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 | Comments (0)
        

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 .

School Start Dates
All Maryland schools are opening their doors before Labor Day, with Washington County starting everything off on August 19. The remaining systems:

August 24 – Anne Arundel (grades 1-6, and grade 9; all grades August 31), Caroline, Charles, Frederick, Kent (grades K-9; all students August 25); Prince George’s; Queen Anne’s (grades 1-9; all students August 25), and Somerset.
August 25 – Calvert, Carroll, Dorchester (grades 1-6 and 9; all students August 26), and Talbot.
August 26 – Cecil and St. Mary’s.
August 27 – Harford.
August 31 – Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Garrett, Howard, Montgomery, Wicomico (grades 1-6 and 9; all grades on September 1), and Worcester.
September 1 – Allegany.

Source Maryland State Department of Education

Posted by Paul McCardell at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

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 | Comments (0)
        

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 | Comments (0)
        

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 | Comments (0)
        

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)