Community Service

Former Mayor Sheila Dixon listened intently, scribbling notes on a legal pad, just as she had in countless meetings. But the topics of conversation Thursday evening were not those that were discussed in City Hall — at least not to her face. Dixon sat onstage at the Comedy Factory in Power Plant Live as radio hosts and comedians skewered her over the scandals that led to her resignation from the mayor's office two years ago. They ragged on the gift cards meant for the poor that she was convicted of stealing, and one even banged a shoe — a reference to her actions at a particularly heated City Council meeting.

The Bel Air Knights of Columbus recognized four individuals who serve the community in law enforcement, fire safety, primary and secondary Catholic education at a dinner March 20.

A blogger from California who helped police link a suspect to a viral video of a downtown Baltimore beating says he thinks the story got out of hand and the suspect shouldn't do prison time.  "I actually take no pleasure in his arrest," Mandich said. "... I genuinly feel some empathy for his situation and I certainly hope he learns from this. He doesn't seem to be 'beyond help.'" Anthony Mandich told The Sun two weeks ago that he had been outraged by the video and watched one night as users of the popular 4chan message board worked for hours one night to pinpoint Parsons' as a suspect.

Three Harford County high school seniors were presented scholarships from the William J. Sacco Critical Thinking Foundation on March 11. Receiving the ninth annual Dr. William J. Sacco Awards for Excellence in Mathematics were Bel Air High School's Michael Boom and C. Milton Wright High School's Tom Fowler. The Foundation also presented the first William J. Sacco Mathematics Community Award to Hope Kerr, who also attends C. Milton Wright. The scholarship accompanying the Award for Excellence in Mathematics presented to Michael and Tom is for $1,000.

C. Edwin "Bunk" Grimmel Sr. is one of dozens of people being honored at this time of year by friends and colleagues in the volunteer fire and ambulance service in Harford County. For most of the fire companies in and around the county, winter and early spring have traditionally been when awards banquets are organized by the various organizations whose roots go back decades. Each year, the various organizations honor those who responded to the most emergency calls in the previous year, did the most work for the organization or generally helped the fire and ambulance company make Harford County safer.

Ravens veteran center Matt Birk was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year on Saturday night, recognition for his consistent play on the field and his commitment to community endeavors. Birk is the first Ravens player to win the award, given annually to recognize a player's community service and playing excellence. The announcement was made at the “NFL Honors” award show in Indianapolis, site of Sunday's Super Bowl. "I am honored and truly humbled to be named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year," Birk said in a statement released by the Ravens.

If Ravens center Matt Birk has decided to retire, he hasn't announced it yet. Birk has, however, decided to go zip-lining with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Birk, a candidate for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, is in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl and hanging out with The Commish. This photo is courtesy of the NFL. Birk, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and Bears cornerback Charles Tillman are among the finalists for the award that recognizes a player's off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence.

Baltimore's Board of Estimates on Wednesday approved Wednesday a $75,000 settlement to a man who was injured after falling off a city trash truck while taking part in court-ordered community service program. The man, Alvin Trotter, was assigned to ride a trash truck in 2008 after choosing to take part in a community service program after being charged with marijuana possession, city solicitor George Nilson said. A few days after he began the service, Trotter was ordered by a supervisor to ride on a platform of a truck and was not given protective eyewear, Nilson said.

Tony Guthrie never met the man he calls "the best mayor we ever had," William Donald Schaefer, who died in April. "He loved this city," said Guthrie, 51, who owns a barbershop in Baltimore's Pimlico neighborhood. "I would have loved to shake his hand. " But if Guthrie never got that close to Schaefer during his lifetime, he brushed up against his legacy on Tuesday, which would have been the 90th birthday of the former mayor, governor and comptroller. Guthrie was among those who celebrated the milestone in a way that surely would have made the cantankerous Schaefer smile — by expending some elbow grease to tidy up the town.