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Mark your calendars. The Tiki Barge has set April 13 as its opening date for the season. Tiki's manager Bud Craven confirmed the news Thursday. Craven is still nursing his wounds from a March Liquor Board hearing that denied his plans to build a seafood restaurant and raw bar barge right next to the existing Tiki. At the time, the board concluded that the foot traffic to the combined barges would be too heavy for Harborview Marina.  When the old Tiki Barge re-opens next Friday, it'll be back to what fans have gotten accustomed to for the past two years, Craven said.

Clifton Mansion still towers over Baltimore, but decades of neglect are eroding its underpinnings. Wood is rotting on the signature porches of the 19th-century building. Water stains the walls of its elegant salon. Job-training students wear gloves and hats in winter to ward off cold from a wall of aging windows. Plaster is crumbling, floors need refinishing and research must be done to preserve murals, stencils and paintings. The Italianate stucco home, Johns Hopkins' summer estate in what is now Clifton Park in Northeast Baltimore, is about to undergo a $7 million renovation to restore those gracefully arched porches and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Table tips Use rentals. Unless you love your table legs or your rug, rent a floor-length tablecloth – and perhaps seat cushions, too, Anne Berman says. Repurpose items. Sascha Wolhandler lets oversized napkins stand in as runners. They give the table a feeling of luxury, she says, although she picked them up at a hotel sale for $1 each. Sparkle and shine. Use plenty of glasses, says Wolhandler, because they sparkle so beautifully in candlelight.

The Maryland State Private School baseball championship game between St. Frances Academy and The Heights School will be played Saturday, 4 p.m., at Cardinal Gibbons' Babe Ruth Field, 3225 Wilkens Ave.

I was deeply touched by Katherine Dunn 's article about Mike Whittles, the courageous football coach at Archbishop Spalding ("'Make every day count,'" Oct. 27). All too often, I find myself saying that one should "live each day as if it's your last," especially when hearing about another tragedy. But living that powerful statement 24/7 is another story. After reading the comments by all those mentioned in this wonderful tribute, I truly believe Coach Whittles should be an example to all of us. He can certainly add me to his list of those praying for him. As I shared my feelings with my wife, she handed me the article by Susan Reimer ("Ehrmann makes a case for building muscles and morals," Oct. 27)

The fastest man on the planet says he'll attempt to play professional soccer once he brings his remarkable track career to an end. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt , the world and Olympic 100- and 200-meter champion, told BBC radio on Sunday that he believes he has four years left in sprinting, and in that time wants to lower his world record in the 100 to 9.4 seconds — a record he says would never be broken. "I'm definitely a good player — a defensive or attacking midfielder," the Manchester United fan said.

WESTMINSTER — Board of County Commissioners this month voted to adopt a single, uniform policy for Public Information Act requests and update a fee structure that officials said will more accurately reflect costs to the county. County Attorney Tim Burke said that policies have varied by department, and he recommended the board adopt one consistent policy for all. The updated fee structure will include a copying fee of 25 cents per page for requested information. The first two hours needed to respond to requests will be provided at no cost.

Gilman seniors Cyrus Jones and Ryan Ripken combined for 50 points in the Greyhounds' 67-59 victory over Annapolis Area Christian School in a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association BConference semifinal Friday at the Finney Athletic Center in Roland Park. Jones' 27-point outburst made him the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,712 points and helped Gilman advance to the conference final against St.Vincent Pallotti on Sunday at UMBC at 1 p.m. —Nelson Coffin, Towson Times

Salisbury University plans to offer a scholarship in memory of an 11-year-old girl who was abducted and killed just before Christmas. The Sarah Foxwell Memorial Scholarship Foundation recently signed an agreement on the scholarship with the SU Foundation. The scholarship will be awarded to students studying social work and priority will be given to Wicomico County residents who show financial need. The first scholarship is expected to be given next fall. Thomas Leggs Jr. is charged with murder, kidnapping and sex offenses in Sarah's death.

Golf Wheatcroft sets Nationwide marks in Prince George's Open Steve Wheatcroft set a Nationwide Tour 72-hole scoring record Sunday with a 29-under-par 255 in winning the Prince George's Open at the University of Maryland golf course. His 12-shot margin of victory is the largest in the tour's 22-year history. His 31 birdies tied the tour record for most in a tournament, and his 96 putts were one short of a tournament record. "I am absolutely over-the-top ecstatic with this win," said Wheatcroft, 33, who punctuated his victory with a 20-foot putt on No.18 for his only eagle of the tournament.

Each week, The Baltimore Sun publishes a Q&A with an area college lacrosse player to help you become more acquainted with the player and his/her team. Today's guest is Maryland senior attacker Kristy Black , a Glenelg graduate. Black is one of the key cogs in a balanced Terrapins attack, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 37 goals and 21 assists. She still holds several state tournament scoring records from her days as an All-Metro midfielder at Glenelg. She and the No. 3 seed Terps will play in their fourth straight NCAA semifinal when they meet Northwestern on Friday at 8 p.m. in Stony Brook, N.Y. Why did you choose to play at Maryland?

Maryland and Northwestern haven't played during the regular season since 2007, but the two most successful NCAA women's lacrosse tournament teams are well-acquainted with each other. In 2010, the Terrapins won their 10th NCAA title by beating the Wildcats, 13-11, to end Northwestern's string of five straight championships. Last year, the Wildcats took the title right back, edging Maryland, 8-7. This year's showdown between the teams that have combined to win 15 of the past 20 NCAA titles comes a round earlier, in a national semifinal.

The 30 best high school baseball players as selected by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches will be playing in the 31st annual Brooks Robinson All-Star game on Sunday, June 10. Chesapeake-Anne Arundel County coach Ken King, chairman of the event that will be held at Camden Yards after the Orioles game that afternoon, said the lineup will be a "Who's Who" of players in the state. A year ago, fans got to see the Baltimore Sun's baseball Player of the Year T.J. Pipik from Reservoir combine with Ryan Redinger of Mountain Ridge for a four-hit, 5-0 shutout for the North Stars.

In both the classroom and running track, Liberty standout Ashley Ross has shown a knack for getting things done in a quick and efficient manner. She maintains a 4.4 GPA and will be graduating a year early to attend the Naval Academy in the fall. She first plans to add to her impressive track resume as she closes out her high school career competing in four events (200 meters, 400, 800 relay, 1600 relay) at this week's Class 2A state track and field championships. The No. 2 Lions are the defending champions.

Despite a barrage of public comments, many negative, Maryland State Board of Education members said Tuesday that they will push forward with plans to reduce the use of long-term suspensions and expulsions in student discipline. "Everybody gets that kids need to be in school," said board President James H. DeGraffenreidt Jr. "The question is how do we do that?" The board received more than 200 written comments after asking for public input when it released a report in late February, detailing proposed changes that would reduce suspensions for nonviolent offenses.

The Hereford Optimist Club will once again host "Kids All-American Fishing Derby" on May 26 at the ponds at Friendly Farm Restaurant in Upperco. Kids can fish from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in waters that are only open for public fishing once a year. Children in middle school or younger are eligible to fish. There will be prizes in various age groups for largest fish and most number of fish caught. Door prizes will also be given out. Children must be accompanied by an adult and provide their own fishing equipment and bait.

Maryland-bound senior K.J. Hockaday (2-for-3) set a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association record for most home runs in a season with 30, and host No. 5 John Carroll shut out Archbishop Curley, 9-0, in the opening round of the MIAA A Conference tournament Friday. Hockaday hit the record-setting homer in the sixth inning. He set the MIAA career home-run record on May 7, breaking former Mount St. Joseph and current New York Yankee Mark Teixeira's record of 25. Right-hander Trent Shaw (5-1)

Solo Cup Co. plans to begin shutting down its 551-worker Baltimore County manufacturing plant in October and to complete the long process in March 2012. The Illinois company, which is closing two other facilities to consolidate efforts in its remaining North American locations, notified the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation of its layoff schedule Monday. Solo Cup, which makes paper products such as cups and containers in Owings Mills, first announced the layoffs in June.

Kentucky has the Derby. Maryland, of course, is home to the Preakness Stakes. And Pennsylvania boasts the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, an annual celebration of all things equestrian that dates back well over a century. "It started as a one-day horse show in 1896," says Leonard A. King, Jr., 80, a longtime leader in the equestrian community who chairs the event. "We're now in the 116th year, and we'll go for 11 days. Over the years, we've had presidents, celebrities and visitors from across the country, and foreign countries, in attendance.

Their five-game road trip to Kansas City and Washington completed, the Orioles come home for a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox to complete a stretch of 20 games in 20 days. The Orioles' off day Thursday will be welcome in many ways. It will also be the first of three off days over the next nine games. Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he's considering adjusting the starting rotation to give left-hander Wei-Yin Chen or right-hander Jason Hammel extra days rest.