Tuesday, December 27, 2011
More than 50 people attended the annual holiday meal for the homeless at the popular Annapolis restaurant.
The Main Ingredient recently treated more than 50 residents of the Light House shelter to a full, three-course holiday meal. This was the third year the Annapolis restaurant has hosted residents of the local shelter. “We genuinely enjoy the interaction with the residents at the Light House and get such a sense of fulfillment out of helping bring a little festive cheer to their lives for an evening,” said Christina Rossetti, the restaurant’s manager, in a press release. The residents are served by volunteer staff members and given the choice of entrees for a three-course meal. “I love hearing all the success stories from the Light House programs in which these residents are able to reshape their lives, and if Main Ingredient can help for …
Sunday, December 25, 2011
From heartwarming to humorous, vacations to wine—and everything in between—find out what your neighbors consider their most memorable holiday gift.
I strolled along Main Street, stopped in a few businesses and asked people what holiday present they thought was most memorable. Surprisingly, not one person answered fruitcake. Scroll through the photos and read the captions to see the answers we received.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Patch did the work for your Christmas wish list includes not doing dishes.
- HOLIDAY GUIDE
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Friday, December 23, 2011
In one the iconic scenes from “A Christmas Story,” the Parker family is forced to have an alternative Christmas dinner after the neighbor’s dogs storm into their kitchen and eat the turkey. I laugh every time I see the family dining at Chop Suey Palace, but the possibility of ruining Christmas dinner is something everyone must face. Just in case something tragic happens in your effort to prepare the ultimate feast, here’s a helpful registry of local eateries that will be open on Christmas Day. Annapolis Rams Head Roadhouse and Rams Head Tavern downtown will be open Christmas Day at 6 p.m. and remain open until 2 a.m. Dec. 26. The kitchen will be open to help you out whether you want to step away from the festivities at home for a drink …
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Parents waited up to an hour with eager children to see Santa with just days to go until the big day.
The line snaking around the concourse outside of Crate and Barrel to see Santa Claus never seemed to shrink Tuesday night. Parents chased after children and struggled to keep them entertained as they waited for their chance to sit on Santa's lap and bend his ear for a few moments. Santa will be taking wish list requests every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Christmas Eve at Westfield Annapolis mall. Then he's a got a lot work to take care of. When it was my boys' turn with the big man, the requests started flowing. There was no Red Ryder bb gun this year. It was big-ticket items all the way—an iPad, a pool table, a foosball table...oh, and don't forget the hot tub. I still can't figure out why a 5 and 7 year old need hot tub, but I hope…
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Students were able to buy some Christmas gifts for the family with credit earned from good behavior.
Rolling Knolls Elementary students had a chance to cash in on their good behavior from earlier in the year during the school’s annual flea market Friday. Throughout the year, students earn "rocket dollars" as part of the school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) program, Rolling Knolls Parent Teacher Organization President Jennifer Klepper wrote in an email. And one of the places they can spend the “dollars” is at the flea market, just in time for Christmas. As Klepper wrote in her email, the event was a success and enjoyed by the students: "Parents send in all sorts of items—books, toys, games, holiday decorations, home goods, jewelry and accessories—some brand new, but most gently used, and the students then get to go…
Monday, December 19, 2011
A small group of volunteers sort through a mound of donated gifts, preparing them for distribution.
More than 700 children from needy families will receive presents thanks to the ninth annual Annapolis Santa Run. Last week, residents throughout Greater Annapolis greeted Santa Claus with gifts in hand as he pulled into their communities aboard a fire truck. Santa and his helpers—volunteers from the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County fire departments—gathered all sorts of gifts from those who came out to enjoy hot chocolate, cookies and sing some Christmas carols. Organizers declared the ninth annual Annapolis Santa Run a success. That was Dec. 11. A week later, on Sunday, it was time to sort through the hundreds of donated items. Santa Run organizer John Muhitch said last year the group gave gifts to 520 children—lower than usual due to …
WBAL and Westfield Annapolis mall highlight some great gift ideas if you're still checking names off your list.
I think I'm in good shape with Christmas gifts, at least that's what my wife tells me. If it were left up to me, I would most likely just be thinking about what to get people, let alone being out there fighting the masses. And if the traffic throughout Parole, especially around Westfield Annapolis mall, was any indication, there's quite a few of you who are still searching for that perfect present. For most of the day Saturday, traffic was backed up along Route 50 eastbound, waiting to exit at Parole toward the mall. Once off the highway, the roads between the mall and the Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole were certainly slow going. And just in time for any procrastinators, Christi Wallace, the marketing director for Westfield Annapolis, …
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Just in case you missed something this week, Patch brings you the week that was in Greater Annapolis and the top stories that everyone's talking about.
Patch articles stay on the site even when they're not posted as a top story, and we encourage you to grab a cup of coffee and spend some time exploring some of the older articles. We also have some detailed information if you'd like to know more about how to use the Patch site. Each week, we'll highlight the top five stories of the week so you can join in the conversation. Remember that you can sign up to receive daily or weekly updates from Patch. We're also active on Facebook and Twitter. This week's top five stories (in no particular order):
Friday, December 16, 2011
If you win Patch's Christmas light contest, you could also earn $100,000 for Anne Arundel County public schools.
If you don't have your lights up yet, you're probably putting the finishing touches on your display this weekend. All you have to do is get your camera out, snap a shot and enter it in our contest for your chance to have Patch pay your December electric bill. Click here for full contest rules. Here’s how it works. You can nominate your home by uploading a photo to the contest entry form on the site through Dec. 26. During that time you and your neighbors also will be able to vote for your favorite festive home. The winning entry will be forwarded to a national Patch judge who will select 24 finalists. Each finalist will receive $500 that they can apply to their December electric bill. From Dec. 30 through Jan. 8 you will be able to vote …
State Department of Agriculture officials said there are many environmental and economic benefits to buying a Christmas tree grown locally.
For the first time, the Maryland Department of Agriculture placed and decorated a large Christmas tree in front of its building on Harry S Truman Parkway. Sure, it was festive and helped everyone who works inside or drives past get in the holiday spirit. But the 20-foot white pine grown in Harford County was intended to serve another purpose as well. "We hope it will catch everyone's eye and get people interested in real trees and all the benefits they provide our environment and our communities," said Wilma Muir, owner of Deer Creek Valley Tree Farm where the tree was grown, in a release. "There are still people who think they are saving a tree by buying a fake Christmas tree and they have no idea how far from the truth that is." Also, …
Donna L. Cole
6:40 pm on Sunday, December 25, 2011
Debbi, That's an absolutely amazing gift! Bravo to you and all those who supported Japan's rebuilding efforts. That is indeed a memorable gift if ever there was one. Thank you for not only sharing this, but for helping to truly make a difference in a place so desperately needing it. Happy Holidays with wishes for continued success! more ›