Necklace

Editor's note: After a young girl disobeys the words of a magic fish, she is turned into a fish herself and sent to live in the sea. The queen of the fishes reveals the only way she will be turned back into a girl -- by retrieving the queen's crown from an evil giant."

Two retired Navy captains injured in a car accident Saturday afternoon after a Naval Academy reunion were upgraded to stable condition yesterday at Prince George's Hospital Center.Toxey H. Califf of Alexandria, Va., and James P. Keane of Arlington, Va., both 69, were upgraded from critical condition yesterday, a hospital spokeswoman said. Califf suffered head injuries and Keane suffered multiple internal injuries in the accident at 3: 30 p.m. Saturday.The men's wives -- Martha Califf, 68, and Margaret Keane, 69 -- died at the accident scene.

I have just been appointed chief concierge of an exclusive office building in Manhattan. The good news, apart from a salary increase, is that I no longer have to wear their dumb gray uniform.Since women have not traditionally been in this job, I'm a bit short of role models.My boss suggests I wear all black. This is ideal because I use black as the basis of my wardrobe.How can I add glamour to it when I go out after work on cold winter nights? I know I'll meet many more people and get invitations to business dinners.

My mother has an old Indian necklace made of many strands of small coral beads. They can be twisted to give the necklace a different look. What's it worth?Coral necklaces were made by members of the Santo Domingo and other pueblos along the Rio Grande in New Mexico. Necklaces of many strands of small stone beads are called "heishi." Contemporary necklaces of that description sell for about $300. A vintage version would be worth about $700.My great-grandmother's necklace is made of "Geneva rubies."

Two men robbed Silver and Gold Connections at Annapolis Mall of $4,000 to $5,000 worth of gold necklaces Monday, county police said.The store manager told police that two men in white dress shirts and ties approached the booth about 9:45 p.m. and asked to see jewelry. The men were on opposite sides of the booth, and as the manager helped one man, the other bent over in front of the display case, police said. The manager told police she thought she heard one of the cabinet doors of the display case open, but she thought nothing of it at the time.

A Severn youth was injured Wednesday night when two men beat him and took his gold necklace, county police said.Phillip John Wynne, 16, was treated and released from North Arundel Hospital, police said. He and a friend were walking in the 7800 block of Woodside Terrace in Glen Burnie about 7:30 p.m. when two men approached, police said.One tried to take Mr. Wynne's necklace, police said. When the youth resisted, the man punched him in the face several times, then kicked and punched him as he lay on the ground, police said.

For the past few years, Dale Capuano has worn the mantle of Maryland's up-and-coming young trainer.Now he's got quite a worthy rival in Graham Motion, 31, who differs in both style and stable strategy.Capuano has shown he can bring along young horses and win stakes, but he still deals mostly in volume and claimers.Motion strictly develops young horses, mostly for breeders, and has a proven high win percentage -- about 39 percent so far at Laurel this summer with seven winners from 18 starters.

POLICE* Westminster: A resident of South Center Street reported that someone known to her stole her gold necklace from her house on Sunday. She told police the man refused to return the necklace when she contacted him by telephone. She estimated the value of the necklace at $220.A Bond Street resident told police that someone knocked a trash can into his auto on Friday, causing an estimated $250 damage.A patron at Champ's Restaurant, in the first block of W. Main St., reported that someone stole her purse Friday.

A Linthicum man was pistol-whipped and his companion kicked in the face early yesterday when two men robbed them at a Linthicum motel, county police said.Sammy Hyun Paik, 21, of the 400 block of Grove Ridge Court and Carlos J. Garcia, 20, of New York had bought ice and soda about 3:30 a.m. from the lobby of the Motel 6 in the 5100 block of Raynor Ave. when two men grabbed them, police said.One of the men pointed a .22-caliber handgun at the victims and ordered them to empty their pockets.

The Harford County sheriff's office has charged two men in the theft of money, clothes, jewelry and other items from gym lockers last fall at C. Milton Wright High School.Sgt. Edward Hopkins, the sheriff's spokesman, said last week that both men have admitted their involvement in the thefts from 18 lockers being used by members of the school's football team.Police said Melvin Bernard Burke Jr., 25, of the 1100 block of Broadmoor Court in Bel Air, was charged with 18 counts of misdemeanor theft and one count of felony theft.