Waiting

Before sunrise Monday, Kevin and Shelley Taylor set out from their Millersville home to a new employment center for the Maryland Live! Casino, a slots parlor next to the Arundel Mills mall seeking workers for 1,500 jobs. Having tracked the progress of what will be the state's largest casino, the Taylors believe the facility could provide opportunity for their five-member family. Though Kevin Taylor has a job, he wants a better-paying one. And Shelley Taylor has been out of work for several months.

Revelers in the Preakness Infield were jovial Saturday morning, staking out prime spots -- near the track for some, and near concert stages for others. Lines for betting moved quickly, while the wait for those paying $20 extra for a refillable beer mug quickly swelled to a 30-minute wait. "I'm in it for the experience," said Megan Yardchik, a Federal Hill resident attending her third-straight Preakness in a wide-brimmed, gold and white straw hat. Yardchik and friends Leah Rogan and Matthew Egan staked out a spot near the Jagermeister tent in the middle of the infield, indifferent to the horses circling them but for the chance to win money off of them.

The woman who says she represents North American Power is not telling the truth about the benefits of buying electricity from her company. "You can save up to 10, 15, 20 percent of your bill, depending on your usage," she says in a telemarketing call to my house. But the rate she eventually quotes is only about 7 percent less than the standard price offered by Baltimore Gas & Electric — something the average customer would have no way of knowing. And of course the percentage savings won't vary even if my "usage" goes up to that of a steel mill.

While your co-workers hover around the water cooler debating whether it matters if Mitt Romney bullied some kid in his youth, a formerly First World nation called Greece is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Why, you might ask, should Middle America pry its overworked eyes away from Jennifer Lopez gyrating around in a bodysuit on "American Idol" long enough to bother caring? Now replace "Greece" with "your bank. " It suddenly matters a little more, doesn't it? What if your bank couldn't loan you money, give you a mortgage or allow you to ring up credit-card debt, all because the bank abruptly had much less with which to leverage your lifestyle since Greece decided to finally pull itself off fiscal life support?

Hundreds of people lined up on sun-drenched asphalt Saturday to see if they could get regular payouts, in the form of paychecks, from the new Maryland Live! Casino, a slots casino scheduled to open at Arundel Mills mall in about three months. "I hope I get lucky enough to get a position," said Mark Ellison, who's from West Baltimore. "They want people who are willing to go the extra mile so customers come in and enjoy spending their money. " The operators of what will be the state's largest casino hosted a job fair Saturday with the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corp.

News item: The Orioles managerial search continues to move at a snail's pace, and Andy MacPhail has left open the possibility that it could be weeks before we know who will be the next permanent manager. My take: When you take a "wait and see" approach, you're really deciding to let the decision make itself, which would be fine if this frog hadn't already been in the frying pan for the past 12 1/2 years. News item: Marc Bulger said during a conference call Thursday that he's comfortable with his new role as the backup and mentor to Ravens starting quarterback Joe Flacco.

Many Baltimore-area private schools -- elementary and secondary -- are sending out notices this week, letting anxious parents know whether their sons and daughters have been accepted. If you're sitting on pins and needles waiting to learn whether your son or daughter has been accepted or placed on the dreaded waiting list, The Sun would like to talk to you about these anxious moments so many area parents share. Call Sundial, The Sun's telephone information service, at (410) 783-1800. In Anne Arundel County call 268-7736; in Harford County, 836-5028; in Carroll County, 848-0338.

Dana Eveland is starting tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays, meaning the Orioles have to make 40-man and 25-man roster moves. They are waiting until Dr. John Wilckens gets to the park and conducts an examination or two before a move will be announced, according to Orioles manager Buck Showalter. Basically, that means the club wants to see how starter Jason Hammel's right knee is progressing and whether he might have to go on the disabled list. Hammel said he is improving and he is optimistic he can make a start - whether it is Monday or Tuesday.

Joe Flacco can throw. Ray Rice can run. But can either of them balance a tray heavy with hot steaks? Or keep a diner's water glass full? Or recommend a wine? Ravens fans will have a chance to find out Monday, when some of the team's stars will wait tables for charity. It's for Matt Birk's 3rd annual Celebrity Server Night and will happen at 7 p.m. at Morton's The Steakhouse.   Other Ravens expected to don aprons include Michael McCrary, Spencer Folau, Brad Jackson, Michael Oher, Marshal Yanda, Torrey Smith, Lardarius Webb and Paul Kruger.  We hear that there might also be some last-minute special guest stars.

On a cool Saturday morning, Hamilton A. Smith - the programs call him that, but most every acquaintance calls him Ham or Hammy - is doing his best to do as he always has. He moves around his barn at Laurel Park, working his staff. His rapid-fire delivery is steady, always, and his humor wry. But he can be sarcastic, too. "You're never quite sure how to take him," says Sheldon Russell, the 24-year-old who is Maryland's leading jockey. Smith does this on purpose, keeping his riders and other workers - he's never had an actual assistant, like many trainers - on edge.

Swabbing the ol' buccal mucosa for the unique genetic code of someone merely arrested for a crime violates that someone's Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure. That's the opinion of the Maryland Court of Appeals, and this ruling has greatly upset police, prosecutors, editorialists and other citizens who see no sense to it. If the cops can take your fingerprints, why shouldn't they be allowed to collect your DNA? We're probably going to need the Supreme Court to settle this issue, and because that court already approved strip searches of just about anyone arrested for anything - even for not paying a traffic fine - it's hard to imagine the justices declaring mouth swabs unconstitutional.

For Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz , his first start of the season Monday night brings a new beginning - and a clean slate. Matusz, who earned the No. 4 spot in the rotation this spring, will make his season debut against the defending AL East champion New York Yankees. And the 25-year-old wants to use his first start as an official turning-of-the-page in putting last year's disastrous season behind him. "It's a fresh season," said Matusz, who went 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA last year and had two trips to the DL. "I don't even remember last year.

A week into free agency, the movement among free-agent linebackers has been limited, especially when it comes to the inside linebackers. There have been some signings at the position -- such as Joe Mays re-signing in Denver and Dan Connor joining Dallas -- but the biggest names remain unsigned. That includes Stephen Tulloch (formerly of the Detroit Lions), Curtis Lofton (Atlanta Falcons), London Fletcher (Washington Redskins), David Hawthorne (Seattle Seahawks) and, yes, Jameel McClain.

When the lights dim for "Hunger Games" at midnight Thursday, Fatimah Nelson, who bought tickets weeks ago, will be there, a bit breathless, at the edge of a plush seat at Arundel Mills. "I've been waiting months and months and months," says the Baltimore 21-year-old. "I'm really excited. " Nelson and millions of others in Maryland and around the country are braced for the opening of "Hunger Games," the latest young adult book series to become a runaway hit and then a movie and, it's looking like, a cultural phenomenon on the likes of "Harry Potter" and "Twilight.

From The Aegis of March 19, 1987: It was possible Harford County residents would be facing a property tax rate increase 25 years ago, but they were going to have to wait two more weeks to find out until Harford County Executive Habern Freeman released his proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Freeman, who took office in 1982, raised the tax rate his first year in office, then left it the same in the following three at $2.73 per $100 of assessed value. With two weeks to go until his budget for FY 1987-1988 was due to the Harford County Council April 1, Freeman said he was still unsure as to whether he would be seeking an increase.