Main Office

With traffic slowed to a crawl, the masts of television news vans raised skyward out front and music blaring from radio station disc jockeys across the street, it seemed like the opening of a hot dance club or even a Hollywood premiere. But the site of yesterday evening's gala was the 900 block of E. Fayette St. - in and around Baltimore's main post office - and if the affair had to be named, it might have been called The Procrastinators' Ball. It happens just about every April 15 - or, when that date falls on a weekend, the Monday after - with the deadline to file income tax returns.

Seeking to build on newly reconstructed public housing in East Baltimore and other improvements, Baltimore's economic development agency wants to create a downtown business park to attract companies that can provide jobs for city residents.Baltimore Development Corp. intends to spend up to $3.5 million in voter-approved economic development bond funds to purchase up to 71 properties along a four-block stretch of the Fayette Street corridor, across the street from the main post office.The agency wants to raze the buildings, many of which are underused and derelict, consolidate the lots into three to five development parcels, and offer the properties to businesses willing to move to the area.

Inside the cavernous Baltimore post office downtown, James A. Nemec watched as a stream of letters flew by like Indy cars through a noisy sorting machine. "I feel really confident," said Nemec, who is acting postmaster. "If the mail is inducted into this plant, it is going to be delivered." Neither he nor any other postal employee in Baltimore would have dared been so bold a few years ago. In 1994, Baltimore's mail service was ranked by PricewaterhouseCoopers as the worst in the country.

After nearly a year's delay, the new Westminster post office opened yesterday, promising shorter lines, quicker service and more than enough parking.Postal employees, spit-polished in pressed shirts and ties, stood at the entrance to the building at 345 Woodward Road in Englar Business Park and greeted customers. Many patrons looked a little wide-eyed and lost as they walked into the $2.7 million facility.That is understandable -- it is not the post office they once knew.For starters, the new building has 64 parking spaces out front.

ELK LICK, W.Va. -- The six children of Ronald and Eileen Jarvis came of age in treehouses over swamps and in a rickety 60-year-old boat.For seven years they lived a real-life version of "Swiss Family Robinson." No one knew where they were. And while they traveled from West Virginia to Maryland to Florida, they never stepped into a classroom or visited a doctor's office. They made money doing odd jobs and selling handmade wooden carvings.Then, in June, U.S. marshals caught up with them.Ronald and Eileen Jarvis are back in West Virginia, in jail awaiting trial on drug charges.

Timothy R. Streett, a Bel Air lawyer and outdoorsman, died Saturday of complications from cardiac arrhythmia at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. He was 53. Timothy Ryan Streett, whose father owns Boyd & Fulford Drugs in Bel Air, was born in Baltimore and raised in Bel Air. He was a 1977 graduate of Bel Air High School, where he played varsity football. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1981 from what is now McDaniel College. Mr. Streett earned a law degree from the Shepard Broad Law Center, which is the law school of Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla. A solo practitioner, Mr. Streett worked from a Main Street office in Bel Air as a criminal defense attorney for nearly 30 years.

Tickets for the wrestling match between North Carroll and host Francis Scott Key scheduled for Wednesday will go on sale tomorrow.Tickets, which are $3 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens, can be purchased in the main office at Francis Scott Key.Those wishing to attend the match are urged to buy tickets in advance because none will be sold at the door once the gymnasium reaches full capacity.

SARSOTA, Fla. --It's split-squad day! Today marks the first of two Orioles' split-squad dates but this is the only day-night split-squad day-night double header. The Orioles travel team will board the bus from Sarasota at 8:45 a.m. and head to Tampa to face the Yankees.  I'll be providing updates from Steinbrenner Field as right-hander Jake Arrieta starts for the Orioles. Columnist Peter Schmuck will be covering the Orioles nightcap home game against the Red Sox here at Ed Smith Stadium.

Submitting sports notices The deadline for submitting sports copy is 9 a.m. on Monday. We prefer email (howardcountysports@patuxent.com). Lacrosse The Howard Boys Lacrosse program is offering two camps this summer at Howard High School. The first camp will be for grades 6-8 (July 8-11). The second camp will be for grades 2-5 (July 15-18). Call 410-313-7275 for registration or 410-313-4716 for more information. Football The Mt. Hebron football program is sponsoring the 2nd annual Parking Lot Extravaganza on May 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Mt. Hebron student parking lot. The event includes a flea market, scrap iron drop off, comfort food sales and much more.

PeopleAmy Seitz has been appointed marketing and communications manager for Howard County Economic Development Authority. She will be responsible for strategic marketing and communications programs and the authority's Business Resource Center.Rodney E. Reed, formerly a consumer lender and assistant treasurer with Citizen's Bank, has been hired as assistant vice president/consumer lender by CFBank (Commercial & Farmers), a community bank based in Howard County. He will be responsible for consumer lending policies.