Inclusion

On Passover, a tale for all generations Every spring, when more than 100 members of her family gather in a tent to celebrate Passover, Neile Friedman and a cousin try to introduce new elements to the Haggadah, or Seder script, they've used for more than two decades. But tonight, Friedman's family and hundreds of others in Baltimore will freshen the ancient tale with a new Haggadah, published by Pikesville's Beth El Congregation and designed to be more in tune with the times. "The Haggadah was becoming so old, it didn't speak to us anymore," said Friedman, who was head of a committee that developed the new one at Beth El. "It was a challenge to keep the children interested."

COLLEGE PARK - Midway through the NCAA's televised show for revealing selections for its women's basketball tournament, the letter "M" was playing havoc with Maryland's team, which was hoping for a chance to play on the college sport's biggest stage. Marquette, Montana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Marist and Michigan State all popped up on the screen watched by roughly 120 in a banquet hall inside Comcast Center. But the anxiety was finally relieved when it was announced that Maryland (17-12)

WASHINGTON - President Bush, in a brief private ceremony yesterday in the Oval Office, signed into law legislation allowing the creation of a National Museum of African-American History and Culture as part of the Smithsonian Institution. The signing caps a turbulent, nearly century-long quest for such a museum and represents a significant victory for the legislators, business and civic leaders, artists and veterans who have championed the project over several generations. Despite a lack of fanfare and no public statement from Bush, backers of the museum said the atmosphere surrounding the event was heavy with emotion and historic significance.

Hoping to quell criticism from community groups, Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. has reversed a decision that limited their role in his high-profile community redevelopment program. The change in strategy is part of an unprecedented effort to build support for the legislation, a top priority for the executive, but a source of confusion for community activists and others. Tomorrow, Smith will go so far as to hold an open meeting in his office to solicit input on how best to get input on his bill.

Columbia's four interfaith centers embody the planned community's vision of bringing together diverse groups, providing a place to worship in a tolerant environment. More than 5,000 congregants - including Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Christians - attend services at the centers weekly. A congregation of Messianic Jews - who believe that Jesus is the Messiah - is building a fifth interfaith center in Columbia's last village of River Hill. And that has ignited a debate over freedom of religion in the town that was developed in 1967 as a home for people of all races and backgrounds.

Columbia's four interfaith centers embody the planned community's vision of bringing together diverse groups, providing a place to worship in a tolerant environment. More than 5,000 congregants - including Buddhists, Muslims, Jews and Christians - attend services at the centers weekly. A congregation of Messianic Jews - who believe that Jesus is the Messiah - is building a fifth interfaith center in Columbia's last village of River Hill. And that has ignited a debate over freedom of religion in the town that was developed in 1967 as a home for people of all races and backgrounds.

The puzzle of how to overcome opposition to building a consolidated crisis center in Howard County has at least 10 pieces, according to a report by Marion Cox, a mediation consultant hired to help solve the dilemma. In the 18-page report, Cox outlined her findings and suggested the 10-step regimen - a plan County Councilman Ken Ulman said likely would take at least another year. "I think it's a real good framework, but the hard work is still ahead of us. I think there was an acknowledgment that the process just didn't work," said Ulman, a west Columbia Democrat who is the County Council's liaison with Cox. The mediator was hired in March with a grant sponsored by the council and Howard Community College's Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center.

When Baltimore's International Festival began in 1996, the celebration of diversity attracted just over 2,000 locals. And most of those who visited the expo were city employees who were invited, even encouraged, to attend. But the modest turnout was deemed a success by the planners, whose simple goal was to create a festival that would unite Baltimore's distinct ethnic groups for a single afternoon. Years later, that objective was happily eclipsed when the festival was transformed into a weekend extravaganza, a two-day festival that offered much more than just a few hours of cultural convergence.

Maynard H. Jackson Jr., who became the first black mayor of Atlanta in 1974 and championed civil rights, affirmative action and the city's growth during his three terms in office, died yesterday morning after collapsing at Reagan Washington National Airport. He was 65. Mr. Jackson, who underwent major heart surgery in 1992 and suffered from diabetes, was resuscitated but suffered cardiac arrest and died at Virginia Medical Center in Arlington, his physician said at a news conference in Atlanta.

HARTFORD, Conn. - Members of Big East Conference took a deep breath yesterday, turned an ear toward Blacksburg, Va., and waited for the next bizarre twist in the expansion soap opera being produced by the Atlantic Coast Conference. But the predominant sound from Virginia Tech was silence, as the Hokies pondered the opportunity to be included in the ACC's expansion plan that had already targeted Miami, Boston College and Syracuse. The nine ACC presidents decided Wednesday to reconsider Virginia Tech for membership, supposedly opening the door to a 13-team super-conference that would inflict total devastation on the Big East.