Central Maryland

Norman O. Taylor will be taking on one of the most visible jobs in town when he moves to Baltimore next month to be president of the United Way of Central Maryland, but it's more than his job that will make him easy to spot."

William F. "Bill" Sprenger, a social worker who had been managing director of community services for United Way of Central Maryland, died March 23 of heart failure at Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland. The former Towson resident was 86. Mr. Sprenger was born in Derby, Conn., and raised in Albany, N.Y., and Westchester County, N.Y. He was a 1942 graduate of Mamaroneck High School in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and enlisted in the Navy the next year. An ensign, he served during World War II in the Pacific aboard Landing Ship Tank LCT-88 and remained an active reservist until 1962.

THIS YEAR'S GOAL of $45 million for the United Way of Central Maryland's annual campaign is a moderate 4.2 percent more than last year's result. But the downsizing of several of the largest work forces that contribute, and the pessimistic economic climate, make that goal harder to reach. And the same forces create a likelihood that demand for the services of voluntary health and human service agencies will increase more than that percentage. But a distraction intervened on the way to the pledge drive at most workplaces: The nation suffered the agony of the Sept.

Salary: $40,000 Age: 27 Time on the job: Three months How she got started: Although Katie Cashman wanted to work with children after graduating from Towson University with a degree in psychology, she couldn't find the right job, so she went to work as a program manager at an adult day care. She quickly found her niche working with seniors and moved on to become the manager of an assisted-living facility in Frederick. She then worked as the resident services and admissions coordinator at Fairhaven, a continuing-care retirement facility in Sykesville.

The forecast said rain, but it was sunshine that poured down on Gov. Parris N. Glendening yesterday as he unveiled tougher emergency water restrictions for drought-stricken Central and Eastern Maryland. Standing on a boat ramp more than 20 feet below the normal surface of rain-starved Liberty Reservoir, Glendening invoked Level Two water-use restrictions that tighten drought-emergency rules he imposed on much of Central Maryland in April and expanded the rules' reach to the Eastern Shore.

Organizers of this year's Baltimore Pride celebration have chosen Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to serve as grand marshal in recognition of her support for the gay community. The GLBT Community Center of Baltimore and Central Maryland is hosting the annual parade and block party in Mount Vernon and the festival at Druid Hill Park - the largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender gathering in the state - on June 15 and 16. "Mayor Rawlings-Blake's commitment to the LGBT community has been undoubtedly one of the best records in Maryland and for the City of Baltimore," the center said Tuesday in a statement.

It was a night of eating, drinking, shopping and fundraising at Towson Town Center's Sip Savor Shop event Thursday night, benefiting the United Way of Central Maryland. Wineries, restaurants and big name retailers teamed up to provide guests with an enjoyable approach to raising money for charity. Some guests turned the event into a girl's night. Paula Phillips of Baltimore heard about the benefit through her friend. "I like the variety. There's food, wine and coupons," Phillips said.

UNITED WAY is the single enterprise that unites most Central Marylanders. Among all civic endeavors, it creates the deepest sense of community over the broadest area. Death and taxes are more universal, but United Way is voluntary. In order to give, an individual must first have decided to do so. United Way is a measurable indicator of how a community feels about itself. It involves a bit of giving to those in need -- from whom we all would hope for a helping hand were situations reversed.

The United Way of Central Maryland announced yesterday that it had raised $36.5 million in its 1995 campaign, an increase of more than 4 percent over last year and a clear indication that its troubled times are past.Although the total falls just shy of the $37 million goal set when the campaign began in September, it marks the second consecutive year of growth in contributions to the charity and reverses a trend during the 1990s, when giving to United Way plunged in the wake of scandal and a poor economy.

My son and I visited a small, private, reputable liberal arts college about 500 miles south of Baltimore during its "Welcome High School Juniors Weekend" a few months ago. We spent a beautifully orchestrated day interacting with so many students who looked exactly like us that it almost felt like we had been on a tour of The Sims University. Because this is my third and final child entering the college vetting process, I knew enough not to extol the school's merits or denigrate its shortcomings and risk prejudicing my son's impressions.