Concert Tickets

FRIDAY is the big day for students at St. Martin's Lutheran Day School in Annapolis. That's when they find out if their suggestion for naming a new research ship passes muster with the Navy.St. Martin's is one of two finalists in a nationwide contest to name the Navy vessel. They suggested "Coriolis," after reading in school about the Coriolis effect -- a shift in wind direction caused by the rotation of the Earth.The students are up against a group of Cranston, R.I., elementary school students, who suggested that the new ship be named after American oceanographer Bruce Heezen.

Art for the youngParents trying to nurture art appreciation among their children may want to take advantage of programs being offered at two art museums this Sunday.The Walters Art Gallery, North Charles and Centre streets, will be host to an Ethiopian Family Festival featuring music, activities and an interactive tour of the newly acquired Ethiopian art collection. Musician Seleshe Damassae will demonstrate the krar, an ancient lyre from the Nile River basin.At the Baltimore Museum of Art, the "Tours for Tots" program will be offered for children ages 4-5 who are accompanied by an adult.

STUDENTS at Glenelg Country School won honors for their academic achievement recently.Sehla Ashai, Rainer Hahn and Akosua Kankam are commended students in the National Merit Scholarship competition, placing them in the top 1.5 percent of more than 1 million students who took the qualifying test.Corrine Berk-Smith is a finalist in the National Merit Hispanic Scholar competition, and Akosua is a semifinalist in the National Merit Program for Outstanding Negro Students.Rainer also is a finalist in the Maryland Distinguished Scholars program, and Corrine, Heather Sutherland, Jordana Woodford and Kiron Mallya are recognized as outstanding students in the Maryland Distinguished Scholar Program.

WHEN I WROTE last week about my anticipated joys of grandparenting, I focused on the advantages and richness of an extended family.I returned from visiting the next generation to news of the untimely death of Phyllis Flowers, and I was struck again by the importance of family, regardless of their genetic ties.Phyllis, one of "the two Phyllises" who were my counterparts with community news in Brooklyn Park, died suddenly Nov. 3, at only age 43.I did not know her well and have never met her husband or three children, but I think I can imagine their stunned grief, and I pray that they have legions of grandparents and aunts and uncles, linked by love if not by blood or marriage.

The 30th Montreux Jazz Festival will be held July 5-20 in Switzerland by the shores of Lake Geneva in the resort town of Montreux. Not only jazz but also blues, reggae, soul, rap and pop will be performed by, among others, Quincy Jones, Stephan Eicher, David Sanborn, Phil Collins, George Benson, Elvis Costello and Herbie Hancock. Concerts will be held in the Stravinski Auditorium and Miles Davis Hall and on open-air stages. Information is available on the Jazz Festival's Web site -- http: //www.

Though the weatherman may be unwilling to guess how high the mercury will climb this summer, the concert industry is already predicting one of the hottest seasons in memory.Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand and the Rolling Stones will be touring, as well as a reunion edition of the Eagles. Billy Joel and Elton John are pairing up for some stadium shows, as are Traffic and the Grateful Dead. There's another Lollapalooza on the way, as well as at least one Woodstock anniversary show.Add in such seasonal stalwarts as Jimmy Buffett, Bonnie Raitt and the Moody Blues, and the summer of '94 promises to deliver more shows -- and bigger shows -- than any season in memory.

Sandy Leishear hopes the Carroll County community will come out for a good time and a better cause Sunday when Glass Hammer Productions, a local band and promotion agency, sponsors a Music Benefit for the Homeless from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Carroll County Farm Museum.A member of Glass Hammer, Ms. Leishear has lined up 14 musical acts from three states and Washington, all of which are donating their talents for the concert."There should be something for everybody musically -- country, Christian, blues, rock, new age," she said.

The month of December has something for everyone to do, whether it's holiday shopping or breakfast with Santa or checking out a wonderful Christmas garden. Following are some of the events coming up, and, of course, you are welcome to attend one or all. Whatever you decide to do, have a happy holiday season.*Baltimore's Hospitality Industry is having a Holiday Charity Bash from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday on the Spirit of Baltimore. The boat, docked at 801 Key Highway, will remain dockside.

Blues musical at ArenaArena Players is planning a week of activities in connection with Friday's opening of the musical "Blues in the Night," which launches the company's 39th season.The events begin today at 4 p.m. with a special service at the Arena Playhouse, 801 McCulloh St., to honor the theater's deceased volunteers. A free open-mike night will be held tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. for performers of all kinds; the events will be hosted by WXYV-FM (V-103) morning drive personality Randy Dennis and jazz singer Ruby Glover.

Everyman Theatre presents comedy 'Hot L Baltimore'Lanford Wilson's "Hot L Baltimore," produced by the Everyman Theatre, opens a four-weekend run Friday at the Vagabond Players, 806 S. Broadway. Performance times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 15. Tickets are $10.A comedy about the eccentric clientele of a seedy Bawlamer hotel, "Hot L Baltimore" will be directed by Vincent Lancisi. This is the second production by Everyman, which made its debut last fall with "The Runner Stumbles."

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon received $400 worth of tennis clothes, City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake attended nearly a dozen balls and Councilman James B. Kraft has some new tools. This peek into the tastes and habits of the city's elected officials comes from the annual financial disclosure forms that they had to submit at the end of last month. Disclosure (or nondisclosure) of gifts is at the heart of the corruption cases brought this year by the state prosecutor's office against Dixon and Councilwoman Helen Holton.

Marylanders who got stiffed on Bruce Springsteen tickets by Ticketmaster are but one reason to be skeptical of a proposed merger between the behemoth of ticket sellers and the powerhouse promoter Live Nation. Justice Department lawyers who are scrutinizing this deal should recognize that competition in the marketplace now is virtually nonexistent and consumers deserve more choices - not fewer - in buying tickets to concerts and other shows. Live Nation owns more than 140 venues and has multiyear comprehensive deals covering the tours of Madonna, Jay-Z, U2, Nickelback and Shakira.

This was no ordinary Tuesday afternoon. Indoor soccer games were skipped and piano lessons forsaken. Megan Foard of Forest Hill apologized in advance to her pony, A.J., for bowing out of their regular after-school ride. "He was cool with it, though," the 13-year-old said. And why wouldn't he be? Megan and her friends had to-die-for concert tickets - for Hannah Montana, who played at the 1st Mariner Arena last night before a sold-out crowd of screaming tweens. Thousands of lucky girls, and not a few boys, scampered home from school to prepare for the arrival of the 15-year-old singer-cum-actress, whose real name is Miley Cyrus, and who holds the youthful audience in the palm of her pretty hand.

Police seeking suspect in numerous robberies Baltimore County police are searching for a man suspected in more than a dozen armed robberies throughout the county. The man is suspected of 16 robberies at grocery and convenience stores and service stations in areas including Dundalk, Towson, Rosedale, Middle River, Nottingham, Lutherville and Windsor Mill since April 2, police said. In each case, a man entered the store, flashed a handgun and demanded cash, police said. The latest armed robbery occurred May 23. Police said a man walked into a High's store in the 4000 block of North Point Boulevard about 9 p.m. that day and demanded money from two clerks.

Kennedy Center Open House The Kennedy Center is having its 34th birthday and is opening its doors for a day of free events Saturday. The Kennedy Center Open House Arts Festival features more than 30 performances, events and activities geared toward the whole family. Visitors can enjoy live music (including the National Symphony Orchestra), dance (such as the Suzanne Farrell Ballet), a taste of the 2005-2006 season and more. A parade at 11:30 a.m. features the Wong Chinese Lion Dancers, the Bond Street Theater's Shinbone Alley Stilt Band and others, proceeding from the Hall of Nations entrance to the new Main Plaza area.

In an era of speed dialing and high-speed Internet connections, of Ticketmaster and Yahoo, sleeping out to buy rock concert tickets seems so old school. Best to break the news gently to Jim Brumage. Since Tuesday night, the taxi driver from White Marsh has been doing what any self-respecting rock 'n' roll super-fan is supposed to do: camping outside Baltimore's First Mariner Arena to be first in line for the Feb. 1 Rolling Stones concert tickets that go on sale tomorrow morning. "You know what I mean?

Culturally, the American Christmas season is an amalgam of extremes, especially in the musical realm, where Handel's Messiah and wonderful melodies like Felix Mendelssohn's "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and Adolphe Adam's "Cantique de Noel" (Oh Holy Night) are forced to co-exist with jolly snowmen, red-nosed reindeer and mommies caught kissing Santa. But Annapolitans who take their culture straight are in luck this Christmas season as the capital city's performing arts organizations are doing their heroic best to neutralize those vapid, Muzak-ridden noises so hopelessly devoid of the spiritual intensity the weeks of Advent are supposed to evoke.

The horror began at the photo desk in a Wal-Mart, in Johnson City, Tenn. My scream could be heard at least as far as the shoe department, perhaps even domestics. Twelve years of my life had brought me to this moment. Earlier in the day, after years of exhaustive efforts, I had actually managed to spend a few moments with my musical idol -- Elton John. To my astonishment, he had even graciously offered to pose for pictures with my friend and me. And now this. Now I was staring, disbelieving, at four indistinguishable prints.

Craft Beer Festival Sip Maryland's microbrews, listen to music by 20 bands on four stages, taste food offered by area restaurants and browse arts and crafts displays Sunday at the fifth annual Maryland Craft Beer Festival along Charles and Cross streets in Federal Hill. Eight breweries offer samplings of handcrafted suds. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free; $15 for a souvenir mug and 10 samples, $1 for additional samples. Call 410-771-8466. Jazz concert at BMA The Chamber Jazz Society of Baltimore kicks off its 10th anniversary season with a concert by the Charles Lloyd Quartet at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive.

Women's Show in Timonium Women can view the latest in upscale but affordable fashion, hone their car-buying skills, receive health and fitness tips, attend cooking classes, enjoy a bridal show, learn about business and career opportunities and shop at the 6th annual Baltimore Women's Show this weekend at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. More than 500 exhibitors are offering their wares. After the show closes Saturday, stick around for a concert by Grammy Award-winning country singer Kathy Mattea (pictured)