Adair

Kweisi Mfume -- the man who many Baltimoreans hoped would run for mayor -- spent yesterday quizzing mayoral hopefuls in the first televised candidates forum.Mfume is the host of "The Bottom Line," a talk show airing from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays on WBAL-TV. The former West Baltimore congressman and city councilman interviewed 14 of the 26 declared mayoral candidates for two one-hour shows scheduled to run July 17 and 24.Mfume, who is president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, spurned a draft for mayor.

IN 1987 I had two mastectomies, leaving me, as one of my children said, "without boobs." Several years later, the feelings of grief and loss finally surfaced for me in a form I could understand.Neither doctors nor hospital staff spoke to me about these feelings before or after the surgery and, for a long time, I was embar rassed to acknowledge having them. After all, it seemed like petty carping when I was still alive and others I knew had died.If each of us is meant to sing our own song, this, I thought, is part of mine.

Coppin State at a glanceCoach: Britt King, first seasonAffiliation: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference1996-97 record: 7-20 overall, 7-11 MEACRadio: UndecidedArena: Coppin CenterStarters lost: TwoTickets: $5 general admission, $3 childrenBest home game: Defending MEAC champion Howard, Feb. 9Best visiting player: Howard's Alisha Hill, the league preseason Player of Year after averaging 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season.Outlook: Coppin State enters another phase this season, having lost one of its best-ever players, second-team All-MEAC guard Lisa Briggs, and having to adapt to new head coach Britt King, who replaces five-year coach Tori Harrison.

THIS JOURNEY began innocently enough, a curious foray into my family's history. But I find it has led me into an unexpected place of greed and betrayal, slavery and cruelty. For generations my father's family has passed down a legend. It is a story of an early white settler in northern Alabama named John Gunter who married a Cherokee "princess." My father's mother was a Gunter from Alabama, and as I grew up I was intrigued by the romantic tale. I always proudly added "Cherokee" to the list of otherwise European nations whose blood we believed moved in our veins.

On April 14, 2006, MARSHALL ADAIR; beloved husband of the late Constance J. Duggins (nee Costello). Devoted father of Darrell T. Duggins and his wife Bonnie, Marcia D. Boteler and her husband George. Loving grandfather of Aimee and Sean Corcoran; Brian and Stephanie Boteler; Matthew and Kim Duggins; Laura Boteler and David Boteler. Dear great grandfather of William, Ethan, Jacob, Madeline, Brady and Payton Marshall. Brother of the late C.T., Jr and Darrell R. Duggins. Family and friends may call at THE JOHNSON FUNERAL HOME, P.A. 8521 Loch Raven Blvd (Beltway exit 29-B)

Orioles minor leaguer Travis Adair, brought up to travel with the team on its Grapefruit League opener against the Rays, is OK after he was hit by a batted ball in the side head during batting practice. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said Adair, the son of Orioles pitching coach Rick Adair, was behind a batting practice screen near second base when he was hit on back left side of his head. "He got a little cut there too," Showalter said. He initially received treatment in the visiting clubhouse of Charlotte Sports Park, but was taken to a local hospital to have a precautionary CT scan.

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- In the Orioles' attempt to remold right-hander Jair Jurrjens into his past All-Star form, progress comes in small phases. The Orioles have some time - and they're proving to have patience - especially considering spring training is longer this season. And while Jurrjens' final line in Tuesday afternoon's 6-6 tie with the Toronto Blue Jays wasn't pretty - he allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings - it was another step forward as he tries to build strength in his surgically repaired right knee.

Mark Connor surprisingly stepped down as Orioles pitching coach three weeks ago, prompting manager Buck Showalter to promote bullpen coach Rick Adair to oversee the pitching staff in his place. I'm not laying the blame on Adair -- the mishmash rotation was already starting to crack when Connor left the team -- but the pitchers have really struggled since the midseason switcheroo. I could just be coincidence, but check out the numbers. The Orioles had a 4.22 ERA when Connor, who said he was tired of the big-league grind , resigned on June 14. Since then, it has risen to 4.50, giving the Orioles the second-highest ERA in the American League.

The reports were still coming Sunday in from Brian Matusz 's Saturday night start for Triple-A Norfolk, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Rick Adair said they had heard only positives about the outing. Matusz threw seven scoreless innings against Gwinnett, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out eight in easily his best performance of the season. "Each outing seems to have gotten a little better, so that's encouraging," Showalter said.

The Orioles' 2011 coaching staff is coming into focus with the hiring of hitting coach Jim Presley and bullpen coach Rick Adair, the first of six slots to be filled by manager Buck Showalter. The club isn't expected to officially announce its hires until the entire coaching staff is finalized, but an industry source said Presley and Adair both have agreed to two-year deals. The source said the Orioles could have the full staff completed within the next week. Don Wakamatsu (bench coach)