by Jenny Wierschem

Art is going outside of gallery walls and into the outdoors for a new Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts event at the Inner Harbor. Each Sunday in June, artists will set up tents at the harbor’s West Shore Park on Light Street between the Visitor Center and the Maryland Science Center. Throughout the day, artists and craftspeople will display and sell artwork and demonstrate how their craft is done.

“The whole idea was to provide

This weekend, head east for the Greek Folk Festival (above), held in and around St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at 520 Ponca Street, Greektown. The festival is held Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday, noon-10 p.m. Then head west for the St. Anthony Festival in Little Italy (top), held Saturday, noon-8 p.m., and Sunday after the 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Leo the Great Church. Both festivals offer ethnic foods, crafts, entertainment and dancing—and both have free admission.

Photos by Anna Santana (Little Italy), Jacqueline Watts (Greektown)

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Those who are frustrated with traffic delays, or who want to voice their own suggestions for improvement are about to get their chance.

The Southeast Traffic Plan Open House series is held on Wednesday, June 13, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the Southeast Anchor Library, 3601 Eastern Avenue, and on Wednesday, June 20, 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the General Wolfe Elementary School, 245 S. Wolfe Street.

In a flyer to community members, officials noted, “Development

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

There might be a new school in town in a few years. But it’s not a charter school, and it’s not a re-opening of one of the soon-to-be-defunct middle schools.

In fact, it’s not really new, come to think of it.

The school is St. Casimir’s, or it will be, when the parish once again takes the reins of the school.

For now, it’s still Father Kolbe School.

The story actually began a long

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

The way Mary Jo Lazun looks at it, the Canton branch of the library is sort of like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree: all it needs is a little TLC to bring it back.

“It’s a great old building,” said Lazun, treasurer of the Friends of the Canton Branch.
That’s the problem, though. It’s an old building. It dates back to 1896, long before the time of climate control and the Americans With Disabilities

Note: The Class of 2007 is an annual feature in which local high schools nominate students whom they feel have been particularly outstanding, for recognition.
by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Integrity is a word that gets kicked around a lot. But according to Roger Shaw, principal at Dunbar High School, it’s particularly demonstrated by one student — Dalonte Keemer.

“What impresses me most about Dalonte is his integrity,” said Shaw. “He’s been in situations where he has to

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Between the first robin and the last day of school, the most telling harbinger of warm weather is the Patterson Park Fishing Festival. And make no mistake, this year’s event, which will be held on June 2, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., will be able to keep kids occupied all morning.

“We have a lot going on,” said Mark Burke, recreation director in Patterson Park.
The lake has a thriving population of trout, bluegill and

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

BikeJam, the city’s annual festival of all things two-wheeled, is nine years old, and it shed its training wheels long ago. The event, which this year will be held on Saturday, May 26 in Patterson Park, will bring out pro racers, stunt riders and big names.

But it also hasn’t lost sight of the little things—namely the kids who are, after all, the sport’s future.

According to Gardner Duvall, one of the coordinators of

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Cooking burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Getting into the pool and (ouch!) getting the first sunburn of the summer. Dressing up as a favorite sci-fi character and attending a Saturday night masquerade.

Cue the music: “One of these things is not like the other/One of these things just doesn’t belong…”

Ah, but it all does belong in the Memorial Day scheme of things, particularly here in Baltimore. For the past several years,

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

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One week to go.

The 80-year reunion of St. Rita School takes place Saturday, May 19, from 2 p.m.-5 p.m., and organizers are counting down. The school, which closed in 2006, welcomes back its alumni, their parents, former teachers and community members for a day of reminiscing and catching up.

“It’s going great,” said Denise Szimanski, one of the alums working on the

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

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It’s time for Fells Point’s regular check-up. At next Wednesday’s Town Hall Meeting, it’ll be time to check the overall health of the community—and to look for any aches and pains as well.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 23 at Louisiana Restaurant, 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

“We will have an agenda for the evening,” said Jason Sullivan, executive director of the

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

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Officials at Our Lady of Fatima Parish have been exploring the possibility of developing an affordable senior housing community on the parish grounds. And if all goes well, according to Catholic Charities, which is serving as the developer on the project, construction may begin within two years.

According to Fr. Kevin Milton, pastor at Our Lady of Fatima, older parishioners and those in

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

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The Class of 2007 is an annual feature in which local high schools nominate students whom they feel have been particularly outstanding, for recognition.

The challenges the typical high school student faces—family responsibilities, trying to get good grades, worrying about college acceptances, trying to resist peer pressure—are formidable enough.

Now think about doing all that when English isn’t your first language. And

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

There’s reading between the lines, and now there’s eating between the lines. CityLit Project first series of fundraisers, “Eat Between the Lines,” debuts this week and continues throughout May. CityLit is a non-profit which helps support the culture of literature throughout the city.

Each of three special events in May will combine what organizers figure is a winning combination of irresistible books, authors, locations and food.

On May 10, there’s “Verse and Vision”

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Ask anyone for their image of Ethiopia, and you’ll probably get the same answers: poverty, drought, flies, starvation.

The members of Abbott Memorial Presbyterian Church have additional answers: Friends. People they know. People they hope to visit again.

For the past several years, the church has been taking part in the Addis Ababa AIDS Homecare Project, a project that provides medical, economic, emotional and spiritual support to HIV-positive individuals in the city of Addis

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Whiffle ball, anyone?

No, it’s not a typo. No, it’s not a hallucination. The Mimi DiPietro Ice Rink—the same people who brought you broomball and iceless hockey—have something cooking for spring: the first-ever Wednesday Night Adult Whiffle Ball League.

“It’s for ages 21 and over,” said Mark Burke, recreation director at Patterson Park. “And we’re playing inside the rink.”

At least for now.

“We’ll keep on playing until it gets too miserably hot to

Playing in the park: Children from General Wolfe Elementary School practiced their chess in Patterson Park on Saturday. The school, which has 45 members in its chess club, finished seventh in state competition this year. Tony Araviakis, 9, plays Noe Villaloves, 9. Noe is a member of the chess team; Tony does not go to General Wolfe but saw the children playing and stopped by for a game.

Photo by Anna Santana

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Talk about having a tiger by the tail.

When the Baltimore City Health Department proposed some new regulations about the keeping of exotic pets, it wasn’t prepared for the reaction.

“We received well over 100 detailed responses,” said Ingrid Antonio, public information officer for the department.

The health department released its proposed regs in early February, and asked for comments by March 2.

They definitely got what they asked for. Maybe even more than

by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com

Note: Have a comment on this article? Post it at www.baltimoreguide.com.
Documentary films—for so long a subculture in the movie industry—have gone mainstream. From “March of the Penguins” to “Fahrenheit 911” to “An Inconvenient Truth,” the movies have emerged from art houses and into big theaters.
Horror movies, by contrast, have always been mainstream, and B-horror movies have always had a cult following. So what will be the reaction to a hybrid

“Good, but not as good as last year.”
-The traditional remark from Fr. Luigi Esposito, at his annual tasting during the Highlandtown Wine Festival.

The winners of the 2007 Highlandtown Home Vintner Competition are as follows:

Red
1st-Dominic Petrucci: 50% Zinfandel 50% Merlot
2nd-Dominic Parravano: Barbera, Zinfandel
3rd-Pepino Gizzi: Barbera

White
1st-Dominic Parravano: Trebbiano
2nd-Dominic Petrucci: 80% Chardonnay, 20% Malvasia
3rd-Guitana Altobelli: Chardonnay

Best Label
Dante Gizzi

The festival took place on Sunday, April 22, near Our Lady of Pompei Church.