Cleveland

Always, there were those lovely old country estates and gracious manor taverns with roaring fireplaces, but in the old days fine dining was associated with the city. Not so anymore. Now, there are more compelling reasons than ever for diners to cross county lines for a good meal. The 50 best county restaurants in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County is a mix of the old and the new, destinations for special occasions and joints for Monday night suppers, the chef-driven and crowd-pleasing.

Having read your report, the story of the kidnapping and imprisonment of three women in Cleveland makes no sense whatever ("Women's 'nightmare is over,'" May 8). If true, something is drastically wrong with America. I am incredulous the women were held against their will for 10 years, incredulous that neighbors blame the police when the captives were right next door, incredulous one of the prisoners could have given birth and cared for a child for six years without anyone asking questions.

On May 4, 2003 CLEVELAND SHELTONFriends may call at the FAMILY OWNED MARCH FUNERAL HOME EAST, 1101 East North Avenue on Monday after 9 A.M. where the family will receive friends on Tuesday at 9:00 A.M. Funeral services will follow at 9:30. See www.marchfh.com.

With little salary cap room and other priorities, the Ravens knew that they'd lose several key contributors from the team that beat the San Francisco 49ers last month to win Super Bowl XLVII. Their first free agent defection came less than an hour after the market opened today as outside linebacker Paul Kruger agreed to terms on a five-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $40 million, according to league sources. Kruger's loss was expected after the 27-year-old linebacker had a breakout 2012-13 season, leading the Ravens with nine sacks to go along with 42 tackles, one interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Training camp: Berea, Ohio Last season's record: 4-12 Key additions: Aside from bringing in Jamal Lewis, the Browns brought in left guard Eric Steinbach and center Seth McKinney as free agents and drafted Joe Thomas out of Wisconsin with the No. 3 overall pick to play left tackle. Key losses: While running back Reuben Droughns was deemed expendable when Lewis signed, the biggest loss was probably Brian Russell in the defensive backfield. Still, Russell had only one interception last season.

On June 25, 2005, CLEVELAND H. WHITE, JR., beloved father of Robert L. White and his wife Wilma White; loving brother of Dorothy Gracey and the late Hilda Vogel and Charles E. White. Friends are invited to call at the Burgee-Henss-Seitz Funeral Home, Inc., 3631 Falls Road, on Wednesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 8, at which time funeral services will be held.

C harlotte Cleveland Look, A memorial service is planned for Saturday, February 24, at 2:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Brunswick, Maine. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to HOPE, P.O. Box 276, South Paris, ME 04281. www.hopehealing.org.

On September 6, 2008 CLEVELAND CARL BIGGERSTAFF, SR., beloved husband of Jeanne Biggerstaff and loving father of Ella C. Biggerstaff and the late Cleveland C. Biggerstaff, Jr. Devoted grandfather of Lori Faulkner, Morgan Biggerstaff and Nicole Smith and loving great-grandfather of Zell, Alisha, Anthony and Calita. Also survived by many other loving relatives and friends. Memorial Service will be held at Charles L. Stevens Funeral Home, Inc., 1501 E. Fort Ave., Locust Point, MD on Monday at 7 P.M. Interment will be private.

On November 23, 2003, MARK HCLEVELAND of Edgewood, Maryland. Beloved husband of Helene M. Cleveland (nee McGinley).lServices will be held at Presbury United Methodist Church, Edgewood, Maryland on Wednesday, November 26, 2003 at 11 A.M. Interment in Brookside Cemetery, Watertown, NY. Friends may call at the family owned McComas Funeral Home on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. Those who desire may contribute to the Sharing Table, c/o Presbury United Methodist...

Look for the Cleveland Browns to make an early push during free agency to sign several of the Ravens defensive players. The Browns are $47 million under the salary cap and have privately showed interest in linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger and cornerback Cary Williams. The Ravens won't make a hard push to sign Kruger and Williams, but they want Ellerbe back.There is speculation Ellerbe wants $6 million per season and the Ravens are prepared to offer $5 million. Ellerbe's durability will be an issue if and when he hits the market.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette went to December's winter meetings with several ideas in mind to improve on last season's success. His work in Nashville - the Orioles were able to re-sign outfielder Nate McLouth but couldn't reach a deal to acquire a power hitter - received mixed reviews. But on the final day of the meetings, Duquette plucked left-handed pitcher T.J. McFarland from the Cleveland Indians with the 23rd pick of the annual Rule 5 draft.

By most accounts, the odds are long. Late Ravens owner Art Modell will be among the 17 finalists (15 modern era candidates and two from the seniors committee) on Saturday when voters determine which NFL greats will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is the second time he has gotten this far in the three-tiered selection process, but the roster is heavy with terrific candidates - including all-everything Ravens offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden - and the selection committee can only send five of them to Canton.

When the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2000, Steve Bisciotti was a minority owner, content to stay in the background and enjoy the week with family and friends. Bisciotti completed the purchase of the franchise from Art Modell in 2004 and his team is back at the Super Bowl. Bisciotti arrived in New Orleans last night and again is adamant about remaining in the background this week. He did sit down for a 35-minute interview with select reporters this morning and discussed Joe Flacco 's future with the Ravens, his role in the firing of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron , and Modell's Hall of Fame chances.

When the biggest rap tour of the season stops by 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday, opening act Machine Gun Kelly will provide a stark contrast to the flashy, dipped-in-gold Maybach Music Group trio of Wale, Meek Mill and headliner Rick Ross. While the MMG clique presents a cool, almost icy demeanor in its songs, the 22-year-old Cleveland rapper, born Richard Colson Baker, takes the opposite approach, fearlessly spitting double-time flows in the face of the audience. When his rapid-fire delivery fails to spark the crowd, MGK keeps a battering ram of a single in his back pocket.

This feature appears every week on the Baltimore Sports Blitz. It's just like “What They're Saying About the Ravens,” but it includes blogger Matt Vensel saying something about what those people are saying. Got it? --- Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com says the first-place Ravens have to start doing better than winning ugly . “The Ravens aren't apologizing for their effort. It's been good enough to beat the likes of Dallas, Kansas City and Cleveland twice. And it's good enough to give them the second-best record in the AFC (aka, the Average Football Conference)

Saturday's print edition included an article on Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, who will attempt to ward off outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and the rest of the Ravens when they visit Cleveland Browns Stadium this Sunday. Thomas is generally regarded as one of the best left tackles in the NFL, and Matt Williamson, a NFL scout for ESPN.com and Scouts Inc., didn't disagree with that sentiment. Williamson, who ranked the top 50 players in the league at the midpoint of the 2012 season in a list that is scheduled to be published next week, put Thomas at No. 40. The only other offensive tackle ahead of Thomas is the Houston Texans' Duane Brown at No. 31. Williamson, whom you can follow on Twitter at @WilliamsonNFL, discussed his reasoning for ranking Thomas at No. 40 and his perspective on Thomas' strengths.

Returning to Cleveland may be a bittersweet memory for Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome and several other employees who worked for the franchise under its previous incarnation as the Browns. For Morgan Cox, the trip is memorable for a different reason. On Dec. 26, 2010, the long snapper tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while blocking on Billy Cundiff's 27-yard field goal in the second quarter en route to an eventual Ravens' 20-10 win. Fortunately for Cox, he hasn't allowed the memory of that injury to seep into his consciousness when returning to Cleveland Browns Stadium.