City/County Digest

In Baltimore City

Ashburton group's president to run for City Council seat

The president of the Ashburton Area Association filed yesterday to run for the City Council's new 7th District in the Sept. 9 Democratic primary.

Shawn Tarrant, 37, is a pharmaceutical salesman who has been president for two years of a neighborhood group that counts several of Baltimore's most influential black leaders as members.

Tarrant will be facing Belinda K. Conaway, 35, a counselor at Robert Poole Middle School who is the daughter of mayoral candidate Circuit Court Clerk Frank M. Conaway. Both candidates for the West Baltimore district will be running against incumbent Councilwoman Catherine E. Pugh, 53, unless Pugh runs for council president.

Two other candidates have filed to run as Republicans - Owen B. Hanratty of West 42nd Street and Almaajid Muhammad El of Poplar Terrace.

BDC gets $1.2 million for 'brownfield' sites

The Baltimore Devefiopment Corp. has been awarded $1.2 million in Emqronmental Protection Agency funds to assess and clean up several "brownfield" industrial sites in Baltimore.

A total of $1 million will fund cleanup of part of the Clipper Mill Industrial Park in Jones Falls Valley, as well as the site of the former White Paint Co. facility and the Dickman Street Landfill, both in South Baltimore. Another $200,000 will fund assessments of the former National Brewing Co. facifiity in South Baltimore and the Brooklyn Garrett Courthouse in Brooklyn.

The EPA also awarded the Maryland Department of the Environment $320,000 to assess chemical contaminants at sites across the state. The grants were announced by the offices of Sens. Barbara A. Mikufiski and Paul S. Sarbanes.

Men's group to present scholarships, awards

Black Professional Men Inc. will honor African-American youths and professionals who excel in their fields at a ceremony tomorrow.

College scholarships of $1,000 to $3,000 will be awarded to seven young men as part of the 10th annual Rays of Hope Awards and Scholarship breakfast at the Hyatt Regency. Among others receiving awards are Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele and attorney George L. Russell Jr.

High school students receiving scholarships are Tristan Penn, Carver Vocational-Technical; Robert Cooper III, Towson; Justin Womack, Dunbar; Corey Wallace, City College; Lord Robinson, Dunbar; and Anthony Patrick, Polytechnic Institute. Chance Smith, who will be a sophomore at Morgan State University, also is receiving a scholarship.

Volunteers to put plants, vegetable garden on lot

Volunteers will enhance a vacant lot in the Greenmount West neighborhood with a community vegetable garden and native plant life tomorrow.

The site at Guilford Avenue and Lanvale Street will provide a habitat for wildlife and improve cleanliness of waterways, using plants that require little fertilizer or maintenance.

Coordinated by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Jones Falls Watershed Association, work will begin at 9 a.m. and continue to 1 p.m. Information: Lou Etgen, 410-377-6270.

Baltimore 4-H Youth Expo set for tomorrow afternoon

The third annual Baltimore City 4-H Youth Expo will be held tomorrow afternoon at the War Memorial Building and Plaza at Gay and Lexington streets.

The expo will give 4-H'ers ages 5 to 18 a chance to show their projects. Baltimore's youngsters submitted entries hoping for ribbon awards in areas such as photography, arts, crafts, theater, athletics, baked goods, science and horticulture.

Entries will be on display from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The expo also will feature food vendors, entertainment and a petting zoo.

In Baltimore County

Additional police patrols to target aggressive driving

TOWSON - Baltimore County police have launched a campaign to deter aggressive driving by heavily patrolling several main thoroughfares this summer, police officials said yesterday.

Patrols will be added along York and Joppa roads in the northern part of the county, Belair Road and Route 43 on the east side and Liberty and Reisterstown roads on the west side, police said.

Officers will be looking for drivers who are speeding, weaving in and out of traffic and tailgating, police said.

Congressman plans forum to discuss medical privacy

TOWSON - Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin will hold a forum Tuesday on new federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations that took effect in April.

Discussion will focus on medical privacy issues and what the regulations mean for providers, insurers and patients.

The meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Ben Civiletti Conference Room of Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Physicians Pavilion East, 6701 N. Charles St.

Center, community group schedule open house, picnic

TOWSON - Bykota Senior Center and the West Towson Community Association will hold their annual open house and picnic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow at the center, 611 Central Ave., and adjacent West Towson Park.

Indoor activities will include crafts, pottery, painting and other displays and entertainment in the gym. Outside, children's events, pony rides, music and other entertainment will be featured. Food will be for sale.

Health screenings and cardiac risk assessments will be offered. If it rains, all activities will be held indoors.