Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from December 2005

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from December 2005

Old brewery in Baltimore is slated to house work force agency.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Karen Buckelew In the bidding war over Baltimore's storied American Brewery campus, the city's housing department has awarded sole negotiating privileges to a local nonprofit and two city developers.American Brewery LLC, the...

U.S. Supreme Court hears abortion protester case.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Caryn Tamber The U.S. Supreme Court heard for the third time yesterday a nearly 20-year-old case challenging the use of racketeering laws against violent abortion clinic protesters.The case started in 1986, when the National...

4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds elecric blanket case.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale The family of a woman who died after being engulfed by flames in her West Virginia apartment did not present enough evidence at trial to prove an electric blanket malfunctioned and caused the fire, the 4th U.S....

MD Legal Briefs: December 1, 2005.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports COURT OF APPEALSAdministrative Law, Promulgation of regulations: Richard L. Massey, Jr. v. Secretary, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, No. 142, September Term, 2004....

Hunt Valley-based BreakAway Ltd. marching toward video game dominance.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Joe Bacchus BreakAway Ltd. hopes to establish itself as a top player in the fledgling serious video game industry with the formation of a new division dedicated to defense and federal contracting work.Deborah Tillet, the Hunt...

McCormick & Co. Inc. targets job cuts to boost savings.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe More than half of the restructuring costs at McCormick & Co. Inc. will result from layoffs, the company said as it prepares a more detailed cost-cutting plan.The estimate means about 60 percent of the $130...

Blackberry e-mail and telephone service may be blocked by federal patent infringement case.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Kara Kridler Research In Motion Ltd.'s popular Blackberry e-mail and telephone service is one step closer to being blocked in the United States after a federal judge refused to delay a patent infringement case.While the ruling...

Environmental firm plants roots in Baltimore County.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Jen Degregorio A Gaithersburg environmental company plans to double in size at a new location in Halethorpe, where it will transform an abandoned industrial lot into a new headquarters site with a tree and native-plant farm....

Karen Pollitz suggests legislation to change the structure of the MD Health Insurance Plan.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Dori Berman Karen Pollitz nearly made a man cry at a Multiple Sclerosis Society meeting when she told him about the Maryland Health Insurance Plan.Pollitz is one of two consumer representatives on the board of the plan, created in...

4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses officer's win in discrimination case.
December 1, 2005... Byline: Daniel Ostrovsky An Indian-American retired corrections officer who claims he was repeatedly humiliated by former-colleagues did not mention the behavior of his coworkers in administrative charges filed with the Equal Employment...

U.S. Supreme Court weighs abortion notification law.
December 1, 2005... Byline: CarynTamber The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday heard its first abortion case since John G. Roberts Jr. took over as chief justice, weighing whether a parental consent law that does not provide an exception if the pregnant minor's...

Commentary: Converting biotech 'potential' into achievement.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Donald Fry In October 2002, a study by the Brookings Institution identified the Washington-Baltimore region as one of nine regions of biotech industry concentration in the United States that have the resources and the capacity to...

The modern library.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Mary E. Medland Back in the early 1970s, when Jayne E. Moore first worked as a media specialist, high school students working on research assignments kept notes on 3x5 cards, shuffled them around in the hope of getting some...

Baker, Booth-el mount death-penalty challenges in separate courts in Baltimore.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daniel Ostrovsky In courtrooms a few blocks apart in Baltimore, federal and state judges heard death penalty challenges from Wesley Baker and John Booth-el.Booth-el, who has been sentenced to death by three juries for a vicious...

Commentary: Great gobs of Google.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Jim Astrachan Once I thought that "Google" was an arbitrary word coined by the mathematician, Edward Kasner, meaning the number "1" followed by 100 zeros. That was "googol." Then I came to believe that "Google" was a word used to...

MD Legal Briefs: December 2, 2005.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Call for accessIn response to complaints from reporters denied access to court records dealing with child abuse, the Maryland judiciary's rules committee is asking the Court of Appeals to clarify...

As expense issue lingers, deadline for MD's racing schedule missed.
December 2, 2005... Byline: James Mosher Parties considering a reduced horse-racing schedule for next year missed a deadline yesterday for reaching a settlement, with an expense-sharing issue primarily to blame. "We're dealing with a variety of issues but the...

MD developer picked to turn old city police station into condos.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Jen Degregorio A Baltimore company plans to transform a former police station into condominiums in the city's Upper Fells Point neighborhood, following a growing line of developers who are tapping the residential potential in old...

An owner's manual for Maryland rights.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale Lawyers in Maryland have long been forced to rely on a 1915 treatise on the state's constitution for help in understanding its history and the courts' interpretation of it.Thanks to Saul Ewing LLP associate Dan...

Silver Spring gets $30M for AIDS fight.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Karen Buckelew Grants from four foreign nations have put the International Partnership for Microbicides, a Silver Spring nonprofit group, $30 million closer to its goal of curbing the transmission of HIV in the developing world.The...

MD BioTech Briefs: December 2, 2005.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Shelly K. Schwartz When it comes to manufacturing, Mother Nature knows best.Consider the human skeleton. Bones, which have evolved over millions of years, consist of irregular shapes with an ultra-fine porous internal structure....

Commentary: MD technology transfer opportunities continue to flourish.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Chuck Morton The continuing explosion of government spending will certainly ripple through the economy. Nowhere will that effect be more pronounced than in the area of technology transfer, an area that continues to see a great deal...

Commentary: Funding for the small biotech company.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Mark E. Rapson Obtaining funding is one of the most challenging tasks for the small biotech company. This sometimes feels more difficult than the actual research and development activities of the business, but it doesn't need to be...

New media masterpieces with digital art.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Laura Fick Robert McClintock has always been attracted to the arts. In 1988, he opened his first photography studio in Brattleboro, Vt. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Baltimore, where he became a successful professional...

MD's community colleges incorporating more advanced technologies in their curriculum.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Liz Skinner With courses such as microcomputers in health care, cyber security and electronic music technology, Maryland's 16 community colleges are incorporating more advanced technologies in their curriculum.Obviously this helps...

Technology touchdown for the Baltimore Ravens.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Alan Dessoff From their practice facilities in Owings Mills to the playing field, ticket office and concession stands at M&T Bank Stadium, the Baltimore Ravens have used technology big-time this season in an effort to win games and...

MD economy posts biggest 12-month gain since 1999.
December 2, 2005... Byline: John Hopkins The RESI Maryland Leading Economic Index increased 0.7 percent in September and was up 3.6 percent from last September, the largest 12-month gain since November 1999 and indicating continued economic growth in...

Commentary: Question of judicial philosophy takes center stage.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Judge Steven I. Platt In the wake of the ultimately painless, tidy confirmation of now-U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts and the messy, embarrassing shuttling off the confirmation track of White House Counsel Harriet...

MD accounting firms announces promotions and new staff.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports ACCOUNTINGWith experience in both public and private accounting, Midge Hermanns joined the Hagerstown office of Gorfine, Schiller & Gardyn P.A. Her responsibilities include income tax planning for...

Maryland banks announce staff changes.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports BANKINGCitizens National Bank hired Tracy Gross, vice president, to prepare for the opening of the new Largo branch in the Inglewood Business Park.Gross has worked in the banking industry for 18...

Two joins College of Baltimore County Foundation.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports BOARDSNeil A. Katz, chief executive officer/principal of Corridor Reznick LLC, was named vice chairman of the Community College of Baltimore County Foundation. Established in June 2005, CCBC's new...

Binderman selected as a founding member of Accounting Advisory Board at University of MD.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports EDUCATIONSmart and Associates LLP's Warren S. Binderman was selected as a founding member of the Accounting Advisory Board by the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland....

Calvert joins Baltimore office of Hilb.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports INSURANCELinda Calvert joined the Baltimore office of the international brokerage firm of Hilb, Rogal and Hobbs as a senior account manager in the firm's professional products division. Calvert...

Baltimore law firm of Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler hires two.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports LAWBaltimore law firm Shapiro Sher Guinot & Sandler hired Cynthia L. Stewart as its newest real estate partner and Matthew A.S. Esworthy in the firm's litigation department as an...

Two join Baltimore-based Weinberg Harris & Associates.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports MARKETING/PUBLIC RELATIONSWeinberg Harris & Associates, a Baltimore-based marketing and public relations agency, hired Paige Kimos as an account executive and Kristi Betz as a junior account...

Maryland Media Briefs: December 2, 2005.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports MEDIAWCBM/WLG Radio added Brenda Carl to the news department. Brenda has a long history in Baltimore broadcasting including stints at WJZ and Traffic Pulse. She will be handling midday and...

Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust names new additions.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports NONPROFITThe Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.) board of trustees appointed Marsha K. Koger as the new director of development. The nonprofit supports educational opportunities for...

New vice president named for Canton office of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports REAL ESTATEColdwell Banker Residential Brokerage appointed Jay Marotte as the new branch vice president of the company's Canton office. Marotte, a real estate professional for 25 years, brings a...

Jon Shapiro joins Capital Camps & Retreat Center of Waynesboro, PA.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports RECREATIONCapital Camps & Retreat Center hired Jon Shapiro as its new camp director. In his role, Shapiro is responsible for planning, coordinating, and evaluating recruitment of staff, sales...

Commentary: Share holiday blessings with others.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Betsy Nelson Counting blessings will be easy for many of us this holiday season. Thank goodness most of us are in good health, are gainfully employed, and have a warm home with the halls decked for the holidays to be filled with...

Bartending industry is always changing and evolving.
December 2, 2005... Byline: James Mosher Your bartender isn't getting dumber. It's the drink industry that's getting more sophisticated.So says Mark Russell, founder and director of the Maryland Bartending Academy Inc. Russell's Glen Burnie school is now in...

Maryland's Pikesville Supreme rides rye revival.
December 2, 2005... Byline: James Mosher Pikesville Supreme, the last remnant of Maryland's golden age of rye whisky production, is enjoying increased popularity as part of a rye revival, its distiller said.Rye's popularity has surged in the past three years...

Hot housing market burns buyers with FHA backing.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Jen Degregorio Five years ago, four out of 10 people who bought homes in Baltimore County used mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration, according to the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors. The government-backed...

Commentary: Smart consumers can trim tech bills.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Larry Fiorino Americans are spending as much as $300 per month to stay connected through home and mobile phones, the Internet, and premium TV services like cable and TiVo. And new features like on-demand movies and downloadable...

If you have power to skip TV ads, will you seek them out?
December 2, 2005... Byline: Kara Kridler The company that made its name by giving television viewers the power to skip commercials will soon launch a service to help couch potatoes go ad hunting.Digital video recorder company TiVo Inc. will give subscribers...

Md. Public TV gets $15M to develop educational computer games.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Joe Bacchus Maryland Public Television isn't letting a little thing like its name keep it from its educational mission.The public television station has started work on Learning Games to Go, a project designed to use "serious"...

Commentary: A new door to business creativity.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Satish B. Parekh Among all the tools at the disposal of business executives, there is one that keeps on giving and never gets old or outdated. It is an instantaneous door to get out of the box. It is guaranteed to improve one's...

MD Business Briefs: December 2, 2005.
December 2, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports' An 18-hole golf course with clubhouse and upscale restaurant are in the works for the south end of Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County. Proponents said having the attractions close to the lake will...

Commentary: Tee up some holiday cheer.
December 3, 2005... Byline: Joe Rahnis With the holiday shopping season officially underway, it's time to start thinking about gift ideas for the golfer on your list. I always try and steer shoppers in our pro shops away from purchasing specific golf...

Grizzly bear dies at Cactoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo.(Obituary)
December 3, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff Workers at the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo are mourning the death of Griz, a 19-year-old grizzly bear that had become the park's main attraction. The male bear, who weighed more than 1,700 pounds, suffered...

The Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library names treasurer.
December 3, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Foundation for the Baltimore County Public Library named its treasurer as a recipient of one of its first-ever Volunteer of the Year awards. Ed Beyer, who also works for Rowles & Co. LLP in Towson, was...

Hagerstown City Council restricts minor-league baseball team's fireworks show.
December 3, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Hagerstown Suns settled for just one set of back-to-back fireworks nights this season after a bombastic City Council fight. Council members voted 4-1 Tuesday to approve the minor-league baseball team's...

Garrett County votes to rezone for golf course.
December 3, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff Garrett County has removed an obstacle to a proposed golf course near Deep Creek Lake. The county commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to change the zoning regulations to allow golf clubhouses with restaurants...

Frederick County commissioners vote against acquiring Hope Valley Executive Golf Course.
December 3, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff Frederick County won't be getting into the golf course business soon. The county commissioners voted 3-2 against acquiring the Hope Valley Executive Golf Course near Mount Airy Tuesday after a staff report...

Keswick Multi-Care Center in Baltimore joins trend to in-home elder care.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Karen Buckelew In response to industry trends, Keswick Multi-Care Center has started its own in-home care program to help elderly clients grow old in their own homes.The Johns Hopkins-affiliated long-term care facility in Baltimore...

MD Legal Briefs: December 5, 2005.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff Info sought on deathA reward is being offered for information related to the death of Brian Thomas Kyle, 20, of Port Deposit, whose body was found underneath a bridge Nov. 14. "We are trying to ascertain where he...

Rockville-based Visual Networks to sell for $75M.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Joe Bacchus Visual Networks Inc. is selling itself in a $75 million deal to Fluke Electronics Corp.Rockville-based Visual produces computer network and application management systems. The company has a approximately 130 employees...

Bankruptcy deal won't end Pepco, Mirant legal fight.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Mirant Corp.'s approved plan to exit bankruptcy last week didn't resolve a two-year battle between Mirant and Potomac Electric Power Co. over a money-losing power purchase contract.The move means litigation...

Shareholder sues Black & Decker over alleged gifts.
December 5, 2005... Byline: DANIEL OSTROVSKY A lawsuit filed in Baltimore City Circuit Court accuses Nolan D. Archibald, the chief executive officer of Towson-based Black & Decker Inc., of using company funds to make charitable contributions to the Washington...

New-look shopping has retail sector optimistic.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Jen DeGregorio As 2005 draws to a close, analysts predict the state's retail climate will remain strong and adapt well to changes in traditional shopping trends. Main Street-style shopping centers have established their popularity...

Suicide no bar to wrongful death action.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Cynthia Di Pasquale Suicide can be the basis for a wrongful death action if the defendant's negligence caused the decedent to be insane, and thus take his or her own life, the Court of Special Appeals held Friday.The state's...

MD-based CapitalSource Finance, Golub Capital jointly fund $35.7M loan.
December 5, 2005... Byline: The Daily Record Staff CapitalSource Finance LLC, of Chevy Chase, a specialized commercial finance company, and Golub Capital, of New York, said they jointly funded a $37.5 million loan to New York-based Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill...

Maryland Technology Development Corp. to release directory.(Directory)
December 5, 2005... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Maryland Technology Development Corp. said it will release on Thursday a directory of 426 Maryland technology companies that have received grants through the Small Business Innovation Research program, a...

MD-based Managed Care Advisors joint venture awarded $17M contract.
December 5, 2005... Byline: The Daily Record Staff A joint venture formed by Managed Care Advisors Inc., of Chevy Chase, a woman-owned health care and workers' compensation consulting firm, and CareSys, of Boston, said it was awarded a $17 million contract by...

MD Board of Public Works approves land purchase.
December 5, 2005... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Board of Public Works approved a purchase linking public lands along nearly 8 miles of the Youghiogheny River, Maryland's only designated wild and scenic river. The purchase of the 41.2-acre Frazee tract...

Baltimore Orioles tickets available.
December 5, 2005... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The Baltimore Orioles announced a special holiday promotion starting today that allows fans to place orders, at the Orioles box office and online at www.orioles.com, for a Holiday 4-Pack, which includes a...

Commentary: Retirees must take action vs. inflation.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Dena S. Frenkel Consumers with a fixed income will quickly learn that even mild inflation can take them off track. While current inflation rates are nowhere near the 1970's or other times of extreme inflation, retirees today, for...

MD Racing Commission chairman staying out of horse talks.
December 5, 2005... Byline: James Mosher The chairman of the Maryland Racing Commission plans to stay out of negotiations between thoroughbred horsemen and track management at least until his panel meets later this month."I've gotten a progress report and I...

Drowsy driver guilty of manslaughter, CSA affirms.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Barbara Grzincic Another seven miles, and he'd be home.Anthony J. Skidmore thought he could go that far without falling asleep at the wheel of his pickup truck. He was wrong and Kelley Lynn Guckert, 20, died as a result.The Court...

Sen. Gargiola file bill requiring govt. agencies to promote option of telecommuting.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Dori Berman For the fourth time in as many years, state Sen. Robert Garagiola will attempt to promote telecommuting among the state government's work force.A prefiled bill for the 2006 session would require Maryland government...

MD Court of Appeals denies condemned killer Wesley E. Baker's latest delay request.
December 5, 2005... Byline: Caryn Tamber The state's top court has denied condemned killer Wesley E. Baker's latest request for a stay of execution.Under the terms of a death warrant signed last month by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., Baker may be executed at...

Baltimore County initiative seeks to help local businesses attract shoppers.
December 6, 2005... Byline: JAMES MOSHER Baltimore County's Department of Economic Development is aiming to help local businesses attract early Christmas shoppers but, like a good Santa, it's leaving something in its bag for latecomers.The government office...

Energy bills get another effort in MD Legislature.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Dori Berman Sen. Rob Garagiola, D-Montgomery, and a coalition of environmental advocates yesterday rolled out an ambitious legislative package to address energy conservation issues and increase the use of renewable energy in...

MD Legal Briefs: December 6, 2005.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports B&D denies donationsTowson-based Black & Decker yesterday denied allegations that chief executive officer Nolan D. Archibald has been giving the company's funds to the Washington D.C. Temple of...

Population growth issues may dominate Maryland Legislature.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Dori Berman Had enough of slots, medical malpractice and the Wal-Mart bill? You're in luck, according to Del. Maggie L. McIntosh.The Baltimore City Democrat yesterday told nearly 300 people that population growth is the sleeper...

MD-based Jos. A. Bank Clothiers' profits rise.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc., of Hampstead, a manufacturer and retailer of upscale menswear, reported net income of $4.7 million, or 32 cents per diluted share, on revenue of $105.6 million, for its...

United Industrial Corp.'s AAI subsidiary awarded $1.6M contract by Republic of Singapore.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports United Industrial Corp.'s AAI subsidiary, of Hunt Valley, which makes high-tech mechanical and electronic systems, said it was awarded a $1.6 million contract to provide the Republic of Singapore...

New York-based L-3 Communications Holdings acquires MD company.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Applied Signal and Image Technology Inc., of Linthicum Heights, a company that specializes in the research, engineering and production of signal processing systems, has been acquired by New...

KY-based Center for Rural Development signs $1M contract with CompuDyne-Public Safety & Justice.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports CompuDyne Corp., of Annapolis, a provider of products, integration and technology for the public security markets, said the Kentucky-based Center for Rural Development signed a $1 million contract...

ProFund Advisors LLC of Bethesda announces launch of ProFund Account Access.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports ProFund Advisors LLC, of Bethesda, investment advisor to the ProFund family of index-based mutual funds, announced the launch of ProFund Account Access, a proprietary online system that enables...

MD Food Bank Eastern Shore short of food.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Maryland Food Bank Eastern Shore said it is in desperate need of food donations. Normally, the food bank provides enough food for 25,000 people, but because of the food shortage, it is serving only...

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture awards grant to Chesapeake Fields Farmers LLC.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The U.S. Department of Agriculture said it is awarding a $149,262 grant to Chesapeake Fields Farmers LLC, a for-profit affiliate of the Chestertown-based, nonprofit Chesapeake Fields Institute Inc....

Federal appellate court rules W.R. Grace & Co. must pay $54.5M to clean up asbestos.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports A federal appellate court in San Francisco upheld a 2003 district court ruling that W.R. Grace & Co., of Columbia, a specialty chemical maker that was forced into bankruptcy by asbestos claims, must...

Forrester Construction Co. awarded $12M contract to build a new BMW service center in VA.
December 6, 2005... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Forrester Construction Co., of Rockville, said it has been awarded a $12 million contract to build a new BMW service center in Fairfax, Va., which is projected to be the highest-volume BMW service...