Business

This time of year always takes me back to my high school football days. As I’ve noted before, my time on the gridiron yielded a number of lessons that have proven valuable in the professional world. One of those came to mind last week while editing Senior Reporter Andy Medici’s story about proximity bias. As we kicked off training camp before my junior year, a number of my best teammates — and many starters — were hundreds of miles away playing in a baseball tournament. Coaches said the situation created an opportunity for some nonstarters to capitalize on their absence and earn more playing time.

For many Americans, Labor Day marks the end of the summer vacation season. But new data shows a significant portion of workers never took a break at all — although the percentage of those who did take a vacation in the past year is rising compared to recent years, offering a silver lining as employers seek to combat rising burnout.

Gil Brenner pushed open the door of a vacant East Baltimore home and stepped into the darkness, past the feathery remains of a dead bird in a dank living room with mud-strewn carpet and rotted wall paneling. The company where Brenner works, GNR Group, paid $43,000 for this home in Elwood Park, he said.

Tony Capuano has had to face plenty of tough questions since Arne Sorenson, his friend and mentor, died at age 62 in February 2021 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. “What would Arne Sorenson do?” isn’t one of them. Roughly 18 months after being named Sorenson’s successor, the Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) CEO has navigated the world’s largest hospitality company through one of the industry’s most trying times amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission unanimously approved a policy amendment Friday that requires companies awarded a mobile betting license in Maryland to then submit a diversity plan. The plan, submitted to the commission known as SWARC within 30 days after licensure approval, should include strategies to obtain a diverse group of owners or contractors, conduct diversity-related events and proposed timelines and benchmarks to achieve diversity objectives.

This weekend, Greater Baltimore says hello to a new craft brewery and an authentic Jamaican restaurant. But first, we bid farewell to a local dining landmark, Lexington Market’s East Market building. City officials are planning one last hurrah for the East Market before it closes to make way for a new Lexington Market building next door. On Saturday, speakers including Baltimore Public Markets Corp. CEO Paul Ruppert and Lexington Market Operations Manager Johnnie Williams will share memories of the market and a vision for its future before ringing the bell at East Market one last time.

Even before the pandemic, finding and keeping employees to work as job and community coaches for The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region could be challenging. But the Aberdeen-based nonprofit, which serves more than 400 adults with disabilities and another 300 client families, now finds itself — like so many employers — needing dozens of workers.

Michael Peace, 45, is a Baltimore City-born and raised educator. For 16 years, he has taught in city schools, run mentor programs and worked at Police Athletic League centers. He is also the owner of M.A.P. Technologies, which stands for his first name, his brother Ameer’s first name, and their surname. Located at 322 W. Baltimore St., the original location of the now-closed Eldorado strip club and lounge, M.A.P. Technologies is an electronic repair shop with a gaming lounge that doubles as a community center.M.A.P. has become a go-to escape for all things gaming in Baltimore.