Washer

Stop the presses: City Council President Mary Pat Clarke spent a night at a troubled public housing high-rise and lived to tell about it. Saw trash, smelled decay. Got stuck in an elevator.Meanwhile, Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, who is to spend Thursday night at a public housing project, apologized to tenants for the conditions at Lexington Terrace. "I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing," he said. "No wonder you're angry. It looks like a place we forgot."Political theater is an essential part of the American democratic process.

First, a window washer didn't tie his security rope and dangled nine stories from a downtown Baltimore office building. Then, a construction worker drove a small front-end loader off the fifth floor of a building and tumbled to the ground."

POLICE LOG* Owen Brown: 7200 block of Dockside Lane: Someone tried to steal a 1990 Acura Legend by tampering with its ignition Tuesday morning, police said.* Long Reach: 5900 block of Millrace Court: Burglars lifted a home's rear sliding glass door from its track, entered and took a washer and dryer between Saturday and Monday, police said.* Long Reach: 8300 block of Tamar Drive: Thieves swept through a dozen cars late Monday and early Tuesday morning, breaking windows and stealing stereos, compact disc players, car phones, clothing and other property.

POLICE LOG* Ellicott City: 8700 block of Route 40: Someone pried open a glass door frame of a Rite Aid drug store and stole cigarettes Thursday, police said.9600 block of Route 40: Someone ransacked the interior of a black Chevrolet Wednesday, but police said nothing was taken.3200 block of Corporate Court: A washer, dryer, microwave and other items were stolen from a townhouse under construction after someone broke through a window to enter Thursday. Police said a heat pump was stolen from another unfinished home at the same time.

What it is -- A grill mop with a silicone brush What we like about it --This mop from grillmeister Elizabeth Karmel makes good on the promise of silicone; it helped our sticky ribs stay moist on the grill, and the long, angled handle was comfortable to use and kept us safely away from the fire. Its smooth, flexible brush cleaned up beautifully in the dish washer, with no lingering odors. What it costs --$11.99 Where to buy it --Kitchen and houseware stores and www. bbqproshop.com

The longer I own a house, the easier I am to please. Earlier this week for instance, I was dancing on air because I had found a small piece of leather. Finding it meant my quest for the leather piston plunger had ended.After four days and unsuccessful visits to two hardware stores and a plumbing supply house, I found the elusive piece of leather and a companion rubber ballcock washer, at a store about 10 miles from my house. (Stebbins Anderson in Towson).Now that the leather washer and its companion are in place, the household's busiest water closet is functioning again, just in time to accommodate a carload of visiting cousins from Vermont.

Q: We have just picked out a house and are ready to sign a contract. But there are many terms that we do not understand, and I am concerned that we may leave something out. What should we consider before signing?Sylvia Hobbs, ReisterstownA: The most important principle is this: To be binding, terms of the contract must be in writing. When in doubt, you should include a paragraph that reflects the understanding of all parties.For example, you may believe that you will receive the washer and dryer, but the seller may intend to remove them.

Open hydrants are blamed in main's break A 6-inch water main ruptured beneath a Northeast Baltimore thoroughfare yesterday afternoon, and the city blamed the problem on people opening fire hydrants illegally. The main, in the 3200 block of Belair Road, burst about 3 p.m. At least 10 homes in the 3000 block of Clifton Park Terrace lost water service, and both streets were shut for repairs. Eight hydrants were open within a three-block radius, said Kurt Kocher, a Department of Public Works spokesman.

Eric M. ShulerWindow washerServices for Eric M. Shuler, a window washer, painter and roofer, were to be held at 7:30 p.m. today at Mount Hebron Baptist Church, 2651 W. North Ave. He was 32 and resided in Northwest Baltimore.Mr. Shuler was found strangled Monday in a vacant apartment in the 4100 block of Forest Park Ave.The Baltimore native was educated in city schools.He is survived by a son, Eric M. Shuler Jr.; four daughters, Shervonne, Erika, India and Tiearre Shuler; his parents, Mayloy and Ruby Shuler; five sisters, Karen, Natalie, Doral and Ashley Shuler and Marlene Graham; and two brothers, Aaron and Ivan Shuler.

A former U.S. Naval Academy official has told a federal jury that he lied to investigators to protect his former boss, Capt. James E. Weston, in an investigation of alleged contract corruption during Weston's tour as the academy's public works officer.Eugene E. Hook, a former academy construction official who worked under Weston, testified yesterday that he told FBI and Naval Investigative Service agents that he had paid $900 to contractor Carroll Dunton for a washer and dryer delivered to Weston's wife, Mary, at the captain's home at the academy in 1985.