Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from July 2004

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from July 2004

Ocean City police officers give chief 'no confidence' vote.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Police officers in Ocean City have given their chief a vote of no confidence. The Fraternal Order of Police officials argue that Chief Bernadette Dipino has acted with disregard for the physical and emotional...

Shopping malls to bring advertising to life.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Kara Kridler The advertisements at two Maryland malls will soon move along with shoppers. Equipped with multiple flat-screen televisions, Westfield Shoppingtown Annapolis and Westfield Shoppingtown Montgomery in Bethesda will...

Well owners sue gas station, ExxonMobil.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Alisa Bralove A Fallston couple filed a proposed class action suit yesterday against the Upper Crossroads Exxon and ExxonMobil Oil Corp., accusing the gas providers of contaminating Harford County well water with a chemical...

Baltimore inks 10-year plan to fund housing for disabled.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Baltimore's Board of Estimates yesterday approved a settlement agreement in a case brought by the Maryland Disability Law Center, committing the city to a 10-year plan to fund affordable housing units for people...

Study shows juvenile proceedings should be incorporated into family court system.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Authors of a new study claim their research proves that further incorporation of juvenile delinquency proceedings in Maryland with the court system's family division would benefit everyone involved, perhaps even...

Maryland small business search for financing to expand.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck Some Maryland entrepreneurs are less concerned about the interest they'll pay on small-business loans in light of yesterday's interest rate hike than they are about securing loans in the first place. Take Doria...

Montgomery County must allow Christian group to use flyer program while matter is in court.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A Christian group that is suing the Montgomery County public school system must be allowed to use the schools' "take home flyer" program to advertise its Bible study group while the matter is in litigation, the 4th...

Among the most polluted, state needs cleaner cars, report says.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Robyn Lamb Clean cars can go a long way toward reducing air pollution in Maryland, which is among the most polluted states in the country, but automobile manufacturers must make them more readily available, according to a new...

Baltimore shipping industry supports bill preserving waterfront property for industrial users.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser With waterfront development squeezing the Port of Baltimore, members of Baltimore's vital shipping industry lined up yesterday supporting a City Council bill that would preserve hundreds of waterfront properties for...

Two witnesses describe pressure to support IPO.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Looking to boost the flagging prospects for the IPO of his online investment firm, eChapman, Baltimore banker Nathan A. Chapman Jr. asked two potential investors to engage in questionable dealings, according...

Anne Arundel County Board of Education adds two members.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Anne Arundel County Board of Education has two new members: Michael G. Leahy, an attorney with Cooter, Mangold, Tompert and Wayson LLC in Annapolis, and Sarah K. Ferguson, a senior at Arundel High School...

London firm buys waterfront property near downtown Salisbury.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports A London-based firm has purchased waterfront property near downtown Salisbury for $2.8 million. But executives for Spiro Investments said they are still deciding whether they want to put a hotel and...

Stratos Global Corp. furnishes Swiss airline with Airline In-Flight Services system.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Stratos Global Corp., of Bethesda, an international telecommunication services provider, furnished Swiss International Air Lines with the most advanced version of its Airline In-flight Services system. The...

Gov. Ehrlich names three to MD Board of Education.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., named J. Henry Butta, a retired telephone company executive; Beverly A. Cooper, a foundation official; and David F. Tufaro, a real estate developer, to serve four year terms,...

Caroline County wins $500K grant from FAA.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Federal Aviation Administration awarded a $500,000 grant to Caroline County to study building an airport near Ridgely. The two-year environmental impact study, which will begin next year, is expected to...

Bartech Systems to install automatic minibars in Las Vegas hotel.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Bartech Systems International, of Millersville, which makes automated hotel minibars, was tasked by resort owner Caesars Entertainment Inc. to install automatic minibars in all 2,619 guest rooms of the Paris...

Allegheny Energy exec retires.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports David C. Benson, president of Allegheny Energy Supply LLC, the electricity generating subsidiary of Allegheny Energy Inc., of Greensburg, Pa. (formerly of Hagerstown), will retire on July 11 after 26 years...

BAE Systems to buy Boeing unit.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports BAE Systems North America, of Rockville, a British-owned defense manufacturer, said it has agreed to buy Boeing Co.'s commercial electronics unit, which makes electronic products and systems for commercial...

Lockheed Martin awarded $43.6M contract.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Lockheed Martin Corp., of Bethesda, the nation's largest defense contractor, was awarded a $43.6 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to provide a ballistic missile defense radar system for the Kingdom...

Baltimore Orioles offer military personnel, families discounted tickets.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Baltimore Orioles, which had offered military personnel and their families an opportunity to purchase discounted tickets for the double-header against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays slated for July 5, expanded...

Studies show labor supply in Delmarva region tightening.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Herman Group, of Greensboro, N.C., a business consulting firm that specializes in work force and workplace trends, said its studies show that the labor supply in the Delmarva region Delaware, Maryland,...

Baltimore's younger real estate pros make deals and names for themselves.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Arlene Karadis Baltimore's tight-knit commercial real estate community is getting an influx of new blood ambitious 30-something executives who are dissecting the inner workings of the industry and affiliating with big-name...

New plan by Greenberg Commercial of Owings Mills combines retail, office, residential.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Christianna McCausland Like many malls, Parole Plaza in Annapolis was once a strong center of commerce that was hard-hit by a slumping economy and the fickle nature of shopping trends. Time reduced the center, which had opened in...

Small commercial realtors in Baltimore region deal where the big guys couldn't be bothered.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Mary E. Medland Signs bearing the names of the companies that handle the big commercial real estate projects sprout up often in metropolitan areas such as Baltimore. Even if by osmosis, almost everyone can rattle off the names...

Baltimore developers set sights on brighter days, latch onto new biotech parks.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Shelly Schwartz Two proposed biotechnology parks in downtown Baltimore already are creating an economic ripple effect, as private developers position themselves for spin-off demand. This is just what city officials had in mind....

If Maryland ever OKs legalized gambling, what will facilities look like?
July 1, 2004... Byline: Barnaby Wickham As the summer wears on and it seems fairly unlikely that a special session of Maryland's legislative assembly will be called to craft a gambling referendum for the fall, the specter of slot machines at a racetrack...

Owners, managers of rentals say rise shows Md.'s renewed vigor.
July 1, 2004... Byline: Alan Dessoff The economy finally is improving in Maryland. At least an uptick is apparent to the people who own and manage Maryland apartments, who see proof that job growth is rebounding and that people are willing to shell...

Commentary: Business Law - Ten ways for a franchisor to get sued by its franchisees.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David L. Cahn Franchise business relationships exist in approximately 75 different industries. This article concerns business format franchises, which generally speaking, involve one party (the "franchisor") granting a third...

Economic Viewpoint - April experiences first slip in index since November.
July 2, 2004... Byline: John Hopkins The RESI Maryland Leading Index declined slightly in April by 0.1 percent to 154.90, the first monthly decline since November 2003. However, the index remains 3.2 percent ahead of last April's value, indicating...

Nottingham to end quarter of a century of construction.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser A chapter in the development of one of Baltimore County's most successful planned communities is about to close. Nottingham Properties Inc., which has turned gravel pits off of Interstate 95 into a mix of retail,...

Commentary: Court calls Mattel's copyright suit frivolous.
July 2, 2004... Byline: James B. Astrachan Over the past 50 years Barbie has really cleaned up her act, going from a German doll resembling a streetwalker to a glamorous long-legged blonde. Some call her the ideal American Women; others call her a bimbo....

Commentary: Educated Investor - Pay yourself first.
July 2, 2004... Byline: David R. Clogg Currently the hottest topic among the financial media is the coming crisis in the baby boomers' retirement years. A recent trade journal article entitled "The Looming Retirement Income Crisis" states, "Now there's...

Finding alternative sites to TV for advertising messages.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Kara Kridler Cinemas, parking meters, airports, coffee-cup sleeves, police cars, toilet seats, fruits and vegetables alternative mediums for advertising are popping everywhere you look. Outdoor advertising also known as...

Interview with U of MD professor.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nancy Kercheval It started 10 years this trend of people working longer and longer hours. Jeffrey Johnson, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, has studied the effect of long hours on employees and has...

Commentary: Market for second homes growing.
July 2, 2004... Byline: John Rachlin Have you ever considered the kind of home in which you'd like to live out your future retirement years? Do you dream about a new setting for the family and future generations to spend quality time together in a...

Commentary: On the presidential campaign.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Mark Cheshire In the hometown of our national anthem as another Independence Day is about to dawn, I declare my candidacy for the presidency of the United States of America. I know, I know, you're torn. While you instantly...

Duo set lofty goal of $120M for 'zero revenue' firm.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Robyn Lamb Jay Wright is the kind of guy who can call a spade a spade. And when it comes to MobilePro Corp., the company he joined in mid-December as its president and chief executive officer, he does just that. "You know...

Commentary: Cell phone virus debuts.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Larry Fiorino Last week, the world's first cell phone-based virus was released into circulation by a group of underground virus writers. The virus only affects Bluetooth-enabled phones which allow file sharing between phones...

Mercy Medical's director of media relations enjoys fencing.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck Dan Collins' desk looks like a fortress sitting against a wall surrounded by turrets of neatly stacked file folders nearly three feet high. "Scientists have found that rats stimulated by their environment have...

Owner of MarinaLife is experience world traveler.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos When MarinaLife President and CEO Joy McPeters graduated from college in upstate New York, she joined the ranks of the employed in Japan. Her trip halfway around the world was not her first one overseas. In...

Piper Rudnick co-chair enjoys skiing, surfing.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Robyn Lamb Francis "Frank" B. Burch Jr. is a partner and co-chair of Piper Rudnick LLC, the biggest law firm in Maryland and one of the top 15 law firms in the country. With nearly 30 years of legal experience behind him, the...

Furniture making is favorite hobby of former Constellation Energy CEO.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ann Parks Some retirees spend their time on the golf course. Others might take up photography. Christian Poindexter does both when he's not making furniture, that is. In the basement workshop of his home a sunny, spacious...

Reisterstown couple keeps llamas as pet.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Pulling up to the Cleaver's house in Reisterstown, you're likely to see white-spotted Hannah or white-haired Avalon running through the fenced-in yard. But the over-5-foot-tall creatures aren't the common...

Director of communications for Greater Baltimore Committee enjoys playing in rock band.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt A potential employer could glance at the resume for Charles E. "Gene" Bracken and hire him in an instant for a job as an editor, reporter, publisher or public relations director. Bracken's resume oozes experience...

Putting solar caps on Mt. Kilimanjaro paramount.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Andrea Cecil It's nearly dusk on a pleasant March evening when Lou Curran nearly runs a stop sign in southwest Baltimore; out of character for someone so conscious of human missteps that he even advocates for solar caps to be...

Malpractice attorney was successful radio, TV host.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Kara Kridler It is not uncommon for judges in the Baltimore Circuit Court to disqualify potential jurors on the premise of knowledge of a 1950s local television game-show host. Marvin Ellin gained a great deal of fame while on...

MD director making film on snakehead fish.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Alisa Bralove The snakehead the elusive fish that can walk on land sure gets around. It popped up in a Crofton lake nearly two years ago and, thanks to film director Joel C. Denning, had its on-screen debut at the Cannes...

Prosecutor recalls life as a merchant marine.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Sitting in the less than salubrious surroundings of a dingy conference room at the Baltimore City State's Attorney's offices, Gerard B. Volatile slid a grubby I.D. card across the table. With a mixture of pride...

Anthony McCarthy's secret: Addiction to stand-up comedy.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Jeffrey Raymond He's behind the microphone, in front of a crowd, his thoughts on the world touching people who think they know him even though they probably haven't met. It's Anthony McCarthy's real life, when he's on one of...

At Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc., the phone never stops ringing.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz In the late 1950s, racial tension and discrimination threatened the stability of many Baltimore neighborhoods. So a group of progressive business leaders in the Greater Baltimore Committee including Columbia founder...

Consultant has 23 years experience as a clown.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Elizabeth Rossi It's the silence not the laughter that rings in Parkville entrepreneur Gary Meyerl's ears 20 years after his most memorable and eye-opening clowning performance. His audience, an 8-year-old girl, was in a...

Modell keeps 1% of Ravens to avoid 'finder's fee'.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Nancy Kercheval Art Modell renegotiated the sale of the Baltimore Ravens at the last minute to avoid paying an estimated $30 million "finder's fee" to his former business advisor, according to the deposition of one of his...

CSA strongly cautions against default judgments in disputed custody cases.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Ann Parks The Court of Special Appeals this week stopped just short of barring default judgments in contested child custody cases while at the same time strongly suggesting that the procedure can never properly be used in such...

Second suit filed against oil company, station over MTBE in Fallston wells.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Alisa Bralove For the second time in as many days, Harford County residents have filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the Upper Crossroads Exxon Station and ExxonMobil Oil Corp. for allegedly contaminating well water in...

Ruling finding sentencing guidelines unconstitutional to affect MD.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Peter Geier The spectre of a recent Supreme Court decision that declared a Western state's mandatory sentencing guidelines unconstitutional has cast a long shadow on federal sentencing guidelines nationwide and in Maryland. In...

Sidebar: Ruling finding sentencing guidelines unconstitutional to affect MD.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Peter Geier Blakely v. Washington arose after a Washington state judge added 37 months to Ralph H. Blakely Jr.'s 53-month maximum sentence for kidnapping his estranged wife. Blakely had pled to the offense; the sentencing judge...

Baltimore's Broadway 'Phantom' show in danger from actors strike.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Kara Kridler Negotiators have a little more than a month to hash out differences before a possible stage actors strike could affect Broadway shows in Baltimore. Members of the New York-based Actors' Equity Association, a union...

MD Legal Briefs July 2, 2004.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Too Kool for comfort Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. filed an action in Baltimore City Circuit Court yesterday against Kool cigarette manufacturer Brown & Williamson Tobacco Co. for violations of...

Allegheny Power sets rates; 38% up.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Sofia Kosmetatos Allegheny Power, a major provider of utilities in Western Maryland, yesterday announced the cost of electricity will rise more than 38 percent for most of its 25,000 commercial and industrial users after rate caps...

BTE Technologies to rent rehab system to Baltimore Ravens.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports BTE Technologies Inc., of Hanover, which provides physical rehabilitation and therapy equipment and injury cost-reduction services, agreed to rent its PrimusRS, a new, high-performance rehabilitation system,...

Advancis Pharmaceuticals acquires Keflex.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp., of Germantown, which develops and markets novel anti-infective products, said it paid $11 million to Eli Lilly and Co. for the U.S. rights to manufacture, market and sell the...

MD Insurance Administration warns against buying from particular agent.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Maryland Insurance Administration warned any company and individual that purchased insurance from Dorothy "Dotty" Mortimer to contact the insurance company named on the policy to ensure the expected...

Guilford Pharmaceuticals to put common stock up for public offering.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Guilford Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Baltimore, said it has priced at $4.50 per share 10 million shares of common stock for a public offering, which is expected to close on July 7. Guilford said it expects to...

Allegheny Energy names new president.
July 2, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports John P. Campbell, former vice president of operations for Mirant Corp., on July 12 will become president of Allegheny Energy Supply LLC, the electricity generating subsidiary of Allegheny Energy Inc., of...

Commentary: It's a Gimme - Speed of putt affects break.
July 3, 2004... Byline: Joe Rahnis I was playing a round of golf the other week in a charity outing. Midway through the round, one of my playing partners had about a 10-footer left for par that was a bit down hill and broke about 4-5 inches left to right....

Chesapeake Bay Foundation honors Md. lawmakers for Bay-saving legislation.
July 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Maryland office named state Sen. Paula Hollinger, D-Baltimore County, and Del. Maggie McIntosh, D-Baltimore City, as its Legislator of the Year Award winners for 2004. The two...

Baltimore Gas and Electric awarded for educating consumers on how to appropriately plant trees.
July 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., a subsidiary of Constellation Energy Group, has been awarded the People Loving And Nurturing Trees award by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, for its Right Tree,...

Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Assn. unveils new Web site.
July 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association unveiled a redesigned, interactive Web site, www.baltimore.org, which is intended to make navigating the site easier for customers, including leisure and...

Washington College receives $1M gift from William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust.
July 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Washington College in Chestertown said it received a gift of $1 million from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, of Chapel Hill, N.C., to establish a faculty development fund named for the donor, which...

Volvo Cars of N. American sponsors public service program to honor hometown heroes.
July 3, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Volvo Cars of North America is sponsoring the Volvo for Life Awards, a grassroots public service program that honors "hometown heroes" people who seek to improve the quality of life, safety and/or environment...

Baltimore jobs program is millions short.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Elizabeth Rossi Youth Works, a city-run program designed to provide Baltimore youth with summer jobs, is $3 million short of the $7 million it needs to fund employment for the teen-agers who qualify to participate. The...

Md. Court of Special Appeals gives parents second change to fight termination of rights.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Alisa Bralove The parents of a severely disabled 4-year-old boy, who tested positive for cocaine and amphetamines at birth, will have one more opportunity to challenge the termination of their parental rights. The Court of...

Md. Transportation Authority considers marketing toll passes in stores.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Debra Siedt To boost the use of express toll lanes throughout the state, the Maryland Transportation Authority may take a cue from Florida and New York and begin marketing its E-ZPasses in stores. Florida began selling its...

4th Circuit Court of Appeals rules on right of Christian groups to distribute fliers at school.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Lawrence Hurley It wasn't just the right of Christian groups to have fliers distributed to Montgomery County school children that was at issue in the decision issued by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week, it was the...

Md. Legal Briefs: July 6, 2004.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Police officer charged Gregory M. Mussmacher, 29, of Hanover, Pa., a Baltimore City police officer, was indicted Friday by a city grand jury on charges of first-degree and second-degree assault and...

Commentary: Financial Advice - Who is your IRA beneficiary?
July 6, 2004... Byline: Ben Proctor The only way you can ensure that your IRA funds are passed along to whom you want in a tax-advantaged manner is to make sure that you put your intentions in writing with your IRA custodian. You may have named an IRA...

Mercy Medical Center to open new facility in Baltimore Co.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Chet Dembeck Mercy Medical Center is planning to open a new, 28,000-square-foot facility in the aging Baltimore County suburb of Overlea-Fullerton, County Executive James T. Smith Jr. is scheduled to announce tomorrow. ...

National dairy farmers association launches ad campaign.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Ezra Fieser Maryland's 850 dairy farmers don't figure to be Dr. Phil watchers. But the therapist turned talk show host has some advice they might like to hear: Drink milk. With milk prices hitting record highs, the national...

Taking Stock - Tele Communication Systems burns bright, but others fizzle.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Traders in TeleCommunication Systems Inc. stock saw fireworks ahead of the July 4 holiday. Shares exploded 21.6 percent during the week to close at $6.08 before the extended weekend. Most of the...

Md. Court of Special Appeals affirms dismissal of action against homeowners assn.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Peter Geier The doctrine of collateral estoppel, which bars relitigation of a matter that has been tried to final judgment, also bars suits that are filed while the original action is being appealed, the Court of Special Appeals...

Baltimore-based Environmental Elements cuts its losses for fiscal year.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Environmental Elements Corp., of Baltimore, a provider of air pollution control equipment and services, reported a net loss for its fiscal year ended March 31 of $533,000, or 7 cents per diluted share, on...

Baltimore-based Constellation Energy promotes Jeanne Blondia to treasurer.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Constellation Energy Group, of Baltimore, promoted Jeanne M. Blondia to the post of treasurer. Blondia had been serving as assistant treasurer since joining the energy supplier in 2003. Prior to joining...

Owings Mills-based BUCS Federal Bank offers customers more financial services.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports BUCS Federal Bank, of Owings Mills, has joined the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service Network, allowing it to offer customers up to $5 million in insured deposits, and providing individuals,...

Verizon Wireless seeks grant proposals for domestic violence prevention and education projects.
July 6, 2004... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Verizon Wireless is seeking grant proposals for domestic violence prevention and education projects in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Qualifying nonprofit organizations are invited to apply...