Harford County (Mar. 8, 2002) -- Sincere get-well wishes go out to Dick Ireland, morning host at WRBS-FM (95.1). Dick suffered a heart attack on February 22nd and is now recovering at home. His prognosis is good. Ireland, who's been with WRBS since 1997, spent 26 years at WLIF-FM, where he was the first voice heard on that station when they signed on in 1969 (it had formerly been WAQE-FM). I had the pleasure of working with Dick at WLIF from 1989 to 1992. A resident of Ellicott City in Howard County, Dick Ireland is another one of the nice guys in local radio, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.

	Advertisement

The winter rating trends have been released by Columbia-based Arbitron, and there are no surprises among Baltimore's commercial radio stations so far this season. WERQ-FM (92.3) holds on to the top spot with an 8.6 share, followed by WPOC-FM (93.1) at 7.3. WBAL-AM (1090), WQSR-FM (102.7), and WXYV-FM (105.7) follow with ratings of 6.7, 6.0, and 4.8 respectively. Rounding out the top 10 are WWIN-FM (95.9), WLIF-FM (101.9), WHFS-FM (99.1), WIYY-FM (97.9), and WWMX-FM (106.5). Each rating point equates to about 3,900 listeners per quarter hour.

Look for another new face soon at WMAR-TV (2) as they continue to work on improving the rating of their newscasts. Denise Dory will join the 2News team in March. Dory comes from WBTV-TV in Charlotte, NC, where she's spent the past seven years anchoring that station's 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts. The move is somewhat of a homecoming for the 30-something Dory, who's a native of Washington, D.C., and still has family in the area.

Animal lovers will enjoy the latest addition to the lineup at public radio WHFC-FM (91.1). "Caring for Creatures" is a nationally syndicated program devoted to the care and well being of domestic animals. Already heard in over 100 cities, the program was recently added to the USA Radio Network for even wider distribution. It originates in the Los Angeles area. WHFC-FM is the only station in Maryland carrying the show. Executive producer Hal Abrams is providing the Bel Air station a commercial-free edit of the broadcast each week. "Caring for Creatures" can be heard Mondays at 11 a.m. on 91.1 FM.

On the local entertainment scene, Gregory Popovich brings his Comedy & Pet Theater to Harford Community College's Chesapeake Theater on Friday, March 22nd. But unless you already have tickets, you're out of luck. Both shows are sold out. So you'll have to wait until Popovich and his troupe of 18 performing cats and dogs - all rescued from animal shelters - appear again on "The Late Show with David Letterman" or "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

The Harford Dance Theatre presents "Canvases 2002", their annual spring concert, on Friday, April 5th, and Saturday, April 6th. Both shows take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Chesapeake Theater of Harford Community College, 401 Thomas Run Road in Bel Air (entrance number two). Original works will be performed, and a complimentary reception follows the Friday night performance. Tickets are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for patrons age 17 and younger. The number for tickets is 410-836-4211.

On Sunday, April 7th, The Harford Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Franz Reinhardt, will perform in the Amoss Center on the HCC campus at 2 p.m. The orchestra is comprised of middle and high school students from throughout the county. They will be accompanied by The Harford Youth String Orchestra, a talented group of local middle school students. Brian Folus will conduct. Admission is free.

HCC art students will present their paintings, drawings and sculpture to the public at a reception on Thursday, April 11th, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the College's Chesapeake Gallery in the new Student Center. Works will be displayed through April 26th, and admission is free.

Enjoy An Evening of Jazz Friday, April 12th, at 8 p.m. with the Bob Hamilton Trio at Harford Community College's Havre de Grace Hall. Admission at the door is just $5.00 for adults and $1.00 for those 17 and under.

Treat the entire family to a musical adaptation of Jules Verne's timeless favorite, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, on Saturday, April 13th, at the Amoss Center on the HCC campus. There'll be two performances, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., and ticket sales (premier seats are $9.00, orchestra seats $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for those 17 and under) are already brisk. 410-836-4211.

The big Cape May Jazz Festival takes place Friday, April 19th, through Sunday, April 21st, in nearby Cape May, NJ. The festival is presented each spring and fall. This time around it's a tribute to the music of Miles Davis. Headliners include Wallace Roney, David "Fathead" Newman, Cedar Walton and Brian Trainor. Tickets range from $20.00 for the Sunday jazz jam to $120.00 for a 20-event weekend pass, and can be ordered by calling 1-800-595-4849. Cape May is about a two-hour drive, but a word of warning. The festival is always well-attended, so accommodations fill up quickly. Therefore, if you plan on spending the weekend, better make lodging arrangements now. More information is available online at www.capemayjazz.org.

Finally, at the movies you'll find the following features at Flagship Cinemas in the Campus Hills Shopping Center through March 14th:

• A Beautiful Mind - PG-13
  
• Big Fat Liar - PG
  
• Dragonfly - PG-13
  
• I Am Sam - PG-13
  
• John Q - PG-13
  
• Queen of the Damned - R
  
• Return to Neverland - G
  
• Snow Dogs - PG
  
• The Time Machine - PG-13
  
• We Were Soldiers - R
  

Call 410-734-9000 for show times.

Have a question or comment about this column or local media? Email me at gwhelton@yahoo.com.

GH