City Streets

WHILE ACADEMICS and public officials debate the fairness of Maryland's death penalty, self-appointed executioners roam the streets of Baltimore. "Dead by murder" this year holds an early lead over last year's toll. Far more people have been put to death in the city - more than 3,000 over the last decade - than the 83 souls dispatched by the state in all of its history. We are talking about different things, to be sure: killing done by criminals in the pursuit of their crimes and killing done by the state in response to the worst of those crimes.

Pub Date: 4/22/97

Baltimore's Department of Transportation is warning motorists of several street closures in the city because of construction: Hanover Street between Ostend and Montgomery streets will be closed until Dec. 21 so public works crews can replace a 10-inch water main. People who live and work in the area will have access. Southbound Hanover Street traffic will be detoured onto Charles Street, west onto Ostend Street and back to Hanover. Northbound Hanover Street traffic will be detoured east onto Ostend Street, north onto Charles Street and onto Montgomery.

"Fresh" is one word that's seldom appropriate in describing new network TV series. Primetime today is still mainly dominated by the formulas, genres and looks of the 1970s.But Fox's "New York Undercover," which premieres at 9 tonight on WBFF (Channel 45), is nothing if not fresh. Visually and culturally, it's one of the most refreshing new series of the fall season.On paper, it might look pretty much like a boilerplate TV cop drama. It's about two undercover detectives -- J. C. Williams (Malik Yoba)

She said her name was Bonita, so I wrote it down. We were standing outside the Omni Hotel Tuesday night, where Democratic revelers were celebrating the new America. Bonita said she was 18, and I wrote that down, too. And she said she had a 3-year old daughter, and so I reached for my wallet.Before the new America arrives, we will have to deal with the old one. The arithmetic says Bonita was 14 when she was pregnant, and the streets say she is not alone. She had a cadaverous chest and the dull, dim eyes of the lifeless.

Three people were shot last night in a commercial area near Belvedere Avenue and Reisterstown Road in Northwest Baltimore, city police said. The shooting was reported at 10:45 p.m. Two of the victims were shot in a leg and taken to Sinai Hospital, while the other was shot in the head and taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. Their names and conditions were not immediately known. The three were walking along the street when they were shot, police said.

B altimore does not handle snow well, and December snows come with their own peculiar consequences. Over the years, I've collected favorite snow tales, and my vote for the 12th month goes to Dec. 14, 1951. It was a Friday. Downtown Baltimore was mobbed with Christmas shoppers. The storm arrived unexpectedly about noon after most people had left for work or boarded streetcars, buses and trackless trolleys for the department and variety stores, as well as Lexington Market downtown. The snow fell heavily for a short while in midafternoon as many shoppers and workers converged on the downtown.

The Bradford pear tree held such promise: It took root in the worst soil, grew quickly and needed little maintenance. It produced beautiful white flowers in the spring, stunning orange and red leaves in the fall, and an appealing lollipop shape that dignified the most humble of streets year-round. Too bad it didn't last. The tree proved to be brittle and unstable; it could come down in a heavy wind or ice storm. Often, the trunks could not support the weight of the branches, and they would snap off, crushing cars and sometimes people.

The city's Department of Public Works was forced to replace 16 missing manhole covers from East Lombard Street after they were stolen earlier this week, officials said. The manhole covers, ranging from 12 to 30 inch in diameter, were taken from the 5900 to 6300 blocks of East Lombard, department of public works officials said. They were reported missing before noon on Tuesday. Anyone with information on the missing manhole covers is asked to call 911. jkanderson@baltsun.

Baltimore City is at a transportation crossroads. We can move in the direction of a safer, healthier, more sustainable and economical city - the direction in which dozens of cities across America are moving - or fall back on prioritizing cars over people. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake recently selected William Johnson as the new director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. The priorities that the mayor and Mr. Johnson set for Baltimore's transportation future will have a significant impact on neighborhood livability and our ability to retain current residents and attract new ones.