Summer

THE ROLAND PARK Second Presbyterian Church looked absolutely stunning last Saturday for the wedding of Natalia Pia Melanie Sommer and Richard Matthew Dohler. Thousands of wildflowers, miles of lace ribbons and tulle, and window sills decorated with Singapore orchids set the stage for the nuptials of the daughter of pop music star Donna Summer and her first husband, Helmut Sommer,and the son of Dick and Bonna Dohler, he's an Ellicott City builder.The church was filled with the music of German trumpeteer Langston Fitzgerald and selections of Bach, Beethoven and Vivaldi, played by the church's music director Margaret Budd on the organ.

Ocean City is ready for the spotlight this weekend as the town launches into the summer season with a new laser light show. The O.C. Beach Lights Spectacular features lasers, videos, special effects and lights displayed on a 50-foot-tall sphere that looks like a beach ball. The show will take place Sundays on the beach at North Division Street three times a night - 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. - from Memorial Day to Labor Day. "We're excited about it," says Donna Abbott, public relations manager for the Town of Ocean City.

The story of a 24-year-old Georgia graduate student fighting a flesh-eating disease has prompted a microbiologist with the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System to speak out about the infection. Aimee Copeland lost most of her left leg after the flesh-eating bacteria necrotizing faciitis is believed to have entered a cut on her leg, according to the Associated Press, which reports she may also have to have her fingers amputated. The waterborne bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila is believed to have caused the infection.

Hot weather in the Baltimore area should drive many to Ocean City this weekend, where cooler weather and sunshine should greet them. The National Weather Service is forecasting highs in the upper 70s with partly cloudy skies and virtually no chance of rain through the Memorial Day weekend. It may not sound too hot, but with a bright sun and high humidity, it should make for nice early-season beach days. The ocean water temperature is running about 66 degrees. Waves are about 2-3 feet high, and the risk of rip currents is low, according to the weather service's surf forecast . Ocean City businesses and tourism officials are expecting the nice weather to drive in tourists for a strong start to the summer.

In the wake of WWE's Over the Limit pay-per-view, a new Intercontinental champion has been crowned, four other champions continue to hold onto their titles and John Laurinaitis remains employed. Sunday night's show delivered an evening of quality entertainment and good in-ring performances. On a non-major PPV event, WWE delivered a product that surpassed the expectations of many. Here's a match-by-match look at the show: Battle Royale This last-minute addition to the card was a means of crowning a No. 1 contender for one of the midcard titles.

I hope everyone has taken a few moments to collect themselves after that spectacular finale. Midway through, I was a bit worried as the episode was beginning to seem more like a series finale than a season finale. However, the last 15 minutes provided everything a good finale should: suspense, murder, a love triangle (quadrangle!), a drug overdose, break-ups (bonus points for calling off an engagement), a conniving friend, heart break, a parent finding their child unconscious, unplanned pregnancy, a declaration of “never speak to me again” followed by a quick hang up, an engagement, a serious accident (plane instead of car, way to go big!

Sometimes the small things make all the difference in professional wrestling. Too often, critics -- especially those on the Internet -- nitpick every decision WWE makes and find the logical or creative flaws. Many times, this creates an unnecessary sense or allegation of failure. But on tonight's Raw, WWE (or, more specifically, general manager John Laurinaitis) made a mistake that is almost unforgivable. While I personally wasn't offended by Sunday's match between John Cena and Laurinaitis at Over the Limit , many people have lashed out against the match.

A friend gave me some honest advice: Summer starts to go by more quickly after the Fourth of July celebration. I've learned this to be true, and now I've got to get moving on a lot of stuff I plan to accomplish before Labor Day — or maybe Oct. 1. Or perhaps Thanksgiving. My plans are fluid, and if I don't achieve them all, at least I've set down a list. I've never been to Chincoteague, Va., or Assateague Island, despite spending weeks each summer in nearby Delaware. I've never been south of Salisbury, and I want to make it to Princess Anne and Pocomoke City, as well as the Eastern Shore towns of Virginia.

I wrote today about a 5-year-old Harford County girl who lost her feet after her father accidently backed into her with a lawn mower. It is an accident that could have been prevented, but one that is not all that  uncommon in the summer months. Parents are out doing yard work while kids play nearby creating a bad mix. Lawn mower injuries are the leading cause of amputations in adolescents, according to the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. Most injuries occur because the mower doesn't realize the child is behind them and backs over them.

Aerosmith is going on tour again this summer. The Global Warming tour, which was announced Monday, is the band's first North American trek in two years. Jiffy Lube Live is getting the show July 3. Cheap Trick is opening.  Unlike their contemporaries Van Halen, the band doesn't have a new album to plug. In fact, they haven't released new studio material in eight years, since "Honkin on Bobo. " While they've stayed on the road, they've mainly played South America and Europe in the course of the last two years.

This weekend marks the beginning of summer vacation season for many Marylanders. From graduating students to young families, singles and seniors, the preferred place to be over Memorial Day weekend is generally Ocean City or the nearby Delaware beaches. With warm weather expected, experts are already forecasting higher traffic volumes, including more than 350,000 vehicles converging on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge headed to or from the Eastern Shore over the next several days.

— Just arrived for a six-day vacation, Mark and Diana Moyer strolled down the boardwalk, frozen drinks in hand, pausing to watch a teenage boy do a back flip onto the beach. The Moyers, from Northampton, Pa., are back in Ocean City for the first time in several years — both were laid off during the recession. But this year, with Mark back at work and their children grown, they have more money to spend and more freedom to spend it. "It's a dependable place," Mark Moyer said Wednesday, recalling the family's vacations to Ocean City going back 15 years.

Whether it's a wedding on the beach, a White Marlin fishing tournament, muscle car shows or ocean baptisms during the annual Jesus at the Beach festival, Ocean City isn't afraid to mix things up a bit. The resort offers an ample dose of tradition, yet just enough novelty to keep things fresh. Ocean City has officially declared the summer of 2012 the "Summer of Thanks. " As a way for the town to show appreciation to all who have supported the resort throughout the years, look for a bevy of fun, discounts at hot spots, and town-wide promotions for vacationers.

Summer arrives early in the state capital with the opening of the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre's 46th season of presenting "theater under the stars," which begins May 24 with Cole Porter's classic "Anything Goes. " The musical, the updated, 2011 Tony Award-winner, will run Thursdays through Sundays through June 24. Following it are two shows that have never been performed at Summer Garden. Taking ASGT's outdoor stage July 5 to July 29 is "Avenue Q," the 2003 surprise Broadway hit that captured three Tony Awards, including best musical.

Visitors to Baltimore's downtown on summer weekends will see up to 50 additional police officers, a show of force aimed at preventing a repeat of St. Patrick's Day, when hundreds of youths battled and a tourist was beaten — scenes the mayor described as "a black eye for the city. " Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake toured the streets around the Inner Harbor and downtown for two hours Friday, the first night of increased police presence. During the late-night walk, she made her first public comments since reports that the disturbances on March 17 were far more extensive and more violent than police had initially described.

After the school year concludes, the Baltimore Sun's high school sports staff writes a story featuring student-athletes and high school coaches that have interesting jobs or unique plans during the summer.  If you have something fun lined up for the summer months, we want to hear about, it and you may be profiled.  We're looking for varsity players who will still be in high school the following school year. To pass along ideas, please e-mail Glenn Graham at glenn.graham@baltsun.com

Kmart has a 5,000 BTU Frigidaire window AC unit for just $100 with free shipping code FREESHIP. This is the lowest price I could find by about $20. Also, shipping would normally be $18.95. This unit should be enough for small to medium rooms under 300 square feet, or about a third of my little rowhouse. Summer's coming and do you really want to go through another summer with that old, bulky, squeaky, leaky AC unit with the sharp vents at the bottom?

6 weeks to a better body We are now six weeks (!) from the beginning of pool and beach season. But fret not. The plan below details how, by making small changes each week, you can have your body looking leaner and ready for outdoor summer festivities. View the photo gallery Each week, you will be given a new piece to the overall exercise and nutrition plan. As we add new pieces each following week, do these in addition the everything from the previous weeks.

It's been a tough month for music fans, and the bad news hasn't slowed down. On Wednesday, we lost the Godfather of Go-Go and D.C. legend Chuck Brown to complications from sepsis. He was 75. Naturally, his loss was felt particularly hard in the Baltimore and D.C. areas. Local writer Al Shipley tweeted , "[O]n the drive home I heard Chuck Brown music on 5 different radio stations, including a Baltimore station and a rock station. " Read the Washington Post obituary by Chris Richards here . And today, Donna Summer lost her battle with cancer.

Baltimore city students will have a plethora of options for education and recreation this summer, under a new partnership between city agencies and school system that will expand the scope and length of programming for city youth. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blakeand City schools CEO Andres Alonso announced Wednesday that with the help of non-profit and philanthropic communities, the city's recreation efforts will converge with the system's summer learning initiatives to create a unique structure of a full-day of summer programming.