RIP, Frank Melvin Papa Bear Conaway Senior

Frank Melvin "Papa Bear" Conaway senior, pater familias of a troupe of local circus bears, was found dead in bed in his Ashburton abode by his cub Frank. He was 81.

Conaway was elected to the MD House of Delegates in 1971 and was elected as the city's Clerk of the Court in 1998. 

He's survived by wife Mary, former Registrar of Wills, current Registrar of Wills Belinda Conaway, dereistic city council member Frank M. Conaway Junior (D-40th), some woman named Monica, and at least four grandchildren: Ray, Frank Melvin the 3rd, Lacynda and Kelly, the latter three of whom were arrested for pot dealing in 2013.

FMC Sr. was well-known for his family-themed campaigning at intersections and in median strips, and known around city office buildings for his spiffy style, which included well-cut broad-shouldered suits with pocket squares, jaunty bow ties and his trademark crumb-duster moustache. His rambling tangents at the city Criminal Justice Coordinating Council were often peppered with colorful turns of phrase ("Baltimore is turning into a Dodge City, a Deadwood, or more aptly, a Tombstone from the days of the Wild West, where gunfights erupted spontaneously and lawlessness reigned supreme.") and he also liked to repeat that adage about that owl.

He was also the reluctant defendant in that no-go 2006-2007 gay-marriage lawsuit Conaway v. Deane v. Polyak, the reluctant target of the karate kicks of blogger Adam Meister, and is the only person in history to lose elections to both Willie Don and Stephanie R-B. 

He was by all accounts a derelict office manager; under his tenure the Clerk's office regularly lost or improperly accounted for millions of taxpayer dollars and a 2010 legislative audit that found his office lost a prodigious $43.4 million in 33 months. 

But in a time before the Internet he glad-handed and bear-suited his way to an indelible political name brand, one that's kept voters checking off his family name on ballots more than four decades, and was one of those surprising, quirky characters that made living in this great city so worthwhile. 

We should all be such wise old bears.

Insanity is Hereditary

Justin George reports the city's 7th homicide.*

Anthony Anderson's family is keeping the pressure on for charges to be brought following Anderson's death in custody.

Del. Frank's Ki Dos in Trouble

Speaking of family names, three young Conaways have been arrested for pot dealing. Frank Melvin the 3rd and sisters Lacynda and Kelly Conaway are nieces of disgraced, defeated city council member Belinda and kids of Baptist Gnostic Christian Eubonic Kundalinion Spiritual Ki Do Hermeneutic Metaphysicbipolar Delegate Frank M. (just M) Jr. (D-40th), son of the kooky City Court Clerk Frank M. Sr. and Register of Wills Mary Conaway. I demand mugshots!

BWHAHA! Booze-cruising legislator Don Dwyer blames his turning to the bottle on the gays and other Republicans, reports Rodericks: "I felt a tremendous amount of pressure in my family. You take those personal issues [and] add betrayal on the professional side, and it really gets to be overwhelming." The "betrayal" he felt came when three other delegates, including two Republicans, changed their minds and voted for the same-sex marriage bill that became state law on Jan. 1. "That betrayal really affected me," Dwyer said. "I was physically ill. You pour your heart into an issue like that and it's devastating." No Don, that was the DT's.

DOUBLE BWHAHA! Speaking of bags of dicks, Hassan Giordano reports that homohating /vote-suppressant jailbird Julius Henson aspires to run for a Senate seat against his former employer Nathaniel McFadden for the city's 45th district. Talk about biting the broom you rode in on. ...surely McFadden had Henson sign a non-disclosure/non-compete before he hired him? ... And like Henson even wants that job-- you know he just wants to bleed the beast and get at that GOP war chest. Well, why not, don't hate the player, hate the game. What do you think he'll name his party boat ... ? 

And huzzah, a compromise on the pit bull ban.

"vote 'for' if you want it and 'against' if you don't"

A hefty $500k bail for Vernoica Alford,* the mom accused of helping her son and his friend hide the body of Monae Turnage and hiding the gun that killed her in police officer John Ward's car.

Remember Stop Fucking Snitching (Volume I)? Of course you do. One of the film's stars, Sherman Kemp, is back in trouble, in spite of having been in jail for the last four years. Kemp was indicted on gun and cocaine charges in 2007.

A mere six days out of getting out of prison for his part in the BGFamily's prison-smuggling conspiracy, Marlow Bates, left, was arrested for possession of a stolen DOC badge.

Say what? Remember the sexual assault reported on the CONDOM campus? Police now say the student "miscommunicated" and no assault took place*.

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

RT @BaltimorePolice: Shooting: Dartmouth/Marjorie. Adult male reported to be shot. Detectives investigating.

Justin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Homicide has been notified about the Carriage Ct shooting due to severity of victim's injuries

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12hJustin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

Third shooting victim reported tonight, hospital walk-in. Three people shot, one stabbed so far on Halloween night in Baltimore

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12hJustin Fenton ‏@justin_fenton

SW RT @BaltimorePolice: Shooting: 5300 Carriage Ct. Adult male reported to be shot. Detectives investigating.

The variegated malfeasances of the Southeast District include burgled coffers of a church gift shop, assaults from perps named "Chico" and "Deandre," a kid shot by a BB gun by his cousin, and a woman who pepper-sprayed another woman who told her she looked "like a man." (So many good comebacks to that, people should really be more creative.)

An audit of the office of the Orphan's Court Register of Wills uncovered not just the usual "time sheet shenanigans" but also a convicted felon on the payroll. (Register Mary W. Conaway is the daughter of Circuit Court Clerk Frank Sr. and sister of legislator/author Frank Jr.) (Why is the office not the "Registrar" of wills?)

SRB approved a $200k service-contract extension for Psychology Consultants Associated, which provides psychological treatment to police officers.

In Towson a liquor store on Taylor Ave was burgled of $4,000 worth of smokes and hooch*

An Owings Mills guy is charged with trying to strangle a woman

The Dryclean Direct of Pikesville was robbed of $833.75

SCOTUS takes on drug-sniffing dogs

The City Paper's published its election guide, which is curiously opinion-less (eg. "Vote “For” the amendment if you want major city agencies to be audited at least once during each four-year term of the city’s elected officials or “Against” if you don’t."

185

A man stabbed to death on Eastern Avenue Northeast N. East Avenue

A man shot multiple times at 12:39 p.m. in the 700 block of Willow Avenue, mere blocks (but worlds away) from Guilford

A second week with only one murder (that we know of). The unfortunate victim was Kenneth Davis, 29.

Attorneys need to stop releasing information about who's snitching cooperating with law enforcement, said RJR* following the indictments of Tavon Dameon Davis, 24, and Bruce Eric Byrd, 26, for conspiring and committing murder for hire, murdering a witness and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

Tyrone Jackson, 52, pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing $488,572.50 in forged checks and 327 videos and 779 photos of pornographic images of children (why do the pedo guys always have so many damn images?).

Assault victim Christy Lee Polis was charged with disorderly conduct after reporting a robbery in the county.

Eastern District commander is owner of a run-down vacant that he's too broke* to fix up, reports the Sun's Scott Calvert

Deposed fraudster Belinda Conaway attended her last City Council meeting on Monday night, as did Nick D'Adamo, who serenaded the venerable council with a parody tune.

Monday 2008

This, we don't see everyday here: A woman who goes by the name of Princess Marie (and is allegedly in a cult) has been charged with the starvation death of her child.

It wouldn't be Harm City if we didn't have some gunsmoke...

Plenty of nonfatal offenses happened this weekend, according to the Blotter. But hey, if it didn't result in someone dying, then not such a big deal right? I mean, the victims can just buy new things...

Stephen Janis and Luke Broadwater do two fine jobs in discussing the William Brown case as seen by the possible victims, and the aftermath in the community he was from.

Adam Meister discusses the oddity that is Frank Conaway, Jr. I've had a chance to meet him and his very humorous father in the past. I gotta say, Frank Jr. came across as pretty stuck up - which was kind of shocking for a guy that's a clerk working for daddy turned politician/chauffeur. Sheesh. Frank Sr., Mary, Belinda, and Frank Jr. Take that, Kennedys!

Oh, and before I forget: Free Kwame!