Taking Care

Two days after coach John Harbaugh called Michael Oher's habit of moving early “illogical,” the starting right tackle said he intends to clean up the false starts. “It's something that can be taken care of,” Oher said prior to Wednesday's practice. “It's about being cued in and getting it done.” Oher, who led the team in false starts with eight last season, avoided moving early in the season-opening 35-7 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sept. 11, but he was flagged twice for false starts in Sunday's 26-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Del. Ron George, in his naive anti-Sharia diatribe ("Sharia law is a real threat to American liberties," Aug. 24), seems to overlook the obvious remedy - the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Since Mr. George, surprisingly an actual member of the Maryland House of Delegates, claims to be one of those "who seek to safeguard liberty," he might want to check out the document that our founders wrote for this very purpose and be reassured that there is absolutely no way Sharia law or any other religious dogma could ever be recognized as having a legal basis in America.

In her column ("Big step forward for women's health" Aug 15) essentially advocating universal, free health care-on-demand for women, Susan Reimer sums up by stating, "It is about keeping the wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters of this country on their feet and caring for the rest of us ... " Pray tell, Ms. Reimer, how are women who need government to provide their every need going to take care of the rest of us? Dave Reich, Perry Hall

What was the highlight of Drake's weekend? Ask him, and he'd likely answer hosting the second OVOFest, the one night of the year Toronto becomes hip-hop's Mecca. Or maybe he'd get more specific and say having Nas come out to perform "Made You Look" was the best part. He wouldn't be off-base to say Stevie Wonder's mini-set in the middle of the concert was an achievement few rappers could pull off, let alone any rapper under 25. These are all worthy answers but the true highlight came quietly at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, when Drake dropped "Headlines," the first single from his forthcoming album, Take Care (due on his birthday, Oct. 24.)

It's summertime, and the living is dangerous. That's not how the song goes, and it's not as pleasant as the vision of catfish jumping on a warm, lazy evening that the melody's next line evokes. Unfortunately, summertime can be all too dangerous, even as this season of vernal prelude is brightened by high school graduation, the promise of summer vacation and the thrill of any number of outdoor activities. Just last week, a teenager partaking of the good things in life had his cut short when the ATV he was riding crashed in the Robin Hood Road area ofHavre de Grace.

At 5 o'clock on a fall morning in 2009, Coppin State University basketball coach Fang Mitchell drove then-sophomore Michael Harper to the hospital for surgery on his wrist. Harper, from Milwaukee, appreciated the show of support — then and now. When Harper finishes his college career next season for the Eagles, Mitchell will be there for him again, just like Harper would want it. "If they were bringing in a new coach in my fourth year, it would mean a whole new system, a new personality, a different look on the team," Harper said.

In the last years of her life, Audrey R. Dix spent much of her time tending to her garden and her animals, and she made arrangements for how the animals would manage after she was gone. She made plans for the dog and the three birds she had cared for in her small white rancher on Greenmeadow Drive in Lutherville- Timonium, but kept other animals in mind as well, animals she would never see or know. Dix left instructions in her will, and now, just over a year after her death of cancer at age 79, word of the details is out among the beneficiaries; $550,000 will be split five ways, including by four animal welfare organizations.

The attention paid to Navy's triple-option offense rarely reaches beyond one player, that being Ricky Dobbs. Forget about an equitable distribution of recognition, at least outside the locker room. That's just how it goes after the senior set an NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback and steered Navy to 10 wins and an authoritative victory in the Texas Bowl. Yet ask Dobbs about those accomplishments, and he immediately redirects credit to the group responsible for keeping him out of harm's way: the offensive line.

Anne Arundel County police are deploying a helicopter to assist in increased police presence on major streets during school arrival and dismissal times today. In Baltimore County, school officials are calling for students to wear bright clothing for greater visibility. And Howard County school officials are warning high-schoolers not to drive to school and instead opt for a ride from parents. "Our students are heading back in extraordinary circumstances," said Charles Herndon, a spokesman for Baltimore County schools.

Question: I bought a number of potted primroses to use as table centerpieces. On two, the flowers have already turned brown. How can I keep the others happy until party time? Answer: Keep them cool. Primroses in flower do best at 50-55 degrees F. Anything over 60 is going to hurt your flower display, so until the day of the party place them in a cool room. Provide bright light and water the soil to keep it moist though do not allow the plants to sit in water.