The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page B3

The Sun Tuesday, July 13, 2004: Page 3b BALTIMORE CITYCOUNTY CityCounty Digest Summer school to begin at 3 high schools More than 2,600 students enroll for makeup classes, 1,000 more than expected By Laura Loh SUN STAFF school level have thought of everything they can." Classes will be held at Frederick Douglass, Lake Clifton Eastern and Harbor City high schools beginning today. Classes to help students who failed Maryland Functional tests are under way at Patterson High. The school system set aside $250,000 to provide bus passes and classroom supplies to summer school students and to pay for about 800 tuition waivers. Teacher salaries will be paid for with the class fees. Summer classes are open to students who failed a course during the school year or missed taking a class needed to the student load.

The jump in enrollment about 1,500 students attended summer school last year was a surprise to school officials because plans for summer school were up in the air until late last month, when the school system abandoned a plan to send youngsters to classes at Baltimore City Community College. The school system made that decision after the college's president, who had offered to help run the city's summer school, resigned in May. Other college officials hesitated about following through on his commitment. School officials say more students are participating in summer school because tuition waivers were given more freely this year for the classes, which cost $150 each. Last summer, classes were free, and two years ago they cost $75.

Students receivd partial or full waivers, depending on their parents' income level. Students also had more courses to choose from this summer, including physical education, fine arts and foreign languages. Last year, the school system offered basic math, English, science and social studies. "I'm hoping for a smooth start," said Frank DeStefano, high school officer for the city schools. "Until you open, you never know.

But we're anticipating that the people at the More than 2,600 students have signed up for makeup classes that will begin today at three city high schools, despite confusion in recent weeks about where summer school would be held. School officials had expected 1,000 fewer students because of the higher cost of tuition this year, but said they have the extra teachers needed to handle "All the construction down here is down here for a reason. Ed Bloom, owner of Ethel's and Ramone's Threatening letter forces a delay in murder trial loment agency, to apply to the state for an expansion of the city's "enterprise zones" to include the York Road commercial corridor and Mondawmin Mall's western edge. BDC and administration officials told the council yesterday that Mondawmin Mall's owner, the Rouse is close to a deal with a food retailer interested in building a new supermarket where the Motor Vehicle Administration has offices on the mall's west side. The MVA would be relocated to another site at the mall.

The potential deal, BDC officials said, hinges on that portion of the mall being included in the enterprise zone. In Baltimore County School board to discuss scheduling today at session TOWSON The county Board of Education is to meet today. The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. to discuss scheduling matters. A closed session will follow, then the board will resume its open meeting at 7:30 p.m.

The meeting is at the Educational Support Services building on the Greenwood Campus, 6901 Charles St. Anti-bias laws for business to be discussed at seminars ESSEX The county Human Relations Commission will sponsor seminars this week for small businesses on complying with the county's anti-discrimination laws. The commission will hold two-hour sessions Friday, starting at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The meetings will take place in the meeting room of the Essex branch of the county library, 1110 Eastern Blvd.

Participants are asked to confirm their attendance in advance. Information: 410-887-5917. Villa Julie to exhibit works off-site of Artscape artists STEVENSON Villa Julie College's Art Gallery will house collections from four artists from Thursday to Aug. 7 as part of Baltimore's annual Artscape festival. The gallery, serving as an "off-festival site" for the juried Artscape Annual visual arts exhibit, will display paintings by Dana Reifler, a Maryland Institute College of Art student, and Alyssa Dennis, a recent graduate.

It also will feature mixed-media works by Marie Burns and paper installation works by Renee Van der Stelt. The gallery is at 1525 Green-spring Valley Road. Admission is free. From staff reports In Baltimore City $500,000 bail set for man charged in 3 traffic deaths Bail was set at $500,000 yesterday for a Baltimore man charged with three counts of vehicular manslaughter in a May traffic accident in Northeast Baltimore. Prosecutors allege that Michael William Anderson 31, of the 4300 block of Harford Road had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 percent more than twice the legal limit while he was driving a van that struck several vehicles near Morgan State University before shearing a car nearly in half and leaving three members of one family dead.

After surrendering to police Friday, Anderson had been denied bail at a brief hearing that was delayed until yesterday because his attorney was not present. Circuit Judge Allen Schwait reduced the bail to $500,000 at a hearing yesterday morning, according to the state's attorney's office. Nonprofit group donates 30 laptops to academy Students taking summer classes at Baltimore Freedom Academy will be able to surf the Internet and take tests on 30 laptops donated to the school yesterday by a Baltimore-based nonprofit group. The computers, which have wireless Internet capabilities, will be distributed among classrooms in the fall, according to the Centre for Management and Technology. The system, paid for by private donations, is valued at $50,000.

Earlier, the Centre created a Web portal for students, parents and faculty at the academy, an innovative public high school that shares a building with Lombard Middle School. The Centre helps nonprofit groups improve technology and efficiency. Schools and other nonprofits can apply for similar assistance at www.cmat.org. Council OKs 2 resolutions on enterprise zones The City Council approved two resolutions last night clearing the way for the expansion of state-sanctioned economic development zones that give tax breaks to companies operating in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The council's support allows the Baltimore Development the city's economic deve- Warning to witness came from defendant, state says By Laurie Willis SUN STAFF AMY DAVIS SUN STAFF Some Mount Washington business owners say that a sewer improvement project has caused customers to go elsewhere.

Other merchants understand the work is necessary. Construction work builds concerns for Mount Washington merchants Sewer project is draining sales, some owners say By Ilene Hollin SUN STAFF Police The murder trial of a former Morgan State University student, scheduled to begin yesterday in Baltimore County Circuit Court, has been postponed to enable a handwriting expert to review a threatening letter that the man is accused of writing to a potential witness in the case. Christopher Ahmed Bacote, 19, who had been scheduled to go on trial yesterday in the fatal shooting of another Morgan State student last October outside a Timonium bowling alley, has been charged with obstruction of justice, court records show. An examiner determined that a fingerprint on the letter matched Bacote's, according to charging documents. The letter warned witnesses not to testify against Bacote, reading, "If I get life, they get death," according to charging documents.

The letter, filled with expletives and racial slurs, was signed ONE and included the postscript: "They waiting on my word," according to the charging documents filed July 1 in District Court. Attorney Margaret Mead, who is representing Bacote, said her client didn't send the letter and is "very upset" about it. "We believe there is a strong possibility that someone set him up," Mead said yesterday. "He adamantly denies writing this letter. He adamantly denies threatening any witness." Mead said she requested a postponement in the murder trial to allow a handwriting expert to determine whether Bacote wrote the letter.

As for the fingerprint on the letter, Mead said: "There may be his fingerprint, but anyone could have handed him a piece of paper." Bacote, of the 5600 block of Laurelton Ave. in Baltimore, is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 4 death of Lorenzo Monroe Hardy III, a senior from Philadelphia who majored in marketing. Hardy died after being shot once in the chest outside the AMF Timonium Lanes on York Road. The shooting occurred in the bowling alley parking lot about 2:45 a.m.

as Hardy walked with two friends. Students from Morgan and Coppin State University had attended a party at the bowling alley that night, where police say Hardy and Bacote had argued. Four days after the shooting, Bacote was charged with first-degree murder and held without bail. On Nov. 20 his bail was reduced to $150,000, and he was placed on home detention.

Bacote, a West Baltimore resident, transferred from Morgan to a local community college after his arrest last year, Mead said. After being charged with obstruction of justice, Bacote's bail was revoked, and he is being held at the Baltimore County Detention Center, Mead said. The trial has been rescheduled for Oct. 19. cause of the noisy generator for construction beside his porch.

"No one wants to sit outside," Wollman said. "To see everyone inside on a Saturday night when it is 80 degrees outside infuriates me." While business has slowed to a crawl for Wollman and others, Ethel's and Ramone's, a restaurant a few doors down, says its business increased 20 percent this year. The owners of many other businesses farther removed from the construction said they see it as a nuisance, but not a business catastrophe. Owners and customers agree that the construction's presence has put parking at a premium in an area where spaces have always been scarce. With a few small lots and parking street meters, the area cannot accommodate customers of more than 40 businesses.

Frequent village patron Rox-anne Stigers of Harford County said she opted to leave her mother at home because she thought she would have to park too far away. Parking and digging, among other reasons, caused Diana's European Skin Care to move four months ago to Timonium, after 10 years on Sulgrave Avenue, said Nicholas Gavrila, vice president of operation for Diana's. Despite inconveniences and loss of sales, owners said they understand that the work is necessary. "All the construction down here is down here for a reason," said Ed Bloom, owner of Ethel's and Ramone's. "The reason was made crystal clear Wednesday night with the flooding.

Without these improvements, we are dead." Flood help Many agree that the large holes and new sewers that are now in place alleviated much of the water pressure Wednesday, and they would have faced worse damage than 4 feet of standing water. Although thankful that the work is being completed, Wollman, president of the Mount Washington Village Association, said he believes it could have been done more efficiently. He plans to file a complaint asking for compensation to businesses for their losses in the form of grants, money or free publicity. He said the ground was poorly tested and the problem could have been avoided. Public works officials disagree.

They said 14 soil borings sampled a large portion of ground and detected no granite. "We are doing everything we physically can to finish this project and get out of the area," said Mike Schultz, chief of construction management for the Bureau of Water and Wastewater. "It is just an unfortunate situation that we encountered what we did, which was an unforeseen situation." With 100 feet remaining to finish, private contractor Corman Construction has workers on site for two 8-hour shifts on weekdays, and one 8-hour shift on both Saturdays and Sundays. The charm of Mount Washington Village in North Baltimore is a little hard to find these days amid jackhammers, cranes and caution tape, which some business owners say have hurt sales. In January last year, the city's Department of Public Works began what was supposed to be a one-year project to replace a sewer main.

But the project to install about 1,000 feet of sewer 25 feet below ground stopped two months later when workers hit granite boulders that equipment could not penetrate. Workers were forced to abandon the micro-tunneling machinery, which had allowed them to complete 25 feet per day, and resume work by hand, which slowed progress to 4 feet. Lost customers The owners of some restaurants and boutiques directly beside the construction said they have seen their business decrease between 30 percent and 40 percent from previous years. Sandye Jurus, owner of Jurus, a village jewelry store on Newbury Street beside the construction, said she is barely treading water. Blake Wollman, owner of The Desert Cafe, a sidewalk restaurant near the heart of the construction on Sulgrave Avenue, said he has lost customers be day arrested Anthony L.

Scott, 18, of the 1500 block of N. Luzerne Ave. Although evidence showed that a 5-shot, Smith Wesson handgun with a 9-inch barrel taken from Scott had not been fired, he was charged with unlawful possession of a deadly weapon. Baltimore County Parkville Precinct Burglary: Cash, collectible coins, video games and medication all valued at $6,835 were stolen Friday from a house in the 7800 block of W. Moreland Ave.

Franklin Precinct Stabbing: A man, 30, was arguing with two younger males in the first block of Papago Court on Saturday night when he was stabbed in the right arm. The victim was treated at Sinai Hospital for a minor injury. Burglary: Someone entered China Fun, a restaurant in the 7000 block of Reisterstown Road, over the weekend and stole DVDs valued at $200 and more than $100 cash. Stolen vehicle: A teal four-door 1994 Ford Escort with tags MJR 440 was stolen about 5 p.m. Sunday after being left parked at an Exxon station at Liberty and Marriott sville roads with the engine running.

Woodlawn Precinct Robbery: Police were seeking three males, one with a handgun, who robbed one of two younger males of a cell phone in the 2000 block of Englewood Road about 11 p.m. Saturday. During the robbery, one of the victims was struck with the gun. Richard Irwin Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes from police reports in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. Baltimore City Western District Shootingarrest: Two brothers were fighting in front of their house in the 900 block of N.

Ben-talou St. about 7:15 p.m. Sunday when one allegedly shot the other in the left leg. Arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree assault and a handgun violation was Brandon Haynie, 26. His brother, Byron Haynie, 17, was treated at Maryland Shock Trauma Center.

Central District Assaultarrest: Jorge Bonilla, 25, of Delaware was arrested early Sunday after an argument at Hammerjack's in the 300 block of N. Guilford Ave. and charged with striking a 26-year-old man with a bar stool. Southern District Theft: While a woman was paying for fuel at a gas station in the 1100 block of S. Hanover St.

about 11 a.m. Sunday, a man entered her 1991 Pontiac and stole a purse containing $236 and personal property. Eastern District Theft tryarrest: A 17-year-old boy was arrested about 4 a.m. Sunday after he tried to steal a 1999 Buick parked in the 2700 block of E. Monument St.

The car's owner followed the youth to the 2900 block of E. Monument where he spotted and alerted Officer Kenneth Lane, who arrested the teen. Arrest: Police responding to shots fired in the 1600 block of N. Milton Ave. about 1 a.m.

Sun Police investigate two East Baltimore killings Highland where a man had been shot in the throat and was lying outside, police said. The man, whom police had not identified yesterday, appeared to be in his 20s, police said. He was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 3:37 a.m. Anyone with information about either death is asked to call detectives at 410-396-2100. woman who had been found motionless in her basement.

Gwendolyn Boykins, 58, of the 100 block of N. Ellwood St. suffered injuries to her neck and head, police said. "They did not appear to be self-inflicted," Monroe said. Boykins was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:15 a.m., police said.

About two hours later, officers responded to the 200 block of N. BY A SUN STAFF WRITER Two people were killed in separate incidents in East Baltimore, police said yesterday. The two homicides occurred about a third of a mile apart in the Southeastern District, but there was no indication yesterday that they were related, said police spokeswoman Nicole Monroe. Police responded about 11:30 p.m. Sunday to the home of a.