Event

Matt Birk's decision to use the national celebration of the Raven's astounding season as a vehicle for a political statement was uncalled for ("Birk explains D.C. absence," June 7). His "boycott" of the event was demeaning to his teammates and the organization. The idea that his appearing there would show support for President Barack Obama's stand on Planned Parenthood was ludicrous. It's sad that he chose to end his fine career with the Ravens in this manner. Kathy B. Kellogg

Hundreds of local residents spent Saturday night at Goucher College for the Relay for Life of North Baltimore County. "It's a full community event, so (we had) everything from high-school teams to people of all ages," American Cancer Society Community Manager Andrew Primrose said. "The weather was perfect and it was a beautiful evening. " Primrose said the event, which featured 18 teams walking on the track throughout the night to raise money for cancer research, raised over $50,000.

The prior owner planned to convert a 37-story hotel towering over St. Paul Street into apartment and long-term stay suites, but a new owner decided to invest $14 million in a renovation and keep it a hotel. The Tremont Plaza Hotel, which has been called the Tremont Suites Hotel since new owners took over last June, is to be rebranded this month as an Embassy Suites, a Hilton product known for spacious rooms with kitchenettes, cook-to-order breakfasts and complimentary cocktails. "From our perspective, that little niche area has a good balance of demand," said Matthew Cox, vice president of asset management for the Chartres Lodging Group LLC, a lodging investment and consulting firm based in San Francisco, that bought the Tremont property last June with a New York firm called Garrison Investment Group LP. Baltimore's new Embassy Suites is in a prime location, near the intersection of St. Paul and East Saratoga streets, to serve Mercy Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as visitors to the Inner Harbor and Mount Vernon, Cox said.

Baltimore's WBFF-TV Fox 45 will produce a 30-minute special to air the Thursday before this year's third edition of the Grand Prix of Baltimore. According to a news release from race organizers, the show will offer live interviews and behind-the-scenes features related to the weekend of racing. It is scheduled to air Thursday, Aug. 29 at 5:30 p.m. Racing begins Friday, with the IndyCar race Sunday afternoon. "We're proud to offer our audience comprehensive coverage of this signature Baltimore event," Bill Fanshawe, general manager at WBFF, said in a statement.

Some approached the pool of brown water gingerly, jumping in with caution. The more adventurous ran toward it with purpose, leaping in with no hesitation. After all, it was the inaugural Carroll 5K Mud Run. The dirty, muddy water was supposed to be the highlight of the day. More than 500 people took part in the outdoor obstacle course at Freedom Park in Sykesville on Sunday, scaling an 8-foot wall, dashing over a bridge and crawling under stacks of hay. The Carroll 5K Mud Run wasn't as extreme as some other obstacle course races, which are 10 to 12 miles long and include parts where runners endure electric shocks.

Two food-truck events were scheduled for the weekend. But concerns about Tropical Storm Andrea have led the organizers of The Gathering to cancel Friday night's food-truck rally in Canton. This was to be the first-ever trip to Canton for the traveling event. It has been rescheduled for July 19.   ( Tropical Storm Andrea likely to bring Md. heavy rain Friday into Saturday ) But all is not lost. The City Paper is hosting a food truck rally from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday in Station North.

This weekend, June 8 and 9, Little Falls Friends Meeting in Fallston will celebrate the 275th anniversary of its founding. Speakers, tours, exhibits and printed histories will be brought together to share with the community the remarkable Quaker heritage of Harford County. Little Falls Friends Meeting is at 719 Old Fallston Road in the heart of the Fallston village. For more information, visit http://www.littlefallsfriends.org . Among the speakers will be Christopher Densmore, curator of the Friends Historical Library at Swarthmore College, and Charles Cherry, of Villanova University, who will speak on William Penn, Man of Peace.

On May 9, Dennis Lane stopped for lunch with companions at Clyde's of Columbia, one of his favorite spots. Folks say you wouldn't have to see him to know he was there because you'd hear the big laugh, or see the crowd of people around him, sharing views of local politics, business, the latest beer available in growlers in Ellicott City. That night, the writer and commercial real estate broker-consultant posted to "Tales of Two Cities," the blog about Ellicott City and Columbia he'd been writing steadily since 2006.

For the second year running, Gypsy Queen bested the competition at the Tastes of Two Cities event pitting Baltimore food trucks against their Washington rivals. Baltimore's El Cuervo, which serves tacos and Korean fried chicken, earned second place, and D.C.'s Feelin' Crabby took third at Rash Field -- the new home for the event, which had its inaugural outing last year on the Westport waterfront. Souper Freaks was the winner of the United Way's Golden Carrot, a first-time award for the food truck with the healthiest item on its menu , the Five Seeds Farms Bronze Fennel and Carrot Soup, sourced entirely from local ingredients.

With the weekend upon us, there are events happening in the city aimed at enlisting residents in improving their neighborhoods while also cleaning up Baltimore harbor. Oh, and participants will be getting a little fresh-air exercise in the process. There's a block-by-block trash cleanup Saturday in East Baltimore from 1-3 p.m., starting at the corner of Patterson Park and Eastern Ave., ending at the square in Fells Point. Held in conjunction with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 25th annual "Clean the Bay Day," it's organized by a Patterson Park activist.  For more, check out " Baltimore Trash Talk " on Facebook.