The new reservation system, called Dockwa, allows users to view availability, reserve a space, pay all associated fees and manage their spot in real time, the release stated.

“Our goal is to provide boaters with a modern and navigable digital platform for reserving a spot at Baltimore’s municipal piers,” Baltimore City Harbormaster Mike McGeady said in the release.

Dockwa’s platform is used by over 200 municipal marinas nationwide. Its user-friendly system works by showing boaters a map of where they can make docking requests and then showing the associated pricing rates based on the type of boat and the length of stay.

Once a docking request is confirmed by the Harbormaster, users can pay directly through Dockwa. The system “enforces strict controls for handling credit and debit card data,” according to the release, and it does not sell or share personal information. After a deposit payment, users will receive a confirmation email of their reservation. Boaters will get their final billing once they leave their reserved spot.

“We’re offering greater levels of access, flexibility, communication and professionalism to boaters and visitors while generating much-needed funds to support maritime infrastructure,” McGeady added.

To begin using Dockwa, boaters can download the mobile app or go to dockwa.com. Then, they must create an account with their boat, insurance and payment information. Users should then search for “Baltimore City Municipal Piers” to put in a reservation request. Lastly, the Harbormaster will confirm the request and process the deposit. Once boaters arrive at their spot, they should check in with the Harbormaster via email, phone or transmission radio VHF Channel 72.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

The week will see more than 20 area restaurants and cafes offer deals to diners and invite them to “discover unique flavors,” according to a news release from the city last month.

Some of the participating restaurants include Bagels ‘n Grinds, Iron Rooster, Krazi Kebob, Li Chun Cafe, Northwest Chinese Food, Paisano’s Pizza and The Greene Turtle, among others.

The restaurants are offering various meal deals, such as $15 lunches or specially priced meal and drink combinations. Some restaurants will also have prix fixe menus or exclusive dish offerings, according to the release.

“We’re hoping that the residents find incentives to kind of get out and come and enjoy some of the offerings with their families and friends and kind of just showcase the nice things in College Park,” Michael Williams, the college town’s director of economic development, told The Baltimore Sun.

The city is using Flave, a restaurant rewards mobile app, to offer more deals during the week.

Flave was founded by Baltimore locals Jal Irani and Derek Battle around five years ago in an effort to discover and support area restaurants. Users upload photos of their food at restaurants and can redeem gift cards.

For College Park’s restaurant week, a diner can get a $5 gift card when they download the app, use code CP25 and upload a photo from a participating restaurant.

According to Williams, this is College Park’s first restaurant week since the late 1990s. He said the city wanted to “really highlight how good the food is in this area.” College Park leaders are also looking into doing a similar event to continue showcasing the city’s offerings in early January, he added.

The restaurant week event was also a good way to celebrate strong partnership between city officials and restaurant or business owners, Williams said.

“We certainly go out of our way to make businesses and restaurants and hotels feel welcome to College Park,” he added.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

Back for its 37th year, the event gives viewers an array of shark-themed content to binge from the Discovery Channel. This year’s celebration started Sunday and runs through Saturday.

Shark Week is the longest-running cable television event in history, according to the network. Last year, over 25 million people tuned in to watch the iconic predators.

Shark enthusiasts can watch 20 hours of content ranging from rare footage and conservation efforts to video of feeding frenzies. Shark Week content is available on the Discovery Channel and HBO Max.

How did Shark Week start?

Shark Week started in 1988 with its premiere of “Caged in Fear,” which looked at motorized cages created to prevent shark attacks.

The event began as a way of countering misconceptions about sharks and raising awareness about conservation efforts. In its first run, the week’s ratings nearly doubled the channel’s prime-time average, the network said. Soon, it became a summertime staple.

What should you do in case of a shark attack?

If you see a shark while swimming, stay calm and slowly move away, exiting the water once it’s safe. Avoid excessive splashing or movement. If the shark attempts to attack, firmly hit it in the eyes, nose or gills, and escape as quickly as possible.

Where do most sharks live? Are there any in the Chesapeake Bay?

Sharks live in many different types of water depending on the preference of the species. Some, like the gray reef shark and blacktip shark, inhabit coral reefs. Others, like the hammerhead and saw shark, prefer the sandy seafloor. Great white sharks typically prefer cooler waters and will migrate throughout the year as a result.

There are at least 12 species of sharks in the bay, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The five most common are the sandbar shark, bull shark, sand tiger shark, smooth dogfish and spiny dogfish.

The bay serves as a crucial nursery for young sandbar sharks, which primarily eat fish and crabs. Bull sharks have been known to display aggressive behavior, but they are in the bay only occasionally during the summer and are not typically dangerous unless provoked.

There have been no recorded shark attacks in the bay, the Chesapeake Bay Program reported, citing the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. However, people should avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid swimming near people fishing. Swimmers should not go alone and should avoid wearing shiny things, according to the foundation.

Where can you go to see sharks in captivity?

In Maryland, shark enthusiasts can go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore to see the animals in captivity. The aquarium’s shark alley exhibition features seven species, including nurse sharks, sandbar sharks and largetooth sawfish sharks.

How can Marylanders celebrate Shark Week?

Marylanders can check out bars or restaurants for Shark Week specials. Pink Flamingo in Remington in North Baltimore is offering shark-themed menu items, like its fried calamari Chum Bucket, and fun cocktails, like the fruity, rum-based Sharknado. Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, in Broening Manor in Southeast Baltimore, is hosting a Shark Week paint night Tuesday, featuring shark-themed cocktails, mocktails and small plates.

The National Aquarium also hosts a daily behind-the-scenes tour of its shark exhibition. Participants can feed some of the fish in the tropical reef, see the food prep kitchen, and tour the medical area.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

Kefalas, who is opening his Greek ice cream parlor in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, recalled taking orders and cleaning bathrooms from the time he was 12 for his family’s litany of popular Baltimore area restaurants.

Whether it was his grandfather’s Italian spot in Highlandtown, his godfather’s well-known Costas Inn, or his uncle’s restaurant, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood, Kefalas hopes to carry on the family’s culinary legacy with his new store, Yala Greek Ice Cream, located at 3143 N St., NW.

“We wanted to put the hardened hospitality that I had in my family restaurant background to full force,” Kefalas said of opening Yala.

The Georgetown ice cream shop brings the light, traditional flavors of the Greek Islands to the District.

Most of the flavors are based on classic recipes from Rhodes, Greece, Kefalas noted. The Yala owner goes to Rhodes every summer and met the ice cream maker for his favorite store on the island a few years ago. Last year, Kefalas spent time with the Greek ice cream connoisseur learning to make the base recipe.

The base recipe, a light and tangy vanilla, is the core of most of the store’s other flavors. Fittingly, at Yala, it’s named Papou’s Promise after Kefalas’ papou (Greek for grandfather).

“His heart, his legacy, his spirit, his values — that is everything we are and everything we aspire to be,” Kefalas said of his grandfather, who died about a decade ago.

Kefalas was confident that if his grandfather were still here today to see Yala open, he “would smile wide like he always did.”

“The fact that people are still talking about him, and will see him in the shop and feel his spirit and heart is something he would have never thought was even possible,” Kefalas added.

In addition to Papou’s Promise, the store offers customers a variety of both Greek and classic American flavors. From mint chip to a Mediterranean pistachio to a rich honey baklava-inspired flavor, Kefalas said there’s something for everyone.

Kefalas’ Yiayia’s Karamela flavor was inspired by the caramel candies his grandmother always kept around the house. His personal favorite, though, is Yia Mas — a light, Greek yogurt-based ice cream with tangy wild cherries.

Generally, Greek ice cream is lighter and less sweet than typical American ice cream, Kefalas added.

The blue and white store welcomes customers as it blends the look of traditional American ice cream parlors with the small Greek villages from which Kefalas’ family originated.

Designed by Washington, D.C.-based artist Maggie O’Neill, the store features a rich and vibrant color palette with soft wooden accents, making the space “homey and comforting,” Kefalas said.

He remembered how the core of his family’s restaurants was community. Kefalas plans to carry on that legacy through Yala.

Through Costas Inn, Jimmy’s Famous Seafood and his grandfather’s Italian place, Kefalas saw how customers would become part of their family.

“I saw firsthand how hard the business is, but also how much heart [his grandfather] poured into it, and the end result was people who would walk into our restaurant as strangers became part of our extended family,” Kefalas said.

Yala Greek Ice Cream has supported local groups like the D.C. Central Kitchen, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington and the Greek America Foundation in an effort to support the local area.

“We want to be a part of this community,” Kefalas said. “We want to make the community better.”

While running Yala, Kefalas — who has a background in law — said he plans to simultaneously stay in his current job at the National Association of Manufacturers.

Through his successful law career, Kefalas suspects his grandmother will connect most with his culinary venture.

“This, to my grandmother, seems to resonate more than anything else I’ve ever done. It’s what we know, it’s what our life’s been about.”

Yala Greek Ice Cream will be open Monday through Thursday from noon to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

That contribution, which has steadily grown over the last six years, is largely the result of the jobs it provides, a growing operating budget, returns on long-term investments, and student and campus visitor spending, according to the 2024 report that was released earlier this month.

“The university has played a significant role in leading community and economic development,” David Wilson, the university’s president, told The Baltimore Sun. “Morgan is seriously on the rise.”

The university also supports 8,200 jobs and contributes nearly $71 million annually in tax revenue to Maryland, according to a university news release. The report noted that Morgan State’s economic impact on Baltimore City alone was $891 million and created 4,880 jobs in the area.

The economic impact from the university is a “sense of pride for us,” said Willie May, the university’s vice president of research and economic development. “We’re not just the consumers, but we are a multiplier of the investments that are made in us.”

For fiscal year 2024, Morgan State received $190.8 million in state funding and $72.2 million in federal funding, a university spokesperson confirmed. In fiscal year 2023, the university got $155 million from the state.

Morgan State, a research university established in 1867 in Baltimore, had 10,739 students in the fall of 2024, according to its most recently reported enrollment figures. The student population has increased by 39.2% since 2018, according to enrollment data.

“We’re graduating more people,” May said. “Once they graduate and remain in the area, then they contribute to the state’s economy.”

Since fiscal year 2021, Morgan State’s operating budget increased by 46% to $425 million in fiscal year 2024. The budget’s expenditures create economic “ripple effects” through supporting local businesses, providing employee salaries, and purchasing local goods and services, the report stated.

Additionally, Morgan State students spend $150 million per year, accounting for 10% of the university’s annual impact, the news release stated.

“Student spending is a significant contributor to the local economy, particularly when a university is deeply embedded in its community,” said Ross Mugler, the president and CEO of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.

The university has also invested $1.2 billion over the past 15 years to improve campus facilities. These include the completed 141,000-square-foot Calvin and Tina Tyler Hall and a new health and human services center. The university is also building a $337 million science complex, the news release reported.

Similarly sized schools, like Howard University in Washington, D.C., showed a comparable economic impact.

In 2019, Howard had nearly 13,500 students and contributed $1.15 billion to Washington, its most recent economic impact report showed. Towson University had an enrollment of 19,401 students in the fall of 2024 and most recently reported a $2.1 billion impact on the region in 2022.

According to the Brookings Institution, research universities typically provide economic benefits for their regions. Increasing state funding to research universities creates more entrepreneurship and patents. For each new patent, researchers found that roughly 15 additional jobs are created for the local economy.

Morgan State had 10 times more start-ups formed, patent filings and licensings per $10 million in research and development expenditures when compared to the nation’s research university averages, the news release stated, drawing from its fiscal year 2024 innovation metrics report.

Another finding from the report was that Morgan State alumni residing and working in Maryland earn an additional $700 million per year, largely due to their education and experience.

“Higher education is closely correlated with higher lifetime earnings, and Morgan State equips graduates with the knowledge, skills and credentials that enable them to advance professionally and contribute meaningfully to Maryland’s workforce,” Mugler said.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

The Maryland Economic Development Corporation (MEDCO) identified 37 potential incubator sites in six counties in a December 2023 report. Now, program leaders are reviewing the list after Moore’s decision.

Montgomery County, which had seven properties listed in the 2023 report, submitted a revised, shorter list to MEDCO last week of properties that could work for the incubator. The previous properties Montgomery County listed were a mix of office, retail and industrial sites in Rockville, Olney, Damascus and Bethesda.

Dorchester County also remains interested in such an incubator, Susan Banks, the director of the county’s Economic Development Office, said this week. Dorchester listed two sites in 2023 for the project.

“We had hoped the incubator could co-locate with an existing business and utilize those resources, bringing in additional jobs and expanding the tax base,” Banks said.

Prince George’s County listed six properties for the incubator in 2023. Of the six, three are still available, a county spokesperson confirmed. These include a 29,325-square-foot industrial building in Hyattsville and two retail centers in Oxon Hill and Clinton. County officials did not respond when asked if they were still interested in the project, however.

Other counties included in the 2023 MEDCO site list were Garrett, Somerset and Anne Arundel. Garrett and Somerset counties did not respond to multiple requests for a comment, and Anne Arundel County declined to comment.

The incubator, which is the first state-run program of its kind nationwide, would support around 60 cannabis micro-businesses that need help accessing equipment or space, according to the Maryland Cannabis Administration’s (MCA) website. Plans for the Catonsville Armory were scrapped after community members raised concerns with its proximity to Catonsville Elementary School, prompting Moore to reopen the search.

“I have instructed the agencies to identify locations that are not within close proximity to residential communities and schools. The agencies will begin this new process immediately, conduct extensive community and stakeholder engagement, and work quickly to move the project forward,” Moore said in his statement about the decision.

The $7 million project would give licensees, such as microprocessors or microdispensaries, space to process and store their products. It would not sell or grow any cannabis onsite, but rather “is for licensees to jumpstart their businesses and acquire skills in a supportive environment,” the cannabis agency said.

The program “is a critical step toward leveling the playing field for micro-licensees,” said Michelle Rutter Friberg, the director of government relations at the National Cannabis Industry Association. “By lowering barriers to entry, the program empowers small businesses to thrive in a competitive industry while advancing equity and innovation in the state’s regulated cannabis market.”

The Catonsville Armory was not included in the 2023 site list but was chosen because of its reinforced security vaults and its central location, according to the Maryland Cannabis Administration’s website.

But local residents protested the idea, with one resident, Josh Jackson, organizing a Change.org petition that got more than 850 signatures. In addition to its closeness to the elementary school, the petition brought up concerns with “nuisance smells from the processing of cannabis.”

According to the MCA’s website, the incubator’s facility would feature “state-of-the-art odor mitigation systems.” These include air filtration, sealed rooms and other HVAC measures.

The Catonsville Armory was scheduled to begin a year-long renovation this month to prepare it for housing an incubator.

The MCA and MEDCO did not respond to requests for comment.

“The Moore-Miller Administration will work expeditiously — but thoughtfully and deliberately — to select the new site,” the MCA stated on its website. “At this time, we do not have a projected date for when a new site might be announced, but we will provide updates as they become available.”

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

Greene, who has more than 850,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, said in an Instagram post Saturday that he “still can’t believe” he made the list.

“Thank you for letting me be a small part of your feeds,” he wrote. “Every time you tell me a history video made you see something differently, or got you curious about a story you’d never heard of or helped you understand how the past connects to right now — that’s the only kind of influence I’ve ever wanted.”

TIME started the creator list this year, which names 100 of 2025’s “most influential creators,” to highlight “individuals who work in fields that we believe are shaping the future,” Sam Jacobs — the magazine’s editor-in-chief — wrote on TIME’s website.

Greene was chosen largely for his work educating online viewers about cultural appropriation and his digital exploration of “the repercussions of whitewashing and the erasure of Black history,” according to TIME.

Some of Greene’s most popular TikTok series include “Hidden History” and “How Everything on this App Originated with Black People,” according to his website.

The Peabody Award winner was a hit early on, after his first-ever TikTok got over a million views in one day. Greene posted the video on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2021, talking about the leader’s “whitewashed legacy,” his website said.

Greene, known as the “Gen-Z Historian,” went to Yale University after his graduation from Poolesville High School in Montgomery County. At Yale, Greene studied history and was the first Black student body president.

Now, the two-time Emmy nominee is a full-time public speaker and author, alongside his career online.

Greene announced his first book, “Hidden History,” in a social media post Thursday. The book, published by Penguin Random House, “is a highly visual work that brings his viral storytelling to the page,” he posted on Instagram. It is unclear when the book will be published.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

She started from a cart in Baltimore’s Lexington Market selling waist beads, crystals, herbs, African adornments and more. Last year, a local tenancy program provided her with the opportunity to also have her first brick-and-mortar store. But she said the expansion has come with challenges.

Her store, Milton’s Daughters, is part of the BOOST Harborplace Local Tenancy Program, a newer cohort of the 4-year-old initiative that supports Black business owners by providing them with funding and business services, enabling them to open storefronts in previously vacant spaces throughout downtown Baltimore.

While business owners in the Harborplace group with Hynson largely praise the program, they also say it has been less helpful with staffing, location siting and marketing.

“It was a good opportunity, but like with any opportunity, it’s not always gonna be sunny days,” Hynson said.

The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and MCB Real Estate operate the BOOST (Black-Owned and Operated Storefront Tenancy) group in Harborplace. Participants received $20,000 to $25,000 grants to open short-term locations in the retail pavilions there until MCB Real Estate undertakes it’s $900 million overhaul of the waterfront, approved by voters last November.

Hynson, along with four other merchants, signed two-year licensing agreements to move into the BOOST Boutique last June, located in a pavilion on Light Street. Two additional businesses were placed as standalone stores in the Pratt Street pavilions.

“We created a program that could really marry a lot of what we’re trying to solve as an organization, and we could be intentional about really uplifting a part of our community of Baltimore that didn’t often feel like they could be in a downtown space,” said Shelonda Stokes, the president of the Downtown Partnership.

For Lynette Dodson, the owner of Cuples Tea House, another BOOST participant, business in the Harborplace boutique has been “tough.”

“The expectation was that it would be booming, and sometimes it is,” Dodson said. “A lot of the time it’s not.”

Unforeseen location changes

The BOOST Boutique in Harborplace’s Light Street pavilion was set up in the back of Made in Baltimore, which merchants said was unexpected. Made in Baltimore is a consignment store working with local businesses and artists to sell their products.

When applying for the program, the business owners said they didn’t know they would be inside Made in Baltimore. Once they did, they thought they’d be in the front of the shop. Hynson said she believes the location in the back reduces her boutique’s exposure.

“By then, we were already announced and stuff, so what could we do? Just make the best,” Hynson said.

Stokes said BOOST merchants knew about the business placement by the time they signed their licensing agreements and were never guaranteed spots at the front.

“When you come in, it’s very rare that you wouldn’t see it,” Stokes said. “Although it’s in the back of the store, it’s not like it’s tucked in a corner.”

At the merchants’ request, Downtown Partnership has given the store owners a branded window that faces inside Harborplace’s corridor. They also added each merchant’s logo to the top of Made in Baltimore’s exterior sign.

Staffing becomes a challenge

Staffing at BOOST Harborplace also has been an issue.

Several business owners who applied to the program said they believed they would receive a staffer for their storefronts, as that was what was advertised in the application materials.

In a copy of the application materials obtained by The Baltimore Sun, it says the BOOST Boutique businesses are expected to have a “centralized staffing model,” and that “vendors are not expected to staff their section.”

According to the partnership’s statement, that meant participants could “work together to determine what coverage was necessary.” This could include “rotating shifts among themselves, jointly hiring additional staff or deciding on another shared approach.”

Business owner Abisola Omoyele “Yelé” Oladeinde said she briefly hired an employee but has recently been managing the store by herself. She is now looking for a new employee to hire in collaboration with another business in the boutique.

“That can at least ease the cost of employing someone,” she said.

Before signing their licensing agreements, BOOST boutique owners were given another option for staffing: operate as a Made in Baltimore vendor. Vendors receive 70% of their sales revenue, with the store taking a 30% cut, according to Andy Cook, the director of Made in Baltimore.

Business owners who spoke to The Sun said they declined because of the revenue sharing and the longer time it would take the business to pay them their share of the money.

“That wasn’t an option,” Dodson said. “It’s been a lot of pivoting in the last year.”

According to Stokes, the Downtown Partnership is open to looking at the staffing issue and seeing what they can do.

Receiving staff “definitely would have come in handy, it would still come in handy,” said Idris Coleman, the owner of a streetwear store and BOOST participant, Motion Athletics.

‘A great foundation’

Despite the challenges, many business owners expressed gratitude for being part of the program.

“The opportunity to put these small businesses at Harborplace was huge, especially for people like me and some of the others who were born and raised in Baltimore and know the significance of being at Harborplace, ” Dodson said.

For Oladeinde, BOOST also offered her first brick-and-mortar store. She said the Harborplace storefront has been a “great foundation for me to learn and to know what to expect in the retail space.” Oladeinde owns and operates Yele Stitches, a luxury African fashion brand.

Programs like BOOST are important because they help “support the growth of minority-owned businesses in Baltimore while investing in the city’s unique culture and economy,” according to a statement from Alexis D’Amato, the government affairs director at Small Business Majority.

D’Amato said that many small business owners struggle to secure enough money to open a brick-and-mortar storefront. As a result, “grant programs like BOOST should be considered models for incubators around the country, providing no-strings-attached capital and technical assistance needed for many entrepreneurs just starting out,” D’Amato said.

Marketing and foot traffic prove tricky

BOOST Harborplace is marketed through MCB and the Downtown Partnership, according to Stokes. They have hosted influencers, provided media tours, sponsorships and social media marketing.

The Downtown Partnership also promotes BOOST Harborplace through its newsletters, relationships with area hotels, and opportunities to participate in the partnership’s weekly Pratt Street market, Gregory Tucker, a communications advisor for the partnership, said in a statement. Still, many of the business owners want to see the partnership ramp up its efforts.

According to Hynson, the business owners do a lot of their own marketing. But, in the coming year, she wants to see the Downtown Partnership be more “hands-on,” whether it be through social media, news coverage, increased signage or other ways.

Alex Hughes, a spokesperson for MCB Real Estate, said in a statement that MCB is not involved in the logistics of the BOOST program, but they have been “pleased to support” the program.

Coleman said Harborplace is still “seen as dormant” by many and that he expected foot traffic to be better than what it is.

Other business owners said they agree.

“The traffic is not as great as I want it to be,” Oladeinde said.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

Deacon’s performance ahead of the doubleheader game against the New York Mets included heavy auto-tune over his voice, transforming the classic song into an electronic sound. In video footage of the performance, attendees appear to be looking around in confusion.

The performance went viral online, garnering more than a million views by Friday afternoon and creating controversy among viewers. Some praised his unexpected take on the song, while others hoped to see something more traditional.

The Orioles “will continue to welcome different types of musicians and musical genres at Camden Yards, whether it is for anthem performances, live bands, DJs, or other entertainment, and realize that different types of music appeal to different audiences,” an Orioles spokesperson said Friday.

One user on the social media platform X posted a clip of his performance with the caption, “I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom.”

Deacon’s fans were quick to defend him, with responses such as, “Do not slander my man Dan Deacon” and “Dan Deacon is one of America’s greatest living musicians. This rendition of the anthem rules so hard!”

The recording artist has made five studio albums, and 2020’s “Mystic Familiar” is his most recent. Deacon, known for his “innovative electronic music,” also composes music for film and television, according to his website. Some of his notable projects include Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascencion” and the Netflix film “Hustle,” his website said.

Deacon did not respond to a request for comment.

Of course, the national anthem has a special tie to Baltimore. In 1814, Maryland lawyer Francis Scott Key wrote his poem “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. Set to the tune “To Anacreon in Heaven,” it gained popularity and officially became the national anthem in 1931.

To perform the national anthem at Oriole Park, those interested must submit an application including a recording of them singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” a capella style, according to the Major Baseball League’s website. Additionally, the website notes the submission should be a “traditional rendition.”

Over time, many musicians have performed their own interpretation of the national anthem, including Whitney Houston at the 1991 Super Bowl and Jimi Hendrix’s 1969 performance of it at Woodstock. Under the First Amendment, it “seems unlikely” that the government would be able to mandate solely performing the same, traditional-sounding version, wrote the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University on its website.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.

The 22-year-old outdoor shopping mall, which attracts 7 million visitors annually, will receive a new community plaza and a renovated Regal movie theater as part of the multimillion-dollar upgrade.

This is just the latest development at the retail site. Earlier this week, IKEA announced it will open a “plan and order” store at Hunt Valley on July 16. Earlier this year, a 322-unit Avalon apartment complex and an 178-unit senior living center opened at the Towne Centre.

Like most malls, it’s had its share of financial struggles. After acquiring the former Hunt Valley Mall, which was mostly vacant, developer Greenberg Gibbons began major renovation construction in 2003 and reopened the property in 2005 as the Hunt Valley Towne Centre.

“That was 20 years ago, so we’ve been looking at the project, saying, what can we do to continue to reimagine the future of Hunt Valley?” Eric Walter, the president of Greenberg Gibbons, told The Baltimore Sun. “That’s what drove us to make a meaningful investment in the common areas.”

The new plaza will be in the town center’s main corridor, surrounded by retail stores. It will feature a turf lawn, pergola, comfortable seating, a 14-foot multimedia screen, games and other seasonal activities, the news release said.

The plaza is a landscaped walking path with water features and a fireplace, Walter said. He added that the path is “not very open,” which the new plaza will change.

“Our goal is to open it up, to still have great landscaping, have a lot more seating options, have turf fields where children can play,” Walter said.

The plaza will also serve as a hub for community events. It will feature a dedicated spot for the center’s “Friday Night Live” summer concert series, as well as host movie nights and the annual tree lighting ceremony.

Regal’s renovations will include exterior upgrades, new signage, a renovated lobby and an improved concessions area with new digital displays and self-service ticket kiosks. Also, each auditorium will have new projectors, reclining seats, and new luxury vinyl tile and carpet flooring.

“It’s going to be the best place to watch a movie in Baltimore,” Walter said.

The theater’s renovation will be phased in, and it will remain open throughout the process, according to the news release. The plaza is expected to be completed this fall.

Other retailers anchoring Hunt Valley include Wegmans, HomeGoods, Marshalls, Michaels, J. Crew Factory and more.

“We want to continue being the area’s top gathering place for shopping, family fun and entertainment experiences,” Brian Gibbons, the chairman and CEO of Greenberg Gibbons, said in a news release.

Have a news tip? Contact Irit Skulnik at iskulnik@baltsun.com or on X as @irit_skulnik.