Positions

Dan Rodricks' reference to Governor Martin O'Malley's about-face with respect to David Cordish ("This time, rooting for the developer," Aug. 12) is hardly the first example of the governor's willingness to change positions for the sake of political expediency. His justified criticism of State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy while he was mayor has transformed into support simply because of his perception that to do otherwise would jeopardize African-American political support. Never mind that the implied assumption in that perception is an insult to African-Americans—that's a whole other issue.

Behind a door just off the paddock area of Pimlico Race Course , several jockeys are prepping for the day's races. They're handicapping the competition, comparing notes on horses and, in at least one case, going through a yoga sequence: reaching back to pull one leg high overhead in the Dancer's Pose, touching nose to knee for the Pyramid. Perhaps this is also happening in the men's locker room, but there's decidedly more stretching space here where the female jockeys suit up, shower and await their calls to the track.

With USAir planning 3,585 layoffs as part of a major restructuring, the airline's Baltimore-Washington International Airport operation was bound to feel its share of the pain.Now that the May 2 furlough deadline has passed, the preliminary numbers are in: More than 300, roughly 10 percent, of the jobs in Baltimore were axed by the Arlington, Va., airline, according to company spokesman David H. Shipley.USAir, which counted the positions that were eliminated -- not necessarily people who will actually lose their jobs -- eliminated 172 customer-service positions, about 118 flight attendant jobs, and about 27 mechanic and utility positions, Mr. Shipley said.

Denver coach Bill Tierney jokes that it took only four years for college coaches, including himself, to put Eric Law in the best position to succeed. Law has gone from being a backup at Salisbury as a freshman to - after transferring to the Pioneers - a sophomore midfielder to a junior wing attackman to the quarterback of the offense in 2013. And Law has thrived in his latest role, setting both team and personal bests in assists (31) and points (64). “So finally, after three years of playing - one at Division III, one at midfield and one at not his most comfortable position - in his fourth year of college, he gets to do what he does best, and you've seen the results,” Tierney said with a chuckle.

Putting the brakes on spending, the Carroll Board of Education last night eliminated 35 new teaching and other positions and some classroom materials -- or about $2.2 million -- to adopt a $110.3 million budget for 1991-1992.The cuts came at the request of Superintendent R. Edward Shilling, who asked the board earlier this month to trim $2.2 million from the $7.7 million he initially sought in additional dollars from the County Commissioners.The board trimmed the superintendent's initial $112,494,318 spending plan to $110,270,592 during the last of three public hearings at West Middle School.

In bequeathing the rule of his island to his son, Telemachus, Ulysses admired his son's mild manner and accepted their differences in character, saying "He works his work, I mine. . . . To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."Those were the words of Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in a lyric poem published in 1842.But they easily could describe the philosophical differences between departing County Commissioners John L. Armacost and Jeff Griffith, who served together the past eight years."The reality is if one said yes, the other said no," said Julia W.Gouge, the third member of the board and the only one to seek re-election.

The proposed $437 million operating budget that Superintendent Carol S. Parham presented to the county school board last night embraced the spirit of a just-completed efficiency study."

Baltimore school officials said last night they will have to lay off or reassign hundreds of employees in the coming months to make up a projected $21.9 million deficit. Officials presented the unaudited figures at the end of last night's school board meeting and said that it was the beginning of an attempt to put the brakes on overspending this fiscal year, which ends June 30. Officials pledged not to touch individual school budgets or money spent on instruction. Instead, most of the cuts will be made by reducing maintenance worker positions.

Glenelg senior Jason Beall is an athlete for all positions.This fall on the gridiron, he rotated among defensive back, linebacker, kicker, punter, kick returner and even running back, finishing as one of the team's leading tacklers.Now, for the Gladiators basketball squad, it's not uncommon to see him playing all five positions.The customary spot in basketball for the 6-foot-1, 190-pound athlete is at small forward/wing. Through four games, he's averaging a team-high 19.5 points."In that role, we would depend on him to do a whole lot of things," coach Terry Coleman said.

My sons play on a 9-10 recreational team. I wanted to get your opinion on playing different positions and playing time. Their coach has six players he plays in the same positions and the others play the outfield and sit the bench. If the kids are coming to practice and have the desire, at this age and in a rec league, shouldn't it be more about developing all the players and equal playing time and bench time? Jane Singleton, Jacksonville, Fla. DEAR JANE / / At the 9-10 age level, I absolutely agree that players should be allowed an equal opportunity to try all of the positions.

When the NCAA tournament was unveiled late Sunday night, Dickinson - one of just two teams left in Division III with undefeated records - was the only team in the South region with a first-round bye. Roanoke got the next seed, and Stevenson was third, falling in line with the most recent regional rankings . It was what Mustangs coach Paul Cantebene anticipated. “It's a fair bracket,” he said Monday morning. “We're going to see good teams no matter what. So from what we did this season, we're in a very fair place.” Stevenson (17-2)

Members of Maryland's offense were getting plenty of verbal confirmation about their skills from their teammates and coaches. But hearing the accolades is very different from actually demonstrating that talent. The much-beleaguered unit exploded in the No. 11 Terps' 18-6 demolition of visiting Colgate at Byrd Stadium in College Park Saturday. Eleven different players scored a goal as the team matched its output from the three previous contests. Players on the offensive side of the ball credited the coaching staff with simplifying the game plan against the Raiders.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Right-hander Zach Clark's first taste of the major leagues lasted just one appearance, but given the long road it took to get there, the UMBC product wasn't surprised by the news that he had been designated for assignment before Saturday's afternoon game against the Angels at Angel Stadium. The Orioles needed to make both 25-man and 40-man roster space for Saturday's starter, right-hander Freddy Garcia, and Clark - a non-drafted free agent who signed for $1,000 and played parts of eight years in the minor leagues before this week's promotion  - was the odd man out. “It's about right for my path,” Clark said.

Senior Zach Palmer returned to No. 13 Johns Hopkins after sitting out two games with an undisclosed injury and finished with zero points on four shots in Saturday's 8-4 loss to then-No. 7 Loyola. But rather than take up his usual spot on attack with sophomore Wells Stanwick and junior Brandon Benn, Palmer ran with seniors John Ranagan and John Greeley as members of the second midfield. Senior John Kaestner made his third consecutive start with Stanwick and Benn for the Blue Jays (8-5)

Three Baltimore-area women at Florida received top honors when the American Lacrosse Conference announced its position players of the year and all-conference teams Wednesday. Offensive Player of the Year went to Kitty Cullen (McDonogh), Midfielder of the Year to Brittany Dashiell (John Carroll) and Defensive Player of the Year to Sam Farrell (Severna Park). Johns Hopkins freshman Dene' DiMartino was named Rookie of the Year. The No. 2 Gators (16-1), who are seeded first for the ALC tournament beginning Thursday at Johns Hopkins, also had the Goalie of the Year, Mikey Meagher, and the Coach of the Year, Amanda O'Leary.

After Maryland's 11-8 win against Navy on April 5, the team improved to 8-1 and was an early favorite to earn the top seed in the NCAA tournament. Since then, the team has dropped two of its last three contests - including a 13-6 loss to Virginia as the No. 1 seed in a semifinal of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. But as analysts suggest that the No. 11 Terps are beginning to lose their grip on one of the tournament's eight seeds and a home game in the first round, coach John Tillman said he's not concerned about his team's position.

Carroll Community College officials plan to eliminate several proposed new instructional positions for 1991-1992 to meet county budget cut requests."The majority of any additional cuts will need to comeout of faculty dollars," said Alan M. Schuman, CCC's interim director and director of administration. "There's really no other place left to reduce the budget. We're already down to a maintenance-of-effortlevel."Schuman had proposed hiring seven full-time instructors and additional part-time instructors for the next academic year.

Tribune Co., owner of The Sun, said it would reduce its work force by about 6 percent - roughly 1,500 positions - through early retirement and job cuts as a result of a slumping advertising sales market. At The Sun, employees were notified Thursday of staff reductions in letters from Tribune Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer John W. Madigan and Sun Publisher and CEO Michael E. Waller. Carol Dreyfuss, The Sun's communications manager, declined to say which departments would be targeted.

Gov. Martin O'Malley on Tuesday called last week's indictments of 25 inmates and correctional officers at the Baltimore City Detention Center "a very positive development" in the state's fight to dismantle violent gangs in state prisons. A day after returning from a weeklong trade mission to Israel, the governor told a State House news conference that he is standing firmly behind Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services Gary D. Maynard in the wake of a federal probe that found widespread corruption and smuggling at the city jail.

As critics of Martin O'Malley sensed a new political vulnerability, the governor insisted Tuesday that last week's indictment of inmates and correctional officers at the Baltimore City Detention Center was "a positive achievement" in Maryland's fight against violent gangs. A day after returning from a weeklong trade mission to Israel, O'Malley said that the state instigated and acted as a full partner in the federal investigation that found widespread corruption and smuggling at the city jail.