Logo

A direct-mail appeal to 20,000 mostly Republican voters this weekend is Howard County Republicans' last chance to pull what has been a losing charter referendum petition drive out of a death spiral as time runs out. With two weeks until the Aug. 9 deadline for collecting 10,000 valid signatures to place a charter amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot, petition drive chairman Ken Aldrich said he has fewer than 3,000 signatures. He needs about 15,000 overall to end up with enough valid signatures for the Taxpayer Protection Initiative.

The Under Armour logo painted on Federal Hill with the blessing of the city Recreation and Parks department apparently violated an ordinance prohibiting advertising in public open spaces, including parks. The logo, painted on the grass with water-based paint, appeared Thursday and was removed Sunday after complaints from residents about advertising on the prominent historic site. Under Armour, an athletic gear company headquartered in Tide Point, contacted Recreation and Parks spokeswoman Michelle Speaks-March about painting the logo on the hill to welcome participants in a volleyball tournament held at the Baltimore Convention Center.

An Under Armour logo painted on the hillside of Federal Hill Park is being removed just days after riling some residents, who found it to be a tacky, and possibly illegal, form of free advertising. On Sunday afternoon, the logo was covered up with a dark square and was expected to be completely removed today, said spokeswoman Diane Pelkey. The Baltimore-based sports apparel company will then plant grass seed on the spot. The logo, with company motto "Protect This House" stenciled underneath, was put up to welcome players in town for the Northeast Qualifier of the East Coast Volleyball tournament at the Baltimore Convention Center, Pelkey said.

An Under Armour logo painted on the hillside of Federal Hill Park is being removed just days after riling some residents, who found it to be a tacky, and possibly illegal, form of free advertising. On Sunday afternoon, the logo was covered up with a dark square and was expected to be completely removed Monday, said spokeswoman Diane Pelkey. The Baltimore-based sports apparel company will then plant grass seed on the spot. The logo, with company motto "Protect This House" stenciled underneath, was put up to welcome players in town for the Northeast Qualifier of the East Coast Volleyball tournament at the Baltimore Convention Center, Pelkey said.

The huge Under Armour logo recently added to the hillside of Federal Hill Park to welcome volleyball players has angered some residents, who say the advertisement detracts from the aesthetics of the historic neighborhood. "It's hugely disrespectful," said Paul W. Robinson, president of the Federal Hill Neighborhood Association. Since the logo was added Thursday night, Robinson said, he has received about 40 phones call and at least as many e-mails from residents upset by the advertisement.

The Ravens should be barred from selling old game films that show players wearing the NFL team's original logo, a lawyer for the amateur artist who designed the "Flying B" told a federal appeals court Friday. A jury ruled in 1998 that the Ravens stole the logo idea from Frederick Bouchat but refused to award damages. The franchise adopted a new logo the next year, and Bouchat has never received compensation for the team's use of his design from 1996 through 1998. Bouchat had sought $10 million.

If the Orioles really want to turn things around, maybe they should start with their upside-down-and-backward apostrophe. The team's players sport two caps, one with a bird and one with a typo. The latter is on the "alternate cap" that's usually worn once or twice a week. It reads "O's," with the apostrophe flipped so the little round part - the "ball terminal," typographers tell me - is at the bottom instead of the top. It should be "O's." Baseball is a sport steeped in tradition and nitpicky rules.

Giant Food, as part of a strategy to refresh its image as it tries to better compete with other grocers, is officially unveiling a new logo today. The region's largest grocery chain is replacing the current logo - the name Giant encased in a large letter G - with a more colorful symbol, which is "designed to represent many things to different consumers (bowl of fruit, plant, flowers, ingredients, breads, etc.)," said Ashley Cheng, a spokeswoman for the chain. The chain hasn't updated its logo since 1963.

A Baltimore man has sued the Ravens for copyright infringement, alleging that the franchise continues to profit from a logo that he designed in 1995. Frederick E. Bouchat, a security guard from South Baltimore, filed suit last week in U.S. District Court. The amateur artist has long claimed that he created and copyrighted the franchise's original logo. He says the Ravens copied the image and gave him no credit. In the lawsuit, he says the Ravens have continued to show the logo in various films featuring clips from the 1996, 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Anne Arundel County has unveiled its new logo, one that officials hope will lure people to live and work in the county. The logo, unveiled Friday, is made up of the county name in tan letters, the county seal and a tagline: "The heart of Maryland. The soul of the Chesapeake." "The motto captures the two pillars of strength in the county," said County Executive John R. Leopold. He complimented the simplicity of the winning design, selected from 44 entries in a countywide contest. It was created by Robert Brenton of Pasadena.