Vendors

In 1993, Defense Secretary Les Aspin invited more than a dozen CEOs of big weapons and aerospace companies to dinner at the Pentagon. In what has become known as the Last Supper, he shocked them by saying that, with the end of the Cold War, America had too many defense contractors and that the companies needed to merge or die. Merge they did. But 15 years later, as the fiasco with the Air Force's tanker contract and widespread Pentagon procurement dysfunction...

The appearance of roadside crab vendors along Ritchie Highway is as familiar a sign of summer as Friday-night backups at the Bay Bridge toll plaza.But the itinerant merchants, who until now have been free to set up shop almost anywhere they please, may be subject to a bit more scrutiny by local authorities.Dels. Joan Cadden, Mary Ann Love and Janet Greenip have sponsored a bill that would allow counties to regulate mobile seafood vendors, a function that is currently reserved for the state and municipalities.

The recession has taken no prisoners: Hutzlers, Zales, Ames, Macy's and other retailers have either gone under or reorganized under federal bankruptcy laws. But one Maryland retailing chain is bucking the trend -- and plans to expand.The chain is the federally funded Randolph-Sheppard Vending Program for the Blind. Over the next few years, the program plans to add seven outlets to the 82 cafeterias, food stands and newspaper/magazine stands operated by the blind in government buildings in Maryland.

Fans heading into today's Opening Day game at Camden Yards may still hear Jeff Ingerman yelling "pretzels, pretzels" or see Junior McCrae peddling his $2 peanuts - but they'll have to look across the street to find them. Construction of a city-financed hotel on the north side of Oriole Park at Camden Yards has transformed the gateway to the stadium, funneling many fans through a covered walkway and moving about 30 vendors a block or more from their coveted spot outside the park's north entrance on Camden Street.

A teen-ager faces up to 120 years in prison after being found guilty yesterday of attempted murder in a shooting that left two downtown hot dog vendors critically wounded last summer.A Baltimore Circuit Court jury deliberated for two hours before finding Jacoby "Be-Bop" Bennett guilty of armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, use of a handgun in a crime of violence and two counts of attempted second-degree murder in the July 17 shooting.Bennett, who turned 17 Saturday but was tried as an adult, is scheduled to be sentenced April 2 by Judge Elsbeth L. Bothe.

A parade of food and drink vendors, selling everything from HawaiianPunch to Little Debbie snacks, have been knocking on the cafeteria doors of Carroll schools."

Seasoned Oriole Park vendors keep track of the score by fan reaction, handle a sale in 30 seconds or less and brush off the spills that sometimes come from hustling up the steep stairs. And they don't take any guff from loud-mouthed Yankees fans. Dressed in the familiar orange T-shirts, the purveyors of ballpark snacks, sodas, beer and hot dogs shared these tricks of the trade yesterday at "Get Your Red Hots," a program at the Babe Ruth Museum. They spoke of dodging wayward balls while competing with each other for sales and commissions.

When the Orioles play at home, Jerry Smith flips sizzling Polish and Italian sausages, hot dogs and hamburgers on a grill at the corner of Pratt and Howard streets. "Two hot dogs, a soda and a bag of chips for four bucks, folks," he calls in a singsong voice. "Cheaper on the outside. Take it inside with you, folks." But this year, there aren't as many folks passing by to hear Smith's pitch. Many of his colleagues blame city construction - but others say the O's lackluster season hasn't helped, either.

The merchants at the Lafayette Market have a reprieve, but it's still not making them happy.Faced with a December deadline to leave the market for renovations, the merchants protested and even hired a lawyer. In response, Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke on Monday paid a visit to the time-worn market at the corner of Lafayette Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in West Baltimore and told vendors the market would not be shuttered for repairs.The good spirits caused by the mayor's visit were short-lived.When the confirmation memo arrived, however, it made no mention of closing sections of the market.

Baltimore County's announced crackdown on illegal roadside vendors over Mother's Day weekend produced no arrests, but )) will result in dozens of letters to violators threatening $200-a-day fines if they continue such operations, permits chief Arnold Jablon said yesterday.A dozen county inspectors, aided by police, checked hundreds of locations on major roadways around the Beltway in the action aimed largely at flower sales.They took names and addresses of violators -- not only of those selling flowers, but people with goods such as furniture and purportedly Persian carpets -- who were told to move on and not return.