Bike Rack

The problem: The bicycle rack at Baltimore's first on-street bike parking area in Charles Village is missing. The back story: Susan Walther was excited after her new neighborhood, Charles Village, became home to Baltimore's first on-street bicycle parking area. She and her husband are cyclists, and they have admired other bike-friendly communities around the country and in Europe. The on-street bike parking, in front of Eddie's Market in the 3100 block of St. Paul St., was lauded by city officials when it was installed in March.

The following is compiled from police reports. It is the Baltimore Messenger's policy to include descriptions only when there is enough information to make identification possible. If you have any information about these crimes, call the Baltimore City Police Department's Northern District at 410-396-2455. East Belvedere Avenue 500 block at 5:48 p.m. Aug. 26. Bike stolen from bike rack on rear of vehicle. Owner witnessed theft. 1100 block, between noon and 6 p.m. Aug. 27. Air mattress, floor fan, Sanyo 32-inch TV damaged, but not stolen.

POLICE LOG* Oakland Mills: 6000 block of Stevens Forest Road: Two bikes chained to a bike rack behind Stevens Forest Elementary School were stolen Tuesday. A silver and black, five-speed, 20-inch mountain bike worth $125 and a boy's black, 12-speed, 24-inch mountain bike worth $170 were stolen.* Long Reach: 6100 block of Foreland Garth: Someone tried to steal a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Saturday.

The following is compiled from police reports. It is the Baltimore Messenger's policy to include descriptions only when there is enough information to make identification possible. If you have any information about these crimes, call the Baltimore City Police Department's Northern District at 410-396-2455. Brambleton Road 2400 block, between 8 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. July 12. Men's blue hybrid bike stolen from garage. Entry gained through side door. Chancery Road 200 block, between 7 p.m. July 10 and 6 a.m. July 11. Fuji and Trek bikes stolen from shed.

POLICE LOG* Wilde Lake: 10300 block of Green Mountain Circle: The window of a green Oldsmobile Royale was shot out by a BB gun Tuesday or Wednesday.5400 block of Trumpeter Road: A green and black 21-speed boy's mountain bike was stolen from a bike rack at the Wilde Lake High School Wednesday afternoon.5900 block of Stevens Forest Road: Someone broke the windshield of an Acura Integra parked at the Columbia Exxon station Friday or Saturday.

Augustine Pounds, an Anne Arundel Community College vice president, has received the Iowa State University Virgil S. Lagomarcino Laureate Award for prestigious service, educational leadership and commitment to teaching.The college vice president for student services, college development and intercollegiate athletics received her doctorate from Iowa State in 1980 and worked as an administrator and instructor from 1976 to 1989.She joined AACC in 1991.POLICE LOG* Candlewood: Someone stole a $300 Motor Cross bike Tuesday morning from a bike rack at Severna Park Middle School.

When Bonnie Smelkinson asked the security guards at Oriole Park why they were carting away her bicycle, they told her it was illegally parked.The guards, who work for the Maryland Stadium Authority, had cut the lock from Ms. Smelkinson's bike, which was chained to a wrought-iron fence outside the stadium's Russell Street entrance. Her boyfriend's bike was locked to hers. Both were hauled to the security office on a recent Sunday afternoon."I was furious," recalls Ms. Smelkinson, 22, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University.

POLICE* Westminster: A resident of Stacey Lee Drive in the Greens of Westminster reported that someone broke into the swimming pool office and stole about $300 Sunday.A South Church Street resident told police that someone spray-painted the side of his garage Sunday. He estimated the damage at $50.A Sheetz convenience store employee reported that someone stole items valued at $11.25 from the East Main Street store Sunday.Two bicycles were stolen Friday from the bike rack at the city swimming pool in the Greens of Westminster.

Like most cities, Baltimore offers urban cyclists a fairly limited range of parking options - a lonely metal stanchion outside a coffee shop, perhaps, or an innocuous group rack outside an office building. If it offers anything at all. But starting next spring, cyclists will have more choices in at least one part of town, the Station North arts and entertainment district. And Baltimore will have a new kind of sidewalk art, part of a national trend that is changing the landscape of cities large and small: the bike rack as public sculpture.

If I had been paying more attention in sophomore geometr class I'm sure finding the perfect position for the bike rack on the car would be easier. But I wasn't. Instead of studying the triangles on the blackboard, I spent much of the class staring out the classroom window, watching a cop who parked in front of our high school and caught speeders.Now every time I try to adjust the angles of the rack so that no bike part scratches the car trunk, pieces of old geometry equations flash through my mind, and my palms start to sweat.

Baltimore police are gearing up for an estimated influx of 200,000 people into the city for Independence Day . Acting Commissioner Anthony E. Barksdale held a news conference Tuesday to emphasize that the city is prepared. "We're working very hard to ensure that we're ready," said Barksdale, who also publicly acknowledged that he would like to succeed his former boss, Frederick H. Bealefeld III, as commissioner. Barksdale said he had turned in his resume but was not offended by Mayor Stephanie-Rawlings-Blake's decision to conduct a national search for a new top cop. "If I get it, I'll be happy.

The problem: The bicycle rack at Baltimore's first on-street bike parking area in Charles Village is missing. The back story: Susan Walther was excited after her new neighborhood, Charles Village, became home to Baltimore's first on-street bicycle parking area. She and her husband are cyclists, and they have admired other bike-friendly communities around the country and in Europe. The on-street bike parking, in front of Eddie's Market in the 3100 block of St. Paul St., was lauded by city officials when it was installed in March.

Providing bounty to those in need Kudos to the Swirnow family for continuing their practice of donating turkey dinners to some of Baltimore's most needy families ("Providing dinner for 21,000," Nov. 23). In an economy that begs business owners (and individuals) to hold onto their shrinking resources, the Swirnows understand that our economic distress is all the more reason to contribute to help meet the needs of those who live the reality of limited resources each day. In 20 years of nonprofit work, I have never met someone who has consciously chosen to be poor, hungry or live in poverty because he or she was lazy, felt entitled or just wanted to kick back and let someone else provide for him. If you are grateful that your plate will be full this Thanksgiving, please step up to the plate and help provide bounty for those who struggle to survive each day. Let's feed people, fight disease, foster hope.

Like most cities, Baltimore offers urban cyclists a fairly limited range of parking options - a lonely metal stanchion outside a coffee shop, perhaps, or an innocuous group rack outside an office building. If it offers anything at all. But starting next spring, cyclists will have more choices in at least one part of town, the Station North arts and entertainment district. And Baltimore will have a new kind of sidewalk art, part of a national trend that is changing the landscape of cities large and small: the bike rack as public sculpture.

It's the thrill. It's the speed. It's even the fear. Lyndon Wesson experienced all three the first time he careened down a hill on a mountain bike, and he was sold."

Augustine Pounds, an Anne Arundel Community College vice president, has received the Iowa State University Virgil S. Lagomarcino Laureate Award for prestigious service, educational leadership and commitment to teaching.The college vice president for student services, college development and intercollegiate athletics received her doctorate from Iowa State in 1980 and worked as an administrator and instructor from 1976 to 1989.She joined AACC in 1991.POLICE LOG* Candlewood: Someone stole a $300 Motor Cross bike Tuesday morning from a bike rack at Severna Park Middle School.

Every so often I abandon common sense and go on a family bike ride.Getting the bikes rolling is a several-stage process for our family. First there is the declaration of the intent to go cycling. That is followed by the installation of the car's bike rack, the hunt for helmets, the search for a working air hose. Next there is the drive to the bike trail, with several stops along the way to readjust the slipping bike rack.Finally, upon arrival at the bike trail, there is the issuance of the inevitable parental admonition: "Behave yourselves!

Providing bounty to those in need Kudos to the Swirnow family for continuing their practice of donating turkey dinners to some of Baltimore's most needy families ("Providing dinner for 21,000," Nov. 23). In an economy that begs business owners (and individuals) to hold onto their shrinking resources, the Swirnows understand that our economic distress is all the more reason to contribute to help meet the needs of those who live the reality of limited resources each day. In 20 years of nonprofit work, I have never met someone who has consciously chosen to be poor, hungry or live in poverty because he or she was lazy, felt entitled or just wanted to kick back and let someone else provide for him. If you are grateful that your plate will be full this Thanksgiving, please step up to the plate and help provide bounty for those who struggle to survive each day. Let's feed people, fight disease, foster hope.

POLICE* Westminster: A resident of Stacey Lee Drive in the Greens of Westminster reported that someone broke into the swimming pool office and stole about $300 Sunday.A South Church Street resident told police that someone spray-painted the side of his garage Sunday. He estimated the damage at $50.A Sheetz convenience store employee reported that someone stole items valued at $11.25 from the East Main Street store Sunday.Two bicycles were stolen Friday from the bike rack at the city swimming pool in the Greens of Westminster.