Maryland, U.S.A. — A dream is now a reality for children in Mount Rainier, Maryland, as their drawings were turned into a new playground on June 30th. In less than eight hours, the play space was built with the help of more than 200 volunteers from Foresters, Thomas Stone Elementary School, Prince George’s County Public Schools and non-profit KaBOOM!. The new playground will serve more than 11,000 children and their families in the community for years to come.

“Foresters believes in providing opportunities for families to spend quality time together,” said Kasia Czarski, Foresters Senior Vice President, Chief Membership and Marketing Officer. “A playground is an important piece for the revitalization of a community. Not only does it provide a first step towards keeping children healthy, but it’s a safe, central location for the entire neighborhood to get together.”

Planning for the playground began at a Design Day event held in April when local children and community leaders met with organizers from KaBOOM! and Foresters to design their dream playground. The children’s drawings were then used to create the final playground design.

Since 2006, Foresters has invested over $7 million with KaBOOM! with almost 100 playgrounds built or planned across the U.S. and Canada. Over their 15 year lifespan, these playgrounds will provide more than 2.6 million children and their families with an opportunity to spend quality time together. Foresters is a KaBOOM! National Partner and a founding member of the KaBOOM! Leadership Circle – a group of organizations providing long-term guidance and support to KaBOOM! and its mission.

“What an exciting opportunity for the Mount Rainer community,” said Board of Education Member Amber Waller. “The revitalization of the Thomas Stone playground will provide a safe environment for our students and families to spend quality time.”

Thanks to the work of Foresters, Thomas Stone Elementary School, Prince George’s County Public Schools and KaBOOM!, children and their families now have a 2,500 square-foot playground to call home that includes features such as a Triple Racer Slide, a Rockblocks Climbing Wall and a 360 Degree Spiral Slide.

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Chicago, U.S.A - Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon plc, has released the latest edition of its Global Catastrophe Recap report, which reviews the natural disaster perils that occurred worldwide during May.

Published by Impact Forecasting, the firm’s catastrophe model development center of excellence, the report reveals that two earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks struck northern Italy within a nine-day period, killing 25 people, injuring more than 400 others and causing extensive damage to the cultural heritage throughout the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, in addition to businesses and personal property.

An initial, combined economic loss estimate from both tremors stood at EUR5 billion (USD6.25 billion), following significant damage in the provinces of Modena, Ferrara, Reggio Emilia, Rovigo and Mantua.

In Asia, severe and prolonged periods of rain impacted China throughout the month, affecting at least 22 provinces and killing at least 102 people.

According to China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), at least 143,000 homes were damaged or destroyed during one prolonged event. More than 949,400 hectares (2.34 million acres) of cropland were also affected, contributing to a total economic loss listed at CNY16.88 billion (USD2.68 billion).

Meanwhile, powerful thunderstorms struck eastern Japan, resulting in high winds and tornadoes that killed at least three people, injured 59 others, and damaged more than 1,845 buildings in six separate prefectures.

Steve Jakubowski, President of Impact Forecasting, said: “The Italian earthquakes resulted in the largest natural disaster loss for the country since the L’Aquila earthquake event in 2009. The seismic activity was not unexpected, as Italy has long been recognised as a region exposed to the possibility of significant earthquake activity. Given the level of insurance coverage in the region, it is anticipated that insured losses would reach minimally into the hundreds of millions of dollars (USD). However, it remains too early to determine how negligible re/insurance losses may be from this event.”

In the United States, two periods of severe weather impacted central and eastern sections of the country; the first causing widespread hail and wind damage from the Dakotas to Maryland, resulting in an economic loss estimated at USD275 million, and more than 30,000 insurance claims valued atUSD150 million. A secondary severe weather outbreak across the central and eastern U.S. at the end of the month spawned significant damage as well. According to a preliminary report from the South-western Insurance Information Service, insured losses in Oklahoma alone were estimated at USD400 million.

Tropical Storm Beryl made landfall near Jacksonville Beach, Florida at peak intensity with 70 mph (110 kph) winds but did not cause any significant damage, injuries or fatalities.

And wildfires burned in several U.S. states during the month, including the largest fire ever recorded in New Mexico.

Excessive rainfall affected areas of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec in May. In Thunder Bay, at least 1,100 homes were damaged as well as businesses and infrastructure, and flood damage with a 100-year return period was recorded in Montreal, where personal property and infrastructure were widely affected.

Additional flood events were recorded in Nepal, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Cuba, Georgia, Brazil and Venezuela.

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Pennsylvania, U.S.A. - Visitors to fairs and festivals throughout Pennsylvania—as well as the historic Antietam National Battlefield in Maryland—can experience the Civil War Road Show, featuring interactive exhibits and special programming marking the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War.

The Road Show kicks off its 2012 tour on June 30, at the Kutztown Folk Festival in Berks County and concludes at DelGrosso’s Amusement Park in Tipton, Blair County on September 30, 2012.

Installed in a 53-foot expandable trailer, the Road Show tells the compelling personal stories of the many different ways Pennsylvanians experienced the American Civil War—on both the home front and on the battlefield. Interactive features include stereoscopic photographs, original compositions of Civil War-era music and sound effects, hands-on objects, and animated stories.

The Road Show encourages residents to share their own stories and artifacts, by participating in the “Share Your Story” booth that accompanies the exhibit. The booth allows visitors to add an oral history to the exhibit, which in turn will be available online at www.PACivilWar150.com.

Additionally, visitors will be invited to take a self-portrait at the Road Show in the style of a Civil War-era photograph that can be uploaded and incorporated into a customizable digital scrapbook.

A highlight of the 14-week tour will be the Road Show’s September visit to Antietam National Battlefield, administered by the National Park Service, to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. While there, the Road Show will join up with Virginia’s Civil War 150 History Mobile to provide visitors an interactive look into the impact of the Civil War on both states.

Pennsylvania Civil War 150 is the state’s official program commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, being observed from 2011 to 2015. The PA Civil War 150 Committee, convened by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) in partnership with the Pennsylvania Heritage Society (PHS), the Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is a statewide alliance of history, heritage, arts and cultural organizations from throughout the state.

PA Civil War 150′s mission is to leverage the considerable strengths of these institutions and bring quality programming to the commonwealth’s commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. PA Civil War 150 includes a wide array of statewide initiatives and facilitates numerous activities and events at regional and local levels.

Civil War Road Show 2012 Schedule:
6/30-7/8 — Kutztown Folk Festival, Kutztown, Berks County
7/20-7/22 — Capitol Complex/State Museum of PA, Harrisburg, Dauphin County
7/30-8/4 — Schuylkill County Fair, Summit Station, Schuylkill County
8/12-8/18 — Fulton County Fair, McConnellsburg, Fulton County
8/21-8/25 — Perry County Fair, Newport, Perry County
8/28-9/3 — Great Allentown Fair, Allentown, Lehigh County
9/7-9/9 — Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, Northampton County
9/14-9/17 — Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland
9/21-9/23 — Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Adams County
9/28-9/30 — DelGrosso’s Amusement Park, Tipton, Blair County

Image Courtesy of   Pennsylvania Civil War 150

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The Commonwealth Foundation released an alarming new report on Pennsylvania public welfare that finds widespread abuse of tax dollars, with spending growing faster than the economy and exceeding education appropriations for the first time in state history.

Policy analysts from the free-market think tank examined numerous documented cases of fraud, waste and abuse including service providers billing the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare for luxuries such as a chandelier, landscaping, a six-person hot tub and a bowling alley.

“Government welfare was once a helping hand to those in need, but has instead become a tangled bureaucracy of often abused programs that fall far short of the good intentions behind them,” said Matthew J. Brouillette, president and CEO.  “While some say reforms unfairly hurt the poor, the reality is Pennsylvania is quickly reaching a point where the tax base cannot support the benefits lawmakers are promising.”

Analysts also found DPW represents the largest department in the state’s General Fund, encompassing nearly 40 percent of the budget.  Despite dramatic increases in welfare spending, they conclude measures have failed to free Pennsylvanians from a poverty rate that has been climbing since 2000.

“The welfare system in Pennsylvania is expensive, ineffective, and largely unaccountable,” said Brouillette.  “It should be no surprise then that ever-increasing welfare spending is simply failing to bring independence to citizens.”

According to U.S. Census data, Pennsylvania is among the top-10 states in budget percentage spent on public welfare, surpassing neighboring states such as Maryland, New Jersey, and West Virginia.  Moreover, the number of Pennsylvanians receiving food stamps benefits is at an all-time high while increases in welfare spending outpace personal income and state tax revenue growth.

“The majority of welfare programs and their funding originate with the federal government, leaving states with little room for innovation and flexibility in their administration,” said Brouillette.  The current federal funding system actually encourages states to spend more in order to draw down additional federal funds.

Among the foundation’s recommendations are calls for state legislators to aggressively pursue waivers as other states have successfully done in order to overcome federal mandates and save taxpayers’ money.  They also recommend DPW rapidly cuts waste and abuse by reducing error rates and enforcing eligibility standards. Additionally, legislators should utilize performance-based budgeting to expand programs that work and end programs that don’t.

“If no action is taken, welfare spending will continue to crowd out other departments like education and transportation, depriving the truly needy from proper care and leading to future tax increases,” said Brouillette.  “If that happens, lawmakers will be delivering decades of dependence instead of dignity.”

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American Visionary Art Museum

Exhibits in this multileveled building are extremely vibrant and unique. The museum takes pride in showcasing pieces from artists who are mostly self taught, all of whom have a common love for creating extraordinary pieces. Located in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore, it is one of the most popular museums in the city due to its distinct outward appearance and creative installations within.

Housing both permanent and temporary exhibitions, a walk through the museum reveals exciting pieces, such as a larger-than-life, colorful piece made from paper plates. A current exhibit entitled “All Things Round” focuses on round designs and artwork. An upstairs glass cabinet showcases a quirky Pez collection. For those who build up an appetite after walking around the exhibits, visitors can dine at the museum’s whimsical restaurant, Mr. Rain’s Fun House.

While the outside of the building covered with a detailed mosaic and an ornately decorated school bus welcomes visitors in, art is found all around this establishment–a large golden hand stretches out from the side of the museum’s wall while small hanging mirrors adorn a tree on the sidewalk.

The American Visionary Art Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Walters Art Museum

The Walters Art Museum is the perfect place in Baltimore to come to gain an appreciation for the way in which art has changed over time around the globe. The museum houses pieces from all over the world, including ancient Egyptian art, Greek masterpieces, and Asian paintings.

Located in the historic Mount Vernon neighborhood, it is home to one of the most extensive collections of art in the city, welcoming both the casual visitor and the serious artist.

The Walters Art Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sports Legends Museum and The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum

The sports culture in Baltimore is rich with professional teams, such as the Orioles and the Ravens; this museum caters to sports fanatics as it houses sports memorabilia from the Baltimore area. Exhibits include the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame, detailed showcases of uniforms and equipment of the Baltimore Ravens, as well as a tribute to the minor league teams in Baltimore.

The Colts, once a popular football team in the city, also have an exhibit that shows the history of the team in Maryland. With a large layout of historical and colorful showcases, this museum is a great family experience for those who love sports and for those who want to learn more about the local Baltimore teams.

Situated close to the Sports Legends Museum, the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum is a one-of-a-kind treasure in Baltimore. Located in a neighborhood row house, the birthplace of the legendary baseball player, the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum is a must-see for loyal baseball fans, especially given its proximity to the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards.

This museum draws tens of thousands of visitors each year, in a city where one of the most important baseball superstars of all time got his start. The Sports Legends Museum and The Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum are both open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Flag House & Star Spangled Banner Museum

A simple flag made by Mary Pickersgill was the single inspiration for the United States’ national anthem. Built in the late 1700’s, Mary Pickersgill’s house is open to the public for viewing. Stepping into her house is like stepping back in time, as visitors can walk through the rooms of the antiquated house and see how she lived centuries ago.

Pickersgill created an American flag that stood as the prime inspiration for Francis Scott Key, who initially wrote the Star Spangled Banner as a poem. An interactive feature allows visitors of the museum to get detailed information about the rooms and furniture in the house through their cell phones, combining our current technology with historical anecdotes.

The Flag House & Star Spangled Banner Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/walters.art.museum

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Inner Harbor has it all: a large collection of nationally famous shops and mouth watering restaurants, an aquarium favored by visitors and locals, historically significant ships, and a beautiful landscape set against Baltimore’s waterfront. A trip to Baltimore wouldn’t be complete without visiting this part of town, while plenty of attractions keep visitors returning.

The historic ships located in Inner Harbor are an interactive way to relive Baltimore’s past. The USS Constellation dates back to the late 1700s and is open for the public to walk around and admire her grand scale and size. Stepping onboard the USS Constellation is an eye opening experience in understanding how men aboard the ship spent their time working and unwinding in relatively tight quarters.

With four decks to explore, the USS Constellation reveals how the difference in lifestyles the common men had. They sleept in hammocks, while the captain and higher ranking officials had private quarters. Rows of cannons still line the interior of the ship, creating a unique vantage point to their world.

Stationed nearby the USS Constellation is the USS Torsk, a submarine that was actively used during World War II. Visitors are able to walk through the entire length of the narrow submarine and see exactly how this massive structure helped protect the United States. The rooms aboard the USS Torsk are full of floor to ceiling buttons and controls, making for one of the most captivating experiences in all of the Inner Harbor’s historic ships.

A walk through the submarine reveals how men in the navy managed the large vessel, slept in small bunks, and dined in a communal dining hall. Towards the end of the walk through, visitors can see where the USS Torsk once launched its torpedos while at war.

After taking in the sights of the historic ships at sea level, stopping by the World Trade Center’s observation deck is a prime spot for getting a panoramic view of the Inner Harbor, along with the whole city of Baltimore. Located just steps away from the historic ships, the twenty-seventh floor observation area is a wrap around scenic overlook that opens up to breath taking views of the city.

Walking around the pentagon shaped layout of the building gives way to the peacefulness of the harbor and majestic views of Baltimore’s skyline. The observation deck at the top of the World Trade Center is a perfect way to see Charm City from up above. One of Inner Harbor’s most popular attractions is the National Aquarium. Located in a uniquely designed glass structure, the National Aquarium houses favorite underwater animals, along with birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

There are over 16,000 specimens in the National Aquarium and plenty of exhibits that bring an educational, yet fun, approach to learning about these animals. A 4D immersion theater brings people up close to the animals through a movie, while Our Ocean Planet is an exciting way to see a dolphin show.

Aside from Inner Harbor being the epicenter for attractions in Baltimore, it is also a favorite shopping and dining destination. Harborplace & The Gallery are full of nationally known retail stores, where shoppers can indulge in stores such as Coach, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and Forever 21.

It’s easy to build up an appetite after a day full of sightseeing and shopping, and Inner Harbor makes it extremely easy to find a delicious restaurant in the vicinity. Diners can choose from generous portioned plates at The Cheesecake Factory, get a slice of deep dish pizza at UNO Chicago Grill, or grab a burger at Five Guys Burgers & Fries. A full day can be spent just by shopping and dining in Inner Harbor, as it is one of the most visited areas in all of Baltimore.

With close proximity to Inner Harbor, only two blocks away, the SpringHill Suites is a welcoming, contemporary hotel perfect for unwinding after a full day of sight seeing. A part of the internationally known Marriott hotel company, SpringHill Suites is housed on the property of an old bank, where extravagantly large ceilings and marble staircases can be seen as qualities of the bank’s past. As all the rooms are suites, there is the option of having a studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom suite.

This hotel brings an air of elegance while remaining down to earth. A standard studio suite comes with a separate living room and bedroom space, finely finished bathroom, and a small kitchenette with a refrigerator, coffee maker, and microwave. With all the amenities a traveler could ask for, the spacious suites at this hotel make for luxurious accommodations.

The SpringHill Suites in Baltimore’s Downtown/Inner Harbor location offers freshly made breakfast daily. A large spread of traditional American food is laid out in the oversized lobby. Guests at the SpringHill Suites can start their day with an array of bagels, fruit filled muffins, eggs, and sausage. A variety of yogurt, cereal, and donuts are also available.

A waffle maker is on hand for those who want to prepare warm waffles, and a juice and coffee station helps kick off the day to a fresh start. Complimentary coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are available in the lobby all day long as well. Along with a business center, fitness room, and a unique meeting room located within an old banking vault, the SpringHill Suite’s location and charm make it a special place to rest while in Baltimore.

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There’s nothing like understanding the culture of a city through its local food. With its close proximity to seafood and an array of cultural cuisine present, Baltimore’s culinary scene is equally unique and thriving. The Charm City Food Tour is a perfect way to get in depth knowledge of the city through the eyes of a local tour guide, while sampling some of the best quality cuisine in town. The Charm City Food Tour offers tours in certain neighborhoods, including Fells Point, Little Italy, Federal Hills and Mount Vernon.

The first stop on the Fells Point walking tour is at Ze Mean Bean Cafe. Serving traditional Eastern European cuisine with a wine bar, this welcoming cafe in the heart of Fells Point is a charming restaurant that offers the opportunity to taste the flavors of countries a world away. The pierogi appetizer dish is a perfect few bites of traditional Eastern European ingredients. While most cultures around the globe have their own version of a stuffed dumpling, cultures of Eastern Europe have the pierogi.

Ze Mean Bean Cafe’s pierogi appetizer comes with a trio of them, stuffed with sauerkraut, potato, and farmer’s cheese. The outer dumpling shell of the pierogi is sauteed and served with caramelized onions and a dollop of sour cream. The savory flavors of the potato and farmer’s cheese pierogis are both smooth, while the acidic sauerkraut pierogi blends well with a bit of the cooling sour cream. Slavic, Hungarian, and Ukrainian cultures are among the ones represented at Ze Mean Bean Cafe, and its serves as a tasty first course on the Charm City Food Tour.

The tour continues on to its second stop at neighboring Hungry Andy’s, where their slogan reads “Come Hungry, Leave Full.” Hungry Andy’s takes traditional American fare to the next level with their skilled preparation of the finest ingredients. For a perfect taste of Baltimore styled food, Hungry Andy’s serves their version of pit beef. Pit beef is Baltimore’s answer to barbeque, originating in the working class section of the city. The pit beef at Hungry Andy’s is a top round beef piled high on a kaiser roll. It is topped with mayonnaise, horseradish, barbeque sauce, and fresh onions. An extra kick of heat comes along with the horseradish, but it is tamed by the mayonnaise. The sauces coat the beef well, making for a juicy sandwich.

Accompanying the pit beef sandwich is Hungry Andy’s fresh cut fries. Using only #1 Idaho potatoes, the french fries at this restaurant are amazingly crunchy without being greasy. Dining at Hungry Andy’s small storefront comes with a laid back atmosphere and is a delicious way to taste a local tradition in Baltimore.

After leaving Hungry Andy’s the Fells Point tour continues on to The Point in Fells. Located just steps away from the water, The Point in Fells is an unpretentious restaurant and bar with a solid menu. At this stop on the food tour, diners are welcomed with their choice of local beer, along with a crab crostini and a spiced mushroom edamame salad. The crab crostini is a highlight of the dish, with locally sourced Maryland crab as its centerpiece. Its velvety texture pairs well with the crunch from the crostini. Along side is nice portion of mushrooms and bits of bright green edamame, resting on a bed of noodles. Diners can choose to sit at a table or up at the wraparound bar, the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a bite of these delicious samples.

A walk through a bar lined with shelves of Grand Marnier opens up to an elegant back dining room at the tour’s next stop: One Eyed Mike’s. This restaurant and tavern is popular for its Grand Marnier Club, where members can join and always have a bottle of Grand Marnier reserved for them in their name.

One Eyed Mike’s food sample on the Charm City Food Tour is an artistically plated Caprese salad. Sweetly ripe tomatoes are stacked with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. It is drizzled with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, and served with a side of toasted bread. Along with it comes a dish of wonderfully prepared tuna, sliced into cubes, and served with a creamy sauce.

The fifth and final stop along the Charm City Food Tour in Fells Point is at Todd Conner’s, for a rich dessert. This restaurant gives diners a cooling drink in the form of a white Russian. Todd Conner’s takes the simple notion of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and brings it to the next level by deep frying it in a french toast batter. Served with a dusting of powdered sugar and sweet whipped cream, it’s a decadent way to end the food tour on a sweet note.

Not only is the Charm City Food Tour a unique way to understand Baltimore’s cultural past and culinary establishments, it is also a one of a kind way to feel a part of the neighborhood. A friendly, local tour guide takes visitors through the historic streets of Fells Point, pointing out the charm and history of the area. The small group atmosphere makes for an intimate, personalized tour and leaves people full of tasty food and local knowledge.

For more information on making a reservation on a tour, visit Charm City Food Tour or call the Zerve ticketing agency at 800-979-3370.

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On an unassuming side street in Baltimore’s Little Italy neighborhood is the corner storefront of Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Elegantly decorated for the holiday season, this pastry shop is a beautifully welcoming place where locals gather to enjoy the tastes of Italy. Whether it is for savory dishes, sweet desserts, or rejuvenating cups of coffee, Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop is one spot not to be missed in Baltimore.

The selection of traditional Italian desserts is impressive at this bakery, and with so many delicious options to choose from, it is hard to decide where to start. Upon entrance, a long row of glass showcases greet customers with trays overflowing with cookies, tempting people from the moment they arrive at Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Diners are able to pick from dozens of different cookie varieties, with the option of mixing and matching to create a selection of assorted Italian treats.

Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop offers anything from traditional Italian cookies such as a pignoli, amaretti, or Italian shortbread. There are also an array of biscotti available, including flavors such as vanilla, or biscotti dipped in white chocolate or chocolate. For those who want a fruity component in a cookie, there are also a raspberry fill butter, strawberry fill butter, and apricot fill butter cookies.

Not only does Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop make cookies extremely well, their selection of decadent desserts does not fall short either. Italian cakes are represented on the menu with mouth watering selections. The rum cake is a delicious cake that has absorbed the flavors of rum through a soaking process. It is a layered cake with chocolate and vanilla custard, topped with sliced almonds. The Italian cheesecake keeps with its traditional roots by using ricotta cheese, which can be topped with a scoop of their famous gelato.

An Italian bakery wouldn’t be complete without gelato, and Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop has a wide selection of flavors to choose from. Gelato, an Italian ice cream, comes in cool flavors that are popular in Italy, including tiramisu, amaretto, and baci, which is a chocolate hazelnut. Blending together traditions of Italy and the United States, hot fudge sundaes are available using gelato, along with favorite ice cream toppings.

A perfect way to get a taste of many of the items on Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop’s menu is to order the sampler. The sampler comes with two of the bakery’s famous cannolis. One cannoli comes with the regular cannoli cream, while the other comes with chocolate cannoli cream. The sweetness and velvety texture of the cream filling works well with the crunch of the cannoli shell. Along with these mini cannolis comes two cream puffs. Both filled with sweet cream, one cannoli is topped with a rich chocolate fudge. The sample also includes a few Italian specialty cookies, including a pignoli cookie, butterball cookie, and a sliced almond macaroon cookie. The portion is great to share between two people and will surely keep any sweet tooth satisfied.

There’s no shortage of both non alcoholic and alcoholic drinks at Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop. Anything from wine, tea, to Italian cappuccino is available. The decadent hot chocolate is a perfect choice to warm up during the winter season. It is served in an oversized mug, along with thick whipped cream and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.

A signature cookie comes along with the drink, with ‘Vacarro’ baked into the cookie itself. For those who want an extra kick with their drink, the Caffe Bailey’s is a coffee infused with Bailey’s Irish Cream. Also served with a nice amount of whipped cream and a cookie, these drinks will warm anyone up.

Vacarro’s offers customers the option of taking out some of their specialty Italian pastries, or dining in their brightly lit dining area. Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop also serves savory Italian meals, including salads, paninis, and soups. The ambiance of the shop is casual, but the service and quality of their products are well above average. It is truly a perfect place to unwind with a drink or indulge in a bit of sweetness with a pastry.

The Vacarro’s Italian Pastry Shop in Little Italy is located at 222 Albermarle Street in Baltimore, Maryland.

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It has been a rough year for animals so far, particularly birds and fish.  There have been countless massive and unexplained animal deaths since the year began.  Even some with official explanations still seem questionable.

The New Year began ominously with 5,000 blackbirds literally falling out of the sky is Beebe, Arkansas.  Officials have concluded that fireworks were probably to blame for scaring the birds and causing them to fly into each other and other objects.  But, fireworks are launched at least two times a year in most communities and such a large number of bird deaths are extremely rare.  Following that, it was difficult to keep up with the dying birds.  Large numbers of birds were found dead in Sweden, Italy, Louisiana, Kentucky, and California.   Even just last week, 200 geese in Ohio have died and many more are sick.  Officials have offered a number of explanations for the bird deaths although nothing has been conclusive.  Officials also stress that these occurrences are not connected.   Are the large number of dead birds a normal thing that we have just focused on more or is it something else?

Marine life has also been dying at alarming rates.  Hundreds of thousands of fish were found dead in the Arkansas River, not far from the first bird deaths in Arkansas.  Fish were found dead in Florida, New Zealand, and Illinois.   An estimated 40,000 crabs washed ashore in England during January.  Two million fish were found dead in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.  In Brazil, millions of dead fish washed up on the beach.  Officials blame most of the deaths on cold temperatures.

More recently, some mammals have died in massive numbers.  10,000 cattle died in Vietnam and officials say that cold weather is to blame.  However, the weather wasn’t really that cold and cattle can survive in colder weather.  200 cows died in Wisconsin, but that is one animal death with a definitive answer—the poor cows ate moldy sweet potatoes.   Now, the dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico are turning up dead.  Although, this probably isn’t very mysterious since millions of gallons of oil spilled there last year.  60 dolphins, many newborns, have been found dead in the last month.  Is this all just a normal cycle of nature or is it something else?

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