Scavenger Hunt

Vacationers will vie for a $100,000 prize in global contest Globetrotters looking for the ultimate in vacation adventures might want to grab a like-minded friend and take a look at GreatEscape2001.com, where they can enter the first Great Escape global scavenger hunt and compete for the title of "World's Greatest Traveler" -- and also $100,000 in cash and prizes. The fun doesn't come cheap, though. Each of the 25 teams of two people must pay a $22,000 entry fee, which breaks down to an $11,000-per-person trip in which meals are not included.

The City of Westminster's Department of Recreation and Parks is celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month with a number of events, including these listed below. Some are special events, others are simple suggestions to keep children and families active for the summer. The department is also hosting a "Parks of Westminster Scavenger Hunt," which involves visiting various parks in the city for details on the hunt - or on any of the events listed below, go to http://www.westgov.com/recreation/rec_events_july.html or call 410-848-9161.  Monday, July 16 - The Rec on the Move program will be at the Charles Street Tot Lot, 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 17 - Fly at Kite Day at King Park, Chase Street.

Six juveniles were arrested last weekend after they allegedly stole road signs and a chair from The Mall in Columbia as part of a scavenger hunt at Wilde Lake High School, county police said.The juveniles, whose names were not released by police, were charged with theft and released to the custody of their parents after their arrests Friday night, police said.The students told officers that the items were taken for the senior class' annual scavenger hunt, said Sgt. Gary Gardner, a police spokesman.

With attractions that include a world champion water skier, a speedboat that can make it from Baltimore to Annapolis in just over 14 minutes and photo opportunities with Capt. Jack Sparrow, you don't have to be in the market for a boat to enjoy this weekend's Baltimore Boat Show , organizers say. You don't even have to be a big fan of the water, says show coordinator Tara Davis. "It's cool just to see over 200 boats jammed into a convention center," she said Wednesday from the show floor, as workers prepared for the opening.

A 2000 graduate of Anne Arundel Community College Demetria Brown-Sugar Stallings still keeps in touch with many of her classmates. Now she's about to find more of them. The Severn resident recently signed on to lead a team in an unusual scavenger hunt -- a hunt for alumni. Lured by a $500 first price, at least five teams have accepted the challenge to find the biggest number. The winner will be announced Dec. 1. The idea for the scavenger hunt began with the recognition that community colleges, like their four-year counterparts, benefit when they continue their relationships with former students.

AN OUTDOORS THEME is planned for an egg hunt for youngsters and a scavenger hunt for older children to be held from 10 a.m. to noon April 3 at Pine Valley Nature Center, Manchester.The park is at the end of Wilhelm Lane, off York Street, opposite the Manchester Carnival grounds. The public is welcome. Admission is free. Both hunts will have a natural flair. Natural plant dyes are being used to color the shells of the 200 real eggs.The eggs are being dyed by a Manchester Boy Scout troop near the nature center.

Two young men and a juvenile were arrested early yesterday on theft charges stemming from a scavenger hunt in which hundreds of items, including a large fiberglass cow, were found on the lawn at Liberty High School in Eldersburg."

The City of Westminster's Department of Recreation and Parks is celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month with a number of events, including these listed below. Some are special events, others are simple suggestions to keep children and families active for the summer. The department is also hosting a "Parks of Westminster Scavenger Hunt," which involves visiting various parks in the city for details on the hunt - or on any of the events listed below, go to http://www.westgov.com/recreation/rec_events_july.html or call 410-848-9161.  Monday, July 16 - The Rec on the Move program will be at the Charles Street Tot Lot, 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 17 - Fly at Kite Day at King Park, Chase Street.

John Smith explored the Patapsco River here in his search for a passageway to the Pacific Ocean. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad passed through here. Blacks fought against slavery and segregation here, and community members fought here against plans to run a highway through the trees and brush. All of these events happened on soil that is now part of the Gwynns Falls Trail, which winds along Gwynns Falls and up the Patapsco. At 15 miles, it is one of the nation's largest urban nature trails.

Michael Pesi may have met the woman of his dreams in the modest surroundings of a Merchant's Tire waiting room, but when it came time to propose marriage, he thought big. He considered whisking girlfriend Aletta Muzila off to New York and popping the question over dinner at their favorite celebrity chef's restaurant but nixed the idea. "It was trite," Pesi concluded. "It's been done before. " So the Parkville entrepreneur and investor came up with a more unusual scheme.

It wouldn't be Christmas in Harford County without a visit to the annual Christmas Train Garden sponsored by the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company. The train garden is up and running at the firehouse at 3825 Federal Hill Road in Jarrettsville. The train garden, celebrating its 30th anniversary, is open to the public. There's no admission charge. There is a scavenger hunt for pieces inside the gardens. If someone can find the snowman with the bird nest hat, then they will receive a voucher for Keyes Creamery.

As long as the weather holds, 10 hot-air balloons will be launched into the air Saturday, Sept. 3, from the Harford County Equestrian Center. They'll go up as part of SARC's Family Fun Day, one of two events this weekend to help raise money for SARC's programs, which include a 24-hour helpline, a safe house, counseling, crisis intervention, a teen corner, hospital companions and legal advocacy and representation. For more information about SARC (Safety, Awareness, Resources, Change)

Michael Pesi may have met the woman of his dreams in the modest surroundings of a Merchant's Tire waiting room, but when it came time to propose marriage, he thought big. He considered whisking girlfriend Aletta Muzila off to New York and popping the question over dinner at their favorite celebrity chef's restaurant but nixed the idea. "It was trite," Pesi concluded. "It's been done before. " So the Parkville entrepreneur and investor came up with a more unusual scheme.

Tom Vidnovic remembers it sounding pretty silly on a cold January day about three years ago, when a friend suggested they go traipsing through the woods to look for a plastic container someone had hidden. He probably thought it was even sillier when his friend insisted on bringing along a hand-held Global Positioning System navigational device to help in the search. Vidnovic ended up finding the container before his friend did - "beginner's luck," he insists - and hasn't stopped looking for similar containers since; so far, he's found a little more than 3,100 of them.

HOLIDAY HEAP: If you've got shopping to do and the recipients on your "nice" list are notoriously hard to buy for, you'll be at St. John's United Methodist Church, 2640 St. Paul St., from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This DIY craft bazaar features handmade wares from more than 50 vendors. Admission is free. Go to charmcitycraftmafia.com/Holiday_Heap_2009. THIS IS NOT A SHOW: See R.E.M. at Ottobar, 2549 Howard St.! OK, this is not a live show by the band, but a free screening of the band's documentary at 7 p.m. This is the only place in Baltimore you'll be able to see the hourlong film shot over five nights of working rehearsals in Dublin, Ireland.

Alt-rock concert Cozy up on a couch and hear edgy singer/songwriter Orna Ment perform at College Perk Coffeehouse tomorrow night. The local alternative rock artist has performed throughout the Mid-Atlantic and the Los Angeles area. Last month, she released her first full-length solo CD, ORNAmuseMENT: Chasing the Muse. The artist describes her style as similar to "PJ Harvey meets Sarah McLachlan or Tori Amos meets KT Tunstall." The show starts at 8 p.m. College Perk is at 9078 Baltimore Ave.

Armed robbery conviction brings term of 40 years A 22-year-old man who was found guilty of armed robbery for holding up a liquor store in Northeast Baltimore has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, according to city prosecutors. After a two-day trial in Baltimore Circuit Court, a jury Wednesday convicted Jeffrey Corporal of armed robbery, reckless endangerment, using a handgun in a crime of violence and having a handgun in a vehicle, prosecutor said. Circuit Judge John N. Prevas ordered Corporal to spend 20 years in prison for armed robbery and 20 years in prison on the gun charges.