Doug Smith, a downtown resident and president of the Ward One Residents Association, asked City Council members if they might consider putting aside some cash to improve the often hard to hear microphone and sound system in council chambers.

"We can't hear you three-quarters of the time," Mr. Smith told council Monday during a public hearing on the budget.

To which Alderman Sam Shropshire, D-Ward 6, jokingly replied, "What did you say?"

To spell is divine

Annapolis is a town of diverse people and just as diverse spellings. From the trip-ups and letter confusion of some parks comes the ever elusive 'U.'

As in, is the Annapolis Housing Authority neighborhood Harbour House spelled Harbor or Harbour. Well, it depends on who you ask.

A trip to the housing authority's Web site, www.hacamd.org, even includes both spellings. So which is it?

A call to the housing authority concluded in the addition of the 'U,' Harbour House.

They shouldn't feel bad, though. The letter u also causes some problems when Truxtun Park comes up. The second u is commonly switched to an o.

Leopold Improv Show

County Executive John R. Leopold breezed through his 25-minute budget address yesterday morning, at times drawing applause for his casual asides and drawing giggles from others.

He drew a chuckle as he went to thank Councilman Jamie Benoit for his help converting the Naval Academy Dairy Farm into a county park, but called him "Joshua, uh, my friend Jamie Benoit" instead, seemingly confusing him with the council's other young Democrat Josh Cohen.

As he announced funding for the Gems and Jewels after-school program at Bates Middle School, Mr. Leopold read student praise for the program: "I love the Gems and Jewels program because it helps me with a lot of things, like how to stay out of trouble."

"I'm thinking I might enroll in that," Mr. Leopold quipped.