Five students from Pikesville and one from a nearby area of Baltimore have combined higher education with achievement.

They've each been named to the Dean's Lists at their school, according to news releases from readMedia Newswire:

Loyola

• Erin Girbach of Baltimore, a student at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. She is a member of the Class of 2014.
• Emmanuel Somorin of Pikesville. He is a member of the Class of 2015.

To make it to the Dean's List at Loyola, students must have a grade point averages of 3.5 with a minimum of 15 credits.

Washington College

• Benjamin Sataloff of Pikesville, is a junior at Washington College in Chestertown, MD. He's an English major, and the son of Mr. & Mrs. Martin B. Sataloff.

To make it on the Dean's list at Washington, Sataloff achieved a 3.4 GPA for the semester.

Frostburg

• Samuel Blum of Pikesville. He is a student at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, MD.
• Marcus Wilson of Pikesville.
• Kymbaly Wright of Pikesville.

To be named to the Dean's List at Frostburg, students must take at least 12 credit hours and get a GPA of 3.4 or greater.

Editor's Note: Details about students vary based on the information received from their schools.

Do you know of someone who has accomplished something in their academic or professional careers? Let us know in the comments box below, or post it in our announcements.

The Baltimore Gas and Electric Company is warning customers that it's preparing for possible weather-related power outages Wednesday afternoon.

That's in light of weather forecasts, that a thunderstorm and high winds might hit central Maryland, including the Pikesville area.

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Although earlier Wednesday, the thunderstorms were expected in the afternoon, the National Weather Service forecast for Pikesville now says they'll likely occur before 9 p.m.

The storm could bring strong winds and hail, the forecast states.

BGE’s warnings come after nearly 748,000 customers were without power earlier this month—some for a more than week—after the destructive derecho storm hit the region.

Pikesville was among those hit hard, with felled trees, and lengthy, uncomfortable power outtages.

The warnings also come amid a heat wave this week, which has triggered the opening of cooling centers across the region.

There also may be “strong to severe” thunderstorms Thursday afternoon and evening as well.

A high of 99 degrees is expected Wednesday, with a 20 to 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. There is a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms Thursday, with an expected high of 91 degrees.

“As the region continues to experience high temperatures, exceeding 100 degrees, BGE is also preparing for potential weather-related outages from the severe thunderstorms and high wind forecasted for this afternoon,” said Jeannette M. Mills, vice president and chief customer officer for BGE in a press release.

BGE officials said in a statement they might activate the company’s voluntary energy demand response program, called PeakRewards, “which helps lower the cost of electricity.”

The company activated PeakRewards for about two hours Tuesday, officials said.

“This program is critical to helping the company and the electric grid operator for the region reduce peak demand and keep the electric system balanced, particularly during periods of high demand,” officials said in a statement.

Visit the Pikesville forecast by the National Weather Service.

See related links

• Pikesville Still Waits for Power
• PHOTO OF THE DAY: Storm Damage Still Visible
  

• County Executives: Utilities Must Give Us Data

• Commissioners Outraged at Possibility of BGE, Pepco Billing for Lost Income During Storm

The president of the union that represents the county's professional firefighters is calling local volunteer fire company leaders "childish" and "jealous" after they made accusations about misleading fundraising practices.

Michael Day, president of the Baltimore County Professional Fire Fighters, called volunteer fire company leaders “childish” and insisted that the union has supervisors in place to ensure telemarketers don’t deviate from the provided script.

Volunteer firefighters alleged earlier this week in a press release that a county career firefighter union has on multiple occasions misrepresented itself to fund-raise for its charity by insinuating donations would instead go to local volunteer companies.

“It’s a jealousy factor with the volunteers trying to point and throw stones in the direction of the careers [firefighters],” said Day, a Perry Hall resident.

The issue centers on a year-round fundraising drive conducted by the union for which telemarketers call homes seeking donations for various charitable causes.

Day said the most prevalent outreach comes in the form of new smoke detectors for residents.

Chuck Bollinger, president of the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen’s Association, said this has been an ongoing issue for more than a year.

“What I’ve tried to get through to him is we only find out about the ones that call us and say ‘Hey should we give to this organization? Is it going to go to you?’ What we don’t know about is all the [donors] there are that give to this organization thinking [their money] goes to us when it doesn’t,” Bollinger said.

Bollinger said he has spoken with Day’s second in command, Michael Crosby, “three or four times” about this issue in the last year. Crosby is reportedly in charge of staffing or overseeing the telemarketers.

“We’re all out there to protect lives and property,” Bollinger said. “I would hope that we can move beyond this. I believe we took the step of doing this press release because we weren’t getting a suitable or complete response from them.

They would tell us that they would warn somebody the first time and fire that person the second time.”

In its news release, the volunteer firefighter association claims residents are receiving calls from telemarketers  who claim “if there is a fire at your home, your volunteer fire company will not come to help.”

“That’s simply not true,” Marci Catlett, Vice President of the Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company, said in the release.

Bollinger said the phone call was reported about three months ago.

“That phone call didn’t happen,"  Day said. "Our folks don’t deviate from script and say that they’re volunteer firefighters. They never said if your house catches fire because you don’t contribute that we’re not coming. We’ve never done anything like that. These guys are jealous that the career guys have more and are getting more than they are. It’s childish, sandlot, baloney.”

The system the union uses “randomly,” according to Day, records phone conversations, although it will soon track all conversations. Additionally, telemarketers are given one warning if they ever deviate from the script before getting fired, Day said.

“Two complaints on you and you’re gone. We have a high regard from the public and we want to keep it that way,” Day said.
The dust has begun to settle since Monday’s conflict and Bollinger has now shifted the focus to informing potential donors that their local volunteer fire companies do not make phone calls solicitations.

“If we keep that as the perspective, I don’t think [Day] has anything to complain about what we’re saying,” Bollinger said.

Volunteers use mailers and go door-to-door to collect donations.
Bollinger admitted the “jealously” label was likely attached to him by Day as a result of a disagreement the two had outside of the county Public Safety building Monday.

“He said some things about the volunteers do this, the volunteers do that, and I came back with a somewhat knee-jerk reaction,” Bollinger said, not wanting to get into the details about the conversation.

“I don’t consider myself the best debater in the world and I’m not always politically correct,” Bollinger said. “I’m sometimes brutally honest. He took it as jealously, where I see it as absolute truth.”

Dozens of new trees have been planted on public property in Pikesville, Randallstown and Woodlawn, as part of the county's "Cool Trees" program.

Through a federal government program, Baltimore County planted a total of 957 trees in hopes that they will make the county buildings more energy efficient.

Among those plantings are the following 100:

• 19 at Pikesville High School
• 22 at Woodlawn High School
• 8 at Featherbed Lane Elementary School
• 15 at Woodlawn Middle School
• 3 at Sudbrook Magnet Middle School
• 11 at Randallstown High School
• 15 at Winand Elementary School
• 7 at the Baltimore County Police PAL Center in Randallstown

The program, which plants native shade trees within 60 feet of the south and southwest sides of public buildings, cost $500,000.

According to a county news release, over the next 30 years, the trees' shade will prove $2 million in environmental benefits.

The program was paid for with an Energy Efficiency Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, according to a county news release.

The county used its computer mapping technology system to determine the best locations to plant the trees.

Read more about Cool Trees.

Do you think this is a wise use of federal funds? Tell us in the comments box.

UPDATED (6:21 p.m.)—Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said a Supreme Court order Wednesday will not result in the immediate resumption of collecting DNA samples from people arrested for certain crimes.

"I'm not prepared to tell county police to start collecting DNA from arrestees," Shellenberger said. "I think we need something a little more solid before we start changing procedures."

Chief Justice John Roberts' order stayed an April Maryland Court of Appeals ruling that barred law enforcement from collecting DNA samples from people arrested and charged with felonies.

The Court of Appeals made the 5-2 ruling in the case of Alonzo King who was arrested in 2009. Wicomico County collected King's DNA at the time of his arrest and later charged him in a 2003 rape, for which he was ultimately convicted.

Lawyers for King argued that the DNA swab violated their client's Fourth Amendment rights.

Baltimore County police stopped collecting the samples almost immediately after the Court of Appeals ruling.

Roberts has given King's attorneys until July 25 to respond.

Shellenberger said he might revisit the issue of DNA collection by county police after that date.

"There's no sense in changing the policy and run the risk of having to reverse it if Chief Justice Roberts lifts the stay," Shellenberger said. "Right now we need continuity."

Baltimore County police are also watching the Supreme Court's actions closely.

Elise Armacost, a police spokeswoman, said Chief Jim Johnson was happy with the stay issued by Roberts but the department is not prepared to start collecting DNA samples.

"It's too soon," Armacost said. "We're evaluating the ruling to confirm that it means what it appears to mean."

Karina is a "Dreamer." She says she's not the only one.

The 22-year-old illegal immigrant and Montgomery College student spoke Wednesday at a news conference at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County to kick off Educating Maryland Kids, an effort to pass the Maryland DREAM Act.

"My mother has always told me that education is the path to my success and I very much believe that," said the woman who was only identified by her first name.

Karina, who plans on graduating next year with dual associate degrees in general studies and mental health, called for support for a bill that would grant in-state tuition rates to students like herself who are in this country illegally or are considered undocumented immigrants.

The law that would grant that opportunity will go before the voters in November after narrowly passing the General Assembly in 2011. Opponents collected nearly 109,000 signatures of registered Maryland voters, nearly twice the required number, to force the issue to the ballot.

Educating Maryland Kids, a coalition of groups including the Catholic church and other faith-based, education, civil rights, and labor unions, kicked off its efforts to educate voters and uphold the recently passed tuition bill.

"The Catholic church supports the DREAM Act because we believe that every person, regardless of their legal status is a child of God," said Bishop Denis Madden, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. "As a church and as a community, we flourish when we strive to provide the opportunity for every person to reach their full potential and to develop the unique God-given gifts that they have been given.

"We are convinced that when Marylanders know the facts about the DREAM Act, that they will happily embrace the chance to do the right thing for our young people," Madden said.

Del. Pat McDonough, a Middle River Republican and a leading opponent of the law, said the coordinated effort to support the law is not a surprise. He said opponents will not be able to match the money he expects groups like Educating Maryland Kids to spend before the election.

"We don't have O'Malley money, and we don't have SEIU union money, and we don't have any angels saying, 'Here's some money, go out and tell the truth.'" McDonough said. "What we have are people across the state who believe this is wrong."

McDonough plans to hold his own news conference Thursday in Middle River—an unofficial kick-off to defeat the measure, he said.

The Republican delegate Tuesday criticized Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, for attending and speaking at the event.

"He's a public official and his salary is paid for by the taxpayers of Maryland," McDonough said. "What right does he have to advocate for breaking the law?"

The University System of Maryland has twice voted to support the law.

Hrabowski said the event, even though it was held at his university, was not a university-sponsored event—though he said he personally supports the effort.

"As an american educator, I have a special belief that the more we can do to educate the children in this country, the better off our country will be," Hrabowski said. "In fact, I would argue that it is our way as Americans, to believe in our children.

"Children need to know that adults believe in them and that they appreciate the power of of education to transform lives. Where would we be without an education?"

Cecilia Sugarman is used to taking things as they come in her musical career. Once, after setting up for a gig at her pool club, a freak rainstorm sent her scrambling to save her equipment.

Now, the young musician is rushing to prepare for what could be her big break.

Sugarman won this year's Baltimore Idol contest on FOX 45 and on Thursday, she flies to Oklahoma City for a Friday audition for American Idol. But she isn't letting this big chance at success go to her head.

“Singing is just one of the gifts God gave me … I’m humbled to have won,” said Sugarman, a Towson resident for the past three years.

Sugarman’s modest disposition is part of what makes her a unique artist, as is her tremendous talent. Starting on the piano at age 7 and picking up the guitar at 12, music and singing have always been a part of her life.

Earlier this year, she won Z104.3 FM's annual SingFest at the Towsontown Spring Festival.

“I first got into music from my mom. She used to sing to me every night, and since then I’ve always been singing,” Sugarman said.

It’s not surprising, then, that music seems to run in her family.

Sugarman began to learn guitar about four years ago, taught by her older brother, Benzi, 20. Her younger sister, Tessa, 14, started taking guitar lessons from Benzi last year, and is already proving to be a talented musician in her own right.

About seven months ago, the three siblings, along with Cecilia’s boyfriend, took their act on the road, playing gigs around Towson. Sugarman wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Really, where I get to the core of my music is when I am playing with family,” she said. “And I never want to get away from that.”

As for the method she uses to write her music, Sugarman said inspiration can come from almost anything—and can strike anytime.

“Something will just come to me,” she said. “Some chords, or a few lyrics, and then I’ll just build around that until I have a song.”

Even though her writing process may be spontaneous and open-ended, there are consistent principles that guide her when she creates music. Sugarman sees herself as a role model for other girls around her age, and tries to set a positive example through the content of her songs.

“I don’t want to lose myself just to sing something popular,” she said, explaining that she tries to incorporate wholesome messages and themes in her music. She does not perform covers of songs she considers offensive or crude.

This resolute moral compass comes from her strong Catholic faith, a central topic in many of her songs. It is also this faith that lies at the heart of her humble demeanor.

“It is always important to remember how you got your gifts,” said Sugarman.

Aside from her considerable gifts, however, Sugarman is a normal teenager. She works part-time at Chick-fil-A at Towson Town Center, where she enjoys dressing up as a cow—specifically a “princess cow”—to promote the restaurant.

Her experiences at the restaurant have taught her a great deal about life, she said.

“It helped me learn how to treat people well,” Sugarman said, adding that her manager at the restaurant has been one of her greatest supporters.

“He is almost like a second father to me,” she said.

Of course, life has been different for her since winning the Baltimore-area competition last Friday. She’s been busy preparing for her journey to Oklahoma on Thursday, where she will audition for American Idol.

She’s also been receiving a bit of star treatment, making appearances on FOX 45 and morning radio shows and meeting celebrities like Joe Jonas and Nelly since her win.

Nevertheless, Sugarman has tried to keep everything in perspective.

“Whatever happens, happens,” said the singer. “I want to go into everything with my heart and mind open.”

When the end of the world comes, Seth Franz will be more than ready.

This month, the Pikesville man launched Doomsday Jesters, a website aimed at helping people "prepare" for the apocalypse.

The idea began in 2011, when California preacher Harold Camping began touring the country, touting his prediction that Jesus Christ would return to Earth on May 21 and the Rapture would begin. Five months of fire and brimstone would follow, until the Earth's destruction that October.

"There's no science to back it up," Franz said. "Some 80-year-old guy puts pen to pad and decides, all right, May 21, we're all done."

Franz watched with incredulity as the media covered Camping's cross-country travails and protests and then as the media continued to make a story of it come May 22, when the sky had not opened up, Jesus had not returned and the world did, in fact, still exist.

"I was shocked at the attention it was getting," Franz said. "It was on every news outlet. I couldn't believe it."

He even heard stories of Camping's followers selling their material possessions in preparation for the end.

"If all they have is a beat-up Oldsmobile, they liquidate it, they sell it, and give this guy all their money. They're broke," Franz said. "These people really thought the world was coming to an end."

The next big date is Dec. 21, a date conspiracy theorists and new age theologians have picked from the Mayan calendar.

And to help folks like him get ready, last month Franz launched an online store—operated from a "bunker" in a basement below his father's Towson law office—selling the requisite supplies for the end of days.

Those include things like ascension robes, which come with a VIP sticker and concert-style wrist band ("We've reserved the best cloud in the sky," Franz quips), a Lance Armstrong-style "DieStrong" bracelet and items for couples spending the big day together. He's even got Armageddon insurance.

His father, Keith, a partner at Azrael, Franz, Schwab and Lipowitz in Towson, helped craft the fake doomsday "policy," just to be safe. No, it doesn't cover acts of God. It doesn't cover anything, really.

Though he helped his son brainstorm, Keith Franz said the ideas were all Seth's.

"He's been funny since forever, so it's fitting that he would find a business that he'd be able to capitalize on his good humor and his sense of the marketplace," he said.

Franz did his research. At his father's urging, he watched hours of the National Geographic Channel series "Doomsday Preppers," and even made a drinking game out of it.

He looked up William Miller, the 19th century Baptist preacher who claimed Jesus would return on Oct. 22, 1844, in what was later called the Great Disappointment.

"It said (on "Doomsday Preppers") and I jotted it down ... that he made a lot of money on the ascension robes," Franz said.

Every order comes with lists of tips and facts about the apocalypse. Among the tips: "Your entire family should learn and practice Morse code. In case of your capture by other Doomsday survivors, you will be able to silently communicate and plot your retaliation entirely through blinking."

Franz isn't the only one cashing in on the end of the world.

Since 2009, a California-based company called Vivos has been selling spots in what the company claims is a network of underground shelters, priced at $35,000 per person for at least a year in a modern-day fallout shelter. 

"There's value in being prepared and whatever gets you through your day and makes you feel prepared, you go ahead and do it," Franz said. "I think it's a problem when you, instead of saving for your child's college fund, you're canning peaches for 25 years."

And instead of selling seats in a fallout shelter, Franz is marketing gear to like-minded young adults and 20-somethings.

He said he's trying to make inroads with novelty T-shirt shops in Ocean City, Rehoboth Beach and other boardwalk towns. The ascension robes, he said, would make timely Halloween costumes.

"For under 20 bucks, you get something that's funny, something that's pretty original," he said. "You can get a few of your friends together to do it."

And on the big day in December, you won't find Franz in a bunker. He plans to take the day off and throw a party. He hopes to round up doomsday parties from around the country to post on his website.

"It's going to be a reason to celebrate, I think, for a lot of people," he said.

What's supposed to happen on December 21?

According to the Mayans, it's the end of a cycle, the current Long Count, as it's called, with a new one set to end in October of 4772.

But some theorists claim the date could bring a spiritual transformation or rare galactic alignment or the end of the world, as a rogue planet smashes into Earth. In a 2009 talk in Los Angeles, astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse-Tyson explained why those theories are fiction.

NASA's "Ask an Astrobiologist" page has recieved 5,000 questions about the "doomsday" theories, so many that the agency has set up a separate page with for frequently-asked questions.

"The main point ... is that calendars, whether contemporary or ancient, cannot predict the future of our planet or warn of things to happen on a specific date such as 2012," writes David Morrison, the senior scientist at the NASA Astrobiology Institute. "There is no agreed-upon synchronization between the Mayan calendar and ours, which was imported much later from Europe. This supposedly key date in the Mayan calendar may have already happened, or it may lie decades in the future."

And having done his research, Franz said people are blowing the date in the centuries-old calendar out of proportion.

"People who have taken it over and turned it into a religious thing, I'm not going to say they're wrong for doing it, but it has turned it into something it was not intended to be," he said.

Some Mt. Washington residents are not happy about a proposed bike route that would link the neighborhood with Belvedere Square.

Some of the plans, such as implementing a "road diet" on the Kelly Avenue Bridge and reducing the number of lanes from four down to two vehicular travel lanes and two bike lanes, are aggravating residents.

Devon Bowers, a Mt. Washington resident, shared an email he sent to the Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector, explaining why the plan is a "bad idea."

"I am a biker and I would love to have more lanes and space but I also do occasionally have to go through that intersection during rush out to grab groceries at Whole Foods and it’s already a nightmare this would make it so much worse (I’ve experienced one lane at that intersection already during construction and its awful). I really feel bad for the people who need to use that intersection on a regular basis," Bowers wrote.   

The city could begin constructing the bike lane as soon as late this year or early last year.

Project Features:

• The project will include “Sharrows,” shared bike and vehicle lanes, on Bellemore Road and Lake Avenue.
• Improvements and additional treatments will be made along West Lake Avenue.
• "Wayfinding" signs will also be installed along the route.
• Solid white line will be painted to show the difference between the bike lanes and parking lane along East Lake Avenue.

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UPDATED (6:45 p.m.)—Baltimore County police have resumed collection of DNA samples from people arrested on felony charges.

County Police Chief Jim Johnson announced the decision late Thursday afternoon.

Johnson, in a statement, ordered the resumption of DNA collections beginning at 6 p.m.

The decision to once again collect the samples comes one day after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issues a stay on a Maryland Court of Appeals ruling banning the practice.

County officials initially said Wednesday, following Roberts' order, that police would likely wait to resume collecting the samples until after opponents had an opportunity to file a response with Roberts.

State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger said he changed his mind after he and Johnson spoke with Maryland State Police officials and were given assurances that they were able to resume accepting the samples and "their meticulous record keeping would allow us to identify the samples should the stay later be lifted."

Shellenberger said he is no longer concerned that county police will experience difficulties resulting from ceasing DNA collection after restarting today.

"Chief Johnson assured me his department can easily flip the switch and turn this off if needed," Shellenberger said.

County police stopped collecting DNA samples from persons arrested on felony charges in April after the state's highest court ruled 5-2 that the practice was unconstitutional.

The ruling was in response to an appeal filed by Alonzo King who was arrested in 2009. Wicomico County collected King's DNA at the time of his arrest and later charged him in a 2003 rape, for which he was ultimately convicted.

Lawyers for King argued that the DNA swab violated their client's Fourth Amendment rights.

Roberts has given King's attorneys until July 25 to respond.

I took a drive through Druid Ridge Cemetery this week, and found some signs of the June 30 derecho storm still remain:

• Wood chips and twigs crunch as you drive over remains of fallen trees already cleared away
• Part of the monumental pine cluster in the middle of the cemetery is now gone, having fallen to the storm
• Felled trees along Old Court Road bordering the cemetery have already been cut, but await pick up and disposal

The storm struck in the Pikesville area, causing widespread power outages, some lasting as long as seven days.

Do you know of any other storm damage that remains? If so, upload those photos to this article. How long was your power out, and in what neighborhood? Let's see whose was out the longest? Tell us in the comments box.

Baltimore City police will be adding extra patrols at movie theaters in the aftermath of a shooting spree in Colorado.

Anthony Guglielmi, a police spokesman, said the department had not received any threats but said because of the high profile incident, they were taking precautions against any possible copycats.   

"There’s nothing to be alarmed about," Guglielmi said.

He declined to say how many patrols would be diverted to the city’s theaters citing a policy of not disclosing partrol strength. Gugliemi did confirm that some cars would be posted outside the first run cinemas in the city.

During the Batman movie “The Dark Knight Rises,” a man stood up in the front of the theater and set off a smoke device and opened fire in the theater killing at least 12 and wounding 38 others, according to the New York Times.

According to the newspaper, James Holmes, 24, was arrested in the parking lot behind the theater after the shooting with a gas mask, a handgun and a rifle.

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The sky over Pikesville and the surrounding area is densely overcast, serving to illustrate the 90 percent chance of rain that's possible Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

According to the National Weather Service, up to three-fourths of an inch of rain could fall Friday afternoon, with up to one inch more possible through 3 a.m. Saturday.

Thunderstorms are possible, as well.

There's a flash flood watch in effect until 11 p.m. Friday for the Washington D.C./Baltimore Metropolitan area, that includes Pikesville.

And there's a hazardous weather outlook in effect, because thunderstorms are possible through Thursday, July 26, as the temperature cools, according to the NWS.

The high Friday is expected to be 80 degrees, with a low of 68 degrees.

On Saturday, expect a high of 76 degrees, and a low of 70 degrees.

Stay Safe

Because more rain and storms are forecast, Baltimore Public Works offers the following tips to prepare, be safe and avoid flooding, according to a news release:

• Contain trash and clean up litter. Blocked storm drains from trash is the leading cause of flooding. Secure it to keep it from blowing around in high winds, and keep grates cleared of debris. If you see a storm drain full of trash, call 311 immediately. 
• Don't park on top of storm drains. Keep these clear so that water can flow away freely.
• Keep a supply of bottled water for drinking and containers of water for sanitation. Power outages and other storm effects can impact the water system and therefore water service to your home. 
• Protect your home.  Monitor the sump pump in your basement. If you use a generator for back-up power don't operate it indoors or outside near open windows or doors, because carbon monoxide from generators can kill.
• Stay away from streams and areas that flood. Heavy rains and high tides can cause flash flooding and unexpectedly deep standing water and therefore the potential for drowning.
• Listen for emergency updates on local TV, radio and web services. The Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management provides vital information on preparing for emergencies. Visit their website. http://emergency.baltimorecity.gov/

Do you have any other tips to add to this list? And, if you know of any areas that are prone to flooding, please share them in the comments box.

UPDATE (3:16 p.m.)—The Baltimore County Police Department will not assign police to movie theaters this weekend in the wake of the shooting at the opening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Aurora, CO.

Elise Armacost, in an email statement, said the department "is monitoring the developing case in Colorado and will continue to assess the likelihood of problems here in Baltimore County.

"We are not assigning officers to movie theaters, but we will increase patrols around malls and movie theaters to alleviate community fears and address any potential threats that may occur," Armacost wrote in the statement. "In addition, theaters often employ off duty police officers, so law enforcement may already be present."

In other jurisdictions such as Baltimore and New York City, police are being assigned to theaters in the aftermath of the shooting.

Armacost called the Colorado shooting a "random horrible crime." Local police in Aurora have been clear that "this is not a terrorist attack or that anyone else is involved," she said.

Armacost said county police "have no information to indicate that theater-goers in Baltimore County are at any risk."

Law enforcement is regularly present around AMC Loews White Marsh 16, according to Capt. Michael Balog of the White Marsh precinct.

In addition to on-duty patrol officers who cover area streets The Avenue at White Marsh shopping center and movie theater employ uniformed police officers who provide additional part-time security, Balog said.

Emily Kimball, local editor for Perry Hall Patch, contributed to this story.

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.'s debut has been highly anticipated in Pikesville—a town whose residents know bagels.

And customers have been turning out in large numbers, even though the dining area is too small to accommodate the new-restaurant hordes.

As we gazed over the crowded dining room, it was apparent that it held more people waiting than sitting.

That was during the lunch hour this week when I went to get my first taste of the water, the bagels, and the whitefish salad.

This restaurant sells its own water, reportedly made to taste like the water found in Brooklyn, NY.

Restaurant literature says this particular water is used to make the bagels. "It's All About the Water," according to the restaurant chain motto.

Does it taste like Brooklyn water? Well, the closest I've gotten to Brooklyn tap water is Manhattan. And the water at the restaurant tasted nothing like it. Rather, it tasted clean and smooth, not metallic like the tap water I had in a city apartment building.

I can't say I taste a difference in the bagel. What I can say is that question of whether the kind of water makes a difference in the bagels' taste was on my mind the entire time I was there. While I wanted to taste a difference, and be able to say 'Eureka! I understand!' I just couldn't.

Nonetheless, the everything bagel I had passed my bagel test.

The bagel was large enough, well-seasoned, not cakey and slightly chewy—a good trait, I believe, in a bagel.

The whitefish platter came with a generous portion of the delicacy, which is a lot like tuna salad, but is made with a much milder-tasting fish, and without extras.

The whitefish itself—the restaurant calls it 'spread' instead of 'salad'—was slightly smokier than others I've had, and had a little too much mayo for my liking.

Toppings were thick slices of cucumber and tomato, very thin slices of red onion, numerous, whole leaves of green leaf lettuce, and two small sides: macaroni salad and potato salad.

Because I had to wait a while to get my order during a hot, July day, I can't say that I was pleased to have to take it to my car rather than sit in the dining room.

But the restaurant was just too crowded, and I wasn't in the mood to vie for a seat. With so many people, how would I know who was there first? I certainly didn't want to find out. This is one of those places where you'll send an office representative to order for everyone.

They'll bring the orders back and everyone can enjoy them in the conference room, where they can have an open, honest discussion about the water.

Otherwise, it's worth a trip during non-peak hours, just to indulge in one of the beverage choices, including a bottle of Brooklynized water, a chocolate egg cream, cherry coke or Cubsta Iced Coffee. That's frozen coffee made with frozen coffee ice cubes.

The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is located at 25 Hooks Lane.

It's open 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week.

For more info, call the restaurant at 410-602-7776.

Visit the website for a full menu.

Read another review of this restaurant on Yelp.

What's your take on The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.? What did you have, and what did you think? Are you familiar with Brooklyn water? If so, please say whether you know the difference or not!

Two men threatened employees of the Dash In with a semi-automatic handgun in order to steal cigarettes and cash.

At 4:43 a.m. Wednesday at 8200 Liberty Road, one suspect reached over the counter and grabbed cash out of the register, while the other suspect snatched packs of Newport cigarettes.

The robbers reportedly made of with $500 in cash and $30.95 in cigarettes.

The men left eastbound toward Langrehr Road.

Anyone who can provide the police with any information is asked to call the Baltimore County Police Department at 410-307-2020.

Burglars came into a Pikesville yard and threw pool chairs into the woods.

Between 7:30 p.m. July 15 and 10 a.m. July 16, they they climbed a fence in the unit block of Suntop Court and threw six chairs, breaking two of them.

The damage was $200.

Gwynn Oak

Laurel Drive. 6700 block. Between 11 p.m. July 16 and 6:30 a.m. July 17. A burglar stole a Powermate 5500-watt generator that had been chained to the back deck of a home. The chain was cut.

Pikesville

Scotts Level Road. 8200 block. Between 10 p.m. June 29 and 8 a.m. July 16. A burglar came into a yard and cut off the power cord to the airconditioning unit.

Of the $68 million rate increase requested by Pepco, the Maryland Public Service Commission has rejected $50 million.

Still, the $18 million rate increase "translates into a $2.02 typical residential monthly bill impact" (a 1.69 percent increase), according to a statement issued by the Maryland Public Service Commission on Friday afternoon.

In the rejection order, the commission "noted its overall dissatisfaction with Pepco’s performance, and characterized its request to increase returns to shareholders 'before Pepco corrects its sub-par performance' as 'backwards,' " according to the statement.

Pepco filed the request on Dec. 16, 2011. "The full record in the case included testimony from 31 witnesses and 11 days of evidentiary hearings, along with two public evening hearings and extensive post-hearing briefs. The record officially closed on June 25," the statement continued.

“Although the outages resulting from the June 29 ... storm and Pepco’s response to them are not, and cannot be, part of the record or our decision-making process in this case, we recognize that the statutory deadline for this decision comes at an unfortunate time," the commission's rejection order stated.

The commission "disallowed $7.9 million in expenses caused by Pepco’s past failures to maintain a reliable electric system ($6.4 million in tree trimming expenses and $1.5 million in expenses Pepco incurred to defend itself against the Commission’s reliability investigation)," according to the news statement.  

The commission also "denied aspects of Pepco’s request that would have created new pre-payment surcharges, increased returns to shareholders and allowed the recovery of other projected expenses," the statement continued.

The $18 million rate increase that the commission did approve "is required to meet the legal and statutory mandates set by law to provide safe and reliable service," according to the statement.

And, the commission reduced the return allowed to Pepco's shareholders from 9.83 percent to 9.31 percent. Pepco had requested that the return be set at 10.75 percent, according to the commission's statement.

"Overall, the Commission found that Pepco’s [rate increase] application lacked the evidence required to substantiate its request. In denying three-fourths of Pepco’s rate request, the Commission considered instead its longer history of substandard performance," and balanced that with Pepco's "responsibility to invest in improving its infrastructure."

The complete 162-page Order No. 85028 may be viewed on the Maryland Public Service Commission’s website at www.psc.state.md.us.

Do you think the $18 million rate increase is justified? Tell us in the comments.

Police arrested a man Tuesday evening, after he was found on the cellar floor of a Towson bar. 

Officers responded to the Kent House in the 500 block of York Road shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday. When the officers arrived, they found a man lying on the floor, according to a police incident summary. According to police, he had entered through an unlocked cellar door and took two bottles of Guinness beer from a storage closet.

Police identified the man as Lewis Franklin Harvey, 53, of the 4700 block of Belle Forte Road in Pikesville. He was charged with theft, second-degree burglary, fourth-degree burglary and resisting arrest. He is currently being held in the Baltimore County Detention Center on $50,000 bond, and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 17, according to online court records.

Harvey has a long list of prior arrests, including disorderly conduct and drug posession convictions in Ocean City dating back to the 1990s, according to court records.

The arrest was first reported by the Towson Times.

Get up to 60 units of Botox, or up to 90 units of Dysport for up to 61 percent off the regular price.

Check out the Groupon for treatments by Dr. Dean Kane in Pikesville's Center for Cosmetic Surgery & mediSpa.

The center is located at 1 Reservoir Circle.