Napata

I agree with your editorial ("The Salvation of St. Joseph," Dec. 3) on the likely benefits of the University of Maryland Medical System's purchase of St. Joseph Hospital. Nonetheless, St. Joseph "directives" effectively requiring that "[t]hose potential patients who might seek care not permitted by the Catholic faith including abortion, fertility treatment, or artificial contraception will have to look elsewhere," violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

So what if state Sen. George W. Della is a b'hoy from an old South Baltimore political machine? At least he had enough gumption to file against incumbent City Council President Mary Pat Clarke at a time when other politicians threw up their hands and pronounced her invincible.With two terms on the City Council -- where he chaired the finance committee -- Mr. Della is a credible challenger. If he can get his belated campaign off the ground, he may bring excitement and substance to the primary election season.

Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke won the Democratic nomination for mayor last night, besting two longtime political rivals in his bid for a second term.Former Mayor Clarence H. "Du" Burns finished second, outpolling former State's Attorney William A. Swisher."I don't get any sense that I am in trouble," Mr. Schmoke had said during a noon visit to his North Charles Street campaign headquarters. "We have a real good organization that is going to produce a good turnout."Meanwhile, City Council President Mary Pat Clarke jumped out to a 9-1 margin over her only rival, community activist Daki Napata.

MAYORDemocratsJohn B. AscherClarence H. "Du" BurnsPhilip C. DypskySheila HopkinsGene L. Michaels*Kurt L. SchmokeWilliam A. SwisherRonald W. WilliamsRepublicansRoy F. CarraherSamuel A. CulottaDan HiegelBruce K. PriceWilliam Edward Roberts Sr.Joseph A. ScaliaCITY COUNCIL PRESIDENTDemocrats*Mary Pat ClarkeDaki NapataRepublicanAnthony D. CobbCOMPTROLLERDemocratsMary W. ConawayJoseph T. Landers IIIJacqueline McLeanRepublicanMarshall W. Jones Jr.CITY COUNCIL --...

The Baltimore City Health Department plans to target Northwest Baltimore neighborhoods with a new mobile lab aimed at combating AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases by offering free testing and information.The van was paid for in part by an $800,000 grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to the Ujima Outreach Program, a nonprofit organization founded in 1991 to offer mobile health care to people in communities with a high incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. Among the neighborhoods the van will visit are Forest Park, Rosemont and Walbrook.

Charles H. Howe's name was inadvertently omitted from a list of candidates in the Baltimore primary election published yesterday in The Sun. Mr. Howe, a Republican, is running for Baltimore City Council from the 6th District.The Sun regrets the error.MAYORDemocratsJohn B. AscherClarence H. "Du" BurnsPhilip C. Dypsky Sr.Sheila HopkinsGene L. Michaels*Kurt L. SchmokeWilliam A. SwisherRonald W. WilliamsRepublicansRoy F. CarraherSamuel A. CulottaDan HiegelBruce K. PriceWilliam Edward Roberts Sr.Joseph A. ScaliaPRESIDENT OF THE CITY COUNCILDemocrats*Mary Pat ClarkeGeorge W. Della Jr.Daki NapataRepublicansAnthony D. CobbRoxcelanna D. RedmondCOMPTROLLERDemocratsMary W. ConawayJoseph T. Landers IIIJacqueline McLeanRepublicansMarshall W. Jones Jr.CITY COUNCIL -- 1ST DISTRICTDemocratsJohn Cain*Nicholas C. D'Adamo Jr.Janet DeSantis*Dominic Mimi DiPietroRaymond A. DypskiRichard Anthony IngraoKimberly LetkeCharles J. Morgan Jr.James PotterJoseph R. Ratajczak*John A. SchaeferPerry SfikasRepublicansJoseph DiPasqualeLeo Wayne DymowskiJohn W. HornJohn Mark NorrisRobert J. ParsonsJames H. Styles Jr.CITY COUNCIL -- 2ND DISTRICTDemocrats*Anthony J. AmbridgeGertrude C. BartelPaige McKinley BeckwithPeter BeilensonPaula Johnson BranchLeonard E. CannadyPamela CarterBeatrice GaddyMichael JankowskiSarah Louise MatthewsDonna Beth Joy Shapiro*Carl StokesBernard C. YoungCITY COUNCIL -- 3RD DISTRICTDemocratGeorge E. BrentPhillip A. Brown Jr.*Wilbur E. Bill Cunningham*Martin E. Mike CurranHerbert J. Duberry...

IN THE very first moment of Tuesday night's televised mayoral debate, the clock ran out on the city of Baltimore.You were expecting, maybe, serious in-depth analysis of the city's troubles? The candidates were informed they would have 60 seconds to answer some questions, and 45 seconds to answer other questions, and 30 seconds for others.You limit Lawrence A. Bell III to 30 seconds, he's still navigating his way through his Pavlovian response, "I'm proud that as president of the Baltimore City Council.

For several months we have been waiting. We have been waiting for any of the eight Democratic candidates for mayor to come up with a comprehensive campaign platform. So far, none has. Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke seems to think his record merits automatic renomination; Clarence "Du" Burns, the previous mayor, keeps rambling on with old war stories; William A. Swisher, the one-time state's attorney, lives in the past.What we are hearing from our readers is disappointment and concern. They see Baltimore as a city adrift.

The clock in the WOLB studio showed the time was pushing 2-ish. It was time for the weekly State of the City show -- broadcast every Friday from noon to 2 p.m. -- to wind down. Time enough to take only a few more callers. "Brother Daren," one of the callers said, "they say you were too hard on them people the other night. But how are you going to make them accountable, if you aren't hard on them?" The "brother Daren" the caller was talking to was Daren Muhammad, the host of State of the City who's also part of a group called the Community Forum Think Tank.

A small group of war protesters with candles that has stood quietly in front of the Homewood Friends Meeting House three evenings a week since August grew to about 200 vocal demonstrators last night during the homebound rush hour -- on what many believed to be the eve of tragedy in the Persian Gulf."