Markets

Stacey Chambers has always been on the move. As a child, her nickname was Go Go, because she rarely slowed down. So it comes as little surprise that Chambers, 31, would wind up running a fashion boutique out of a bus. Chambers runs Go Go's Retread Threads (the name borrowed from her childhood moniker) out of a bus from the early '90s she's named Elsa, parking at farmers' markets, at festivals and on neighborhood streets to sell vintage clothes. Chambers started the business in 2010 after she heard a National Public Radio story about how small businesses run out of traditional storefronts were struggling.

Blaming the cost to implement health care reform, the state's largest health insurer has proposed eye-popping rate increases to state regulators for individuals and small businesses. CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield wants to raise rates an average of 25 percent on those who buy coverage individually. Chet Burrell, the insurer's CEO, said the increase was needed to cover the cost of more sick people who will be joining the insurance rolls under health care reform. People with pre-existing conditions were denied coverage prior to health care reform, keeping insurance costs down.

Like Baltimore author Patricia Schulteis, I too have fond memories of eating oysters with my grandfather at Faidley's seafood café in Lexington Market ("Loving Lexington Market," April 11). What the market needs is what other great regional markets, such as Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market or New York's Chelsea Market, offer: Food manufactured on-site. The lack of local produce at Lexington Market betrays the disconnect the market currently labors under with today's foodies: The majority of the foods sold there have little connection to the location.

The Maryland Small Business Technology and Development Center, Central Region is sponsoring Lunch and Learn, Ten Easy Tips for Better Sales and Marketing, Wednesday, April 24, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Maryland Center for Entrepreneurship, 9250 Bendix Road, North, in Columbia. Business coach Deborah Gallant, of Bold Business Works, will present ideas and techniques to boost the bottom line. Bring your own lunch. There is no cost but registration is required by Monday, April 22. To register, go to http://www.centralmdsbdc.org/trainings . For more information, call 410-837-4928

The developer of a vacant lot in Charles Village owned by the Johns Hopkins University has decided not to build a grocery store there. The university supports the decision about the site, at the corner of St. Paul and E. 33rd streets, said a statement released Wednesday by Armada Hoffler, the lead developer of the 1.1-acre site. The other firms involved are Beatty Development Group LLC and Skye Hospitality LLC. The development group, 3200StPaul, has met with residents of Charles Village and the surrounding communities in recent weeks to solicit their thoughts on how the land should be used.

I laughed at a news report quoting an official who lamented that Lexington Market lacked a French bakery. The Lexington Market I know is a place that has a thriving bakery, but it sells red velvet cake by the slice and at a price to fit its customers' pocketbooks. As beat-up and poorly maintained as the market is, it possesses a thriving urban vitality. It's good to go there for a Baltimore reality check. The people-watching is incredible and a lot of money seems to change hands.

Cards started turning and dice began rolling early Thursday morning at Maryland Live, already the largest slots casino in the Mid-Atlantic. Opened just 10 months ago, the casino next to an Anne Arundel County outlet mall rakes in more money from slot machines than any other casino from New Jersey to West Virginia, including those in Atlantic City. And now it has added table games such as blackjack, roulette and baccarat, taking a big step toward becoming the Mid-Atlantic's dominant full-scale casino.

On a stormy April evening seven years ago, an unexpected email inextricably linked me to a cornerstone of Baltimore's past. The message was this: "Can you do Lexington Market?" And it came from Arcadia Publishing, a firm specializing in pictorial local histories. I read it in a last-minute email check before leaving with my husband for the Maryland Historical Society, which was awarding him its prestigious Brewington Prize for his article on Maryland maritime history. Between the rain, the snarled, rush-hour traffic, and the fact that the evening's focus was on my husband, I corked up Arcadia's message until, arriving at the society, I blurted "I've been asked to write a book about Lexington Market!"

In 1975, when asked to explain why Margaret Thatcher was poised to take over the Tory Party, the irascible British satirist Malcolm Muggeridge replied that it was all due to television - and the fact that the telegenic Mrs. Thatcher had a "certain imbecile charm. " That was one of the nicer things said about an "imbecile" who earned a degree in chemistry from Oxford and became a lawyer while studying at home. (She sent her bar application from the maternity ward while recovering from delivering twins.)

The Wine Market in Locust Point is both a wine shop and a bistro. Twice a year, the Wine Market's wine shop takes over the bistro space for its Wine'd Up event. Wine'd Up will feature more than 25 wines paired with hors d'ouevres. All of the wines will be available for purchase the same evening, and guests will be offered a 20 percent discount on all wines featured at the event. It's a great way to preview wines before you stock up. Wine'd Up is 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at Wine Market Bistro, 921 E. Fort Ave. Tickets are $39. Call 410-244-6166 or go to winemarketbistro.com #sigshell { padding: 10px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 52px; margin: 20px 0px; display: block; }