Sabonis

If the season ended today, nobody would be surprised if Toronto Raptors point guard Damon Stoudamire walked away with the league's Rookie of the Year trophy. The surprise would be who might finish second.Quietly in Portland, 31-year-old Arvydas Sabonis is having a season that -- if he continues to play at his current level -- will land him on the all-rookie first team.Name sound familiar? For years the 7-foot-3, 290-pound Sabonis was considered the best player in Europe. At his peak he was unstoppable in the low post, could shoot from the outside and was an excellent passer.

Videotapes showing workers at a liberal advocacy organization dispensing tax advice to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute have sounded alarms among Maryland nonprofit groups, which acknowledge they could be vulnerable to similar tactics. "It's a general warning to everybody," said Peter Sabonis, chief counsel for Maryland Legal Aid. "It wouldn't surprise me if we've had enemies of our program come in here in all of our offices and try to show we're violating our congressional restrictions and using our money illegally."

Advocates for the homeless fear a crackdown on nuisance crimes on downtown Baltimore's west side could worsen a "never-ending cycle" of homelessness. The city's state's attorney's office, police and the business community support a crackdown on nuisance crimes, such as public intoxication. J. Peter Sabonis, executive director of the nonprofit Homeless Persons Representation Project, and Jeff Singer, chief executive of Healthcare for the Homeless, put their concerns about the crackdown - which is to include more arrests - in a letter to State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Police Commissioner Edward T. Norris.

Advocates for the homeless fear a crackdown on nuisance crimes on downtown Baltimore's west side could worsen a "never-ending cycle" of homelessness. The city's state's attorney's office, police and the business community support a crackdown on nuisance crimes, such as public intoxication. J. Peter Sabonis, executive director of the nonprofit Homeless Persons Representation Project, and Jeff Singer, chief executive of Healthcare for the Homeless, put their concerns about the crackdown - which is to include more arrests - in a letter to State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Police Commissioner Edward T. Norris.

Homeless advocates fear a crackdown on nuisance crimes on downtown's west side could worsen a "never-ending cycle" of homelessness. The city's state's attorney's office, police and the business community support a crackdown on nuisance crimes, such as public intoxication. J. Peter Sabonis, executive director of the nonprofit Homeless Persons Representation Project, and Jeff Singer, chief executive of Healthcare for the Homeless, put their concerns about the crackdown - which is to include more arrests - in a letter to State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Police Commissioner Edward T. Norris.

The city's new homeless services director has a crackerjack resume: degrees from Yale, Princeton and Harvard Law School; stints in the foreign service in Pakistan and El Salvador; multiple fellowships. What Joseph Alexander Boston III doesn't have is experience working directly with homeless people. That, according to the man who hired him, only made Boston more qualified. "We need someone with a clear track record of being able to manage and problem-solve," said Otis Rolley, first deputy housing commissioner.

Videotapes showing workers at a liberal advocacy organization dispensing tax advice to a couple posing as a pimp and a prostitute have sounded alarms among Maryland nonprofit groups, which acknowledge they could be vulnerable to similar tactics. "It's a general warning to everybody," said Peter Sabonis, chief counsel for Maryland Legal Aid. "It wouldn't surprise me if we've had enemies of our program come in here in all of our offices and try to show we're violating our congressional restrictions and using our money illegally."

Ruling that the governor has broad authority to reduce state budget deficits, the Maryland Court of Appeals yesterday upheld the constitutionality of cuts in welfare and medical assistance programs ordered last year by Gov. William Donald Schaefer.The state's highest court said the Maryland Constitution gave the governor broad authority over budgetary matters.The court said that to reduce deficits, a 1939 law gave Maryland's chief executive specific power to reduce appropriations by as much as 25 percent in any program, except public schools, the legislature, the judiciary, and funds for interest payments and to retire the state debt.

BARCELONA, Spain -- "One and done."Leave it to Charles Barkley to coin a new rallying cry for the Dream Team.One more victory, and the Dreamers win Olympic gold medals. One more victory, and they get to go home sweet home."Crimes, murders, I haven't heard about a good stabbing in weeks," Barkley said.Seriously, folks, the U.S. men's basketball team played its best game of the tournament last night, trouncing Lithuania, 127-76.Its "one and done" opponent in tomorrow night's final will be Croatia, which rallied to defeat the Unified Team, 75-74.

Pro basketballOlajuwon backs out of Shaq showdown because of injuryHakeem Olajuwon was described as embarrassed, disappointed and still hurting yesterday after backing out of his one-on-one matchup with Shaquille O'Neal.The Houston Rockets center, who appeared healthy and mentioned no injury at a news conference in New York on Thursday, pulled out of the $1 million contest yesterday because of a back injury suffered last week while lifting weights, promoters said. The heavily hyped showdown was scheduled for tonight at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J."

Homeless advocates fear a crackdown on nuisance crimes on downtown's west side could worsen a "never-ending cycle" of homelessness. The city's state's attorney's office, police and the business community support a crackdown on nuisance crimes, such as public intoxication. J. Peter Sabonis, executive director of the nonprofit Homeless Persons Representation Project, and Jeff Singer, chief executive of Healthcare for the Homeless, put their concerns about the crackdown - which is to include more arrests - in a letter to State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy and Police Commissioner Edward T. Norris.

Baltimore's homeless need help from city, not more persecution The city's disapproving response to Baltimore's ranking as one of the top 12 "meanest" cities for the treatment of homeless people further illustrates why our ranking was appropriate ("City's record on homeless criticized," March 5). Homelessness directly reflects a flawed economic, education and health care system. To criminalize homelessness is inhumane, especially as many homeless people have untreated, severe mental illnesses.

The city's new homeless services director has a crackerjack resume: degrees from Yale, Princeton and Harvard Law School; stints in the foreign service in Pakistan and El Salvador; multiple fellowships. What Joseph Alexander Boston III doesn't have is experience working directly with homeless people. That, according to the man who hired him, only made Boston more qualified. "We need someone with a clear track record of being able to manage and problem-solve," said Otis Rolley, first deputy housing commissioner.

LOS ANGELES - Derek Fisher was among the first of the Los Angeles Lakers to emerge from yesterday's film session and walk onto the court at the Staples Center, where he and his teammates will play the Portland Trail Blazers tonight in Game 7 of the NBA's Western Conference finals. What went among the beleaguered Lakers behind closed doors? Did Lakers coach Phil Jackson give up his Zen approach for someone more along the lines of, say, Bob Knight? Did Shaquille O'Neal threaten bodily harm - or at least what he did to Portland's Scottie Pippen in Friday's 103-93defeat - to any guard that didn't get him the ball?

If the season ended today, nobody would be surprised if Toronto Raptors point guard Damon Stoudamire walked away with the league's Rookie of the Year trophy. The surprise would be who might finish second.Quietly in Portland, 31-year-old Arvydas Sabonis is having a season that -- if he continues to play at his current level -- will land him on the all-rookie first team.Name sound familiar? For years the 7-foot-3, 290-pound Sabonis was considered the best player in Europe. At his peak he was unstoppable in the low post, could shoot from the outside and was an excellent passer.

Pro basketballOlajuwon backs out of Shaq showdown because of injuryHakeem Olajuwon was described as embarrassed, disappointed and still hurting yesterday after backing out of his one-on-one matchup with Shaquille O'Neal.The Houston Rockets center, who appeared healthy and mentioned no injury at a news conference in New York on Thursday, pulled out of the $1 million contest yesterday because of a back injury suffered last week while lifting weights, promoters said. The heavily hyped showdown was scheduled for tonight at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J."

LOS ANGELES - Derek Fisher was among the first of the Los Angeles Lakers to emerge from yesterday's film session and walk onto the court at the Staples Center, where he and his teammates will play the Portland Trail Blazers tonight in Game 7 of the NBA's Western Conference finals. What went among the beleaguered Lakers behind closed doors? Did Lakers coach Phil Jackson give up his Zen approach for someone more along the lines of, say, Bob Knight? Did Shaquille O'Neal threaten bodily harm - or at least what he did to Portland's Scottie Pippen in Friday's 103-93defeat - to any guard that didn't get him the ball?

Baltimore's homeless need help from city, not more persecution The city's disapproving response to Baltimore's ranking as one of the top 12 "meanest" cities for the treatment of homeless people further illustrates why our ranking was appropriate ("City's record on homeless criticized," March 5). Homelessness directly reflects a flawed economic, education and health care system. To criminalize homelessness is inhumane, especially as many homeless people have untreated, severe mental illnesses.

Ruling that the governor has broad authority to reduce state budget deficits, the Maryland Court of Appeals yesterday upheld the constitutionality of cuts in welfare and medical assistance programs ordered last year by Gov. William Donald Schaefer.The state's highest court said the Maryland Constitution gave the governor broad authority over budgetary matters.The court said that to reduce deficits, a 1939 law gave Maryland's chief executive specific power to reduce appropriations by as much as 25 percent in any program, except public schools, the legislature, the judiciary, and funds for interest payments and to retire the state debt.

BARCELONA, Spain -- "One and done."Leave it to Charles Barkley to coin a new rallying cry for the Dream Team.One more victory, and the Dreamers win Olympic gold medals. One more victory, and they get to go home sweet home."Crimes, murders, I haven't heard about a good stabbing in weeks," Barkley said.Seriously, folks, the U.S. men's basketball team played its best game of the tournament last night, trouncing Lithuania, 127-76.Its "one and done" opponent in tomorrow night's final will be Croatia, which rallied to defeat the Unified Team, 75-74.