Block Party

A grass-roots idea to bridge the gaps among racially divided neighborhoods has blossomed into an annual block party in West Baltimore that drew hundreds Saturday to a triangular park in Upton. At the fifth annual Boundary Block Party, sponsored by a coalition of five of the city's central-western neighborhoods, children frolicked near a fountain, a wooden platform served as a stage for local musicians and choirs, and dozens of people lined up for free hot dogs and potato salad.

A grass-roots idea to bridge the gaps among racially divided neighborhoods has blossomed into an annual block party in West Baltimore that drew hundreds Saturday to a triangular park in Upton. At the fifth annual Boundary Block Party, sponsored by a coalition of five of the city's central-western neighborhoods, children frolicked near a fountain, a wooden platform served as a stage for local musicians and choirs, and dozens of people lined up for free hot dogs and potato salad.

Baltimore International College chefs-in-training dished up free barbecue Saturday to neighbors in Little Italy who worry they are on the verge of losing the four-decade-old culinary and hospitality school. The college learned in June that it would lose its accreditation at the end of August. Its Board of Trustees met Friday to weigh possible mergers or whether to appeal the revocation but has not announced a decision. Meanwhile, the school's nearly 500 students are in limbo. Still, students spooned helpings of barbecued pulled pork and smoked beef brisket, accompanied by homemade pickled red onions, horseradish and green tomato chow-chow slaw, at a block party in the parking lot of the Culinary Arts Center building on Central Avenue.

As we begin this week's episode of “Top Chef,” I have to ask: Did anyone really miss Beverly? Over the past few weeks I had rooted for her because I love an underdog, but let's be real: The woman was annoying. This week the final six, or top six as Lindsay points out, are ready for the tough challenges. So bring it on! Quickfire Challenge With every season of “Top Chef” there are a few staple Quickfire competitions. There is the cooking with junk food and the taste-test challenge (which I am still waiting for!

The New York Rangers have long established the foundation of their team defense on a willingness to block shots. On Wednesday night, though, Washington bested the Rangers in that department with 32 blocks — the most in any of the 29 postseason games during coach Bruce Boudreau's tenure. It's an impressive statistic, and it was the topic of the day at Kettler Capitals Iceplex after an optional team skate. "It might sound weird but I pride myself on doing that — not being afraid to just dive in front of one," defenseman Karl Alzner said.

Sometimes I wish we could have a block party on every street in this city - and on the same day. No cars, no trucks. Just block party after block party, so you could walk from Hamilton to Little Italy, by way of Govans and Waverly and Middle East, or from Mount Washington all the way to Pigtown, sampling food and flea markets and bingo games along the way. We should have one day designated: Block Party Baltimore.I dream, of course. The source of this delirium was another visit to yet another St. Anthony Festival in Little Italy over the weekend.

The Crofton Teen Club and the Crofton Police Department are sponsoring a block party on Aug. 2 as part of National Night Out Against Crime observances.This "going-away party" for crime will begin at 7 p.m. on the baseball fields at Crofton Elementary School. There will be games, snacks, a disk jockey, a puppet show for younger kids, give aways and much more. The party will conclude at 10 p.m. with a flashlight walk around Crofton Parkway.If you would like to help out or need information on the block party, call Amber French 721-9265.

Baltimore police are looking for three men charged in federal narcotics indictments who they say could be connected to the shooting of 12 people at a block party Monday night. The men, who police say are members of a violent drug organization that distributes narcotics in East Baltimore, are: Charles Byers, 23, of the 660 block of Winston Ave.; Deitrich Fortune, 25, of the 600 block of N. Carrollton Ave.; and Darryl Robertson, 20, of the 800 block of N. McKean Ave. They were indicted Thursday.

CELEBRATING THE national crime-prevention program "America's Night Out," the Arundel Village Security Patrol will hold its sixth annual Block Party and Flea Market from noon to 6 p.m. today at the Roland Terrace Democratic Club, 619 Matthews Ave. Games, music from Dan the DJ and a police dog demonstration are planned. Representatives from the county sheriff's department will offer the Sheriff's Kid ID Program, giving parents a chance to have their children fingerprinted. Brooklyn Park's fire station, Engine 31, will operate out of the block party and give everyone a chance to see its new fire truck.

Trick or treating sure has changed since my day. We no longer pass out home-baked cookies and hand-dipped candy apples to the pint-sized witches and goblins who ring our doorbells. Now all treats have to be factory wrapped and hermetically sealed for safety. And even older kids who once raced on their own from house to house are now cautiously chaperoned by parents who stand at a discreet but protective distance at the end of the driveway.We may have lost some of the innocence of the old days, but there is an upside to this New Age version of Halloween.

Thousands of children, from toddlers to 12-year-olds, did something yesterday that seems almost novel in the age of computers and digital games: They went outside and played. In the chilly air of the first Sunday of October, Rash Field at Baltimore's Inner Harbor became a sprawling playground. Over six hours, boys and girls skipped rope, jumped rope, hula-hooped, played with sticks and created works of sidewalk art with colorful chalk. They chased big, soapy bubbles created by a clown on stilts.

Whoever that was who called me yesterday, and whatever it was I agreed to? I didn't mean it, I just couldn't hear you over the cars screeching past and the banner planes pounding overhead. Plus I was delirious from walking miles but merely going blocks. And addled by the perfume of diesel undertones overlaid by top notes of burning rubber. In other words, I have been grandly prixed. I'm not even sure what that means, but new words need to be invented for this whole, dizzying Grand Prix experience.

I got a call from a resturateur on Thursday night who worried that diners were freaking out about the TV news coverage of Thursday's traffic snarl. The images and reporting, this person said, made it look like every street in five counties was gridlocked.  Apparently, it was pretty rough out there, but it wasn't everywhere. Restaurants and other small businesses took a big hit last weekend from Hurricane Irene. I'm encouraging you to try your best to get out and support them.

The best ticket option for the Grand Prix could be the Grounds Admission - a three-day pass is $65. You don't get reserved seating, but you get to roam around, which is what people are going to be doing anyway in between races, I'm thinking. The Grounds Admission pass gives you access to it Budweiser Block Party , which is on the old McCormick lot on the corner of Charles and Conway. Dave Rather of Mother's Federal Hill Grille is putting together the "restaurant row" within the site.

Baltimore International College chefs-in-training dished up free barbecue Saturday to neighbors in Little Italy who worry they are on the verge of losing the four-decade-old culinary and hospitality school. The college learned in June that it would lose its accreditation at the end of August. Its Board of Trustees met Friday to weigh possible mergers or whether to appeal the revocation but has not announced a decision. Meanwhile, the school's nearly 500 students are in limbo. Still, students spooned helpings of barbecued pulled pork and smoked beef brisket, accompanied by homemade pickled red onions, horseradish and green tomato chow-chow slaw, at a block party in the parking lot of the Culinary Arts Center building on Central Avenue.

Gay Pride festivals are in season. Washington's Capital Pride was last weekend, and so was Philadelphia's. Chesapeake Pride is coming up in mid-July at Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds. But this weekend, it's time for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Baltimoreans to celebrate. The Baltimore Pride festival , which officially kicks off Friday and ends Sunday, includes an opening garden party, a performance by Deborah Cox, a block party, a high-heel race and the annual parade.

Seven years ago, Myong Kim went driving around Baltimore in search of the city's worst-looking street. It didn't take long for the Korean businessman to find the 1800 block of N. Castle St., littered with shattered bottles and discarded needles.Kim's mission in East Baltimore had found a launching pad.Since then, Kim and other Koreans from his Jubilee Praise and Worship Ministries in Towson have visited mostly black neighborhoods to clean up, enjoy fellowship with residents, and foster better relations in a city often scarred by friction between the two groups.

Since its beginning 29 years ago, the annual Baltimore Pride Festival has been known as an event that's chockablock with live music, high-energy shows and over-the-top spectacles. So it's only fitting that the gay community's yearly party is now being touted as a "nightclub without walls," said festival co-chairman Scott Baum. "It's a time for us to literally dance in the streets. It truly is just going to be a lot of fun," Baum said of the two-day happening, which kicks off at 5 p.m. Saturday with a loud-and-proud parade on Charles Street.

Jacques Kelly takes readers back to the corner of Barclay and 29th streets, and the summertime appearances of the American Ice Company truck. He also takes them inside the Snack and Chat Shop, which "offered pickled onions, Utz potato chips, Mary Janes (the molasses candy), malted milk balls, Hendler's strawberry ice cream, TastyKake Creamies, Camels, Chesterfields and Luckies, plus Maryland Chief canned tomatoes and money orders, too. " Here's Jacques story . Karen Nitkin has a Daytrip feature on the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party , which is going on this weekend.

To Kenny Callaghan, barbecue is like religion. "If you're Roman Catholic, you don't go to a synagogue," said Callaghan, the executive chef and barbecue czar at New York's Blue Smoke restaurant. "If you're from North Carolina, you don't understand what Memphis barbecue is. " As barbecue lovers know, different regions of the U.S. cherish their distinctive barbecue traditions, and Blue Smoke is famous for bringing those traditions together on its menu. In 2002, to help the various barbecue factions gain an appreciation for each other, Callaghan invited five renowned smokers and slatherers from around the country to showcase the best of their respective regions.