Canton

A small rowhouse blaze sent a Baltimore woman to the hospital yesterday with second- and third-degree burns on her upper body, city fire officials said. The fire, in the 600 block of S. Decker Ave. in Canton, was reported about 4:20 p.m., said Chief Kevin Cartwright, a Fire Department spokesman. Firefighters rescued one victim, a woman believed to be about 50 years old, from the first floor of the home, Cartwright said. She was taken to the Johns Hopkins Burn Center, where she was treated for second- and third-degree burns above her waist.

For some reason, Red Fish (2350 Boston St., 443-524-1454) in its first incarnation never quite made it, although it seemed to be the perfect kind of place for Canton -- jazzy and fun and not too expensive. Right after New Year's, Joshau Hill, formerly of Truffles catering, came on as executive chef to revive the place. Now he's bought it. "I'm getting rid of all the bad karma," he says. "I'm bringing the phoenix out of the ashes." He's also producing dishes like coconut-crusted mahi-mahi with charred pineapple salsa, and using lots of seafood, including local rockfish.

A $75 million proposed waterfront tower that has riled Canton for nearly two years might become the first significant Baltimore project to die in recent memory. The Icon, which goes before the City Council's land use committee this evening, faces unambiguous opposition from key city leaders, including the council member representing the Southeast Baltimore district and Mayor Sheila Dixon. With no overt support on the council and a thumbs-down from the mayor who must ultimately sign the bill, officials say the project is likely to die in committee.

Huge glass tower diminishes Canton As a 20-year resident of an original Canton Square townhouse, I am certainly not opposed to progress. Indeed, my tiny house has increased in value tremendously with all of the rehabs and new construction in the area. But a 240-foot, sparkly glass tower does not belong here. Not only will it dwarf every other structure nearby, but with its modern design it will look hideous in historic Canton ("Panel OKs high-rise in Canton," Feb. 23). Modern glass, high-rise office buildings and condos are fine in downtown development areas set back from the waterfront.

A three-story Canton rowhouse under renovation by its owner was destroyed last night during a fire that was fueled by the rupture of a natural gas pipe, authorites said. No one was injured in the blaze, which was reported at 10:17 p.m. in the 3200 block of Foster Ave. It quickly burned out all three floors, causing much of the structure to collapse onto Foster Avenue and onto a rear alley. A second alarm was sounded at 10:27 p.m. Feeding the fire was the natural gas that continued to burn despite huge quantities of water being poured onto the house.

Downs Engravers & Stationers 2500 Boston St., Canton Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 410-752-7770 Looking for a clever card for Valentine's Day? How about some fine paper for those Christmas thank-you notes you never got around to writing? You might find what you need at Downs Engravers & Stationers' new, 1,000-square-foot store in the Flagship Building at The Can Company in Canton. (To find it, locate the Starbucks on Boston Street. It's a few feet away.

If you're looking for a low-key place to dine outdoors this summer, check out the Pickled Parrot in Canton. Owner Peggie Oliver bought the bar last year, installed a green awning outside and painted the concrete block and brick walls with a tropical scene. With upscale plastic furniture, a big-screen TV and a Corona-clutching parrot perched overhead, this Baltimore beer garden is not fancy, but it's comfortable.Oliver, who managed bars in Canton and Fells Point before going to work for herself, said she wanted to create an alternative to the bar scene in Canton, a quieter place where an older crowd would feel at home.

Swept up in Canton's real estate boom, a Baltimore developer wants to build a four-story, 63-unit apartment complex on an industrial lot littered with old tractor-trailers, cars and other vehicles.P&G Development LLC has asked the City Council to rezone the roughly 1-acre lot in the 1200 block of S. Bouldin St. from industrial to residential so it can begin building the complex with on-site parking. A bill was introduced June 14, but the matter will not be addressed until the council returns to session in late September.

THE PROPOSED redevelopment of Baltimore's old shopping district, located on the west side of downtown, has given many people pause.The plan calls for demolishing some old buildings and replacing them with gleaming new shops, restaurants, offices and residences, and, as its centerpiece, a rejuvenated Hippodrome Theater.Whatever arguments you hear concerning the recycling of the old downtown blocks, remember: History is on the side of the proponents. This city has some outstanding examples of how to resurrect declining neighborhoods.

The first alarm sounded in Canton at 8: 40 a.m. on Feb. 17, 1953, signaling the beginning of one of the worst waterfront fires in the city's history.By the time it was over later that morning, the 18-alarm fire, which swept through a lumber yard, marine railway and threatened a quarter-mile long section of industrial plants along Boston Street, had entered the city's record books.It had required 66 pieces of equipment, 354 firefighters, 45 engine companies, 15 truck companies, one hose company, four fireboats and one water tower.

It's Baltimore, where a gang leader actually complained that he couldn't get lobster smuggled into his prison cell (only salmon and shrimp were available), so the story about a guy selling drugs from an ice cream truck in Canton seems entirely plausible. Every night, the white boxy van with no headlights and the words "banana boat" and "sundaes" hand-painted on the side rumbles down Bouldin Street and slowly meanders through the neighborhood. You can tell it's coming from blocks away - a scratchy jingle that sounds like it was recorded from a broken jack-in-the-box pierces the night air. Catherine B. Parks got annoyed, then suspicious.

Once a gritty neighborhood on Southeast Baltimore's industrial waterfront, Canton has transformed itself into a model of urban chic where million-dollar townhouses overlook the harbor and destination night spots surround O'Donnell Square. But many residents of the resurgent community worry that the city's preferred route for an east-west transit line would cut off Canton from the water, drag down property values and compound the area's already serious traffic and parking problems. They're organizing to oppose the plan known as Alternative 4-C - which has powerful support and could well be chosen when the Maryland Transit Administration decides this summer.

A small rowhouse blaze sent a Baltimore woman to the hospital yesterday with second- and third-degree burns on her upper body, city fire officials said. The fire, in the 600 block of S. Decker Ave. in Canton, was reported about 4:20 p.m., said Chief Kevin Cartwright, a Fire Department spokesman. Firefighters rescued one victim, a woman believed to be about 50 years old, from the first floor of the home, Cartwright said. She was taken to the Johns Hopkins Burn Center, where she was treated for second- and third-degree burns above her waist.

When Jon Meyer and his fiancee moved to Baltimore a year and a half ago from Annapolis, they figured their Canton rowhouse was far removed from the city's violence. But he said the orange chalk scrawled in a gutter across from his home - reading "head" and "foot," marking where a body was found Tuesday night - served as a startling wake-up call. "It's very, very unusual for there to be any kind of crime around here," said Meyer, 61. "To have a murder take place on your street, it's very sobering."

The problem : Bus drivers didn't stop at an unmarked Canton bus stop. The backstory: If a bus stop is missing its sign, should the driver still stop? It's one of those philosophical questions that Gary Brukiewa has been asking himself. The lifelong Canton resident says he takes the No. 7 bus, which is supposed to stop on Fait Avenue between Luzerne Avenue and Rose Street. A sign had been affixed to a light pole there. But after the pole was knocked down in a traffic accident months ago, the pole was replaced - but not the bus stop sign.

There's no time to mince words. Tonight, 16 speakers from different corners of the city's arts and culture scene will discuss a wide range of topics at a bar on North Avenue. The catch? Each one has to cram 20 slides into a five-minute minipresentation. The free event, called Ignite, takes place at the Windup Space in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. Ignite may be new to Baltimore, but the idea has been around since 2006. Cities from Seattle to Paris have held Ignite events.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: It's a Friday night, and you're walking back from the bars. Suddenly, you see the sign: Palm Readings, $5. You're curious, but a little hesitant. Who knows what you're getting into, right? Maybe next time, you tell yourself. Well, last weekend, I stopped putting my future on hold. I went to not one, but two psychics in two different neighborhoods on the same night. I always like a second opinion, after all. Both psychics were within a block of a large entertainment district, and both get tipsy foot traffic on weekend nights, I'm told.

2924 O'Donnell St., Canton Square 1 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 12:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 1:30 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday 410-522-0090; fioritodesigns.com You choose it, they make it. Jean Fiorito and daughter Angie Fiorito Riemer, owners of Fiorito Designs in Canton, display a colorful selection of fabrics from which customers can choose for handmade purses, diaper bags and laptop cases. The mother and daughter have been a duo since their days as project director and summer camp director at the YMCA in White Marsh.

With a large fitness club on one side of Boston Street and new business on other side, the signs are clear that Canton is rapidly growing across a section of railroad tracks and into an adjacent industrial area. Cars routinely clog Boston Street, with traffic jams now reaching as far east as Interstate 95, frustrating residents and visitors. "It's already a nightmare," said Darryl Jurkiewicz, president of the Canton Community Association. The large, multitrack crossing used by three railroads that often switch from one track to the other increases delays and backups.

In a heated debate that at times turned into a candid discussion on race in Baltimore, Canton residents wrestled last night with a proposal to open a new middle/high school in their neighborhood. Some, angered that students at Canton Middle School - which was scheduled to close - have attacked neighbors and destroyed property, opposed any school on the site. Others argued that bringing in a new charter school with a focus on community involvement could lift the area up. "We do get tired of the garbage" and other problems associated with the school, said Julie Kardas, a 49-year-old Highland Avenue resident who was one of the hundreds who turned out for the two-hour meeting.