The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page B7

THE SUN MARYLAND SATURDAY 09.01.2007 7B 11TH DISTRICT CAMPAIGN AD WATCH 9 candidates compete for Mitchell seat 11 Cole leading rest of field in fundraising Sheila Dixon's newest TV ad, which started appearing this week, features this young girl heading off to school. It is her fourth TV spot of the campaign. Dixon's latest aims to generate an 'aw5 response from viewers 1 Mile Source: City of Baltimore SUN NEWS GRAPHIC The advertisement never claims that streets are cleaner or safer, but rather seems to suggest those things might happen in the future perhaps when the girl is grown. Dixon has made making the city cleaner a centerpiece of her administration, but it is not clear whether the city is any cleaner or greener than it was eight months ago. Crime is down overall, but homicides and nonfatal shootings have increased since Dixon took office.

The mayor has virtually no control over education standards, though the ad vaguely suggests she does. Dixon's campaign said the young girl in the ad is a student at Leith Walk Elementary School and that her family supports the campaign. Analysis: Like the puppy dogs of 2006, this spot is aiming for the "aw" factor. It is no surprise that this advertisement barely mentions Dixon's name until the very end this is exactly the kind of feelgood advertisement someone who is in the leading position in a campaign is apt to air. JOHN FRITZE Mayor Sheila Dixon plays on the cute factor in her most recent television advertisement, which began airing this week and that presents a rosy picture of Baltimore under her tenure.

The 30-second spot is Dixon's fourth and the ninth overall in this race. What the ad says: A young girl is seen walking through a neighborhood on her way to school. A male narrator says: "It's her future. She's Baltimore's future, with a safer walk to school on cleaner streets, with less violence." As the girl is seen adjusting her backpack and arriving at school, the narrator continues: "A mayor committed to after-school opportunities that keep our kids safe and a city that demands accountability and higher standards of excellence. Tough on crime, smart investments in our schools, bringing pride back to our neighborhoods." In that last scene, Dixon is seen sitting next to another child who is holding a basketball.

"Sheila Dixon," the narrator concludes. "Mayor." The facts: So many ads, so few facts. This one maintains the pattern of fact-free ads coming out of both camps. don Thornton, a public defender, Karen Brown, a minister; Warren Zussman, business owner; and community activists Dana Owens and Rita Collins. Cole's biggest challenge could come from Mason, who has raised more than $25,000 for his campaign, the second-highest total among the candidates.

Mason, 35, said he is focusing his platform on education, rebuilding neighborhoods and public safety. Mason said the city should devote a majority of each year's budget increases to maintaining school buildings, use city-owned property as a path to homeown-ership and put more police officers on the street for foot patrols. Mason is also seeking to be the first openly gay man elected to the council. "That's important for me in setting an example of what can be done. That you can be who you are and be successful," Mason said "It also adds a voice to elected service that has been missing." Mason said he lives, works and worships in the district, where he is known for his involvement with the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council Housing Committee and volunteer work with AIDS Action and Rebuilding Together.

"I've also worked in the federal government, interned with Kwei-si Mfume and Paul Sarbanes, and worked with the state budget dealing with capital improvement and construction. That range is a major asset to the district," Mason said. Mosby, 28, lives in Reservoir Hill and is a first-time office-seeker. His campaign focuses on reducing crime and rehabilitating the thousands of vacant homes in the city. He has caught the attention of political observers and other candidates, including Cole, who say he lacks name recognition, but is mounting a vigorous grassroots campaign.

Mosby said he would like to see residents patrolling the streets and the formation of a citywide gang unit. Mosby said he will propose the creation of a program that would teach ex-offenders how to fix some of the city's dilapidated houses, which could then be sold back to the offenders. Mosby also said he will push for quarterly audits of all city agencies. "We would see where the money is going and hold people accountable," said Mosby. Meister, 30, has been running through the streets that make up the district and talking up his platform, which includes a focus on cleaner neighborhoods and the environment.

Meister said he runs at least 5 miles a day. BY BRENT JONES SUN REPORTER If the old saying, "Money is the mother's milk of politics," is true, then William Cole appears to have a big advantage in the District 11 City Council race, where nine candidates are vying for the seat to be vacated in December by Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. Mitchell, who has held the seat for 12 years, decided not to seek re-election because he's running in the Democratic mayoral primary election. District 11 includes Bolton Hill, Reservoir Hill, Otter-bein, Federal Hill, Mount Vernon and a number of West Baltimore neighborhoods.

Cole thanks to hefty fundraising, major endorsements and name recognition has emerged as the candidate to beat, according to political observers. Campaign financial reports filed last month show that Cole, 34, has raised nearly $70,000 more than the combined total raised by the other eight candidates in the race. Cole's name has a familiar ring to some district voters because he served as a delegate in the General Assembly from 1998 to 2002. And he has picked up endorsements from Gov. Martin O'Malley U.S.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings and other state and local politicians. Some of the other candidates have acknowledged that they're fighting an uphill battle against Cole. "Bill Cole has the machine.

He has big business, the establishment," said Nick Mosby, an electrical engineer and a candidate for the seat. And Cole appears confident about his chances of winning. "I've had a successful fundraising effort. I'm not at all ashamed of the fact that I've raised a lot of money. That shows I have support," Cole said.

"If having a governor and congressman's support makes you part of the establishment, I accept that label. Particularly Cummings, for him to say that I'm most prepared to lead this district, I consider that a great honor and not a burden." There are no Republicans running in District 11 in the Sept. 11 primary election. In addition to Cole and Mosby, the other Democratic candidates are: Fred Mason III, an architect; Adam S. Meister, an Internet entrepreneur; Bran Meister, who operates an Internet company that provides marketing research for software companies, started the Buy a Block program in Reservoir Hill, where a loose collective of 13 people bought houses in a concentrated area in the name of urban redevelopment.

"It was just an idea. I scribbled it down, and it's become a reality. I don't think any of the other candidates can say, 'Come to this point and see what I've Meister said. Meister said his experience with the project, along with his organized cleanups and attendance at neighborhood meetings, has prepared him to represent the district. He said to keep the city clean, he would look to create an offenders' registry list for contractors who dump garbage in the alleys.

"It's the only way it's going to stop," he said. Thornton, 30, is an assistant public defender who said his work with youths in the judicial system made him want to run for office. A Reservoir Hill resident, Thornton said he would look to develop initiatives similar to the work he has done with the Back to Basics program, which teaches youths career-oriented skills. "Kids are bombarded with a lot of images, and they need direction. If you ignore them, then their problems are going to become your problems," Thornton said.

Brown serves as the executive director of Madison Avenue Family Life Center. A Presbyterian minister, Brown, 43, says she has raised $14 million since 1992 for the center but has grown tired of seeking funds for the community from the outside. "Now it's time to be inside of City Hall. As I look at some of the other candidates, I'm the only candidate that's been working this community," she said. Zussman, 55, owns an advertising company, lives in Mount Vernon and said he has worked on campaigns for O'Malley, former Baltimore Mayor Kurt L.

Schmoke and former Gov. Parris N. Glen-dening. He said the two most important issues facing the district are AIDS and crime, and that he advocates giving police officers more money. Owens, 56, works as chaplain for the Western District Community Association.

A member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Health Education Resource Organization, Owens lists restoration of the many historically significant buildings in the district as a key issue on his Web site. Collins, 35, has worked with the National Council of Negro Women, the NAACP and the Harlem Blossom Neighborhood Association. She lists education as a priority and said the city should seek funds from privately owned businesses. As for Cole, he says education is his priority and the key to fixing all the city's problems. He said he supports an end to the city-state partnership that runs city schools.

Cole says he would find ways to bring police officers up to equal pay with surrounding jurisdictions and support regular foot patrols. Cole also said he would look to establish an office of Community Reinvestment at the Baltimore Development Corp. to work with residential communities outside of the Inner Harbor. Cole lives in the Otterbein and represented the former 47th District in the state legislature. He is an administrator at the University of Baltimore and worked as a special assistant to Cummings.

He said he voted and actively fought against the passage of electricity deregulation in Maryland while serving as a delegate. "I looked at there being a void of an experienced leader in this district with Keiffer leaving," Cole said. "But I'm beholden to no interest. Just look at my voting record." brent.jonesbaltsun.com Democratic candidate Keiffer J. Mitchell sixth television advertisement continues to paint a negative portrait of the mayor.

New spot for Mitchell continues to criticize Dixon on crime, ethics Sarbanes maintains his lead in fundraising quent candidate, has not previously filed campaign finance reports. Reports released earlier this month showed Sarbanes slightly ahead of Rawlings-Blake. Between Jan. 11 and Aug. 7, Sarbanes had raised $357,000, compared with $320,000 raised by Rawlings-Blake.

At that time, he had $248,209, compared with Rawlings-Blake's $220,783 balance. But Sarbanes had raised questions about a campaign account that the Rawlings-Blake committee had closed in the spring, which showed a negative balance of $64,927 but somehow ended up with a balance of zero. The dis Rawlings-Blake will report raising $89,944, with $117,291 on hand. She spent $193,435 over the 2-week period. The campaign finance reports, which had to be filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections by midnight yesterday, are the last time the candidates will disclose their contributions before the Sept.

11 Democratic primary election. Sarbanes and Rawlings-Blake are the front-runners in a four-way race for City Council president. City Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr. raised about $37,000 during the period and has $7,000 on hand, said his campaign treasurer.

Charles Ulysses Smith, a fre crepancy caused the campaign to open a new account in early June. Luke Clippinger, Rawlings-Blake's campaign manager, said the campaign has filed an amendment that reconciles about half of the $64,927. Clippinger said the campaign found typographical errors and checks that were not initially reported. He said the committee will close out with a zero balance. "We have got part of it figured out," said Clippinger.

"We are working diligently to figure out other problems with the account." sumathi.reddybaltsun.com BY SUMATHI REDDY SUN REPORTER Michael Sarbanes, an activist and candidate for City Council president, raised slightly more money than incumbent Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake over the past few weeks but has twice as much cash on hand heading into the final week before the Democratic primary. The latest campaign finance reports, which cover Aug. 8 through Aug. 26, will show Sarbanes raised $106,914 and has $222,687 on hand, according to his campaign.

He spent $132,436 during the period. are no longer doing their jobs because of the election? Is the insinuation that criminals are more likely to kill because Dixon is in office? Neither is likely true. Mitchell would say there has been a lack of leadership from City Hall but that is more subjective. There do appear to be fewer officers on the streets. The city has recruited 461 officers in the past two years but has lost 532 during that period a net loss of 71, according to the union.

It's not clear how "mismanaging" the Fire Department relates to homicides, but Mitchell is referring to the Feb. 9 training death of fire cadet Racheal M. Wilson. Many of the problems that took place in that training were likely carried over from the prior administration. A week ago, it was not clear whether the state prosecutor was still investigating a series of city payments made at the direction of the City Council president's office to her former campaign chairman.

The mayor herself confirmed this week that the investigation continues. Analysis: Mitchell, as the only mayoral challenger airing television ads, is working hard to cut into Dixon's apparent lead. He continues to push her negatives. JOHN FRITZE City Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr.

has aired his latest ad in a series dealing with crime and questions about Mayor Sheila Dixon's ethics. This advertisement, which was released yesterday, is Mitchell's sixth and the 10th overall in the race. What the ad says: A drum solo kicks off the ad as the camera shows a television set sitting on marble steps. The television is showing a Dixon ad critical of Mitchell. The councilman says, "While the interim mayor runs silly ads attacking me, on the streets she's lost control of the murder crisis.

No wonder. She's got fewer police on the streets, she's mismanaged the Fire Department, and now she's under investigation for corrupt, no-bid contracts to her friends." As Mitchell hits his attack points, a grainy shot of Dixon is seen. Next, Mitchell is back on the streets, and viewers see the same stock video he's used in past ads. "I'll hire 400 more police, serve outstanding warrants and expand after-school programs. There's a murder crisis.

The interim mayor has lost control. It's time for a change." In a graphic, the ad notes Mitchell's endorsement by the police union. The control" is one of Mitchell's new mantras. Is he suggesting police Howard developer agrees to Turf Valley arsenic cleanup same page," Beilenson said. "I'm very pleased for that." Beilenson ended negotiations with Turf Valley Builders over voluntary ground testing for the project a month ago, after he learned of tests done two years ago that revealed the elevated arsenic levels.

The test results found a so-called "hot spot" on the land that registered an arsenic level of 300 parts per million; a level of 4.9 parts per million is typical for Central Maryland. "They realized that the administration was very serious," Beilenson said. "We were not going to allow them to go forward with Louis Mangione, vice president of Mangione Family Enterprises, which owns Turf Valley, said yesterday his company has always intended to do "the right thing" for the property. "We are a 30-year-old family business which takes health and safety concerns very seriously. Our company has always worked to develop with the community in mind, and this project is no different," Mangione said in a statement.

Mangione Family Enterprises has been trying for two decades to add homes, offices and stores to Turf Valley, an 800-acre planned community on the west ern edge of Ellicott City. The property already features two 18-hole golf courses, a hotel, resort center and homes. It costs $6,000 to apply to enter the Maryland Department of the Environment's Voluntary Cleanup Program, and testing of each parcel of land typically costs tens of thousands of dollars, Beilenson said. The cleanup will reassure the public of the land's safety, according to Beilenson. "The cleanup testing has very stringent protocol," he said.

"It's a very transparent process." BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IV SUN REPORTER The owner of the Turf Valley planned community has agreed to enter a state environmental cleanup program after a report revealed that part of the land in Ellicott City has arsenic levels 60 times higher than normal. The announcement yesterday came after a request by Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, Howard County's health officer, for mandatory comprehensive testing of the land where Turf Valley wants to add 1,000 homes to the community. "Everybody seems to be on the.