Monday, December 6, 2010
County official says buses sometimes operate above capacity levels.
Greater Annapolis Patch reader Julie Kizer Ball asked why Anne Arundel County Public School (AACPS) buses are so full? She wondered if it's a safety issue since there aren't seat belts in buses, seeing how some AACPS students have to sit three to a seat. She adds that three kindergartners may fit in a seat, but it's a different story for three high school students. School bus overcrowding is a fluid and transitory problem, according to Chris Carter, director of transportation for AACPS. Overcrowding of school buses amounts to a safety concern for parents; however, for students and school transportation officials, it's simply an issue of comfort. "All of our school buses are built to handle federal and state-rated capacity standards," …
Monday, October 11, 2010
Patch answers a reader’s question about how to prepare recyclables.
Greater Annapolis Patch reader Jeff Evans noticed that one of his neighbors puts his recycling out in trash bags marked with an "X" while others just pile it loose in the county-provided yellow container. Evans wondered what the preferred method is, and whether yard waste such as leaves required special handling. Anne Arundel County makes it easy to recycle and doesn't require residents to use specific containers. Although the county provides the yellow recycling containers free, residents are not required to use them. Any bag or container may be used as long as it is marked with an "X" to indicate that it is recycling and not trash. Note that all full containers or bags should not weigh more than 40 pounds. Leaves are starting to fall in …
Monday, October 4, 2010
Patch answers a reader’s question about what to do with unwanted meds.
Information about the drug take-back day sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on Sept. 25 prompted a Greater Annapolis Patch reader to ask how they're disposing of the collected drugs. Heather Macintosh of Bay Ridge sent an e-mail expressing concern that the drugs could end up in the groundwater. She also wondered what people should do with their unwanted drugs since pharmacies don't provide disposal services. The back pain may have gone away or that nasty infection has finally cleared. But the pills remain, gathering dust in your medicine cabinet. And drug officials said flushing them down the toilet just isn't cutting it any more, with flushed prescription pills leading to problems with the water supply in some areas. …
Monday, September 27, 2010
Patch answers a reader’s question about plans to reopen a closed park.
- GOVERNMENT
- Diane Rey
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Monday, September 27, 2010
The city of Annapolis recently closed Waterworks Park, the 40-acre passive-use park on Defense Highway, as a cost-cutting measure. Janet Norman, a Greater Annapolis Patch reader, posted on our Facebook page that she wanted to know when the park, which was closed in March, would reopen. Norman isn't the only one who wonders if the park will reopen. Fred Matos just wants his old fishing hole back. Patrick Miller envisions miles of prime mountain bike trails. Matos and Miller have put their heads together to offer ways to help the city reopen Waterworks Park, which is located a mile west of Westfield Annapolis mall on Defense Highway. The outdoor enthusiasts have proposed using volunteer groups to help with park maintenance and monitoring. …
Monday, September 20, 2010
You ask and Patch will answer about community problems or issues.
Have you ever wondered why the "Pothole from Hell" in your neighborhood is still there? Why roadwork that was supposed to be done in weeks takes months? Or the promise of that new development in an empty field has not been fulfilled? Well, so do we and we're going to do something about it. But we can't do it without your help! You Ask … Patch Answers is a weekly column for locals looking for solutions to community problems or issues. Everything from deer control to missing street signs to eyesores to local mysteries: Why has nobody removed the graffiti from the water tower? Why does the middle school have a boys locker room, but the girls have to change in the restroom? Why have street lights in one neighborhood been out for months? Why? …
doug
9:14 am on Tuesday, December 7, 2010
There is a company called TransPar Group that assists School District Transportation Departments with these issues throughout the country - www.transpar.com more ›