House Of Ruth

Baltimore's only shelter for battered women has almost quadrupled its number of beds.The House of Ruth, a 22-year-old nonprofit organization at 2201 Argonne Drive, plans a ceremony Wednesday to dedicate its new 84-bed shelter, officials said."

Saying women often are in danger even after they leave violent husbands, Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend appealed yesterday to the legislature to enable victims of marital abuse to get a divorce more quickly.Maryland's divorce law, among the most restrictive in the nation, requires a one-year wait in almost all circumstances except adultery."We cannot continue to tell women, as we do now, that when their husbands sleep with someone else, they can file immediately for a divorce, but when they beat them up or even rape them that they have to stay in the marriage for another year," Townsend said.

Insurance firms value profits more than babiesI read with great interest the Jan. 23 column, "Congratulations, Mom! Here's the door," by Robert N. Sheff, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland HMOs. As a practicing pediatrician I found his logic on the benefits of early postpartum discharge to be the standard line given by the insurance industry. Clearly, this 24-hour discharge policy has only one benefit -- to save money.When I began my practice 10 years ago, I was able to evaluate my newborn patient's transition into the world over a two to three-day period.

Rack 'em upAttention all pool sharks: Looking for some competition? See if you're good enough to match cues with the best players of the Women's Professional Billiards Association at the Baltimore Billiards 1995 WPBA Classic Tour, Jan. 18-22. For a nominal donation to the House of Ruth, you can "shoot the pro" with a woman who will most likely best you. But don't let that stop you; even if you lose, you're sure to pick up some pointers from the pros. The "shoot the pro" competition takes place on Jan. 18 only.

Dr. Jim D'Orta, outgoing medical director for the state of Maryland and an emergency physician at Franklin Square Hospital, and Vickie Rosellini, president of Absolute Care Ambulance Co, co-chaired a party for the House of Ruth at Dr. D'Orta's Rehoboth Beach home last weekend. Both agreed to chair this fund-raiser because of all the domestic violence they have seen in their jobs.The invitation said film stars Winona Ryder and Melanie Griffith would be at the party to hobnob with guests.(Although Ms. Griffith couldn't make it, she sent a check for $1,000 for the House of Ruth.

You can't beat the scene in a leafy Baltimore neighborhood the night before bulk trash pickup. "Everyone is cruising and having a good time, strolling around and checking out everyone else's junk," says Frieda Hermann, Hamilton correspondent for This Just In. Wednesday night, just about every house in Hamilton had set out big stuff for pickup by the Bureau of Solid Waste the next day. "I saw stoves. I saw typewriters, washing machines and vacuum cleaners," Frieda says. "I saw two college students walking down the street carrying an ugly wing chair they took a fancy to. I was driving my station wagon, cruising Walther Boulevard, and I still had on my suit and heels, when I spotted this really interesting-looking kitchen cabinet.

Rev. George P. Gallos, 80, Greek Orthodox pastorThe Rev. George P. Gallos, pastor for more than a decade of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, died of cancer Wednesday at his home in St. Augustine, Fla. He was 80.During his tenure at the church -- Maryland's first and largest Greek Orthodox parish -- from 1954 to 1965, Father Gallos created a comprehensive educational program from nursery school through 12th grade, an afternoon Greek school and...

WASHINGTON -- Maryland will receive $25 million for its homeless assistance programs, including more than $14 million for Baltimore, in one of the largest grants awarded to a state yesterday by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.In addition to the money for Baltimore, Westminster will receive about $1.1 million, and Columbia will get about $426,000."This $25 million grant will enable Maryland to provide transitional housing, more services to help people gain economic self-sufficiency and more support for those who are most vulnerable," Gov. Parris N. Glendening said.

The Baltimore County Police Department is training a new breed of police officers. Call them sensitive new age cops.Heeding Chief Michael D. Gambrill's message of making police officers more visible fixtures in neighborhoods, 40 recruits in the 92nd academy class are teaching adults to read, soliciting donations to the House of Ruth battered women's center and baby-sitting for the children of abused women.It makes no difference that they are not police officers until the June 13 graduation.

You never forget your first time.Rodrick Bingham was 22, the first in his family to graduate from college. It was a soft May evening in Tennessee, the night before his graduation ceremony, and he was looking for his girlfriend, Ina. When he saw her with his best friend -- they had been driving around together, trying to find him -- his imagination took over. Then rage took over.What was he thinking, as he raised his right hand, a solidly built athlete, all of 6 feet, facing down a 5-foot-3 woman, a woman he loved?

Last month, Theodore Blandford broke into the Lothian home of his estranged wife, Sheena Blandford, and shot her to death, along with her sister, Cheryl Timmons. Ms. Blandford knew she was in danger; two weeks earlier she had requested a protective order from the courts after her husband threatened to kill her by running over her with his truck and bashing her with a hammer. Ms. Blandford's death was only one of many well-publicized incidents this year that threw a bright spotlight on the problem of domestic violence in Maryland - a problem made more acute by the economic downturn, which has exacerbated the turmoil in troubled families and put thousands more women at greater risk of serious injury or death at the hands of abusive partners.

The Baltimore Museum of Art's sculpture garden was brimming with people who were listening to a live bluegrass band, browsing crab-themed buffets and enjoying a warm - but dry - summer evening. It was the largest crowd yet for Crabaret. In its seven years, the fundraiser for the House of Ruth has become one of Baltimore's favorite summer parties. "Response has been overwhelming. We sold out two weeks in advance," said Louise Miller, who chaired the event with husband Gabe Purviance, and Marsha and Gordon Becker.

On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, PATRICIA B. KUMMEROW age 68 of Ruxton; beloved wife of Burton K. Kummerow for 18 years; devoted mother of Nathaniel A. Tower and Melissa R. Tower; stepmother of Elke Hautala and Cassandra Keenum; sister of Ann McIntosh, Timothy Brosnahan and Penelope Tassie; grandmother of Samuel Tower. A memorial service is being planned for a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Living Legacy Foundation or the House of Ruth. Arrangements by Peace

A city police commander has been reinstated for active duty after being cleared of wrongdoing in a probe into text messages he exchanged with a community activist who was being sought on a warrant and later allegedly stabbed his wife to death. Dep. Maj. Dan A. Lioi was suspended with pay March 14 after the text messages were uncovered by detectives investigating the Nov. 17 killing of Veronica Williams. Sources with knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun at the time that some messages sent to 33-year-old Cleaven Lawrence Williams Jr. raised concerns that not all efforts had been made to serve the outstanding warrant.

John Thomas Yuhanick, who founded a public relations and event business, died of cancer Friday at Stella Maris Hospice in Timonium. The Guilford resident was 59. Born in Salem, Ohio, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at St. Louis University and moved in the early 1970s to Baltimore, where he worked as a Sun advertising representative. He sold ads related to the travel industry and remained an indefatigable traveler throughout his life, often visiting another country every two months.

On February 16, 2009, beloved wife of J. Donald Gardner, loving mother of Emily Gardner and partner Sean Gray, beloved sister of Nora Leyland and husband Mike Manley, Jennifer Cichonski and husband Mark, Martin Mansfield and wife Christine. She is also survived by a host of other loving relatives and friends. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 10 A.M at St. John Roman Catholic Church, Wilde Lake Interfaith Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia, MD 21044. Contributions may be made in her memory to: House of Ruth Baltimore, 2201 Argonne Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.

Were those soft summer breezes blowing through the Baltimore Museum of Art's Sculpture Garden? Or were they, perhaps, a collective sigh of relief from members of the House of Ruth board? This was the sixth year they had planned their outdoor "Crabaret" party and the second year in a row in which Mother Nature had complied. "You know, planning a summer event outside in Baltimore is a little nuts, but we were blessed again this year. The weather is perfect," said event chairwoman Vicki Deyesu.

Crime victims in Maryland might have reduced access to services such as counseling and shelter because of cutbacks in federal aid. For the second straight year, money distributed to the states from the Justice Department's Crime Victims Fund will decline. As part of the recently passed omnibus spending bill, Congress capped disbursements from the fund at $590 million - $35 million less than was spent the year before. Maryland is expected to receive slightly more than $6 million for victim-assistance programs in the 12-month period that began in October, a drop of 17 percent from a peak of nearly $7.4 million two years prior.

IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE BEST "CRABARET" ever. The House of Ruth fundraiser at Gertrude's at the Baltimore Museum of Art offered a variety of crabby delights. There were food stations: one for crab cakes, another for sushi, another for Asian crab stir-fry. Then, there were a variety of wines for tasting. All of this made for a great summer's evening, but what really put this year's soiree over the top was the weather -- unusually low humidity and comfortable temperatures were the talk of the night.

With no outs in the top of the third inning Saturday, Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera gave up a leadoff double, and the Indians' Grady Sizemore strolled to the plate. For the players on the field and for the fans in attendance, it was all very routine. Those watching the game on television, though, were about to hear something that had no place at a ballgame, on TV or coming out of broadcaster Rick Dempsey's mouth. Up in the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network booth, Dempsey and Gary Thorne were interviewing Laura Giuliani, the wife of Oriole Jay Gibbons, who was promoting a fundraiser the next day at the ballpark intended to help fight domestic violence.