Paint Thinner

Two young men have been charged with trespassing on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion in Annapolis after they allegedly were found carrying some workmen's tools and paint thinner.The two men "entered the property uninvited" about 2:30 a.m. Dec. 7, according to documents filed in Annapolis District Court.Brendon C. Smith, 19, of Riva, and Chad J. Godhard, 20, of College Park, were charged with trespassing at a public agency after hours, a misdemeanor, records show.Godhard also was charged with being drunk at a public place and causing a disturbance, according to documents.

I am having trouble cleaning paintbrushes. My high-quality brushes are stiff halfway up from the tips, even though I have been using latex paint and washing them with warm water immediately after each use. How do you clean paintbrushes so they last for years? It is time for some tough love. The expensive brushes are being ruined because you are not cleaning them properly.

I am having trouble cleaning paintbrushes. My high-quality brushes are stiff halfway up from the tips, even though I have been using latex paint and washing them with warm water immediately after each use. How do you clean paintbrushes so they last for years? It is time for some tough love. The expensive brushes are being ruined because you are not cleaning them properly.

State officials have fined the owner of a South Baltimore warehouse $5,950 for endangering workers who wore street clothes while handling corrosive chemicals. Warehouse owner Edward L. Birtic, 73, of Carroll County, did not train his employees or equip them with proper protective gear as they moved barrels of hazardous waste stored at the site in May, according to five citations issued earlier this month. These are the latest in a series of punitive actions taken by city and state agencies against Birtic.

State officials have fined the owner of a South Baltimore warehouse $5,950 for endangering workers who wore street clothes while handling corrosive chemicals. Warehouse owner Edward L. Birtic, 73, of Carroll County, did not train his employees or equip them with proper protective gear as they moved barrels of hazardous waste stored at the site in May, according to five citations issued earlier this month. These are the latest in a series of punitive actions taken by city and state agencies against Birtic.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has fined the owner of a South Baltimore warehouse $25,000 for improperly storing leaking barrels of hazardous waste, officials said yesterday. In an administrative complaint, the MDE cited the owner for improperly storing the waste, which the state identified as "corrosive." In addition, state investigators found chromium and cadmium in the barrels at levels that constituted hazardous waste, they said. Warehouse owner Edward L. Birtic, 73, of Carroll County had 11 barrels of the corrosive chemicals removed from the building in early June after being pressed by the city to do so. At the time, the material in the barrels was identified as paint, paint thinner and hydrochloric acid.

A lawyer for a man convicted of murder said yesterday that the fatalstabbing was prompted by sexual advances from the victim, a Pasadenaman who was known to be a carrier of the AIDS virus.William Timothy Whittaker, 27, was sentenced to 15 years in prison yesterday for the April 1990 death of 54-year-old Clifton John Montgomery. Whittaker, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in May, told police that he and Montgomery had been arguing the night of the killing and that he had rebuffed Montgomery's sexual advances.

A mysterious odor caused respiratory problems for three Harford County teachers and forced officials to evacuate about 650 students and teachers at Church Creek Elementary School in Belcamp for 90 minutes yesterday, fire authorities said."

Q: The windows in my older house need new putty. The old putty has deteriorated, and each window has many small panes of glass. How should I fix this?A: The most difficult part of the job will probably be the first step -- removing the old putty -- since the glass will crack unless great care is used. Also, if you plan to do the work yourself, you probably will have to do much of the work from a ladder, which also requires great care.An ordinary putty knife, used as a scraper, is often adequate for removing old putty, but my favorite tool is a combination tool sold at some paint stores and home centers.

CHICAGO -- Early on December 7, a black couple was brutally murdered while walking down a street in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The alleged killers, two white members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, apparently chose their victims for no reason other than their racial identity. The soldiers are reportedly adherents of a neo-Nazi ideology that has found a home among some members of the nation's armed forces.A day later in New York's Harlem district, an enraged black man with a gun and a can of paint thinner burst into a Jewish-owned store, shouted, ''brothers get out,'' and fired on fleeing customers.

The Maryland Department of the Environment has fined the owner of a South Baltimore warehouse $25,000 for improperly storing leaking barrels of hazardous waste, officials said yesterday. In an administrative complaint, the MDE cited the owner for improperly storing the waste, which the state identified as "corrosive." In addition, state investigators found chromium and cadmium in the barrels at levels that constituted hazardous waste, they said. Warehouse owner Edward L. Birtic, 73, of Carroll County had 11 barrels of the corrosive chemicals removed from the building in early June after being pressed by the city to do so. At the time, the material in the barrels was identified as paint, paint thinner and hydrochloric acid.

CONTRARY TO ALL the rhetoric we've heard from politicians, reforming welfare doesn't do much to tackle the real problems gnawing at our society, especially in our cities. After all, when you venture out at night, are you worried about getting mugged by a welfare mother?Hardly. Yet count the number of programs and the amount of government money earmarked for welfare mothers and their children -- for employment training, child care, food supplements, health care and the like.Even in a time of government cut-backs, these programs far outnumber the efforts aimed at the fathers of these children.

CHICAGO -- Early on December 7, a black couple was brutally murdered while walking down a street in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The alleged killers, two white members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, apparently chose their victims for no reason other than their racial identity. The soldiers are reportedly adherents of a neo-Nazi ideology that has found a home among some members of the nation's armed forces.A day later in New York's Harlem district, an enraged black man with a gun and a can of paint thinner burst into a Jewish-owned store, shouted, ''brothers get out,'' and fired on fleeing customers.

A mysterious odor caused respiratory problems for three Harford County teachers and forced officials to evacuate about 650 students and teachers at Church Creek Elementary School in Belcamp for 90 minutes yesterday, fire authorities said."

The first roses in my city garden started to show color this weekend.The lilies of the valley were at the top of their spring form. The scent of the two together are almost too much perfume, but are nevertheless one of the most spectacular, romantic May combinations.I took in a few breathy whiffs of this Saturday. I was beating my wool rugs on the back porch, having a good sneeze, then storing the carpets for the summer.This is, admittedly, a shamelessly old-fashioned approach to summer housekeeping, but somebody has to do it. And why not?

Q: The windows in my older house need new putty. The old putty has deteriorated, and each window has many small panes of glass. How should I fix this?A: The most difficult part of the job will probably be the first step -- removing the old putty -- since the glass will crack unless great care is used. Also, if you plan to do the work yourself, you probably will have to do much of the work from a ladder, which also requires great care.An ordinary putty knife, used as a scraper, is often adequate for removing old putty, but my favorite tool is a combination tool sold at some paint stores and home centers.

CONTRARY TO ALL the rhetoric we've heard from politicians, reforming welfare doesn't do much to tackle the real problems gnawing at our society, especially in our cities. After all, when you venture out at night, are you worried about getting mugged by a welfare mother?Hardly. Yet count the number of programs and the amount of government money earmarked for welfare mothers and their children -- for employment training, child care, food supplements, health care and the like.Even in a time of government cut-backs, these programs far outnumber the efforts aimed at the fathers of these children.

The first roses in my city garden started to show color this weekend.The lilies of the valley were at the top of their spring form. The scent of the two together are almost too much perfume, but are nevertheless one of the most spectacular, romantic May combinations.I took in a few breathy whiffs of this Saturday. I was beating my wool rugs on the back porch, having a good sneeze, then storing the carpets for the summer.This is, admittedly, a shamelessly old-fashioned approach to summer housekeeping, but somebody has to do it. And why not?

At least 55 gallons of paint thinners and other hazardous materials spilled yesterday when a tractor-trailer rig snagged a TV cable in the 2800 block of Lawndale Road northeast of Finksburg.Residents were evacuated from several nearby homes, but officials handling the cleanup said the spilled chemicals caused no major damage.Emergency officials said that when the top of the tractor-trailer struck the TV cable, the truck came to a sudden stop and toppled several 55-gallon drums inside the trailer.

WE HAD a house in the suburbs, two cars, a pool, a stereo and three TVs. The man of the house had a college education, a good job and a wife devoted to homemaking and children. So I cringe when I hear that the next generation should have more. Really? Can the planet handle more? Couldn't we make do until everyone catches up?It's not that I'd deprive anyone. Especially my kids (though all indications are that they're still in the dark about this social theory).For instance, Chris and her husband have bought a row house in Baltimore.