Baltimore Grand Prix

With seven weeks to go until the race, the new organizers of the Baltimore Grand Prix announced several sponsors at a promotional event Monday that launched their first marketing campaign. Sunoco, Dr Pepper and Giant Food were announced as the first sponsors of the second running of the Baltimore Grand Prix, which is scheduled for Labor Day weekend in downtown Baltimore. Organizers declined to disclose dollar figures, but said the multi-year cash sponsorships were "significant.

The new team that's organizing the Baltimore Grand Prix faces two big challenges. The first is overcoming the logistical difficulties of throwing together the complicated enterprise that is a three-day street racing festival in less than four months. And the second is overcoming the skepticism of race fans, sponsors, vendors and Baltimore residents who are wary after last year's organizers left millions in bad debts and the city's handpicked replacement team collapsed just months before this year's event.

"And all I ask for is a tall ship and a star to sail her by. " Those words are from John Masefield's "Sea-Fever," a poem that evokes strong feelings of nostalgia for the maritime life of the past and all the beauty and adventure that came with it. Baltimore had its own bout of sea fever this past week, and it was just what the doctor ordered. It will be months before Sailabration organizers have an official tally of exactly how many people came to Baltimore to see the 17 tall-masted ships and 28 military vessels that arrived last Wednesday to launch Maryland's War of 1812 bicentennial celebration, but it's safe to assume tourists numbered in the hundreds of thousands (if not 1 million or more)

It seems Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke has joined the ranks of politicians in La-La Land when she states, "This is the first time in my entire time in the City Council, and as a parent and grandparent, that I've had a chance to be part of a big plan for schools" ("Bottle tax rise gains in council," June 12). This is not Councilwoman Clarke's first term. In fact, she has served several terms collecting her paycheck every two weeks while doing nothing about schools.

I'm as excited as the next person about Baltimore's Sailabration, but just as refreshing was the observation that the event will be "the Baltimore Grand Prix times ten. " A backhanded compliment if ever there was one, but after the Sun's relentless negative coverage of the Grand Prix, racing fans had to love the third party recognition! Peter Bell, Monkton

As many as 1 million people — far more than fought over Fort McHenry 200 years ago — will cram Baltimore's waterfront and squeeze their boats into narrow crannies around the harbor this week to welcome Navy vessels and tall ships, kicking off the state's commemoration of the War of 1812. There will be no shortage of cannon salutes, screaming jets, period ditties and bonnet-wearing, gun-toting re-enactors for what is called the Star-Spangled Sailabration. But there will be a dearth of open spaces, restaurant tables and, quite possibly, patience.

State transportation officials have a word of advice for commuters and beachgoers who usually include the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel in their travel plans: Don't. Rush-hour and weekend delays of up to an hour are expected beginning June 20 as construction crews replace the concrete decking on the four-lane bridge just south of the Interstate 895 tunnel toll plaza that carries traffic over the CSX train tracks. "There will be eight weeks of continuous lane closures," said Cheryl Sparks of the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Regarding concerns over safety at the Inner Harbor ("Lack of familiarity breeds contempt for Baltimore," May 27), I frequently visit the harbor and have always had a pleasant experience. That being said, there is room for improvement. The uniformed guides from the Downtown Partnership provide a worthwhile service and no doubt provide a deterrent to those who might cause problems. There is, however, a noticeable lack of police patrols. Several years ago, the patrols at the harbor were common and there were also police kiosks along the promenade.

The Sun's recent "Your turn" commentary regarding downtown crime ("A 10 t h floor view of crime," May 26) speaks the truth. We certainly need more such pieces to properly understand Baltimore's crime problems and to address them. What we are hearing from the city's mayor repeatedly is that there is no real problem, that the crime situation in downtown Baltimore is distorted and that "statistics" show that violent crime is down. But who really believes her? We kid ourselves if we believe so. We don't want to go to where we are outraged with the crime problem.

Why is it that The Baltimore Sun is so negative about the Baltimore Grand Prix ("Worse and worse," May 9)? Why is it that The Sun's sports pages rarely include any articles about IndyCar races leading up to the Baltimore Grand Prix? Why would they want to snuff out an event that puts Baltimore in such a positive light? As quoted in The Sun as recently as May 10th, Baltimore is considered a "hell hole" by many outside of the city. So why is The Sun so negative about an event that puts beautiful views of Baltimore on TV for so many to see?