Opening Ceremonies

ALBERTVILLE, Ala. -- To Christy Alldredge, 17, France is a place she never has seen or thought much about. Still, she has definite ideas when asked if there is anything French she fancies."

Boating test Today , 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Test Sea-Doo's braking system for free. Hemingway's at Bay Bridge Marina in Stevensville. Trap shooting Sundays , 1 p.m.; Wednesdays , 6 p.m. Carney Rod & Gun Club, 9721 Hilltop Drive. $5 per round. Information: 410-668-1019. Mondays Critter chow-down Wednesday , 3 p.m., Eden Mill Nature Center, Pylesville. Join the staff every Wednesday at 3p.m. through August to feed the critters.

IF NOTHING else comes from the Summer Olympic Games, which begin in Sydney tomorrow night with the opening ceremonies, we may finally realize, once and for all, what an annoying country Australia really is. Here the Games haven't even started and I'm already sick of all these bad Crocodile Dundee impersonations from the TV sports guys and all these corny "G'day, mates!" headlines and sappy "How to Speak Australian!" features in the newspapers. Not to mention all these commercials that portray the Aussies as the toughest people on earth, the greatest beer drinkers, etc. Believe me, by the time this is all over, we could have angry mobs with burning torches marching on Outback Steak Houses everywhere.

With music by Chesapeake High School's marching band and a politician's promise to push for a traffic light on nearby Mountain Road, the new Pasadena Safeway opened yesterday at Lake Shore Plaza to a waiting crowd of about 100 shoppers.Safeway -- a tenant since the shopping center opened in 1983 -- closed its old store at 7 p.m. Tuesday, the remaining stock to be trucked to other stores in the chain, a spokesman said.The new Safeway, in the thoroughly remodeled shell of a defunct Jamesway discount store, is about 80 percent larger, with 51,930 square feet of floor space compared to the old store's 28,420.

ALBERTVILLE, France -- For the first time in Olympic memory, there was a final score to report from the opening ceremonies yesterday in the clear evening chill of the French Alps.United States: no dip.It was a self-imposed shutout. Too bad.The pressure got to Bill Koch, the cross country skier from Redmond, Wash., who had considered becoming the first American in 88 years to dip the flag out of respect for others as he passed the review stand during the ceremony.He didn't do it. Too bad. It was the perfect day."

LILLEHAMMER, Norway -- Despite the turmoil that has surrounded her during the last month, Tonya Harding said yesterday she believes she has the support of her teammates and the American public.Speaking publicly for the first time since she arrived here, Harding told nearly 1,000 journalists at a news conference that she did not participate in the 1994 Winter Olympic opening ceremonies because a team leader asked her not to appear. She also said recent photos of her topless embarrassed her and made her ashamed.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gail Devers was not distraught after she placed fifth in the 100-meter dash at the U.S. track and field trials for the Olympic Games last Saturday. She won the gold medal in the 100 in 1992 and '96, but now she might actually take in the opening ceremonies in Sydney, Australia. "I've never been to the opening ceremonies," Devers said. "I've always been sitting back in my hotel room, resting and getting ready for the start of the 100 the next day. I can't ever remember marching in the opening ceremony of an Olympics or a world championship.

BARCELONA, Spain -- The straw hat belonged to his father, the retired truck driver from New Jersey.His father wore it to age-group swimming meets, took it along on weekend fishing trips. And he had it on the last night of his life, when he was in a stadium bathed in color and filled with joy, taking pictures as his son marched and waved up to the stands.Ron Karnaugh was holding the hat, now, his blue eyes filling with tears, his voice breaking, his brown hair still wet from a race. He had just finished sixth in the men's 200-meter individual medley final at the 1992 Summer Olympics last night.

ATLANTA -- One mention, that's all they wanted. One word, one sentence, any acknowledgment of the darkest moment in Olympic history at Friday night's opening ceremonies.Was that asking so much?One by one, the sons and daughters of the Munich 11 stood to face the congregation at the Ahavath Achim Synagogue yesterday, reciting their names along with the names of their late Israeli fathers.Fourteen of them came to Atlanta to remind the world of what happened on Sept. 5, 1972. Some were only babies when their fathers were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

Sunday, May 29 Concert The U.S. Naval Academy Band presents its final concert in this season's recital series with an oboe recital by Musician 1st Class Emily Madsen at 3 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road in Columbia. The performance will feature works by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Eugene Bozza, Stephen Gorbos and Edward Rosenberg. The public concert is free. Information: 410-293-0263 or usna.edu/usnaband. Monday, May 30 Passport services The Passport Acceptance Facility at Howard County Library's east Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, offers passport applications and photos from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.