Flag Day

Louis V. Koerber, who owned a long-established Fells Point paint company and was co-founder of the Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance on Flag Day, died Friday at the Blakehurst Retirement Community of Alzheimer's complications. He was 83. Born in Baltimore and raised in Parkville, Mr. Koerber was a 1954 graduate of McDonogh School, which he attended on a scholarship after his father died when he was 10. He lettered in baseball and football and was the Maryland Scholastic Association batting champion in 1945 with a .552 average.

COLORA - Marcia Thompson Eldreth sees in the United States a Christian nation, inspired by Scripture and dedicated to propositions conveyed in biblical prophesy. She asks: Why not a U.S. national Christian flag? "Our nation was based on Judeo-Christian principles," Eldreth said. "Blessed is the country whose God is Lord." She was sitting in her Cecil County kitchen here the other day, sharing the story of how she came to design and arrange for manufacturing and selling a national Christian flag that since last year has gained national attention on The 700 Club, a religious news magazine television show hosted by, among others, the Rev. Pat Robertson.

Flag Day Fort celebration Flag Day events run from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. today at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, 2400 E. Fort Ave. At 7 p.m., the fort will take part in the nationwide "Pause for the Pledge of Alle giance." Afterward, there will be a band concert of patriotic music, a fly-over by the A-10 Thunderbolt Jets of the Mary land Air National Guard, a cer emonial wreath-laying, a pa rade of state flags and a fire works finale. The event is spon sored by the National Flag Day Foundation.

A nice crowd gathered under sunny skies at the William Humbert Amphitheater in Bel Air's Shamrock Park Saturday morning for the town's annual Flag Day ceremony. Traditionally, Flag Day is recognized on June 14; however, the town coordinates the scheduling of this ceremony with Bel Air High School's band and chorus to ensure the event does not interfere with their end-of-year studies and final exams. The band and chorus once again played and sang patriotic songs. The Flag Day Ceremony featured the poem "Our Flag" recited by poet Samuel B. Fielder of Forest Hill, a former Army sergeant who is a veteran of the Korean War. Retired Army Col. John F. Kutcher was the featured speaker and County Councilman Jim McMahan was master of ceremonies.

Meadowvale Elementary School in Havre de Grace recently celebrated Flag Day. The students assembled outside, each one with poster sections of what would be a large flag. The students arranged themselves with their parts to create a large U.S. flag. The Meadowvale observance took place a few days in advance of the June 14 holiday

Baltimore: Northwest Woman shot in dispute at home A 31-year-old woman remained in critical condition after being shot during a domestic dispute early yesterday in her Northwest Baltimore home, police said. The shooting occurred in the 4200 block of Pimlico Road about 5:30 a.m., police said. Stacey Robinson, shot once in the head, was taken to Sinai Hospital. Police arrested her boyfriend, Dennis McFadden, 24, at the scene and charged him with attempted first-degree murder. He is expected to have a bail review tomorrow, police said.

"Flag: A piece of cloth or stuff (usually bunting), varying in size, color and device, but most frequently oblong or square, attached by one edge to a staff or to a halyard, used as a standard, ensign or signal and also for decoration or display."Oxford English DictionaryTo begin with, that whole bit about Betsy Ross stitching up the first American flag for George Washington is a myth. While it is true that Elizabeth Ross presided over an upholstery shop in Harrisburg, Pa., and she did run up flags for Pennsylvania's Navy, most reference books do not name her as the designer of the Stars and Stripes, which was adopted as the national flag in June 1777.

With the swing of a champagne bottle yesterday, Gov. Robert. L. Ehrlich Jr. christened Maryland One, a Boeing 737-700 coated in 60 gallons of red and yellow and black and white paint. But if the chief executive wants to fly on the airplane, he'll have to buy a ticket like everyone else. The plane, which took 512 man-hours to paint in the Maryland flag theme, is not a gubernatorial perk. It's the latest specialty plane in a Southwest Airlines fleet that includes five other state flag-themed planes, the airline's 25th-anniversary plane and three 737s painted like Sea World's orca whales.

SHIP'S VISIT ALL ABOARD The colonization of Jamestown, Va., in 1607 marked the first permanent English settlement in North America. And in honor of the coming 400th anniversary of this momentous occasion, the Godspeed, a newly built replica of the original ship that landed at Jamestown, visits six East Coast ports, including Baltimore's tomorrow through Monday. Each day, visitors can take part in various activities at a "Landing Party" at the Inner Harbor. There will be tours of Godspeed and and a virtual voyage through an on-shore simulator.

To learn about more family-friendly events, go to www.SunSpot.net/familyfunHonor the flag, our national symbol of freedom, Saturday, Flag Day, at venues and events throughout the area. Here are just a few of the happenings: The National Flag Day Foundation sponsors the "Pause for the Pledge of Allegiance" event at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Fort Avenue, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Patriotic music and fireworks after the pledge. Citizens across the country are encouraged to recite the pledge at 7 p.m. Admission $5; free for ages 16 and under.