Coca

Among the county duckpin teams competing in the 18th Annual Coca-Cola National Duckpin Youth Championship regional tournament at Mount Airy Lanes and the Village Lanes in Frederick will be eight teams from Thunderhead Westminster.The competition -- Western District qualifiers -- will be March 29 and 30 and April 1.The following teams from Thunderhead Westminster will be bowling at the Village Lanes in Frederick: Champion A's, Strikers, Gremlins and Lame Ducks.The Champion A's team will be bowling in the Pee Wee division for the youths up to age 6. Eric Blum, who had his sixth birthday March 17, will be bowling leadoff.

Who knew Michael Oher was a big NASCAR fan? Oher, a starting offensive tackle for the Ravens, was a pre-race guest at the Coca-Cola600 in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, according to thatsracin.com . Also on hand were super model and actress Brooklyn Decker, and country star Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish), the website reported. Oher was joined at the race by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, the Memphis, Tenn., couple who took him in, as seen in "The Blind Side.

The vintage Coca-Cola machine is a gorgeous artifact of American history, so Coke has wisely made it a centerpiece to its Father's Day campaign (my apologies for being a bit late on this). Nostalgia-bait? Don Draper would approve. And, because you're seeing it on this blog, the commercial has a Baltimore connection, specifically local singer-songwriter Mike McFadden's song "Get It Together" is used in "The Perfectionist" clip. Watch it above, and listen to the multi-instrumentalist's music at McFadden's Facebook page . McFadden plays his album release show at the 8x10 in Federal Hill on June 29 with The Lombards, Drunken Camel and Cool Hand & the Swagger (it's getting hard to come up with new band names, huh?

Ocean City is sending Pepsi packing. Come spring, Coca-Cola will be the official soft drink of the Maryland resort town. Officials entered into a five-year exclusive agreement with the beverage company, guaranteeing that only Coke products will be served at town-owned properties and town-operated events. Obviously, you can still purchase Pepsi in Ocean City, but you won't be able to get it at some of the city's signature events, like SunFest.  As part of the contract, which takes effect April 2, Ocean City receives a $65,000 cash payment, commission on product sales, advertising and marketing support and, of course, free soft drinks. The contract also designates Coca-Cola as the "official soft drink of Ocean City.

Bernard J. "B.J. " Land, a Coca-Cola executive and physical fitness buff who coached youth soccer and lacrosse teams, died Monday of a cardiac arrest at St. Joseph Medical Center. The Hunt Valley resident had recently celebrated his 53rd birthday. Family members said that Mr. Land, who was known as "B.J.," had returned Sept. 2 after a long bike ride and suffered a cardiac arrest that was caused by coronary artery disease, which he was unaware that he suffered from. He remained in a coma until his death.

Investigators identified Friday the employee killed at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in East Baltimore. Joshua Cunningham, a contract worker, died Wednesday when a trailer fell on him, officials said. The Chase resident was 28. The accident occurred about 10:30 a.m. in the 700 block of Kresson St., near East Monument Street and Pulaski Highway, said Chief Kevin Cartwright, a fire spokesman. A jack that had been moved under the front of the trailer gave way, said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. announced yesterday that its sister company, Coca-Cola USA, has decided to join it at its new plant in Howard County -- boosting the number of anticipated workers by 250, to 750."This is a blockbuster not only for Howard County, but for all of Maryland," said Mark L. Wasserman, secretary of the state's Department of Economic and Employment Development."It's a significant victory that should give everybody heart about Maryland and its competitiveness."While the state has worked closely with the companies to streamline the process of building the plant, Maryland is not providing any financial assistance, Mr. Wasserman said.

Coca-Cola Co. has agreed to pay $43 million for a stake in Honest Tea Inc., the Bethesda maker of organic low-calorie bottled tea. The deal gives Coca-Cola 40 percent of Honest Tea and an option to buy the rest of the company after three years, said Seth Goldman, Honest Tea's co-founder and chief executive officer, in an interview yesterday. The deal values Honest Tea at $108 million. Goldman also said that Coca-Cola's investment will "help take our brand and our mission to a larger scale and wider audience."

The Westminster Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Inc. could close this spring if a sale to a Coke affiliate goes through as planned.The owners of Westminster Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Inc. at 525 Old Westminster Pike are negotiating with Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc., but the sale is not final, the Westminster executive vice president said.The owners signed a letter of intent to sell the company, but details have to be worked out, said Frank H. Libman, who runs theplant with his brother-in-law.The plant employs 58 people, 55 of whom work full-time, Libman said.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. announced yesterday it will break ground on a 10-story, $125 million production and distribution plant in Howard County in the next six months.The planned facility, near the Anne Arundel County border in Dorsey, is massive -- 15 acres under one roof. It could be bigger yet if Coca-Cola USA decides to share the 122-acre site and build a $60 million syrup-manufacturing plant to replace a plant on East Fort Avenue in Baltimore.When asked if that would happen, Coca-Cola Enterprises President Henry A. Schimberg didn't say yes and he didn't say no. He said the idea is still under consideration.