New Year

Wrapping paper, milk jugs, cardboard boxes and other recyclables are piling up in some Baltimore County homes. About 82,000 county households - those whose recycling is collected on Mondays - are dealing with a three-week wait for pickup service because of Christmas and New Year off-days. The county, which contracts with private haulers for trash and recycling, doesn't offer make-up days for recyclable collections. About a quarter of households throughout the county have Monday recycling pickup service, according to figures provided by county officials.

100 Years Ago Cold new year From Woodbine: "Mr. Charles L. Wittebecker of Seattle, Washington is spending several days at the home of Mr. and Mrs. James molesworth. Mr. Solomon Wallnor spent Sunday with a friend. Quite a large crowd of farmers met the educational train at Woodbine on Saturday afternoon, January 13th. A number of speakers were presented and greatly enjoyed by the visitors. " From the Oella social column: "A birthday party was given in the home of Mrs. Kiners last week by several of our young town folk in honor of her 74th birthday.

Well, the New Year 2012 has arrived. It is true that the older one gets, the faster time flies. And this year has truly flown by! With the beginning of any New Year, the anticipation of change and betterment is on everyone's mind. The Owings Mills community is no exception as plans are under way for some major changes in the area. First is the "de-malling" of the Town Center. The anchor stores, J.C. Penney's and Macy's, are slated to stay while the rest of the mall will be torn down to make way for free-standing box stores, such as the ones at Hunt Valley or White Marsh.

Fourteen-year-old Rachel Szpara of Parkville is convinced deep in her heart that at least a few drops of Chinese or Korean blood run through her veins. Never mind that her name is proof of her Polish ancestry. Who cares if her light-brown hair, tightly bound into two braids, points to German forebears? Or that her smattering of freckles — not to mention her fanciful imagination — may be part of her Irish heritage? As she practiced her calligraphy Saturday at the Chinese New Year's Celebration at the William Paca House in Annapolis, Rachel, a freshman at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, expounded on the theory of her Asian roots.

Pub Date: 1/02/99

Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Bridge has become the "world's only musical bridge." A computerized lighting system,keyed to live choral music, will be inaugurated on New Year's Eve in a free 45-minute celebration on the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.The program,beginning at 11:30 p.m., will launches "Neighbors in the New Year," the city's yearlong program to commemoration of the Columbus Quincentenary. Seasonal music will be performed by a formed of community choirs, and at there will be a fireworks display over Delaware River and a pyrotechnic "waterfall" from jets along the bottom of the bridge.

Apologies to WQSR's Bob Worthington, who found himself transformed last week, thanks to a case of brain lock by yours truly, to Bob Montgomery.Want to ring-in the New Year via the radio? Here are someoptions: WBJC-FM (91.5): Garrison Keillor hits the airwaves at 11: 30 p.m. with "A Prairie Home Companion Late Night New Year's Party."WJHU-FM (88.1): Andy Bienstock puts together a special jazz show to run from 8: 30 p.m. to 10 p.m., followed by NPR's traveling jazz round-up from 10 p.m.-3 a.m.WOCT-FM (104.

The following New Year editorial appeared on The Sun's editorial page Dec. 30, 1899. ALL of our divisions of time, though having some relation to the progress of the seasons and to the birth of Christ, are really more or less artificial. Time is an unending cycle, but man has seen fit to establish certain points in the circle which he designates as stopping and starting places. The year is one of the periods, and on Monday we shall begin a new year of more than usual significance, for it will be the last year of the 19th century.

MEMBERS OF the Chinese Language School of Columbia brought in the Chinese New Year with a bang at the central branch of the Howard County Public Library on Saturday. The celebration began with the sounds of a ceremonial drum and a performance of the traditional Lion Dance. Yesterday marked the year 4699 on the Chinese calendar, the year of the horse. In China, the New Year's celebration is also called the Spring Festival. "A person born in this year will be very outgoing, active, faithful and energetic," said Emily Lee, executive director of extracurricular activities for the Columbia school.

It was Benjamin Franklin -- at least, we think it was Franklin; this year we resolve to look these things up, rather than trust to memory -- who exhorted us to self-improvement so that each New Year might find us wiser, more disciplined, virtuous people. TTC Sound advice for these times. As Yogi Berra said: "We have met the enemy and he is us."In that spirit, we adopt as our words to live by in 1994 the immortal injunction of E.B. White: "Avoid cliches like the plague." White sounds a wake-up call to each and every one of us, and for our part, we will not be found wanting.

Well, the New Year 2012 has arrived. It is true that the older one gets, the faster time flies. And this year has truly flown by! With the beginning of any New Year, the anticipation of change and betterment is on everyone's mind. The Owings Mills community is no exception as plans are under way for some major changes in the area. First is the "de-malling" of the Town Center. The anchor stores, J.C. Penney's and Macy's, are slated to stay while the rest of the mall will be torn down to make way for free-standing box stores, such as the ones at Hunt Valley or White Marsh.

Most of us have packed away the holiday decorations, but there's at least one more excuse to celebrate the season. Howard County's first all-professional chamber orchestra, the Orchestra of St. John's, is performing a Viennese New Year's Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City. "This is the sort of concert that was always done around New Year's in Vienna," said the orchestra's founding artistic director, Ronald Mutchnik. "It's cold and so people want reminders of springtime in order to lift their spirits.

It's a new year, time to clean out some of the claptrap from 2011. If you've got any old cell phones lying around, you can drop them off for recycling Friday and Saturday (1/13 & 14) at Mondawmin Mall - and get a $10 gift certificate in the process. It's the second go-round at cell-phone recycling for Mondawmin, which did it once in June last year. Once again the mall has partnerered on the effort with the self-styled " Green Ambassador ," Cathy Allen. So from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, you can drop off old, unwanted cell phones at the mall's Center Court.  And "while supplies last," the mall cautions, participants who bring in a phone can pick up a $10 "Shop Etc. " gift card - itself made of recycled material, and good for purchases at most stores and eateries anywhere in the United States that accept American Express, according to the mall's web site.

The Mason Dixon Business Association will welcome in the new year on Wednesday, Jan. 18, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Buontempo Brothers at 1 South Main in Bel Air. Tony Belcastro, of WSMT Insurance, will be the guest speaker. He will be discussing the differences in personal and business insurance as well as the advantages of working with an independent agent. Guests are welcome. Lunch will be served at noon, cost is $15. For more information call Susan Miller at Dale Miller & Son, Inc. at 717-382-4811.

It happens every January. We're inundated with end-of-year gloom and doom statistics - murders, highway tragedies, government gridlock, cultural hate crimes, the hopelessness of world conflicts, etc. Just when I was considering a radical New Year's resolution to boycott newspapers and evening news broadcasts, my friend Jean called. She's 85, active, and a life-long Maryland resident. She recently came to an abrupt halt when driving by a large dumpster. A wrought iron table and two chairs were being placed alongside the dumpster by a woman in a long flowing dress, her hair covered by a scarf.

New Year's Eve is behind us. For many, the resolution dieting has begun. But some of us aren't ready to give up on the celebrating and don't consider how many calories alcohol packs. A 1.5-ounce serving of 80-proof alcohol has 96 calories alone, no mixers. This WebMD article advises to avoid dessert drinks in disguise with lots of mixers and lots of heavy beers and drink water in between. RA Shushi in Harbor East has also come up with some cocktails that are under 200 calories each.

FIRST, I'D LIKE to wish my two children, Anne and John Marshall, a very happy birthday today, and I hope all of you have a merry Christmas and find everything you want beneath your Christmas tree tomorrow.Some prominent local citizens have shared what they hope to find under their trees -- as well as their resolutions for the New Year. EnjoyAlan Walden, WBAL-Radio news commentator:* For Christmas: "A small silver box in which I find the keys to a Bentley, British racing green, saddle-tan interior, burled-walnut fittings and a full tank of gas."

Happy New Year!Of course, with the new year comes the New Year'sresolution you made that will be broken. You know the ones I mean --lose weight, stop smoking, be nicer to everyone.With this New Year, I look forward to serving you, the Crofton Community. This is your column, and I need you to keep me informed. I can be contacted at the number above.*Nominations are still being accepted for the 13th annual County Executive Physical Fitness Awards.Several citizens will be selected for their contribution to the advancement of fitness and health.

A fire accompanied by racial graffiti at a Brooklyn Park home early New Year's Day is being investigated as a possible hate crime, according to Anne Arundel County police and fire officials. Fire Department Lt. Cliff Kooser said the blaze at the house in the 300 block of Church Street caused an estimated $75,000 in damage, and that "it's a possibility it could be incendiary. " Kooser and police spokesman Justin Mulcahy said the graffiti was on walls and the agencies were working together to determine if it was a hate crime.

Maryland State Police troopers in Harford County have posted the results of traffic citations and arrests in conjunction with their enforcement efforts in support of the National Drunk and Drugged Driving initiative between Dec. 12 and Monday, Jan. 2. During the initiative troopers targeted impaired drivers in support of Maryland's highway safety goals, according to a news release from the Bel Air Barrack. According to the release, Bel Air Barrack troopers issued more than 1,000 citations and warnings and conducted more than 700 traffic stops during the first period between Dec. 12 and Dec. 26. During the enforcement period between Dec. 27 and Monday, Bel Air Barrack troopers issued more than 400 citations and warnings and conducted more than 300 traffic stops.