March, 12th 2013

Goucher Poll: Marylanders split on trust of federal government

By Ron Cassie

A new poll released today from Goucher College finds Marylanders split on whether they trust the federal government to act in the public interest.

When asked how often they trust the federal government to act in the public interest, 51 percent of Marylanders reported “very little” or “none of the time” while 47 percent said they can trust the federal government “some” or “all of the time.”

Also, according to the Goucher Poll, President Barack Obama’s approval rating has fallen slightly in the past five months, but more Marylanders hold Congressional Republicans responsible for the recent sequester budget cuts to federal spending.

Fifty-six percent of Marylanders maintain a favorable view of the president, down from a 60 percent approval rating measured by Goucher five months ago. Thirty-eight percent disapprove of his job performance.

Similarly, 51 percent of Marylanders view Sen. Barbara Mikulski favorably, while 23...

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Tags: Barack Obama, Barbara Mikulski, Ben Cardin, Goucher College, sequester

March, 11th 2013

ESPN: Anquan Boldin Traded to 49ers

By Ron Cassie

The afterglow of the Super Bowl just dimmed a bit.

ESPN and other sources are now reporting that the Ravens will send wide receiver Anquan Boldin to their Super Bowl opponent in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

According to previous reports, the Ravens' front office had asked the 32-year-old Boldin to take a pay cut to help the team manage its salary cap.

Boldin is scheduled to earn $6 million in the 2013. He has maintained that he has not sought more money, but wished to play out his current contract in Baltimore.

"At no point, no matter how well I played, would I come back to the table and say, 'I need more money.' The contract that I signed was the contract that I intended to play out," Boldin told USA Today.

Boldin caught 65...

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Tags: Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco

March, 8th 2013

Legalize It? Maryland Bill Would Decriminalize Pot

By Ron Cassie

A bill filed by Baltimore City Delegate Curt Anderson (above photo) would decriminalize marijuana, making it legal for adults over 21 and establishing a system that would regulate the sale, tax and use of the drug.

The bill proposes a system of regulation much like the one the state uses to control the wholesale and retail distribution of alcohol while eliminating criminal penalties for private possession and small home-grown amounts of marijuana.

Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize recreational marijuana in November ballot referendums. Several other states are currently also considering the legalization recreational marijuana, although the drug is still illegal, in terms of federal law.

House Bill 1453, co-sponsored by Baltimore City Delegates Jill P. Carter, Cheryl D. Glenn and Nathaniel T. Oaks, is scheduled for a House...

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Tags: Bobby Zirkin, Cheryl D. Glenn, Curt Anderson, House Bill 1453, Jill P. Carter, legalization, marijuana, Marijuana Policy Project, Maryland, Nathaniel T. Oaks

March, 7th 2013

St. Patrick's Day: O'Malley's March at Creative Alliance

By Ron Cassie

With the great Irish holiday around the corner, Gov. Martin O'Malley's formerly-retired Celtic band has been booked for two shows St. Patrick's Day weekend at the Creative Alliance.

O'Malley's March, with the Governor, of course, outfront on vocals and acoustic guitar, is scheduled to play Saturday, March 16 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Shows are $25 for non-members of the Creative Alliance and $20 for members, with proceeds benefitting the Creative Alliance, located on Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown.

O'Malley's bandmates include Jared Denhard (Irish harp, uielann pipes, trombone), Jim Eagan (fiddle), and Sean McComiskey (button accordion).

As The Washington Post noted, it's been years since O’Malley, preparing for his first run for governor in 2006, announced that he was putting his band into retirement. Reportedly, he and his advisors feared...

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Tags: Creative Alliance, Martin O'Malley, O'Malley's March, St. Patrick's Day

March, 6th 2013

Maryland Senate Votes to Repeal Death Penalty

By Ron Cassie

The Maryland Senate passed a bill Wednesday, by a vote of 27-20, that would repeal the state’s death penalty, substituting a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

The death penalty repeal effort now moves to the House of Delegates, where repeal advocates believe they have enough support to get the companion bill passed as well.

The Senate bill was introduced by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. at the request of Gov. Martin O’Malley — a longtime critic of the death penalty. State Sen. Bobby Zirkin (D–Baltimore County) provided a key vote this year to get the bill out of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

The state has not executed anyone since 2005 when Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. held office.

According to ...

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Tags: Martin O'Malley, Maryland Citizens Against State Executions, Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.

March, 5th 2013

Regular Joe: Flacco Hits McDonald's After Record Deal

By Ron Cassie

After inking his new contract, a $120 million deal that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL, where did Joe Flacco go for lunch?

McDonald's.

A "tweet" Monday by Twitter user hjnorm sent out a photo of the Ravens' quarterback pulling through an Aberdeen drive-thu, apparently on the way back to his New Jersey home.

According to ESPN, the QB ordered a 10-piece McNugget meal, with fries and an unsweetened iced tea.

From ESPN:

"Sherry Norman, a diehard Ravens fan, glanced at the profile of what she thought looked remarkably like the guy that had just signed a huge contract at the Ravens facility about 40 miles from the McDonald's and in the direction of Flacco's New Jersey home.

I kept saying to the people I work with, 'Doesn't that look like Joe Flacco?,' "Norman said. "And then he turned towards the window and it was him."

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Tags: Joe Flacco, McDonald's

March, 4th 2013

Flacco to Sign Today; Press Conference Streamed Live

By Ron Cassie

Baltimore Ravens quarterback AND Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco is expected to sign a long-term contract today and is scheduled to appear at a press conference at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon announcing the deal.

According to The Washington Post, the deal is expected to be for six years and $120 million, of which $52 million will be guaranteed. The deal will reportedly make Flacco the highest-paid player in NFL history.

The press conference will be streamed live at BaltimoreRavens.com.

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Tags: Baltimore Ravens, contract, Joe Flacco, press conference

March, 1st 2013

Boys' Latin Ranked No. 1 by UA/Inside Lacrosse

By Ron Cassie

We’re not going to suggest any local bias because both Under Armour and Inside Lacrosse magazine are based in Baltimore (as some have done), but simply congratulate Boys’ Latin on their preseason UA/Inside Lacrosse No. 1 national high school ranking.

Inside Lacrosse reports that “with a multitude of Division I players on their roster, Boys' Latin (Md.) enters the new season as the nation's top team to beat.”

The Lakers, 14-7 in 2012, last claimed the national title in 2006, the same year they last won an MIAA title, according to the school’s website. They started their season today with a game at home versus Landon of Bethesda.

Boys’ Latin is not the Baltimore only team to make the UA/Inside Lacrosse national rankings. Calvert Hall, who beat the Lakers in last season’s MIAA semifinals, are at No. 4. McDonough came in at No. 8 and Gilman is ranked No. 18.

We're looking forward to a great season. On the collegiate level, too, with the Maryland, Hopkins and Loyola men — the defending national champs — ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No....

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Tags: Boys' Latin, Calvert Hall, Gilman, Hopkins, Inside Lacrosse, Loyola, McDonogh

March, 1st 2013

Knit More: Baltimore Threadquarters Grand Opening

By Ron Cassie

Maybe this is one of those things you didn’t know your neighborhood needed until it showed up: The Highlandtown Arts District’s newest addition is Baltimore Threadquarters, a fiber arts supply store, craft space and gallery.

Launched by local artists Marlo Jacobson and Allison Fomich, Threadquarters recently reached their $5,000 crowd-sourcing goal via Indiegogo to help fund their start-up. Their official grand opening party is tonight, Friday, March 1, from 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. at the store’s Botteon Building location at 518 S. Conkling St.

Jacobson and Fomich both live in Highlandtown with their husbands and children, who attend Patterson Park Public Charter School. They told the Baltimore Guide that they chose Highlandtown because the neighborhood, as well as Butcher’s Hill and the Patterson Park area in general, has a lot working artists, attracted by the affordable housing and ability to carve out...

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Tags: Baltimore Threadquarters, Highlandtown Arts District, Patterson Park Public Charter School

February, 28th 2013

Handling It: Record Year for Port of Baltimore

By Ron Cassie

The public marine terminals at the Port of Baltimore, long the city’s economic engine, posted a record handling year in 2012 in targeted commodities, including automobiles, containers, and farm and construction machinery. The port supports about 14,000 direct jobs.

The number of automobiles and roll on/roll cargo (farm and construction machinery) handled at the port were the highest amounts in the U.S, according to a press release from the Maryland Port Administration (MPA).

Baltimore magazine wrote about history of the Port of Baltimore and its economic turnaround in August 2012.

“In total, the port’s public and private marine terminals saw 36.8 million tons of cargo cross their docks last year. The total dollar value of that amount of cargo was a record $54 billion, which placed Baltimore ninth nationally for dollar value of foreign cargo,” the MPA said.

"Now with a new tentative national labor contract, a new 50-foot deep container berth with four supersized cranes, and healthy overall business growth, the future of the Port of Baltimore has never looked brighter," said Gov. Martin O'Malley in a...

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Tags: Martin O'Malley, Port of Baltimore