Chaser

William Robert Ernst, retired president of a commercial painting business, died Tuesday of complications from Parkinson's disease at Stella Maris Hospice. The former Lutherville resident was 80. Born in Baltimore and raised on Key Avenue, he dropped out of Forest Park High School at 17 and lied about his age to join the Navy. After serving aboard a submarine chaser in the Pacific during World War II, he became a painter with Kuehnle Wilson of Maryland Inc. He worked his way up from apprentice to company president.

Frank Furst Dorsey, a retired executive vice president for USF&G Corp., died Saturday at the Wesley Home Chapel. He was 96.Services for Mr. Dorsey will be held at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Wesley Home Chapel, 2211 W. Rogers Avenue.The Baltimore native was a graduate of City College and the University of Maryland Law School.During World War I, he served as lieutenant junior grade on a Navy submarine chaser.After the war, he worked for USF&G for over 30 years, until he retired as executive vice president in 1960.

Fashions in flower"Art Blooms at the Walters" beginning Monday, and not a moment too soon. This annual spring fete brings out the flowers in the museum's collection and brings in artists and designers to interpret their own floral fantasies.This year Gazelle, at the Village of Cross Keys and Chevy Chase Pavilion, has commissioned a group of American wearable art and jewelry designers to create a collection inspired by flowers. Motifs will range from silk-painted interpretations to petal shaped fortuny-pleated dresses.

WASHINGTON -- If "Saturday Night Live" or the Comedy Channel wants to do a skit about how funny it can be when lawyers try to scrub up their image, the script is already written: The Supreme Court did it yesterday.With the justices engaging in can-you-top-this humor, the court explored what states can do to erase the "ambulance chaser" reputation that seems to stick to the profession.One justice, Sandra Day O'Connor, could barely conceal her disdain for a Florida firm involved in the case that drums up business for lawyers.

You don't hear much about mixologists these days, even wit superhits like TV's "Cheers" grinding the neighborhood spa idea into the national mentality.Today's bartenders are likely to be dressy young hunks whprobably know how to make sushi, play hardball, dance the lambada and do quite a few other things.It was different a half-century ago and more. Bartenders were courtly and portly, fatherly types. They always "sirred" the male patrons and never got familiar or chatty unless approached.

When you know the answers to these questions, go to http://www.4Kids.org/detectives/On which coast did the Tlingit Indian people live?Who first brought chocolate to Europe?How do you become an Energy Chaser? (Go to http://www.exelon corp. com/kids/ to find out.)CHOCOLATE PARADISEFrom cookies to cake to fudge, it's almost impossible to resist the lure of chocolate. At Exploratorium's Exploring Chocolate Web site, you'll dive into a chocolate lover's fantasy world. Bring a sweet tooth out tohttp://www.

* Today: Empire State Building Run-up, 10 a.m., (212) 860-4455.* Sunday: Washington's Birthday Marathon, Greenbelt, 10:30 a.m., 248-5619; BRRC Cherry Pie 10-miler, Patterson Park, 9 a.m., 566-RUN2; HCS Winter Series, Jeffers Hill Center, Columbia, 2 a.m.; Washington's Birthday 10-K, Greenbelt, 9 a.m., (703) 444-9215.* Feb. 22: USA/Mobil Indoor Track Championships, New York; BRRC Awards dinner/dance, Overlea Hall, 7 p.m., 566-RUN2.* Feb. 23: Washington's Birthday 5-K, Bay Hills Center, Arnold, 10 a.m., 760-9188.

Charles Grindel Leight, a retired hospital purchasing agent and consultant, died of complications from a broken hip Nov. 11 at his daughter's home in Millington, Del. The former Rock Hall resident was 83. Mr. Leight was born in Baltimore and raised on Cardenas Avenue. He was a 1941 graduate of City College and, because he had suffered from polio in his youth, was deferred from military service during World War II. He began working at the old Glenn L. Martin Co. plant in Middle River in 1942 as a stock chaser and was later promoted to expeditor and supervisor.

Still coming down from the unexpectedly riveting Winter Olympics? We've got you covered. Here's our pop culture week in review -- with a bit of Olympics chaser to go down smoothly. VIENNA WINS 'THE BACHELOR': Apparently, not just for sausages anymore. ASTRO-NUT: Oh, Buzz Aldrin. You can either talk scientifically about bringing man to Mars or you can join the cast of "Dancing With the Stars." But not both. LINDSAY LOHAN TO PEN MEMOIR: Stop trying to make "respectability" happen, Lindsay.