Lawn Chairs

"The Dance of the Lawn Chairs," a multimedia movement theater work by Towson State University's graduate theater program, will be presented at the Theatre Project for two weekends beginning tomorrow.Inspired by Alan Ayckbourn's farce "Just Between Ourselves," "Dance of the Lawn Chairs" focuses on the relationship between two increasingly dysfunctional married couples. The piece was conceived and directed by graduate student Leslie Baker, who has spent nine months developing it with her TSU troupe, Ofthe Theater Company.

Sunday, Aug. 26 Festival The Kegs and Corks Beer and Wine Festival concludes at Blob's Park, 8024 Max Blobs Park Road in Jessup. The event also features musical performances by the Kelly Bell Band, Sweet Leda, Appaloosa, Roadhouse Clams and others. Tickets available at the gate. Hours are noon to 6 p.m. Information: 410-507-2186 or kegsandcorksfest.com . Concert Swampcandy performs its brand of Mississippi blues from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. as Historic London Town and Gardens' summer concert series continues at 839 Londontown Road in Edgewater.

When I received this assignment - following thoroughbred racehorses and their trainers through an arduous road trip - the editor warned, "It's going to be a long day." "Where am I headed?" I asked. He replied, "We'll start at Pimlico, stop at Laurel and then down to Virginia, Colonial Downs." My next question was, "Do I have to ride with the horses?" The editor chuckled, confidently declared "no" and explained that I'd be riding in the van with trainers. And then he cautioned again, "It'll be a really long day."

The first City Hall in the Park is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25 from 6:30-8 p.m. at Discovery Park, Greenhill Avenue at Harrison Drive. Mayor Craig Moe and city management staff hold the outdoor meetings as an informal opportunity to update residents on city activities and allow residents to meet one-on-one with elected officials and senior staff. The meeting begins with an update by Moe, followed by a brief question and answer period. After the meeting, city management staff will meet individually with residents regarding their specific questions, concerns and suggestions.

Prime vantage points for Catonsville's Fourth of July parade are a valuable commodity. For proof, take a ride along Frederick Road, where for days people have been staking their claims with lawn chairs. "I can't believe this," said Denny Laumann, who lives in the 1200 block of Frederick Road. "The parade was three days away, and they were already putting out their chairs." Laumann, however, quickly followed suit. "Once someone puts them out," he said, "then you have to put them out." This week, Laumann painted a white bench that will provide seating for some of the 25 people he has invited to watch one of the area's most popular parades, in its 55th year.

Police logOakland Mills: 5600 block of Oakland Mills Road: A resident discovered shoe marks on the front door frame of the house between 1: 45 p.m. and 4: 40 p.m. Thursday, indicating the door had been kicked. No entry was made.Oakland Mills: 6000 block of Stevens Forest Road: Someone took lawn chairs from the Stevens Forest Pool between 9: 55 p.m. and 10: 05 p.m. Thursday. A truck was seen leaving the area.

Maritime concert -- The Annapolis Maritime Museum will present the next installment of its summer concert series from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the museum campus, 723 Second St. The quartet Raw Hands will perform. Participants are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs for seating. Free parking is available at the Horn Point Harbour Marina. 410-295-0104 or annapolismaritimemuseum.org.

What: Lazy Sundays Concert Series in Mount Vernon Where: Mount Vernon Place's West Park (in front of the Engineers' Club) When: 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. Sunday Why: Bill Burke will be strumming his eight-string guitar, and if you bring lawn chairs, a cooler and some food, bam - perfect picnic with great ambiance. If you're away this weekend, other musicians will play most weekends through the end of September. Information: Call 410-605-0462 or visit www.mvcd.org. -Annie Linskey

City Hall in the Park July 27 at Greenview Drive Pool The next City Hall in the Park is scheduled for Wednesday, July 27 at the Greenview Drive Pool and park, off Laurel Bowie Road. Mayor Craig Moe and city management staff hold the outdoor meetings as an informal opportunity to update residents on city activities and allow residents to meet one-on-one with elected officials and senior staff. The meeting begins with an update by Moe, followed by a brief question and answer period.

It's time to move the chairs. More than a week after back-to-back snowstorms buried Baltimore, neighborhoods still resemble a yard sale after a hurricane - littered not only with chairs but with bar stools and ottomans, kitty litter containers and potted plants, Formica tables and ironing boards put down by weary residents claiming title to parking spaces they had spent hours shoveling. But now, the new mayor's magnanimous gesture of not enforcing the illegal claiming of public space is over.

It's time to move the chairs. Nine days after back-to-back snowstorms buried Baltimore, neighborhoods still resemble a yard sale after a hurricane -- littered with not only chairs but with bar stools and ottomans, kitty litter containers and potted plants, Formica tables and ironing boards -- put down by weary residents claiming title to the public parking spaces they had spent hours shoveling. But now, the new mayor's magnanimous gesture of not enforcing the illegal claiming of public space is over.

No need to dream of a white Christmas this year. With nearly two feet of the stuff on the ground thanks to last weekend's record December snowstorm, anything short of a sustained tropical heat wave between now and Friday has pretty much guaranteed that snow will still be blanketing the region for the holiday. And while the storm caused no small inconvenience to people - for retailers, losing the Saturday before Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year, is particularly worrisome - it's hard not to view the big storm of 2009 as something of a success.

It's summer, when live music fills the air at outdoor concert venues. The largest concert - Annapolis Symphony Orchestra's July 4 Spectacular - comes to AACC's Siegert Field at 8 p.m. Saturday. Gates open at 4 p.m. and entertainment starts at 6 p.m. Rain date is June 28 at 8 p.m. For this and all outdoor concerts, it's smart to pack lawn chairs and a picnic basket. From Linthicum to Annapolis, a wide array of musical choices, including big band, rock, soul, jazz and bluegrass, awaits listeners of every taste at free outdoor shows.

With cascades of shrieks and the pounding of oh-so-many teenage feet, they heralded his coming. At the center of the herd, rolling down York Road, was a National Guard Humvee with a lanky young man waving from its open roof. And they cheered again last night as the Olympic champion strolled onto the stage at historic Fort McHenry, celebrating as they watched each of his wins. Michael Phelps played it cool in the eye of this pubescent maelstrom, staring at the throngs of young women along the parade route through sunglasses, grinning far more casually than he had after his narrowest wins at the Beijing Olympics.

Maritime concert -- The Annapolis Maritime Museum will present the next installment of its summer concert series from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. today at the museum campus, 723 Second St., and at noon tomorrow at the Market House pier on City Dock. Deanna Dove will perform. Participants are encouraged to take blankets and lawn chairs. Free parking is available at the Horn Point Harbour Marina. 410-295-0104 or www.annapolismaritimemuseum.org.