Restaurateur robbed, found in trunk of car
A Delaware restaurant owner was robbed and then stuffed into the trunk of her car, where she languished for more than four hours, police said.
Avon Lestardo, owner of Lestardos Crab House in Glasgow, Del., left her establishment early Saturday and drove home with the previous night's receipts. As she pulled her car into the garage a man in a Halloween mask suddenly appeared with a knife.
He robbed her and forced her into the trunk of her car. New Castle County police said the robber fled with a "substantial" amount of money.
The victim was freed from her car when a neighbor noticed the garage door ajar. He found Ms. Lestardo's keys lying near the car and heard sounds coming from the trunk.
Historians get grant to save Eastern Market
WASHINGTON, D.C.
A group of historians who want to save the Eastern Market in Southeast Washington has received a $4,650 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Friends of Eastern Market opposes a $3.3 million proposal to renovate the site at 7th & C Streets SE.
The grant will be used to pay a team of architects, historians, researchers and engineers to study the 118-year-old building to determine what parts of it can be saved.
A plan has been floated for several years to refurbish the market's interior, add a second floor, elevators, public restrooms and upgrade vendor stalls. Preservationists oppose the proposal, saying it would alter the building's historic integrity.
Property tax rise plan to be discussed today
FREDERICK COUNTY
The public will have its chance to comment tomorrow night on a proposed 16-cent increase in Frederick County's property tax rate.
The Board of Commissioners has recommended increasing the current rate of $2.19 per $100 of assessed value. They will hold a public hearing on the tax proposal at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Rosenstock Hall at Hood College.
Growth in the county, combined with a decrease in revenues, has presented Frederick County with some minor budgetary problems this year, Ronald L. Sundergill, president of the board, said yesterday.
"We are faced with a lot of problems of similar counties," he said. "We're in a growing county, which is causing some financial strain."
Mr. Sundergill said county officials also are discussing possible increases in various fees, and eventually imposing impact fees for new developments.