First Floor

An Odenton woman was killed early yesterday in a house fire where five other adults and three children escaped unharmed, a Fire Department spokesman said.Christine Sigley, 21, died when fire destroyed the 2 1/2 -story frame house in the 400 block of Oakton Road where she lived in a second-floor apartment.Her boyfriend, Russell Rice, and her father, David Sigley, escaped, said Battalion Chief J. Gary Sheckells, a county Fire Department spokesman.Ms. Sigley apparently went back inside the house for clothes, Chief Sheckells said.

A 14-year-old Brooklyn boy died last night at Maryland Shock Trauma Center shortly after he was shot by an unknown assailant near a Baltimore City fire station, police said. Steven Graham of the 500 block of Annabel Ave. was at the intersection of Maude Avenue and 4th Street about 7:30 p.m. when he was shot, possibly by an occupant of a car that sped away, police said. Graham fell to the pavement nearly in front of Engine Company 35. Graham's killing came about nine hours after an unidentified man was found shot on the first floor of a West Baltimore rowhouse.

MODELS OPENWhispering Oaks1. Regional Homes has opened a model of the Aspen, one of two styles of traditional homes being offered at Whispering Oaks in Owings Mills, Baltimore County.The Aspen, with a base price of $197,990, has four bedrooms, two full baths and one half-bath, two-story foyer, full unfinished basement and first-floor laundry room. It has 2,100 square feet of finished living space and is expandable to 2,400 square feet.The first floor has a center staircase with an 11-by-14-foot living room, 11-by-11-foot dining room, 19-by-11-foot kitchen and breakfast area, 19-by-12-foot family room with optional fireplace, foot library and 19-by-19-foot garage.

A vacant fire station in the Mount Vernon historic district could be converted to anything from artists' residences and studios to a drop-in center for people with AIDS, depending on which of seven proposals the city selects.The two-story fire station at 831 N. Calvert St. was built in 1910 and formerly housed Fire Truck Co. 16. City housing department officials received the bids in January in response to a request for proposals in October. Bill Toohey, a department spokesman, FTC said officials will consult with community representatives as part of the review.

South River Colony"If you can dream it, we can build it," said Rachele Dannenberg, sales manager at South River Colony in Edgewater where Regency Homes has opened a model of the Augusta, one of five houses named after famous golf courses in Georgia.The Doral, Muirfield, Oakmont and Riviera are the other homes offered in the Anne Arundel County community that includes South River Golf Links, an 18-hole public golf course.All Regency homes at South River Colony will include full unfinished basement, insulated front door with brass kick plate, hardwood floor in foyer, six-panel Colonial doors, 9-foot ceilings on the first floor and two-zone gas heat.

One of the clubs that made Canton hip is back. And hipper than ever. In March 2003, a fire swept through the Good Love Bar, forcing owners Patrick Radoci and Jason Sanchez to close the business. Now, after months of renovation, the new-and-improved Good Love has reopened. Jason says you'll notice the hip-yet-comfy feel is intact, but changes have been made, as he and Patrick opened up the floor plan to give the place a more spacious feeling. On the first floor, the exposed brick walls have been painted white, and the old cement bar is gone.

Scouring Federal Hill, Don Smith and Bob Marciak hoped they would find a spacious rowhouse, a little different in style, that would accommodate their wish for a backyard as a soothing refuge from the bustling city. They looked at about 50 houses, Smith recalled, before opening the door to a renovated century-old residence where a gas fireplace exuded a welcome feeling, where the wide living room had a wall of built-in cabinets and shelves, and where a graceful staircase and decorative columns drew the eye toward the rest of the house.

Sometimes discovering the perfect hovel can be a difficult task. For Claudia Bismark it took 18 months before finding a dwelling she could turn into a home.Her search was focused on finding a space with the potential for opening an art gallery. "As a luxury, not as a commercial endeavor," Bismark said.What she found was an uninhabitable Fells Point building with a first floor that had served variously as an ice cream store, a bar and a restaurant -- with living quarters above. Bismark quickly saw an opportunity to turn part of the first floor into her gallery, which today she refers to as her "Don't-Give-Up-Your-Day-Job Gallery," and to live on the second and third floors.

For nearly 30 years, Carole and Mickey Fox lived in the "Sugarville" section of Pikesville in Baltimore County. But when they were looking for a home that required less maintenance, they bought in Baltimore -- at the Village of Cross Keys."

About 15 occupants -- some in night clothes -- escaped without injury last night as a three-alarm fire engulfed the upper floors and largely destroyed an old frame-and-shingle home in Northwest Baltimore.Investigators said a burning cigarette sparked the blaze in the 4000 block of Fernhill Ave., off Garrison Boulevard. The building had been converted into several apartments.The blaze was reported about 10:45 p.m., and fire officials sounded additional alarms at 11:14 and 11:22 p.m. to bring additional equipment and manpower.