Kent Island

A man who made a fortune dressing women in black and white can afford to dream in Technicolor. Rick Sarmiento, the former Baltimore Hyatt manager who launched The White House/Black Market clothing chain in 1985, has undergone another professional metamorphosis - into movie mogul. Sarmiento sold the clothing chain to Chico's in 2003 and went on to start a movie company on Kent Island, where he lives. SarcoFilms just produced its first film, Heavy Petting, a romantic comedy written and directed by Sarmiento's nephew, Marcel Sarmiento.

A deal the state struck last month to buy a 74-acre property at the northern tip of Kent Island has been put on hold to allow the seller time to clean up a small area of environmental contamination, officials said yesterday. General Services Secretary Alvin C. Collins notified members of the Board of Public Works yesterday of the delay in settling the $7.2 million purchase of the Langenfelder Marine property, which the board approved Aug. 1 in a 2-1 vote. Under the terms of the contract, the property owner - Atchafalya Holdings LLC - has 180 days from the date of the vote to fix any environmental problems on the site, said David Humphrey, a spokesman for the General Services Department.

Maryland Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin is pledging to cast a wider net when looking for land to preserve as open space, a move that some public officials and environmental advocates say is badly needed in light of two recent purchases that drew criticism. Under the revised policy, natural resources officials will use "green infrastructure" criteria such as habitat, wildlife corridors and water-quality benefits to look across the state for properties to buy. Previously, the agency used those criteria only to screen land it had decided it wanted to buy. Griffin will present the changes to the state Board of Public Works today.

Two officers wounded Two Baltimore police officers were shot while responding to reports of gambling on an East Baltimore street. A suspect was arrested within hours. Court backs charter school funds The state's highest court ruled that Baltimore school system must spend as much per pupil on charter school students as it spends on regular school students. Kent Island deal approved The state Board of Public Works approved a $7 million plan to buy a 74-acre piece of land on Kent Island promoted for its recreational and historical value.

Humidity wrapped the Bay Bridge in a gauzy film Thursday morning as Capt. Steve Dunn throttled up and nosed his charter boat beyond Queen Anne's Colony Marina on Kent Island and into deeper water. Within 15 minutes, Jesse Girl was scooting across the Chesapeake, its bow pointed at the State House dome. A slight turn to port and the boat settled onto Tolly Bar, a nice piece of fishing real estate this time of year. Then 11 rods went over the side as another Joe and Donna Judge Fishing Derby began.

By a 2-1 vote, the state Board of Public Works approved a plan yesterday to buy a 74-acre piece of land at the northern tip of Kent Island that Natural Resources officials say offers unique deep-water access for Maryland boaters and has historical significance. Gov. Martin O'Malley and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp voted for the purchase under Maryland's Program Open Space. Comptroller Peter Fanchot cast the dissenting vote, saying he believed the price was too steep. "Is this project the best possible expenditure, and are taxpayers getting the best bang for their buck?"

Time to reclaim river from polluters Kudos to the O'Malley administration, to Shari T. Wilson of the Maryland Department of the Environment and to state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler for making enforcement of environmental laws a priority in Maryland ("Md. taking on polluters," June 6). For far too long, Maryland has failed to enforce its existing laws, allowing polluters to dirty our water, air and land with impunity. Just look what happened last weekend: We got proof positive of the pollution in our own Patapsco River and in the Baltimore harbor when 7,000 fish died overnight ("Harbor water reeks of dead fish and algae," June 6)

Lawyers for a New-Jersey development firm seeking approval of a 1,350-unit waterfront community on Kent Island filed court papers yesterday notifying the state Board of Public Works the firm will appeal a recent ruling that denied a crucial permit for the Four Seasons project. The one-page petition for judicial review, filed in Queen Anne's County Circuit Court, starts an administrative appeal process in which the state has up to 60 days to respond and the company has 30 days to file documents outlining its complaint, said John H. Zink III, a Towson attorney who represents K. Hovnanian, which has worked for nearly a decade to win regulatory approval.

The Community Center in Severna Park is selling bricks for an outdoor plaza connecting its two buildings. Bricks can be engraved in honor or in memory of loved ones, businesses or family members. Each brick costs $50 and can be personalized with two lines of up to 15 characters per line, including spaces. Order forms are available at thecommunitycenter.com or by calling 410-647-5843. Kent Island shuttle to end service July 1 The Annapolis Department of Transportation will terminate its daily commuter shuttle to Kent Island on July 1, the city announced Wednesday.

The state Board of Public Works' rejection of the Four Seasons development on Kent Island sends a strong message to backers of other mega-development projects on the Eastern Shore: Size matters ("Kent Island project is denied key permit," May 24). With 1,350 homes planned for the Four Seasons project, this one development would have rivaled the historic village of Stevensville. Similarly, the original plans for the Blackwater development near Cambridge would have increased the town's population more than 50 percent.