Business Records

FREDERICK -- Like a burlesque-show dancer, a local prostitution service's "black book" of customer names is providing this city just enough information to tantalize, but not enough to get anybody in trouble. At least not yet. After losing an open-records battle in court, the city released 82 pages of a call-girl operation's business records this week. The documents, a hot commodity as they were handed out yesterday at City Hall, contain hundreds of men's first and last names, many beside such women's names as "Angel," "Jade," "Dani" and "Nikki."

As Maryland's first Republican chief executive in more than a generation, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. promised to bring a fresh ethos to a state with a reputation for high taxes and burdensome regulations. "The message has been that Maryland is not open for business," Ehrlich told his opponent, then-Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, during a Chamber of Commerce candidates forum in 2002. In two of his three State of the State addresses, the governor has declared that his victory means Maryland is now "open for business."

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said yesterday that its fourth-quarter sales rose 14.6 percent at stores open at least a year, outpacing the retail industry as a whole. Total sales - including stores open less than a year - jumped from $62 million in the last three months of fiscal year 1999 to $71 million in the quarter that ended Feb. 3, a 14.5 percent increase, the Hampstead-based retailer said. "We had one of the best sales performances in the industry in the fourth quarter," Robert N. Wildrick, chief executive officer, said yesterday.

FREDERICK -- Like a burlesque-show dancer, a local prostitution service's "black book" of customer names is providing this city just enough information to tantalize, but not enough to get anybody in trouble. At least not yet. After losing an open-records battle in court, the city released 82 pages of a call-girl operation's business records this week. The documents, a hot commodity as they were handed out yesterday at City Hall, contain hundreds of men's first and last names, many beside such women's names as "Angel," "Jade," "Dani" and "Nikki."

Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett came to Taneytown Friday to tout his record as a supporter of small businesses.But for one local businesswoman, the proof could be in whether the Western Maryland congressman can help solve a problem created by a change in federal purchasing practices.Bartlett, a three-term Republican running for re-election in the 6th District, spoke to a Taneytown business breakfast group. The group, which does not have a formal name, meets monthly to discuss issues relevant to local businesses.

As Maryland's first Republican chief executive in more than a generation, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. promised to bring a fresh ethos to a state with a reputation for high taxes and burdensome regulations. "The message has been that Maryland is not open for business," Ehrlich told his opponent, then-Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, during a Chamber of Commerce candidates forum in 2002. In two of his three State of the State addresses, the governor has declared that his victory means Maryland is now "open for business."

Donald A. Baker, the Baltimore businessman who disappeared from his Inner Harbor condominium on March 12, was involved in a business dispute at the time in which he accused a former partner of trying to cut him out of a $4.2 million deal, court records show.Baltimore police, who have been struggling with the case for nine days with no leads, are investigating the allegations. They are seeking all records of the transaction, corporate credit reports and bank statements -- as well as Mr. Baker's passport, will, insurance policies and other personal papers.

David Huber is all smiles these days -- and with good reason. His company is only 2 years old, but already it has $215 million in the bank. Hubers firm, Columbia-based Corvis Corp., which makes Internet optical-networking equipment, is a beneficiary of the appetite of venture investors, who lined up last year in record numbers. Investments last year in start-up and expanding companies shattered records. The final tally: More than $35 billion flowed into more than 4,000 companies. Thats 2.5 times the $14 billion raised in 1998, and six times the amount raised in 1995, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the accounting and consulting firm.

In a move that should be getting more notice this week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has thrown down the gauntlet over the renewal of the Patriot Act, provisions of which would expire Friday if not extended.  Paul has offered several "controversial" amendments to the bill, and could single-handedly cause the Patriot Act to lapse for a day, The Hill reported today .  What are these so-called "controversial" changes to the post-9/11 act...

Tight end Shannon Sharpe spent about 30 seconds discussing his new record and five minutes dissecting what went wrong with the Ravens yesterday. After two games of teasing - last Monday against Tennessee and two weeks ago against Pittsburgh - Sharpe finally broke Ozzie Newsome's NFL record for catches by a tight end in yesterday's 27-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns at PSINet Stadium. Sharpe entered the game tied at 662 career catches with Newsome and moved past him on the Ravens' first possession.

Tight end Shannon Sharpe spent about 30 seconds discussing his new record and five minutes dissecting what went wrong with the Ravens yesterday. After two games of teasing - last Monday against Tennessee and two weeks ago against Pittsburgh - Sharpe finally broke Ozzie Newsome's NFL record for catches by a tight end in yesterday's 27-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns at PSINet Stadium. Sharpe entered the game tied at 662 career catches with Newsome and moved past him on the Ravens' first possession.

Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said yesterday that its fourth-quarter sales rose 14.6 percent at stores open at least a year, outpacing the retail industry as a whole. Total sales - including stores open less than a year - jumped from $62 million in the last three months of fiscal year 1999 to $71 million in the quarter that ended Feb. 3, a 14.5 percent increase, the Hampstead-based retailer said. "We had one of the best sales performances in the industry in the fourth quarter," Robert N. Wildrick, chief executive officer, said yesterday.

Sibling rivalry, plain and simple, fueled the first hunter who checked a deer yesterday at Angler's Sport Center in Anne Arundel County. The South River High School senior stumbled out of bed at 5 a.m., and 45 minutes later was perched in a tree stand above a field in Davidsonville to await the 6:31 start of the firearms season. Cold? Sure, but thoughts of beating your kid brother to a big, old deer was enough to keep this teen-ager warm. Ahh, the roasts. (The bragging rights). The venison chili.

David Huber is all smiles these days -- and with good reason. His company is only 2 years old, but already it has $215 million in the bank. Hubers firm, Columbia-based Corvis Corp., which makes Internet optical-networking equipment, is a beneficiary of the appetite of venture investors, who lined up last year in record numbers. Investments last year in start-up and expanding companies shattered records. The final tally: More than $35 billion flowed into more than 4,000 companies. Thats 2.5 times the $14 billion raised in 1998, and six times the amount raised in 1995, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the accounting and consulting firm.

Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett came to Taneytown Friday to tout his record as a supporter of small businesses.But for one local businesswoman, the proof could be in whether the Western Maryland congressman can help solve a problem created by a change in federal purchasing practices.Bartlett, a three-term Republican running for re-election in the 6th District, spoke to a Taneytown business breakfast group. The group, which does not have a formal name, meets monthly to discuss issues relevant to local businesses.

Shawn Colvin admits that her current album, "A Few Small Repairs," is all about the Big D. It's just that the "D" she has in mind doesn't stand for what some listeners think.Because she wrote the songs in the wake of a divorce, critics and fans assumed that "A Few Small Repairs" was a break-up album -- a reasonable assumption, given such song titles as "Get Out of This House," "I Want It Back" and "84,000 Different Delusions." But, says Colvin, things aren't quite so simple."I never felt like the record was [about divorce]

Sibling rivalry, plain and simple, fueled the first hunter who checked a deer yesterday at Angler's Sport Center in Anne Arundel County. The South River High School senior stumbled out of bed at 5 a.m., and 45 minutes later was perched in a tree stand above a field in Davidsonville to await the 6:31 start of the firearms season. Cold? Sure, but thoughts of beating your kid brother to a big, old deer was enough to keep this teen-ager warm. Ahh, the roasts. (The bragging rights). The venison chili.

Shawn Colvin admits that her current album, "A Few Small Repairs," is all about the Big D. It's just that the "D" she has in mind doesn't stand for what some listeners think.Because she wrote the songs in the wake of a divorce, critics and fans assumed that "A Few Small Repairs" was a break-up album -- a reasonable assumption, given such song titles as "Get Out of This House," "I Want It Back" and "84,000 Different Delusions." But, says Colvin, things aren't quite so simple."I never felt like the record was [about divorce]

Donald A. Baker, the Baltimore businessman who disappeared from his Inner Harbor condominium on March 12, was involved in a business dispute at the time in which he accused a former partner of trying to cut him out of a $4.2 million deal, court records show.Baltimore police, who have been struggling with the case for nine days with no leads, are investigating the allegations. They are seeking all records of the transaction, corporate credit reports and bank statements -- as well as Mr. Baker's passport, will, insurance policies and other personal papers.