Bodies banging, shots falling and clanking. Huffing, puffing and hustling up and down the court. Rookies and guys who’ve played in state and minor league systems, guys who’ve played in Europe for years, guys scouted in summer basketball leagues. All entertaining hoops dreams, all trying to make the cut.     The 28 players on the floor weren’t the only dreamers that hot July morning at Kilby Athletic Center in Severn.     From fretting “man...

Five years after they last played together, Power Movement Project sounds sharp. In practice at bassist Marc DeRusso’s Annapolis home, their hip-hop rock fused with reggae undertones shakes the house and booms down the street.     DeRusso slaps and taps out punchy bass lines to hold down the bottom end of their sound. Keyboardist Jeremiah Read wields dual keyboards, one hanging over the other. Switching from space tones to an organ to the classic grand piano, Read keeps it...

Every July, Americans celebrate our nation’s birthday with fireworks. The crowd gets quiet as the sun goes down, waiting for the countdown to illuminate the sky in a bombastic and awe-inspiring yearly birthday ignition.     It only takes a moment to ignite a firework, the touch of a match or more accurately, the push of a button. It takes far longer to organize a large-scale celebration.     Starting July 5, event planners will be working on next year...

Fireworks almost didn’t explode over Annapolis last year.         With budget constraints and a lack of donations, the show looked doomed.     With the clock close to expiring, the city and local business came through with the cash to fund the show.     “I credit the city for keeping up with their participation,” said Chris Weir, the man in charge of July 4th Annapolis 2011. “It’s such a signature piece...