Maryland/Special Olympics held its annual Sports Leadership Conference recently at Dr. Lenny Berger's Sheraton Hotel in Ocean City. The weekend event gives volunteers from all over the state a chance to exchange ideas for the coming year.
One of highlights of the weekend was the Sports Leadership Banquet, where Basketball Hall of Famer Wes Unseld, executive vice president of the Washington Bullets, was the guest speaker. Unseld will be working with this group next year as the Honorary Coach of Maryland Special Olympics Basketball.
The Outstanding Chapter Sports Personality Award was given to Dick Bosman, former Baltimore Orioles pitching coach. Tim Bishop, the Orioles' strength and conditioning coach, was given the Outstanding Area Sports Personality Award for his efforts in starting the first "Pennant Race," a 5K run to benefit the city's Special Olympics.
Past winners Vi and Cal Ripken Sr. were at the dinner, as were George and Mary Mills, who came to accept the Outstanding Sports Broadcast Personality Award for their son, Keith, WMAR's sports reporter.
Debbie Corbi, formerly of Corbi's Little Italy restaurant, and Christopher Gaul, former WBAL-TV health reporter, have gone into business together. They've opened an independent television, production and media consulting business, Grey Ghost Enterprises. The name for their new endeavor comes from Gaul's passion for breeding and showing Weimaraners. His dog, Jazz, is the No. 1 Weimaraner show dog in the country.
Grey Ghost produces a half-hour cable program, "The Health Express," and other promotional and educational videos. Recently, the company videotaped NeighborCare Pharmacies' yearly seminar at the Marriott Hunt Valley Inn, where Michael Bronfein, president and CEO of NeighborCare, surprised the attendees with a pair of beautifully monogrammed, embossed suspenders. Even the guest speaker, Larry King, was impressed.
Lynne and Victor Brick, owners of the Padonia Fitness Center and three Lynne Brick's Women's Health and Fitness Centers, have traveled the world teaching their brand of health and fitness. As a matter of fact, they consult regularly with the spa-like Tipness Fitness Clubs in Japan, seven in Osaka and 11 in Tokyo.
Lynne trains the fitness pros in her "link method" of aerobic workouts, while Victor enlightens them on the business end of running fitness centers. Last week, the two entertained owners of 18 Japanese centers who visited their facilities before eating a crab cake shrimp salad lunch at Michael's in Timonium.
Around town:
* Yet another facility will be sporting the name of Gov. William Donald Schaefer. The atrium at the University of Maryland at Baltimore's new Health Sciences Research Facility will be called the William Donald Schaefer Atrium . . .
* Tuesday was the 26th anniversary of Baltimore native Howard S. Koontz's enlistment with the U.S. Navy. And what a day it was for him! He went from the rank of hospitalman senior chief, Nurse Corps, to ensign. Koontz, who lives in Roland Park, was a 1964 Southern High grad. . .
* Richard E. Vatz, professor of rhetoric at Towson State University, will be a guest host of Ron Smith's show, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday on WBAL-AM. Vatz, recognized nationally as an expert on political rhetoric, psychiatry and public policy, has appeared on "Firing Line," "Donahue," "Larry King Live" and "Crossfire" . . .