Second Chance

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Tears ran down Lionel Tate's cheeks when the 14-year-old left a Broward County courtroom in handcuffs as the youngest American ever sentenced to life in prison. Five years later, after two squandered chances at freedom, Tate calmly walked out of the same courtroom after being sentenced yesterday to 30 years in prison for violating his probation for the murder of first-grader Tiffany Eunick. The 19-year-old briefly covered his face as his sentence was handed down, but there were no tears this time after listening to a judge's strong words.

A Middle River family who alleges a Baltimore County officer used excessive force with a Taser has a second chance in court after the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday partially reversed an earlier decision to throw out their federal suit. Ryan Meyers' family sued after the 40-year-old died when Baltimore County police responded to his home for a domestic violence call in 2007. Three officers entered the home and one tasered Meyers 10 times because police said he refused to listen to the officers and drop a baseball bat. But Meyers' family said he fell to the ground and was no longer resisting arrest when the officer continued to taser him unnecessarily.

Second Chance is one of my favorite places to shop in Baltimore. It is a DIYers haven. The nonprofit salvages materials from buildings it deconstructs. If you go, you'll find four different warehouses that carry everything from vintage theater seats, to old-school appliances, to decorative accents like glass door knobs. Second Chance is a great place to find unique, recycled goods at bargain prices. In fact, it's where I find a lot of things that inspire future DIY projects. The staff is always friendly and willing to help.

While it's bustling with activity every weekend, the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center in Abingdon is going to be particularly busy on Jan. 12, with three major programs that will offer something for all ages throughout the day. The white-tailed deer survey kicks off the day at 9 a.m. and continues until 11. Harford County seems to be experiencing explosive population growth - and not just with humans. So, estuary center managers need help from anyone 16 or older to determine if the deer population of Leight Park is a healthy size.

O n the morning of Nov. 19, Marvin Williamson was 41 years into a life sentence for killing a man as a teenager in 1967. By late afternoon, he was several hours into freedom, bending his 6-foot-3-inch frame to fit into an old friend's comfortably cramped living room in Baltimore's Pen Lucy neighborhood. He had been unceremoniously set loose from the Hagerstown correctional facility after a brief hearing in Baltimore Circuit Court, when Judge Marcus Shar modified his prison term by suspending all but the time he had served.

And what if Maryland correctional officials had notified the people of Woodbine, in western Howard County, that a few inmates might be working at the nearby Day's End horse rescue farm? You think the neighbors would have been delighted? Think they would have offered to bring over a picnic lunch? It wasn't just "lack of notification" that caused the suspension of one of the state's few projects in supervised inmate work. The people who complained about inmates at Day's End are human, and it is human to fear first and ask questions later.

Things have always been a bit uncertain for Second Chance, a salvage depot and nonprofit organization that has built a loyal following among homeowners, interior designers, commercial builders and art students seeking one-of-a-kind home items - bathtubs, shutters, mantelpieces, you name it - from old structures. Since opening in 2003 in a leased warehouse in the crumbling industrial area just south of M&T Bank Stadium, Second Chance has grown to occupy several leased warehouses.

Everyone in the country must know by now the story of Ted Williams, the homeless man with the golden radio baritone. He became a sensation after an Ohio newspaper's video of him making voice-of-God announcements on a street corner went YouTube. Since gaining national attention, Mr. Williams has recorded voice-overs for MSNBC and Kraft, and he's been offered an announcing job by the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. He's also apparently headed for some drug and alcohol rehab after his family called him out on the " Dr. Phil" show.

In the market for an 1850s barn door? Unique wall sconces? A couple of tiles, even? You name it, and Second Chance has it. The new non-profit business has just opened its third Baltimore warehouse of architectural antiques and salvaged items. From chandeliers to stained glass to wood mantles to a terra-cotta facade, Second Chance is the place to find unusual, vintage pieces from old buildings. Executive director Mark Foster explains that he works with demolition contractors to rescue not only building materials such as wood, metal, plaster, stone and marble, but also antique knickknacks.

A Middle River family who alleges a Baltimore County officer used excessive force with a Taser has a second chance in court after the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday partially reversed an earlier decision to throw out their federal suit. Ryan Meyers' family sued after the 40-year-old died when Baltimore County police responded to his home for a domestic violence call in 2007. Three officers entered the home and one tasered Meyers 10 times because police said he refused to listen to the officers and drop a baseball bat. But Meyers' family said he fell to the ground and was no longer resisting arrest when the officer continued to taser him unnecessarily.

Starting in June 2005, I had literally hundreds of conversations with men and women — mostly men, and mostly from Baltimore — about their struggles to land jobs after prison. Most employers wanted nothing to do with these guys, especially the ones who had committed violent crimes. But most of those I interviewed had not been convicted of killing anyone; they had not beaten anyone or engaged in armed robbery. Most were in their 30s and 40s and had gone away for selling or using illegal narcotics.

Edward Rybolt considers himself lucky to have received another chance. A heroin habit nearly destroyed his life, damaging his relationships with his family and driving him to a bank robbery attempt that netted him a 10-year prison sentence. Paroled after serving three years, sober and gainfully employed, Rybolt credits an unusual corrections program that allows inmates to spend their days caring for retired racehorses. It's an opportunity that he says helped build the compassion and patience he'd need to re-enter society.

Trainer Mike Trombetta and jockey Julian Pimentel teamed up to win three races on Saturday's 11-race card at Laurel Park. The duo scored aboard first-time starter Field Pass ($9.40) in the opener, second-time starter Chelsea Road ($6) in the fifth and completed the hat trick in the 10th race when Pimentel sent Thunderous Lady ($3.80) around traffic. Pimentel rode four winners Saturday, also taking the fourth race with Cho Time ($19). "I looked at the program this morning and thought I had a chance at a big day," Pimentel said.

If it's possible to look back on last year's inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix without dwelling on the economic backlash that turned it into a financial 50-car pileup, it was a pretty cool event. The downtown area was packed all weekend and race organizers estimated that close to 150,000 fans from near and far showed up for three days of IndyCar and American Le Mans Series racing. It all went off without a hitch, until they started counting the receipts. Now, it's time to find out whether the novelty has worn off or the race will catch on big-time and become a second Preakness-like celebration at the other end of each summer.

He was nearly unrecognizable, not just from the guy who played for the organization seven years earlier but from the one who had just been in the building eight months ago. That Ma'ake Kemoeatu (ma-AH-kay key-moy-AH-too) weighed 415 pounds, struggled to run on a surgically repaired Achilles tendon and barely could breathe as he went through a workout that he hoped would be his ticket back to the NFL. The guy who walked into the Ravens' facility in May was 70 pounds lighter and filled with confidence, conviction and perspective.

Not too long ago, Ma'ake Kemoeatu had a knack for swallowing up opposing blockers and running backs with remarkable efficiency. But then the nose tackle was beset by injuries, sitting out two of the last three seasons. Kemoeatu, 33, is eager to revive the past, and his comeback has begun with the Ravens, who signed the free agent on May 2. "I'm trying to prove that I can still play football," he said. "I do feel like I've got a chip on my shoulder. I feel like I still have another three or four years in me. So this year, I'm going to give it a shot.

Jeff Hardy knows what it's like to hit rock bottom. The Charismatic Enigma's 17-year professional wrestling career had seen its share of ups and downs. At his peak, Hardy earned a reputation as one of the most awe-inspiring and beloved fan favorites of the industry's modern era. At his low, Hardy found himself engaged in a battle with personal demons - as well as the legal system - playing out in front of a national audience. He would eventually be sent home from work, deemed to be in no physical condition to continue performing.

Nothing separated the Calvert Hall and Archbishop Curley baseball teams until the bottom of the sixth inning of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship final on Tuesday. A miscommunication on a foul ball, gave Calvert Hall's Colin Gimblet a second chance at the plate with two out and a runner at second base. When Gimblet got his second chance, he used it, driving a single through the gap to center field, bringing home Alex Pastorius for the only run of the game . A half-inning later, Calvert Hall had won, 1-0, claiming its first title in three years.