Columbus Day

Baltimore's budget travails may have canceled the annual Columbus Day parade, but it won't stop the city's Italian-American community from celebrating its heritage, as well as the accomplishments of one of Italy's favorite sons. A citizens' parade, led by a visiting military band from Rome, will highlight Sunday's Columbus Day celebration. While it might lack the glitz and pageantry of the old parade, which for years was highlighted by the arrival of Columbus himself on a float, organizers refuse to be fazed.

Soccer The SAC U11 Yellow team won the Beach FC Columbus Day tournament in Virginia Beach earlier this month. The girls went undefeated in group play, winning 4-2, 5-4, and 9-2, including a hard-fought comeback win in the second game. The girls continued their great run in the championship, winning 4-2. The team, coached by Ivan Croft and Michael Ehrlich, includes Ellie Lane, Ashley Bilger, Kallie Wethern, Lexi Croft, Shaelin Rennert-Ariev, Jamie Caine, Gia Parker, Abby Houff, Kelly Schluederberg, Isabella Kushner, Mia Ehrlich, Piper Berry and Annie Cole.

Howard County government offices, MORT Collection Centers and the courts will be closed Monday in observance of Columbus Day. The landfill will be open, and regular Monday trash collection is in effect.Information: 313-2022.

Columbus Day passed, and we were forced to celebrate a half-truth. As a 10th grader, I appreciate honoring extraordinary individuals to look up to, and it's undeniable that Christopher Columbus connected the Old World with a new one. However, society accepts this apocryphal narration without learning the frequently omitted facts, namely, the horrifying acts of bigotry and villainy Columbus executed and oversaw. Even before he reached San Salvador, Columbus committed his first offense, pocketing the money he had promised to the first man able to discern land.

Baltimore's Columbus Day celebration is planned for Sunday with a parade from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The route is to start at Key Highway, running up Light Street, east across Pratt Street, and then into Little Italy. The events - sponsored by the Columbus Celebrations Inc. and the Office of Promotion and the Arts - are to include a wreath-laying at the Columbus Piazza on President Street at 10:30 a.m., and an Italian Street fair from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Stiles Street.

Dee Tana loved Sunday's Columbus Day celebration, loved the Italian military band that came all the way from Rome to play, the dignitaries who laid wreaths at the foot of the Columbus monument, the five-block procession from St. Leo's to Columbus Plaza off President Street. "It's all about our pride," she said, echoing the sentiment of many of the dozens of Baltimore's Italian-Americans who gathered on the western edge of Little Italy to celebrate one of the old country's favorite sons.

COLUMBUS DAY was observed yesterday by the usual highly advertised "sales" and by a three-day weekend for government employees and banks. It was notable for the absence of celebration, and the reticence of even those who might wish to make a big to-do.At least the revisionist screed of the blame-mongers was less apparent this year, perhaps confident in the success of past persuasions.On the quincentennial of his New World arrival five years ago, there was an effort at homage to the opening of the Americas to European discovery by the Columbian expeditions.

The alarm clock rang at 6 a.m., sounding the beginning of another week. Monday mornings are never easy, no matter how young or old you are. But this week's kickoff proved to be an exercise in parental patience.The problem stemmed from Monday's status as Columbus Day, a holiday celebrated by almost everyone except the county public school system.Yes, my kids had to go to school, even though the rest of the nation was off, I explained to my dreary-eyed crew."What a bummer! Didn't the school board know it was a holiday?"

As a brisk wind blew down South President Street Sunday afternoon, 85-year-old Mary Sudano stood against a light pole leaning on a cane, a string of red, white and green beads around her neck. The Little Italy native and lifelong South High Street resident smiled and waved as four men dressed as gladiators marched past, holding a Roma Gourmet Sausage banner and flanking a fifth man dressed as National Bohemian Beer's iconic Mr. Boh character. "It's a good thing that they keep it up," Sudano said of Baltimore's annual Columbus Day parade, which at 122 years old is pitched as the longest continually running Columbus parade in the country.

This schedule will be in effect Monday: Government offices Open in Anne Arundel County, Annapolis, Frederick, Harford and Howard counties. Closed in Baltimore City; Baltimore and Carroll counties. Courts Closed in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford, Howard and Frederick counties, and in Annapolis and Baltimore City. Libraries Open in Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. Closed in Baltimore City; Baltimore, Frederick, Harford and Howard counties.

Columbus Day came and went this week with little fanfare. Some folks were off for a Monday holiday; others had to work. It wasn't the focal point of a lot of celebration, pomp or public pageantry, though in some communities and in some places it is a rather important holiday. Unfortunately, Christopher Columbus has fallen from favor in the lexicon of historic figures who are regarded as heroes. His big claim to fame - unbeknownst to him, by the way - had long been his discovery of the Americas.

Rec sports The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Mondays. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). We do not accept results by phone. When two Howard County teams play, players from both teams (first and last names) must be mentioned in the write-up. Questions? Call 410-332-6578. Soccer Thunder Soccer Club The Thunder Soccer Club Tormenta (U-15 girls) earned finalist medals in the Elite Division of the SAC United Columbus Day Tournament, Oct. 8-9, at Harford Polo Grounds.

As of 9:30 a.m. Monday, traffic was slow on westbound Route 100 at I-95, due to an accident. Accidents were blocking traffic at Fayette and Paca streets in Baltimore and Littletown Pike and Baltimore Pike in Westminster. Debris in the road was blocking traffic on the outer loop of the Baltimore Beltway near Eastern Avenue. There were no major delays on area transit systems. MARC train service will not operate on Monday because of the Columbus Day holiday. For Penn Line passengers, Amtrak will not honor MARC weekly or monthly tickets on Columbus Day.

Annual Sons of Italy Columbus Day Mass - Wed., Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m., St. Mary of the Mills Church, 114 St. Mary's Place. Mass will be said in Italian and music provided by the Antonio Gatto Lodge's choir. Reception with dessert and coffee follows Mass. Antonio Gatto Lodge was founded in 1980 in Laurel to continue Italian American culture and traditions. Anthony DeBella, 301-725-4133.

Holy Smokes, there sure are a whole bunch of Baltimore Beer Week events, some 300 in all. Of those, 39 are either beer dinners or include some kind of food pairing. Of the 39 Baltimore Beer Week events that are either beer dinners or include some kind of food pairing, about half are fixed-price events for which reservations are suggested; the other half are "pay as you go" events. Erik Maza selects his Ten Highlights from Baltimore Beer Week here . The Opening Tap Celebration for Baltimore Beer Week is at Rams Head Live on Oct. 6, the ceremonial tapping of the first firkin.