O Brien

St. Mary's College of Maryland President Jane Margaret "Maggie" O'Brien, who is widely credited with developing and promoting the highly regarded public honors college, announced yesterday that she would step down by 2010. In her nearly 13 years as president, O'Brien intensified the school's curriculum and elevated its recognition nationwide, landing the college a spot on several magazine lists of the nation's top public colleges. When O'Brien, 55, became president in 1996, the college was on the cusp of becoming better known for academics than partying.

In a solemn and symbolically rich ceremony, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien was installed yesterday as leader of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, vowing to draw men to the priesthood, intensify the fight against abortion and help the vulnerable who live in the city. And he began humbly. "I come to you no genius, and with limited talents and abilities ... but I pledge to you before God and his people: Whatever I am, and all that I have, I give to you," he said in his homily. O'Brien became the 15th archbishop of the nation's first archdiocese in the two-hour Mass of installation at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in North Baltimore, taking over for Cardinal William H. Keeler, who held the post for 18 years.

On October 8, 2007, BETTY JO BURDGE O'BRIEN of Towson, MD, formerly of Washington, DC. Devoted mother of Gregory V. Ottensmeyer, James Erick Moskos and the late Gary Ottensmeyer. Loving sister of Joseph F. Harris. Also survived by seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Services will be held at Mountain Christian Church, Joppa, MD, in the Cook Auditorium on Friday, October 12, 2007 at 1 P.M. Interment will be in the adjoining church cemetery. Friends may call at the family owned McComas Funeral Home, P.A., Abingdon, MD, on Thursday, October 11, 2007 from 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. Those who desire may contribute to Mountain Christian Church, 1824 Mountain Road, Joppa, MD, 21085.

A new campaign to coax ordinary, camera-shy Baltimoreans into making video tributes to their city has already found a taker: Molly Shattuck. A video starring the retired Ravens cheerleader and wife of Constellation Energy CEO Mayo Shattuck popped up on the city tourism Web site the other day -- just as tourism officials announced an effort to promote Baltimore with independent videos. The "Visit My Baltimore" campaign claims to be looking for unpolished, YouTube-y authenticity. What they got in the Shattuck video were slick production values and, at the start anyway, a featured activity unavailable to the average mortal, much less the average tourist: professional cheerleading.

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Jordan Steffy is listed as Maryland's starting quarterback in the first preseason depth chart, followed by Josh Portis and Chris Turner. Whether it stays that way is uncertain, but two of Steffy's teammates yesterday agreed that so far the junior has shown the best combination of knowledge and skill. "That is a great asset to Steffy. That's why he's seen as the heir apparent," senior guard Andrew Crummey said at the Atlantic Coast Conference's Football Kickoff media day. "It doesn't guarantee anything, but it definitely gives him a huge lead in the fact he understands the system probably the best."

Now we're talking. "Our city has been in crisis for decades," Baltimore's new archbishop, Edwin O'Brien, said shortly after his installation yesterday. From using "our" in reference to his new city, to bluntly noting the drugs, violence and poverty that beset it, O'Brien sent off signals as loud and clear as the pealing church bells that ended his official induction as Baltimore's 15th Roman Catholic archbishop: This was a church leader who would not retreat behind the cathedral doors but would emerge to mix it up a bit. Good for him. If it's not too sacrilegious, let me say to his Excellency, "Welcome to Baltimore, hon."

Man sentenced in friend's strangling A recovering alcoholic who strangled a friend he met in treatment, then stayed for two days at her Maryland City home alongside her body was sentenced yesterday to 18 months in prison in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Paul Harris said that according to trial testimony, the killing was the result of a heated dispute that became "violent and out of control" on June 4 between Christopher Perkins O'Brien, 34, and archaeologist Katherine White, 32. White had befriended O'Brien while they were in rehabilitation for alcohol abuse and offered to let him stay with her upon his release.

Concert -- Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts will present a Valentine's Day Emerging Artists Showcase at 7:30 p.m. today at 801 Chase St., Annapolis. The show will feature singer-songwriter couples Jen and Scott Smith (above), Brian Gundersdorf and Katie Graybeal, and Andy Fox and Denise O'Brien. Tickets are $15, $10 for students, seniors and MHCA members. 410-280-5640 or www.marylandhall.org.

Every year he has been a head coach, North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien has hired a media coach to spend one day of preseason camp instructing his players on how to speak with reporters. When he left Boston College before this season after 10 years there, O'Brien brought with him the same media coach he used in Chestnut Hill, Mass. O'Brien yesterday voiced support for Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, whose highly publicized postgame tirade against Oklahoman columnist Jenni Carlson raised the issue of criticizing college athletes.

The coaching rivalry between Jim Calhoun and Jim O'Brien dates back to when they came into the Big East together in 1986. The first official function was at a league get-together on a Florida beach. "It seems like 100 years ago," Calhoun said last week.There were 25 games played between Calhoun's Huskies teams and O'Brien's teams at Boston College over 11 seasons. Connecticut won 22 of them, including the last 18 before O'Brien left for Ohio State last season."We should be the big underdog, it's 9,000-to-1 that you keep doing that," Calhoun said.

Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien is in, and Cardinal William H. Keeler is out at the archbishop's official residence on North Charles Street. O'Brien, who has been living in an apartment owned by the Society of the Priests of St. Sulpice in North Baltimore since coming to the city in July 2007, will move into the Greek revival building adjacent to the Baltimore Basilica in the fall, the archdiocese announced on Tuesday. Keeler, who hosted Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa in what is believed to be the oldest archbishop's residence in the United States, will be moving to a Roman Catholic retirement community in Baltimore County.

You have to admit late-night TV has become a lot more interesting in the past two weeks, since Jay Leno, who consistently dominated the competition, left for prime time. Two weeks ago all eyes were on Conan O'Brien, who struggled in his much-hyped opening nights to find the right voice - especially when it came to the monologue, his great and glaring weakness. Last week, David Letterman was all the buzz with crude jokes about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughters - and Palin's angry response that stopped just short of labeling him a sexual "pervert" - her word, not mine.

The leaders of the city's Catholic, Jewish and Muslim faiths have a plan to turn Baltimore's summer into the "summer of peace." But they complained Wednesday that the mayor is making their efforts difficult because of plans to close recreation centers and pools and curtail library hours. Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien mentioned the issue in passing in his remarks after meeting with city officials on preventing youth crime, but when questioned he openly leaped into the political fray and called for the city's chief executive to reverse course.

Cynthia Nixon and Christine Marinoni are engaged Cynthia Nixon is engaged to her partner, Christine Marinoni. Charlotte Burke, a representative for the Sex and the City actress, confirmed the engagement. No other details were given. Nixon showed off an engagement ring at an ActionMarriage Equality rally in midtown Manhattan on Sunday. She has two children from her relationship with photographer Danny Mozes. Will Ferrell, Pearl Jam set for O'Brien's first 'Tonight Show' Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam will be part of Conan O'Brien's first Tonight Show.

Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien is suggesting that priests refrain from serving wine at communion during Mass this Sunday as a precaution against the spread of swine flu. He also is recommending that parishioners refrain from personal contact with each other while making the sign of peace or saying the Our Father. O'Brien, the spiritual leader of the area's 500,000 Roman Catholics, made the suggestions in a letter Thursday addressed to priests, nuns and laypeople. All six of the probable swine flu cases reported in Maryland come from within the geographical boundaries of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

The St. Joseph Medical Center board of directors has appointed an outside executive to run the Towson hospital during a federal investigation of its financial dealings with an affiliated doctors group, a spokeswoman confirmed yesterday. Beth O'Brien, senior vice president for operations at the Denver-based Catholic Health Initiative, which owns St. Joseph and 71 other hospitals, was named Thursday to the post. Three unnamed hospital executives have stepped down from their jobs to avoid a conflict of interest during the inquiry, the scope of which is unknown.

As his friends tell it, Danny Coverston rarely met a person he didn't like. The word around Towson University is that Coverston, 22, was consistently amiable and gregarious and liked nothing more than a good laugh. He had a whopping 787 friends on Facebook. Which is why no one could imagine yesterday why anybody would want to kill him. "I don't think I knew anyone who did not like him," said Daniel Abraham, a sports columnist at The Towerlight, the campus newspaper, who once lived in the same Lachlan Circle apartment that later became Coverston's home and the place where his body was found Saturday afternoon, with a fatal gunshot wound in the head.

St. Mary's College of Maryland President Jane Margaret "Maggie" O'Brien, who is widely credited with developing and promoting the highly regarded public honors college, announced yesterday that she would step down by 2010. In her nearly 13 years as president, O'Brien intensified the school's curriculum and elevated its recognition nationwide, landing the college a spot on several magazine lists of the nation's top public colleges. When O'Brien, 55, became president in 1996, the college was on the cusp of becoming better known for academics than partying.

How do you pack up a Broadway musical and take it on the road? You get a really, really big suitcase. The first national tour of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! officially opens tonight at the Hippodrome Theatre (after two preview performances), when a cast of two-dozen performers shuffles across the stage in red, pointy-toed Who shoes. Putting together the $4 million national tour in Charm City requires nine semi-trailer trucks, a stage-floor-to-ceiling tree with star hung askew, a realistic rendition of Mount Crumpet with a sleigh full of presents teetering at the top, and catwalks full of confetti "snow."

One by one, the people at the meeting stood and spoke, voices sharp with indignation. Their concerns, directed at the pastor onstage, were based on a single imperative: Keep your megachurch out of our neighborhood. The gathering a few days ago in Timonium, convened at the invitation of the Rev. Daniel K. O'Brien of Grace Fellowship Church, had been intended to assuage residents' concerns about his plans to build a 2,500-seat church on the site of the 30-acre Padonia Park Club, whose owner has agreed to sell the property.