Paralympics

For an hour and a half and 4,000 yards, pausing only to swig from her water bottle, Jessica Long swims. Butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke - a workout she repeats four or five times a week. The 12-year-old Baltimore County girl radiates a spirit of determination. "I am just in awe of Jessica," says Stephanie Weisenborn, the girl's coach. "You don't know she's a double amputee until she gets out of the pool." Jessica has set 11 national and two Pan American records for disabled swimmers.

A funny thing happened on the way to the parade. Earlier this week, when Gov. Martin O'Malley and other officials announced plans to hold a parade and a fireworks show Oct. 4 in honor of what they called "Maryland's Olympic team," 11 athletes were listed as being invited - including, of course, Michael Phelps and fellow swimmer Katie Hoff. But a list of Olympic athletes with Maryland ties that was published in The Baltimore Sun on Aug. 24 showed an additional eight competitors whose names did not appear on the governor's list for the Oct. 4 festivities.

Reading by 9 is a project aimed at helping Baltimore-area students learn to read well by third grade. This section will offer resources and stories designed to help parents and children have fun reading together. KRAZY FOR KINDLE PARK Pack your lunch and head to Kindle Park at www.kindlepark.com This site offers rich-media games and activities for 2- to 6-year-olds and their parents. Sign in as a guest to join Teaser the Fox and all the gang for tons of fun at home in the Activity Zone.

Maryland men's lacrosse coach Dave Cottle confirmed yesterday that freshman attackman Travis Reed will not play in the No. 6 Terps' game at No. 12 Johns Hopkins on Saturday. Reed, the team's leading goal scorer, was suspended for Friday's loss to No. 8 Navy after he was charged with driving a motorized scooter under the influence and possession of marijuana after being stopped by police early Wednesday morning. The Diamondback, the university newspaper, first reported the charges and said that Reed was searched Thursday.

In the past few years, increasing numbers of women have been participating in outdoor sports, with significant growth in areas such as fly fishing, deer and waterfowl hunting, watersports and hiking and camping.Recognizing this change, the Department of Natural Resources will hold its second annual "Becoming an Outdoors Woman" workshop Sept. 13-15 at Catoctin Mountain National Park near Frederick."This workshop offers women an opportunity to learn outdoors skills in an atmosphere of camaraderie and support," said DNR Secretary John R. Griffin.

Tatyana McFadden has dusted competitors nationally and won medals at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, Greece. But the star wheelchair athlete can't compete alongside her Columbia high school teammates - Howard County school policy effectively requires her to take the track alone. That policy - the subject of a federal lawsuit by the Atholton High School sophomore - appears to fly in the face of accommodations made by some school systems around the country that have come up with ways to let disabled and able-bodied athletes compete in the same events.

Howard County Executive James N. Robey presented six awards at yesterday's 10th Howard County Commission on Disability Issues breakfast to residents and local businesses for making a difference by inspiring or helping people with disabilities. Tim Daly, a Columbia resident with ataxia, a rare neuromuscular disease that limits mobility and coordination, was given the individual achievement award. Working with college engineering students, Daly tailored his scooter and mower so that he could mow his lawn.

Furyk rides hot play into clubhouse lead golf Jim Furyk finished with five straight birdies to set the course record at Bellerive with an 8-under-par 62 in the second round, then followed with a 66 that put him at 12-under 198 and gave him the clubhouse lead at the BMW Championship in St. Louis. Camilo Villegas, who shot 66 in the morning for a one-shot lead through 36 holes, also was 12-under and had five holes left in the third round when play was suspended by darkness. He will have to return this morning to finish his round in a tournament twice interrupted by weather.

This weekend is the last chance for whitewater slalom kayakers and canoers to qualify for the Olympic team trials, from April 2 to 4 in South Bend, Ind. The event, at the Nantahalla Outdoor Center in North Carolina, will complete a field of 90 athletes for the South Bend competition. A number of Maryland paddlers have made the cut for South Bend, including kayakers Scott Parsons, who is ranked eighth in the world, Brett Heyl and Sarah Leith, canoer Ryan Bahn and the double canoe team of Bob Bofinger and Brian Zimmerman.