Nails

John P. "No Nails" Costello, a retired Bethlehem Steel Corp. carpenter and active church member, died of cancer Sunday at his home in Baltimore's Eastwood neighborhood. He was 84. Mr. Costello was born and raised in Mount Carmel, Pa., the son of Italian immigrant parents from Naples. After graduation from high school, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and was assigned to camps throughout the Northeast. During World War II, he enlisted in the Navy and was a cook aboard trains transporting naval personnel to the West Coast.

Petal power Floral print has sprouted over everything this season from handbags and shoes to linen pants, sleeveless shifts and camp shirts. But how does one look fresh as a daisy without taking on the appearance of Great Aunt Hilda's hideous bathroom wallpaper? It's easy, according to the fashion experts at The Worth Collection, Ltd. Go easy. Resist the urge to go head to toe in floral and make choices instead between floral accessories and a floral outfit. Accenting a flowing floral blouse ($348)

Maryland's higher, 6 percent sales tax took effect Thursday and drew plenty of comment. "Do I give the extra penny to you or do I send it right to Gov. O'Malley?" somebody queried the cashier as I stood in line to buy breakfast. Until Thursday, Maryland's sales tax had been 5 percent. Forgotten, however, is that the old rate was actually often more than 5 percent, and the new rate will often be more than 6 percent. Why? Unlike most states, Maryland rounds the tax up to the next-highest penny even if a strict 6 percent calculation says only a third or a fourth or a 10th of an extra penny is owed.

Start a spring gutter inspection by walking around the house and checking for sagging gutters, usually caused by loose fasteners or brackets, and fittings that have separated from gutters or downspouts.Since repairs must be done from a ladder -- also needed to check for debris or clogs that can make gutters overflow and cause basement flooding --make sure it's firmly planted. If necessary, use boards under the ladder legs to provide firm support.Clean gutters of any leaves, twigs, shingle granules and other debris.

Recent columns on dealing with old tile floors drew queries from a couple of readers. Both were considering removing old resilient floor tiles -- one to replace it with other tile, one hoping to find wood flooring underneath -- and wanted to know whether and how to proceed.The problem with removing old tile, besides its being a messy back- and knee-breaking task, is that even tile very recently put down may contain asbestos. Asbestos fibers can cause lung disease if inhaled. There are two things you can do to minimize the risk: Leave the old tile in place and put down new underlayment and new tile; or remove the old tile using recognized asbestos abatement procedures.

Heddie Tibbs, 103, sits perfectly still while Desiree Eades, a volunteer from Coppin State College, manicures her nails.Ms. Tibbs, a resident of the Pleasant Manor Nursing Home on Park Heights Avenue, first decides what color nail polish to wear. She asks for red, then decides on a dark pink."That's better," she says of her choice. "It's not as loud as the other one."Ms. Eades, a professional manicurist, is one of 78 Coppin students who volunteer at Baltimore hospitals, nursing homes, schools, soup kitchens and youth centers as part of the college Honors/Presidential Scholarship Program's mandatory community service component.

My husband is a politician, ambitious and successful. But he constantly worries about his image and mine. He keeps telling me we both need to wear more "important" clothes.I'm a small-busted, fine-boned woman, and I've always had difficulty finding clothes that make me stand out in a crowd. In fact, I'm not so sure what "important" clothes are. What should I be looking for?New York designer Carolina Herrera dresses many women who are constantly in the public eye. Here's her advice:"Look for clothes that are classic with a modern touch.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Marjorie Daniel and Bob Winger don't want much.When they get married in May, they don't want roomfuls of gifts.Instead, they'd like Rachelle Hogan and her two children to end up with a few.The Hogans need windows and doorknobs and toilets for their house, which will be built this year by the Peninsula chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a home-construction group.So Ms. Daniel and Mr. Winger, Habitat volunteers, have left a hint, a charitable nudge for wedding guests, on their bridal gift registry.

From The Sun Nov. 24-30, 1841NOV. 24: The failure of the Southern mail to reach this city on Monday evening at the usual hour, was caused by the cars from this city, on the Washington Road, running off the track near Beltsville.NOV. 26: Yesterday was by proclamation Thanksgiving Day throughout all "down East." That it was duly honored there no one can possibly doubt. It was honored here, too, by many a xTC descendant of the Pilgrim fathers.From The Sun Nov. 24-30, 1891NOV. 25: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are endeavoring to have the nails from packing house boxes picked up from the streets and gathered from the sweepings of the stores.

New York-- --Actress Megan Lawrence is wearing a hip pink Indian dress over white cotton pants. Her lips, however, sport retro red lipstick, the same shade as her perfectly manicured nails. Her lips and nails say "Gladys Hotchkiss," the 1950s secretary she portrays in the hit Broadway revival of The Pajama Game. The rest of her getup -- which includes fuzzy animal slippers -- is pure Megan Lawrence. Her husband, also a Broadway actor, describes her as "a college-dropout hippie who made good."