Baysox host Christmas In July

Santa Claus is Coming to Bowie Bowie, Md. The Bowie Baysox and The Salvation Army will host Christmas In July at Prince George's Stadium on Saturday, July 25, 2009 as the team takes on the Reading Phillies at 7:05 p.m. The event will feature holiday music and decorations, a jersey auction and a special appearance by Santa Claus and his elves. The Baysox will take the field in oneof-a-kind Christmas jerseys that will be auctioned off during the game to benefit The Salvation Army. The jerseys are green with red sleeves and red numbers on the front and back. The front will also feature the Baysox script logo perched atop a candy cane. After the game, winning bidders will meet the players, have their jerseys signed and pose for photos with the player. Fans are encouraged to bring toys to donate to The Salvation Army, and can also donate to the organization's Red Kettle in front of the stadium. The Red Kettle program started in 1891 and aided more than 5 million people during last year's holiday season. The Salvation Army has worked in the D.C. area since 1885 and is considered one of the nation's most popular charities. Last year, the National Capital Area Command helped provide food for the hungry, companionship to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter for the homeless, opportunities for underprivileged children and relief for disaster victims. For more information on the National Capital Area Command please visit www.salarmydc.org. The stadium will enchant fans with Christmas decorations on the concourse and the video board will feature holiday movie clips. Christmas carols will pour

Mayoral Candidate Profile: Josh Cohen

By Zaina Adamu

through stadium speakers and younger fans can meet Santa Claus and his elves. Santa, the elves and the Baysox lovable mascot Louie will be available for pictures throughout the game. As fans arrive at the ballpark, they will be handed a candy cane and be dazzled by Christmas music performed in front of the stadium, courtesy of Brass of the Potomac. The band will also perform the national anthem before the game. Brass of the Potomac features 30 professional musicians from around the Washington D.C. metro area and pulls its talent from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. For more information on the band, fans can visit www.brassofthepotomac.com. The Baysox 17th season as the class AA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles is underway! Check out www.baysox.com to see all that's going on at the stadium this year, and don't miss a moment of the action as the Baysox attempt to bring home their first Eastern League championship. Individual game tickets and ticket packages are available now at www.baysox.com or by calling the Baysox box office at (301) 464-4865.

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. Buddha
Positive stories about positive people!

In less than two months, the primary for election of the next Annapolis mayor will be held. Josh Cohen, one of the eight candidates, is determined to be one of the nominees. Instead of long, drawn out campaign strategies, he holds true to five simple yet defined principles. First, he wants to manage growth. By that, he means someone who can fight for and protect the communitys interest. He suggests it is something he has done as a member of the public office and knows he can maintain as mayor. One of the more prominent issues Cohen wants to tackle is revitalizing Annapolis economy. In the past few years, the citys budget nearly doubled causing it to fall into a deficit harder to come out of than in the late 1990s. The first thing I am going to do as mayor is to review the budget from top to bottom and eliminate unnecessary spending, says Cohen. A number of contractual positions have doubled from 32 to 90. These need to be looked at closely to make sure that those positions are needed. Improving public safety comes next in a five-pronged approach to redevelop Annapolis. As a long time employee of the criminal justice system, it is Cohens belief that the living environment of Annapolis citizens makes it a city all its own. A little graffiti here, a broken home there, an overgrown street end, poor lighting all of these invite bigger problems unless we deal with them quickly. By strengthening enforcement and partnering with citizens, we will reclaim our street corners and back alleys from animals, and restore hope and opportunity to even the most besieged neighborhoods. Keeping up with Annapolis public safety strikes home for Cohen, considering he is from the area. He grew up in Annapolis during the 1970s and 1980s when the city was taking form into a new and more financially driven town. He went on to receive his Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Maryland College Park and a Masters degree in Public Administration at the University of Baltimore. It led him to become the manager of finances for a $6.5 million Department of Justice Grant at the

Mayoral Candidate Josh Cohen Courtesy Photo Maryland Crime Victims Resources, an organization dedicated to protect and increase victims needs throughout the country. In tough economic times, Cohen wants what every other Annapolitian wants the rebirth of the Market House. He admits on his website to being a factor in where it stands today by voting to allow Site Realty control of the property, but promises to reverse its current condition. The Market House is a central concern. It is important both economically and symbolically because its literally in the heart of town. We need to reclaim the Market House as the community gathering place that it once was, says Cohen.My vision for the Market House is to view it first and foremost as a public asset, and then as an economic asset. Cohens campaign ostensibly comes off as one of moving forward rather than looking backward. This advantage in his fight for mayor leads him to one of his more ideal principles, which is improving the infrastructure of City Hall. Instead of the general public going to City Hall to obtain information on city officials and its employees, he plans on posting them online; making it more convenient for everyone involved. We need a new direction in City Hall, he says. With Cohens intended goals, the direction of Annapolis will seem to follow on the same path.

The Annapolis Times, July 17 - 23, 2009 (www.baltimoretimesonline.com)

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