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The Health Education Resource Organization (HERO) has been one of the most visible and active champions in fighting AIDS and providing hope to those infected and affected by HIV over the last 25 years in Baltimore, a city where the disease remains a severe problem. The city is beset by rising infection rates among adults in their 20s. African-Americans continue to bear the brunt of the disease, accounting for 90 percent of new HIV and AIDS cases.
At HERO a client can see a doctor, get legal advice, mental health counseling, housing assistance and help pay for their numerous prescriptions. HERO also provides free lunch and dinner to clients and offers free use of laundry facilities, showers and telephones.
On Friday evening the organization will commemorate it's 25th anniversary with a celebration at The Engineer's Club. There will be a reception at 5:30 pm followed by dinner at 6:45 pm. The keynote speaker for the evening is former Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders. Also scheduled to speak: Dr. Joel Gallant from Johns Hopkins, Dr. Robert Redfield from the University of Maryland, Dr. Bernie Branson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the commissioner of Health for Baltimore City.
Tickets are available at $50. Click here for info
Comments on today's column have come in from all over the world. (Note to readers: If you want to send a dissenting opinion -- and, truly, I do appreciate them -- please refrain from addressing me by terms you would not use in front of small children. All that does is send my finger over to the Delete key, I guarantee you.)
This is one of several letters from readers who got the point I was trying to make about the future of our kids overriding the petty and ego-driven politics of of the moment:
I hope the point you've made gets legs with the mainstream media and the candidates are pressured to make "nice" as you say. Thank you for bringing up the point about what this younger generation will be facing due to climate change. It's chilling to realize that they may not live as long due to what's happening now, all over the world. Never before has a generation had to face the powerlessness of our earth in demise. It really hit home for me. These two candidates certainly would demonstrate their love of their country and commitment to serving us by doing exactly as you say. Stop the obscene spending on this campaign and form a united front now.
Personally, I prefer Hillary as the president and Barack as the VP. He still needs time to strengthen
his young muscles in national politics. If they did as you say we could get sixteen years of two great leaders and the talent that comes with them--perhaps enough time to save the planet.
Colleen Corrigan
Legislative Consultant
for the Wild Rockies
The O'Governor released the following statement regarding Virginia’s efforts to assist in the rebuilding of the Blue Crab population in the Chesapeake Bay:
“I want to thank Governor Kaine and his staff for their leadership and partnership with Maryland on their historic efforts to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay blue crab fishery. When Governor Kaine and I met in Colonial Beach on April 15, we made a commitment to work together to reduce the harvest of female crabs by 34 percent this year. By closing the winter dredge fishery and agreeing to close the fall crab fishery early, Virginia’s actions confirm that we are on the right course, and strengthens our resolve to ensure that our own regulatory measures, proposed earlier this week, are put in place according to plan. These are not easy decisions to make. We are greatly concerned about the impact of these actions on our watermen and our processing industry, and we remain committed to identifying opportunities to mitigate this economic impact. However, these actions are necessary if we are to ensure a sustainable blue crab fishery for future generations.”
Let them plant trees, in the meantime . . .
Should Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama form a ticket?
Between noon and 2 today, you have a chance to post comment, e-mail a question or call and speak about the Pennsylvania primary and where Obama and Clinton go from here. The Midday show is all politics -- with Paul West, the Sun's chief political writer, and Catherine Lucey, who's been covering the campaign for the Philadelphia Daily News. They're with us from noon until 1 p.m., then David Zurawik, the Sun's TV critic, talks about media coverage of the campaign. I'm also go to ask The Z about the recent piece he and Chris Kaltenbach wrote on local TV news operations no longer being "cash cows" for the companies that own the affiliates.
You can e-mail us at midday@wypr.org, or post comments here. The Midday show is available at 88.1-FM, WYPR, or through www.wypr.org
One part of the world wants biofuels to keep our cars running; another part of the world just wants to eat. Is the race to put more food crops in the biofuel stream contributing to the world-wide food crisis? And are biofuels the way to go to lower the amount of greenhouse gases causing global warming? In the first hour of Midday today: A talk with Timothy Searchinger, a Princeton-based scientist who contributed to a study that measured the efficiencies of biofuel production and concluded that corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, would nearly double greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increase greenhouse gases. Biofuels from switchgrass, if grown on U.S. corn lands, would increase emissions by 50%. This result raises concerns about large biofuel mandates in American agriculture.
881. WYPR-FM, noon to 2 p.m.
Many readers reacted strongly to recent stories in The Sun about problems with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore -- its accreditation status, for one thing, and the need to boost attendance and fundraising. Today on Midday at 1 pm: Don Hutchinson, the zoo's president, answers questions about the 132-year-old institution's future. You can e-mail a question at midday@wypr.org, or call during the show.
Midday, noon-2 pm, Monday through Thursday, WYPR-FM, 88.1
Cynthia Tucker, whose Atlanta Journal Constitution columns have appeared on the Sun's op-ed page for four years, is schedule to hook up with us by phone today at noon to talk Pennsylvania presidential primary politics. Also on the schedule: Jean Marbella, my Sun columnist colleague, and Nell McCormack Abom, host of the Smart Talk public affairs program on WITF-TV in Harrisburg.
88.1 WYPR-FM
Questions, comments welcome at midday@wypr.org
A Ron Paul supporter wrote to me to complain that the Sun had not covered the failed Republican presidential candidate's appearance at Goucher College the other night. "I took my 15-year-old to see Ron Paul at Goucher the other night," she said. "It was packed -- standing room only, probably between 500 and 1,000 people there. He was sublime, rational, cogent and amazing. The Sun coverage of the event was comprehensive. . . . Duh-oh, there WAS no Sun coverage!"
Well, it was a Monday evening, 7:30 pm., speech. By that hour, the only news The Sun would have an interest in covering on evening deadline -- for Tuesday's paper -- would be important, breaking news. That's how things work at this newspaper and many others. Another Ron Paul speech is just not that important.
I'm not saying there isn't value in what he has to say about the state of the nation. I'm saying to expect the Sun or other daily news organizations to, at this point, drop what they're doing to capture his words or positions for readers is unrealistic.
Aside from the logistical issue, there's the question of whether Ron Paul is still newsworthy -- any more than any other failed candidate for president. I'm not involved in these decisions at The Sun, and don't presume to speak for my editors. But Paul got about 19,000 votes in the Maryland Republican primary two months ago, so, whether Paul supporters like it or not, that result diminishes interest in him as a candidate. What can I tell you? We've moved on. Not even the Examiner covered his speech the other night. Print news space is at a premium these days. (At least we had a digest item announcing Paul's speech in advance of the event, so that his supporters could know when and where he was appearing.)
Nonetheless, the posting of this item has led to all kids of negative comments about the media's coverage of Ron Paul. Have at it, folks. It's a free country, and the Sun is so generous with its on-line space, we allow a constant barrage of criticism of how we do things.
One of the world's leading journals declares Baltimore "back from the brink."
"Television dramas such as 'The Wire' may give the impression that Baltimore is a hellhole. It is not. Most of the city is calm and pleasant. Only a couple of areas are crime-ridden. And even in these areas, relatively few young men commit—and are the victims of—the most serious crimes. Last year, 89% of those murdered in Baltimore had a criminal record."
Reader Matt Gonter created a more professional invoice for Representatie Al "Hot To Lobby And Make The Big Bucks" Wynn:
| INVOICE | |||
| Comptroller of Maryland | DATE: | April 10, 2008 | |
| 80 Calvert St | INVOICE # | 1 | |
| P.O. Box 466 | |||
| Annapolis, MD 21404 | |||
| Phone: (410) 260-7801 | |||
| Bill To: | |||
| Rep. Albert Wynn | |||
| 2470 Rayburn Building | |||
| Washington, DC 20515 | |||
| DESCRIPTION | AMOUNT | ||
| 2008 Special Election- 4th Congressional District | $500,000.00 | ||
| TOTAL | $ 500,000.00 | ||
| Make all checks payable to Comptroller of Maryland. | |||
| If you have any questions concerning this invoice, please contact Peter Franchot at 410-260-7801. | |||
THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS! | |||
Here's what I mailed to Al "Pay Pal" Wynn last week:
The twin brothers who run Baltimore Trophy House in Highlandtown, Todd and Brooks Bennett, have invented and pattented a game for tailgaters. They call it Cool Toss, a bean-bag toss game with small, round wells in the lids of beer coolers as the targets. They set up a demo area near Sliders on Orioles Opening Day, and a video of the beer-injected fun has been YouTubed. Click here to check it out . . . . Brooks says the Coleman company is producing 1,000 CoolToss coolers and they'll be on sale in May.
With the help of Coach Jonathan Kehl, we're following the Patterson High School boys' varsity lacrosse season. Last year at this time, Kehl's Clippers started their season without one of their leaders -- Christopher Clarke, the promising senior who had been a bystander victim of a street shooting in northeast Baltimore. The '07 Clippers dedicated their season to Clarke. (Here's a link to an earlier blog post and my column of May 2007).
Here's Coach Kehl's latest report: The thing I love about Patterson and our team is that you never really know what you’re gonna get. Everyday is something new and monotony is nonexistent. This week saw the return of Tyrell Addison who is unquestionably one of most athletic and passionate young men I’ve ever met. Of course this would mean I would have to stick my head out for him and vouch that he would keep his affairs in order. The week also saw the loss of another clipper. Eric, half of the ‘Latin Heat’, had to step up as a man and down as a Clipper. Because of circumstances beyond his control, he needs to take leave from the team and being a freshman, to instead run the family business. Yeah a ninth-grader, like so many others in Baltimore City, was pushed into adulthood a bit too early. I love that kid and I hope he comes back as soon as he can. And how about the Castro family?! Talk about a pleasant surprise. It has been overwhelming how many people are touched by and support Patterson Lacrosse. The Castro family is about as selfless as they come. As tight as things are for everyone, they graciously donated $200 to the team’s discretionary fund (which until now only consisted of my money). I think the only appropriate way to spend the extra cash is to finally create a Christopher Clarke scholarship fund. Castro’s you have the honor of the first endowment. As the scholarship project develops, I will keep everyone up to speed. I know there are a lot of you out there who will be interested. Last Friday, we had the pleasure of playing Forest Park in west Baltimore. It was the first of a five game road series for the Clippers. We were caught off guard and found ourselves down 3 nil in the first few minutes. From there it was all Patterson with 5 unanswered goals. We were plagued with penalties for most of the match and played man-down for nearly 10 minutes in all. Needless to say, Forest Park also rallied and the game would end with the Clippers going into overtime, man-down, without possession. Forest Park capitalized and won the match 8-7. Tuesday’s match would take us to W.E.B. Dubois in Northeast Baltimore. The outcome wasn’t much different with a loss by one goal. Jazmon Harris had an amazing late game and Charles Karaberis had the game of is young career. It really was a good match and as heartbreaking as these one goal losses are, I guess it has got to be better than getting blown out. We are so close, but we just can’t seem to finish. Maybe it’s the coaching. Digital Harbor is this Friday; they beat Dubois by one so maybe we will return the favor. Thanks for all of your continued support and tolerance of my grammatical errors. Coach Kehl --------- Clippers get first win
April 7:
Wow, What a week… Due to travel circumstances beyond my control (US Airways) I was in Charlotte NC while the Clippers were playing there first regular season game against Edmondson. As you can imagine, I was disappointed to say the least, but the Clippers came through and played very well against Edmondson under the Supervision of Assistant Coach Rudy Wagoner and Coach Chris Stalker. They were tied at the half but came up a little short and finished down by two. Not a bad effort with the absence of their Head Coach. In any event, we were back at it Wednesday and Thursday making adjustments to prepare for Douglas.
I came as no surprise to see more rain and cold weather at our first home game. I told the boys we’d be cursed with bad weather until we get that ‘W’. Everything was in place, the boys were warmed up, fed, and ready to play. The weather wasn’t miserable but definitely cold, wet and windy. Just when we are ready to take the field… No opponent. It is a relatively well known and frequent occurrence that busses run late in Baltimore City, but try telling that to a team whose stomach is in knots waiting to size up their opponents and get the match underway. To make it even worse when their bus finally did arrive they are wearing their ‘white’ or ‘home’ jerseys. No problem right, just throw on our away jerseys… now remember we just finished an away game on Wednesday and many of our away game jerseys are somewhere is a washing machine because the boys didn’t bring them back to school to let the Coach wash them because the Coach was God only knows where trying to get on a flight to get to the game.
In a few minutes time we rustled together as many black jerseys we could find in that locker room. They weren’t all game jerseys, some weren’t even Lacrosse jerseys but we had enough. All but one. Terrell Howard was the only one left without a black jersey with a number on it. Still scrambling, Mike pointed over to our memorial of Chris, where displayed was his black game jersey. We asked, and everyone agreed that Chris would have demanded that we use his jersey just as we had used his stick, gloves, and whatever else we needed in the past. I think in many ways Chris still is a Captain for our team and he always shows up on the days we need him the most. Terrell wore it well and the rookie had a great game. By the way we led the entire game. And while it wasn’t the most graceful match, we played our hearts out and brought home a victory. Joseph “Speedy” Hawkins, Felix Almoza, & Jazmon Harris found the back of the net and Freshman Aaron Overton found it twice. Our defense remains to be a force to be reckoned with and Mike led them with another 16 saves. Next Match, @ Forest Park this Friday.
----
Had I know that my casual email to Dan would be the first of a series of ‘Blog’ entries I would have written a little less casually. I must say that I am flattered that Clipper Lacrosse is ‘Blog’ worthy. In any event I would be more than happy to include highlights of the Clipper’s season that may not appear in the sports section of The Sun.
We played a great tournament @ Parkville the Saturday before Easter. Patterson, Western Tech, and Chopticon from St. Mary’s County were all invited to play. The Knight’s Coaches and AD were great hosts and it was some well played lacrosse on a cold day before Easter. While Patterson didn’t come away with a win they played some hard-fought Lacrosse with only about half the roster of the other teams.
Patterson drew Parkville and played them first. The Clippers came out strong but struggled to keep up with the Knight’s quick midfield. Mike Collins’ goal-keeping has become a bit of a metaphor for Clipper Lacrosse -- passionate, rough, aggressive, yet in the end disciplined and respectful of the game and other teams. It is easy for a team to get frustrated when you are being outplayed and there is little you can do. At halftime Mike and I pulled the team together, calmed them down, and readied them for the rest of the day. After that, the Clippers came out and played tired, cold, bested, but well. And they had fun.
The next match against Western Tech was about the same. It was a much closer game but the Clippers were exhausted and it showed. I knew we would be stretching ourselves thin when we accepted the invitation to play in the tournament, and consequently the scoreboard would reflect that. However the guys stuck together, played hard, and represented our fallen teammate as they always do. The Knights were great hosts and sportsmen. We look forward to participating in next year’s tournament.
We invite you all to attend our first home game against Douglas Friday. It should be a great match.
---------------
Here's Coach Kehl's first report of the '08 season:
"All is well here in Clipper country. The boys are really coming along. We are definitely much further ahead than we were this time last year. We just scrimmaged Dundalk Wednesday, and it was a really good match. Dundalk is decent, and we finished 10-7 -- not a victory but we worked real well together and moved the ball around nicely. Had we been selfish and forced it we could have won but everyone played and it was a real good learning experience. Our first home game against Douglas (April 4) should be a good one. Thanks for all of your continued support and we hope to see you all soon."
Regarding America's sports culture -- the youth side of which was discussed on yesterday's Midday show -- our old friend Bush Hog comments:
"Viewers of sport at all levels have become inured, upon the slightest achievement on field or floor, to exhibitions of fist-pumping, chest-pounding, ball-spiking, endzone-dancing and in-your-face howling. The simple dictum uttered by former Steelers coach Chuck Noll ("Son, if you happen to get into the endzone, act like you've been there before") is old hat. Self-adulation is the rule of the day and league officials count angels on the heads of pins in an effort to determine when the conduct has spilled over into 'taunting.'
"Thus, it was striking on Sunday to see Trevor Immelman, as he walked up the fairway toward the 17th green to the cheers of the gallery, unobtrusively motion to his playing partner of the day to join him in the walk. Mr. Immelman's parents were waiting for him at the 18th green and, no doubt, they were quite proud of his victory. They could be equally proud, however, of their son's simple act of grace on the 17th--an act so slight and quiet that it did not even rate a notice or a mention from the jabberwockies broadcasting the event. His parents, or somebody-sometime, had taught this kid graciousness. It was a lovely moment from a bygone time when sportsmanship and sport appeared together."
The mayor of Philadelphia has announced a tax credit plan for city businesses that hire ex-offenders. Click here for the Inquirer story.
Baltimore doesn't have such a credit, but Maryland and the federal government offer them.
Maryland State Tax Credit: Long-Term Employment of Ex-Felons Tax Credit
Maryland businesses that hire and employ an ex-felon for at least one year may be entitled to a credit. The company must also obtain certification from the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation that the individual is a qualified ex-felon.
The credit can be claimed for two years, for the following amounts:
• Year 1: 30% of the first $6,000 in wages
• Year 2: 20% of the first $6,000 in wages
If the credit is more than the state tax liability, the unused portion may be carried forward for the next five tax years.
http://business.marylandtaxes.com/taxinfo/taxcredit/lteoef/default.asp
Federal Tax Credit: Work Opportunity Tax Credit
This program is pending reauthorization, but potentially eligible employers should contact the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation to get more information and apply.
An employer who hires an ex-felon may be eligible for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This federal tax credit provides an incentive for employers to hire, train, and retain job seekers who often experience barriers to employment. The credit is worth up to $2,400 per qualified worker based on the following criteria:
• Up to 25% of the first $6,000 in wages if the individual works a minimum of 120 hours but less than 400 hours.
• Up to 40% of the first $6,000 in wages if the individual works 400 hours or more.
There is no limit on the number of workers an employer can claim.
MARYLAND DEPT OF LABOR, LICENSING & REGULATION
TAX CREDIT PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR
1100 NORTH EUTAW STREET, SUITE 201
BALTIMORE, MD 21201
410-767-2080
www.dllr.state.md.us/employment/wotc.htm
Sunday's column about Darryl Russell's efforts to find a job prompted a round of the usual ignorant comments from do-nothings who think -- or prefer to think -- that this is about coddling violent criminals. But, far and away, the comments for readers are positive and supportive, and readers show themselves to understand that more jobs for ex-offenders means, in the long run, more Baltimore men getting straight and going straight, supporting their families and not contributing to the city's -- and the metropolitan area's -- crime problem.
Here's an interesting letter on the subject from Ashley Corbin, an employment counselor at the Marian House in Baltimore:
"I just recently moved to Maryland from Boston and my job here since October is an Employment Counselor for a non-profit in East Baltimore. We provide transitional housing for 28 women who are in recovery, most of which arrive here from various prisons. I work with each one of them on building a resume, getting in to specific training classes, interview skills and provide support in whatever area they need help in.
"I have seen too many circumstances when many of my residents had been offered a job, even given a start date, only to get a call right before letting them know their criminal records would not allow for them to be hired. It is so frustrating to see this cycle continue, and despite employers making the statements that they are willing to hire ex-offenders it is usually not the case.
"People who do not have to face this issue do not really realize the volume of people that are impacted by this barrier everyday. I am not suggesting that every person who has committed crimes and is now out of prison is going to make a positive contribution to society, but who can make that decision unless a chance is given?
"Since I get to work with every resident on an individual basis, and for anywhere from 6 to 8 months, I can see that they genuinely want the chance to feel like a productive member of society, and when the chances are given to them, it makes going through this process all worth it. There are a few other non-profits in the city, as well as the Mayors Office of Employment and the Re-Entry Centers that we have partnered up with in order to create a stronger network to assist ex-offenders. Any new information that any of us get, we share with each other and we always appreciate insight and resources from anyone who can help. I hope that Darryl Russell is able to find a job!"
Today on the radio show we're diving fully into the subject of kids and sports -- the need for them to play, have fun and stay fit and healthy . . . and the pressure on the more athletic ones to pick a sport, excel and grab a college scholarship. Finding the right balance of all that is key for each child. Are parents pushing their kids too hard? Is single-sport focus a healthy idea? Why do so many kids drop out of organized sports at 13? What kind of injury trends are sports docs seeing? And, regarding college scholarships -- how realistic are they? On the show today: Dan Doyle, author of the The Encyclopedia of Sports Parenting; Mike Buchanan, coach and contributor to DigitalSports.com; Kim Clark, a reporter for US News and World who covers the college scholarship scene, and other guests.
WYPR FM, 88.1-FM, Noon to 2 pm
Today at 1 pm, we're talking with the makers of an unusual documentary about America's food chain, "King Corn." This indie film has created something of a buzz. Two Yale classmates, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, embark on a truth-seeking odyssey to Iowa, where, in an effort to understand why America produces so much corn -- and ingests so much of it -- they rent an acre of land and plant a crop. They try to follow the corn they produce through the nation's vast food-processing system. As they do, they discover all sorts of disturbing facts about the nation;s subsidized corn crop. For one thing, it enables America's obesity and is a factor in predictions that Ellis/Cheney's generation probably will have a shorter life span than that of their parents.
Midday, noon-2 pm on 88.1 WYPR
The death of Jack Lemmon reminds everyone in this town -- or informs newcomers -- that once there was an Evening Sun, and it was one of the best afternoon papers in the country before and during Jack's time as the top editor. It was Mencken's paper, Hamilton Owens's, Lee McCardell's, Price Day's, William Manchester's, Jim McKay's, Lou Rukeyser's, David Culhane's, Carl Schoettler's. It was Jack Lemmon's for about 12 years.
Until 1986, when the News-American went out of business, afternoon circulation in the Baltimore region far outpaced morning readership. Combined News-American and Evening Sun readership was probably about 300,000 when the Hearst Corporation killed off the old "News-Post" and the Abell Co. sold The Sunpapers to Times-Mirror. It wasn't long before the new management started downsizing and squeezing The Evening Sun, in the hopes of making it die because, well, that's what the industry did everywhere else. They succeeded. It was one of the worst decisions ever. (See Jim Burger's comments below.)
They buried the Evening Sun in 1995, and lost thousands of loyal daily readers in the process. Jack was the last managing editor of a seperate Evening Sun, and he spent a lot of time scratching his head, trying to understand why the new owners wanted to kill the paper he'd come to town to manage. He held the fort until his retirement, then the inestimable Ernie Imhoff took his place for the last stand, the final few years, when management made the afternoon paper so much like its morning counterpart, those many readers who once purchased both stopped that practice.
The PM Sun was much like baltimoresun.com these days; the Web version of the newspaper is a throw-back to the evening dailies that once thrived in Baltimore.
We covered breaking news, and there was plenty of it.
We wrote stories at 6 a.m. that were in print by 10, wrote stories at 10 that
were in print by noon, wrote stories at 3 that were in print by evening rush.
A reader could pick up the 7-Star or Final as the sun set on the city and
know, pretty much, what had happened that day in the trial of former Maryland
Gov. Marvin Mandel.
Or what had happened in Dundalk overnight.
Or what had happened in Arbutus that morning.
Or which horses had won the first couple of races at Pimlico.
Or what the pope had said in Rome.
Back in the day, I often went home, turned on the TV news at 6, and heard anchormen (and,
once upon a time, an anchorwoman named Oprah) recite, almost word-for-word,
local news stories Evening Sun reporters had dictated to rewriters on the city desk from
pay phones that morning or afternoon. And across the open newsroom of The Sunpapers -
that's what native Baltimoreans called us - morning Sun editors and reporters
examined our paper (sometimes with sneers) to see what they had missed.
They scooped us. We scooped them. Some days, The News American scooped
us both.
For the first 10 years that I worked in Baltimore, there was a delicious
newspaper rivalry, and the town was better for it. After the News American folded in
1986, the Evening Sun lost its identity as the morning and evening news staffs were merged. But for most of the years, The Evening Sun was as distinct from The Sun as Haussner's
from Hampton's. (Haussner's is gone now, too.)
We had a much better sports section than the morning paper, and a more talented local staff of news reporters. Some of the best hiring at the paper took place under Lemmon -- Laura Lippman, Dan Fesperman, Tom Waldron, Mike Adams, Diana Henry, Tom Keyser, Kevin Cowherd, Stephanie Shapiro, Mike Fletcher, Rick Berke, Gwen Ifill, Frank Roylance, and too many others to mention, and who have moved on to other vineyards. (Jack Lemmon gave young Nestor Aparicio a break, too. See his comments below.)
In 1986, Jack Lemmon grabbed the News American's comic strips and
hired some of its most popular writers, including sports columnist John Steadman, sportswriter Jim Henneman, gossip columnist Sylvia Badger, Baltimore columnist Jacques Kelly and reporters Richard Irwin and Joe Nawrozki. From News-American readers, The Evening Sun picked up twice the circulation the morning Sun did. And yet, the new management did everything possible to kill off the Evening Sun over the next several years, despite its loyal readership. It was a sad day when Jack retired in 1991; it meant the Evening Sun no longer had a distinct leader, and the paper's days were numbered. It was gone in four more years, the victim of corporate-think that never understood Baltimore and the town's preference for lively, intensely local, brightly-written afternoon papers.
Jack Lemmon understood it, right to the end.
From Jim Burger's From “10 Decisions that Changed Baltimore, and not for the Better.”
Killing The Evening Sun
On Friday September 15, 1995, I shot a photo of Baltimore Sun publisher Mary Junck receiving the last Evening Sun newspaper as it rolled off the press. I always liked Mrs. Junck. She was a kindhearted soul. But there she was hoisting that paper up like Herodias carrying the severed head of St. John the Baptist. The only thing missing was a bloody sword. It was Mary’s job to kill The Evening Sun because it wouldn’t die by itself. Not that it didn’t get the chance: Over the years the staff had been cut, and cut some more. A newsroom merger meant that people who took the morning and evening papers were reading the identical story twice. Circulation slid, but even on that last day of publication, paid subscriptions stood at 86,000. There are plenty of newspapers around the country that would love to sell that many copies.
So let’s say that instead of killing The Evening Sun, the decision had been made to fix it. Visualize a snappy paper — perhaps in a tabloid format — a late story filling the front page. Inside could be updates from the morning edition. And lots of entertainment, arts, and music stories that young people want to read. Sun management had been drooling over the City Paper’s readers forever, and here was a real chance to go after them in earnest.
But instead, Times Mirror, the Sun’s parent company at the time, chose to pull the plug. They killed The Evening Sun, and pocketed the money, because that’s what they do. It’s just business. Look for Times Mirror on the stock tables. Can’t find them? Oh, that’s right, they went out of business, too.
-- Originally published in Style magazine
Dogs have long been a part of military life as mascots and integral parts of military units. From World War I to Vietnam and Iraq, the U.S. military has used dogs as messengers, sentries and scouts. These duties continue today, with emphasis on sentry/guard duty and explosives detection. Often, some of the strongest bonds formed in war zones are those of soldiers with their unit mascots. This bond has lead retired Navy reservist and Annapolis resident Mark Feffer to work with Operation Baghdad Pups, to bring unit mascots home from war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. His sister, Christine Sullivan, has written a book, "44 Days out of Kandahar," on her and Feffer's rescue of his missing unit mascot, Cinnamon. This dog has made national headlines in recent weeks. The book is self-published, at $24.95 with some of the proceeds going to Operation Baghdad Pups, to help servicemen and women bring adopted dogs back with them from the war zones. Here's their web site: www.44-days.com
Don Jestes was a scout dog handler in Vietnam. He lives in Howard County. He and others veterans of the 47th Infantry Platoon, Scout Dog, are mentioned in a softcover book by Toni Gardner, a writer and animal advocate who lives in Baltimore. She used to write a pets column for Country Living magazine. The book is entitled, "Walking Where the Dog Walks: An Interspecies Odyssey in Vietnam, 1968-69" and it's available through Gardiner's web site: www.tonigardner.com
I put out a pitch Monday for a Maryland millionaire to call the radio show, to talk about that extra $17,000 Martin O'Malley wants from each of them -- each of the 6,000 who live in the state -- to offset that proposed (now dead) tech tax. None did. No takers.
But a fellow actually called me last night to say, "I'm one of those this applies to." Gonna call him back this morning, have a little talk. He said in voice-mail and during brief, scratchy cell conversation last night that he's in the tech biz and agreed it was better for someone in his compensation class to pay the extra 17G than to lay a sales tax on computer services for all.
Where do we find such men?
More later.
Are you a Maryland millionaire? Are you one of the 6,000 people in the Free State who made more than $3 million last year? If so, we have a few questions:
1. Did you vote for Martin O'Malley in the last election?
2. Are you from Montgomery County? (There's a good chance you are.)
3. Have you heard that he and the Maryland General are going to hit you for an extra $17,000 in income taxes each of the next three years?
4. Did you know you were being forced to make this sacrifice for the greater good, so that the rest of us won't have to pay an additional "tech tax" on computer services?
5. Did you know that O'Malley and at least 93 members of the House of Delegates decided to take the extra tax out of you? I heard the governor use the word "surely" or "certainly" when he said that our millionaires have the means to be good citizens and help the state meet its needs.
6. How do you feel about this? Is it something you feel you can complain about without people throwing things at you? I notice that you have not formed a group called Maryland Millionaires For Fair Taxation. Feeling a little self-conscious? Need to vent anonymously? Feel free to call me today and we'll comiserate (not that I personally feel your pain!)
Please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you. Seriously.
David Wood, the Sun's military correspondent embedded with Marines in Afghanistan, is scheduled to hook up with us by phone during the noon hour of Midday Wednesday. He writes the popular Military Watch blog.
WYPR-FM, 88.1
Novelist Madison Smartt Bell has an audacious idea for improving life in Baltimore -- opening community martial arts schools.
On the Midday show last week, Henry Hong, the foodie from the City Paper, talked crab cakes. He wrote the cover story for the CP's recent food issue, providing just about everything you always wanted to know about Maryland’s signature dish. Many listeners wrote e-mails with their favorite place to get good crab cakes, and some related how they made them at home.
Here's the latest from a Dan Murtaugh in Towson:
When you experience greatness you have to tell people, and I told the owner of Rib and Reef on Padonia Road that I would spread the word. If you have not been there they have possibly the best crab cake I have ever eaten. My wife Rhonda and I are born and raised in Baltimore and can be a bit particular when it comes to crab cakes, but this one was incredible. AND it is a great value. For 15.95 you get a salad, crabcake and two sides. The service is also excellent and the owner could not be nicer.
From WYPR listener Ellen Billings:
Missed a bit of the broadcast - was the addition of baking powder
mentioned? I was told by a friend in the catering biz that they used
it, but have not heard any individual cooks list it as an ingredient.
My fave by the way, is the Angelina's crab cake, so I was interested to
hear that they might leave the egg yolks out and use only the whites.
Wonder if they incorporate a bit of cream for the creaminess? I will
try the beaten whites and cream soon as a test. . . . Love your show.
You are doing a great job and the variety of topics is
really appreciated . . .
-- Ellen Billings
Here's an e-mail from WYPR listener Cyndy Renoff:
About 30-40 years ago, our former neighbor was asked by her daughter for HER recipe for crabcakes: She started out with the: Pound of crabmeat, so much mayo, parseley, etc. and when she got to the number of slices of bread her daughter asked:
"Well, how many slices of bread did you say, Mom?"
Mom's reply: "How many guests?"
You simply STARTED with the pound of crabmeat and STRETCHED to feed everyone!
This neighbor, Jerry Blackburn, lived on Arundel Beach in Severna Park, where we could simply catch our OWN crabs, right from the pier. Best recipe is from the old Harbour House in Annapolis--NO OLD BAY! Just crab!
This is not a liberal or a conservative issue. Reforming the criminal justice system's approach to drug addiction is key to improving life in general in and around Baltimore. And this is not just a city issue. It effects everyone in the metropolitan area in some way.
This is about government doing something illogical over a long period of time -- and it's getting us nowhere and it's costing a huge amount of money.
"Recovery camps" are mentioned in Sunday's column. I'm talking about federal, state and privately-funded camps away from urban areas, where drug addicts in recovery could get daily treatment and counseling, three square meals, a place to sleep and, for most of the day, job training. This is a New Deal for the drug-addicted, the men and women who have been caught up in heroin and cocaine and who have committed crimes to maintain their habits. This is treatment-plus, a holistic approach to breaking the cycle of addiction/low or no employment/incarceration/addiction . . . What we're doing now, under present laws and limited treatment regimens, is getting us almost nowhere. If we really want to have sustainable neighborhoods, a better city, kids well-fed and well-educated, a further reduction in poverty, a break in the long, ridiculous and costly buildup of prison populations, then Maryland and the nation needs an imaginative and comprehensive approach to the addictions that are at the root of 80 percent of crimes. I am not a supporter of decriminalization -- largely because I think it is politically unrealistic, and because I believe the present laws do serve as a deterrent for many people. For those who are already sick from addiction -- let's stop treating them like criminals. Put the money we'd be spending on prisons into recovery camps for a few years, and measure the results. It's got to be better than what we are doing now.
Here's an early e-mail from a reader, Clay Welch in Pikesville:
"do you ever feel like you're preaching to the choir &/or pissing in the wind on issues like this? ignorance is doing the wrong thing, stupidity is doing the wrong thing over and over again. well our governments, local and national have been doing the stupid thing when it comes to drug addiction for about a century. the chickens are coming home to roost now that the economy is in the toilet. drug abuse and the incarceration rate/costs you mention are right up there with another stupid title, the war on terrorism as an excuse for any and every military expediture that comes down the pike. george w's military spending has been absolutely obscene. . . . former mayor schmoke more or less retired from public life after proposing decriminalization of drug addiction & treatment on demand. so now that we have to make some very hard decisions regarding how we spend our shrinking resources let's divert a big chunk of the bloated military budget and a chunk of the local prison budget to treatment on demand! i truly believe this will go a long way towards solving most of the social ills we suffer today. the human resources we create will make us a wealthier and more prosperous nation in the process."
"A teenage rock pop tart who has all his hair"
One last e-mail (for now, anyway) has arrived from Peter "Herman of the Hermits" Noone, on the matter of Niki Lee's description of his fans at Pier 6 a few years back. (I must say, hearing directly from one of the major music stars of my early teenhood has been cool.) It doesn't sound like Noone is a go for a meeting at Hershey Park this summer, but at least I think we've heard the end of hostilities. For her part, readers should go to Miss Lee's blog (I Hate The Word Blog blog) to see what she has to say today. (When I spoke to her Saturday, she did not care much for Noone calling her a liar, and she e-mailed me several photographs of very happy, bloated women at the Pier 6 concert in 1998 to support her description of the crowd.)
More from Peter Noone:
"I have no problem with her, if she leaves balding ladies alone. . . . I am sort of bemused by your mention of my googling myself everyday. Perhaps I should explain. Google offers a free service in which they email you if your name (in my case my name) shows up anywhere on the Net. I am above average intelligence, and have used this as a tool to track what is being written about me, and to make it easy to correct any possible errors as to who I am, and what I am doing or not doing.
"Being a geek has enabled me to create a way to connect my fans, and I have a chat room and go in to chat to my followers after every concert and to read their criticism and ask for their input on what I could do to improve my concerts or their experience at a concert.
"I have a group known as the NOONATICS (rhymes with lunatics) and I am very, very protective of my followers, so I took the bald routine to be nasty, mean-spirited and uncalled for. When a person goes to a Bobby Sherman concert, I think they are probably trying to look their best, and hope that Bobby sees them, falls in love with them, leaves his family and moves to Baltimore.
"I doubt any woman who is losing her hair, wants to be ridiculed by someone with good hair?
"Perhaps I am being over protective of the fans?
"I was pleasantly surprised by your offer to broker a peace settlement, and I think you can tell Miss N\ki that I am over the whole thing and will now go back to my own blog and try to remember that resentments are not appropriate.
"I wish her well, and hope she gets my point. Just a quick closer: I NEVER GET IN A LIMOUSINE. I walked to that concert because I need humilty, and I have the ability to learn from my mistakes as a teenage rock pop tart who has all his hair and a wonderful following. Bobby probably has a good following too,and is a real gentleman, which I will not claim for myself."
--
Peter Noone
Herman
Legendary radio DJ Johnny Dark, a fixture for years in Baltimore and now host of an oldies channel on satellite radio, has been heard from. He weighs in on my blog posts on the dust-up between Peter "Herman's Hermits" Noone and Baltimore's Niki Lee:
Well, now . . .
Peter Noone, the Herman of the British pop-rock band Herman's Hermits, does not shrink from a fight, or even a little blogospheric dust-up, from what I see.
First, Noone challenged Baltimore singer-songwriter Niki Lee on her indelicate comments about the middle-aged fans who came out to see Noone, Bobby Sherman and Davey Jones at a '60's reunion concert at Pier Six in 1998. Then, after I reported this in a Random Rodricks blog item yesterday, he got back to me, too.
I had suggested that Noone's harsh response to Lee's blog post gave him away as overly sensitive. On reflection, I would adjust that observation. Had Lee attacked Noone personally, he could be accused of having shed the thick skin necessary to be an aging pop-rocker still hoofing the performance circuit. (He seems to be doing quite well with concerts, by the way, though obviously with enough time on his hands to Google himself daily.)
But, in this case, he was defending his fans, not himself. (Though you could argue an attack on Noone's fans constituted an attack on the singer.)
Before we go on, I should mention that when Miss Lee, a talented musician in her own right, called me to report Noone's e-mail the other day, she was quite upset. I don't think she realized how her words could offend -- or that they would even be read by somone mentioned in the blog -- and that's a common experience in the blogosphere. The difference in this case is, someone called her on it. (And as a longtime newspaper columnist, whose words are examined by an ever-growing audience through the Internet, I say: Welcome to the club.)
Here is Peter Noone's e-mail to me, (with some of his choice adjectives eliminated in an effort to tone down the dialogue toward what I hope will some day be peace between Herman and Miss Lee):
"I do Google myself daily. It is a service they provide for free. . . . How disgusting to call Bobby Sherman fans balding old ladies!
Perhaps you don't see my point but it is a valid one, you have to agree?
My email to her was not about me, it was about her lies about the crowd . . .
Give me a break. How would you like to be one of Bobby's fans and be called
balding and old?
She was 12 when she was in love with Bobby and SO WERE THEY.
Luckily they're not faded and jaded . . .
This Niki . . . really disturbed me with her diatribe.
Surely you haven't got an argument with me on that?
If she had been so cruel to anyone except women she would be on Bill
O'Reilly. I am just checking to see if you are on her side or will out her as a nasty
cheat? No bald women were there. The roadie was bald and she confused him with an old Bobby
Sherman fan."
Now that that's done, and both sides having expressed themselves, let's move on, shall we? I would very much like to see harmony between these two musicians -- and would agree to broker the peace. Mr. Noone plays at Hershey Park in July, and I would be glad to escort Miss Lee to Chocolate Town for a meeting. I would even suggest a duet of "Mrs. Brown."
Live long enough and you may get a nasty e-mail from the original Herman, of Herman's Hermits. This has happened to Baltimore singer-songwriter-blogger-Green-Day-fan Niki Lee.
Miss Niki blogs -- even though she hates that word -- about all sorts of things, most often about Green Day. Recently, she blogged about going to Baltimore's Pier 6 concert pavillion a few years ago to hear 60's pop idols Bobby Sherman and Herman (Peter Noone) of the British group, Herman's Hermits. Miss Lee wasn't exactly delicate in telling the story and describing the scene:
"if you're from charm city you know that pier 6 is a place for those performers 'on their way up and on their way down... way down.' think spinal tap... i walked to pier 6 and there, in front of a high, locked chain-link fence, were about 100 overweight, balding women waiting for bobby, davey jones from the Monkees, and . . . . what is that guy's name?!? NOONE -- RIGHT PETER NOONE! Mind you, these women have to be my age because we all have the same teen idols from the same time period . . ."
Noone must Google himself daily 'cuz he found Miss Niki's blog post right away and dashed off a slash-and-burn e-mail the next day. Goes likes this:
"And i didn't see any balding ladies just beautiful girls having fun. you even
invented a fence? Chain-link and a roadie who invited you out?
I don't like your blog because it is so hurtful to others
Perhaps a look at who you are on the inside will help you find some peace in
your shitty little world of hate and mean-spiritedness.
Bobby sherman was, is and doesn't care for your sad little career. He likes
himself. Try picking on someone your own size
I see you did 2 gigs in 2007 so we all have something to be thankful for?
Stay home and leave us nice people out of your pathetic blogs. The mention
of my name drew my attention and my ire
I am done with you now. Disappear again.
Ps print this for all your loser fans"
--
. . . Who knew Hermie was so sensitive?
Are you among the small but growing number of parents who have decided to not have their children vaccinated against infectious diseases? We'd like to hear from you. The first hour of Tuesday's Midday radio show was devoted to this subject. We intend to follow up. Please see the posted comments on this blog.
News from Maroon PR: A statue of Brooks Robinson will be unveiled Saturday at 1:30 pm as part of the kick-off of the York Revolution's 2008 season. (That's York, Pa. The Revolution play in the independent Atlantic League.) It is the first-ever statue of Brooks Robinson to be unveiled at any stadium in the country. The event is open and free to the public. . . . The ceremony will include the statue dedication, a proclamation of “Brooks Robinson Way," and comments by Brooks.
This sounds like something that should have happened at Camden Yards -- like, years ago. Brooks' No. 5, along with those of Frank, Eddie, Earl, Cal and Cakes, stand in stainless steel at the Oriole Park north entrance. But so far, the only statue there is that of Babe Ruth, who never played for the Orioles.
In case you hadn't heard of it: The York Revolution is a professional baseball team based in York, Pennsylvania. Before the Revolution, the York community waited 38 years for the return of professional baseball since the York Pirates closed their doors. In 2006, Yorkers chose the name Revolution in a name-the-team-contest and refers to York’s colonial past. In 2007, the Revolution signed four former Baltimore Orioles to their coaching staff, which included Chris Hoiles, Tippy Martinez, Al Bumbry, and Ryan Minor. The team's new mailing address is 5 Brooks Robinson Way, York, PA 17401.
I get e-mail like this all the time -- from mothers, fathers and sisters of drug addicts who have contacted The Sun within the last three years to get help, either treatment for their addiction or advice in landing a job. Sometimes the news is good, sometimes not so good. This one is mainly positive. It's from a friend of an addict named Tim:
Tim was at the Salvation Army at the time of
my first email. Unfortunately -- or maybe I should be saying fortunately -- he
was asked to leave the Salvation Army (long story). He was not sure
where to go, so decided to try the Helping Up Mission even though he
had heard they had no openings. Call it a Christmas miracle or not,
but they took him in. What an amazing place! He is doing wonderful
there. Right now he is working in the development office and
attending many mandatory meetings. He was asked to tell his story at
a board of directors gathering and apparently impressed quite a few
people. He was also asked to do a radio commercial for the Helping Up
Mission on a local Christian station. A prominent B-more doctor has
been talking with Tim about possibly becoming his mentor. The Helping
Up Mission offers a program to their graduates that will pay for
college at U of B-more. I am so excited for Tim. I
know he has a long way to go, but this is the most encouraged anyone
has been about his hopes of recovery.
