Railroad Museum

The little red building is dwarfed by the looming hotels and restaurants filling Inner Harbor East. Once home to the little-known Baltimore Civil War Museum, the former President Street train station will soon be on the auction block. Owned by the city, the Baltimore Development Corp. will put out a request for proposals to buy or lease the building this spring, said Sterling Clifford, a spokesman for Mayor Sheila Dixon. Supporters of the museum say they fear that it will be gobbled up by the same development forces that have transformed much of this waterfront community.

AMONG HIS last actions as the B&O Railroad Museum's executive director, John H. Ott has been hitting up big financial contributors for help with a $7 million expansion. "The past is what we are all about," he explained, "but if we don't prepare for the future, we will be shut out."The departure next week of Mr. Ott and his wife, Lili, is a great loss for Baltimore. In eight years here, he brought stability and recognition to the museum and played a key role in reviving the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce; she wielded influence as director of Evergreen and Homewood, two historic houses belonging to the Johns Hopkins University.

It echoes in the thump of an off-balance washer, the whistle of a tea kettle, the whoosh of a gas furnace, the screech of a worn brake. But a real steam locomotive sounds like nothing else. It is an aural fingerprint on the imagination.Your ears will recognize Steamtown.This National Historic Site, formally opened in Scranton, Pa., by the National Park Service in 1995, may already be firmly lodged in the American imagination as a classic example of pork-barrel legislation -- a park the Park Service did not want.

Baltimore artist Christopher Myers recently created a public art installation in Baltimore consisting of 100 cast-concrete sculptures in the shape of Mad Dog brand wine bottles, each with a spent bullet from a handgun embedded in its base.Myers began placing his life-size bottles in various locations around the city July 31 with the intention of allowing them to be found by passers-by."Conceptually, these bottles are small votives to the city and its issues -- substance abuse, crime, murder, littering," said Myers.

Angered by an invitation he said might "deceive" the public, Baltimore Mayor-elect Martin O'Malley threatened to withdraw his support of a fund-raising dinner for former mayoral candidate Carl Stokes, who is seeking money to repay $23,000 in campaign loans.The invitations for the the $500-a-plate fund-raiser billed the Dec. 5 event as "Unity Dinner `99 In Honor of Mayor Elect Martin O'Malley." Although the invitation prominently presents O'Malley's name, it mentions nothing about Stokes' debts.

Angered by an invitation he said might "deceive" the public, Baltimore Mayor-elect Martin O'Malley threatened to withdraw his support of a fund-raising dinner for former mayoral candidate Carl Stokes, who is seeking money to repay $23,000 in campaign loans.The invitations for the the $500-a-plate fund-raiser billed the Dec. 5 event as "Unity Dinner `99 In Honor of Mayor Elect Martin O'Malley." Although the invitation prominently presents O'Malley's name, it mentions nothing about Stokes' debts.

MUCH OF Baltimore's growth and initial suburbanization was facilitated by an effective and efficient system of streetcar lines. Thirty lines, employing some 2,000 cars, whisked commuters throughout the region. All that ended in the early hours of Nov. 3, 1963, when the last car on the famous No. 8 route from Catonsville to Towson made its final run.This rich history is documented by the Baltimore Streetcar Museum, which possesses 18 irreplaceable, vintage pieces of rolling stock.That 32-year-old institution is now at a crossroads.

Baltimore officials have selected Columbia-based Metroventures/USA Inc. to build housing on an eight-acre city-owned tract east of Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum.The 6-year-old development company heads a team given four months to finalize plans for the former Koppers Co. property at Scott and McHenry streets in West Baltimore. Suzanne Graham, senior project manager for Metroventures, said the company would like to refine its plans and secure financing to begin construction next spring.

A Baltimore police officer was killed and his partner was seriously injured yesterday when their helicopter crashed at the B&O Railroad Museum after nearly clipping the dome of the historic roundhouse while searching for a stolen car.The pilot, Barry W. Wood, 50, is the second city officer to die in five days. The crash occurred as the funeral for Harold J. Carey ended, sending officers dressed for a burial racing from a cemetery to the wreckage on West Pratt Street."The Baltimore Police Department is in shock and disbelief," Commissioner Thomas C. Frazier said last night.

Lamb ChopThe cuddly children's television character Lamb Chop makes an appearance Saturday at Reisterstown Road Plaza. In full-size costume, Shari Lewis' Lamb Chop, star of the Emmy Award-winning PBS series "Lamb Chop's Play Along" and the new PBS series "The Charlie Horse Magic Pizza," performs three 25-minute shows with comedy, magic, games, singing and audience participation, for children of all ages.Lamb Chop performs Saturday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Reisters-town Road Plaza, Center Court, 6564 Reisterstown Road.

Strasburg Rail Road Easter Bunny Train Where:: Strasburg Rail Road, Lancaster, Pa. When:: April 10-12. Train departs on the hour 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and April 12; and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. What:: Ride a coal-burning steam train on a springtime trip through scenic farmland with Peter Cottontail as the conductor. How much: : Adults and children 12 and older, $15-$22; children ages 3-11, $9-$11. Children younger than 3 are free. A dining car is available. Tickets may be limited, so call before you go. What's nearby:: Across the street, the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania features a collection of more than 100 locomotives and rail cars on display.

As spring approaches - it officially begins tomorrow - it's a good time to check on what's in season in the area's arts scene. The next few weeks bring such classics as an appearance by John Waters at the Maryland Film Festival and a performance of Mahler's Ninth Symphony by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. There's surprising fare, too, like an exhibit at the Contemporary Museum exploring culture, science and the environment (Reverse Ark: In the Wake), and a surreal comedy at Everyman Theatre (The Soul Collector)

The Elkridge library, 6540 Washington Blvd., will hold a meeting of its Elks Parent-Teen Book Club for youngsters ages 11 to 17 and their parents from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. The book to be discussed is Cheaper by the Dozen, by Frank B. Gilbreth. The 1950 movie based on the book will be shown at 6 p.m. Registration is not needed. Information: 410-313-5077. The Miller branch library's Tween Book Club, for middle-schoolers ages 11-13, will meet from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 27. The book is American Born Chinese, by Gene Yang.

Attorney Thomas A. Burns will be at Ellicott City Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Road, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 27 for the 60 Plus Wills and Legal Screening Program. Burns will draw up powers of attorney, living wills and help with small estates and deed changes. The program, sponsored by the Howard County Department of Citizen Services' Office on Aging, is available on the fourth Wednesday of each month. It is open to Howard County residents, ages 60 and older. The cost is on a sliding scale.

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 4300 Montgomery Road in the Long Gate Shopping Center, Ellicott City, will sponsor a storytime at 11 a.m. Saturday with author Mona Kerby, who will read from and sign her latest book, Owney, the Mail-Pouch Pooch. The story follows Owney, who wanders into the Albany, N.Y., post office, is adopted by the staff and goes on to lead a life of adventure in the mail service. Kerby, who lives in Westminster, has written Amelia Earhart: Courage in the Sky; Beverly Sills: America's Own Opera Star; Friendly Bees, Ferocious Bees.

Volleyball House in Elkridge will be the host for the Bob Bertucci Volleyball Camp for youth ages 11-18. Bertucci, a head coach at Temple University, and his staff will offer two individual skills camps, a team camp and a beginners' camp for elementary and middle school children Aug. 7-13. The cost is $170 a camp; $305 for two. Information or to register: 410-608-8979 or visit www.vbhouse.com or www.bobbertucci.com. Countdown to 'Breaking Dawn' Barnes & Noble Booksellers in the Long Gate Shopping Center will hold a Breaking Dawn party at 10 p.m. Friday to celebrate the release of the fourth book in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn.

The Centennial High School Boosters will sponsor Eagle Baseball School for boys ages 7-14. The camp, led by Centennial baseball coach Denis Ahearn, offers drills in throwing, hitting, fielding base-running, pitching, catching and strategy. Players' skills will be individually analyzed and improved. Top players and coaches in the area will demonstrate their skills, and the emphasis will be on fundamentals, sportsmanship and fun. The camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 28 through Aug. 1 at Centennial High School.

The Howard County Summer Theatre will present its 34th summer musical, Guys and Dolls , at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and July 16, 17, 18 and 19, and at 2 p.m. July 13, at Mount Hebron High School, 9440 Route 99, Ellicott City. The cast includes 150 from the community in the cast, crews and orchestra. Thomas L. Sankey will direct the production; this is his 25th summer as director of the summer theater. Tickets are $14; $12 for senior citizens and students to age 12. Tickets are available at Music & Arts Center in Chatham Station on Route 40 or at www.ticketleap.

The B&O Railroad Museum will hold its summer reading program at its Ellicott City and Baltimore locations, beginning today and running through the summer. The program, "I've Been Reading on the Railroad," invites elementary school-age children to pick up a reading journal from the museum's store, The Whistle Stop Shop, read eight books and record them in the journal. Children who return the journal on or before Sept. 2 will receive a free book and will be entered to win an engineer's outfit.

Six-year-old Ethan Rushlow was almost finished visiting the B&O Railroad Museum Ellicott City Station when the Union Army caught up with him. Mike Radinsky, a Civil War re-enactor, first had Ethan stand on a slip of paper with the number 18 written on it so he would meet the requirement of being "over 18" (a tactic Radinsky later said was actually used in the 1800s). Radinsky made a perfunctory check of Ethan's ears, eyes and teeth, had him recite an oath and asked him to sign a form.