Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from May 2001

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from May 2001

Head of Baltimore's new police misconduct division named.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier Baltimore City States Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy yesterday named A. Thomas Tom Krehely Jr., a former senior assistant state prosecutor, to head her newly constituted Police Misconduct/Ethics Division. This unit was...

Two successful lawyers start their own firm.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Stacey Winakur Brokering a $185 million settlement with one of the biggest accounting firms in the world while netting a $71 million fee then being asked to represent the accounting firm would be difficult for any lawyer to top....

MD co. to help Russians modernize audit procedures.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Business Integrated Technology Solutions Inc. in Sykesville has an agreement to support PricewaterhouseCoopers in a project to modernize the Russian Ministry of Taxation and improve its computer infrastructure. The...

Doctor speaks to students about health care crisis.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster Dont let the burgundy balloon-like cotton pants, the multi-colored shirt with yellow tie or the bone-colored dangling earring fool you, Hunter D. Patch Adams has a serious message to convey. The nearly 500 people who...

Sex-offender listing not punishment under Sixth Amendment.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly Requiring a defendant to register as a sex offender does not constitute punishment, the Court of Special Appeals said yesterday in upholding the sentence of an Anne Arundel County man who was convicted of transporting a...

Md. Court of Special Appeals rules homeowners' suit against state was premature.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier A home owners group trying to block the state from issuing a wastewater permit to Carroll Countys Hampstead Wastewater Treatment Plant on Piney Run lost a round on appeal yesterday, but the groups lawyer is convinced...

Maryland business school ranked 13 in nation.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Nancy Kercheval Dean Howard Frank had a goal to see the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business named as a top 15 business school. Yesterday, his wish came true as the Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive...

Silver Spring telecom uses sewers to build broadband infrastructure.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick A Silver Spring company focused on bridging the so-called last-mile divide in broadband communications will be sending its robots for another romp in the sewers this time in Europe. CityNet Telecommunications, formed...

Supermarket seeks utility co.'s energy cost data.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein After nearly a year of prodding, and despite a Public Service Commission ruling in its favor, Giant Food Inc. says BGE is not moving swiftly enough to hand over sensitive energy cost data which the grocery chain seeks...

New broadband co. targets underserved suburbs.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster Officials at Cambrian Communications Inc., a newly minted broadband infrastructure company, are trying to give Verizon a little competition by building fiber optic rings in the suburbs of major cities in the...

Identity not suppressible 'fruit' of illegal, Md. Court of Special Appeals affirms.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz The identity of a passenger in a van stopped for a minor traffic violation is not the fruit of an illegal arrest that should have been suppressed at the passengers trial on drug charges, the Court of Special Appeals...

Admin. judge to assume powers of chief judge.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Nancy Kercheval The junior judge on the U.S. District Court bench has been given the responsibilities and powers of the chief judge in a move that apparently signifies the support and goodwill generated by Chief Judge J. Frederick...

Ridership of commuter transit continues to grow.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick Travelers are right on track with Silver Springs Commuter Express.The one-stop commuter service center for Montgomery County transit patrons has far exceeded initial sales expectations in the three years it has been...

Montgomery County shuts down bordello; seeks stricter laws.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour A house of prostitution that Montgomery County officials said had been masquerading as a massage parlor has closed its shop in Bethesdas central business district after reaching a settlement with the countys states...

Maryland and Baltimore economies get boost from festival.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller Officials for the Preakness Celebration Inc. said this years festival, combined with the running of the Preakness Stakes, should mean more than $54 million for the state.The weeklong celebration, which begins May 11...

Baltimore-area tech cos. team to build health care database.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Bob Keaveney Two regional information technology companies have been hired to build a system for storing and mining health care data for the federal government, representing the first benefit of a four-month-old partnership between...

Container transport co. adds service to W. Africa.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein The Port of Baltimores premier cargo niche roll-on, roll-off vehicles and equipment will get an added boost from Atlantic Container Line, which plans to drum up more RORO business through the port for its new...

Johns Hopkins study finds no gender bias in clinical research.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew Contrary to popular belief among those with a vested interest in clinical research, women are not underrepresented in studies, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public...

Energy co. plans growth when freed from parent co.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein For years, Constellation Energy Source, which markets energy services to commercial and industrial customers, has played second fiddle to its profitable, fast-growing parent, Constellation Energy Group but no...

Two Maryland judges honored at Law Day celebration.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A crowd of about 300 judges, attorneys, county officials and private citizens assembled in the sunny plaza outside the circuit court building in Towson yesterday to celebrate Law Day and to honor retired Court of Special...

Md. Court of Special Appeals reverses $4M default judgment.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Stacey Winakur Attorneys are supposed to extend each other professional courtesy, the Court of Special Appeals said yesterday, rebuking a lawyer who filed for sanctions after opposing counsel missed a deposition due to cancer...

MD firms' struggle to land venture funds continues.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Bob Keaveney Furthering the economic cool-down that began in the second half of 2000, early-stage Maryland companies continued to have difficulty landing venture capital financing in the first quarter of this year.Firms raised just...

Baltimore City building owners prepared to fight condemnation.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Jeffrey Raymond Should the Baltimore City Council approve a downtown redevelopment plan that includes the condemnation of a three-story office building at Saratoga and St. Paul streets, the lawyers who own the building say theyll...

Neighbors oppose using car dealership as heliport.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster Car dealership mogul Jack Antwerpens plan to build a helistop at his Catonsville car dealership has met with some resistance from the general manager of three Russel car dealerships located across the street from...

Univ. of Maryland competition awards good business plans.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Bob Keaveney For three area technology companies, recognition in the University of Marylands first-ever business plan competition means not only a few thousand dollars to develop their ideas but a measure of prestige that could go...

Women help United Way of Central Md. exceed donation expectations.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick The United Way of Central Maryland has set its sights on 100 women to donate a total of $1 million to its 2001 Alexis de Tocqueville Societys Womens Initiative.The organization found women are the largest untapped market...

MD bank offers deposit pick-up service.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich BankAnnapolis is expanding its role as a community bank by becoming the first state-chartered institution to offer deposit pick-up service, bucking an industrywide trend of using technology to draw customers. Mark H....

Learning centers fight involuntary liquidation.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller After being forced into Chapter 7 bankruptcy by Baltimore-based Trahan, Burden & Charles and two other out-of-state creditors, New Jersey-based Huntington Learning Centers is seeking to have the involuntary petition...

Decision in stadium dispute expected soon.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Nancy Kercheval The final call in a four-year contest between the Baltimore Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority is expected to be made by a three-member arbitration panel in the next month.The panel from the American...

Fight between siblings puts fate of $20M estate in jury's hands.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly The trial of a long and bitter inheritance battle between a Baltimore physician and his two sisters wound up yesterday, as a Baltimore County jury began deliberating how to dispose of the $20 million estate left by Rose...

Felony murder conviction affirmed by Md. Court of Special Appeals.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz The judge at a joint murder trial properly allowed one of the defendants to testify against the other midway through the trial, after striking a deal with prosecutors, the Court of Special Appeals held...

Jury verdict vacated by Md. Court of Special Appeals, case sent back for new trial.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Stacey Winakur A man who claims he was tricked into selling a $1.2 million property for $250,000 will have to prove his claim in court a second time because the trial court wrongly allowed a jury to decide equitable issues that...

Baltimore County judge reduces $750K award to $75K.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz A $750,000 punitive damage award against Reisterstown attorney Richard N. Foltz III for molesting a teen-age girl was reduced to $75,000 by a Baltimore County Circuit Court judge, his attorney said late yesterday. I...

Md. Court of Special Appeals rules telemarketers cannot be sued for making first sales solicitation call.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A person who receives unwanted telephone sales solicitations is limited to suing only for repeat calls and may not sue for the first call, the Court of Special Appeals held yesterday. State courts have jurisdiction over...

Md. Court of Special Appeals denies motion to compel discovery of accounting.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Stacey Winakur A partner in a Washington joint property venture was not entitled to conduct discovery on his equitable accounting claim without first proving that he had a right to the accounting, the Court of Special Appeals held...

Md. Court of Special Appeals rejects claim that prior stop tainted arrest.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier A convicts argument that an unconstitutional stop led to a later arrest during which he was improperly induced to confess to an unrelated crime did not sway the Court of Special Appeals, which affirmed his conviction...

Utilities not meeting customer needs may be fined.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein PJM Interconnect Inc., the powerful independent monitor of electricity supply for the mid-Atlantic region, is seeking permission to levy heavy fines on utilities that fail to secure enough power to meet local...

City panel approves mixed-use development project.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Union Wharf, a mixed-use development to rise along Fells Points easternmost waterfront, received final approval from the citys Design Advisory Panel yesterday, a major hurdle to pass before the $65 million project...

Realtors don't want banks in their location, location, location.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich While the banking industry faces opposition in trying to act as real estate brokers and managers, local industry leaders contend that the process is a natural extension of the current law. The 1999 Gramm-Leach-Bliley...

Small contracting co. renovates embassy buildings.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Se Ung Kim, a native of South Korea, came to America in 1968 at age 28 with a degree in architecture, a dream to own his own construction company and a painful past. He had lived through and lost his parents to the...

New computer certification training center opens.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Keeley Webster After nearly a year of planning, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Comcast and Baltimore County officials are celebrating today the grand opening of UMBCs for-profit computer certification training center,...

Univ. students win $150K in e-biz competition.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller Three Morgan State University students have won $150,000 in a recent e-business case competition. The Morgan students topped students from seven other universities for the grand prize in the inaugural OFC Venture...

Floating rehab hospital wins fight for pier lease.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Nancy Kercheval The Maryland Port Administrations effort to sink the plans for a floating hospital for recovering addicts was scuttled by a federal judge in Baltimore, who ordered the state to give the U.S.S. Sanctuary a berthing...

South Baltimore businesses adapt to changing clientele.
May 5, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour For more than a half-century, Rallos Restaurant fortified Locust Points hardworking men and women most of them lifelong laborers at one of the South Baltimore communitys many factories with traditional...

Former lawyer fights for rights of poor, disabled.
May 5, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz As the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates the fate of convicted killer Johnny Paul Penry a Texas death row inmate with an IQ of 60 one of his lawyers reflected on what it means when the state executes people with...

Web design firm becomes part of large tech corp.
May 5, 2001... Byline: Bob Keaveney Generally, the view of this industry is that its just getting absolutely battered. And it is, says John Snow, a partner of Rand Interactive, a Baltimore-based Web design firm thats in the process of changing its...

Johns Hopkins Univ. gets $100M gift to fund malaria institute.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Nancy Kercheval An anonymous donor used to a life of high risk for high reward has pledged $100 million to establish the Johns Hopkins Malaria Institute at the universitys Bloomberg School of Public Health, said Dean Alfred...

Fed by struggling market, biz insurance rates climb.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich A report being released today by Marsh USA-Baltimore indicates business insurance rates have soared for the first time in almost 15 years, and the struggling stock market might help drive those costs up further. ...

Owners of demolished apt. complex sue city.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Two local real estate investors are suing the city for allegedly razing their 25-unit apartment complex in Reservoir Hill The Rochester Apartments without proper notification. Winston A. Rubie and Andrea E....

New community bank to fill void left by mergers.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Organizers of Penn Mar Bancshares Inc. have seen enough of consolidation and want to restore the role of a community bank in Carroll County, Frederick and South Central Pennsylvania. Westminster City Councilman...

Federal judge to decide if bar can keep liquor license.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier Should a Frederick restaurant lose its liquor license over the company it keeps? A federal judge in Baltimore will hear further argument from counsel today on that question, after giving the restaurant a temporary...

Gas station owner's suit revived by Md. Court of Special Appeals.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly The owner of a Baltimore City gas station will get a chance to prove his claims that he ran into financial trouble because the oil company failed to disclose details required by law and meddled with his operation. ...

Baltimore city planners release transportation project wish list.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein A wider Baltimore beltway, expanded light rail and bus service and new bicycle paths top a lengthy wish list of potential transportation improvement projects compiled by Baltimore area planners and policy makers. ...

Local firm offers kits to keep travelers healthy.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick Before you embark on your dream safari this summer, make sure you pack everything on your list, including enough socks, clean underwear, your passport and a travelers diarrhea kit. Baltimore-based international...

New heart scan technology comes to Baltimore.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew A new form of heart scan technology to help prevent heart attacks has just hit Baltimore, and its advanced technology already is peeking into the chests of local patients. LifeTest, in February, opened its first...

Md. Court of Special Appeals affirms fast-food robber's convictions.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Daily Record Legal Affairs Writer The Court of Special Appeals on Friday affirmed the convictions of a Silver Spring man for a string of robberies at Montgomery County fast-food establishments in October and November 1998. ...

Baltimore Development Corp. opts to renovate business center.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour The Baltimore Development Corp. is betting the South Harbor Business Center, a four-building light industrial and office campus in South Baltimore that it has owned for more than five years, has value in its current...

Biotech firm building larger headquarters.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew Following its recent record sales, MedImmune Inc. needs room to spread its wings and a new $70 million nest should do the trick. The Gaithersburg biotech yesterday said it is building new headquarters just down the...

Sleeping it off behind wheel of car does not amount to drunken driving.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz A man left in his red Chevrolet Blazer in an Ocean City parking lot to sleep it off was not in actual control of the truck and is not guilty of driving while intoxicated, the Court of Special Appeals held yesterday...

Boat owner's insurance policy voided.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Peter Geier A boat owners insurance policy went down with his Hillbilly Mansion because he did not disclose information material to the insurers evaluation of the risk, a federal magistrate judge in Baltimore has held. Ronnie...

Provident banks on building small business relationships.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Provident Bankshares Corp. is trying to carve out a niche in working with small businesses, and has set up a special unit to expand service to those firms. The $5.3 billion-asset bank recently launched its new Small...

Allegheny Energy project repairs environmental damage.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein Allegheny Energy Inc. has launched a pilot program to help repair environmental damage inflicted by two industries power plants and strip mines that are particularly hard on land and water resources in Western...

Baltimore-based brokerage, investment firm's profits plummet.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Todd Karpovich Legg Mason Inc. said yesterday its fourth quarter profits plummeted 26 percent as the sliding stock market has hit the brokerage business, and Chairman Raymond A. Chip Mason said any downsizing could depend on an...

Labor agreement ban at heart of federal lawsuit.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein Its deja vu all over again. If a union-backed lawsuit to overturn a presidential ban on federally funded labor construction projects succeeds, it could re-ignite a bitter battle over who builds the bulk of the new...

Ad campaign on domestic violence targets employers in Baltimore area.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller To raise awareness about the relationship between domestic violence at home and its effect on the workplace, The House of Ruth is launching its latest advertising campaign, targeting the Baltimore area business...

Silver Spring-based export licensing software co. continues to grow.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein These days, any company that ties its fortunes to the Internet is taking a gamble. But for NextLinx Corp. that gamble may well be paying off. The small, privately held Silver Spring firm has recently doubled its...

Junk faxes spur class-action against CA-based firm.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz After Bruce Levitt received a third unsolicited advertisement for vacation deals on his fax machine earlier this year, he decided to do something about it and it had nothing to do with reserving 8 days and 7 nights...

Baltimore County man goes to court seeking release from mental ward.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly The fate of a Baltimore County man who has been hospitalized at least 11 times because of mental illness was in a civil jurys hands last night, after he told the jury how much he hated being confined to the states...

University of Baltimore students learn proper business dinner etiquette.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick You may think an invitation to lunch by a potential employer is just a nice gesture, but as 70 University of Baltimore students learned Monday night, he actually may be watching to see how you hold your fork. The...

Owners of condemned building sue Baltimore.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Jeffrey Raymond Hours after the Baltimore City Council adopted a bill that would result in the condemnation of an office building at Saratoga and St. Paul streets, the owners of the building made good on their promise to sue the...

MD property trust to pursue nonrental income.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Corporate Office Properties Trust, a Columbia-based real estate investment trust, recently branched with a new entity Corporate Office Services LLC to pull in non-rental income by providing real estate consultation...

Telecom co., optics firm to build undersea network.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew Ciena Corp. yesterday announced a deal worth more than $150 million with major telecom network owner and supplier TyCom Ltd. Linthicum-based Ciena will provide its intelligent optical switching and transport systems...

Barristers Ball raises thousands for Court Appointed Special Advocates.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly Members of the Anne Arundel County Bar Association Foundation and their guests shamelessly celebrated Cinco de Mayo! on Saturday evening in Annapolis at the ninth annual Barristers Ball at the Sheraton Barcelo. The crowd...

Baltimore-area companies consider exporting to Latin America.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein More than 100 area CEOs are expected to meet today with government and business officials from Latin America to explore the risks and benefits of marketing Marylands goods and services to a vast and largely untapped...

Md. hospitals make progress toward easing nursing shortage.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Karen Buckelew Maryland and its hospitals are making strides toward easing the nursing shortage choking health care nationwide. The states hospital rate-setting commission earlier this week announced funding actions directed at 17...

Sparks-based McCormick and Co. adds new spices to its seasonings collection.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Laura Fick In a move geared to spice up kitchens worldwide, Sparks-based McCormick and Co. Inc. has unveiled 22 new gourmet seasonings set to hit grocers shelves early this fall. The McCormick Gourmet Collection a line of herbs,...

Graveyard shift workers discuss their jobs.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Marie Gullard Most working folks end a long day with the 10 or 11 oclock news; the last task for them is setting the alarm and hoping that 6 or 7 a.m. will take its good old time coming round. Occasionally there are the sleepless...

Md. Court of Appeals vacates ruling that required out-of-state retailer to collect taxes.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A much-awaited appellate court opinion in the fight between local furniture retailers and North Carolina outlets over Maryland state sales taxes came yesterday, but the message was not what Annapolis wanted to hear. The...

Guardian's fees not covered by MD Medicaid program.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Joe Surkiewicz Guardianship commissions and attorneys fees of appointed guardians of the property of mentally incompetent Medicaid recipients are not covered by the personal needs allowance provided under the Maryland Medicaid...

Hotel renovates, combines bar and restaurant.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Bruce Miller As part of its $3 million renovation project, the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel has consolidated the former Orioles bar and McHenrys restaurant to form the Orioles Grille. The new 150-seat restaurant and bar opened its...

Baltimore County jury declines to free mentally ill inmate.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Earl Kelly A Baltimore County jury determined late Tuesday that William T. Ecolono Jr., 39, continued to pose a threat to himself and others, and Circuit Court Judge Dana Mark Levitz ordered that Ecolono be remanded to Clifton T....

Maryland to promote tax amnesty, $70 M in back taxes at stake.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The state of Maryland will be shelling out $1 million for a new advertising campaign in hope of getting back more than $70 million in back taxes during the upcoming tax amnesty program this fall. The...

Maryland docking pilots criticized for requesting rate hike.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Amy Bernstein If the 10 men who pilot cargo vessels from the outer reaches of the harbor into the Port of Baltimore were contestants on Survivor, chances are theyd all get booted off in a heartbeat. These days, Marylands specially...

Community leaders focus on redeveloping Baltimore.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Rachel Mansour Francis B. Burch Jr. launched his term last night as chairman of the Greater Baltimore Committee with a focused three-point agenda that he said will help rebuild Baltimores tax base and pump confidence into the citys...