A story was brought to my attention today that poses an interesting business question. Last Saturday, a family decided to go to Patterson Bowling Center in Baltimore for a fun afternoon out — until they arrived at the lanes and a nice, G-rated afternoon quickly turned X-rated.

Turns out this family happened upon an event put on by the Local Naturists, a group described on its Facebook page as “friends and peers of yours who support wearing less or no clothing in public as the law allows.” These folks are apparently affiliated with the Maryland Area Naturist Association (MARNA).

In other words, it was naked bowling day.

Now, I think I can understand naked bowling NIGHT. But during the day? When kids might be around? I’d assume there were signs warning approaching customers about the event, but I can also understand missing those signs and heading right on in through the doors to a big surprise.

And what about sanitary issues?

I asked the manager of the bowling alley, Charles Mcelhose, about this and he wrote back in an e-mail that the business has two floors and anyone may rent out the second floor for an event, no matter what it is for.

“In the case of a nude party all windows are covered and stairway is blocked off during their party,” he added.

OK. But I think if it at least had been at night there’s less chance that families might have encountered the event. And in my book, what I don’t know doesn’t hurt me. That’s why I don’t ask how they clean the shoes at bowling alleys or how my food is made at fast-food restaurants.

At any rate, here’s the question — was saying yes to this event a bad idea for Patterson Bowling Center? Sure, it turns away families, but I’m sure a gaggle of teenage guys who happened upon the same scene might feel differently …

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Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett is banking on an energy tax hike to help compensate for a $168 million decrease in income tax revenues, part of a much larger $1 billion budget gap.

Leggett wants to double the energy taxes, a plan that would cost some of the area’s larger businesses — think coveted biotechnology firms — hundreds of thousands of dollars more a year. (The move is not unprecedented in trying budget times. Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also wants to increase energy taxes, but her proposal would cost residential customers an additional 60 cents a month).

The way it sits now, Montgomery’s energy tax falls mostly on the shoulders of businesses, which pay about 2.65 percent more than residential customers. Business customers pay 1.3843 cents per kilowatt of electricity and 11.9214 cents per therm of heating fuel a year, compared to residential customers, who pay a little more than half a cent per kilowatt of electricity and a little less than half a cent per therm of heating fuel.

Leggett had initially planned on seeking a 40 percent energy tax increase, and then bumped it up to 63.7 percent before deciding to ask the County Council to approve doubling the tax. Residents, businesses and the county’s largest power distributor, Pepco, testified against the requested 63.7 percent increase in a hearing last week.

Under that plan, the average residential customer would see an increase in energy tax payments to $161, up from $99 a year; businesses would on average pay $4,157 a year, compared to the $2,618 they pay now. If Leggett gets to double rates, residents would pay $198 a year and businesses would pay $5,236.

According to Maryland Politics Watch, Pepco representative Charles Washington testified applying the 63.7 percent rate hike to the bills of some customers:

As demonstrated below using actual randomly selected commercial accounts, this increase will have a real impact on County businesses. One restaurant in Silver Spring will see an increase of over $3,000 a year. A hotel in Bethesda will see a tax increase of approximately $41,000 a year. The County’s successful Biotech companies will see increases of hundreds of thousands of dollars of year, with at least one projected to see an increase of over half a million dollars.

Under Leggett’s plan, the county would bring in about $192 million in fiscal 2011 from the energy tax to businesses, a lot more than the $88.6 million Washington said Pepco collects in distribution rates from Montgomery County businesses each year.

The rate is far from set. Now Council President Nancy Floreen is saying that the council could tinker with the formula, spreading more cost from businesses to residents.

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If the summer wait staff at your favorite beach hangout in Ocean City is looking a little more seasoned than usual, don’t be surprised.

According to outplacement consulting firm Challenger Gray & Christmas Inc., hiring will improve over last year, when employment among 16- to 19-year-olds grew by less than 1.2 million jobs from May through July, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But with national employment still at nearly 10 percent, those teens looking in the usual places for summer jobs will have more competition than usual.

“Teens looking for traditional summer positions in malls, restaurants and movie theaters could face stiff competition from older and more experienced job seekers, leaving the best opportunities for those who take a more entrepreneurial approach to summer employment,” the Monday news release by Challenger said.

Last year, summer employment among teens grew by 1.16 million — slightly better than 2008, when employers added 1.15 million teen workers between May and July, the fewest since 1954. But compared with the more than 1.7 million summer jobs for teens added in 2004 and ’05, you get the idea how bleak the last few years have been.

Not all traditional summer jobs will be flooded with older applicants, Challenger said. The firm expects jobs in day camps, neighborhood pools and amusement parks to be for fruitful for teens. It also says with families cutting out expenses like lawn care and home cleaning to keep their budgets in line, there may be an opportunity there for teens to offer their services at a lower rate.

“Most importantly, do not get frustrated by failure,” the release said. “Many teens give up after applying to 10 or 12 jobs, concluding that ‘no one is hiring teens this summer.’ Chances are good that there are more than 10 or 12 employers in your city or town, so it is necessary to cast a wider net.”

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The more traditional, non-Orioles loving, beer swilling twinkie eating version of Mozart's Papageno character.

So, glancing through my inbox,  I happened upon an interesting press release I must say I’m still not sure what to think of, namely an effort to give Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” the Charm City treatment.

Opera Vivente, the Baltimore-based chamber opera company, announced it is closing out its 12th season this month with performances of “The Magic Flute.”

The opera already puts its own twist on operas by performing them in English. But, Opera Vivente is taking it a few steps beyond not just singing in the original German. Instead, this 18th-century work will have a decidedly “Bawlamer” twist to it for this run.

Yes, that means characters like Papageno and Papagena will have Baltimore accents and will reference city landmarks and attractions. Papageno, the bird man, will be an avid O’s fan with a penchant for beer and Twinkies.

For some reason, Opera Vivente has decided to make the Papagena character a Hooter’s waitress, although I don’t see the uniquely Baltimore connection on that one.

I understand the opera company commendably prides itself on tapping local talent for its productions and trying to make opera accessible, but maybe this is a little too hyper-local? I mean, what’s next,  the Nutcracker being performed in Ravens jerseys or the Barber of Seville waxing poetic about the crabcakes at Faidley’s?

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For the past few months I’ve been hearing people talk about Foursquare and haven’t paid much mind, kind of hoping that our society is all social-networked-out between Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and whoever else still uses MySpace.

No such luck.

I got my first Foursquare marketing campaign e-mail today from MGH Inc. The Owings Mills-based advertising company has launched a social networking campaign for Miss Shirley’s, owned by Crazy Man Restaurant Group, and the restaurants operated by Classic Catering People. The eatery is among the first in Baltimore to offer a special deal to customers through the new social network.

First, what is Foursquare? For a detailed explanation, read Larry Fiorno’s article in a December issue of The Daily Record. In short, it’s a location-based social networking website, software for mobile devices and a game. Users “check in” at venues using text messaging or a device-specific application and they are then awarded points and sometimes “badges.”

Miss Shirley’s is allowing the customer crowned “Mayor” –- the person who has checked in via Foursquare the most at the Roland Park or Inner Harbor locations –- to show his/her “Mayor card” on their mobile device and skip waiting in line at the popular breakfast, brunch and lunch destination.

That’s actually a really good prize if you’ve ever tried to get breakfast on a weekend at the popular eatery.

S’ghetti Eddie’s and Roland Park Bagel Co. are also getting in on the game and will reward frequent patrons through Foursquare with freebies.

So kudos to the restaurants and MGH for getting in on the latest trend in social networking. But how long do people think this one will last? Seems to me the new network is also the perfect virtual stomping ground for stalkers or just creepy people in general.

It’s way too easy to know a lot about a person with just a little effort. For instance, the name of the current mayor of Miss Shirley’s is listed as first name and last initial on his Foursquare profile. But from that profile and you can go to his Facebook page and view his entire name. You can also see his siblings’ names, his wife’s name and where he works, among other things.

Between the two pages we know a lot about this guy and where to find him. I can only imagine how fast this marketing campaign would shut down if something were to happen to one of the frequent diners at these establishments and Foursquare was the connection.

Granted, Twitter’s not that different in that people freely announce where they are, what they’re eating, etc. But for me, basing an entire site on tracking people’s movements is jumping into murky water.

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Cal Ripken Jr. issued a statement yesterday regarding recent rumors O’s owner Peter Angelos rejected his proposition of working for the team.

After confirming Angelos’ denial that the Orioles owner did not turn Ripken down (that, in fact, no such offer was made), Ripken did confirm they have been talking:

I have enjoyed those talks very much, and yes the subject has been broached about me potentially joining the organization. I look forward to those talks continuing.

I have been consistent in my statements about a return to baseball since my retirement in 2001. With my son Ryan approaching the end of high school in a couple of years I have been thinking more seriously about a return to the big league game. I am more excited now to explore all opportunities and find the right situation that could lead me to the next phase of my life.

I have said and written many times that Cal Ripken is a guy who just never seems to mess up. He was a role model on the field during his career and has continued that example off the field in his business career.

If he returned to the Orioles now, it would be a mistake. After a dozen losing seasons and a 2-12 start this year, O’s fans are ready to jump on ANYTHING significant and hail it as a tidal wave of new hope for the organization.

Realistically, Ripken cannot single-handedly turn the Orioles from losers into winners, but that’s what the expectation will be if he signs back on now. Ripken is so revered that if he doesn’t meet expectations, he’s not going to lose fans. But my bet is he’ll lose some respect. There will be a chink in the armor.

Of course, now that the cat’s out of the bag, things are more difficult if Ripken ends up not joining the team. If both parties do the PR-neutral thing and announce together that they agreed to keep things as they are, Angelos will probably be blamed by Baltimore fans.

If Angelos offers Ripken a job and Ripken declines, well, Angelos will still probably be blamed because that’s just how O’s fans roll now.

But Ripken won’t look too good either.

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Medicaid, the country’s safety-net insurer for low-income families and individuals, is on the verge of a massive expansion, taking on coverage of millions more Americans under federal health care reform.

Expansion of the program from 70 million people to 86 million people is expected to cost billions of dollars. States, which are already struggling with delicately balanced budgets, are bracing for impact.

But a new report from UnitedHealth Group is identifying ways the federal and state governments can reduce the costs of health care reform — mostly from Medicaid efficiencies.

United says that with an estimated 274,000 new Medicaid enrollments in Maryland, it will cost the federal government $5.5 billion and the state $520 million from 2014 to 2019.

But by modernizing Medicaid, the potential savings to Maryland are huge. Tweaking the system could save Maryland $2.9 billion and the federal government $3.2 billion from 2011 to 2019, according to United. In total, making the proposed changes could save the nation $366.1 billion.

So, how does United recommend we get these savings? Here are some of their ideas:

• greater use of coordinated care techniques to improve access to high-quality care for low-income Americans
• greater use of managed care to support people with long-term care needs
• upgrading of Medicaid’s administrative and transactional processes

Some states are already proving that these approaches work. Check out the report for a lot more details and some barriers to making these plans functional.

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In honor of Earth Day on April 22, lots of businesses are teaming up to do good, offering giveaways and hawking Earth-friendly items or programs to attract your attention.

Sears is hoping to catch the eye of Maryland residents looking to save some green — that is, getting rebates for buying Energy Star-qualified appliances when the state’s program kicks off next week. Maryland has $5,405,000 up for grabs in rebates in its “Cash for Appliances” mail-in rebate program.

Sears will open at 6 a.m. on April 22, and have extra staffers on the floor to help people sort out appliance purchases and get rebates sent in electronically while they’re in the store, so that rebate doesn’t get forgotten in a pile of papers on the kitchen counter.

Sears is also the “2010 ENERGY STAR Retail Partner of the Year,” so it has revamped its Web site with all of the relevant information on rebates, credits, disposing of old appliances and buying new ones.

They have a handy section that shows you how much money you’d save buying a new appliance based on what you already have, the cost of electricity in Maryland and what model you plan to swap in (for refrigerators, think side-by-side fridge and freezer vs. freezer on top).

The company will also haul away your old appliance and make sure it’s disposed of in an environmentally friendly way, recycling the parts that can be reused.

In Maryland, here are the rebates available for buying Energy Star-qualified products:

– $50 for refrigerators
– $100 for clothes washers
– $300 for heat pump water heaters

Through the state’s EmPower Maryland program, residents can also get additional rebates on appliances offered by their utilities. For more info, check out the Maryland Energy Administration’s list of extra rebates.

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The first annual Retail VIEWPoint presentation was held this morning in Tyson’s Corner, Va., and man, what a difference a year makes.

According to James Farrell, senior director of leasing and brokerage for Rappaport Companies, which hosted the event, industry gatherings like these were a different story last year.

“A year ago the mood was at the bleakest it’s been a long time in this industry,” he said. “These events were well attended because there was nothing else to do … . Now the mood is considerably better than it was a few months ago and day by day it’s getting better.”

Roughly 500 people attended this morning’s event, which featured a presentation of Delta Associates’ forecast of the state of the Washington metro area real estate market. Rappaport Companies, a D.C. based broker that owns and develops shopping centers, expected about 400 to attend, according to Farrell.

More to come on the details of the report in tomorrow’s paper but I’ll give you a hint: hope may be just around the corner for retail real estate development brokers.

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Oh, how quickly they fall.

From the biggest Opening Day crowd last Friday to the lowest game attendance in Camden Yards’ history, if there’s one thing you can say about the Orioles, it’s that they keep you guessing.

But as a fan, that’s not really a good thing. Not that great for a business, either.

The O’s hosted the Tampa Bay Rays last night, and this year’s squad claimed the dubious honor of drawing the fewest number of fans ever to attend a game in Camden Yards’ 18-year history. Monday’s crowd was announced at  9,129 — and that’s the official count, which includes season ticket holders, so it’s typically higher than the actual number of people there.

There’s really no silver lining you can put on this one. Fewer than 10,000 fans in a ballpark that can hold almost five times as many people just stinks. But I’ll give you a little perspective on on it:

Tampa Bay is one of the worst-drawing teams at Camden Yards. Even Toronto last year averaged nearly 21,000 per game at Camden Yards. Last year Tampa averaged 14,770 people per game in Baltimore, drawing roughly 129,000 people to Camden Yards over nine games — and three of those games were on the weekend.

Which brings me to my next point: Monday games are duds (note: exception made here for Red Sox or Yankees games). Actually, Monday through Thursday games at Camden Yards are pretty poorly attended. Last year, the Orioles averaged 22,743 fans per game on Mondays — but eliminate the two Red Sox and Yankees games and that average goes down to 17,076.

Tuesday through Thursday games last year averaged between 16,000 and 18,700 — snoozefest. Meanwhile weekend games fared far better — Friday attendance averaged 28,774, Saturdays 31,792 and Sundays 25,755.

Lastly, the last time Tampa Bay played here on a Monday, 10,628 people showed up. So with an unproven Orioles squad and so early in the season, should we really be surprised so few people came to the game last night?

No — but like I said before, it still stinks.

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