Annapolis

Lou Davis, the dean of State House reporters, cracked the Annapolis equivalent of the "glass ceiling" Friday as he became the only journalist honored with a meal in his name at Chick & Ruth's deli of Main Street. Gov. Martin O'Malley and House Speaker Michael E. Busch joined in the ceremony at which "the Lou Davis" -- a lox, eggs and onion platter with deli potatoes and toast -- was added to the menu wall alongside dozens of sandwiches and other meals named for politicians. Teddy Levitt, owner of Chick & Ruth's, said Davis has been a customer at the deli since the 1960s.

Maryland's Democratic and Republican parties will be sharing at least on thing this year: A landlord. The state GOP is moving into new offices at 95 Cathedral Street, an Annapolis building owned by the Rams Head Group, according the John Porter, a Republican party spokesman. Porter stressed that the two parties will be in separate buildings. "We're not sharing space" he wrote in an email. Maryland Democratic party is headquartered at 33 West Street. MD's GOP has been on West Street for the past decade, but had to give up its lease this $6,000 a month lease this year to reduce costs.

ANNAPOLIS — The Rev. Richardson Libby certainly has an unflagging dedication to history. Thanks to his perseverance, the right version of the Stars and Stripes is hanging inside the State House rotunda. Libby, who lives across the street from the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis, discovered that the flag thought to be an accurate reproduction of one made in 1783 was incorrect. The blue field of 13 eight-point stars should have been vertical instead of horizontal. He worked with historians to rectify the situation over a period of several years, and the corrected banner was unveiled on Flag Day 2009.

Annapolis' finance director, whose tenure was marked by the still-unsolved theft of more than $150,000 in checks and cash from a city hall vault, is retiring after 26 years in city government, officials announced Monday. Timothy Elliott, who faced criticism for not immediately informing Mayor Joshua J. Cohen of the June theft, plans to leave his post Sept. 1 to pursue a job in the private sector. No arrests have been made in the theft. Elliott declined to comment. Cohen spokesman Phillip McGowan said Elliott was not forced to retire or resign.

When John Brady took over at Annapolis for legendary coach Al Laramore in 1977, he inherited a program that had made the state tournament in five of the previous six years with a state championship in in 1974. It was a tough act to follow, but Brady has proven to be plenty tough and successful. He used the program's established tradition as a springboard and, in 35 seasons, has the most wins (717-151 career mark) of any coach in the area. Brady has guided the Panthers to 15 trips to the state tournament, including a state title in 1990 and three runner-up finishes.

The Economic Club of Annapolis has score an impresive "get" for its May 8 meeting, lining up a speaker whom many consider the most powerful figure in the Republican Party. Grover Norquist, creator and enforcer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge that Republican candidates are practically obligated to sign, will speak Tuesday at the Anne Arundel County Public Library branch at 1410 West St. The meeting is scheduled to run from 7 to 8:45 p.m. Norquist, founder and president of American for Tax Reform, routinely asks all candidates to promise to oppose any tax increases at all levels of government.

The legislature is close to finishing another of its illustrious sessions, and this one has had its proper share of contentious debates. If we are really being honest , we must admit that in all of the political opinions expressed from around the state, it is the issue of justice that most often provokes the passionate responses we have come to see in the Readers Respond section of The Baltimore Sun. We expect things to be "fair. " Yet no one can agree what "fair" really is for any given issue.

Cash on the center console. GPS devices on the windshield. Laptops. Smart phones. iPads, iPods. Digital cameras. XBox 360 headphones. Bose iPhone speaker docks. Credit cards, lose change. Wallets, purses. And a spare car key. These are the kinds of things people leave in their cars in my town of Annapolis. Their unlocked cars. Since the first of the year, pricey items have been stolen from 56 unlocked cars - 27 in the last 30 days and up from 40 during the same period last year.

Top state officials will decide Wednesday whether to buy the Annapolis post office on Church Circle to use it for government offices. The Board of Public Works -- comprised of the governor, comptroller and treasurer -- will vote on spending $3.2 million to buy the building. Appraisals for the building at 1 Church Circle range from a low of $950,000 to a high of $3.55 million, according to the state. The property is less than one acre and the building is 13,058 square feet.

Two Annapolis sailors, Jeff Borland and Tim Williams, took advantage of favorable winds on their home Chesapeake Bay waters to take the lead in their classes Saturday at the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta. Borland leads the nine-boat Etchells class aboard Make Mine a Double with 13 points through two days of the three-day event. Williams has four wins in six races aboard LinGin in the Alberg 30 class. Race officials will determine the regatta's overall winner today, based on the strongest finish in the most competitive class.