11th District

LATELY, the news in 11th Legislative District, which sprawls across western and northwestern Baltimore County, has focused on the less than harmonious relationship among the Democratic incumbents: Sen. Paula C. Hollinger and Delegates Michael J. Finifter, Robert Frank and Dan K. Morhaim.At this point, the conflicts are of interest mostly to political insiders.For primary voters, the question is whether the incumbent zTC delegates, completing their first term, will be able to provide effective representation despite their differences or whether constituents would be better served by one or more of three challengers.

The candidates for Baltimore County executive vastly outnumbered the two audience members at a forum last month at Middleborough Elementary School in Middle River, so the event was canceled.Another forum for executive candidates scheduled for Tuesday night at Goucher College by the Towson Development Corp. was canceled.Wayne Skinner, director of the private business development organization, said hundreds of letters were mailed, but only 24 people indicated they likely would attend.Other forums held around Baltimore County this summer have drawn only small numbers of residents, usually fewer than 50 a session, a far cry from 1990 when voters aroused about rising property tax assessments, traffic congestion and government spending seemed much more interested.

A headline in yesterday's editions connected a controvers over a political flier to the wrong candidate. As indicated in the article, the flier was published by state Sen. Janice Piccinini's campaign.The Sun regrets the errors.A humorous campaign flier portraying Sen. Janice Piccinini as an effective first-term legislator erupted yesterday as a credibility issue between her and an Annapolis lobbyist.Lobbyist Gerard E. Evans wrote to the Baltimore County senator Wednesday complaining that when he allowed her to use a photo in which he appears, he was unaware that she would add a cartoon word-bubble of him whispering to another senator.

Two-term Del. Bobby A. Zirkin appeared to be on his way to winning a hard-fought primary contest for a state Senate seat last night, and former Baltimore County Councilman Douglas B. Riley took a step toward returning to elected office. Zirkin had a more than 2-to-1 lead over Owings Mills physician Scott Rifkin for the Democratic nomination for the state Senate seat in a district that includes Pikesville and Owings Mills.

As the 1994 election unfolded last night, Baltimore County's General Assembly delegation began to take on a new appearance, particularly in the House of Delegates.Voters interviewed at polling places said they were splitting tickets at the state and local levels to vote for the individuals they felt would be most responsive to their demands.One factor in close races could be an unusually high number of absentee ballots for a nonpresidential election, said Doris J. Suter, the county election board administrator.

Thomas L. Bromwell, head of Baltimore County's state senators, beat back a determined Republican challenger to win a fourth term yesterday, but in a stunning defeat, House Majority Leader Kenneth H. Masters of Catonsville lost his seat and the county's only powerful leadership position in the General Assembly.Senator Bromwell defeated the GOP challenger, Del. John J. Bishop Jr., 45, by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent and proclaimed it "a sweet victory after a tough primary and a tough general election.

Maryland's highest court ruled yesterday that a City Council candidate must be returned to the ballot for the Sept. 9 Democratic primary, two weeks after his candidacy was disqualified on a technicality. The Court of Appeals ruling reverses last week's Baltimore Circuit Court decision upholding the removal of Michael Seipp from this year's election. The appeals court did not explain its reasons but said an opinion will be issued later. Seipp is challenging incumbent Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. for the 11th District council seat, which encompasses downtown and the Inner Harbor.

George E. Heffner, a former member of the House of Delegates and a Baltimore County police magistrate who for many years was a stock-car racing enthusiast, died of a heart attack Wednesday at his Kingsville home. He was 85. Mr. Heffner was born and raised in Fullerton and attended St. Joseph parochial school. He left school to help support his family after the death of his father. During World War II, he served in the Navy as a mechanic. For many years, he was the owner of Putty Hill Garage and Towing, which he sold to a cousin in the late 1970s.

Marie J. Kahl, a homemaker, former owner of a Perry Hall restaurant and longtime resident of the area, died of cancer Thursday at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care in Towson. She was 84. Born in Baltimore and raised in Highlandtown, the former Marie J. Botakowski attended city public schools. She worked as a waitress until her 1940 marriage to Lawrence Kahl. Together, the couple operated Kahl's Inn in the 9000 block of Belair Road, a business established by her father-in-law in 1900. The restaurant, said family members, was known for Mrs. Kahl's homemade backfin crab cakes and fried chicken, and once had been home to the 11th District Democratic Club.

Baltimore County's new 11th Legislative District is having a real free-for-all as 15 candidates -- eight Democrats and seven Republicans -- battle for party nominations for the three House of Delegates seats.Most of the hopefuls are eager first-timers hoping to strike political gold in the Sept. 13 primary.Maryland Republicans often lament Democratic domination of the voter rolls, but the two-party system is alive and well in the new district. Because the district is new and so many are running, veteran politicians say it's anyone's guess whom the voters will favor in the primary.