Pep Rally

It smelled like teen spirit in the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center Tuesday night, where a pep rally was held to commemorate the opening night of High School Musical's two-week Baltimore run. There was a squad from the Baltimore Marching Ravens, performing such fare as "Smoke on the Water" and "Louie, Louie." There was a baton-twirler -- Diane Lynn from 101.9 Lite FM. Lynn is a former high school majorette, though she admitted she was hesitant to send her baton skyward. "I'm afraid I'll hit someone on the head," she said.

Boys basketball state champions City and Edmondson will be recognized at Monday afternoon's city council meeting at City Hall. City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young introduced the resolution to celebrate the teams' seasons. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also is scheduled to be in attendance.  The No. 1 Knights completed a perfect 27-0 season when they defeated Westlake to capture the Class 3A state championship on March 15. No. 3 Edmondson defeated Allegany to capture the Class 1A state crown on the same day, finishing with a 20-5 mark.

More than 70 people met last night in the cafeteria at Clarksville Elementary School to develop strategies for convincing the County Council that there is already enough development in southeastern Howard County.The council, sitting as the Zoning Board, will conduct hearings tonight and tomorrow night on changes requested by developers and property owners in the comprehensive rezoning of eastern Howard County.Although last night's meeting was billed as an informational session for citizens opposed to increasing growth, it quickly became a pep rally during questions and answers.

Baltimore is coming down with a case of Ravens fever, known to cause purple vision and unbridled joy. And the cure is still almost two weeks away. In the meantime, area florists are ordering extra purple flowers. Babies will be swaddled in purple blankets, and adults in freshly printed commemorative T-shirts and Ray Lewis jerseys. Pep rallies are being planned, including one at Saturday's Polar Bear Plunge that will feature the Ravens cheerleading squad and marching band. And what will Ravens die-hards eat but a $250 gold, purple and black cake?

More than 500 Dunloggin Middle School students attended a surprise pep rally in their honor Friday that recognized them for raising $12,676 for charity during November. The money was given to Harvest for the Hungry, a Maryland-based initiative that helps local food banks, during the pep rally, which featured a performance by the Centennial High School cheerleaders. A representative from County Executive Ken Ulman's office declared Friday Dunloggin Dragons Dollar Day. "They really, really enjoyed it," said Heather Yeo, an alternative education teacher who also serves as the school's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- At the outset of former Gov. Dick Lamm's speech before the new Reform Party convention here, he thanked party founder Ross Perot for making the day possible, observing that "I wouldn't be here without Ross Perot."That certainly was true. The convention that marked the first of two steps in putting a third presidential candidate into the 1996 presidential election was Mr. Perot's baby, conceived and implemented in his head and with his money. Dick Lamm merely picked up on Mr. Perot's invitation to run amid the Texas billionaire's continued statements that he didn't want to run himself.

Friday night I was fortunate enough to be invited by Binky Jones to his fight party at Canton Station. The party served as both a celebration of Jones' recent success and a pep rally for more good things to come. The party was well-attended by Jones' friends, colleagues from the Youth in Transition alternative school, and teammates at Team Ground Control, as well as students of his from Team Raw Dog. His wife, Sherry, son Savon and daughter Kayla were there, as was Jones' MMA mentor and Ground Control co-owner John Rallo.

Former Baltimore Colts great John Unitas has agreed to attend a pep rally designed to promote Jerry Richardson's bid for an NFL expansion team in Charlotte, N.C.But Unitas' son said last night that Sunday's appearance in Spartanburg, S.C., does not mean the Hall of Fame quarterback has switched loyalties in the race for a team.John Unitas Jr. labeled a report in a Columbia, S.C., newspaper that indicated Unitas had abandoned Baltimore's effort as "absolute b.""It's preposterous to think my father ever would be in support of Charlotte over Baltimore," the younger Unitas said.

WASHINGTON - As members of Congress head home today to face their constituents over the 10-day Memorial Day recess, many Republicans leave anxious about the war in Iraq, disheartened by President Bush's sagging approval ratings and worried that dissent within their party is undercutting their message at a crucial time. With the elections 5 1/2 months away, polls show that gasoline prices have become a rising concern of voters and that the war has left many skeptical of President Bush's policy in Iraq.

The new Sykesville Main Street Association, formed earlier this year, is setting an agenda for the fall that includes a report on its progress to date in promoting Sykesville's downtown area, as well as work to formalize future plans to draw statewide attention to the town. One of the group's kickoff events will be a Main Street "pep rally," set for Thursday, Oct. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. at Sykesville's Town House, 7547 Main St. "It's a chance to let everyone know that we've started this program, that it's working very well, and come see what we've done," said Ivy Wells, Sykesville's Main Street manager and director of Economic Development.

The students of Medfield Heights don't have a National Blue Ribbon greeting them at the door or a name that has historically been synonymous with elementary school excellence. But this year, the North Baltimore school earned a distinguished title all its own: It's now the home of the "Three-Peat. " Joined by members of the community, as well as city school and political leaders, Medfield Heights celebrated its third year in a row ranked No. 1 among the city's 120 elementary and middle schools in overall performance on the Maryland School Assessments.

Special Olympics Maryland will host its annual Summer Games at Towson University, June 8-10. The games include more than 1,400 athletes and 200 partners, as well as 800 volunteers who come to help run the event. Athletes compete in aquatics, athletics, bocce, cheerleading and softball. Residents are invited to join the festivities and the celebration — all events are open and free of charge. Highlights include a pep rally Friday, June 8, 5 to 7 p.m., at the university's Auburn House Pavilion, followed by an opening ceremony, 7:30-8:45 p.m., at the Towson Center.

Go purple, or go to the library. That was the warning some teachers issued to parents at Roland Park Elementary/Middle School regarding student participation at Friday's Ravens-sponsored pep rally in advance of the team's conference championship game Sunday against the New England Patriots. "Students must wear purple or Ravens attire to attend, as there will be many TV cameras there," one teacher wrote to parents in an email obtained by The Baltimore Sun. "Not wearing purple or Ravens attire means making a choice not to attend.

The new Sykesville Main Street Association, formed earlier this year, is setting an agenda for the fall that includes a report on its progress to date in promoting Sykesville's downtown area, as well as work to formalize future plans to draw statewide attention to the town. One of the group's kickoff events will be a Main Street "pep rally," set for Thursday, Oct. 13, beginning at 7 p.m. at Sykesville's Town House, 7547 Main St. "It's a chance to let everyone know that we've started this program, that it's working very well, and come see what we've done," said Ivy Wells, Sykesville's Main Street manager and director of Economic Development.

It was just like a pep rally, complete with Baltimore Ravens stunt-performing cheerleaders, the band playing songs to fire up team spirit and the mascot hyping up the crowd. But instead of getting ready for the next big game, the crowd at BWI Marshall Airport Tuesday was getting amped for the newest addition to Baltimore's NFL football team: Ravens 1. The AirTran Airways Boeing 717, unveiled by the Ravens and the airline, is part of a new fleet of NFL team planes being rolled out by AirTran, the second-largest carrier at BWI. The Ravens plane is purple and black, with the team emblem on the tail.

It smelled like teen spirit in the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center Tuesday night, where a pep rally was held to commemorate the opening night of High School Musical's two-week Baltimore run. There was a squad from the Baltimore Marching Ravens, performing such fare as "Smoke on the Water" and "Louie, Louie." There was a baton-twirler -- Diane Lynn from 101.9 Lite FM. Lynn is a former high school majorette, though she admitted she was hesitant to send her baton skyward. "I'm afraid I'll hit someone on the head," she said.

The final order of business for the Ravens in Baltimore before they depart for Tampa, Fla., and Super Bowl XXXV will be tomorrow's pep rally at the Inner Harbor amphitheater. The AFC champions have mandatory weight lifting at their Owings Mills training complex tomorrow morning. They will then bus to downtown Baltimore, where coach Brian Billick's itinerary has owner Art Modell and the Ravens on stage for 20 minutes, starting at 11:35 a.m. sharp. Then it's back on the bus, and on to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, where a charter will take the team to Tampa.

Sean Paul's catchy dancehall-reggae hit "Temperature" rocked the Long Reach High School auditorium yesterday, as two purple spotlights cut through the dimmed room and cheerleaders tossed each other in the air. The student crowd -- many in the school colors of purple and black -- chanted, cheered and screamed. But this was no typical pep rally. The hoopla was in honor of academic achievement and all those present -- 675 of the school's 1,411 -- had earned at least a 3.0 grade point average or improved their grade point average by a half a point in the previous semester.

More than 500 Dunloggin Middle School students attended a surprise pep rally in their honor Friday that recognized them for raising $12,676 for charity during November. The money was given to Harvest for the Hungry, a Maryland-based initiative that helps local food banks, during the pep rally, which featured a performance by the Centennial High School cheerleaders. A representative from County Executive Ken Ulman's office declared Friday Dunloggin Dragons Dollar Day. "They really, really enjoyed it," said Heather Yeo, an alternative education teacher who also serves as the school's Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

TRIBUTE ALL SHOOK UP The King may have left the building, but this weekend, he will return in many guises for two full nights when tribute bands and artists gather at Lithuanian Hall for the 14th annual Night of 100 Elvises. This tribute to Elvis Presley includes three stages, but most performances will be held on the ballroom stage, where performers cannot duplicate any songs already performed. Draft beer, wine and soft drinks as well as a Southern buffet featuring some of Elvis' favorite foods are included in the ticket price.