Happy Halloween Baltimore! This holiday always makes me smile — and not just because it involves candy.
I love seeing the creative costumes and spooky home decor people put together to get into the spirit of things. It's a good reminder, especially in these difficult and divisive times, that at the end of the day, people are funny and like to have fun. And we all deserve a reason to smile and laugh.
I'd like to share two spooky happenings that brought me some joy this morning; the return of Tom Hanks' iconic David S. Pumpkins character on SNL and a local witches' paddle. That's when a large group of people dressed as witches get together and go paddleboarding on local waterways, creating the eerie effect of witches floating across the water.
In more relevant news, there have been a lot of questions online lately about who the new sponsor of the Baltimore Arena is. While
CFG Bank
may be relatively unknown to most, they are no stranger to the BBJ. We've been covering their rapid growth and the philanthropic and business endeavors of its leader Jack Dwyer for years. Here's an overview of CFG bank, and Dwyer.
Unfortunately, it's going to be rainy and cool today, but hopefully, that doesn't deter the trick-or-treaters. Otherwise, I'm going to end up eating a lot of leftover candy.
- A new audit has found the
Maryland Department of Health
failed to hold a major contractor accountable, even after it caused the state to overpay providers a total of $223.5 million while underpaying other providers and causing the state to miss out on millions more in federal matching funds. The audit says the department hired administrative services provider
Optum
to process payments in a five-year contract totaling $198.2 million. But apparently, the report says the agency never vetted Optum's subcontractors and ignored warnings from another Optum customer and did not test the system before launching it. WYPR
- Plans to convert a former public library in Fells Point into a community resource space and collaborative workplace are moving ahead. The city's spending board approved a land disposition agreement for the building to be sold for $330,000 to a group headed by local architects
PAVLINA ILIEVA, AIA
and
Kuo Pao Lian
of
PI.KL Studio
. The sale must still be approved by the city council, but once it is the team hopes to start construction in the first half of 2023. I interviewed Lian about this project last year and he shared their overall vision for the building, which is near where they live and work. Click the link to see photos of the building, and renderings of future plans.
- Bad news for seafood lovers — the number of juvenile rockfish in Maryland waters are well below the historical average for the fourth straight year, according to a survey by the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
. According to the department, the results are "disappointing" but "there's no need to panic." Next month, the rockfish board of the
ASMFC: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
will meet to review a full assessment for the species. Rockfish are the bay's most popular commercial and sport fish and its economic impact is about $500 million annually. Baltimore Sun
- The new movie theater coming to Hampden's Rotunda development is said to be arriving later this fall.
Warehouse Cinemas
Rotunda is wrapping up renovations at the former Cinebistro and former Growler USA Kitchen and Taphouse to make way for a large new theater and dining experience. Baltimore Fishbowl The BBJ first reported on this project back in March and later learned that the development was approved for $336,180 in state grants as part of a larger research effort to track the hundreds of businesses awarded grants as part of the state's Project Restore initiative.
- Here's a neat local entrepreneur story for you. Former investment manager Kevin Cross recently developed a new product designed to help people who are blind. The invention came about through Cross' own experiences after he lost his sight seven years ago. The Essential Cane Keeper is a bag designed to keep the dirt and germs that get on the tip of a cane from transferring to other surfaces. To develop the product, Cross got a $15,000 grant from the state and help from a local company to develop a business plan. Cross, now an inventor, is working on other products. WBAL-TV
-
The Johns Hopkins University
will begin offering programs for
U.S. Space Command
officers starting next year in Washington, D.C. The country's newest and smallest military branch was created in 2019 and has about 8,400 Guardians. Hopkins' engineering school faculty will teach courses focused on space including systems engineering for space, fundamentals of engineering and space systems and spacecraft integration and testing. Baltimore Fishbowl
- Also in D.C., the
National Geographic Society
is launching extensive renovations to its headquarters. The $250 million rehab will modernize the three-building block that serves as the HQ, museum and event space. The renovations aim to bring more traffic to the campus, for example through the addition of a new education center for students. WBJ
- ICYMI: employees of the
苹果
store in Towson voted in June to unionize, becoming the first Apple store employees in the country to do so. But now, the employees say the company is excluding them from certain educational and medical benefits offered to other Apple employees, which they see as a "calculated" move to prevent further unionization efforts. Baltimore Sun
