard. The U.S. is home to 32 million acres of lawn, or enough to cover the 100 largest U.S. cities almost twice, says Owen Dell, author of "Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies" (For Dummies, 2009). Lawns suck up 270 billion gallons of water a week and burn 800 million gallons of lawn mower gas a year. And then there are the pesticides and the chemical-based fertilizers.

Question: My lawn has wide dips that hold water when it rains. I can’t afford to have my lawn regraded. Do I need to address this? Answer: If the water is not sitting for more than 24 hours, the low lawn areas benefit the lawn by allowing rain to soak in rather than quickly run off. This helps your grass and other plants in dry periods. It also helps the Bay. If the water sits longer in spring (a vernal pool), it creates an important places for frog and toad tadpoles to live.

Renda Morrison was three doors away from her house in Severn when she was "dazed" by what she saw for sale in her neighbor's yard. "What did I say? 'Stop the car,' " Morrison recalled Tuesday, as her daughter nodded. The yard sale featured Morrison's belongings - items she was about to inventory for police after a burglary that so cleaned out her home even shelving had vanished. Peddling her rug, her dishes and more was a man wearing her American Poolplayers Association T-shirt, Morrison said.

When oZ. Chophouse in the Maple Lawn development near Fulton closed last August, it looked for a while as if nothing was going to take its place. Then there was talk of a new steakhouse moving in, a joint venture of the owners of nearby Ranazul and Jordan's Steakhouse in Ellicott City. A new steakhouse did open Nov. 20 in the space at 8191 Maple Lawn Blvd. But Jordan Naftal, whose Ellicott City restaurant had meanwhile closed, is no longer involved. Ranazul's owner, Carlos Venegas, has taken over.

On September 15, 2009, William James Lockwood, A Christian Wake service will be held at the family owned Duda-Ruck Funeral Home of Dundalk, Inc., 7922 Wise Avenue on Thursday at 7:30 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Luke's church on Friday at 10 A.M. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call on Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. www.ruckfuneralhomes.com

On September 3, 2009, Olenda Visitation on Thursday September 10th at Good Tidings Baptist Church, 1401 Edison Hwy. from 9 to 11 AM. Family will receive friends at church from 11 to 11:30 AM at which time funeral service will begin. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. www.calvinbscruggsfh.com

Ranazul is one of Maple Lawn's success stories. Two of the planned community's first-generation restaurants, Trapeze and oZ. Chophouse, have already closed after four years. But just when the tapas craze seemed to be dying out, Ranazul opened as a tapas and wine bar and never looked back. It's in the news right now because one of the owners, Carlos Venegas, has taken over the oZ. Chophouse space nearby. Ranazul is on the main street of the luxury development, a street that will remind you of Disneyland's Main Street.

A Catholic Prayer Service will be held at the family owned Duda-Ruck Funeral Home of Dundalk, Inc., 7922 Wise Ave. on Saturday at 10 A.M. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M.

It's summer, when live music fills the air at outdoor concert venues. The largest concert - Annapolis Symphony Orchestra's July 4 Spectacular - comes to AACC's Siegert Field at 8 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. and entertainment starts at 6 p.m. Rain date is June 28 at 8 p.m. For this and all outdoor concerts, it's smart to pack lawn chairs and a picnic basket. From Linthicum to Annapolis, a wide array of musical choices, including big band, rock, soul, jazz and bluegrass, awaits listeners of every taste at free outdoor shows.

On May 26, 2009, IMOGENE E. , Funeral services will be held at the family owned Duda-Ruck Funeral Home of Dundalk Inc., 7922 Wise Avenue, on Friday at 9:30 A.M. Interment Oak Lawn Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M.