Franklintown

A man was fatally shot Thursday in the Franklintown section of Baltimore City, according to police. Baltimore Police Det. Vernon Davis said police officers responded at 2:16 p.m. to a call about a man shot in the 2000 block of Forest Park Avenue. The victim was transported to Sinai Hospital , where he died. Davis said he could not provide information about the man's name, age or address. He said officers have made no arrests and are investigating the shooting. A previous version of this article provided the incorrect neighborhood name.

One woman was killed and another injured in a fire that broke out in a West Baltimore rowhouse early Thursday, according to Fire Department officials. Neighbors in the 1000 block of N. Rosedale St. in the city's Franklintown Road neighborhood said they were alerted to the blaze when they heard screaming and breaking glass sometime after 4 a.m. Fire officials identified the woman who died in the fire as Brenda Gittings-Sewell, 70. Her daughter, Cynthia Sewell, 43, is being treated for burns she suffered over 30 percent of her body.

The 1830s saw a "Franklin Towne" planned by William H. Freeman, a prominent Baltimore landowner -- but it didn't get off the paper because of a bank failure. Still, a leafy hamlet has grown up around what started as a gristmill along Dead Run, where Freeman envisioned his suburban oasis. Parts of Franklintown are recognized as local and national historic districts, and the former millhouse is a private home. The neighborhood is hidden between Leakin Park to the east and Security Boulevard to the west, just north of the tip of Interstate 70. Mostly in the city, Franklintown straddles the Baltimore City-Baltimore County line.

A man was fatally shot Thursday in the Franklintown section of Baltimore City, according to police. Baltimore Police Det. Vernon Davis said police officers responded at 2:16 p.m. to a call about a man shot in the 2000 block of Forest Park Avenue. The victim was transported to Sinai Hospital , where he died. Davis said he could not provide information about the man's name, age or address. He said officers have made no arrests and are investigating the shooting. A previous version of this article provided the incorrect neighborhood name.

A head-on collision between two vehicles Thursday morning on Windsor Mill Road left a man dead and a woman in serious condition, according to Baltimore police. About 1:20 a.m., a Honda Accord traveling east and a Chevy Lumina traveling west struck each other on the 5400 block of Windsor Mill Road in Franklintown. The man driving the Lumina was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he died at 2:48 a.m., police said. He was believed to be between 40 and 50 years old. The 25-year-old woman driving the Accord was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she was in serious condition.

On June 22, 2003, MICHAEL A. Friends may call at the family owned MARCH FUNERAL HOME WEST, Inc., 4300 Wabash Avenue on Friday after 11 AM. The family will receive friends at St. Luke Apostalic Church, 1215 Franklintown Road on Saturday at 10 AM. Funeral Services wil follow at 10:30 AM. See www.marchfh.com

On January 21, 2009, GRADY; devoted husband of Landletter Blackshear. Friends may visit the Family Owned MARCH FUNERAL HOME WEST, INC., 4300 Wabash Avenue, on Monday after 8:30 A.M. The family will receive friends on Tuesday at the Franklintown Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, 901 W. Mulberry Street at 11 A.M., followed by funeral service at 11:30 A.M.

The future of Franklintown is its past, say its residents. The little mill village wedged between Leakin Park and the city line was designated a Baltimore City Local Historic District in March 1999, opening opportunities for rejuvenating the neighborhood. "The designation was an absolutely critical catalyst for Franklintown," said Fred Worthington, a resident since 1964. Becoming a historic district brings one very important tool in preserving buildings: It offers property owners financial incentives to renovate historic properties.

On October 1, 2007, PEGGY B. Survived by daughters Artraelle H. Boyette-Kelly (Tyrone), Nanette B. Jefferson (Leland), Dottice B. Boardley (Orrin), five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a host of other family and friends. Friends may call at the WYLIE FUNERAL HOME, P.A. OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, 9200 Liberty Road on Sunday from 1 to 4 P.M. Services Monday at the Christian Community Church on Franklintown Road and Baltimore Street; 10 A.M. wake, 10:30 funeral. Interment following. Inquiries at www.wyliefuneralhome.

IT'S NOT YOUR imagination: People leaving parking spaces really do move more slowly when you're waiting for their spot. And if you honk, it only makes things worse.On this subject, Intrepid One has seen some real lulus -- including hand gestures and less than flattering language barked out of the front seat even as little children sit nearby absorbing the drama.Now, fighting over a parking spot has attracted the attention of psychologists.A recent study of more than 400 drivers in a mall parking lot concluded that motorists defend spots instinctively, according to the Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

A head-on collision between two vehicles Thursday morning on Windsor Mill Road left a man dead and a woman in serious condition, according to Baltimore police. About 1:20 a.m., a Honda Accord traveling east and a Chevy Lumina traveling west struck each other on the 5400 block of Windsor Mill Road in Franklintown. The man driving the Lumina was taken to Sinai Hospital, where he died at 2:48 a.m., police said. He was believed to be between 40 and 50 years old. The 25-year-old woman driving the Accord was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she was in serious condition.

On January 21, 2009, GRADY; devoted husband of Landletter Blackshear. Friends may visit the Family Owned MARCH FUNERAL HOME WEST, INC., 4300 Wabash Avenue, on Monday after 8:30 A.M. The family will receive friends on Tuesday at the Franklintown Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, 901 W. Mulberry Street at 11 A.M., followed by funeral service at 11:30 A.M.

Could a bunch of West Baltimore neighborhood activists ever win a battle against a huge national highway? In the early 1970s, I sat in a West Forest Park Avenue living room and heard Carolyn and George Tyson speak of their work in a group called Volunteers Opposed to Leakin Park Expressway. Their ideas sounded convincing. Did they have a chance against the federal interstate expressway system, Mayor William Donald Schaefer and all those people in cars? They did; amazingly, the lawsuit held.

The 1830s saw a "Franklin Towne" planned by William H. Freeman, a prominent Baltimore landowner -- but it didn't get off the paper because of a bank failure. Still, a leafy hamlet has grown up around what started as a gristmill along Dead Run, where Freeman envisioned his suburban oasis. Parts of Franklintown are recognized as local and national historic districts, and the former millhouse is a private home. The neighborhood is hidden between Leakin Park to the east and Security Boulevard to the west, just north of the tip of Interstate 70. Mostly in the city, Franklintown straddles the Baltimore City-Baltimore County line.

On October 1, 2007, PEGGY B. Survived by daughters Artraelle H. Boyette-Kelly (Tyrone), Nanette B. Jefferson (Leland), Dottice B. Boardley (Orrin), five grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and a host of other family and friends. Friends may call at the WYLIE FUNERAL HOME, P.A. OF BALTIMORE COUNTY, 9200 Liberty Road on Sunday from 1 to 4 P.M. Services Monday at the Christian Community Church on Franklintown Road and Baltimore Street; 10 A.M. wake, 10:30 funeral. Interment following. Inquiries at www.wyliefuneralhome.

Three members of a family - two of them children - were killed after a blaze swept through a Baltimore apartment complex early yesterday morning. The deadly fire, which witnesses said began before 3 a.m. in one unit and quickly spread throughout the small apartment building at 1903 N. Forest Park Ave. in Franklintown, also displaced about a dozen other families. The victims were found by firefighters in a basement apartment and identified by a family member as Raheem Muhammad, 28, and her son, Royelle Riley, whose 10th birthday would have been today.

A Southwest Baltimore company was cited yesterday for allegedly expanding its metal stripping business onto a city street. Inspectors from the Department of Public Works issued a citation for 27 sanitation enforcement and housing violations to Franklintown Metals and Cores, in the 100 block of McPhail St. Debris from the business, including vehicles, trash and giant wooden cable spools were reportedly impeding traffic along the street. Someone also appeared to be doing auto body work on the property without proper permits, said Department of Public Works spokesman Kurt Kocher.

On Thursday, July 27, 2006, LUCILLE PEARSON COTTON; beloved wife of the late James Cotton departed this life from the Jewish Hospital Center, Cincinnati, OH. Public viewing will be Friday, August 4, 2006 from 3 to 7 P.M. at the family owned Howell Funeral Home, 4600 Liberty Heights Avenue. Services will be held on Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 4 P.M. at Mt. Nebo Holy Church, 240 Franklintown Road. Interment, Monday, August 7, 2006, 11 A.M. at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery. She is survived by 2 daughters, Corolina Nelson and Sharon Cotton; three grandchildren, Shauna, Earl, IV and William Pinkett; three sisters, Doris Collins, Nina Ringgold and Laura Williams.

On Thursday, July 27, 2006, LUCILLE PEARSON COTTON; beloved wife of the late James Cotton departed this life from the Jewish Hospital Center, Cincinnati, OH. Public viewing will be Friday, August 4, 2006 from 3 to 7 P.M. at the family owned Howell Funeral Home, 4600 Liberty Heights Avenue. Services will be held on Sunday, August 6, 2006 at 4 P.M. at Mt. Nebo Holy Church, 240 Franklintown Road. Interment, Monday, August 7, 2006, 11 A.M. at Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery. She is survived by 2 daughters, Corolina Nelson and Sharon Cotton; three grandchildren, Shauna, Earl, IV and William Pinkett; three sisters, Doris Collins, Nina Ringgold and Laura Williams.

It was muggy and hot, and their audience was scant. But yesterday morning, members of the Charm City Challengers dance troupe were most definitely ready for showtime. Decked out in smart white uniforms with red and gold trim, the sparkly and sequined teenagers left the parking lot of a West Baltimore school and stepped out to take part in the 5th Annual Leon Day Festival. Their parade route along Poplar Grove Street was short, and the summer heat was becoming nearly unbearable. But the vibrant procession danced, undaunted, and they quickly drew a crowd.