A guy stopped me on an MTA bus in South Baltimore a few years ago and said he recognized and appreciated my homage to Jimmy Cannon, a sports columnist back in the day and a favorite of his dad's in one of the New York City papers. His father had read Cannon in the Post, … Continue reading Nobody asked me, but . . .
Baltimore police reporting drops in several crime categories, April to April
On Tuesday, the Baltimore Police Department sent out a news release reporting significant drops in crime categories from April 2023 to April 2024. These news releases arrive from time to time – whenever the BPD has good news to report. (They do not arrive when crime is on the rise.) I’m sure some will call … Continue reading Baltimore police reporting drops in several crime categories, April to April
A lifelong fascination with life in water
My weekend column in The Baltimore Sun represents something that has become an annual ritual for me — visiting a Maryland river where fish from the ocean come to spawn. I know this spring ritual is as old as the sea, but I still am amazed at the phenomenon: Herring, shad and eels that swim … Continue reading A lifelong fascination with life in water
America: Exceptional for all the wrong reasons
A friend notes that, when she visits Italy, the question Italians ask is, “Why Donald Trump?” They think Americans were foolish for making him president in 2016 and for making him the Republican nominee again this year. They consider Trump an international joke. Of course, Italy had as prime minister through four governments Silvio Berlusconi, … Continue reading America: Exceptional for all the wrong reasons
Thank you, Arena Players, for an excellent ‘Gem of the Ocean,’ start of the August Wilson series
As mentioned in my column of April 4, starting with the current production of “Gem Of The Ocean” at Arena Players, a collaboration of Baltimore theater companies will stage August Wilson’s 10 plays about 20th century Black life over the next three years. That means a whole new generation of theatergoers will get to see … Continue reading Thank you, Arena Players, for an excellent ‘Gem of the Ocean,’ start of the August Wilson series
Learn more about the Harborplace redevelopment plan on May 8
The Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Architects is hosting a public lecture toprovide professional information about MCB Real Estate's Harborplace redevelopment plan, the subject of my weekend column in The Baltimore Sun.It is because of the November voter referendum that AIA Baltimore's Urban Design committee is seeking to increase awareness of the plan … Continue reading Learn more about the Harborplace redevelopment plan on May 8
Baltimore hiring fair coming up
If you know someone looking for a job, here's some information from the Baltimore Mayor's Office about an upcoming event, a Baltimore City job fair to connect job seekers with a wide range of employment opportunities within local government, particularly historically hard-to-hire positions. This event will take place on Thursday, April 25, 2024 from 10 … Continue reading Baltimore hiring fair coming up
Common criminality: Take away Trump’s celebrity and the porn star, and the NY case is like many others prosecuted every day
My Sun column today notes the similarities between the New York criminal case against Trump and the many other cases that have come and gone in courts across the land with business owners, managers or employees caught in schemes to defraud. Trump is accused of falsifying -- or causing to be falsified -- the records … Continue reading Common criminality: Take away Trump’s celebrity and the porn star, and the NY case is like many others prosecuted every day
Trying to catch herring with your hands
The image with this post might seem a little surreal or abstract; it’s certainly not an example of high-definition nature photography. But it gives a sense of what you see in April, when herring first arrive in a freshwater creek. You detect movement of some kind, but you’re not sure. Your eye has to adjust … Continue reading Trying to catch herring with your hands
Americans still make lots of steel, mostly from scrap
A question about the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge — specifically, where will the steel come from to replace it? — got me to today’s Sun column: The state of Maryland should salvage as much of the FSK steel as possible, send it to modern mills, melt it down, refabricate it and use it to … Continue reading Americans still make lots of steel, mostly from scrap
Dan Rodricks 