Skills

By several measures, metropolitan Baltimore's economy is doing better than fine. In 2010, median household income was nearly $15,000 higher than the national average, and during the last decade, real incomes grew even as they shrank nationally. Metro employment increased, while it declined across the country, and when the economy went south, the region's unemployment rate remained lower than that of most if its metropolitan peers. But as legitimately rosy as these numbers are, they mask - as averages will do - the steep opportunity challenges facing many of the region's residents.

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Volleyball The Maryland Juniors Volleyball Club is hosting a series of juniors volleyball summer programs. The camps and clinics were designed to meet the need of all different level of juniors volleyball players. It includes all skill camp, specific technique clinics, pre-high school tryout camp and beginner camp.

Bigger, faster, stronger might sound cliche, but this is the evolution of the sport of lacrosse. The result is that athletes are engaging in structured training programs in high school, with some athletes beginning in middle school. The goal of these programs is to enable athletes to improve their athletic skills (speed, agility, power, strength and coordination) while attempting to reduce injury risk. To maximize results, the athlete, strength and conditioning coach, and parents must be on the same page.

Karen Druffel can walk outside her door in Elkridge almost anytime and find people from all over the region using the Rockburn Skills Park for mountain bikers and trail runners. The attention is impressive, considering the park is not even supposed to be fully functional until June 2, says Druffel, a volunteer with the nonprofit Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts (MORE), which spearheaded the park's creation. "The community has been phenomenal," she said this week. "We were a bit worried because there are people who are pro-biking and people who are anti-biking.

You usually head for a vending machine when you're craving a bag of chips or can of soda. But there's a one machine in Baltimore that dispenses objects such as a "Hankie Pankie," a heart-shaped engagement ring, a mini-Zombie or, for those in need of quick religious reassurance, a "Pocket Nun. " That's just some of the fare available — with a few crisp dollar bills — from the "Art-o-mat," part of a national project designed to bring fine...

The girls stand together in their skates before taking the ice. They talk animatedly as they stretch and prepare for a long practice. "They haven't seen each other in a week," one of the mothers says in passing. The Sailors, the highest-level team in the Chesapeake Synchronized Skating club, compete nationally at the intermediate level. The girls come from counties around the state and see one another only at practice, but they're close-knit. "We're just like a family now," said Blaire Burgin, a tri-captain and a Pikesville junior.

Artwork by Carroll County Public Schools students will be featured at two exhibits in celebration of Youth Art Month in March. An exhibit of art by elementary and middle school students will be held from Feb. 23 to March 14, at the Carroll County Arts Center, 91 W. Main St., Westminster. Receptions will be held Thursday, March 1, and Thursday, March 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit will be open to the public during the center's normal operating hours. Then, high school artwork will be on display from Feb. 27 through March 27, at the Langdon Gallery at Carroll Community College, 1601 Washington Road, Westminster.

A parade of Baltimore police officers, from rookies to a 30-year veteran, told City Council members Wednesday night that training programs developed by the department have sharpened their skills and helped build camaraderie among the ranks. But questioning about spending related to those programs was postponed as council members sought additional information from the agency. Pointing to recent police problems, such as a towing kickback scandal that is in court this week, City Councilman Brandon M. Scott called the hearing last month to question the effectiveness and costs of the training programs.

United Way of Central Maryland's Community Partnership Board of Carroll County recently awarded a community grant of $1,500 to the Westminster-based Target Community and Educational Services. Target serves Carroll County residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities achieve self-sufficiency. The grant will support Target's partnership with Junior Achievement of Central Maryland to help teach employment and independent living skills to 67 county residents. "We are grateful for this opportunity to partner with United Way ... and Junior Achievement to provide the training required to strengthen the employment skills critical to assist these individuals to live as independently as possible," said Tom Zirpoli, president and CEO of Target.

Architects live and breathe design, blissfully losing themselves in details most people would never notice — the bevel of a trim, the way light falls across a room, squared legs or curved. So what happens, we wondered, when two such aesthetes come together under one roof? Do they lie awake at night, pondering three-inch moldings or four? Is there a prenup for the Eames chairs? Do they fight tooth and nailhead? Judging from the example set by these married Baltimore architects who live and work together, it all comes together much more smoothly than any of that.