Streets

NBC Sports says it had 170 employees in Baltimore this week to cover the Preakness, and from the looks of the TV package it presented, all of them earned their keep. NBC's network coverage started at 4:30 p.m., and it hardly ever sagged for more than a minute or two right up until the start of the race some two hours later. And that's no mean feat given that the horse racing world is essentially on hold until the start of the race on the day of a Triple Crown event. What I am saying is that once you show the infield crowd dancing to Maroon 5, overhead shots of the Inner Harbor and Pimlico, ground level shots of the grandstand, women in hats, tables full of crab cakes, Black-eyed Susans all in a row, and the horses in their stalls, what do you do for the other hour and 50 minutes?

Ocean City is ready for the spotlight this weekend as the town launches into the summer season with a new laser light show. The O.C. Beach Lights Spectacular features lasers, videos, special effects and lights displayed on a 50-foot-tall sphere that looks like a beach ball. The show will take place Sundays on the beach at North Division Street three times a night - 9:30 p.m., 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. - from Memorial Day to Labor Day. "We're excited about it," says Donna Abbott, public relations manager for the Town of Ocean City.

The Blue Angels — the flight demonstration squadron for the Navy and Marine Corp. that has for decades thrilled crowds during the Naval Academy's Commissioning Week festivities in Annapolis, will not perform over the capital city in 2012, officials said. Traditionally, the Blue Angels have performed an hour-long routine, with its C-130 Hercules known as Fat Albert and F/A-18 Hornets wowing crowds in diamond formation and flying just 18 inches apart at times, over downtown Annapolis.

David Ortiz smashed a homer to right on Monday that was part of Boston's three-run sixth to tie the score at 5-5. It has a little more significance than that, though. The blast traveled past the flag court and landed on Eutaw Street - the 62nd time that has happened in Camden Yards' 20-year history and 37th time by an opponent. It was Ortiz's second shot there, the first coming on Sept. 9, 2003 against Damian Moss. What's most interesting is that there have been five homers hit onto Eutaw (four by an opponent; one by Chris Davis)

Seven-baker-twenty-four unit turns at Mosher and rumbles past that stretch of Appleton Street where Gene Cassidy took two in the head for the company, the first one stealing his eyesight, the second lodging in his brain beyond the skill of a surgeon's knife. Cassidy was 27 then, not even four years on the job, strong and lucky and hard-headed Irish enough that he refused to do the obvious and inevitable thing. He did not die. At University Hospital that night, the other patrol officers and detectives were told it was certain, that their friend would not make it. But Cassidy breathes still, and Appleton and Mosher looks much as it did in October 1987, when Cassidy tumbled out of his radio car to jack up a man wanted on an assault warrant.

The woman sounded panicky and apologetic. "I forgot!" she hollered from the second floor of her North Baltimore rowhouse. What she forgot was to lug her ancient console television out the front door so it could be hauled away by the city's bulk trash pickup service. And now here was the big green city truck, idling outside on Oakland Avenue. Larry Eley, the easygoing 38-year-old crew chief, gazed up at her from the walkway. He wanted her to know there probably wouldn't be a next time.

When Yo Gotti comes to Baltimore, he feels at home. The 30-year-old rapper from Memphis, Tenn., says Charm City reminds him of his gritty hometown. "I like what the city stands for," said Gotti, who performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Sunday. "It's real people doing real [things]. It's no Hollywood" stuff. For any rap fan that has followed Yo Gotti's career - which began in 2000 with the independent rap album "From Da Dope Game 2 Da Rap Game" - his blue collar attitude should come as no surprise.

In Anne Arundel County and Annapolis, officials warned Monday of unplowed residential streets and roads that are passable but narrow and rutted with packed snow and ice. Annapolis Mayor Joshua J. Cohen has postponed Monday night's City Council meeting due to snow. With many residential streets not passable, free parking in the Annapolis city garages was continued until further notice.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller hurled a verbal snowball at the city of Annapolis Tuesday morning, criticizing what he called the municipality's "disgraceful" efforts to clear icy and slippery roads. Annapolitians, he said, "should have better treatment from their elected officials." "This is a high-end city," he said. "It is a very wealthy city. What was good in the 1700s is not acceptable." The weekend blizzard left snow drifts in Annapolis that reached 33 inches, said a spokesman.

For many people, when they think of Baltimore, they might imagine the crime-ridden streets that were practically a character in the HBO series, "The Wire. " For others, the city can bring to mind more sanitized images of Ravens, Orioles or the Inner Harbor. But when Theodis Walkins thinks of his hometown, he sees people and uses pictures and videos to tell their story. Walkins, 31, has lived in Baltimore his whole life. Having been raised by a single parent, he is well aware of the struggles that inner city residents go through every day. A couple of years ago, he decided to pick up his cameras and document what he knew.

The directors of Baltimore Behavioral Health Inc., a major drug treatment provider in Baltimore, have laid off longtime executive William "Kris" Hathaway, as the once high-flying nonprofit continues to cut costs. The board of directors had earlier removed Hathaway as chief executive and put vice president Terry T. Brown in charge of the clinic, which specializes in treating people with both addiction and mental illness. In an emailed response to questions from The Baltimore Sun, board member Jay Miller said that Hathaway was laid off "in the interest of saving money.

A headstone for Chubby of "Our Gang" is front page news in The Sun while a $2 billion bank loss only makes page 16 ("Morgan's $2 billion loss stuns Wall Street," May 11). Banks return about two tenths of 1 percent in interest on deposits, while charging 4 percent to 8 percent interest on money they lend. Instead of encouraging deposits with higher interest rates, they put the difference into a gambling pool and wager on things like credit default swaps. JP Morgan has amassed over $200 billion to gamble with.

Picture yourself in Laurel history on C Street Gallery's Discover Laurel Bike Ride, Saturday, May 19 from 2 to 5 p.m., starting at the gallery, 19 C St. Participants will bike the neighborhood to follow the gallery's history adventure. Bring a camera to take photographs along the way, and then see your photos on display at C Street Gallery. To register, contact Abbie Chessler at abbie@cstreetgallery.com .

A 33-year-old man was shot and killed near the intersection of North Loudon Avenue and West Franklin Street at 4:42 p.m. Sunday, according to the Baltimore Police Department. The man was pronounced dead at Shock Trauma at 5:32, according to Sgt. Anthony Smith. Baltimore City police reported three other shootings Sunday. •Homicide investigators were called to the scene of a shooting at 9:15 p.m. in the 200 block of Herring Court in Southeast Baltimore. The shooter approached a 22-year-old man and shot him multiple times in the head, according to police.

Work and weekend events have shut down several city thoroughfares, officials said. A crane lift is expected to shut down 20 t h Street between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. from Charles Street to Maryland Avenue. A portion of Falls Road at the intersection of Northern Parkway will be closed from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a crane lift and tree work. At least one lane is expected to remain open in each direction. Officials warn of delays. The St. Paul Street and Mt. Royal Avenue exit on Jones Falls Expressway will be closed for southbound traffic from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a crane lift operation.

Death came for Arunah Shepherdson Abell on April 19, 1888, just 27 days before he would have celebrated the 51st anniversary of the newspaper he founded in Baltimore in 1837. Abell, who was in his city townhouse at Charles and Madison streets near Mount Vernon Place, had retired about 9:30 the night before, "fully himself in all save physical activity," reported The Sun in a news article the next morning announcing his death. "DEATH OF MR. A.S. ABELL. THE END OF A USEFUL LIFE.

Commuters who've begun using downtown streets because of lane closures on the Jones Falls Expressway might want to think about a backup plan for Thursday evening and Friday. The Baltimore Department of Transportation will close streets in the Mount Vernon neighborhood from 3 p.m. Thursday through midnight Saturday to accommodate the 95th annual Flowermart. Other city events this weekend will require detours as well. The Flowermart closures will be in effect on Charles Street from Centre to Read streets; Madison Street from St. Paul to Cathedral streets; and Mount Vernon Place from Cathedral to St. Paul streets.

Parts of two downtown streets were closed for three hours Friday afternoon after a coolant leak at the University of Maryland Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. A contractor working in the basement broke a valve to a refrigeration system in a tank that holds coolant gas, Sharon Boston said. Because the gas can be an irritant, a Fire Department hazardous-materials team vented the gas outside as a precaution, the spokeswoman said. Lombard Street was closed between Penn and Greene streets, and Greene was closed between Lombard and Baltimore streets to accommodate emergency equipment.

Lifehouse Church of Laurel will provide free parking and shuttle service from the church campus to and from the Main Street Festival Saturday, May 12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The church is located at 1102 Montgomery St. Shuttle service will run approximately every 30 minutes. Parking and shuttle are provided as a service to the community.

As of 9 a.m. Thursday, traffic was slow on I-895 southbound near Lombard Street, due to an accident involving three vehicles. Emergency roadwork was blocking traffic on the ramp from I-70 eastbound near I-695 in Baltimore County. King Avenue was closed near Franklin Square Drive in Rosedale due to repair work on a broken water main. Light rail service is suspended between the Timonium and Hunt Valley stations due to construction work. A shuttle bus service is available instead.