Waiting Period

WASHINGTON -- The House of Representatives, bowing to a lobbying blitz by advocates of gun control and to public anger over violent crime, embraced legislation yesterday that requiresa waiting period for handgun purchases.On a 239-186 vote, lawmakers endorsed the so-called Brady bill imposing a seven-day delay on would-be purchasers, allowing local police to check for criminal records and, if necessary, permitting them to block the sale.The vote represented a sharp setback for the National Rifle Association, which in 1988 successfully pressured lawmakers into rejecting virtually identical legislation by 46 votes.

WASHINGTON -- A sharp increase in the number of people applying for disability benefits under Social Security has led to a record backlog of 800,000 cases and waiting periods of up to three months.With a sluggish economy and an aging population pushing up the number of applicants, the Bush administration projects that the backlog could grow to 1.4 million cases by 1993, with waiting periods of up to seven months."We are now reaching a point where people are literally going to die waiting to find out whether they get their benefits," said Rep. Leon E. Panetta, D-Calif.

Baltimore's historical preservation commission on Tuesday officially disapproved of demolishing the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre. The vote by the Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation, or CHAP, means the city's Department of Housing and Community Development, which issues demolition permits, will not be able to proceed for at least six months. Owings Mills-based developer David S. Brown Enterprises Ltd. and the Washington architecture firm Shalom Baranes Associates released plans in the spring that called for the demolition of the Mechanic and the construction of two residential towers in its place.

The chairman of the Carroll homebuilders association said the industry won't be inconvenienced while Mount Airy puts new development proposals on hold for a few months to study the town's water supply. Richard L. Hull, who works in Mount Airy as owner of Carroll Land Services Inc. and serves as chairman of the county chapter of the Homebuilders Association of Maryland, said he's had no complaints. "The plans that have been previously submitted in the concept phase or beyond they're allowing to move forward," he said.

DAVID Martz bought a home in Fells Point four years ago, grumbling about the $1,500 he had to spend annually for flood insurance. Given that the area surrounding his South Ann Street home had not seen serious flooding since the 1930s, Martz said, he thought the insurance was worthless even though the home sits within one of the state's 116 flood plains. To secure a loan, Martz had no choice but to pay for the federally issued insurance. "I balked ... when I bought my property," said Martz, a real estate agent whose basement in his recently renovated home flooded to the ceiling after Tropical Storm Isabel.

MedImmune Inc.'s $1.56 billion acquisition of vaccine developer Aviron has passed a key antitrust hurdle, clearing the way for its approval should a majority of Aviron stockholders tender their shares in favor of the deal by midnight Wednesday. The Gaithersburg pharmaceutical company said yesterday that a 30-day waiting period had expired without the Justice Department or Federal Trade Commission objecting to the deal on antitrust grounds, clearing the way for the acquisition. The deadline for Aviron shareholders to tender their shares could be extended.

As Carroll farmers and government officials gather tonight to celebrate preserving nearly 42,000 acres of county farmland from development, they know that the hardest part of their quest to save a total of 100,000 acres lies ahead. Rising land costs caused by development competition, the uncertainty of state money for programs and a shrinking supply of large tracts of farmland will make the going tougher, county officials say. But preserving farmland remains important to Carroll's quality of life and economic health, county leaders agree.

The Maryland Public Service Commission today approved a 19 percent increase in Baltimore taxi fares.Frank Fulton, PSC spokesman, said the new rates would be effective Sunday.According to the PSC, the increase means that an average 5-mile trip, including a 2-minute waiting period, will cost $6.80 compared to $5.70 under current rates.Fulton also said that in an effort to alleviate taxi shortages, the PSC would be releasing 68 cab permits that have been held in abeyance. The permits will be awarded by lottery at a date not yet set. Only drivers with six months of taxi-driving experience in Baltimore will be eligible.

Q: I have a deck built of pressure-treated lumber that absorbs rainwater like a blotter. What kind of product do you recommend to seal it? I am told that some sealers do more harm than good?A: Some owners of pressure-treated structures assume the wood needs no protective treatment, and this view at one time was encouraged by manufacturers of the wood.However, most pressure-treated wood should have periodic sealing against moisture, preferably every year or so. Although the wood is resistant to rot and insect attacks because of the pressure treatment, it can warp, split and develop mildew if not protected from the effects of water.

Acquisition waiting period endsRite Aid Corp. said yesterday the waiting period under antitrust laws for its acquisition of Perry Drug Stores Inc. for about $132 million expired Friday.Perry, based in Pontiac, Mich., is the largest drugstore chain in Michigan and has 224 stores with annual revenue of about $735 million.The acquisition gives Camp Hill, Pa.-based Rite Aid access to the Midwest drug market. Rite Aid currently operates 2,600 stores in 23 Eastern states, including more than 150 drug stores in Maryland, and the District of Columbia.