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Perry Sfikas

Mayor O'Malley receives New York award as an "urban innovator"

By running the city in a business-like fashion and expanding civic pride throughout the citizenry, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research of New York awarded Mayor Martin O'Malley its annual "Urban Innovator Award."

The Manhattan Institute pointed out that the Mayor has achieved a 23 percent reduction in violent crime over the past two years and this "dynamo of a man" continues to effect improvements in all areas of the city. The Institute pointed out CitiStat, a statistical system that makes department heads accountable for the performance of their agencies. Baltimore is a pioneer in the implementation of this system.

Before an audience of over 100 city leaders of the administration and private industry, the Manhattan Institute's Center for Civic Innovation presented the award to O'Malley during a luncheon at the Admiral Fell Inn, the quaint and elegant Fells Point hotel. The award was created by the institute in 2000 and has been given to other innovative city mayors such as Chicago's Richard M. Daley, Qoakland's Jerry Brown, and St.Paul's Norm Coleman.

With his characteristic good humor, the Mayor congratulated Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran (his father in law) for having the greatest grandchildren in Maryland (O'Malley's own kids, of course). O'Malley thanked the members of his administration saying that the award was really theirs. "I'm just the front man," the mayor said.

Among those in attendance we saw most of Mayor O'Malley's top staff, all Deputy Mayors -Enright, Hitchcock and Laurie Schwartz- School's Executive Director Carmen Russo, City Solicitor Thurman Hollicofer, Commissioners of Health Peter Beilenson, Police Ed Norris, Public Works George Windfield, Parks, Fire Chief, Directors of Planning Charles Graves, City Neighborhoods Izzy Patoka, Economic Development Owen Tomkins, Community Investment Ruth Louie, and others. Businessmen Willard Hackerman, Peter G. Angelos, and David Cordish. The Hispanic community was represented by Javier Bustamante.

Sfikas ends bid for Senate
Decision likely means his old friend Della will win re-election; Politicians express shock; Redistricting made allies opponents for same job

By Sarah Koenig
Sun Staff
Originally published July 16, 2002, 10:14 PM EDT

Sen. Perry Sfikas, the Greektown boy who made good and served seven years in the General Assembly, announced Tuesday he was more interested in being a stand-up guy than a politician, and was dropping out of the race.

His decision all but ensures Sen. George W. Della Jr.'s re-election to another four-year term in the state's 46th legislative district. Della, 59, will now be unopposed in the Democratic primary election, and no Republican has filed as a candidate.

The news sent a jolt through state political circles, where Sfikas, 46, is known as a tireless campaigner who earned the moniker "Prince of Pork" for his ability to land state dollars for his southeast Baltimore district.

But because of the state's new legislative redistricting map drawn by the state Court of Appeals, Sfikas and Della, a popular south Baltimore politician for 27 years, suddenly went from comrades to primary election opponents. The race was expected to be close -- and bruising.

In what appears to be a gentlemanly gesture almost unheard of in politics, Sfikas said Tuesday he wasn't willing to scrap with an old pal. In 1991, Della was instrumental in getting Sfikas elected to the Baltimore City Council.

And back in 1994, it was Della who called him up and encouraged him to run for the state Senate.

"The thing is, if someone's been decent to you, then you simply do the right thing," Sfikas said.

His father's frail health also influenced his decision, he said. Peter Sfikas, who operated boiler room equipment for 30 years after immigrating from the Greek island of Chios, is 82. Sfikas lives with his parents in their Greektown row- house and has been helping to take care of his father for many months.

Gov. Parris N. Glendening, who counts Sfikas among his most loyal supporters, met with him last week. "I could just sense that his heart was not in it quite the way it had been in the past," Glendening said Tuesday.

"The bottom line is, we're going to miss him. But I know he's going to continue to be active in his community. That's where his real heart and love is."

In a world as generally cut- throat as politics, Sfikas' decision struck many people as unfathomable.

"I really don't know what to say," said Sen. Nathaniel J. McFadden, chairman of Baltimore's Senate delegation. "I'm literally shocked."

Ever since the redistricting map was handed down, Della and Sfikas have been in a discomfiting face-off, unsure of how to proceed. Of late, the two have been having long talks about the dilemma. On Monday, they met in Sfikas' office.

"I said, 'Would you like to continue to serve?' And George said, 'Yes, I would.' That was all I needed to hear."

Della, whose father, the late George W. Della Sr., presided over the Maryland Senate for years, said he was stunned: "You could have knocked me over with a feather."

Della has pledged to support causes important to Sfikas, such as environmental legislation and neighborhood redevelopment projects.

Although he isn't among the state's most powerful senators, Sfikas is known for doing favors for his allies, and negotiating hard, if quietly, for what he wants.

Sfikas was tapped by Glendening in 2001 to help pass his anti-discrimination bill to protect gays and lesbians. Sfikas agreed to sit on the Judicial Pro ceedings Committee in order to assure its approval.

"His departure is of concern for a lot of reasons," said Shannon E. Avery, a gay rights activist in Baltimore. "Because of redistricting, we're potentially losing some of our strongest pro gressive leaders."

Sfikas worked as an aide to U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski before launching his political career in 1991. He also has a law firm, Sfikas, Karambelas & Akaras, where he practices immigration law, he said. Mark J. Adams, a disbarred attorney, recently filed a grievance against the firm, in part because Sfikas is not a member of the Maryland bar, Sfikas said.

To practice certain kinds of immigration law, a person must have passed the bar in any state. Sfikas is member of the bar in Pennsylvania and in the District of Columbia.

Sfikas insisted the claim had nothing to do with his decision to drop out of the race. And, he added, he is not in line for any high-powered jobs.

Tuesday night, Sfikas planned to mark his decision by taking his parents to dinner at the Sip N' Bite. "My priority is to take care of my dad right now," he said.
Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun