'Tis time to be transported back to 16th Century England of olde. 'Tis time for fair maidens and chivalrous knights to gather round ye olde village to toast the grand days of yore. The Maryland Renaissance Festival started in 1977 in Columbia and moved in 1985 to its present location in Crownsville. There, an entire 16th-Century village called Revel Grove springs to life every weekend until October 25.

The festival has grown more popular with each passing year as lords and ladies and jugglers and sword swallowers gather. You can be knighted by a king or witness jousting and other period events. The costumes will amaze you, as well as the food and drink.

I hope you enjoy the photos of past Renaissance Festivals and that they transport you back in time to a different land and place.

This is my last blog entry, but I still will bring back to light many of the photos from The Sun's archive in the form of photo galleries. Thank you for reading and responding and I hope you continue to enjoy the photos from the Baltimore Sun.

Continue reading "Maryland Renaissance Festival " »

Posted by Paul McCardell at 1:28 PM | Permalink
        

The Maryland State Fair opens Friday, August 28, and runs through Labor Day, September 7.
The fair started in 1879 and has been held annually, except for three years during World War II.

In addition to the rides, games, food and horse races, the fair can also increase your knowledge and appreciation of agricuture and life on the farm. You might be able to actually milk a cow or witness the birth of a variety of farm animals.

The Baltimore Sun has covered the fair since it started in 1879 and our photographers have been taking pictures of the fair for a very long time, capturing the crowds, events and excitement.

Official site of the Maryland State Fair

Posted by Paul McCardell at 9:57 AM | Permalink
        

The school bell seems to ring in the start of the school year earlier and earlier. Washington County kicked off the school year in Maryland when they opened August 19.

The first day of school is a time of excitement, a fresh start and a new beginning for students, teachers and parents. Many students have fresh haircuts and maybe new clothes and backpacks. Many schools have gotten a fresh coat of paint and other improvements. Many teachers and parents have worked hard to get ready. The students are eager to learn and we need to capture this new spirit and put anxieties to rest.

I hope you enjoy this photographic look at the first days of school years past taken by Baltimore Sun photographers. and it brings back memories. Feel free to send a comment or an idea for the future .

Continue reading "Opening Bell: The First Day of School " »

Posted by Paul McCardell at 2:43 PM | Permalink
        

Hurricane season is heating up with three named storms in the last week, Ana, Bill and Claudette. Hurricane season began June 1 and ends November 30 in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.

Hurricanes are very dangerous and destructive, so you need to pay attention and be prepared. Maryland has been hit by several very destructive hurricanes or their remnants. Isabel in 2003 and Agnes in 1972 quickly come to mind. The photo above, taken by my father, Sun photographer Walter McCardell after Agnes blew through in June 1972, shows cars and debris scattered along Main Street in Ellicott City. These storms can leave permanent scars on people and the environment.

These photos show the power of nature.

I have several links below. You can stay up to date with weather events in Maryland at Frank Roylance's weather blog and at the other links below.

The National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center

Hurricane history for the Baltimore and Washington region

Hurricanes and Maryland

FEMA's hurricane preparedness site

The Weather Channel

Posted by Paul McCardell at 2:10 PM | Permalink
        

Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin passed away 35 years ago this week, on August 10, 1974, but his many accomplishments live on.

The August 12 op-ed page carried William J. Thompson's excellent piece about McKeldin. I agree with Mr. Thompson that the twice-mayor of Baltimore and two-term governor of Maryland's contributions are often overlooked.

McKeldin was a builder not just of roads and airports and cities but a builder of community. He tried to bring people together and break down barriers. He was a man of vision and fairness and honesty.

Here's a link to a biography of McKeldin from the Maryland Online Encyclopedia.

I hope you enjoy the photo gallery of Theodore R. McKeldin. As always, feel free to comment and send ideas for future posts.

Posted by Paul McCardell at 1:15 PM | Permalink
        

The tallest building in Baltimore is located at 100 Light Street. The 35-story building, completed in 1973, was built for the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company. Washington architect Vlastimil Koubek designed the building.

When the building opened in 1973 it took the "tallest building" title from the Bank of America Building , Baltimore's first skyscraper and art deco icon. The 34-story structure openend in 1929 as the Baltimore Trust Building.

The building was known as the USF&G Building for many years and was the jewel of the Inner Harbor. After USF&G consolidated its operations at its Mount Washington campus in 1997, Legg Mason moved its headquarters to 100 Light Street and etched its name in stone at the top of the structure.

This October the building's name will officially change to 100 Light Street, because of Legg Mason's move to a new facility at Harbor East.

The Light Street building is undergoing a $20 million renovation and a parking garage is being built nearby. Perhaps one day it will once again carry the name of a corporate headquarters based there.

I hope you enjoy the photos from when the building was under construction.

Posted by Paul McCardell at 2:24 PM | Permalink
        

Paul's on vacation this week, but I'm certain that if he was here he'd want to post about today's story on budget cuts possibly ending the Baltimore City Police Department's Mounted Unit.

The unit is more than 120 years old and was started by a former Confederate soldier who served under Stonewall Jackson. Sun photographers have photographed the unit's officers and horses many times through the years and this gallery showcases some of the best of those shots.

Posted by Steve Sullivan at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

The Chesapeake Bay Bridge is an engineering marvel and the most famous man-made structure in Maryland. The bridge opened July 30, 1952 at a cost of $45 million and carried 8,278 cars that first day and more than a million vehicles in its first year. At the time it opened, the 4.3 miles made it the largest, all-over-water steel bridge in the world. On June 28,1973 a new westbound span was opened at a cost of $148 million.

I am amazed every time I drive across the bridge or see photos of it. I think about the people that built it and have to maintain it. I hope you enjoy the gallery of photos of the bridge under construction, and will share your memories and comments with me.

Link: The Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Posted by Paul McCardell at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department will hold what is sometimes called the oldest Wild West show in the East on July 29 with the auction on July 30. The roundup, which goes back over a century has been run since 1925 by the Volunteer Fire Department as a way of raising money to provide fire protection to the community.

The wild ponies, believed to be descendants of horses from a Spanish galleon that wrecked off Assateague Island in the 17th Century or descendants of horses owned by colonial settlers who allowed them to graze on the island.

The event was made famous by the children's novel, "Misty of Chincoteague," written by Marguerite Henry in 1947 and made into a movie in 1960.

Assateague Island is a barrier island divided between Maryland and Virginia. You can visit Assateague Island State Park in Maryland or Assateague Island National Park that covers boths states.

Over the years, The Sun has covered the swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island and our photographers have taken many wonderful photos of this event.

To read more about Assateague Island and the Chincoteague ponies see links below.

Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce

Assateague Island

Assateague Island National Seashore

Assateague Island State Park

Posted by Paul McCardell at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
        

The game this Friday between AC Milan and Chelsea at M&T Bank Stadium made me think of another game in another stadium with one of the greatest soccer players of all time. The stadium was Memorial Stadium the player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele.

The game was played May 30,1973 in front of 24,680 fans, the largest soccer crowd in Baltimore's history. Pele didn't disappoint. He scored 3 goals leading the Brazilian team, Santos, to a 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Bays. Santos played the Bays again in Baltimore on June 19,1973, beating the Bays 4-0.

Continue reading "Soccer in Baltimore " »

Posted by Paul McCardell at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)