Penny

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's proposal to close more than half of the city's recreation centers in order to balance her budget ("Worst-case city budget cuts police, fire, recreation," March 25) is an unfortunate case of being penny-wise but pound-foolish. Last summer, dozens of recreation centers partnered with the city school system to provide day-long, comprehensive summer learning programs. The partnership was an excellent way to keep our young people engaged and safe, while providing meaningful summer learning opportunities that will last a lifetime.

Bonnie Bessor's job can take its toll after a while. As executive director of Rebuilding Together, she's responsible for finding ways to help low-income Baltimore residents with home repair, maintenance projects and money to pay for the heat. But when work starts to pile up and her stress levels rise, all she has to do is head into her office for a quick snuggle. There she'll find her pit bull mix, Iggy, resting in his dog bed. "It definitely gives you somebody with unconditional love to go to when you're feeling kind of down," she says.

On Sunday, January 22, 2006, of Bethesda, MD, beloved husband of Toba Seltzer Penny, loving father of Joanna Penny (Nathaniel) Holzman and Dina Penny, devoted son of Joseph (Rachel) Penny and the late Helene Penny. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 24 at 10 A. M at Adas Israel Congregation, 2850 Quebec Street, N.W, Washington, DC. Interment United Hebrew Cemetery, Baltimore, MD. Family observing Shiva Tuesday thru Sunday with the exception of Friday at 7 P.M. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Adas Israel Congregation or Tzedakah of your choice.

Students at Parr's Ridge Elementary School, in Mount Airy, recently raised $1,351 to donate to the American Red Cross in support of victims of Superstorm Sandy victims. Students raised the money by participating in "Penny Wars," which had grade levels competing against each other to see which grade could collect the most money. First grade won and earned extra play time. Fifth-grade math classes and a fourth-grade class at Mount Airy Elementary School helped count the money.

I've got another annoyance that Dan Rodricks can add to his list ("Overpriced popcorn, O's early-season tease and other annoyances," April 26). It's when I go to the gas station to fill up and I see the price of $4.05 and 9/10 per gallon. Give me a break! Come on, already and lose the 9/10! Do they think we're all stupid? Why not just go $4.05 and 99/100 or $4.05 and 999/1000. Sheesh! The first gas station that I see that loses the 9/10ths of a cent will get all my business.

On September 18, 2009, NORVICE RACHEL GOODWIN PENNY Family will receive friends at the family owned WYLIE FUNERAL HOME P.A. OF BALTIMORE COUNTY

I just read a quote from a woman who said that she was told by Baltimore Gas & Electric that the company couldn't afford to give out dry ice to people without power. Why doesn't CEO Mayo Shattuck give up some of his millions for dry ice? If he and his cronies weren't milking the company dry, BGE could afford dry ice for its customers. Pat Harcarik, Baltimore

On Tuesday, November 23, 2004, MARY "Penny" (nee Schell) JACOBSON of Selbyville, DE formerly of Baltimore. Beloved wife of Raymond "Jake" A. Jacobson; devoted mother of Roger T. Falsis of Baltimore; sister of Janet Reisman and Pamela Parlier. Private Service and interment in Selbyville, De. Arrangements by Peaceful Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Center.

On June 29, 2005, PENNY ELLEN (nee Stockbridge) LATIMER: loving wife of Timothy Latimer, beloved mother of Lisa Duke, James Moore and Rebecca Moore; admiring grandmother of Amanda, Jessica, Alyssa and Kathleen. Also survived by her canine companions Mitzi and Buddy. Visitation to be held at the HUBBARD FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4107 Wilkens Avenue, Baltimore, MD on Tuesday 1 to 3 and 7 to 9 P.M. and where services will be held on Wednesday at 11 A.M. Interment in Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Chesapeake, 8424 Veterans Highway, Millersville, MD 21108.

The name of the designer of the Lincoln penny was reported incorrectly Saturday in an article about this week's American Numismatics Association convention in Baltimore. The designer was Victor David Brenner.The Sun regrets the errors.When is a penny worth more than one cent, or worth anything at all these days?In Baltimore the answer is: When it was minted in San Francisco in 1909, has an "S" below the date beside Lincoln's profile and the initials V.D.B. between the wheat stalks on the back.

Esther "Penny" Love, a Baltimore public school guidance counselor for nearly 40 years who was an outspoken advocate for emotionally challenged and dyslexic students, died Monday of lung cancer at Sinai Hospital. She was 89. Esther Shulman, whose parents owned a dry-goods store in the 2900 block of O'Donnell St., was born and raised in Canton. She graduated from Patterson High School in 1941. The summer after graduating from high school, she took a job washing test tubes in the detection laboratory at Edgewood Arsenal, under the direction of Solomon "Sol" Love, and earned his ire when she dipped the wrong end of a pipette in bleach.

Mayan legend that explains how these beautiful birds were created from spare parts left over when the other birds were created by the Mayan sun god. The plumage of a ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) shimmered in the early-morning sunlight as it darted back and forth while sipping nectar from the blossoms of a red-flowered rosebush. Plus, it was so preoccupied with feeding, my presence didn't appear to disturb it, even though I was a mere 3 feet away.

Federal workers are in the trenches daily, so they're likely to be the first to spot waste - and to come up with ways to save taxpayer dollars. That's the theory behind the Obama administration's Securing Americans Value and Efficiency (SAVE) Award, a contest in which federal workers submit ideas to reduce costs. The prize: a meeting with the president in the Oval Office to present the money-saving idea. Matt Ritsko, a financial manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, won last year with a suggestion to create a "library" for unused tools and materials that could be checked out like books.

"The future belongs to crowds. "  - Don DeLillo, Mao II If the 20th century version of video game marketing is attempting to observe what customers wanted, than the 21st has become a time about flat-out asking them. Steam, Valve's online gaming store and community hub, announced "Greenlight," a crowdsourcing-inspired move aimed at letting the users have more say in what games are available to buy and play on the service. "The community should be deciding what gets released," Valve announced.

I've got another annoyance that Dan Rodricks can add to his list ("Overpriced popcorn, O's early-season tease and other annoyances," April 26). It's when I go to the gas station to fill up and I see the price of $4.05 and 9/10 per gallon. Give me a break! Come on, already and lose the 9/10! Do they think we're all stupid? Why not just go $4.05 and 99/100 or $4.05 and 999/1000. Sheesh! The first gas station that I see that loses the 9/10ths of a cent will get all my business.

Michael Penny Carter, a longtime public schools and community activist who had been director of family and community engagement for the Baltimore school system, died Tuesday of prostate cancer at a sister's home in West Baltimore. The Harlem Park resident was 63. "Michael's death is both a personal and professional loss. He meant a great deal to me," said Baltimore schools CEO Andrés Alonso. "He was a great man who cared so much about neighborhoods and schools, and he brought his own vision to his work.

To motorists on a certain stretch of Frankford Avenue yesterday, it must have seemed for a moment like pennies from heaven. Also, quarters, nickels and dimes -- between $50,000 and $60,000 worth.The coins spilled onto the pavement about 2 p.m. when a driver for Loomis Armored Inc. suddenly pulled away from a traffic light in the 5400 block of Frankford Avenue in Northeast Baltimore. The police said the driver, Dennis Messon Sr., 42, of the 3800 block of East Pratt Street, accelerated too quickly, sending metal trays containing boxes of coins shifting and sliding to the rear of his truck and slamming into its back door.

One of my favorite aspects of our “gotta have it now!” society is how quickly TV shows come to DVD. Instead of waiting for some of your favorite episodes to make the rerun rounds or worse, try to catch it in the DVD cycle. This fall, I'll be watching the DVD of the second season of “Happy Endings,” amazed at how fast 22 minutes can fly by and thinking “yep, I can watch another episode.” Yet there is bound to be an episode that will make me especially grateful for the DVD. So I can skip it. “Meet the Parrots,” would be this season's on-to-the-next-one episode.

If nothing else, state Comptroller Peter Franchot's objection to Bowie State University's purchase of 32 new Steinway pianos for the $79 million new performing arts center it will open next year shows the state's top financial watchdog has a tin ear for value. Who would spend that kind of money on a state-of-the-art music facility and then fill it with penny-whistle instruments? At a meeting of the state Board of Public Works on Wednesday, Mr. Franchot suggested the $553,264 price tag for the Steinway-designed pianos - a mix of concert, budget and entry-level instruments - was excessive at a time of fiscal austerity.