Hank Greenberg

What Joe DiMaggio, a symphony to behold, contributed on the baseball field was for the public to savor and enjoy. His record book deeds may prevail for perpetuity, stamped with a degree of achievement that gives him a special identification. He is described as a stoic man who prefers to travel alone, to partake only of his own counsel, and to work diligently protecting a personal life that has known both glittering ecstasy and profound sorrow.That, of course, is his prerogative, an inalienable right that deserves to be respected.

Maryland, like the rest of the country, is aging. The state's 65-and-over population increased by more than 18 percent in the past 10 years to 707,642, according to the U.S. census. This group will only grow as baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1965 — turn grayer. One of the most vocal advocates for older Americans is the AARP, which represents members who are 50 and older. While Social Security and Medicare have remained priorities for the organization, in Maryland it also focuses on more local issues such as lower electricity rates and reliability standards for utilities.

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. customers will be paying higher rates this year, with the average bills rising by several dollars a month, to cover the cost of upgrading the utility's infrastructure. Maryland's Public Service Commission, which regulates the company, said Friday it approved an increase to distribution rates that will cost the average residential electricity customer an additional $3.33 a month and the average residential gas customer an extra $2.70 a month. The utility had sought larger rate increases.

On Monday, March 28, 2005, JOSEPH SLEVITZ; beloved husband of Jessie Slevitz (nee Schneider); devoted father of Iris Slevitz Steel of Annapolis, MD; devoted brother of Mitzi and Hank Greenberg of Baltimore, MD and the late Frieda Aaronson; loving grandfather of David and Pam Steel. Funeral Services and interment will be held at Riga Kurlander Verein Cemetery, Rosedale, on Wednesday, March 30 at 3 P.M. Please omit flowers. The family has directed all contributions to Edward A. Myerberg Senior Center, 3101 Fallstaff Road, Baltimore, MD (21209)

Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. expects to ask for a rate increase within the next two months, less than half a year after it won approval for its last one. The plans were disclosed Wednesday during parent Exelon Corp.'s earnings call with analysts. Chicago-based Exelon said BGE would file its request by the end of June. The Maryland Public Service Commission approved BGE's most recent distribution-rate request in February, though not at the level the company had asked for. The regulatory agency said the average residential electricity consumer would pay an extra $3.33 a month and the average residential gas customer would pay an additional $2.70 a month.

Quote: "Evidently we had a personality conflict. In his mind I was a bad leader. I didn't do what he wanted done." -- Rangers manager Johnny Oates on Orioles owner Peter Angelos.It's a fact: Rangers' Juan Gonzalez played in his 1,000th game. With 852 RBIs, he has the seventh-highest total for 1,000 games in major-league history -- Hank Greenberg is the leader with 961 RBIs in his first 1,000 games.Who's hot: The Rangers' Juan Gonzalez singled home a run, giving him a major-league-leading 62 RBIs.

NEW YORK - American International Group Inc. has agreed to settle all disputes with its former chairman, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, the company said late Wednesday. The insurance company, which was bailed out by the government and is now owned by U.S. taxpayers, also resolved its complaints against former Chief Financial Officer Howard I. Smith. AIG said it will pay up to $150 million in past legal fees and expenses for both Greenberg and Smith. The agreement calls for the reimbursements to be reviewed by a third party.

Misaligned numbers on the odometer should be a warning to a used-car buyer that someone might have turned back the mileage to enhance the car's selling price.This is one of hundreds of tips on buying used cars that are packed into a free, 48-page booklet, "Avoiding Shakes, Rattles and Rollbacks: How to Buy a Used Car," published by the Maryland attorney general's office.Hank Greenberg, director of research with the agency's consumer protection division, said the booklet was a response to the large number of complaints the office has received.

HCC to christen Duncan Hall Mary Ellen Duncan, the third president of Howard Community College, will have a building on the college campus named in her honor. She retired in May. The building, the English, Languages and Business (ELB) building, will be renamed Mary Ellen Duncan Hall. A dedication ceremony is scheduled at 5:15 p.m. Oct. 24 in the lobby. A reception is planned for 4:30 p.m. The building was the first of three constructed under Duncan's leadership to complete the landscaped center of the campus known as the Quad.

Two political leaders, an advocate for seniors and a community activist are to receive consumer-rights awards this month. The Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition said Thursday that it was naming U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings the "Federal Champion of the Year. " The group cited the Baltimore Democrat's efforts to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure and his "stalwart defense" of consumer rights, including support for the fledgling Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. State Del. Sandy Rosenberg, also a Democrat from Baltimore, will receive the "Legislative Achievement of the Year" for his work getting passed into law a requirement that arbitrators disclose their record in mandatory arbitration cases.