Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom throughout the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

A second Dixon boyfriend entered the picture Friday during Mayor Dixon’s trial.

Edward Anthony, an official with Baltimore’s housing department, took the stand as a witness for the prosecution, but ended up sounding more like a character witness for Dixon. He told the jury that he has been dating the mayor since 2006 and that they have traveled together to Miami, the Dominican Republic, Hawaii, and Las Vegas. Prosecutors claim that Dixon gave him a Giant gift card that was given to her by her former boyfriend, developer Ronald Lipscomb.

What’s curious is that Lipscomb and Dixon have acknowledged publicly that they had a relationship in 2003 and 2004, but her defense attorneys now say the gift cards he gave her in 2006 were part of his ongoing courtship. But the mayor and Lipscomb were no longer together and, according to Anthony, Dixon was otherwise preoccupied with him at that time.

Anthony told the jury what a wonderful “mother and parent” Dixon is to her children, how she cooks them dinner and helps with homework despite all of her duties as mayor.

“I talk to her every night before I go to bed,” Anthony said. “By the time she gets in, I’m exhausted.”

He said he himself would bring gifts to Dixon at City Hall “so I could be acknowledged.”

In August 2007 Anthony’s name became first connected with Dixon when The Sun reported that he got a new job in the housing department weeks after Dixon became mayor. At the time, Dixon said she had no involvement in his hiring. Neither Dixon nor Anthony would state the nature of their relationship, except to say they are friends.

Later at trial, Dixon attorney Dale Kelberman effectively questioned John C. Poliks, an investigator with the Maryland State Prosecutor. After Poliks described what he found when Dixon’s home was searched for seven hours on June 17, 2008, Kelberman referred to the affidavit that was prepared prior to the search.

The search, Kelberman said, was being executed as part of an investigation into the possible bribery of Dixon with the very gift cards given to her by Lipscomb and others.

Yes, Poliks said.

The defense has alleged that prosecutors stopped pursuing Lipscomb for bribery charges when the developer agreed to cooperate in a case against her for theft of gift cards he had given to her.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom today, as opening statements are set to begin in the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

3:30 p.m.

Opening arguments started shortly after 1 p.m. and ended nearly two hours later.

For Maryland state prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh, the case is all about Sheila Dixon and how she stole gift cards donated for the needy by two developers. Such a theft by a public servant is "unspeakable," Rohrbaugh said. He detailed the thefts with a thorough presentation that followed the receipts.

For the defense, Arnold Weiner said the case is all about how one of the developers, Robert Lipscomb, cannot be believed because he was protecting himself from charges by turning on his former lover. The gift cards were given to Dixon for her personal use by Lipscomb, a man who had been her boyfriend. He didn't give the cards for a needy families campaign. Other witnesses against Dixon, Wiener said, could not be believed because they had cut deals or had been given immunity to testify against Dixon. Wiener implored the jury to remove "the stain" that prosecutors have placed on Dixon and find her not guilty.

Our reporter Doug Donovan is sending updates from the coutroom today, as opening statements are set to begin in the corruption trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon.

10:40 a.m.

A juror collapsed while standing before the judge during a conference with Judge Sweeney and the attorneys. Sweeney darted around the bench to grab a chair as a bailiff picked the African-American man up and helped sit him down. It's unclear why the lawyers were having a conference about the juror, who is one of the alternates.

The packed courtroom gasped when the juror collapsed. Court is now in recess while waiting for medical care for the juror.

3:30 p.m.

Mayor Dixon's lawyers and prosecutors settled on 12 jurors and six alternates at around 3:15 p.m. The composition: two black men, five black women, two white women, one white man, one asian woman and one woman whose race was not discernable. Most appeared to range in age from of 30 and 65 years old.

The six alternates were all black, half men and half women

Before seating the final 18, Dixon's attorneys struck six white potential jurors and one black woman. The state objected to one black woman and one black man.

Opening statements will proceed on Thursday.

Veteran political and investigative journalist Doug Donovan is in Courthouse East, covering the trial of Mayor Sheila Dixon for Baltimore magazine. Here is his first post, from day one of jury selection.

With cameras and recording devices barred from Mayor Sheila Dixon’s criminal trial, Baltimore sketch artist Betsy Stone Kirk provided the only image from inside Courthouse East yesterday. In the picture, a stone-faced Dixon sits with a notepad and pen in her hands and faces an empty jury box.

By the end of today the jury box is expected to be full as Dixon’s legal team and prosecutors try to finish the two-day task of picking the 12 city residents who will decide if the mayor is guilty of a reverse Robin Hood: stealing gift cards donated to poor families and using them for herself.

After a nearly four year investigation by the Maryland State Prosecutor’s office, the most scintillating scandal in Maryland politics got off to an excruciatingly dull start yesterday and today as Judge Dennis M. Sweeney presided over the methodical task of pruning a jury pool of hundreds down to 12 people.

I know this is very boring,” Sweeney told jurors on the first day of trial yesterday. The same scene is expected to play out today before a Veterans Day break tomorrow.

For 12, the boredom will not last. Their work is expected to start when the trial gets going on Thursday or Friday.

Jurors will do more than just determine the guilt or innocence of a divorced mother of two children who has spent more than two decades in elected office. They could end her career with a guilty verdict, effectively removing Baltimore’s first female mayor from office. Dixon would be the highest ranking political resignation in Maryland since Gov. Marvin Mandel stepped down due to his conviction in 1977.

Before the nearly 200 potential jurors filed into the courtroom, Dixon’s attorney, Arnold M. Weiner (who also represented Mandel back in the day) declared that the mayor was pleading not guilty to “each and every count” brought by Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh.

Only a pool of eight reporters—including TV luminaries Jayne Miller, David Collins, Joy Lepola, and Mary Bubala and Sun scribes Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz—were allowed into the courtroom during Sweeney’s questioning of potential jurors. The mayor stood up and faced the potential jurors as they filed in. The judge then asked a series of questions to begin filtering out people. “21 people indicated that they had already formed opinions of Dixon's guilt or innocence that could not be swayed by evidence presented at trial,” according to The Sun. “Six reported harboring biases either for or against elected officials.”

Remaining jurors were then called individually to the bench.

With courtroom speakers buzzing with static throughout the day, observers and potential jurors could hear none of the haggling taking place among lawyers huddled in front of Sweeney’s bench.

The trial, predicted by many to last at least two weeks, is poised to offer dramatic moments as Dixon’s former boyfriend—developer Ronald H. Lipscomb—is expected to testify for the prosecution. Dixon’s indictment on theft and misconduct in office charges alleges that Lipscomb and another developer, Patrick Turner, gave gifts cards for a City Hall needy families campaign only to have their gifts used by the mayor.

Wearing eyeglasses and a sharp dark suit Dixon fully participated in the jury selection, standing at the judge’s bench all day with her lawyers. She looked more than just mayoral. She looked lawyerly.

Rohrbaugh, meanwhile, appeared light hearted, with his glasses often perched on his forehead and a smile on his face.

I suppose it’s no surprise that Dixon wants to appear more like a mayor than a criminal defendant, and that her Republican prosecutor wants to look nothing like the political witch-hunter she accuses him of being.

By Johanna Anderson, Baltimore intern

Like most non-profits, the Maryland Food Bank is suffering a steep decline in donations during this recession. But, as it gears up for its busy season—the holidays—the Bank has come up with a twist on its traditional model that is already showing results: a virtual food drive.

At mdfoodbank.org, donors can fill a virtual grocery cart with fruits, vegetables, cereals, and proteins like milk, peanut butter, and canned chicken and tuna. There are also package deals: pick up full dinners (e.g. mac ‘n’ cheese or beef stew) or pay for a full bag of groceries, enough to feed one hungry Marylander for a week. Also available for purchase are the holiday boxes that accompany the turkeys that the Food Bank distributes to families during the season. The boxes will contain cans of pumpkin and corn, cranberry and apple sauces, stuffing, gravy, and more.

The stakes are exceptionally high this year: Donated product is at an all-time low, and demand at an all-time high. “We have seen a 27 percent increase in demand for our services over this time last year,” says Food Bank communications director Audra Harrison. “Middle-class families who have faced radical adjustments to their economic resources are finding themselves at food pantries for the first time in their lives.”

Donations made via the virtual drive will be used to purchase the designated foods at wholesale cost, helping the Food Bank to make the most of every dollar.

“[The virtual food drive] is an easy and convenient way for people to help in their communities,” says Food Bank CEO Deborah Flateman. “And an innovative way to get our most-needed items.”

By Jamie McCoy, Baltimore intern

When a massage therapy studio called Hygeia’s Cove opened in Ellicott City a few months ago, I didn’t take a whole lot of notice. That is, until I heard that the owner graduated from Catonsville High School (my alma mater—yeah C-ville!) three years ago. Yes, she is exactly my age, and she owns her own business. Naturally, that sparked my curiosity.

The owner of Hygeia’s Cove is Selena Wiley. She is a 21-year-old Baltimore County native who now lives and works on Main Street in Ellicott City. In high school, she was always on the college track. She did well in school, applied to colleges, and almost accepted admission to McDaniel College. A few days before her decision was due at McDaniel though, she did some serious thinking about what she wanted. Another option she could pursue would be an intensive seven-month massage-therapy program at Baltimore School of Massage.

Ultimately, Wiley decided that she would take the risk and go the unconventional route. She enrolled at Baltimore School of Massage and hasn’t looked back. She graduated from the program about 2 years ago and waited tables for a while, saving up enough money to take the next step.

Again, Wiley was at a crossroads. She could work in a spa somewhere, or with a hotel or country club. But when the space opened up on Main Street, she decided to jump right into another risk and open her own business.

It looks as though this risk is going to work out well for her too. She’s loving it. Business over the past few months has been better than she expected. “It’s such a great location too! We get so much foot traffic” she says.

Wiley works hard to keep her sessions affordable and personal. She doesn’t overbook herself, and makes sure that in between each session she has at least half an hour to talk with her clients to find out how they are, what they need from her, and how best to help them. “I don’t know if I would get that kind of personal connection at a spa, and its that connection that makes the job really worth it for me.”

So it seems like Selena Wiley really has made things work out for herself. She took risks where she saw them, and is succeeding. She also is doing something she really believes in. “My goal is to create a more relaxed, healthier you by the end of our session," she says. "I want you to walk out feeling refreshed … and more in tune with your body.”

Hats off, Selena. It’s exciting and inspiring to see such success from someone so young, especially in the current environment in which age and degrees are given so much emphasis. Congrats, and good luck.

By Jamie McCoy, Baltimore intern

It seems as though the MTA is moving forward with plans to build a second light rail line, the red line, which will run west to east between Security and Bayview, making stops at Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, Harbor East, Fells Point, and Canton, among other places. According to the MTA, it will be 14.5 miles long and include 20 stations.

Although this plan is called the “Locally Preferred Alternative,” many groups ardently oppose aspects of it, particularly the section running through Canton along Boston Street, the section in Edmondson Village, and the tunnel under Cooks Lane.

Canton’s Jody Stoehr has helped organize the Baltimore Red Line Underground, a coalition of people in Canton and Edmondson who oppose the plan for the red line. She explained that “the coalition is 100 percent for mass transit, but it needs to be done right.” She feels that the plan, as it stands, will be a detriment to the neighborhoods in terms of safety, aesthetics, and noise.

Stoehr also believes that “Canton is just the wrong place for a light rail. Nobody rides the buses that already exist, and a surface light rail will take away from the community.” She further voiced concern for the safety of children in the neighborhood, and an increase in traffic problems that already exist along Boston Street.

Some people have taken their opposition to the red line one step further, proposing alternatives, many of which seem innovative and practical. I know that my three years of a Dartmouth College education do not give me the necessary credentials to tear apart the Maryland Transit Administration’s plans, so I decided to contact someone with a little more background.

Gerald Neily is a former Baltimore City Planner with a specialization in transportation. He maintains a blog where he publishes his many ideas for alternative solutions for several of the problems that the current red line plan has created. I encourage those of you who are interested to visit his page, which has maps and diagrams and is quite detailed, but here is the gist of some of his ideas:

The eastern section of the current light rail plan should be converted to streetcars. This way, the cars can mix more easily with traffic. The light rail itself would stop at the Harbor East stop, on Central Avenue. On the west side it becomes more tricky, but he proposes that the line stop at Hilton, and that planners take advantage of the grade differential between Hilton Street and Hilton Parkway, where it might be possible to put in an underground parking lot or light rail station with park space on top of it. Suggestions for how to deal with the Franklin-Mulberry corridor can be found on Peter Tocco's Baltimorphosis.com blog.

Mr. Neily feels that the problem with the red line started in 2002, when the MTA superimposed a drawing of the DC metro system on a Baltimore City map. While it looked exciting, the plan was taken far too literally. “They jumped right into detailed planning of the red line without really coming up with a workable design.” With what Neily considers inflated numbers for proposed ridership and the suggestion of a single rail tunnel under Cooks Lane, Neily is concerned that the MTA is letting this plan become not only impractical, but dangerous. “The MTA has a history of shenanigans” he said, “which we saw with the originally single-track sections of the existing light rail. They had to shut down the light rail to fix those sections—why not just try to do it right the first time?”

So it seems that the critics of the red line are all saying the same thing: We want more public transportation, but we want it done right. It’s a big enough and expensive enough undertaking to warrant careful and thoughtful planning, with extra consideration paid to what sections of the city could benefit from public transportation. We definitely need an east/west line of transportation bisecting the city, and it would be great to hit stops along the harbor and connect the MARC train stations. But if it’s not going to be safe or practical, what’s the point?

By Jamie McCoy

The beloved Senator Theatre was put up for auction last Wednesday, causing a great deal of anticipation among its loyal patrons. This issue has been followed closely by many Baltimore residents who have grown up with the theatre, or have simply fallen for the charm of the unique and historic feel of the place.

These people were hoping to feel a sense of closure in knowing that the theatre would be in caring and capable hands, but they were sorely disappointed. Although representatives from Loyola College and Buzz Cusack of the Charles Theater had each discussed making bids for the Senator, neither did. One bid of $800,000 was made, but then the city decided to retain the theatre for $810,000.

Many people in the crowd complained loudly during the proceedings, shouting that people couldn’t hear and that the auction was rigged. Several of the audience members were upset that the auction was held outside, when it had previously been agreed upon to hold it in the auditorium, with air conditioning, seating, and most importantly, a microphone. The traffic noise was admittedly quite distracting. The auctioneer explained, however, that it is in fact traditional to hold auctions outside, and that they are most frequently held in front of the courthouse.

The proceedings were very upsetting to some of the audience members. Gayle Grover broke down in tears when the bid went back to the city. She has been one of the Senator’s most dedicated followers. She attended the theatre as a child, and began working there 17 years ago. Since March, she has been one of a dozen or so volunteers that have helped to keep the theatre running. She showed up in a red cape, her costume highlighting her opinion that the auction was a “freak show.”

Kathleen and Tom Harris were also in attendance. They have been volunteering with their children since March as well. Tom explained that his kids “couldn’t bring themselves to come to the auction.” The whole family, living in Woodlawn, is attached to this theatre, especially Tom. “It’s not just a movie theatre,” he explains. “It’s a piece of arts and culture in the neighborhood. I’ve been coming here since the mid-80’s. I’ve slept on the sidewalk waiting for the Star Wars films. It’s the coolest place to come.”

This theatre, home of “good ol’ theater nuts” and self-proclaimed movie geeks has seen both marriage proposals and weddings, and now it has seen a great deal of distress. As people anxiously await the results of the ratification process which will determine the ownership and future of the theatre, volunteers will still be donating their time to keep the theatre running.

“I just hope it doesn’t turn out like the Mayfair,” says Harris. It’s been owned by the city for 20 years, and now has its roof resting on the floor.”