Year S Day

A headline in the Jan. 2 edition of the Anne Arundel County Sun gavean incomplete description of of the participants in the Holy TrinityCouncil of the Knight of Columbus New Year's Day lunch.In addition to serving meals to residents of Sarah's House, a homeless shelterat Fort Meade, the Knights of Columbus also served residents of GlenSquare, an apartment building for senior citizens.DeVonna Green's New Year's resolution is to live happily ever after. But there's one thing missing."We need a place to live, that's my resolution," said Green, 26, a resident of a Fort Meade homelessshelter and the mother of two.Thoughts of a brighter tomorrow were fueled by the kindness of a local civic group, whose members gave up a day of rest and football bowl games to prepare a New Year's Day feast.

New Year's Day came and went without much of a computer hitch. Those little nines on computer systems across the country turned to zeros and nothing exploded. Not a plane fell out of the sky. Not a light failed to glow. Not a bank account froze. Not a phone went dead. (At least not any that caused a 2000 meltdown.) It was the NOT heard round the world. At least for the first 24 hours. America, stand by. The Big Glitch may still be coming, though. That's what the experts cautioned yesterday.

One New Year's Day, a friend of mine resolved that she would henceforth obey all speed limits. No exceptions, no excuses.Four years later, she's still keeping her word, often to the chagrin of less patient motorists.That resolution seems to be a rare exception amid all the promises we make to ourselves this time of year and promptly break.I thought it must be innate in every human, this urge that comes as each year wanes to make the most of a fresh start - the urge to make New Year's resolutions.

The U.S. Naval Academy has announced its holiday schedule.Of theacademy's gates, only Gate 3, facing Maryland Avenue, will be open 24 hours a day through Jan. 4.Gate 1, at the intersection of King George and Randall streets near the City Dock, closes at 5 p.m. through Dec. 30, and Jan. 2 through 4. On New Year's Eve, it will stay open until 1 a.m.This gate will be closed New Year's Day.Gate 8, the entrance from Route 450,will close each night at 9 p.m....

Baltimore will usher in the millennium on New Year's Eve with fire and ice, masks, music and magic all along the Inner Harbor, the city Office of Promotion announced yesterday.Free festivities at the city's New Year's Eve Millennium Celebration will include a magic show by Ray Girdley, storytelling by Jamal Koram and other activities for the kids as well as the music of the Mahoney Brothers, DJ Dan the Man Gladding and Mama Jama, a resolution sculpture and "MasqueParade," with giant puppets, mask-wearing walkers, drummers and local marching bands.

THE FIRST day of school rather than the first day of the new year has always meant a fresh start to me.Nothing seems as "new" on Jan. 1 as it does on Sept. 1: new shoes; stiff, new jeans; a clean backpack; a fresh haircut; unsharpened pencils, fresh paper. What does New Year's Day have to compare with these things?My back-to-school days are far behind me, but my children approach the first day of school with a kind of anticipation matched only by Christmas Day, and their excitement vibrates in some long forgotten place inside of me.Like them, I begin each new school year with fresh resolutions.

There is a familiar hymn we hear during the holiday season. It tells of the shepherds and how they watched over their flocks during biblical times.In our own community, there are shepherds of another kind watching over their flock all year at Linthicum Heights United Methodist Church.The Shepherds Committee, a part of the church's Caring and Sharing Group, is a group of about 15 dedicated people who keep an eye out for those in the congregation who need special attention.Each Shepherd chooses members of the church to visit on a steady basis.

If you haven't made your holiday travel plans yet, you may be too late for many destinations. In a typical year, that wouldn't be news because Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's are among the most in-demand travel times. Warm-weather resorts book up months in advance, plane seats disappear and airfares soar. Savvy travelers plan accordingly. But, of course, this hasn't been a typical year. The aftermath of last year's terrorist attacks, the bombing in Bali and the uncertain economy have disrupted travel patterns.

Airline cuts London faresVirgin Atlantic Airways has cut the price on its London to New York and Boston routes to $285.30 round trip or $142.60 one way for bookings made by New Year's Day.Travelers must book between Dec. 26 and midnight on New Year's Day and must travel between Jan. 6 and March 24. The airline's comparable lowest-listed air fare for 21-day advance bookings for travel after Christmas was $381.90, a Virgin spokesman said.British Airways said earlier this week its lowest-priced return ticket to New York is $351.

Happy holidays. Take another day off work. If you're one of the lucky ones, your boss is providing at least one additional paid holiday besides Christmas and New Year's Day thanks to a calendar quirk: Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 fall on Mondays this year. Employers typically struggle with productivity issues during this time of year because so many workers take vacation between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day. But this year's calendar -- and the fact that few people want to work on a Monday before a holiday -- has prompted more companies to close on one, if not both, days.