Welcome to the blogosphere, Nancy!

Montgomery County Councilmember Nancy Floreen launched “Nancy at Large” today to connect better with her constituents.

“I know that my constituents have expertise, questions and opinions,” said Councilmember Floreen. “I hope the interactive environment of the blog will allow us to work through some of these issues together.”

Her first post concerns proposed changes to the Forest Conservation Law. Appropriately enough, the blog banner is a pleasing cherry blossom pic.

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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The Winston-Salem Journal has a cute leap day story today: they asked readers to share their tales of the woman’s being the one to “leap” into love. And for those who wrote in, writes Reporter Kim Underwood, “taking the lead paid big dividends.”

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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When I was little I always looked forward to my mom’s zucchini bread loafs in the late summer, when her garden gave her more squash then even she could reasonably force us to eat. And although I have grown to love my vegetables — even in their natural form — I still almost always choose baked goods over good-for-you.

Baltimore’s WJZ-TV aired a segment Thursday morning on baker/businesswoman Lowry Martin, who has made a business out of blending veggies and treats into one tasty snack.

Lowry’s business — Have Your Cake and Eat it Too! — began production in 2000 and now markets low fat, high fiber muffins made from fruits and vegetables to schools, grocery stores and cafes.

From her squashyalicious muffin to the yamzy, a look at the nutritional contents (available on her Web site) shows each muffin is worth about one serving of fruit or vegetable, l50 calories or less and between 4 and 5 grams of fat.

Not bad if you or your kid’s got a sweet tooth like yours truly. But 12, 2-ounce muffins at about $22 a pop can get a bit pricey — do parents think it’s worth it? Or does anyone else out there have other tricks or recipes they’ve tried to get their kids to eat their veggies?

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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“Pythons could slither north as climate warms.”

It sounds like the basis for a horror movie, but it’s not. It’s a headline from Silver Spring-based Discovery Communications.

According to Larry O’Hanlon at Discovery News, the 20-foot, 250-pound reptiles could survive in multiple states by the year 2100 (at that point our climate may resemble their native India or Pakistan).

“The big snakes could comfortably creep through Tennessee, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and southern New Jersey,” he writes.

Well, they can have southern Jersey, as far as I’m concerned.

Of course, they’ve already immigrated to the U.S. A few years ago, researchers discovered a self-sustaining population of Burmese pythons in the Florida everglades – probably the result of a pet released into the wild (Snakehead, anyone?). Since then pythons have been spotted in other regional parks and preserves.

If their mere presence isn’t frightening enough, this fact could do it: they eat alligators. ALLIGATORS. (There’s a photo in that link that is worth clicking on. Trust me).

The story concludes, “USGS researchers are also looking into the potential for similar invasions by nine species of giant constrictors, including boa constrictors and yellow anacondas, which are common in the pet snake trade.”

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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Sheetz’s new “Crispy Frickin’ Chicken” billboards are causing a stir for the use of fowl – sorry, foul – language.

From the AP story:

The campaign is aimed at young adults, and the company did not intend to offend anyone, [Spokeswoman Monica] Jones said.

“We’re kind of known for edgy, kind of brash advertising tactics, and we knew this would spark a certain amount of controversy,” Jones said. “That said, we’re proud of the campaign.”

The 100 billboards will be taken down when the campaign ends on Wednesday.

Sheetz Inc. is based in Altoona, Pa., but operates stores in Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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Don’t use the “S” word in front of J. Kirby Fowler.

The highly energetic president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore told about 400 business types who gathered this morning at the Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore hotel that downtown Baltimore is not “shifting.” It is, he says, expanding.

With the announcements in the last year that “traditional” downtown institutions such as Legg Mason, Venable and T. Rowe Price are moving east, some — including The Daily Record — have written that the center of downtown Baltimore is shifting.

“I really wanted to do a group chant of ‘expanding,’ but I thought it would go horribly wrong,” Fowler told the Business Over Breakfast audience.

So, do you think Fowler is right? Is downtown Baltimore expanding, or is it really shifting?

Let us know what you think.

ED WALDMAN, Managing Editor/Business

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Got strep throat? The flu? But your doctor’s all booked up today … or maybe you don’t have one?

Now that big-box Wal Mart has entered into the healthcare industry, you can walk in to a clinic where prices are rolled back by the cute smiley face. Earlier this month, the chain announced it would open 400 more clinics by 2010.

Wal-Mart’s presence is sure to have a ripple effect on practicing physicians, nurses, emergency rooms, insurance practices and more.

RNCentral has put together a list of 20 predictions on the impact of Wal-Mart clinics: from flat fees to increased immunizations to more nurse practicioners.

Their bottom line? Rural citizens, working parents and the uninsured will have more convenient, cheap access to simple healthcare, but traditional medical offices will likely feel the mental and financial crunch of treating only the most complicated patients.

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has now begun advertising to fill the Court of Appeals spot Judge Irma Raker will vacate when she hits the mandatory retirement age of 70 in April.

Raker sits from the 7th appellate circuit, which only covers Montgomery County, so that’s where her replacement must come from. The application deadline’s March 24 for this one.

In other Court of Appeals vacancy news, there is none. That is, the commission was supposed to meet last Friday to see if it could come up with another name or two for the governor to consider for Judge Dale Cathell’s seat — after the commission’s decision to forward only one name did not go over so well — but the meeting was iced out and rescheduled for March.

CARYN TAMBER, Legal Affairs Writer

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After seeing coworkers at the Harbor Court Hotel restaurant struggle to hold down a job, Baltimore’s Galen Sampson decided that when he opened his own restaurant, he wanted to create an apprenticeship program for recovering Baltimoreans. And he did just that.

“It gives our people in transition paid jobs,” he told CNN in the first of three videos on the news Web site. “It also allows us to give them hands-on, real-time instruction.”

Galen and his wife, Bridget, now co-own Dogwood Sustainable Foods, which operates the Dogwood Deli in Hampden.

“She has been very active in the community with people in transition from problems in their past, and I became actively involved with her, helping her teach and doing some cooking,” Galen explains in the second video, A Really Good Team. “When I started working with Bridget in the programs that she had in the city, I started to really see it firsthand.”

The program, Chefs in the Making, will provide training and jobs to 30 people in transition this year.

Sampson was a Baltimore Community Fellow through the Open Society Institute in 2006.

JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor

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If you’ve ever seen the “Dancin’ Homer” Simpsons episode where Homer gets a job as the local minor league team’s mascot, you know how entertaining an overweight guy dancing around in a cheesy outfit can be.

Now the Florida Marlins have brought that idea to the majors and are forming an all-male, plus-size cheerleading squad called the “Manatees,” according to ESPN.com.

“The team hopes to recruit seven to 10 tubby men to dance, cheer and jiggle during Friday and Saturday home games this season,” the article stated, noting that the men who were scheduled to try out this past weekend were judged on how well they danced a choreographed routine.

The squad won’t be paid, however they will receive free tickets to the games they perform at.

Here’s my thought: why let the Marlins have all the fun? Should the Orioles take advantage of its longtime fan base and start up its own squad? (the name “Harbor Seals” immediately jumps to mind – bonus points to anyone who can do “the worm”).

Does else anyone think the Orioles’ games could be livened up this season by adding some local entertainment to the mix?

LIZ FARMER, Business Writer

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