Maryland-reared ballerina Amanda McKerrow was in D.C recently to dance the starring Snow Queen role on opening night of the Washington Ballet's "Nutcracker Suite."
This was a sentimental return for McKerrow, who has been with American Ballet Theater in New York since 1983 and is a principal dancer. She was reunited with Simon Dow, now the ballet master at Washington Ballet, who was her partner in 1981 when she won the gold medal at the Moscow Ballet Competition.
Also, her 11-year-old niece, Jenna McKerrow, had a part as one of the party children in Act 1. Jenna has been attending the Washington Ballet School since September.
Scuttlebutt at the party after the show is that President-elect Bill (and Hillary) Clinton have made inquiries about the school for their daughter, Chelsea.
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All was sweetness in the Maryland State House. Sound impossible?
Well, this State House was a replica, which was served as dessert for the Monday night fund-raiser for Prince George's Democrat Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., Senate president, at Harbor Court Hotel.
The creation -- a chocolate and marzipan cake, 3 feet high and 5 feet long -- was made by Harbor Court pastry chef Don Dziwulski and his assistant, Andrew Paulus.
The double domes of Maryland's State House are architectural rarities that are said to be shared only with the Vatican. And that, one wag noted, is why some State House types think they walk on water.
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One of Baltimore's jolliest helpers (WMAR-TV's Tony Pagnotti) entertained 268 of Baltimore's needy children at Harrison's Pier 5's Children's Christmas Party.
After the young guests were filled with pizza, hot dogs and ice cream, Pagnotti, with lots of help from Harrison's owner Sondra Harrison McGee, passed out presents donated by businesses including Fila USA, Abacus Corp., Waverly Inc., Caldor's, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Bond Distributing Co.
Harrison's general manager Dave Lycett and his helpers Cleveland Brister, urban services, and Ed Goldman, mayor's office; and Harrison staffers Janet Morningstar, Trish Huey, Rob Schunck, Keith Schwartz, Ken Watts, Mike Matassa, Melissa Reillo and Mike Daly, are certain to have a nicer holiday, thanks to their good work.
While some children tore into their gifts, one boy held back, saying he wanted to save his present for Christmas morning. (It's the only present he gets this year.)
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Baltimorean Jill Edelstein is making her television debut as a contestant on Bill Cosby's new show "You Bet Your Life" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on WBAL-TV, and she is thrilled.
Last April, Edelstein saw an audition notice in the paper, and when Cosby's staff came to town in May, she tried out for the show with 40 other people at the Omni.
After she finished talking about her life as a manicurist, working in a tanning salon and her job at Quick Silver Process Service, she was a cinch for the show. After all, this process server is only 4 feet 11 inches tall.
Edelstein and her mom, Lois, drove to Philly to tape the show. She didn't meet Cosby until she walked out on stage but said he is wonderful because he instantly put her at ease.
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Chef Peter Timmins, coordinator of culinary education at the Baltimore International Culinary College facility in Ireland, recently earned several medals at the prestigious Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany.
As part of a five-member Irish team, Timmins competed with chefs from 30 nations, and his team went home with a silver medal, two bronze medals and a certificate of merit.
This "Olympiad of the Cooks" is one of the largest and most esteemed culinary competitions in the world. Chefs train as vigorously as athletes to withstand the physical demands and pressure.
As a result of Timmins' performance, he has received a coveted invitation to join the European Association of Master Chefs in London in February 1993.
BICC president Roger Chylinski is pleased that his students have the opportunity to learn European culinary techniques from someone like Chef Timmins at the school's European Educational Centre near Dublin.