Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from September 2003

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from September 2003

For 100 years, Venable LLP lawyers assist Marylanders.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Daily Record Staff Business Writer A century ago when Venable, Baetjer and Howard law firm was founded Maryland and the United States was a simpler, low-tech place. But the state and Venable LLP, as the firm is now known, have...

Commentary: Planning now for retirement planning: Take inventory, evaluate income.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Thomas J. Cholis Investing for retirement is easier said than done. Developing and implementing a successful retirement investment strategy requires knowledge of all the facts and options available in order for retirement investing...

Baltimore-based Provident Savings Bank stays true to its 120-year-old mission.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Special to The Daily Record In 1882, John Marshall, a retired Portuguese sailor, worked in a Friends Gospel Mission in Federal Hill. Known for being trustworthy, friends and visitors alike called on Marshall to watch over their...

Residential zoning battle in Pikesville goes back to Baltimore County Circuit Court.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Alisa Bralove A contentious zoning battle in Pikesville is back in Baltimore County Circuit Court, this time involving a plan to build 58 luxury duplex houses on the northeast portion of Druid Ridge Cemetery.Community groups are...

Annapolis-based Web development firm, BlogSprite, launches free marketing tool for businesses.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Bobby White Hoping to tap into a burgeoning market, an Annapolis-based Web development firm has launched a Web log known as a blog among the digerati catering to businesses.BlogSprite is free marketing tool, said Amy Vansant,...

Md. health care officials look for ways to allow military personnel to practice legally in state.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Patrice Dickens Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick is surrounded by two of Maryland's eight military operations Patuxent River Naval Air Station and Andrews Air Force Base. But of the hospital's 950 employees, only two...

Md. Court of Appeals disbars lawyer who could not be found.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A longtime Baltimore County lawyer who closed his last known office three years ago was disbarred by the Court of Appeals on Friday, following a complaint by a woman he had represented in a divorce action in...

Site for proposed Embassy Suites hotel in downtown Baltimore to become a temporary parking lot.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Ezra Fieser City officials stood in a hole in the center of Baltimore's downtown business district last week and praised the persistence of a developer who soon will begin building an extended-stay hotel at the site. But with that...

Washington County Health System unveils plans for new hospital.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Washington County Health System unveiled detailed plans for a new, $165 million hospital to be built east of Hagerstown, with 278 beds, 24 more than at its current facility near downtown Hagerstown, and...

Olney-based Sandy Spring Bancorp declares quarterly dividend.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Sandy Spring Bancorp, of Olney, the parent company of Sandy Spring Bank, declared a regular quarterly dividend of 19 cents per share for the third quarter of 2003, a 1 cent increase over the second-quarter...

Columbia-based Corvis Corp. announces private placement of 67M shares of its common stock.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Corvis Corp., a Columbia-based telecommunications equipment manufacturer, said it reached agreements with unidentified investors for the private placement of more than 67 million shares of its common stock at...

U.S. Dept. of Justice awards $2M grant to Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The U.S. Department of Justice awarded a $2 million grant to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation to help fund baseball-themed programs for underprivileged youths across the country, Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger,...

Italian shoe store leases space at Woodmont Center in Bethesda.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Sole, a high-end Italian shoe store, leased 1,982 square feet of space at Woodmont Corner in Bethesda. James "Tyke" Papanicolas of AMR Commercial Realty represented Sole in the transaction; the owner,...

Chestertown-based Dixon Valve & Coupling unveil new forest firefighting tools.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Dixon Valve & Coupling Co., of Chestertown, unveiled several new hose and hardware products specifically designed for forest firefighting. They include a forest fire hose that provides a higher working...

Baltimore-based eOriginal Inc. names new vice pres. of sales and marketing.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Baltimore-based eOriginal Inc., a provider of electronic negotiable instruments, securities and source records, named Steve M. Stennett as vice president, sales and marketing. Stennett founded and was...

Germantown-based Optelcom Inc. names new manager of software development.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Optelecom Inc., of Germantown, which makes fiber optics systems, named Anunoy Ghosh as manager, software development. Ghosh was a senior software design and development manager for PMC-Sierra.

Baltimore to be site of Nat. Business Incubation Assn.'s international conference in 2005.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Baltimore will be the site of the 19th annual National Business Incubation Association's international conference in May 2005, thanks to the efforts of the Maryland Business Incubation Association, an...

Montgomery County invites input from residents on the kind of police chief the community needs.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Montgomery County, which is looking for a new police chief to replace former Chief Charles Moose, is inviting county residents to attend one of two community focus groups to discuss the kind of police chief...

Rockville-based Manugistics Group furnishes software to top department store retailer.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Rockville-based Manugistics Group Inc., a maker of supply chain management software, furnished its products to Federated Department Stores Inc. to boost the effectiveness of inbound transportation and freight...

Baltimore County to begin process of bringing criminal charges against deadbeat parents.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Alisa Bralove Starting today, Baltimore County will begin the process of deciding which parents to criminally charge for failing to pay child support, making them subject to three-year sentences.Pursuant to an agreement, lawyers...

Md. Court of Appeals runs interference on tort action by insurance agent.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A Baltimore County-based insurance agent who cried foul after he lost a lucrative account took another hit last week, this time in an opinion by the Court of Appeals.The state's top court got the case as a...

Md. Court of Appeals affirms bail bondsman's murder conviction.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Lawrence Hurley The judge in the murder trial of Upper Marlboro bail bondsman Dean J. "Dino" Pantazes did not abuse his discretion when he limited the defense attorney's cross examination of the prosecution's star witness, the...

Injured Annapolis surgeon convinces Baltimore jury to award him $500,000 in legal fees.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Peter Geier Lawyers for an Annapolis surgeon whose insurer denied him disability benefits after deciding he shot his finger off intentionally got $500,000 in legal fees after convincing a federal jury in Baltimore that the event...

Md. Court of Appeals rejects writ of execution rule for attaching of real property.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Ann Parks A woman's interest in personal property passed to her surviving co-owners free and clear of a judgment lien against her, the Court of Appeals held yesterday.Writing for the top court, Judge Glenn T. Harrell Jr. decreed...

Md. Legal Briefs: September 2, 2003.
September 2, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports About 2 million Verizon Wireless customers in Michigan will receive free cellular phone time under the terms of a settlement approved in Detroit last week. Judge Kaye Tertzag called the settlement ``fair,...

Marriott International sells assisted-living communities to CNL Retirement Properties.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Marriott International Inc., the largest U.S. hotel company, sold 14 Brighton Gardens assisted-living communities to CNL Retirement Properties Inc. for about $184 million. Bethesda-based Marriott received $92...

Nat'l Assn. of Credit Mgmt. Credit Manager's Index shows modest improvement in August.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The National Association of Credit Management Credit Manager's Index (CMI) shows modest improvement in August relative to the previous month's reading, gaining 40 basis points. The manufacturing sector, which...

Prometric announces acquisition of Core Technology Group.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Baltimore-based Prometric, a part of The Thomson Corp., a testing and assessment services company, yesterday announced its acquisition of Core Technology Group Inc., a computer-based testing company providing...

ARINC Inc. teams up with International Air Transport Assn.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports ARINC Inc. of Annapolis has teamed with the International Air Transport Association to help aircraft operators in the Caribbean and South American flight region achieve the compliance they will need for...

Heads of CEO Clubs to visit Baltimore.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Simon Guo, president of the CEO Clubs of China, along with the heads of CEO Club chapters in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongquing, Shanghai and Beijing, will visit Baltimore Sept. 9 as the first city in...

Puroflow Inc. details proposed acquisition of Dinsmore Communications.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Puroflow Inc. of Rockville has entered into a letter of intent detailing its proposed acquisition of Dinsmore Communications Corp., a New Hampshire firm that provides premise design, engineering,...

Nat'l Institute of Standards and Tech. holding Biometric Consortium's fall conference.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Gaithersburg-based National Institute of Standards and Technology is holding the Biometric Consortium's fall conference, BC 2003, to showcase recent advances in the field of biometrics, such as automated...

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers to make presentations at Roth Capital Partners NY Conference.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Hampstead-based JoS. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. yesterday announced that it will make presentations at the Roth Capital Partners New York Conference and the Sidoti & Company West Coast Emerging Growth...

Marsh DC/Baltimore to present workshop.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Marsh DC/Baltimore on Sept. 9 will present a workshop to protect businesses from disruptions, and safeguard customers from unexpected catastrophic service and delivery failures. Workshop participants will be...

Better Biz Bureau of Greater MD, Baltimore Ravens to co-host networking breakfast.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland and the Baltimore Ravens will co-host a networking breakfast at M&T Bank Stadium tomorrow, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Dan Bohrer, M&T Bank's regional security...

Ajilon Consulting recognized for efforts in Detroit.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Towson-based Ajilon Consulting has won recognition for its efforts in the Motor City. The Detroit-area office of information technology services firm has been recognized as one of "The Best Places to Work in...

SafeNet to present at Credit Suisse First Boston Global Software Conference.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports SafeNet, the Baltimore-based provider of private and public network security solutions, is scheduled to present at the Credit Suisse First Boston Global Software Conference today. Anthony Caputo, chairman, and...

Marine hopeful loses bid to have record expunged.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Alisa Bralove A Charles County judge wrongly granted the expungement petition of a Hughesville man, the Court of Special Appeals has held, dashing the 21-year-old's hopes of joining the Marines.In reversing the trial court, the...

Integral Systems seeks lift from new antenna division.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Satellite software maker Integral Systems Inc. yesterday said it would buy the antenna division of a Washington-based engineering firm for an undisclosed sum.The move completes Integral's product line for...

Committee co-chairs call for reconsideration of building in critical areas.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The co-chairs of the General Assembly's Joint Committee on Chesapeake and Coastal Bays Critical Areas yesterday echoed the state's call for reconsideration of Lewis v. DNR, the Court of Appeals' July decision...

United Way aiming for 3 percent more amid decline.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Jeffrey Raymond The United Way of Central Maryland is looking to raise 3 percent more from the private sector in its 2003 campaign, for a goal of $32.6 million, than it did last year.One of the chief ways it hopes to find more...

FluMist readies for its moment.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Robyn Lamb After years of working to clear regulatory hurdles, MedImmune Inc. is counting on the fear of needles to boost its bottom line. With flu season right around the corner, needle-phobes will, for the first time, be able to...

Safeway trying to gain community assn.'s approval for fuel station.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Ezra Fieser Safeway Inc. plans to locate its first Baltimore fuel station at the site of its Boston Street grocery store, but it first needs to convince a skeptical community association that Canton needs another gas...

Late fee funds come just in time for legal services.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Lawrence Hurley A ray of sunlight pierced through the dark skies that hung above Maryland's legal services community yesterday when an unprecedented and unexpected $425,000 check was gratefully received.The substantial cash...

Fed contractors try to provide IT security relief.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Bobby White Two federal information technology security contractors will come together tomorrow as sponsors of a seminar to address some of the mishaps firms encounter when trying to secure their networks. Florida-based Cyberguard...

1st responders have redress for side effects.
September 3, 2003... Byline: John O'Connor Medical and safety personnel who become sick from voluntary smallpox inoculations are not automatically excluded from worker's compensation and other medical benefits, according to an opinion from Maryland's Attorney...

Commentary: Moneywi$e: Getting back to business.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Julius Westheimer "Oh, it's a long, long time from May to December/But the days grow short when you reach September./When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame/One doesn't have time for the waiting game./And the days dwindle...

Business basics offered to Md.'s tech entrepreneurs.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Patrice Dickens Technology entrepreneurs often have great ideas, but they may lack the business skills necessary to implement the ideas, which is a barrier to venture capitalists and other sources of private capital. In an effort...

Private home monitoring is 'custody,' CSA holds.
September 3, 2003... Byline: Ann Parks A convicted drunk driver who served 240 days in privately monitored home detention while awaiting trial for causing a fatal crash was entitled to credit for that time, the Court of Special Appeals has held.The decision...

Ciena Corp. completes acquisition of AKARA Corp.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Ciena Corp., the Linthicum-based optical networking systems and software company, yesterday announced the completion of its acquisition of AKARA Corp. Ciena acquired all outstanding shares of AKARA in...

SafeNet to participate in IBM Blue Logic IP Collaboration Program.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports SafeNet, the Baltimore-based provider of private and public network security solutions, yesterday announced that it has been selected to participate in the IBM Blue Logic IP Collaboration Program, which...

Hanger Orthopedic Group's term loan assigned 'B+' senior secured debt rating.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Hanger Orthopedic Group Inc.'s proposed $150 million term loan maturing in 2008 has been assigned a "B+" senior secured debt rating from Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. At the same time, Standard & Poor's...

GenVec Inc. announces issuance of patent.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports GenVec Inc., the Gaithersburg-based biopharmaceutical company, announced the issuance of a U.S. patent for "Gene Transcription and Ionizing Radiation: Methods and Compositions," which covers the use of...

TEKsystems Inc. buys Directfit.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports TEKsystems Inc., an information technology and communications staffing and services company based in Hanover, announced yesterday the acquisition of Irvine, Calif.-based Directfit, a privately held IT hiring...

Analyst assigns 'buy' rating to BioReliance Corp.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports BioReliance Corp., the Rockville provider of testing and manufacturing services which span the product cycle from early preclinical development through licensed production, has been rated a "buy" in new...

Coventry Health Care to present at Bear Stearns 16th Annual Healthcare Conference.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Coventry Health Care Inc.'s Dale B. Wolf, the Bethesda-based health care company's chief financial officer, is scheduled to present at the Bear Stearns 16th Annual Healthcare Conference in New York Sept. 8....

RewardsPlus announces two promotions.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports RewardsPlus, a provider of benefits management technology headquartered in Hunt Valley, yesterday announced the promotions of Gary Broache to executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Steven...

Pacer Stacktrain expands intermodal freight service.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Pacer Stacktrain, already a player in Maryland freight transportation and logistics market, announced yesterday that it has expanded its intermodal freight service to serve the U.S. Northeastern region....

OPNET Technologies to build Network Common Operating Picture system.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Bethesda-based OPNET Technologies Inc., a provider of management software for networks and applications, yesterday announced that it will build a Network Common Operating Picture system for U.S. Central...

Oral contracts to provide insurance are still enforceable.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Peter Geier Oral contracts to provide insurance policies are enforceable under Maryland common law, the Court of Appeals has held in a question certified by a federal judge in Baltimore. The decision sends the case back to federal...

Elkton investor denies claims of securities violations.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe An Elkton man accused of six counts of securities violations and fraud by the Maryland Attorney General's office yesterday insisted he is innocent of the charges.State securities division officials allege...

Axcelis Technologies receives order for GSD Ultra ion implanter.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Axcelis Technologies Inc. has received another order for its GSD Ultra ion implanter, a multi-wafer system used to produce ultra shallow junctions and other advanced transistor structures in semiconductor...

American Russian Cancer Alliance to receive actinium from Russian nuclear stockpiles.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Patrice Dickens The United States has a scarcity of actinium, a product of decaying uranium known for its cancer-fighting qualities. But through a federally funded partnership with the American Russian Cancer Alliance (ARCA),...

Baltimore housing dept. restructures code enforcement practices.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Baltimore's residents are about to become the first line of defense in the war against irresponsible homeowners if the city's housing department's latest strategy pays off.As part of a major restructuring of code...

Court of Special Appeals: No evidence Freon caused asthma.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Ann Parks A jury's verdict that a Giant Food worker contracted adult-onset asthma from a Freon gas leak was reversed yesterday by the Court of Special Appeals. The case should not have gone to the Prince George's County jury last...

Comcast offers grace period to people purloining cable service.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Bobby White Comcast Corp. is offering illegal cable users two weeks of amnesty to come clean before the firm will begin aggressively prosecuting abusers.The program began on Tuesday and will run through Sept. 16. It will span most...

MD Board of Public Works to hire 22 new employees.
September 4, 2003... Byline: John O'Connor State efforts to collect more than $235 million in backlogged debts will get a boost after the Maryland Board of Public Works approved the hiring of 22 new employees dedicated to tracking down delinquent payments.The...

Four Seasons hotel planned for Inner Harbor.
September 4, 2003... Byline: Ezra Fieser In less than a year, developers expect to break ground on a $130 million Four Seasons hotel, bringing five-star lodging to a "dramatic" waterfront site on the east side of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.A group of...

Nat'l Aquarium in Baltimore to operate Nat'l Aquarium in Washington D.C.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The National Aquarium in Baltimore will operate the National Aquarium in D.C., providing new resources in educational programming, animal care, and exhibit design and development under an agreement announced...

MD Tech. Development Corp., Johns Hopkins renew Memo of Understanding.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports The Maryland Technology Development Corp. and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory yesterday renewed their Memorandum of Understanding for an additional three years. The MoU will allow...

Discovery Communications acquires United Learning.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports Discovery Communications acquired United Learning, a producer and distributor of audiovisual educational products and services based in Evanston, Ill. This acquisition combined with the existing in-school...

Duck hunter shoots down change to Kent County boat-mooring ordinance.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Ann Parks Kent County cannot allow boat owners to moor their vessels for two months of the waterfowl hunting season, in waters where riparian landowners are entitled to maintain licensed blind sites, the Court of Special Appeals...

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield introduces Consumer-Directed Health Plan.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is introducing for its large self-insured groups a new Consumer-Directed Health Plan, which provides members with greater control for their health care spending through the...

HMSHost and Pen & Prose Inc. awarded 5-year contract to operate newsstands.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Staff and Wire Reports HMSHost, a provider of retail, food and beverage concessions to the travel industry, and Pen & Prose Inc., have been awarded a five-year contract to operate three newsstands at Washington Dulles International...

Court of Appeals ends walk-around money ban.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Lawrence Hurley Yesterday morning Maryland's law banning "walk-around" payments was hanging in the balance as the Court of Appeals sat to hear oral arguments over its constitutionality.By yesterday afternoon, acting with...

Taking Stock - Summer doldrums over?
September 5, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Johnston Jarboe Maryland stocks put in a good performance on the first week of business after summer's unofficial close. Gainers outpaced losers every day of the shortened trading week so far. On Tuesday, more than 80...

Commentary: Different approaches to legal aid: Can the 'twain' meet?
September 5, 2003... Byline: Robert J. Rhudy "Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet," wrote Rudyard Kipling in his 1892 poem, "The Ballad of East and West," about a British officer and Afghan chieftain.In a similar vein, until...

Seniors find contentment in legal volunteer work.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Alisa Bralove After driving a bus for 30 years and the subway for seven years after that, 79-year-old William Mosley sure knows how to deal with people.Now Mosley and about 50 other senior citizens have taken their years of...

$42 million grant puts Maryland at center of bioterror fight.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Patrice Dickens The University of Maryland School of Medicine will become a national hub in the preparations to fight bioterrorism, after receiving a five-year, $42 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and...

Murder-prosecutor's ignorance was no excuse for Brady flaw.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Alisa Bralove The failure of prosecutors within the Baltimore City State's Attorneys Office to communicate with one another will mean a new trial for a Baltimore man convicted of the murder of his girlfriend.Attorneys for Tony...

Couple sues Legal Sea Foods; says mussels caused hepatitis.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Nancy Kercheval A Texas couple is suing Legal Sea Foods Inc. after the husband and wife allegedly contracted Hepatitis A from improperly prepared mussels during a visit to the company's Inner Harbor restaurant.The suit, filed in...

Prince George's County making Super Bowl bid.
September 5, 2003... Byline: John O'Connor Efforts to bring a Super Bowl game and a $300 million economic touchdown to FedEx Field in Landover will take their first steps through government next week.That's when Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson...

U of MD, Baltimore awaits nod from city design panel.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Ezra Fieser The University of Maryland, Baltimore is in final negotiations with a team of Baltimore businesspeople that will develop the first building of the University of Maryland Life Sciences Park.University officials declined...

Hackers can wreak havoc in today's computer-dependent society.
September 5, 2003... Byline: Bobby White The LovSan computer worm walloped Maryland. It shoved its elbow where few could have predicted the Motor Vehicle Administration. It shut down offices statewide for two days, inconveniencing thousands. A kindred...