Splash

Inside Westminster Abbey, eight 20-foot-tall live trees lined the center aisle during the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William. The trees transformed the space, doing what even the most elaborate floral arrangement could not — providing a natural, living sense of permanence and an air of drama. The move was unexpected, unpretentious and bold. A potted tree on your patio or deck can have the same effect. While not every tree is well-suited for a container, there are a surprising number of options, ranging from crape myrtles to hollies.

Josh Vecchiolla, 26, is poised to open a new business in Bel Air called LUSTRE Mobile Detailing Parlour, and to herald the start of the operation he is organizing a charity bikini car wash, car show, and BBQ at the Main Street Tower restaurant on May 5. Planned for 2 to 8 p.m., the event will feature women washing cars, and anything else with a motor. The Tower will provide all the eats, with a BBQ pit beef stand serving various pit meats and drink specials all day. Local bands will start the event's soundtrack from 2-4 p.m. followed by live DJ performances by Harford County natives Kimzl, Logun, Jigga and DJ Doido taking event goers into the early morning hours.

In golf parlance, bodies of water are classified as "hazards. " And, we've come to learn, not only for wayward shots. For Thomas Levet, a French Open victory leap turned into a British Open withdrawal when doctors told him his broken shin requires surgery to insert screws and a plate. "However, the wonderful memory of winning my national Open will definitely keep me going through my recovery," the Frenchman said in giving up his spot next week at Royal St. George's. Call it a consolation prize.

Wedding day: Dec. 1, 2012 Her story: Colby Previti, 26, grew up in Bowleys Quarters. She is a makeup artist. Her mom, Kim, is a hair stylist, and her father, Vincent, is retired from the Baltimore City Fire Department. His story: John Celmer, 26, grew up in Dundalk. He is a pharmaceutical sales representative. His mother, Linda, is deceased, and his father, Robert, is retired from Bethlehem Steel. Their story: Colby and John met at The Horse You Came in On Saloon in Fells Point six years ago. John proposed on Christmas morning last year with a 4-carat flower-cut ring from Reeds Jewelers.

THE ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY SUN - ALGERINA PERNA

Blaine Young isn't exactly a household name in Maryland, but the prospective contender for the Republican GOP nomination has to be a bit better known in political circles after the splash he made at the annual political rite of passage known as the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield Wednesday. Young, president of the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners, brought a busload of supporters to the Eastern Shore fishing port to promote his increasingly credible candidacy.

U nder normal conditions, Sean Murphy is not an excitable boy. But the opening day of trout season was not a normal day and the fish at the other end of his line was not your garden variety rainbow trout - unless, of course, your gardener's name is Jolly Green Giant. At 10.5 pounds and 28 inches long, with a girth of 17.5 inches, the trout "looked like a salmon," when Mark Staley and his stocking crew plopped it in the Patap-sco River just days before the season opened March 27. It was so large that the Fisheries Service boys swapped their 5-gallon white bucket for a big net to get the fish from the tank truck to the river.

His father was an Orioles standout; his mother, a world-class swimmer. With that pedigree, was it any surprise that Austin Surhoff led Texas to the NCAA Division I men's swimming and diving team championship in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend? Surhoff, 19, a freshman from St. Paul's, was Texas' only individual winner, taking the 200-yard individual medley by a scant .004 of a second. His victory early in the meet buoyed the Longhorns' hopes and powered them to their 10th NCAA title. With his parents, B.J. Surhoff and the former Polly Winde, in the stands, Surhoff touched the wall a whisker in front.

Watch USA tonight and be reminded that Tom Hanks was making fine films even before the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences began showering him with praise."

The serious swimmer the one who snarls as you splash around and interrupt her lap count buys a serious swimsuit. No string bikinis or thongs for her. No fancy decoration or bustier tops. She wants comfort and practicality, a suit that won't interfere with her stroke and will help cut an extra 1/8 -second off her best time. The Speedo racer-back, thank you.This story isn't for her.This is for those of us engaged in more leisurely pursuits.Maybe attending a poolside cocktail party or watching the sun set from the deck of a sailboat.

Wally Vait has a good eye for such things, so I'm not surprised that during a hike Saturday on the North Central Railroad Trail in Freeland, he spotted an Eastern garter snake on a sun-splashed rock. The question: What was it doing there, after one of the coldest Novembers on record, and with the winter solstice two weeks away? Did a snake aboveground portend doom for us all, as in the purported Mayan prophecy for Dec. 21, 2012? Was this a sign of the Almighty's unhappiness with Maryland's same-sex marriage law?

I am thinking about refreshing the paint colors in my house this fall, especially in the kitchen and in the bedroom. What kind of new color palette are you seeing right now, particularly for those rooms? While there are always new color trends emerging in interior design, when refreshing the color palette in your home, the focus should be on the way you combine colors so you can get a fresh new look without abandoning the hues that appeal to your own taste. In the kitchen, where there is generally minimal wall space and appliances are white, black or stainless-steel, adding bursts of color to the walls can make a statement without overpowering the room.

The Hill Family Center Y, 1719 Sykesville Road (Route 32), Westminster, will host a Kid's Sprint Triathlon and Splash and Dash on Saturday, Aug. 11, beginning at 10 a.m. Children will have the opportunity to participate in either the Kid's Sprint Triathlon, which includes swimming, biking and running; or the Splash and Dash, which includes swimming and running. Both events are broken down into age groups, 5- to 8-year-olds and 8- to 12-year-olds. The Spring Triathlon will begin at 10 a.m. for ages 5 to 8 and 1:30 a.m. for ages 8 to 12. The Splash and Dash starts at 11:15 a.m. for ages 5 to 8, and 11:30 for ages 8 to 12. Cost for the Kid's Sprint Triathlon is $25 for members; $35 for non-members; and for the Splash and Dash, it's $15 members, $25 non-members.

Blaine Young isn't exactly a household name in Maryland, but the prospective contender for the Republican GOP nomination has to be a bit better known in political circles after the splash he made at the annual political rite of passage known as the J. Millard Tawes Crab and Clam Bake in Crisfield Wednesday. Young, president of the Frederick County Board of County Commissioners, brought a busload of supporters to the Eastern Shore fishing port to promote his increasingly credible candidacy.

The first time Kevin Kelly saw Steve Lombardozzi, he wondered whether the boy could make the throw from shortstop to first base. Lombardozzi was a freshman trying to make the Atholton varsity team. Kelly, the coach, had heard that Lombardozzi, the son of a major leaguer, could play, but he stood 5 feet 2, 110 pounds. "He was a little guy," Kelly said. Lombardozzi made the team, but Kelly played him at double-play depth at all times, just so he could make the throw. In the coming years, Lombardozzi played such flawless defense that scouts came to Atholton to watch him. They would tell Kelly that Lombardozzi did not possess the size or the arm strength to play professionally.

Got a call today from Rob Goldman, the Columbia Association vice president, chief operating officer and longtime poobah when it comes to CA athletic facilities. Referencing my column this week about the Splashdown water slide, he pointed out that there are more places for active indoor birthday parties in these parts than I let on. He's right, of course. There's the Shadowland laser tag place, which I've been to myself on more than one occasion (I'm just a kid; don't make me grow up)

Back when aerobics was young and Jane Fonda made movies instead of exercise videos, a program called SPLASH began at Howard Community College.Now, 15 years later, Senior People Letting Aquatics Strengthen Health is still going strong. Hundreds of participants have signed up for the two- and three-times-a-week pool exercise sessions."It's a prevention kind of a program," said Suzie Tornatore, program coordinator. "It keeps up flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, it keeps the joints from getting restricted.

The National Aquarium in Baltimore is $62,000 richer, thanks to the efforts of Splash '94 chair Bob Beaver and a committee that included Jim Fox, Christine Ireland, Lee Ann Sugerman, David Millman, Carrie LeBow, and Peter and Beth Rosenwald. That money will be used to return large sharks and Atlantic coral reef fish to restored exhibits.Many of the 600 guests at Splash '94 donned Caribbean finery and ambled through the aquarium to tables filled with an array of Baltimore's best eats and drinks.

After getting his Midwestern pre-campaign bus tour and summer vacation at Martha's Vineyard out of the way, President Barack Obama is getting back to business with a planned speech to Congress this week, unveiling a long-awaited plan to put America back to work. It's way more than time to do so. Instead of demonstrating the fierce urgency of addressing the task, the president frittered away August by not calling Congress back in special session. In holding off, he stumbled into a ludicrous mini-melodrama with his personal Darth Vader, House Speaker John Boehner, over the date of his speech, again coming up on the short end. His formal request to address both houses of Congress in the larger chamber Wednesday night, on the first day the legislature is back, was summarily rejected by Mr. Boehner.

On July 21, the Forest Hill Swim & Tennis Club dive team's opponent had to forfeit. The team did dive, however, so that the individual divers could continue to earn qualifying scores for the upcoming Central Maryland Dive League Championship meet on July 31. Those earning qualifying scores were Michael Conron, Kelsey Crane, Amanda Federline, Haley Crane, Ian Halk, Philip Drohat, Chris Canipe, Alex Stewart, Ted Kugiowski and TJ Gresham. Results: 6-UG: Maya Proper, 30.90.