Elks Lodge

Three men, including a security guard, were stabbed early Sunday morning during a party at an Elks Lodge in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County police reported. Officers, who arrived at the lodge in the 2500 block of Solomons Island Road around 1:07 a.m., discovered the three victims, who were taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where they were in stable condition Sunday morning, police said. The lodge is rented out for parties and other events. Online videos show the banquet hall, which seats 350, packed for previous events.

Superstorm Sandy has left the small town of Crisfield reeling from floods that destroyed homes and power outages that persist three weeks after the deluge. But the storm hasn't dampened the community spirit in this Eastern Shore enclave. Scores of residents expect to come together on Thanksgiving for a community dinner at the Elks Lodge, which is serving turkey and all the traditional side dishes — the majority of the meal donated. In preparation, a sign on Highway 413 reads: "Come one, come all. Dinner at 3 p.m. " "We are opening the doors to everybody and will do the best we can to serve them," said John Mackenzie, who calls himself the lodge's "official poobah.

The Annapolis Elks Lodge, a fixture on Rowe Boulevard since 1960, has a contract to purchase a piece of property outside the city limits and move there, possibly within the next year.Vernon J. "Joe" Dorr, exalted ruler of the lodge, said yesterday that members have been looking to move for several years and that a Maryland Court of Appeals decision last week threatening their liquor license spurred them to act.The 1,360 members of Lodge No. 622 voted Wednesday to sell their 6.9 acre property on Rowe Boulevard to the state for $3.6 million.

Three men, including a security guard, were stabbed early Sunday morning during a party at an Elks Lodge in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County police reported. Officers, who arrived at the lodge in the 2500 block of Solomons Island Road around 1:07 a.m., discovered the three victims, who were taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where they were in stable condition Sunday morning, police said. The lodge is rented out for parties and other events. Online videos show the banquet hall, which seats 350, packed for previous events.

A county judge says he will rule this week on an all-male Annapolis Elks lodge's challenge to a city law denying liquor licenses to clubswhose bylaws forbid female members.Judge James C. Cawood Jr. said he had hoped to rule immediately after hearing arguments from lawyers for the private club and the Annapolis government Friday in countyCircuit Court.But the judge said he would explore points raised in those arguments before deciding the case.Elks Lodge 622 filed suit last September, contending the law is unconstitutional because the city lacks the authority to base liquor license eligibility on a private club's membership criteria.

MEMBERS OF the Severna Park Elks Lodge No. 2482 on Truckhouse Road love kids, and they show it.Each month the Elks honor two students, one selected from Oak Hill Elementary School and one from Severna Park Middle School. The students, their parents and teachers are guests for dinner at the lodge where the students and their school receive special recognition.For seven years, the organization also has joined parents of Severna Park High School seniors in playing host to the school's after-prom breakfast.

A 1,500-member Annapolis Elks lodge failed yesterday to convince theorganization's national leadership to admit women and likely will lose its city liquor license as a result.The Elks national convention, meeting in St. Louis, overwhelmingly rejected the Annapolis lodge's request that the organization's bylaws be changed to allow women, said James A. Bynum, the local lodge's exalted ruler.Annapolis Elks Lodge 622 sought the change to comply with a new city law that denies liquor licenses to private clubs whose bylaws discriminate based on race, gender or ethnic background.

An all-male Annapolis Elks lodge has voted to challenge a city law denying liquor licenses to clubs that bar women as members.Some 350 members of Elks Lodge 622 voted unanimously late Wednesday night tosue in county Circuit Court, Robert A. Dietz, spokesman for the lodge, said yesterday.Under the city anti-discrimination law, which took effect Jan. 1,the 1,500-member lodge would automatically lose its liquor license in April when it seeks renewal. Without revenue from liquor sales, thelodge could not survive, Dietz said.

Superstorm Sandy has left the small town of Crisfield reeling from floods that destroyed homes and power outages that persist three weeks after the deluge. But the storm hasn't dampened the community spirit in this Eastern Shore enclave. Scores of residents expect to come together on Thanksgiving for a community dinner at the Elks Lodge, which is serving turkey and all the traditional side dishes — the majority of the meal donated. In preparation, a sign on Highway 413 reads: "Come one, come all. Dinner at 3 p.m. " "We are opening the doors to everybody and will do the best we can to serve them," said John Mackenzie, who calls himself the lodge's "official poobah.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department's plan to hold its annual awards banquet at an Elks Lodge in Edgewater on Thursday is drawing criticism from civil rights advocates who say the fraternal organization has a history of excluding African-Americans. Charging that Annapolis Elks Lodge 622 has never admitted a black member in its 100-year history, the Maryland ACLU and the Anne Arundel branch of the NAACP urged fire officials yesterday to hold the county-funded banquet elsewhere. "There are other places out there that service the whole community," said Gerald Stansbury, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch.

MARGARET B. ANDREWS of Lewes, DE formerly of Baltimore, MD passed away Monday, February 27, 2006 at her home in Lewes, DE. She was 79. Margaret was born in Johnstown, PA daughter of the late Forest and Catherine Eckstine Byroade. She had lived in Baltimore for many years and moved to Lewes, DE 17 years ago. She was a bookkeeper for 20 years with the George Transfer Trucking Company and retired several years ago. She enjoyed traveling and was very active in the Cape Henlopen Elks Lodge #2540.

On November 29, 2005, RAYMOND A. OESTERLE, born in Orange, NJ and from Metuchen, NJ before moving to Baltimore. He has been a 38 year employee with the railroad and was currently employed by Norfolk Southern Railroad. Devoted father of the late Robert A. Oesterle, beloved son of Frank and Harriet Oesterle of Toms River, NJ. Brother of Judy Pace and her husband Goeffrey of Metuchen, NJ.; uncle of Jason A. Pace, Lesa B. Enchura and her husband Jeffery; loving grandfather of Mae Bove Oesterle of Cape May, NJ. He is also survived by countless friends.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department's plan to hold its annual awards banquet at an Elks Lodge in Edgewater on Thursday is drawing criticism from civil rights advocates who say the fraternal organization has a history of excluding African-Americans. Charging that Annapolis Elks Lodge 622 has never admitted a black member in its 100-year history, the Maryland ACLU and the Anne Arundel branch of the NAACP urged fire officials yesterday to hold the county-funded banquet elsewhere. "There are other places out there that service the whole community," said Gerald Stansbury, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People branch.

IT'S FRIDAY NIGHT IN Greater Severna Park. Do you know where your teen-agers are? Chances are, if they're middle schoolers, they're at the Severna Park Dance Club at the Severna Park Elks Lodge on Truck House Road. In the lodge's large auditorium, the young teens listen to their favorite recorded songs and watch music videos on a big screen. Sometimes, they even practice a couple of moves like they think the older teens are doing at the Columbian Center on Ritchie Highway or the Holy Grounds Youth Center on Old B&A Boulevard.

The two-story iron skeleton of a new District Court building has taken over the intersection once dominated by an Elks Lodge and the Naval Academy stadium.The building, to be completed next summer, will give judges, lawyers and other court personnel more than double the space they have had in the cramped Tawes Office Building across Taylor Avenue from the new building."It's overcrowded there," said Betty Thompson, clerk for Chief District Judge Martha F. Rasin.On a typical day, the entrance to the Tawes building is jammed with police officers, judges, lawyers and people with traffic tickets awaiting hearings in one of the three small courtrooms.

MEMBERS OF the Severna Park Elks Lodge No. 2482 on Truckhouse Road love kids, and they show it.Each month the Elks honor two students, one selected from Oak Hill Elementary School and one from Severna Park Middle School. The students, their parents and teachers are guests for dinner at the lodge where the students and their school receive special recognition.For seven years, the organization also has joined parents of Severna Park High School seniors in playing host to the school's after-prom breakfast.

The all-white, all-male Annapolis Elks Lodge 622 took a step this week toward admitting women, a move that could result in every Elks lodge in the nation following suit.By a 48-3 vote Wednesday night, the lodge membership asked the Elks national convention to change its bylaws to admit women.If approved by the national convention next summer, the change would mean that every Elks lodge in the country would have to admit women, lodge Exalted Ruler George Bond said, because individual lodges can't change their bylaws.

On November 29, 2005, RAYMOND A. OESTERLE, born in Orange, NJ and from Metuchen, NJ before moving to Baltimore. He has been a 38 year employee with the railroad and was currently employed by Norfolk Southern Railroad. Devoted father of the late Robert A. Oesterle, beloved son of Frank and Harriet Oesterle of Toms River, NJ. Brother of Judy Pace and her husband Goeffrey of Metuchen, NJ.; uncle of Jason A. Pace, Lesa B. Enchura and her husband Jeffery; loving grandfather of Mae Bove Oesterle of Cape May, NJ. He is also survived by countless friends.

THE COUNTY Department of Recreation and Parks is grateful to five young men who chose service projects along the B&A Trail Park to complete their work toward becoming Eagle Scouts.The new Eagle Scouts are Michael Bowen of Troop 955, Philip Duker of Troop 672, Andrew Johnston of Troop 993, Donald Lippy of Troop 822 and Andrew Messmore of Troop 446.The Scouts and others from their troops spent hundreds of hours designing, building and installing their projects.One of the projects resulted in the installation of three picnic tables beside the trail behind Severna Park Elementary School.

The Annapolis Elks, who lost their liquor license because their bylaws bar women, would rather leave town than change.The deadline is midnight."It's a shame," Rusty Sears, former exalted ruler of Annapolis Elks 622, said as he walked through the club's old home, now a darkened, empty building on Rowe Boulevard. "But we're going to stand our ground and stick together."The Elks tried to fight a 1990 city ordinance denying liquor licenses to any social club with discriminatory measures on its books.