Hampden

Even before the lights began blinking Saturday night on West 34th Street in Hampden, there was a clear audience favorite among this year's over-the-top neighborhood Christmas display. Clusters of people were stopping well before dusk to admire an oversized can of National Bohemian beer made of plywood, positioned to pour strings of lights representing the sparkling fizz of the brew that has been embraced by Baltimore into a giant pint glass. Both the red can and the amber glass are mounted to the second-story of a rowhouse.

Despite superstorm Sandy's best efforts, Hampden's Halloween festivities this year would not be derailed. Postponed, sure, but not canceled. So instead of the annual Hampden festival taking place Oct. 31, it took place the following Saturday, Nov. 3. And the change in time seemed to have very little impact on the turnout of trick-or-treaters or those entering in the costume contest. The winners this year, by age group and category, are: Ages 2 and Under: Adrianna Torres as a Scarecrow (Funniest)

The father of a student at the Academy for College and Career Exploration in Hampden was arrested in the school about 10 a.m. Wednesday after allegedly bringing a handgun to a disciplinary meeting for his son, according to Baltimore police. Rodney Parker, 39, had taken a "hack" or unlicensed cab to the school after his son was brought into the front office for a disciplinary infraction and a parent meeting was scheduled, said Detective Vernon Davis, a police spokesman. As Parker exited the cab, he allegedly fumbled and then dropped a .22 caliber gun, which was noticed by the cab driver, Davis said.

Given the trouble she's gotten into in recent years (think: trying to trademark the word "Hon"), one might presume Cafe Hon owner Denise Whiting would take special care to avoid unforced errors that cast her establishment in a less than flattering light. One might presume so. But one would be wrong. The Sun's Jill Rosen reported this week that Cafe Hon posted on its Facebook page a photo of one of its staff members in blackface for Halloween. That's right: a white person, in blackface, "dressing up" as a black person (in this case, the singer Whitney Houston)

As I write this, I'm in the process of gearing up for a huge next couple of weeks. Between now and my next column, Hampden will have had both A Taste of Hampden (Oct. 25), and Hampden HalloweenFest (Oct. 31). A Taste of Hampden is a food benefit for the Hampden Family Center, which at this point looks to have a record turnout, and Hampden HalloweenFest is an annual Halloween celebration that involves trick or treating on The Avenue, as well as a costume contest. And, of course, a crazy (in a good way)

A jury acquitted one man and prosecutors dropped charges against another in the 2010 murder of a 73-year-old Hampden cab driver who was beaten to death with a tire iron, the State's Attorney's Office confirmed. Mark Cheshire, a spokesman for city prosecutors, confirmed that a jury had acquitted Gary Latham, 29, on all charges, and based on that prosecutors dropped charges against a second man, Bobby Wisner, 31.  Additional information was not immediately available Tuesday evening.  When police charged Wisner, they wrote in charging documents that 73-year-old John Sandy had identified his attacker as "Bobby,"  who he said was the brother of a man who lived with him. He slipped into a coma, but eventually woke up and identified Wisner from a photo lineup.

The following is compiled from police reports. It is the Baltimore Messenger's policy to include descriptions only when there is enough information to make identification possible. If you have any information about these crimes, call the Baltimore City Police Department's Northern District at 410-396-2455. Ash Street 3600 block, between 12:30 and 1:30 a.m. Oct. 3. Generator stolen from shed. Entry gained by damaging lock on door. Beech Avenue 3700 block, between 1:50 and 3:50 p.m. Oct. 1. Door damaged in attempted larceny from auto.

A Taste of Hampden, the popular annual benefit for the Hampden Family Center, is Thursday, Oct. 25, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $30 each, with all proceeds earmarked for the center. As the number of great restaurants in Hampden increases, this event becomes more than a good charity event, but a bargain for foodies. You get to sample the offerings from a number of Hampden's award-winning restaurants, you get to enjoy tasty beverages, and you get to hang out with some awesome folks.

Let's face it: Charm City can be a strange place. That's one of the reasons we like it so much. From toilet races in Hampden to hilariously lewd bathroom signs, Baltimore has a quirky sensibility few other cities can match. View the photo gallery We rounded up more than a dozen photos of weird and funny Baltimore sights for a photo essay we're calling Only in Baltimore. If you have odd Baltimore photos you want to send us, you can email them to onlyinbaltimore@gmail.com . You can also submit photos via Twitter and Instagram by tagging them with #onlyinbaltimore and @baltimoresun.

Irvin L. Steinbach, a retired court psychologist and avid urban walker, died Sunday of a cardiac arrest at Roland Park Place. He was 86. The son of a businessman and a homemaker, Irvin Lee Steinbach was born in Baltimore and raised on Eutaw Place. After graduating from City College in 1945, he was drafted into the Army. Mr. Steinbach served with the Army for 14 months in Japan until being discharged in 1946. After returning to Baltimore, he worked with his father, who had founded the Maderia Bonded Wine and Liquor Co., a beverage distributorship.