Abel Wolman

Boys' Latin razes another city treasure Driving by my alma mater recently, I was stunned to notice something missing: The Boys' Latin Middle School building had been razed. I didn't think of personal memories of the building but of the irony that in a year when a Laurence Hall Fowler-designed residence, Castalia, was landmarked by the city ("Calvert School prevented from razing house," March 12), another house he designed was demolished with nary a whimper. When Castalia was landmarked, I thought perhaps we had turned the corner in recognizing Mr. Fowler's importance as a residential architect in Baltimore.

Seventy five years is a long time in a fast-moving society. Especially if you've been directly involved in accelerating the pace, as have the researchers at Johns Hopkins University's School of Hygiene and Public Health.Abel Wolman established the pace in 1918, only a year after the nation's first public health school was founded, pushing chlorination of drinking water supplies. His pioneering work with water treatment and sewerage in Baltimore was copied all over the country, putting an end to the water-borne epidemics that had marred urban life.

Normally these people type into a computer the Baltimore City Jail records, water bill readings and parking fine amounts.But last night they were counting votes.Baltimore's Board of Election Supervisors, in an effort to avoid the problems that plagued the vote count on the night of this year's primary election, had a trial run in anticipation of next Tuesday's general election.Everything appeared to run smoothly as more than a dozen municipal data-entry clerks from almost every city agency -- assisted by election board employees -- punched in numbers from simulated returns.

Thousands more stood in line yesterday to cash in on the city's ticket amnesty program, billed as a once-in-a-decade chance to dodge hefty late fees on unpaid parking tickets. An estimated 34,000 to 40,000 people paid old tickets at money-order outlets around the city over the two-day amnesty period, which began Thursday, said Vassil Nikolov, a manager at Global Express Money Orders. Thousands more settled their debts through the mail and at the Abel Wolman Municipal Building downtown.

A DAY late, or a year early -- depending on how you count centuries and millenniums -- the moment has come to pick the best of the best over the past 100 years in Maryland. How do you select the person who made the most monumental difference to Maryland and to the world? Who measures up as Maryland Politician of the Century? Let's take that last question first. In my mind, two stand out as the best politicians -- Albert C. Ritchie of Baltimore and William Preston Lane of Hagerstown. Ritchie brought a hidebound Maryland government belatedly into the Progressive Era during the 1920s.

Ala. official is new head of UM University College The University System of Maryland said yesterday that a Troy University vice chancellor will be the new president of the largely online University of Maryland University College. Susan Aldridge replaces Gerald Heeger, who stepped down in August after six years as president of UMUC to lead a new for-profit international university. At Troy University, Aldridge's job as vice chancellor included overseeing the Alabama school's University College and distance-learning sections.

THE BUILDING at the southern tip of Pier 5 in Baltimore has always looked a bit like the Harborplace shopping pavilions, except that it has guest rooms on top.Next year it's also likely to function more like the Harborplace pavilions, after a $3 million overhaul designed to add more options for dining and entertainment.On Tuesday, owners of the 72-room Inn at Pier Five will close it for three months to launch the first renovation there since the four-story building opened in June 1989 at a reported cost of $20 million.

A $50 million "aquatorium" -- the world's first museum focusing on "the history and future of water and people" -- may be Baltimore's next major downtown attraction.The Abell Foundation recently agreed to finance a $60,000 study to determine whether the ecologically oriented project should be built on Baltimore's waterfront and where the best site would be.The idea was proposed by James Wines, a designer and ecologist with a national reputation for promoting environmental awareness.He sees the aquatorium as a new kind of museum dedicated to the "history, science, culture and preservation of water."

Army-Navy game expected to bring traffic woes to city Traffic along Interstate 95 and the approaches to downtown Baltimore is expected to be heavy Saturday morning as some 71,000 spectators converge on M&T Bank Stadium for the annual Army-Navy football game, the Maryland Transportation Authority warned yesterday. The authority, which operates the nearby Fort McHenry Tunnel and parts of I-95, urged motorists to travel early or seek alternate routes to avoid backups. Kickoff is at 12:20 p.m., but the authority warned that traffic on I-95 and I-395 in Baltimore will likely be heaviest in the three hours before game time.

Baltimore City Central District Assault: A male employee at Lucky Nail Salon in the 100 block of N. Howard St. pulled a claw hammer and struck a male co-worker in the face, head and arm about 1:35 p.m. yesterday. A third male employee picked up a chair and struck the attacker, who was charged with aggravated assault. Theft: Someone stole $15 from a woman's purse about 1 p.m. yesterday in an office at the Abel Wolman Municipal Building in the 200 block of N. Holliday St. Southeastern District Burglary: Someone entered a home in the 400 block of N. Bouldin St. about 3 a.m. yesterday and stole a purse, blank checks, keys and a money order, all valued at $450.