Kennedy Krieger Institute

Elise Kraner Babbitt & John Glenn Welker, both of Baltimore, were married November 10, 2007, by Rev. Laura Cannon, at The Maryland Club in Baltimore, Md. The bride is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Fred & Janis Babbitt of McGaheysville, Va. The groom is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Glenn & Alicia Welker of Silver Spring, Md. Daniel Babbitt & Charles Hager were ushers. Natalie & Meg Williams were flower girls. The bride graduated from Spotswood High School & received a B.A. in Government from the University of Virginia.

On October 26, 2007, VIRGINIA MAE (nee Carter) COLLINS, beloved wife of the late Frank B. Collins, loving mother of Joan Blair, Frank M. Collins and Debbie Collins, cherished grandmother of Ray, Danielle, Jess and Rachel and great grandchildren, Brandon and Trevor. Also survived by 3 dear sisters. Friends may call at the family owned Duda-Ruck Funeral Home of Dundalk Inc., 7922 Wise Avenue on Tuesday 3 to 5 and 7 to 9P.M. Funeral Service Tuesday 8P.M. Interment Arlington National Cemetery, November 19, 2007.

A headline for the obituary of Dr. Hugo Moser in Wednesday's editions of The Sun described him as a "Hopkins doctor." While Dr. Moser was on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, his principal work was with the Kennedy Krieger Institute, which is affiliated with Hopkins but independent of it.

Joe Knott, Elements of Christmas and Halloween merged yesterday at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Instead of Santa Claus, hundreds of motorcyclists clad in black leather chaps and helmets thundered up the drive of the institute's Greenspring campus yesterday to deliver holiday toys to children there. Several firefighters, a couple of dinosaurs, a pair of glam rockers and Superman - children in their Halloween costumes - met the bikers. Riders on more than 150 motorcycles set off on a chilly, rainy morning from the Harley-Davidson store on Pulaski Highway in Rossville as part of the sixth annual Motorcycle Toy Ride.

On Saturday September 18, 2004, EVELYN LEVIN (nee Josephson) beloved wife of the late Dr. Nathan Levin, loving cousin of Dr. Bernard Blackman, of Miami, FL. and Dr. Bernard Siegel, of Yonkers, NY. Services at SOL LEVINSON & BROS INC., 8900 Reisterstown Rd., at Mt. Wilson Lane, on Tuesday September 21 at 11 A.M. Interment at Arlington Cemetery Chizuk Amuno Congregation, 4300 N. Rogers Ave. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made, in her memory, to...

Cool. The perfect word for the 13th annual "Festival of Trees Preview Breakfast." The 1,100 guests had to deal with frigid temperatures outside as they hurried to the Cow Palace at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. Once inside, guests were greeted by Christmas trees decorated in a Hairspray theme, honoring the 1987 movie by Baltimore filmmaker John Waters, and the current Broadway musical hit based on the film. Cool. Oh. And let's not forget super-cool hostess Lainy Lebow-Sachs, dressed in a white beehive wig and poufy, pink satin dress.

Places to go, people to see -- the Hyatt Regency Hotel was full of them -- thanks to the Associated Black Charities annual gala, this year titled "Through the Eyes of our Community." The shindig took up almost the entire mezzanine, every nook and cranny offering different entertainment. A jazz band performed in one room, a dance band in another. There were casino games, stand-up comedy and an art exhibition -- not to mention cocktails and dinner. And then there were the 1,350 guests, including: Otis Warren, event chair; Fred Lazarus, Jerome Stephens, Florence Maultsby and Harold Williams, event committee members; Victor C. March, ABC board chair; Shirley Marcus Allen, Kenneth R. Banks and Virgie Williams, board members; Donna Jones Stanley, ABC executive director; Bruce Bereano, Maryland lobbyist; Kenneth Harris Sr., Comcast corporate affairs director; Travis Winkey, Baltimore-based fashion-show producer; Vernon A. Reid, T. Rowe Price vice president; Stephanie Dunn-Hunt, Dunn & Associates president / CEO; Dale Cousin, Northrop Grumman field engineer; Freeman Hrabowski, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, president; Earnest Hines, American Skyline Insurance president / CEO; Terry Dean, Baltimore Development Corp.

Most people find themselves getting anxious as the holiday season approaches. Before anyone notices that the time has gone by, it is time to plan family visits, to organize extravagant meals and to make travel arrangements. Along with these, each family has certain rituals and attends events that make the holidays complete.Now in its eighth season, the Baltimore area's Festival of Trees, sponsored by the Kennedy Krieger Institute, is quickly becoming one such event.The festival begins Wednesday at the Timonium Fairgrounds' Cow Palace.

The prescription for Down syndrome has long been love, patience and an acceptance of nature's imponderables. Now, scientists are joining parents in asking: Might there be more?Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute will soon start a clinical trial that could prove whether a "smart drug" can enhance the intellect of children with the genetic abnormality.Called piracetam (pa-RA-sah-tam), the drug targets one of the brain's neural pathways. The trial will be the first to use objective measurements to assess the drug's effects on children with Down syndrome.