From John Oliver to SNL, and Michael Phelps to marijuana laws, Baltimore once again found herself “on the map” this week. Here’s the Week in Review for Sept. 28-Oct. 3, 2014:
Television writers found inspiration from some local material, and for once the words “heroin” and “wasteland” weren’t involved. John Oliver dug deep on Yelp to find the few existing negative reviews of Mount Vernon’s beloved Afghani restaurant, The Helmand.
Over on SNL, the Ravens came in for some satire of their own thanks to the Ray Rice saga. Thankfully, they subsequently beat the Panthers, and the closest thing to criminal activity on the field was Steve Smith Sr.’s trash talk.
The spotlight turned to swimming icon Michael Phelps after he got busted for a DUI near the Fort McHenry Tunnel on Tuesday. The tale had its own made-for-sketch-comedy stylings after documents revealed that Phelps spent the hours before the incident pounding beers and playing Blackjack at the Horseshoe Casino, then didn’t even want to try standing on one leg.
In news that didn’t quite make it to cable, Maryland saw a slate of new laws hit the books, including a more relaxed marijuana law that one county took as a green light for full-on decriminalization. By the end of the week, sewage tomatoes began to sprout up near Jones Falls, making us feel like we’d seen this movie before.
Around town, there’s plenty of new finds this fall. For foodies, there’s Diablo Donuts in Towson. For Anglophiles in the market, there’s also a country house available in Ruxton. If that sounds too classy, don’t worry. The former president of Natty Boh was a longtime owner.
Looking ahead, next Tuesday sees a special evening at Ivy Bookshop with authors who have been widowed. Presenter and Fishbowl contributor Marion Winik excerpted her book, Tony in the Garden, to get us prepared.
Those already thinking about the holidays may want to check in with Hampden neighborhood leaders. They’re thinking about shutting off the lights of their famed Christmas display in response to a pair of crimes this week.
And remember: We Won’t Stop.
