Juneteenth

I come to praise Ralph Ellison and to defend his legacy, to say once again that "Invisible Man" is one of the great literary testaments of all time. But now, a fine writer has been wronged. His reputation should have been allowed to stand on what he published in his lifetime."Juneteenth," the novel Ellison sweated and labored over for the better part of 40 years and never completed to his satisfaction, is now in the public domain. He deserves better from the literary trade.Why can't we be satisfied with what our great artists saw fit to give us before their deaths?

The circus is in town Get ready for the big top when UniverSoul Circus comes to Druid Hill Park starting Wednesday. The circus combines elements of magic and dance in its show, which includes trapeze artists, contortionists, bicycle daredevils and aerial gymnasts. Led by Ringmaster Tony Tone, the show aims to mystify and amuse audience members of all ages. UniverSoul Circus performances are at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-June 22; noon, 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. June 23; and 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 24 at the Festival Bowl in Druid Hill Park, between East Drive and Red Road.

St. Mary's City festival Be a sailor for the day and visit the Maritime Heritage Festival Saturday at the Historic St. Mary's City Museum. Meet boat builders and sailors and tour a Coast Guard patrol boat. A regatta of radio-controlled minisailboats and re-enactments of Colonial sailing life are scheduled. Children can learn maritime history and how to tie sailors' knots and build model ships. Folk musicians Charlie Zahm and Tad Marks will give a free concert after the festival on the State House lawn.

Treasure Island'Watch as the Children's Theater Association brings the classic tale "Treasure Island" to life on the stage this weekend at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The Robert Louis Stevenson story involves a boy who sails the high seas and is abducted by pirates bound for an exotic island where long-lost treasure awaits them, or so they think. Audience members may get invited to join the crew, hoist mainsails, sing ancient sea chants and even join the mutiny along with Long John Silver.

In Baltimore County Police identify Arcadia man killed in tractor accident ARCADIA -- Baltimore County police released yesterday the name of a man killed Sunday when a farm tractor he was driving overturned in a creek. Don Baldwin Bruner, 66, of the 16200 block of Trenton Church Road in Arcadia was mowing a field on his property when the tractor fell into a creek, pinning him under 2 feet of water, Baltimore County fire officials said. An autopsy will be conducted, police said. Councilmen, advisory panel to discuss community issues EDGEMERE -- Baltimore County Councilmen John Olszewski of Dundalk and Joseph Bartenfelder of Fullerton will meet tonight with the Southeast Area Educational Advisory Council to discuss community issues.

HE SOCIAL SCENE HAS BEEN hot and it has nothing to do with the weather. We've had notable speakers such as Maya Angelou, who came to town in May as part of The Sun's Headlines & Biographies series. Angelou, who is in her 70s, is one of the most dynamic speakers I've ever heard. She enthralled the audience at the Lyric Opera House with stories about the people in her life that have made her journey, thus far, very rich. I had a personal audience with her, which was a real treat. June was full of events such as a local Juneteenth event and a South Africa documentary film festival in Washington.

TODAY CITY TAXES -- The Board of Estimates will meet at 5 p.m. to set the Baltimore property tax rate for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The meeting will be in the Pressman boardroom at City Hall, 100 N. Holliday St. TOMORROW BALTIMORE COUNTY SCHOOLS -- The Baltimore County school board will meet at 7:30 p.m. to vote on the proposed 2007-2008 calendar and consider a restructuring plan for Woodlawn Middle School. The meeting will be in the Education Support Services Building on the Greenwood campus, 6901 Charles St., Towson.

AFRAM was born in the 1970s, when ethnic festivals were all the rage on summer weekends in Baltimore. After some 25 years of ups and downs, it's now going to be replaced in June 2002. "We want a festival of Marylanders from across the state that focuses on Baltimore," says NAACP President Kweisi Mfume. He will head the event, which will have a new downtown location and a strong emphasis on African-American and Afro-Caribbean culture, education and community involvement. This is a wonderful idea.

FRIDAY A nose for drama: The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company presents Cyrano de Bergerac at the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park. Once an antebellum girls' boarding school, this historic park overlooks the Patapsco River Valley, creating the perfect setting for this tragic drama. The show begins at 8 p.m. Friday and runs through June 27. Admission is $15-$30 and free for kids younger than 18. Shuttle transport is available to the show from the parking lot at 3691 Sarah's Lane in Ellicott City.

Looking to commemorate his attendance at the weekend's state coin show in Baltimore, Bill Ayres found it in an unlikely source: the U.S. Postal Service. The Postal Service created a postmark used to cancel mail for the Maryland State Numismatic Association event at the Baltimore Convention Center. Each year, the Postal Service makes 25 to 30 special postmarks for Baltimore area festivals and activities. On Saturday, postal workers canceled mail at Morgan State University with a postmark for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery.