Share

Orlando Ridout V, a historian of early Maryland buildings who explored crawl spaces and attics for their social and architectural details, died of pancreatic cancer complications April 6 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. The lifelong Annapolis resident was 59. "He literally wrote the book on Annapolis and its 18th-century architectural history," said Pete Lesher, chief curator at Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. "He was one of those persons whose reputations literally did precede him. When I first met him, I expected a button-down look.

Millennial Media's stock has lost three-fourths of its value since the Canton company went public a year ago as an established force in the mobile advertising market. Ask CEO Paul Palmieri about that, and he'll repeat what he deems wise words from a prominent contemporary. "I care very much about our share owners, and so I care very much about our long-term share price," Palmieri said, quoting from an interview Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos gave to the Harvard Business Review in January.

The Pissaladiere Nicoise, an onion tart studded with black olives and anchovies, is being passed around to the dinner guests while the Navets a la Champenoise, a turnip casserole, and braised stuffed breast of veal finish in the oven. A French Frisee salad with lardons (bacon) and quail eggs will be served, followed by a dessert course of Tarte aux Pommes (apple tart) and Reine de Saba Cake, a chocolatey confection also known as Queen of Sheba Cake. In other words, it's fancy-schmancy.

Legg Mason Inc.'s stock, which has struggled to recover from the financial crisis, hit a new 52-week high last week. It could be a harbinger of a turnaround at the Baltimore-based money manager. Or Legg shares simply may be riding the recent record-setting rally in the stock market. Legg's stock closed Thursday at a yearly high of $32.13 per share — territory the stock hasn't traded in since July 2011. The stock retreated slightly Friday, closing down 18 cents at $31.95, but even so, its shares are up 24 percent this year.

What pesticides are Maryland families exposed to on a regular basis? Good luck finding out. There's simply no way for the average person to discover what chemicals are being applied to farm fields or even backyards. Worse, it's nearly impossible for anyone in the public health field to find out either. Should doctors discover an unusually high incidence in Maryland of leukemia or other cancer that might be associated with environmental exposure, they'd be hard-pressed to analyze the risk from pesticides.

While it might be tough to imagine heading out to a local farm for an armful of fresh vegetables when it's still chilly, it's almost that time of year. Harford County farms are gearing up for growing season, and that means it's time to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture program. CSAs, if you don't know, are programs run by (usually) small farms that allow nearby residents to buy a share of their growing season crops. The result: An upfront fee gets you a weekly trip to the farm for a load of produce from about May through October or even November.

As I travel on local roads I often see cyclists or biking clubs out for a spin. They pay nothing for the right to use the roads, yet we car owners pay a gasoline tax and a license fee for the privilege, and the more we drive the more we pay. Isn't it time for all those who ride bikes to pay their fair share? It's time to tag bicycles just as we do cars. Instead of increasing the gasoline tax, why not charge cyclists a yearly licensing fee and have them help with road construction, maintenance and repair?

Two former patients of Johns Hopkins gynecologist Dr. Nikita Levy filed lawsuits against him and his former employer Friday over concerns that he might have secretly photographed them, as a victims advocacy group joined lawyers in pressing for more information from an ongoing criminal inquiry. Together, the complaints seek tens of millions of dollars in damages from Levy and Hopkins, with charges including negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Shares of Baltimore's Millennial Media Inc. on Wednesday lost nearly 38 percent of their value, closing at $8.95. Fourth-quarter earnings announced Tuesday disappointed analysts and led to a sharp decline in after-hours trading. The stock closed Tuesday at $14.33 and opened Wednesday at $9.81. The mobile device advertising company reported it had a profit of 3 cents per share - $2.6 million in all - in the quarter ending Dec. 31, falling short of expectations. Projections for this year - the company said it expects revenue to range from $270 million to $280 million - also disappointed some analysts.

As a motorcyclist, I am always fascinated by the concerns of bicyclists as to helmets ("Helmet bills gets objections from bike advocates," Feb. 13). If you switched the mode of transportation, you would see the same arguments apply. Yet motorcyclists are not allowed the same opportunity afforded the others. We are required to wear helmets, period. Bicyclists are only required to wear them if they are under 16 years old. Both bicyclists and motorcyclists have to obey the laws that apply to all motor vehicles including speed limits, stop signs, yield signs or any other traffic control devices.