Landmark

Once considered an afterthought, Goucher's second Landmark Conference Tournament championship and automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament was waylaid by Scranton's 12-8 upset of the Gophers in the Landmark final last spring. Since that May 7 loss, Goucher (13-1 overall and 4-0 in the league) has been eagerly awaiting a shot at the Royals (8-4, 2-2), who will visit Gopher Stadium in Towson this Saturday. “I think there's been a lot of talk about last year,” coach Kyle Hannan admitted Wednesday.

If you didn't see the debut of HBO's"Girls" Sunday night, here's some advice: Do whatever it takes to see it. Smart people are going to be talking and talking and talking some more about it for weeks. In 30 years of writing about television,  I cannot remember five other TV comedies that have blown me away the way this one did. I am sure I am only about the 50th reviewer to compare it to "The Mary Tyler Moore Show. " But I watched that one as a twentysomething baby boomer feeling for the first time that prime-time TV was speaking to and for my generation in a meaningful way. I am guessing "Girls" will have that same kind of electricity and cultural thunder for people who are in their 20s today.

It's a start. Baltimore City's decision to consider selling or otherwise turning over 15 city-owned historic landmarks to new ownership or management is a step in the right direction. But is it well thought out and does it go far enough? For decades the city's enormous collection of historic properties has languished. It has been clear for some time that neither municipal resources nor will are sufficient to provide the stewardship these properties require and deserve. The situation has worsened with every passing year, so I applaudMayor Rawlings-Blake's recent action.

I totally agree with the "Readers Respond" letter from Roz Ellis Heid, responding to the city's idea of possibly selling, leasing, or maintaining 15 historic City landmarks ("City eyeing sale of 15 sites," March 21). As Ms. Heid, Baltimore Heritage Executive Director Johns Hopkins and The Sun article note, a number of volunteer groups, including Friends of Orianda House (Crimea Mansion), Baltimore City Historical Society (Peale Museum), and the Roland Water Tower Preservation Campaign have invested money and thousands of hours to preserve and restore these historic landmarks.

News that Baltimore officials are considering selling or leasing as many as 16 of the city's historic landmarks - including the iconic Shot Tower and the War Memorial Building - has sparked alarm and outrage among people who fear allowing them to fall into private hands could lead to the loss of a priceless historical legacy. No one wants to see these magnificent architectural gems turned into fast-food emporiums or low-end strip malls. But if the city handles the matter carefully, at least some of them could be transferred in a way that ensures they will be well cared for and preserved for future generations.

City Hall is considering selling or leasing 15 historic Baltimore landmarks, including the iconic Shot Tower and stately War Memorial building, which officials believe are underused and could bring the city sorely needed cash. The idea has excited those who say the sites have been neglected and allowed to fall into disrepair. But some preservationists are worried about an uncertain future for buildings they hold dear. "I've never heard about them thinking about anything like this," said Richard S.B. Smith Sr., director of the Friends of Orianda House in Leakin Park, one of the properties to be evaluated.

After 90 years of repairing shoes and other leather goods, Hack's Shoe Repair, a fixture in Waverly since 1922, will close its doors for good this week. Its owner, Frank Booker, a veteran cobbler who has owned and operated the business in the 3400 block of Greenmount Ave. since 1968, has decided to retire at age 75. A handwritten message taped to the shop's two bay windows tells the story: "This Shop is Closing on January 31, 2012. Pick up shoes: 10 AM to 4:30 PM. " "I was in the hospital the other day and I'm ailing a bit," said Booker, in a telephone interview last week.

Amid optimism and national acclaim, the Baltimore City school system and its teachers union signed a landmark contract one year ago, tying teacher pay to performance rather than seniority. Now, some in the system are, understandably, growing frustrated that crucial details remain to be worked out and that the system has repeatedly missed deadlines for doing so. But that is no sign that the two sides should give up. There's really no alternative to making the current agreement work, and if that means school system officials and union leaders have to double down on writing the rules clarifying teachers' responsibilities and rewards under the new contract language, so be it. The city's historic three-year pact was aimed at recognizing the best teachers and giving them financial incentives to boost their students' classroom performance.

There's a lot going on in Waverly, in case you haven't noticed. Late last month, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed a bill designating the old Waverly Town Hall at Greenmount Avenue and 31st Street as the city's latest historic landmark. The building's second-floor hall had once been a popular meeting place for 19th- and 20th-century politicians, as well as a neighborhood gathering place for Waverly residents. "A lot of us who live in the Waverly area are excited that this has happened," said Joe Stewart, a Waverly activist who is an attorney with the state Department of Assessments and Taxation.

Morris Martick, the colorful restaurateur who ran a Baltimore landmark for nearly four decades, died of lung cancer early Friday at Union Memorial Hospital. He was 88. Friends said he collapsed while walking on Howard Street last month. He had continued to reside at 214 W. Mulberry St., where he was born and his parents had a grocery store that he later turned into his French restaurant Known for his sweet potato soup and bouillabaisse, he charmed regular customers in a bohemian atmosphere at what he named Martick's Restaurant Francais.