Articles by Michelle Steel

Article - News; by Michelle Steel - 4/25/13

Bay Bridge Betterment

New lane markings, rumble strips and signs help us get across

I’m claustrophobic and scared of heights, so unfamiliar and uncomfortable situations send my anxiety into a full-blown panic attack. Also, I’m easily distracted. Driving over a bridge, with traffic coming toward me, isn’t my idea of fun, even if I am heading to Ocean City for a getaway.
So I was happy to hear of this week’s Bay Bridge safety enhancements.
...

Article - News; by Michelle Steel - 4/18/13

Filling Dr. Bear’s Closet

Toys help patients having a rough day at Children’s Hospital

It’s a big job making sure Dr. Bear’s closet at Children’s Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., is never bare.
For the children, it’s a closet as crucial as the closets that hold bandages and medicine.
...

Article - News; by Michelle Steel - 4/18/13

Anne Arundel SPCA’s Dogged Fundraising

Wagging, walking, running and smooching for a good cause

They came out in packs.
   Some walked or ran on two legs, some on four, to raise $180,000 at the Anne Arundel SPCA’s most successful Walk for the Animals April 7 at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis.
   Two walking trails — one mile and two-and-a-half-miles — plus the new Tails & Trails 5K drew 184 humans and more than 50 dogs.
...

Article - News; by Michelle Steel - 4/18/13

Shining a Light on Autism

Blue-hued bulbs help raise awareness

One in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This month — Autism Awareness Month — the Autism Speaks organization is recruiting residences, businesses and buildings to change their exterior light bulbs from white to blue to raise awareness.
...

Article - Theatre Reviews; by Michelle Steel - 4/4/13

Twin Beach Players’ Rumors

You’ll laugh until you ache, then laugh some more

Four affluent couples gathered in a posh suburban residence for a dinner party to honor friends’ 10th anniversary celebration find mischief surrounding the event.
There are no servants: How can the party continue? The hostess is missing. So is the host — the deputy mayor of New York City — who has reportedly shot himself through the earlobe.
...

Article - Creature Feature; by Michelle Steel - 4/4/13

Party Animals

Bubbles and Squeak invite you to join the fun

Calvert Marine Museum’s most popular residents, river otters Bubbles and Squeak, are throwing parties to subsidize their enriched lifestyle.
...

Article - Creature Feature; by Michelle Steel - 3/28/13

Who’s the Easter Bunny?

Mythical egg deliverer is maybe a hare — or a rabbit

Is the Easter Bunny a cottontail or a snowshoe hare?
Both are native to North America, unlike domesticated rabbits, which are elaborately bred descendents of European wild rabbits.
...

Article - Creature Feature; by Michelle Steel - 3/21/13

Peepers Ring in Spring

Tiny frogs seldom seen but often heard

Spring has sprung.
   Spring peepers are wide awake and calling out loud.
   These tiny frogs are among the first to call and breed. Only the males sing. They’re calling for mates.
   Competition’s tough.
   Females choose a mate by the quality of his call.
...

Article - Creature Feature; by Michelle Steel - 3/7/13

Peeps Madness

Marshmallow creatures inspire creativity

Sam Born began selling Peeps in the early 1920s, in a small Pennsylvania grocery store he owned, under a sign that read Just Born.
Nowadays March brings Peeps madness.
The craze took off in 1953 as cellophane selections of packaged Peeps flew off neighborhood grocery shelves.
...

Article - News; by Michelle Steel - 2/28/13

1,000 New Teachers on Staff at Annmarie Garden

Red Wigglers demonstrate the inside story of composting

Red Wiggler worms are busy digging and dining in a compost Can-O-Worms at Annmarie Garden.
Second graders visiting Annmarie Garden on daily CHESPAX field trips explore the world of composting with a little help from the Garden’s squirmy residents, about a thousand in all.
...