Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Mayor Steph- anie Rawlings-Blake cut ceremonial ribbon to reopen Robert E. Lee Park, as Barry F. Williams, county director of recreation and parks, far left, and 2nd District Balto. County Councilwoman Vicki Almond, far right, look on. (VoB Photo/Alan Z. Forman)

‘A PARK  FOR  ALL USERS,
4-LEGGED & 2-LEGGED,’
DECLARES KAMENETZ

‘A  hidden treasure  for
city/county residents,’
says Baltimore Mayor

UPDATE (Sat. Oct. 15th) — Robert E. Lee Park reopened today to the public, with a schedule of activities from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. including introductory tours, boating and biking, hiking and walking tours, various children’s activities, and bird watching.

Every dog — both on and off the leash — can now have its day as Baltimore City and County join forces to reopen a public park that dates back to the era of the Lords Baltimore and which was designated a National Historic District in 1992.

Featuring a 1.5-acre canine compound appropriately named “Paw Point” — a membership-only chained enclosure for unleashed dogs — the city-owned Robert E. Lee Park reopened early today under a long-term lease arrangement with the county.

Located just north of the city/county line, the 415-acre park is the beneficiary of renovations costing the state and county $6.1 million — more than half of which has been spent so far — for a concrete-slab bridge, a 2,000-foot-long paved footpath, 1400-foot boardwalk to the adjacent Light Rail station, and the dog park, which requires an annual membership fee of $35 from anyone who wants to let their dog/s run off-leash.

“It’s a park for all users,” declared County Executive Kevin Kamenetz; “four-
legged and two-legged,” as he officially reopened the facility Friday in concert with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who described it as “a hidden treasure for city and county residents alike…, a dynamic partnership between the city, county and state.”

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SELLOUT CROWD OF WOMEN GETS IN LINE
TO LEARN  EVERYTHING  ABOUT  FOOTBALL

Football 101 tutorials reminiscent of film ‘Diner’

Barry Levinson’s classic movie “Diner,” featuring a matrimonial quiz on the former Baltimore Colts given to the lead character’s prospective bride during the late 1950s, has nothing on the Baltimore Ravens’ “Purple Evening” of the new millennium, an annual event for female football fans held yesterday at M & T Bank Stadium for the fifth consecutive year.

Although the Ravens organization insisted in a press release that the event is “not exclusive to women” — despite acknowledging that “it is definitely catered to the female Ravens fans” — A Purple Evening attracted a sellout crowd of more than 7,000 avid fans of Charm City’s current NFL team, nearly all of the attendees female.

One of the features of the event was an opportunity for the women, who paid $30 for tickets — $40 tickets were advertised to be offered at the door, however the event was sold-out nearly a week in advance — to ask questions about the Ravens and even get instructions, including a tutorial with field drills, on how to play football.

An FAQ on the Ravens’ website describes the “field clinics” as being conducted by local coaches “teaching participants the basics in football” and featuring field-goal kicking and longest-throw competitions.

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Ralph Nader came out in support of the ‘Occupy Together’ anti-corpo- rate greed movement Friday in D.C.

DEMONSTRATORS VOW TO SIT-IN INDEFINITELY;
POLITICAL  ACTIVIST  NADER  OFFERS SUPPORT

Corporate bosses…  crashed the country
on the backs of workers… and investors.
— Ralph Nader

By Alan Z. Forman

The “Occupy Wall Street” anti-greed movement that began last month in New York and spread coast to coast came to the nation’s capital at week’s end as some 100 protesters “occupied” Washington’s Freedom Plaza just two blocks from the White House to express outrage at America’s economic and political system.

“Occupy DC” organizers said demonstrators intended to stay in the city indefinitely and that more protesters were expected to join the group today.

The loosely organized demonstrations — which have no specific goals or agenda, nor remedies for correcting what demonstrators call the nation’s obsession with greed — continued also into Saturday in Baltimore, having begun early in the week at McKeldin Square in the Inner Harbor, where so far about 100 individuals have staged a sit-in and a small number have camped out overnight.

How many will camp out in Washington in support of the “Occupy Together” protest (the national movement’s umbrella term for demonstrations nationwide) is still unclear. However supporters in many cities insist their numbers are increasing.

Celebrities including filmmaker Michael Moore and actress Susan Sarandon last week notably joined in the New York City protest, and yesterday, political activist Ralph Nader weighed in in Washington.

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VoB SELECTS: INVESTIGATIVE NEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB

Computer geniuses — Apple/Pixar co-founder Steve Jobs, left, with Microsoft's Bill Gates at 2007 conference. Jobs died Wed. of cancer after a long illness that began in 2004.

COMPUTER GENIUS MARKETED
iPHONE & iPOD TO THE WORLD

Started Apple in parents’ garage;
became millionaire  by age 25,
multibillionaire not long after

AS CHRONICLED BY THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER:

Steve Jobs Dies at 56

The Apple co-founder died Wednesday after years of failing health.

Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder who used digital technology to resurrect animated feature films, reshape the music industry and shake up film and television distribution models, died Wednesday. He was 56.

Jobs, a computer genius who, with fellow college dropout Steve Wozniak, built the first Apple computers from the Jobs’ family garage, died in California.

“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor,” a statement on the official Apple website said. “Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”

A Buddhist and vegetarian who once handed out bottles of carrot juice to trick-or-treaters, Jobs was diagnosed with the disease in 2004 when he disclosed that doctors had removed a cancerous tumor from his pancreas.  ……

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MIKLOCHIK ALLEGEDLY WROTE CHECKS TO HIMSELF
‘PUTTING THE MONEY TOWARDS HIS PERSONAL USE’
Could face 15 years in prison, $15,000 fine if convicted

 
A former State Highway Administration official was charged Wednesday in Baltimore City Circuit Court with felony theft in connection with a scheme whereby $23,000 was allegedly stolen from the state by writing bogus checks.

The ex-employee, Joseph Miklochik, 53, of Baltimore, was director of the SHA’s Office of Real Estate during 2009, when he is accused of having written checks to himself and “putting the money towards his personal use,” according to a statement released today by Atty. Gen. Douglas F. Gansler.

“After a co-worker discovered and voiced concerns about the depleted funds,” Gansler said in his prepared statement, “Miklochik repaid the money from a personal home equity loan.”

The theft allegedly occurred over a 10-month period between January and November 2009 when Miklochik was in charge of overseeing the operating account of the State Highway Administration’s Office of Real Estate’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference.

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