(Updated 12/21/16)

- Article & photo by Patrick Taylor -

On Monday, Dec. 19, residents of the Essex Co-op won what they referred to as a “religious rights” victory, after a vote to display a Nativity scene in the lobby area overwhelmingly passed.

Since election season, members of the Co-op have been engaged in a struggle with management at CSI, the non-profit that runs the Co-op.

“It started back during the election,” said Delegate Ric Metzgar (R-6). “The residents couldn’t pray or say the Pledge of Allegiance [in common areas]. I received emails and phone calls from residents and people who have family here. They were very upset; they felt denied. There were people in tears over this.”

After Metzgar received those reports, he and State Senator Johnny Ray Salling (R-6) opened a dialogue with CSI. He was told that residents could pray, as long as it was nondenominational prayer. He was also told they were able to say the Pledge of Allegiance, but noted that the official meeting where the vote was held began without it.

Residents of  the Co-op again contacted Metzgar and Salling when the Nativity scene was denied a place in the lobby. According to Co-op members, management had told the residents that displaying a Nativity scene would be in violation of the law since the Co-op receives federal funds. Salling and Metzgar said that is not true.

“They said that there was a law that  stopped them from being able to display the scene, but that isn’t true,” said Salling. “I said, ‘No, you have a policy, that’s not a law.’ After that they realized they had to be proactive which is why the vote is being held.”

Held on Monday afternoon, the vote saw 50 residents show up to cast a ballot. It passed with a tally of 46 - 4.

“We were really upset by this,” said one member of the Co-op. “This is a Christian area in Essex, and we’re not ashamed of it. If there are people of other religions here, I wouldn’t mind if they put up a menorah or some other decoration.”

Salling and Metzgar said they were pleased with the vote. They also expressed gratitude to CSI for allowing the issue to be settled by the residents.

“I appreciate them holding the vote. It shows true democracy, it shows what it’s all about,” said Salling. “And it shows that there’s accountability when they take a misstep.”

CSI management, who could not be reached for comment, told Metzgar they were going off of policy that was put in place almost 30 years ago.

“I told them that I think it’s time they update the policy,” said Metzgar.

(Updated 12/21/16)

- By Devin Crum -

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, Essex resident Scott Sewell posted a video on social media showing a barge in the process of dregding a portion of Cowpen Creek on Middle River as part of Lockheed Martin Corporation’s environmental cleanup of the area.

The video, which has received some 2,200 views, soon became an outlet for residents on both sides of the river to express their skepticism that the cleanup should really be happening and that perhaps the corporation should leave well enough alone.

Throughout the past several years, LMC has taken part in a consent decree to clean up the contamination on the land and in the waters surrounding their Middle River Complex. The contamination is the result of past industrial activity.

Over the course of the consent decree, the company has collaborated with and been overseen by local, state and federal environmental agencies to guide the course of the work. They are currently engaged in removing contaminated sediments via dredging from Dark Head Cove - also known as Martin’s Lagoon - and Cowpen Creek along the shoreline of the MRC.

The work is aimed at removing pollutants known as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, as well as some heavy metals like chromium and cadmium, which are attached to the sediments.

But in his video, Sewell expressed his concerns that the contaminated sediments being stirred up by the dredging could drift around and be distributed throughout the rest of Middle River by the tides and currents. And he hopes “to God” that the toxins do not cause another major fish kill like what happened in the area a year ago.

In November 2015, around 200,000 fish were found to have died in the creeks of upper Middle River. However, the Maryland Department of the Environment published a report on the fish kill which implicated a late-season algae bloom. The bloom, they said, was caused by the availability of excess nutrients in the water due to storm water runoff, along with an increase in temperatures around that time.

This particular species of algae, the report explained, produced a toxin that suffocated the fish. And when the algae died off and decomposed, it stripped the oxygen from the water, compounding the problem.

MDE’s report found that LMC’s remediation activities did not contribute to the fish kill.

LMC officials also explained that strict requirements govern the dredging currently being done in the waterways.

For example, the difference between the normal turbidity, or cloudiness, of the water and the restriction they must abide by is so small that you would not be able to tell the difference between the water samples with the naked eye, according to Steve McGee, LMC’s project manager for the work.

Additionally, they have employed a turbidity curtain to prevent solids from migrating out of the work area and turbidity monitors both inside and outside the curtain which are constantly sending water quality data.

According to LM spokesman Tom Blackman, they would have a meeting with MDE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency immediately if they exceeded their turbidity requirement to determine what went wrong and how they would address it.

Following a walk-through of the work site with LMC officials on Thursday, Dec. 15, Sewell maintained his skepticism that the turbidity curtain can prevent contaminants from migrating out of the work area since it does not create a water-tight seal and does not strain solids from the water. In addition, it only drops to eight feet, which is not the full depth of the creek all the way across.

But McGee pointed out that the turbidity monitoring indicates the disturbed particles do not travel far from where they originated and do not even get as far as the curtain.

However, they do have another turbidity curtain sitting on the boat ramp ready to deploy should they need an extra barrier, McGee noted. And when the dredging is complete, they will put in place a six-inch thick sand cap to minimize the movement of any residual contamination.

Also part of the project is the installation of a new bulkhead around the MRC consisting of marine-grade steel to prevent any migration of potentially contaminated soils from the land into the water, McGee said. The bulkhead has a 70-year design life.

Another topic discussed in responses to the video posted online was the type of dredge being used. Some commenters suggested a suction dredge would be more appropriate since it would not leave the distrubed particles in the water.

But as the LMC officials pointed out, suction dredging does not necessarily retain all of the water that comes up with the sediment material.

The mechanical dredges LMC is using do not retain all of the water either, but they are specially constructed with screens to drain off unwanted water brought up with the dredged material while retaining any solids, McGee said. And turbidity monitoring in and around the work area ensures that there is not too much migration of the disturbed sediments.

Sewell told the East County Times that he also does not fully trust the MDE report about last year’s fish kill in that it was caused by an algae bloom and LMC was not at all responsible. He cited a previous fish kill in the 1990s which MDE explained as having been caused by a spike in the river’s salinity, which he found similarly hard to believe.

He and others responding to the online video expressed a sentiment that the sediments should have been left undisturbed and the pollutants allowed to degrade or become buried naturally over time.

However, LMC and environmental officials have explained in public meetings that PCBs build up in the food chain, first being consumed by organisms in the mud and eventually by fish when they eat those organisms. The contaminants then concentrate in fish.

“I’m glad they’re doing what they’re doing,” Sewell said. “I don’t want to make it sound like I’m anti-protecting the environment; no one cares about the environment out there more than me.”

But now that the decision has already been made and the work is being done, he said, “you better believe I’m going to hold their feet to the fire” to be sure it is done right.

More information about LMC's environmental remediation activities can be found by visiting the following links:

Middle River Photo Tour:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/corporate/documents/remediation/middle-river/photo-tour-11-2015.pdf

Fall 2016 Newsletter:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/corporate/documents/remediation/middle-river/newsletter-fall2016.pdf

Sediment Project Bulletin – Season 1:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/corporate/documents/remediation/middle-river/sediment-bulletin-oct2016.pdf

(Updated 12/21/16)

- By Marge Neal -

While Santa Claus and his wife get most of the credit this time of year for delivering gifts to everyone on the couple’s “nice” list, there are many more local helpers who pitch in to make sure deserving youngsters and less-fortunate families are also able to celebrate Christmas.

Many community organizations, churches, school PTAs and fraternal organizations “adopt” children and families this time of year to ensure there are gifts under the tree and food on the table during the holiday season.

The Chesapeake Gateway Chamber of Commerce is “very grateful” to coordinate gift-giving to about 85 local children, thanks to a generous “Secret Santa” who underwrites the massive campaign each year.

“Each year, our Secret Santa calls us with the number of children that can be adopted,” chamber Executive Director Sharon Kihn said. “And then we have school counselors who identify kids in need and find out what is on their Christmas wish lists.”

The benefactors, now aided by friends and family members as the project has grown, do all the customized shopping - down to preferred clothing styles and colors - for everyone on the list, and then wrap and tag each gift, according to Kihn.

“They now have to rent a truck to deliver all the gifts,” Kihn said. “And each child gets a humongous bag of gifts. It’s amazing to see.”

Chamber member Julie Gaynor, who also teaches in Baltimore County Public Schools, has worked with the Secret Santa program since it started.

“It’s massive,” she said of the effort. “It’s a Christmas beyond belief, I’m sure, for most of these little ones.”

The annual Secret Santa campaign started innocently enough about 12 years ago. With just about one week remaining until Christmas, Gaynor realized she still knew of several children who were in need of some holiday help and reached out to local folks who might be able to help.

“Julie called me and asked if I would be willing to take a child who hadn’t yet been claimed,” the anonymous benefactor told the East County Times. “I asked how many children she had, she said 10 and I told her I’d take all of them. And then it took off; it just kept increasing every year.”

The Secret Santa has what she calls her “Christmas angels” - a group of like-minded philanthropists who enjoy sponsoring children and making sure their Christmas wish lists are fulfilled.

She recalled one of her earliest memories of helping children and families in need as the one that planted the seed of giving. She adopted some children through the Howard County Public School System. She personally delivered the gifts to the family, which was living in a motel at the time.

“We delivered all these gifts, and the parents came out of the room and cried,” she said. “And the children were just so excited. It was a really powerful feeling that just stayed with me.”

The Secret Santa admits to being a particular shopper who wants to make sure all the gifts are individually tailored to the children requesting them. From the skin tone of a doll to the color of clothing to a favorite professional sports team, Santa wants to know her children will be thrilled with the gifts they unwrap on Christmas morning.

“A lot of these kids never have brand names, and to get them something special, to get them that brand name that everyone else is wearing, is really something,” she said. “It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside, and all my Christmas angels feel the same way.”

The Secret Santa said her group’s goal is to serve at least 100 children next year.

In addition to the 85 children served by the Secret Santa program, a family of four children and their mother were treated to Christmas by an anonymous donor; the CCBC Essex campus community provided gift cards for middle and high school students; and the BreakThru Beverage Group adopted another 14 families, according to Kihn.

Shop with a Cop

Baltimore County’s Shop with a Cop program remains popular, with 108 children involved countywide this year, according to Officer First Class Natalie Bakhsh, who works in the Essex Precinct’s community outreach office.

School resource officers and counselors help identify children to participate in the program, which involves pairing each child with a police officer for a shopping trip.

Locally, 44 children participated in the shopping excursion, with 10 from the White Marsh precinct, 23 from Essex and 11 from Dundalk.

“Each child gets to ride in a police car with their officer and each gets to spend $100,” Bakhsh said.

The Hereford and Timonium Optimist clubs raise money year-round to fund the effort. Fundraising was a little tougher this year, Bakhsh said, but a last-minute donation of $1,000 from a local businessman allowed 10 additional children to be included.

The Cockeysville Walmart hosted Shop with a Cop on Dec. 10. When the children arrived in their special rides, they were greeted with tunes by the Dulaney High School marching band.

“They could spend their money any way they chose,” Bakhsh said of the young shoppers. “They could buy for themselves and many also chose to buy gifts for others.”

Walmart provided gift-wrapping services for those who bought gifts for others, according to Bakhsh.

When the shopping was done, the Hunt Valley Outback Steakhouse hosted all the children for breakfast.

“The staff came in on their own time and volunteered to cook breakfast for the kids,” Bakhsh said. “The officers all pitched in to tip the staff.”

And if spending $100 and enjoying breakfast with their own police buddies wasn’t enough, each child enjoyed a free cupcake, courtesy of Flavor Cupcakery and Bake Shop in Cockeysville.

“All the kids have a good time and so do our officers,” Bakhsh said. “They really look forward to participating each year.”

The chamber’s Secret Santa agreed, saying she gets more out of the effort than the children do.

“I enjoy waking up on Christmas morning with a smile on my face, just thinking of all the children I shopped for and imagining them opening all of their gifts,” she said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

(Updated 12/21/16)

- Article & photo by Patrick Taylor -

Last week County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger visited MedStar Franklin Square to issue commendations to Dr. Scott Krugman and Dr. Michelle Chudow of the Child Protective Services Team.

“I’d like to formally thank the medical center for their commitment to the community, particularly to the community of children they help,” said Shellenberger.

According to Shellenberger, he meets with the group multiple times per week to discuss potential abuse cases and ways of keeping children safe.

“This is just another example where there’s dedication, and really a sense of where hospital professionals go beyond the call of duty and really work tirelessly to advocate for something they believe in,” said Kamenetz. “And in this instance it’s taking care of children who are in the greatest need.

The Child Protective Services Team has been in operation since the early 2000s. The team investigates abuse, provides comprehensive abuse and neglect services, provides community outreach and training and much more.

“It’s been a long process to get to this point,” said Krugman, who oversees the team and has been involved in child protection for over a decade. “I’m so glad we could be of assistance to make this work.”

Krugman stated that the relationship between medical personnel and investigative authorities have never been better. That sentiment was echoed by Shellenberger after the presentation.

Shellenberger stated that they are not just concerned with criminal cases, though that is a benefit to the partnership. Aside from criminal cases, he said that in cases where abuse couldn’t be proven they are at least able to refer cases to the Department of Social Services which has a lower threshold for investigation.

“This advocacy group, it’s the police, the Deparment of Social Services, the medical team and prosecutors all working together to look out for what’s the best interest of the child,” said Shellenberger.

(Updated 12/19/16)

- By Christine Potts, assistant project manager for the Clear Creeks Project -

Purnell Glenn and Buzz and Sandra Stromberger, all Middle River residents, were recognized at this year’s Gunpowder Valley Conservancy’s 2016 Volunteer Awards Banquet for exemplary contributions to the Clear Creeks Project.

Glenn is the homeowner’s association president for the Miramar Landing community, which consists of some 740 single family and townhomes and sits at the intersection of the Back River, Bird River and Middle River watersheds.

For personally contributing over 100 hours of his time to planning, promoting and championing the Clear Creeks Project at Miramar Landing program, Glenn received a 2016 Community Leader of the Year Award for outstanding contributions to the Clear Creeks Project.

Clear Creeks: Our Water, Our Heritage, Our Pride is a community-based, grant-funded initiative, managed by the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, that answers residents’ desire for improved water clarity in the creeks, runs and rivers of the Bird River, Middle River and Tidal Gunpowder watersheds.

Since 2013, the project has been helping residents take simple steps, like planting trees and installing Bay-friendly gardens and rain barrels, in order to help prevent storm water runoff from polluting local waterways and causing problems, like flooding and standing water, on residential and institutional properties.

This year, the Clear Creeks Project expanded its scope beyond just individual homeowners and institutions by launching the Clear Creeks Project at Miramar Landing, a pilot program within the greater Clear Creeks Project that focuses on instituting storm water remediation and Bay-friendly gardening practices on shared, community-held properties.

Clear Creeks Project Manager Peggy Perry credits Glenn’s “critical support” and “vision of a more environmentally-friendly, sustainable community," as essential to the program's success. “The Miramar Landing community project was successful mainly due to the outstanding contributions and community leadership from Purnell Glenn,” said Perry.

Glenn said that prior to participation in the program, the Miramar Landing HOA had been discussing ideas for increasing community beautification and environmental awareness. The Clear Creeks program helped them achieve those goals. “We have become really green; we are doing our part,” said Glenn.

On Miramar Landing community property, project volunteers planted 137 trees and 8,765 square feet of neighborhood gardens filled with Bay-friendly native plants that will help support local birds and pollinators. Glenn also worked with Clear Creeks Project partners to make Miramar Landing the first HOA community in Baltimore County to have its community property certified “Bay-Wise” by the Baltimore County Master Gardeners.

Like Glenn, the Strombergers mobilized members of their own community to take actions to help local waterways. The couple contributed some 58 hours hosting Clear Creeks garden workshops for their Bird River Beach community. They assisted at project events and helped promote Bay-friendly practices to their fellow parishioners at St. Matthews Church in Bowleys Quarters. For their efforts, the Strombergers received a Certificate of Appreciation for Community Leadership Award.

To learn more about the Clear Creeks Project, visit the project website at www.clearcreeks.org.

The Clear Creeks Project is made possible through funding from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Chesapeake Bay Trust; Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability; Baltimore Gas and Electric; Gunpowder Valley Conservancy; and Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, administered by Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

(Updated 12/14/16)

- Article & photos by Marge Neal -

Boyd Crouse has come a long way since he was known as the Grinch of Christmas.

The Bowleys Quarters man was a self-described “bah, humbug” sort of guy when it came to celebrating Christmas. He just quietly went along for the ride while his wife, Kathi, went all out in decorating and preparing for the holiday.

“I guess we had to have one sane person in the house because I was so nuts about Christmas,” Kathi said with a laugh.

But Boyd’s life mission changed considerably in 2000. He was pressed into service as Santa Claus when the now-closed Sacred Heart of Mary School in Dundalk needed a stand-in for the big guy during a holiday bazaar. The red suit must have suited him, because he made a couple of other appearances that same year, and he and Kathi quietly assumed the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus over subsequent years.

Now Boyd is known as Santa to his neighbors, kids he sees in stores and even people he meets on vacation, thanks to the white beard he sports year-round.

“One year, we went to Aruba and we were on this party bus,” Boyd recalled. “At one point, we were sitting around with some college guys we had met, when all of a sudden one of them said, ‘I’m having a drink with Santa Claus.’”

Boyd starts letting his beard grow in early summer in anticipation of the Christmas season, during which he and the missus visit with about 1,000 children in private and public gatherings.

The couple starts making appearances as the benevolent toy-givers the weekend after Thanksgiving and continue right up to Christmas Eve, when they entertain at a private family party.

“Everything we do is volunteer,” Boyd said. “This is our way of giving back to the community.”

Every once in a while, a restaurant will slip the couple a gift card for a later meal. But when someone insists on paying them for an appearance, the Boyds take the money and buy gifts for clients at the Family Crisis Center in Dundalk.

“I have a job,” Boyd said. “And I don’t want a second job. I do this because I love doing it; I don’t want it to turn into a job.”

“And we like to sit and talk to the kids, we like to take our time with each kid,” Kathi said. “Mall Santas can’t do that.

Over the years, Boyd has been reduced to tears a couple of times from some of the requests made of him by local children. He recalled the homeless child who asked for a nice house for his family, and children who have asked to have back loved ones who have died.

He noted a time when a young boy with hearing aids came to visit. The boy had recently been diagnosed with a hearing impairment and he talked to Santa about his devices. Santa tilted his hat a little to show the boy his hearing device and a special connection was made.

It was a moment that touched the boy’s mother as well.

“What a special moment for our son,” the mother wrote on the Facebook page of the restaurant hosting the event. “Thank you Santa for being the amazing person that you are.”

With 16 years as Santa under his belt, Boyd said it’s easier now to talk with the children about wishes he can’t promise to fulfill, and also uses his role to teach small lessons about good behavior, civility and responsibility.

Because he has taken on the very persona of Santa - and the beard only adds to that image - children point him out as Santa throughout the year. Whether they remember him from one of his many appearances or just pick up on the Santa vibe, they know they are in the presence of Santa Claus.

As such, he’s very careful about his image.

“One time, a little girl asked me if Santa was allowed to drink [alcoholic beverages], and I told her it was OK for any adult to have a drink if they wanted,” he said. “But I also told her about responsible behavior and told her I would never drive the sleigh after having a beer.”

While Boyd and Kathi are known publicly as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, they’re also known in their neighborhood as the over-the-top decorators. Their small front yard is packed with inflatables and other holiday decorations.

Stepping into their home is like what one would imagine it’s like to step into the North Pole home of the Clauses. Every table-top, shelf, wall, nook and cranny is filled with a Christmas-related artifact. Three Christmas trees are set up on the first floor. The large tree is decorated with traditional items, while one small tree is adorned with Philadelphia Eagles-related items and the third tree with beach-related decorations.

“I start decorating around the first of November,” Kathi said. “Everything that’s normally out has to be packed up and then all the Christmas stuff has to come out.”

One curio cabinet contains beach Santa figurines while a nearby shelf unit contains what Kathi calls her “noisy toys.” Each item sings, waves, dances, whirls and twirls or chirps.

“It takes about two hours each year just to put batteries in all of them,” she said.

A small first-floor powder room is decorated top to bottom with Christmas items, including a motion-activated singing wreath that bursts into song when one stands up from the commode.

“Normal” bed spreads, shower curtains, towels, throw pillows, dishes and knick-knacks all get switched out for their Christmas counterparts for the season.

Not even the family dog could escape the Christmas craze. The rescued racing greyhound’s name is Donner, and she looks remarkably like a reindeer when she dons her bright red antlers.

The Crouses admit to being exhausted by the time the big day rolls around, but say they will continue the Christmas mission as long as they are able. They make appearances at restaurants and other businesses as well as private homes. They try to accommodate anyone who asks, as long as the request fits into their increasingly tight schedules.

“While we don’t accept any money to do this, we do ask two things of everyone we visit,” Boyd said. “We ask that they supply something for Santa to give to each child, and we ask for a parking space.”

This past weekend, the Crouses made seven appearances and have a “light” schedule of three appearances the weekend of Dec. 17.

Their limited time slots fill up quickly, with many clients reserving their chosen date for the next year at the conclusion of the current year’s event,  Boyd said. Weekends are the busiest, but the couple will also make appearances after 6 p.m. during the week.

The former “bah, humbug” Christmas guy now has  twinkle in his eye, a soft heart for any child who wants to talk to him and a Santa ring from the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas to prove to anyone who asks that he is indeed the real deal.

Even if he is an Eagles fan.

(Updated 12/7/16)

- By Devin Crum -

Decades of pollution in Middle River resulting from industrial manufacturing done by the Glenn L. Martin Company is in the process of being cleaned up in order to protect public health.

Lockheed Martin Corporation has planned the cleanup activities in three Middle River tributaries - Cowpen Creek, Dark Head Cove and Frog Mortar Creek - over the last several years to address the environmental damage done by its predecessors. But the remediation work began in earnest this October.

In Cowpen Creek and Dark Head Cove - also known as Martin Lagoon - workers began the first of two seasons of dredging on Oct. 17 to remove contaminated sediments from the waterway, according to Mike Martin of Tetra Tech, a contractor for the project.

The cleanup effort also involved some light dredging two years ago, Martin said. “This time around we’re back to basically do the full job.”

In accordance with their permits, the company has until Feb. 14, 2017, to complete the work planned for this season so as not to interfere with any fish breeding that may occur in the waterway. But Martin said they hope to finish by January.

He explained that this round of work consists of dredging in Dark Head Cove to finish what they started in 2014, as well as using barges to dredge as far up Cowpen Creek as they can get.

“So where the North American Electric property is, that’s somewhere around the area where we’ll be able to make it,” Martin said, adding that beyond that point is “basically a mud flat” at low tide.

Along with the dredging, the company will replace the metal sheets along the bulkhead that keep additional contaminated soil from entering the waterway.

Dark Head Cove and Cowpen Creek will remain closed to public access during the work, as they will during the second season which begins in June.

Although Martin was unsure of the exact timeline for season two, he said that work will involve the clean-up of the rest of Cowpen Creek, working down from the BGE substation at the top toward the point at which they could no longer continue during season one.

The chief contaminants being removed from the waterways are substances classified as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known to be carcinogenic, as well as some heavy metals such as cadmium and chromium.

These substances are bound to the sediments, Martin said, and do not migrate through the water. Additionally, a turbidity curtain lines the work area to ensure the sediments they stir up while dredging do not travel down the creek.

Although work could not begin in the water until Oct. 17, Martin said they began much of their preparation work on land before that.

“Obviously a lot of the work has to occur on land,” he said, noting that the contaminated sediment they remove must be taken up onto land so it can be processed, put onto trucks and hauled off for disposal.

Martin described the sediment they remove from the water as “like a thick milkshake” when they bring it up. As the water - which contains some of the contaminants - is filtered and drained off, it is collected into a holding tank before being discharged to a county santitary sewer, as permitted by Baltimore County. That water will ultimately be treated by the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The sediments themselves are processed by adding Calciment - a cement and quicklime mixture - to stabilize it and make it more like soil so it is safe for transport to a landfill.

“Landfills don’t want a big truckload of mud, and you don’t want to be driving a truckload of mud down the highway,” Martin explained.

He added that the quicklime dries up the moisture and the cement binds up the material. It is then hauled off for disposal in approved landfills in Virginia and Pennsylvania which are specifically equipped to handle and dispose of those types of contaminants.

Martin expected the project to cost a total of about $2 million.

But according to Paul Calligan, Lockheed Martin’s project manager for the remediation, because the pollution occurred as a result of work done for the federal government, the company will be allowed to recoup that cost using the price of future contracts with the government.

On the other side of Martin State Airport, along Frog Mortar Creek, workers are constructing a ground water filtration facility to prevent pollutants from leaching into the creek from a former dump site used by the Glenn L. Martin Company.

Until the mid-1970s, the Martin Company - and subsequently Martin Marietta - owned all the land that now includes Martin State Airport and the Maryland Air National Guard base. And during the 1950s and 1960s, the company used a 20-acre area along Frog Mortar Creek as an industrial landfill, where they disposed of waste materials from manufacturing, according to Mark Salvetti of contractor CDM Smith.

“This was all legal at the time,” Salvetti said. “It was covered over, and when the airport was sold it went with the land. It wasn’t recognized as an issue back then.”

Through extensive investigation, Lockheed Martin has found a lot of debris along with degreasing products and industrial solvents, Salvetti said.

“So what we find here is groundwater that has been contaminated with primarily trichloroethylene,” which he said breaks down into other products in the environment, such as vinyl chloride, and are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The pollutants in this area are found in the water as opposed to the sediments, according to Salvetti. But they do not migrate far because of their volatility and instead vaporize into the air before dispersing.

A water contact advisory extends 200 feet into the water from the shoreline, but Salvetti noted the majority of the toxins are found much closer to the shore.

As a result, they are building a groundwater treatment system which uses 16 groundwater wells along about 1,000 feet of shoreline to extract the polluted water before it reaches the creek. The facility will then treat the water by removing and destroying the contaminants before discharging the cleaned water back to Frog Mortar Creek via a submerged outfall.

“And it really is clean; it actually will meet drinking water standards,” Salvetti said.

The building for the facility is expected to be fully enclosed by early to mid-January, he said, to finish the interior construction. They aim to turn on and begin testing the system in April and bring it to fully operational by May or June of next year.

“We’ll be running around the clock, seven days a week, treating that groundwater,” Salvetti noted. “And then we’ll keep treating until the water is clean enough that we don’t need to treat anymore to keep Frog Mortar Creek clean.”

They will continue monitoring water quality in Frog Mortar Creek and sampling the groundwater around the site on a regular basis during operation, submitting monthly reports to the state, he said. They will also monitor the facility itself to be sure it is operating efficiently because it is so expensive.

He estimated that the facility will be in operation for a period of between 30 - 50 years at an approximate operating cost of $1 million per year.

Salvetti noted that they anticipate seeing the concentrations of contaminants decreasing within the first few months of operation, and their goal is to have them low enough in a year or two to remove the water contact advisory.

(Updated 12/7/16)

- By Marge Neal -

The Greater Dundalk community is rallying around the family of a North Point Village man who was killed in a car crash Saturday, Dec. 3, while helping his father fix a flat tire on the Baltimore Beltway near Woodlawn.

Robert Peros, 32, had stopped on the shoulder of the highway near Crosby Road at about 8:35 a.m. Saturday to help his father when he was struck by a 2003 Buick LeSabre that veered from the roadway to the shoulder, according to a Maryland State Police statement. The Buick first struck a Nissan van, owned by Peros, and continued along the shoulder, hitting a 2009 Chevy Silverado that was stopped on the right shoulder with a flat tire, according to the statement.

Peros was declared dead at the scene, according to Sgt. Horton, a spokesman for MSP’s Golden Ring barrack. Peros’ father, whose name was not available, remained hospitalized in critical condition as of late Monday. The driver of the LeSabre was also hospitalized.

It is unclear where Peros was at the time of impact, Horton said.

“The father said he was outside of the vehicle when the crash occurred, but was not sure where his son was at the time of impact - he couldn’t remember,” Horton said Monday. “It’s still under investigation.”

The name of the driver who veered onto the shoulder and struck the two vehicles had not been released as of Tuesday, and no charges had been filed, according to Horton. The case would be reviewed by the state’s attorney’s office, he said.

“We don’t believe alcohol or drugs were involved; there was nothing on the scene to indicate that,” Horton said. “We will request the medical records.”

At least two online fundraisers have been created using the gofundme.com organization, and the Wise Avenue Volunteer Fire Company, where Peros was a probationary firefighter, is raising money for his family, according to company spokesman Bob Francis.

Peros was married and the father of four children. He and his wife, Ashley, had also adopted two nieces and a nephew, according to longtime friend Rob Dunford.

“Rob was just one of those guys who would give you the shirt off his back,” Dunford said of Peros. “If this had happened to me, he’d be out on a street corner with a sign, collecting money for me.”

Peros was a field technician who repaired commercial kitchen equipment, according to Dunford, and his wife is a stay-at-home mother, which means the family is abruptly without an income.

“Rob was a good person, just a regular blue-collar kind of guy who would do anything he could for anybody, and we’re just trying to do something for him,” Dunford said.

Peros joined the Wise Avenue fire company as a probationary firefighter in April, according to Francis. He needed to schedule a physical exam for the medical clearance to achieve firefighter status, according to Francis.

The fire company has pledged to donate proceeds from this Saturday’s train garden income to Peros’ family.

“We will donate at least $500 to the family, or all of Saturday’s train garden income, whichever is greater,” Francis said.
Noting that for-profit online fundraising sites charge administrative and other fees, Francis said the fire company is accepting donations for the Peros family.

Anyone who wants to make a donation to Rob’s family can do it through the Wise Avenue Volunteer Fire Company, and then 100 percent of the donation will go to the family,” Francis said.

Donations to the Robert Peros Fund can be mailed to the fire company at 214 Wise Ave., Dundalk, MD 21222.

The online fundraisers can be found at www.gofundme.com/mike-and-robs-family-fund andwww.gofundme.com/rob-peros-family-fund. As of Tuesday, the two funds collectively had raised about $5,000 toward a combined $15,000 goal.

(Updated 12/7/16)

- By Marge Neal -

In what Dundalk United leaders consider a “major victory,” Maryland’s Court of Special Appeals has ruled that Baltimore County officials must have the approval of the Maryland Board of Public Works to sell the North Point Government Center and surrounding campus.

Gov. Larry Hogan, state Treasurer Nancy Kopp and state Comptroller Peter Franchot sit on the BPW, which is charged with overseeing state expenditures to ensure the state’s fiscal integrity, according to its website.

Baltimore County has a deal to sell the former North Point Junior High School building to a developer who has proposed a retail center called Merritt Pavilion for the land at the corner of Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue.

Since Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced in 2012 his comprehensive plans to close Eastwood Elementary School, sell the government center and move the Dundalk police precinct offices from the government center to Eastwood, the plan has been championed by some residents and protested by others.

After competitive bids were reviewed, Vanguard Commercial Development was named the winning bidder. The company proposed a retail center and pledged to upgrade or create athletic fields and other outdoor amenities.

A statement on the Baltimore County government website boasted that the developer had letters of intent with several nationally known businesses, including Chipotle, Panera Bread and Five Guys, that committed to leasing space at the proposed shopping center.

The project would create 2,000 jobs, including 1,500 short-term construction jobs and 500 permanent retail jobs once the center was fully occupied, according to the statement.

While the Dundalk Renaissance Corporation supported the idea, citing the jobs and retail opportunities it would provide for the community, some area residents and Dundalk-Eastfield Recreation Council volunteers decried the loss of indoor recreation space, particularly a 600-seat theater used year-round by a variety of organizations.

The recent Court of Special Appeals verdict was a “Merry Christmas gift, a little early,” according to Dundalk resident Bob Staab. The former Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks director is a leader of Dundalk United, an organization created to fight the county’s effort to sell the property.

Staab believes the sale of the building and surrounding park land is a “horrible precedent” to set, and warns other communities that a park in their neighborhood could be next if this sale is completed.

He also complained that the community was kept in the dark and was not allowed to participate in the planning process.

“We are just losing, losing, losing while the county gives us false promises and lies after more lies,” Staab said in a phone interview. “The county executive doesn’t care about the residents of Dundalk, and he doesn’t work for the residents of Baltimore County. He works for Caves Valley [Partners] and all the other developers who want to build in Baltimore County.”

Don Mohler, a spokesman for the county executive, said Tuesday that county officials don’t agree that a covenant in the property deed about a potential sale needing approval from the Board of Public Works is still relevant.

The state has no financial interest in the land, he said, with loans taken to build the school long paid off, he said.

“We continue to request that the governor put the approval of this project on the agenda and bring it up for a vote,” Mohler said. “Let us make our presentation on why we think this is an outstanding project and then vote up or down, but don’t continue to keep the project in limbo.”

The proposed project would tear down an “outdated, dilapidated, falling down building” and replace it with a “state-of-the-art” recreation center, Mohler said.

“The new center would be one of our finest rec centers,” Mohler said. “The governor is allowing politics to get in the way of progress and he’s ignoring the recreational needs of Dundalk residents.”

Phone calls to Leonard Weinberg of Vanguard were not returned by press time.

(Updated 12/7/16)

- By Patrick Taylor -

After months of complaints from neighbors about homeless individuals taking residence in the back yard area of Patapsco United Methodist Church (PUM), the church, located at 7800 Wise Avenue in Dundalk, has been slapped with a $12,000 citation and order to appear in court on Dec. 21.

Baltimore County code enforcement has been out to inspect the church multiple times this year, with complaints being lodged against the church in June, July, August and November. The first three visits yielded no violations against the church. But the last one, dated Nov. 22, found that the church was in violation of county zoning codes for “failure to cease exterior use of property as housing units.”

According to neighbor complaints, homeless persons in the area had set up tarps on concrete slabs to create makeshift shelters at the back of the church. The complaint filed in June cited the shelters and noted that trash and waste were being created. The July complaint referred to the June complaint, while the August complaint noted that a local business owner had started to get upset due to the homeless “urinating on his trees.”

For many churches, turning away the homeless population is in direct conflict with their faith according to Pastor Katie Grover, who heads up PUM.
“The business of the church is to serve God, and God says, ‘Whatever you’ve done for the least of these you’ve done unto me,” said Grover. “We want to care for these people the best we can.”

Grover stated that while they don’t encourage people to stay on the property, they aren’t going to rid their property of those looking for a place to sleep. Aside from utilizing the back area, benches around the church are often occupied at night. A garden area in the middle of the property also frequently houses those without permanent housing at night.

With a new heating system required for the church - which Grover estimates will cost about $80,000 - the loss of $12,000 to code enforcement would be a major blow to PUM.

“We’re kind of in a tricky situation here, because we don’t exactly know how we can be compliant since we don’t have people here at all hours of the day to make sure the back area is clear,” said Grover. “We were told if the violation is fixed before the court date the fine could be rescinded, but we’re not exactly sure about what it is we need to do right now.”

Grover noted that it’s not ideal for the homeless to be outside on their property, but added that bringing them into the church brings more codes into the equation. And considering the lurch they currently find themselves in, they can’t afford to take that risk.

The bigger issue at play here is homelessness in general, Grover admitted, adding that people want an answer to the issue, but predominantly want it to be an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach.

And in east Baltimore County, it is an issue that is increasingly working its way to the forefront.

The 2010 census found that 25 percent more people didn’t have permanent housing than the last census. Of the homeless population, 36 percent lived in Dundalk, Essex and Rosedale. While there are no solid numbers at this time, it stands to reason given the economy that the number has most likely risen.

There’s also the issue of shelter availability, with the only men’s shelter in the county located in Catonsville. Next year, the Eastern Family Resource Center will be adding beds for men, but as it stands they only serve women and families. There are cold weather shelters in the county, but only one readily accessible to those in the Dundalk area. They’re also only open between Nov. 15 - April 15 and do nothing about housing homeless when the temperatures rise in the summer.

Councilman Todd Crandell and Delegate Ric Metzgar both agree that the homeless problem needs to be seriously addressed. Crandell talked about the need to stress available resources that churches can utilize, while also noting that the issue of homelessness is tricky because some are on the streets due to addiction while others are there for mental health or other reasons. Metzgar added that a community town hall needs to be held to evaluate what’s working and what isn’t, and that churches like PUM who currently provide this type of help to the homeless need to band together.

Grover conceded that she understands the issues that neighbors have and added that she isn’t trying to start a fight. She doesn’t want to split the church or divide the community in any way. But she also knows that her church’s mission is to provide aid for those who need it. And with the Christmas season upon us, she can’t help but think of the parallels between this ordeal and the biblical story of Mary and Joseph being turned away from housing in Bethlehem.

“We have to remember that when Christ’s parents went into Bethlehem, they couldn’t find a place. The savior of the world was born in a stable and he later said in his ministry, ‘foxes have dens and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head,’” Grover said. “Our savior was a homeless man. If we can’t welcome the homeless, can we welcome God?”

(Updated 12/1/16)

- Article & photos by Devin Crum -

Almost exactly a year after Fort Howard Park’s two antique cannons were removed for restoration, they returned on Nov. 15 to their post overlooking the mouth of the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay.

The Fort Howard Community Association and now-retired Army National Guard Sergeant First Class Leslie Ernest orchestrated the restoration of the cannons, which departed from their 40-year post at the park on Nov. 18 of last year for a complete makeover.

The cannons were transported to the Maryland ANG’s base in Aberdeen where personnel performed the metal resurfacing at no charge. Likewise, a local carpenter at Chesapeake Woodworking, located on Kresson Street in Baltimore, restored the cannons’ wooden wheels.

And although much of the labor and materials for the project were donated, the FHCA was still responsible for covering the cost of materials, according to FHCA Vice President Scott Pappas. He estimated the total cost of the project, including the donations, to be worth roughly $50,000 per cannon.

Prior to their restoration, the M1906, World War I-era cannons had endured four decades in the elements and suffered vandalism and neglect, leading them to deteriorate and become an eyesore. They had previously sat directly on the ground, allowing the wooden wheels to decay.

Baltimore County had been seeking removal of the cannons, citing the liability they created at the park and a lack of funds to restore them themselves.

And because of that vandalism and neglect, the community partners had sought to return the cannons to the Fort Howard Veterans Park following their restoration, rather than Fort Howard Park.

The FHCA wrote in its proposal for the location change that the risk of recurrence of vandalism to the guns remains unabated at Fort Howard Park.

That risk is so great, they wrote, that the park must be closed to the public for 10 weeks each fall to protect Halloween props used for the Fort Howard Dungeons attraction. This also creates a problem for public access.

“In response to the imminent recurrence of vandalism to the M1906 at the previous location, the Fort Howard Independent Odd Fellows Lodge Grand Senior Warden Dennis Brown has agreed to dock the guns at the War Memorial area under lease to the Odd Fellows from Baltimore County government,” they wrote.

The Veterans Park, they contended, is more visibile, more secure and more accessible by the public.

Fort Howard Veterans Park fronts directly on North Point Road - the only route into and out of the community - and sees police patrols pass by twice per eight-hour shift. It is also highly visible to the surrounding neighbors and traffic.

On top of that, the cannons are not historically fitting for Fort Howard as a military installation.

Battery Harris, in front of which the cannons sit, originally housed two rapid-fire five-inch rifled guns. Following their removal in 1917, the battery was home to a Coincidence Range Finder which helped the other gunners to be able to accurately pinpoint their targets. Batteries Stricker and Nicholson housed 12-inch and six-inch rifled guns, respectively. And Battery Key housed 12-inch mortars.

The M1906 cannons fired a 4.7-inch projectile and were much smaller by comparison than those in used at Fort Howard.

The FHCA thought they were set to install the cannons at the Veterans Park upon their completion. But due to what Pappas called a “mix-up in the paperwork,” park staff told them when they showed up to deliver the finished cannons that they did not have approval.

“For the time being, they are being stored at the Fort Howard Park,” Pappas explained. “We have approval for them to be set at the Fort Howard Veterans Park. It’s just a simple matter of living up to the [conditions] that the county put in front of us to get them up there.”

On the bright side, though, the county had poured concrete pads at Fort Howard Park for the cannons to sit on to avoid the wooden wheels rotting away again.

The FHCA is hoping to have the cannons moved to the Veterans Park in time to be part of the Memorial Day ceremonies held there.

(Updated 12/1/16)

- Article & photo by Devin Crum -

The 13th annual Middle River Lighted Boat Parade went off without a hitch Saturday evening, Nov. 26, as 81 boaters set out to light up Middle River and spread holiday cheer.

Restaurants all along the parade route, including Sunset Cove and Carson’s Creekside in Middle River and The River Watch and The Crazy Tuna in Essex, were booked solid during the event at a time of year when restaurant business tends to slow down.

“It’s really great for this area to have this kind of Christmas tradition,” said parade organizer Jim High.

The number of boats in the parade decreased “through attrition,” according to High, as it progressed and boats dropped out after reaching their own docks. But he said the weather remained fair - albeit chilly - and the procession was able to pass by all the planned locations along the route.

Finale boat captain Nick Hock dazzled the crowds with another of his signature creations - a fire truck with a working fire hose pictured above. In past years Hock, who High said has been creating such spectacles since he was 15 years old, has decorated his boat as a fire-breathing dragon and a Mr. Boh-faced train engine.

To view more photos from the parade, see our Home page under Middle River Boat Parade.

(Updated 12/1/16)

- Article & photos by Devin Crum -

Back River Restoration Committee leadership had a lot to talk about at their fall general meeting on Nov. 15, particularly in the way of their progress and the issues facing Back River.

The Back River watershed encompasses approximately 55 square miles, reaching deep into Baltimore City and as far north and west as Towson. It also has about 73 miles of streams emptying into it, and the BRRC has done its best to try to clean every one of them.

With such a large watershed, an enormous amount of trash is able to make its way to the waterway via its many tributaries. So the BRRC has stepped up its efforts this year to clean not only Back River itself, but the streams leading to it and the communities around them. And along the way they have forged strong ties with community organizations to further their goals.

Illegal dumping is one of the largest issues they face as an organization, according to BRRC President Sam Weaver. He described several instances of private contractors dumping their scrap and waste materials into storm drains and along secluded streets.

Weaver mentioned a certain dump site along Trappe Road in Dundalk that is a frequent nuisance.

“It’s just all the time over there. We clean it up and it’s just there again,” he said, adding that the BRRC and county workers have each cleaned it “a number of times.”

The BRRC works on both sides of the river - in Essex and Dundalk - to clean up the watershed, holding clean-up events and doing community outreach to educate the public.

They have worked closely this year with several community leaders fighting against rats in their neighborhoods as well.

“The rats, the trash, the downgrading of the communities - it kind of all goes together,” Weaver said. “This stuff all winds up in Back River and the Chesapeake Bay.”

They performed two major clean-ups in the Middlesex community of Essex and the West Inverness community of Dundalk.

Earlier this year, the BRRC set out to clean up a drainage ditch behind Middlesex that was filled with garbage and had been used as a dumping ground by neighbors. The group spent three days loading three 30-yard dumpsters with nearly 25,000 pounds of trash that had been piled “up to your knees,” according to Weaver.

“None of us thought it would ever be right again,” he said. “After we were done it looked like a resort.”
Similarly, at the clean-up site in West Inverness, “trash was just everywhere,” Weaver said.

The BRRC brought some of their heavier equipment that day and helped the neighbors pull out some of the larger items that had been dumped there.

More recently, on Nov. 19, the organization held a community clean-up of the area on both sides of Race Road in Essex, which has had major problems with dumping because of its seclusion.

BRRC member Clark Testerman described the area as “dump city.”

Cliff O’Connell, who helped with the clean-up, said the lack of residents there and the forested land on either side of the road make it ideal for dumpers.

“There’s no homes; it’s all woods,” he said.

Any trash dumped there eventually makes its way into Stemmers Run, which drains to Back River, O’Connell said. “It’s a lot easier to get it here before it goes into the stream.”

BRRC Executive Director Karen Wynn noted that they had cleaned the area three years ago. But volunteers said it was as bad Saturday, as it was previously.

All told, volunteers removed about 15,000 pounds of garbage from the area, including at least a ton of metal and 57 tires before they could make their way into the waterways, according to Weaver.

Weaver also praised the county for showing up “in force” with three dump trucks and a front-end loader to help when they could not get a dumpster to the location.

The Back River trash boom, in place since 2010, has been an immense help to the BRRC, helping them to catch “an enormous amount” of trash that would otherwise head directly into Back River and the Chesapeake Bay, according to Weaver. Between the boom and the trash BRRC has collected elsewhere, they have surpassed 2.8 million pounds of trash and debris removed from the river since 2011.

“That’s a huge amount of trash to keep out of the Chesapeake Bay,” he said.

Wynn noted that the boom has caught an average of about 45,000 pounds of trash per month this year - up from about 37,000 pounds last year. But she said this year’s numbers are boosted by a major rainstorm back in February that dropped four inches of rain on the area in one night.

The resulting clean-up over the next four weeks saw approximately 97 tons of waste materials removed from the river and its tributaries, Weaver said.

While the trash boom is effective, it only covers part of the river, leaving anything drifting down Stemmers Run to go straight out to Back River and the Bay. And without funding from the county for another boom, according to Weaver and Wynn, the focus will remain on cleaning the upstream estuaries and communities to catch the trash before it hits the river. And they will continue to reach out to the community to educate residents about the issues as well.

(Updated 12/1/16)

- By Marge Neal -

The Christmas season will come in with a bang when the Dundalk community hosts its annual Holiday Hoopla celebration.

The event, which runs from 4 - 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, combines a couple of time-honored community traditions with a few newer happenings, according to community volunteer Angel Ball.

“We have the annual Christmas parade and Santa in the Park, which the [Dundalk-Eastfield Recreation] Council has been doing for years, and newer additions like the cookie tour, letters to Santa Claus and other activities for kids,” she said. “It’s an extremely successful partnership between Dundalk-Eastfield Rec and the Dundalk Renaissance Corporation.”

That partnership has created a street festival of sorts, with a bouncy house and other games and activities for children, vendors selling their wares and community groups sharing information and resources, a holiday cookie-baking competition and holiday shopping at the Dundalk Village Shopping Center, according to Ball.

Dundalk-Eastfield Rec volunteer Alan Holcomb organizes the parade that winds through downtown Dundalk’s shopping district before ending at Heritage Park. Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus then take up residence at the park’s gazebo, where they visit with children and distribute small gifts to their wee visitors. Rec council volunteers are kept busy in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, where they hand out free snacks and juice.

The line to visit with Santa can seem daunting,  but it moves quickly and the world’s most famous toy distributor stays each year until the last child has a chance to share his wish list, according to Holcomb.

While the parade and festivities at Heritage Park are designed simply for holiday fun, the cookie tour and street festival aims to combine family-oriented fun with a larger community awareness of the consumer opportunities at the Dundalk Village Shopping Center, according to Nathan Cabrera, community engagement coordinator for the DRC.

“We want to raise awareness of the shopping center and the businesses that are here,” Cabrera said. “The cookie tour encourages people to stop at every participating store, and we have two pop-up shops here through December.”

The pop-up program invites potential business owners looking to test the waters with an idea or product to apply for a competition that offers free rent for three months, according to Cabrera.

“This program allows them to develop a business plan and to see if their idea is viable,” he said. “At the end of the three months, they can negotiate a new lease with the property manager or move on.”

This year’s pop-ups are Aleo & Co., which features repurposed furniture and wall art, and Zallie’s Boutique, which specializes in fashion accessories for young girls, he said.

The street fair will feature more than 40 vendors selling a variety of goods, including homemade jams, beef jerky, wreaths and crafts. Children can jump in the bouncy house, write and mail letters to Santa Claus, create a make-and-take craft and do a “sort of trick-or-treating, only with cookies along the storefronts,” Cabrera said. Many photo opportunities exist, including an inflatable gingerbread house that is a popular background for selfies, he said.

Dunkin Donuts will bring its community cart to the fair and give away free coffee and hot chocolate, and Turkey Hill will once again bring its large cow display and give away free ice cream.

The Dundalk-Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum will unveil its 2016 train garden with 90 animated features in a multi-tiered, 300-square-foot display, according to a statement from museum leaders.

While all activities, including the parade, Santa in the Park, train garden, cookie tour and street festival are free, Cabrera encourages residents to bring plenty of cash to support local small businesses while getting some holiday shopping done.

(Updated 11/23/16)

- By Marge Neal -

Army Major Terri Jordan finds herself in a military sort of suspended animation.

The Dundalk native will retire from her 31-year military career on Dec. 31. But because of a substantial bank of unused leave time, she has been in what is called “terminal leave” since Oct. 14. And because she will continue her career as a physician’s assistant and medical administrator at the same military hospital from which she retired, about the only thing in her life that will change will be her uniform - she’s trading in her fatigues for scrubs.

Jordan’s face is known around the world - even though few of those people know her by name - thanks to an iconic photograph (shown above) taken about 10 years ago by Atlanta Journal-Constitution photographer Louie Favorite. Upon arriving at the Atlanta airport after a deployment to the Middle East, Favorite captured forever the moment that Jordan, in full battle fatigues and military pack on her back, skidded across the airport floor on her knees to passionately embrace her then-3-year-old daughter.

That image has since been used in military advertising, displayed in a mural-like banner hanging at the Pentagon, shared across a multitude of social networking platforms and has been used as a meme for a variety of subjects, including one in which her daughter was replaced with a Snickers candy bar.

“I thought that one was funny, though I would have preferred the candy bar to be a Butterfinger,” she said with a laugh. “They’re my favorite.”

When the 1983 Dundalk High School graduate, announced in 1985 her plans to join the Army, the news was a bit of a surprise to a family that boasted several generations of Navy members.

As she now closes the door on the three-decade journey in which she acquired education, built a medical career and rose through the ranks, there’s nothing but family pride in the military career Jordan carved out for herself.

“As you can imagine, we are very proud of Terri,” her brother, Bill Goodman wrote in an email. “We had many anxious moments while she was deployed in Desert Storm, Bosnia and the second Iraq war.”

Goodman said his sister worked hard to become one of the best in her field. He noted that she was known for her organizational and leadership skills and said all of her top commanders referred to her as a “soldier’s soldier” at her retirement ceremony.

“Terri made all of us proud during her 31-year journey around the world while going from an enlisted private to major and chief of emergency medicine at Martin Army Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the Army’s medical system,” Goodman wrote in the email.

While Jordan isn’t yet officially retired, her formal retirement ceremony was held Sept. 20. Her parents, brother, husband and two children all traveled to Fort Benning, Ga., for the ceremony.

Post-retirement, she will remain at Martin Army Community Hospital in Georgia as a civilian, serving as a physician assistant and deputy chief of the emergency medicine department.

Jordan owns a bit of history at Martin as a result of being named chief of the emergency medicine department in 2015. The emergency room’s top job always goes to a physician and not a P.A.

“I chose her to be the chief of emergency medicine department because she’s such a good leader,” Col. Shawn Nessens said in a phone interview. “She’s outstanding and I was very happy with her leadership.”

Jordan’s initiatives “greatly improved patient satisfaction” and improved the overall efficiency of the ER, according to Nessens.

As with most emergency rooms, patients can face daunting waiting times. Jordan set up an electronic board that listed appointment times in clinics as they became available, according to Nessens.

“Patients could check that board, make calls from the emergency room to get an appointment at a clinic, which is where they really needed to be, and then they were taken care of more quickly,” Nessens said. The initiative took some burden off the emergency room staff and gave patients better service in clinics better prepared to handle specific medical needs, he believes.

While Nessens had every confidence in Jordan’s abilities to lead the emergency medicine department as a physician’s assistant, he said her biggest challenge would come from having medical doctors work for her.

“And she handled that very well; it was never an issue,” he said.

The transition from soldier to civilian marks the end result of a career decision that came about because Jordan didn’t want the financial stress of a college education to fall on her parents.

“I did a little bit of college after I graduated from Dundalk,” Jordan said. “I went to Maryland General Hospital’s School of Nursing and realized that wasn’t for me.”

A short stint at then-Towson State University followed and then she looked into the military because it offered college tuition assistance.

“The military offered the G.I. Bill, so that would mean going to college wouldn’t be a hardship on my folks,” she said.

Because of a long family tradition, Jordan originally expressed an interest in the Navy. She knew she wanted to pursue some sort of medical training but the Navy wouldn’t put a medical placement guarantee in writing.

An Army recruiter at the same event overheard the conversation and told Jordan the Army would offer such a guarantee if she scored well on placement and aptitude tests.

It was an offer Jordan couldn’t refuse and she found herself with a seat in combat medic training after completing basic training.

Throughout the years, Jordan would travel across the United States and to many countries while completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology, receiving her master’s degree from the Inter-Service Physician Assistant Program at Fort Sam Houston in Texas and progress from the enlisted ranks through the rank of major.

Had she not decided to retire, Jordan would be up for promotion to lieutenant colonel in the summer of 2017.

But with no openings at that rank and pay grade at Martin and no desire to move again, she decided the timing was good to put her military career at ease.

“I’ve done everything for me so far,” Jordan said of her career that has included assignments in Alabama, Texas, Georgia, New York and Colorado as well as Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and South Korea. “Now it’s time to make decisions for the kids.”

Her daughter, Gabrielle, is 12 and son Jorge is 8. Gabrielle has borne the brunt of the many moves and now it’s more important that the kids put down roots and build lifelong friendships, Jordan said.

Jordan and her husband recently bought a farmhouse on 26 acres in Georgia and want to settle down. She couldn’t see having the expense of the “dream house” and not being able to live in it for a three-year assignment.

“And I was getting great job offers,” she said. “All the pieces just kind of fell into place and this was the right time to retire.”

(Updated 11/23/16)

- By Marge Neal -

Plans to restore a section of a degraded stream that feeds into the Lower Gunpowder River watershed are about 90 percent complete and headed into the permitting process, according to Baltimore County officials.

Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability (DEPS) staff members met at the Perry Hall library on Nov. 21 with residents from the affected area, which runs from the BGE right-of-way near Naygall Road to the India Avenue bridge.

Once completed, the restoration project will accomplish several goals toward a healthier and cleaner Lower Gunpowder watershed, according to Eric Duce, a natural resources specialist with DEPS.

Work on the unnamed tributary will result in better water quality, improved wildlife habitat, erosion control that will lessen property loss and will provide additional infrastructure protection.

“Sewer and water lines often run parallel with streams and erosion can cause exposure of those lines,” Duce told the audience of about 10 residents. Rebuilding the stream bed and reinforcing the banks with dirt, large rocks and plantings will better protect that infrastructure, reducing the chances of sewage spills into the waterways.

Plantings of native plants and trees will also help absorb excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, preventing them from leeching into the groundwater or making their way to the Gunpowder River and beyond, Duce said.

The work will also help the county comply with mandates regarding the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As the result of a lawsuit brought against Baltimore County, the local government must work toward meeting the total maximum daily load (TMDL) of a number of nutrients being carried into the bay via tributaries. The consent decree reached as a result of the lawsuit states that certain thresholds must by met by 2024.

Heather McGee, another natural resources specialist with DEPS, likened the TMDL to a diet.

“Consider the TMDL to be like calories and only so many calories should be consumed each day,” she said after the meeting. “The TMDL states how much of each of many nutrients can safely go in the water each day, and reaching those acceptable amounts is the goal.”

The project is substantial, according to Duce, involving the restoration of about 4,500 linear feet of stream bed.

With the project just entering the permitting process, work probably won’t begin until summer or fall of next year, according to Rob Ryan of DEPS’ watershed restoration division.

Because of restrictions on construction in waterways during potential fish breeding season, crews are not allowed to work from March 1 to June 15, Ryan said.

“We won’t start a project and then stop,” he said at the meeting. “And with 10 or 11 other projects going on at the same time, most likely we’re looking at next summer into fall.”

Asked about a timetable for the project, Duce said there are many variables that come in to play.

“Right now, it’s hard to say because of the permits process,” he said at the meeting. “There’s a lot of work and not many qualified contractors that can do the work.”

Other factors, including weather, the size of the work crew assigned to the project and identifying quarries with sufficient supplies of rock needed will all play a role in how long it takes to complete the work, Duce told the East County Times.

Advertising for competitive bids to be submitted can take up to three months, according to Duce and the actual work will take at least two months and perhaps longer.

The stream restoration is expected to cost at least $2 million, according to Duce.

(Updated 11/21/16)

- By Marge Neal -

Rae Rosenthal, as director of the Community College of Baltimore County’s Honors Program, is adept at identifying students who will thrive in the school’s most rigorous, academically challenging classes.

But last month, Rosenthal found herself on the opposite end of that equation when she was singled out by the National Collegiate Honors Council for her leadership of the program.

The founder of CCBC’s honors course received the council’s 2016 Ron Brandolini Award for Excellence at a Two-Year Institution at the group’s annual conference in Seattle.

The award is named for the professor who founded the honors program at Valencia College in Florida. The Valencia College Foundation partners with NCHC to present the annual award.

“I was quite surprised when I was notified over the summer that I would be receiving the award,” Rosenthal told the East County Times. “It is very humbling to be honored for my life’s work that I have so enjoyed.”

Rosenthal was a new professor in then-Essex Community College’s English department in 1988 when she was asked to create an honors program.

“One of the first things I did was attend the NCHC conference for ideas and networking,” she said.

Nearly 30 years and a merger that joined the county’s three independent community colleges as one entity later, Rosenthal serves as the lead director of the college-wide program and continues her work as the leader of the Essex campus program.

“Rae is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the honors program,” CCBC President Sandra Kurtinitis said in a statement. “She has built CCBC’s Honors Program into a powerhouse that propels her students towards meeting our college’s most challenging curricula.”

Rosenthal jumped into the local program and the national organization with equal gusto, according to award nomination letters. The award recognizes educators who make “substantial contributions to honors education at the home institution and the national organization,” according to the group.

Her nominators included peers in North Carolina and Florida, who chose her for her “outstanding contributions to the honors community,” according to the statement.

“Rae is simply a colleague who is respected by her peers and loved by her students,” Kathleen King, Hillsborough Community College (Florida) honors program director and NCHC board member, said in the statement.

CCBC honors courses are available across many disciplines and a wide variety of majors, such as English, history, math and psychology, Rosenthal said.

And just as the college attracts students across a broad spectrum of academic abilities, so too does the Honors Program open its doors to students perhaps not previously thought of as gifted, according to Rosenthal.

“There are two main categories of students in our program,” she said. “The first category is the obvious one - the students who had beautiful high school records, took honors and AP courses, scored high on the SAT.”

The second category is the group of students who, for any number of reasons, didn’t shine in high school but are up to the challenge of more demanding courses. Emphasis isn’t necessarily on high school records or grade point averages but ability and motivation, according to Rosenthal.

“These students are very capable and the honors program helps them achieve the success we know they are capable of achieving,” she said.

As examples of the latter, Rosenthal recalled a student who came to CCBC with a GED and went on to Brown University and Yale University’s law school, and another GED holder who headed to Smith College on a full scholarship after graduating from the two-year school.

Rosenthal, who now teaches in the college’s English and women’s studies departments, said the award is “really special” to her simply because it recognizes what she considers her true calling in education.

“I’ve been running the honors program my entire career,” she said. “I love the English department and my work there, but being able to assist students in succeeding to levels even they never thought possible and assisting in setting them up for success throughout their lives is something else entirely.”

In addition to offering more rigorous coursework, the honors program also offers scholarship opportunities, social and cultural events, access to the Honors Center and designated  honors study space and special recognition at graduation, according to a statement from the school. Students are also taken on visits to four-year schools and are well-educated as to the transfer process, according to Rosenthal. Honors graduates are also guaranteed transfer to 12 area colleges and universities.

In the end, Rosenthal said the honor is all hers - that it’s an honor to work with CCBC’s best and brightest students and to help guide them along a path to current and future success.

“It’s my job to help students succeed and then brag about them when they do succeed, and there’s no end to those success stories,” she said. “This award is an enormous recognition of my life’s work. It’s quite humbling.”

(Updated 11/17/16)

- Article & photo by Devin Crum -

Members of the Perry Hall High School community came together with elected officials on Friday, Nov. 11, to honor five former students and faculty members of the school and place them in the Hall of Fame.

Jeff Smith, who delivered some of the history of Perry Hall, set the tone of the ceremony in stating that the history of the area and its high school is, in part, a legacy of service.

“There are so many individuals who came through these halls here in Perry Hall High School who committed themselves to serving others,” Smith said, adding that many PHHS alums and those connected to the school chose to serve their community in Perry Hall.

First to be inducted was former PHHS Assistant Principal Stephen Arnold, who gave 23 years to the school. Arnold arrived at the school in 1992 after being hired as its special education department chairman.

Sandy Thomas, a PHHS assistant principal at the time and who worked with Arnold for 13 years, said Arnold had never attended or taught at a public school before Perry Hall. But he brought that private school atmosphere with him and recreated it at PHHS, displaying student accomplishments, hanging class pictures and instilling a sense of pride in students.

“He wanted current students, visitors to the school and prospective families to see right away all the things that Perry Hall has to be proud of,” Thomas said.

Arnold worked with the school’s PTSA to update flags in the auditorium, worked with the student council to refurbish the senior courtyard, shared student accomplishments and publicized the quality of education at the school, according to Thomas.

“You couldn’t find a better candidate for membership in the Perry Hall High School Alumni Hall of Fame than Stephen Arnold,” she said.

The school system transferred Arnold to another school in 2015, and he retired one year later.

Next up was 1994 graduate John Drosinos, who also graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in economics. He served one tour of military service as a combat information and intelligence officer and a second as an ordinance officer before returning home to earn a Master of Science in leadership and human resource development from the academy’s post-graduate school.

PHHS Alumni Association Vice President Sarah Novak-Young called Drosinos an “ideal asset” to the school’s Hall of Fame.

Drosinos said between class, baseball and soccer, his four years at PHHS were a “rewarding experience.”
“I was lucky to encounter some of the best teachers, administrators and coaches during my time at Perry Hall,” he said.

William Dunkerton Sr., a longtime teacher at PHHS, was hailed by his son, William Dunkerton Jr., as someone who used his creativity to be able to teach kids.

Dunkerton Sr. first taught at Perry Hall Junior High School, moving up to the high school when the junior high became the middle school.

“So he spent his whole career in the Perry Hall community, teaching and eventually living here,” said Dunkerton Jr., who also taught with his father during part of his tenure at PHHS.

Dunkerton Jr. said his father taught standard-level aquatics, environmental science and practical physics, working “in the trenches.”

“But he loved coming up with creative ideas to make education fun for kids,” his son said. “When I encounter people who had my dad, they have a smile on their face as they remember their experience in his classroom.”

The father-son duo worked together as coaches too, coaching boys lacrosse and junior varsity football. And Dunkerton Jr. said his father was immensely proud of having coached the only PHHS boys lacrosse team to go to the state finals after beating Towson and Dulaney in the same year.

“It is a cool thing that he has been given this recognition and that there are those who do recognize the hard work that he put in,” Dunkerton Jr. said.

Dunkerton Sr. passed away approximately six weeks before the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Carl Pearsall, a 1979 graduate of PHHS, played football, basketball and baseball during his time there, making the all-county team his senior year. Afterward, he attended then-Towson State University, earning a degree in mass communications.

After his education, Pearsall joined the Maryland State Police in 1986, followed by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 1993 and the U.S. Secret Service in 1998. And for the last 18 years, he has protected the lives of three - going on four - sitting U.S. presidents.

Pearsall said his time at PHHS was “rewarding,” providing him with the training to get through college. He said he often reflected on his high school experience while in the MSP and throughout the rest of his career.

Finally, former teacher Regina Robbins was also posthumously inducted into the PHHS Hall of Fame.

Robbins earned a degree in English education from Pennsylvania State University in 1965 and her master’s from the University of Maryland in 1974. She married and moved to eastern Baltimore County in 1967.

Robbins taught for 19 years at Kenwood High School before transferring to PHHS in 1986. She taught Gifted and Talented classes from the program’s inception, helped pilot team teaching and special student mainstreaming, co-chaired the steering committee for Middle States Accreditation at both Kenwood and Perry Hall and co-advised the National Honor Society for most of her time at KHS.

Baltimore County Councilman David Marks, a PHHS graduate, noted that he had Robbins as a teacher during his junior year in 1989-1990.

“She infused her classes with a love of literature and a love of life,” Marks said, recalling the “spirited” discussions they had in class.

Robbins’ husband, Larry, assured that she would have been humbled and pleased to receive the honor. He said his wife, who also passed away a relatively short time before the induction, had a desire and a gift for teaching.

“She not only educated the mind, she also went after the heart,” he said. “She tried to reach every student that she could,” and did so by opening her own heart, he added.

(Updated 11/16/16)

- By Devin Crum -

Officers and members of the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company, together with officials from every level of government, celebrated the next step in a years-long process to build themselves a state-of-the-art fire station to better serve the community.

Dozens of guests - representatives of government, community and business groups and the fire company itself - gathered Monday, Nov. 14, on a six-plus-acre site, donated by General Motors’ White Marsh plant for the project, to break ground for the new station.

The company’s current station, located about a mile from the new site, was built in the 1940s and has been plagued by traffic and flooding which have affected response times at a time when the community they serve is growing and demand is increasing.

Additionally, the station was not built to accommodate extensive personnel or community gatherings.

The company, started in 1943 and incorporated in 1945, began with seven men and seven women responding to roughly 100 calls per year in what was a rural farming community.

WMVFC now responds to up to 4,000 calls per year in what has become a thriving growth area and a business and residential hub.

According to WMVFC President Kevin Palmer, the company began exploring a move in 2006, and the process to begin the project on the chosen site began four years ago with a simple letter to GM.

The new station will accommodate 25 or more personnel per day, include private and semi-private bunks, additional showers, a full-service gym, full-service kitchen and a study area to further education, Palmer noted. It will also house an indoor interactive training tower allowing members to train year round, plus a community meeting center and ample outdoor space to host community events.

“So as the history of our organization goes, we are changing our location and our building, but we are still going to be the White Marsh Volunteer Fire Company that proudly serves our community,” Palmer said.

He added that the company’s capital campaign had raised more than $30,000 from the residential community in just one month and over $300,000 toward the project from business and community groups.

Station Captain Rick Blubaugh said the groundbreaking not only marked a special occasion, but spoke to the ideals and practices on which the nation was founded.

“The officers and members of the White Marsh Fire, EMS and Rehab Company will soon be better able to serve this area given its expanding size and development,” he said. “This was accomplished through public-private partnerships.”

Blubaugh pointed to a low-interest loan from the Baltimore County Volunteer Firemen’s Association (BCVFA) to fund construction, support from County Council members Cathy Bevins and David Marks in directing resources their way, Senator Kathy Klausmeier’s sponsorship of a funding bill for the new station in the state legislature and future allocation of “significant public funding” from the county administration as essential pieces of the project.

“I pledge to you in return that this strong organization will work dilligently to meet the expectations of the community, execute smart business practices and respond consistently to calls for service,” he said.

On top of a 9.2-percent increase in funding for volunteers in the current budget, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz has pledged a pot of $3 million for volunteer companies who decide to merge and form joint corporations.

BCVFA Vice President Craig Coleman said the WMVFC provides a blueprint for this process, having merged with the Central Alarmers - an emergency services support organization - last year for the benefit of both companies. And there are now nine more volunteer companies in the county exploring mergers.

“Any volunteer company will benefit from what the White Marsh Volunteer Fire and EMS Company and Rehab 155 have done,” Coleman said.

GM’s assistant plant manager, David Rizzo, said the groundbreaking was a major milestone for both GM and WMVFC, stating that since they are one of the busiest fire companies in eastern Baltimore County, a new facility to support the community is a “winning proposition for all.”

“The donation of this property by GM to the fire company is symbolic of GM’s committment to our community,” Rizzo said. “We are proud of the good work done protecting the community by our partner in this effort.”

Councilwoman Bevins said she was grateful for GM’s generosity through the agreement.

“It’s such a tremendous contribution to the community and to the White Marsh volunteers,” she said.

Bevins commended Blubaugh and Palmer for their leadership in seeing the project through. She emphasized, though, that the fundraising campaign is not over and they still have a long way to go.

She also touted that the new traffic ramp to eastbound MD-43 - made possible by the Paragon outlets locating across the street from the new site on Philadelphia Road - will be a great help to them in improving response times.

Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger noted that the old station is even older than he is.

“It’s amazing that our volunteer firefighters have been able to do what they do to protect our people with such an old station,” he said while remarking on how much better the new station will be.

“The more we give these types of facilities to our firefighters, and our volunteers especially, I think the more they’ll be there,” Ruppersberger opined. “And the more that they’re there, the better and quicker for the response time.”

Also part of the funding for the new station was the sale of a 12-acre parcel of land opposite the old station on Ebenzer Road for approximately $800,000 which was finalized on Nov. 4.

A local business purchased the land and has committed to preserving the White Marsh Post Office which sits on it, according to Blubaugh. However, the new owner’s other plans for the land have not been disclosed.

The land was originally donated to the company by Janey Bickel to do with what they wanted, and they had considered using that site for a new station. But studies of the land in the early 2000s concluded that the site work needed for utilities and other infrastructure there would be too expensive. Additionally, they would still have to contend with traffic backups and the adjacent train crossing.

Blubaugh assured, though, that the proceeds from the sale will be used to build a new station and provide the community with even better service.

The company is working with North Point Builders for construction of the new station and is anticipating an eight-month build beginning spring 2017.

(Updated 11/16/16)

- By Marge Neal -

A little more than a year after the “turning on” of the Community College of Baltimore County’s solar panels, school officials are pleased with the savings experienced to date, even though those savings were considerably lower than anticipated.

Based upon previous consumption habits and the negotiated price of the power produced by 16,500 photovoltaic panels built across the college’s three main campuses at Catonsville, Dundalk and Essex, college officials anticipated saving about $100,000 a year, according to Melissa Hopp, CCBC’s vice president of administrative services.

Through the first 11 months of solar power production, the actual savings were about $40,000, according to Hopp.

In what Hopp said was an unfortunately timed - and unprecedented - move, Saudi Arabian officials glutted the global market with energy around the same time CCBC started buying the green electricity, which supplied a little over 27 percent of the college’s full needs through the first 11 months.

While the college was thrilled with its negotiated rate of the solar-produced electricity, it buys the other 70 percent of its electricity through a buying consortium that is able to negotiate low prices because of the volume of energy purchased.

The consortium paid about 5 cents per kilowatt for a period of time while CCBC was paying 8 cents for the solar-produced energy.

“We went back through our records to at least 2005 and never saw electricity at or below 8 cents,” Hopp said in a phone interview. “We were thrilled with 8 cents; no one could have seen 5 cents, even for a short period of time.”

The administrator fully expects the savings to reach the anticipated goal, which is a total of $4 million over the course of the 20-year agreement.

When the 20 years is up, a variety of things can happen, according to Constellation spokeswoman Christina Pratt.

“Constellation owns and operates the system, which is good for the college - it protects them from any kind of liability or expense in repairs and maintenance,” she said in a phone interview. “In 20 years, there are many options, such as to continue the agreement as is or go with something else.”

A lot can happen in 20 years and Pratt expects technology to have greatly improved, so changing the system to the latest generation of panels would be on the table, as would the possibility of rate changes, a change in the maintenance agreement or any number of other details.

For at least the past 10 years, college officials have studied and been more aware of wind and solar power.

“We really began our sustainability efforts in earnest about eight years ago, when we started focusing on our consumption habits,” she said. “We looked at our gas and electric consumption but without really looking at the supply side.”

While working to “continually reduce” the college’s carbon footprint, Constellation/Exelon entered the picture. As a result of the Exelon acquisition of Constellation - then the parent company of BGE, the area’s regulated utility company - the newly merged energy giant was encouraged to increase its solar power production, according to Hopp. Looking for large spaces upon which to build solar facilities, Constellation officials approached the college in November 2014 and pitched the idea of building solar canopies on parking lots of the three main campuses.

After the CCBC Board of Trustees approved the concept in principle, a purchase agreement was reached, with Constellation agreeing to foot the bill for all construction and maintenance costs over the 20-year period, and CCBC agreeing to buy 100 percent of the energy produced by the panels, according to Hopp.

“We negotiated a flat rate eight cents per kiloWatt hour, which will be very beneficial to us now and in the future,” Hopp said. “Also, there would be no cost of transmission of the power to us.”

The transmission of traditionally-produced electricity varies and costs between 1.7 and 2 cents per kW hour, depending on the campus and meter, she said.

Construction began on the canopies during the summer of 2015 and was completed by September. A ceremonial “flipping of the switch” activated the panels in October 2015.

In addition to the anticipated energy savings over the course of the agreement, the college benefits in many other ways through its new relationship with Constellation, Hopp believes.

The installation of the solar panels is one of the most visible efforts on the college’s part to bring attention to the school’s sustainability efforts, according to Hopp.

“Students come onto campus and immediately see CCBC’s commitment to sustainability,” she said. “They see that CCBC cares about Earth.”

Constellation also has funded a $50,000 STEM Scholars program, which “financially, socially, academically and professionally supports” students pursuing associate’s adegrees and certificates in a variety of science, technology, engineering and math-related fields, from HVAC installation and maintenance to computer and environmental science, according to Pratt.

The scholarship program works particularly hard to attract low-income and minority students.

“This relationship has also allowed us to connect with one of the larger employers in the region,” Hopp said. “We were able to have student interns do some job-shadowing during the construction of the panels.”

One of those job-shadowing students, a single parent, completed her studies in HVAC and is now “one of the only African-American women doing HVAC installation for BGE Home,” Pratt said.

Another unintended benefit is that the canopies created garage-like facilities, which protect cars and students from rain and snow, as well as keep cars cooler in the summer, Hopp said.
“Students love them for those reasons alone,” she said.

The project also includes 10 charging stations for electric cars.

“So absolutely, we’re delighted with the results,” Hopp said. “Constellation has been a very good partner and we look forward to the continued relationship.”

(Updated 11/16/16)

- Article & photo by Patrick Taylor -

Last week, construction crews were hard at work on the new $8 million headquarters in Middle River for Ruxton Chocolates.

“Baltimore County has worked with us every step of the way as we put the pieces in place for this new building,” said Bill Buppert, president of Ruxton Chocolates. “We are very excited about growth opportunities as we expand our nationwide private label business.”

Growth opportunity is what brought Buppert, known as “Billy Wonka,” and his business to White Marsh, as the move helped to consolidate three separate locations into one. Two of the previous locations were based on Baltimore City while one was located in Pennsylvania. The new 100,000 square-foot building will eventually be home to 43 new workers when the facility opens next summer.

“We now have coffee, alcohol and chocolate along Route 43, and that’s reason to celebrate,” said Councilwoman Cathy Bevins.

County Executive Kevin Kamenetz told reporters that the county has been working hard to expand business  in the White Marsh-Middle River area, touting nearly $1 billion of recent private investment.

Back in September, the County Council unanimously approved issuing $8 million worth of bonds on behalf of 1412 Tangier LLC, the firm handling the construction of the new facility. The firm will have to repay the bonds over time, while the county will earn an annual fee for issuing the bonds. Should the bonds not be paid back, the county won’t be on the hook for payment.

“We are pleased that the company that makes some of Maryland’s iconic candy brands has picked Baltimore County for its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” said Kamenetz.

(Updated 11/9/16)

- Article & photo by Patrick Taylor -

Donald J. Trump turned the electoral map on its head Tuesday night, defeating Hillary Clinton in the race for president. Trump will succeed Barack Obama as the 45th president of the United States.

Clinton won Maryland’s 10 electoral votes as expected, tallying almost 1.5 million votes across the state, good enough for 59.5 percent of the electorate. Trump amassed a total of 873,000, good enough for 34.8 percent of the vote.

Of Trump’s 873,000 total votes, 131,000 came from Baltimore County, representing his biggest haul from a single county.

Trump’s numbers were on the rise as election day approached, but practically every poll and projection had Clinton emerging as the winner. Instead, Trump took hold of decisive swing states such as Ohio, Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. The final tally saw Trump with 276 electoral votes compared to Clinton’s 218.

Besides winning the presidency, Republicans will have control of the both houses of Congress. Trump will also get to make at least one Supreme Court nomination to fill the spot left by the late Antonin Scalia.

Unfortunately for Republicans in Maryland, they have a lot less to be excited about as Democrats walked away victorious in all but one contest, which saw incumbent Andy Harris retain his seat in the First Congressional District.

At the local level, Democratic candidates Dutch Ruppersberger and Chris Van Hollen won their respective races for U.S. House and Senate. Ruppersberger overwhelmed his Republican challenger, State Delegate Pat McDonough, almost doubling the east side delegate’s vote total. The race for Senate was somewhat closer, with Delegate Kathy Szeliga outperforming polls but still coming up short, pulling in 36.5 percent of the vote compared to Van Hollen’s 60.2 percent.

With the win over McDonough, Ruppersberger will represent the Second Congressional District for the seventh time.

“Every race is a different race,” said Ruppersberger. “I’ve known Pat for a long time, he has a different style than I have. I did my style, did it my way.”

“And I love the people in the eastern part of the county,” he continued. “They’re a hard working people and they tell it like it is. They let you know exactly what they think.”

Ruppersberger felt that the voters elected him because of his work ethic and ability to keep his constituents happy. He said his time as Baltimore County Executive helped show the importance of constituent services, and that his team is one of the best in the nation.

“Whatever the problem may be - housing, issues with the IRS, veterans issues - your constituents want you to work it out,” Ruppersberger stated. “And I work hard to represent the people and answer their calls. It’s not a real complicated formula.”

With the election now behind him, Ruppersberger said he’s ready to get back to work immediately. When asked what he would turn his attention to first, Ruppersberger stressed that he’s focused on national security, highlighting threats such as Iran, China and Russia.

McDonough could not be reached for comment.

In the race for U.S. Senate, Szeliga won 19 jurisdictions to Van Hollen’s six, but Van Hollen pulled huge numbers in Baltimore County and the city, as well as Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Van Hollen won Baltimore City by 145,000 while capturing Prince George’s and Montgomery counties by more than 200,000 a piece.

Szeliga called Van Hollen to concede the race around 10:30 p.m. Van Hollen thanked both Szeliga and Green Party candidate Dr. Margaret Flowers for their efforts, then turned his attention to the future.

“I think it’s very important that all elected officials, all Americans, all Marylanders, work together now to bridge the differences that we’ve seen,” said Van Hollen. “At the end of the day, we’re all Americans; we’ve got to work together. I’m a big believer in taking nothing for granted and working hard. I intend on working my heart out.”

Van Hollen stressed the need for teamwork to take on issues such as a stagnant economy, a polluted Chesapeake Bay and mass incarceration.

The Maryland congressional delegation will now be without a woman for the first time in over 40 years.

With the win against Szeliga, Van Hollen will replace Barbara Mikulski, who gave up her seat after 20 years in the Senate. Van Hollen enters the Senate after spending 13 years representing Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District. In the past, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has praised Van Hollen for being a fair negotiator.

Despite the loss, Szeliga promised her supporters that this wasn’t it for her.

“I’m going to continue to fight for you, continue to carry the banner for us and our ideas,” Szeliga said. “This was never about me. This was about Maryland and carrying forward our values.”

Elsewhere around the state, Van Hollen’s House seat was won by Democratic nominee and State Senator Jamie Raskin. Joining Ruppersberger and Raskin will be incumbents John Sarbanes, Steny Hoyer, John Delaney, Elijah Cummings and Harris. Anthony Brown bounced back from his gubernatorial campaign, earning more than 70 percent of the vote in the Fourth Congressional District.

(Updated 11/8/16)

- Aricle & photo by Devin Crum -

Members of the Lamky-Luther-Whitehead Veterans Association hosted their annual luminary service at their memorial monument on Sunday, Nov. 6, to recognize all veterans from eastern Baltimore County who have served in the armed forces.

A total of 763 luminary bags were placed around and stretching out from the LLW Veterans Memorial, housed at Holly Hill Memorial Gardens in Middle River, comemmorating all those who have served.

“Every candle here is to shed light on a life that dedicated itself to serving our country,” said Rose Long who explained the meaning of the luminaries.

The 613 luminaries in white bags, reaching out away from the monument, each represented a name engraved on the monument’s outer circle of stone slabs.

“Each luminary is a person - a man or a woman - from right here in our town who put on a uniform every day and chose to defend this country,” Long stated. “Their brightness still glows, as does this commitment to America.”

Six new names - William H. Wilkes, Henry L. Sentz Sr., Kenneth L. Sentz Sr., Cleveland M. Reynolds Sr., John E. Ward and Leo C. Conway - were recently added to this outer circle of stones.

One hundred fifty luminaries in red bags, representing those who gave their lives in service to their country, each corresponded to a name engraved on the monument’s center monoliths.

“The red bag represents their blood that was shed as they died for our country,” Long explained. “No wonder these monuments are in the center, as these names are the very core of our nation’s best. Their sacrifice can never be forgotten.”

For her part, LLWVA member Shirley Robinson focused on the grim situation of many veterans in the United States. She noted that 131,000 veterans in the U.S. are homeless and will sleep on the street on any given night. Forty-seven percent of those are from the Vietnam era and 17 percent are from after.

“And an astounding 89 percent of them were honorably discharged to come home and sleep on a street,” Robinson decried.

She added that 31 percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder along with 33 percent of their Afghanistan and Iraq counterparts. Additionally, about 22 veterans commit suicide every day - about one every 64 minutes.

“These are ugly facts,” Robinson said. “But they’re facts, and we need to know that these men and women, when they put on that uniform, it is so much more than some people will ever comprehend.” She added that when they come home, this country owes it to them to do everything possible to provide health care and shelter for them.

As of Nov. 5, there were still approximately 620,000 World War II veterans alive in the U.S. with 11,611 of them living in Maryland at an average age of 92. But that number decreases by about 372 per day due to old age.

Alfred Clasing Jr. was one of those WWII veterans who passed away late last year at the age of 90. Clasing was honored during the ceremony as one of the founders of the LLW monument and for his work and advocacy for veterans.

The luminaries were left at the end of the ceremony to continue burning and eventually flicker out on their own. The display was intended to brighten up the field throughout the night and be a reminder of every name on the stones.

The group will also hold a Veterans Day prayer service at the monument on Friday, Nov. 11, at 11 a.m.

(Updated 11/2/16)

No work scheduled for two other Amtrak bridges

- By Devin Crum -

Amtrak officials confirmed Monday, Oct. 31, that they plan to perform work on their bridge over Martin Boulevard in Middle River by the end of this month to prevent crumbling concrete from falling to the roadway below.

Members of the Essex and Middle River communities have long been concerned that chunks of concrete breaking away from the bottoms of Amtrak-owned bridges in the area - some of which have been found to weigh several pounds - could fall and cause damage to vehicles or personal injury to those passing below.

Despite assurances from Amtrak that the structural integrity of the bridges remained intact, the community pressed for something to be done. In response, Amtrak committed to applying a concrete sealer to the problem areas and monitoring the bridges going forward.

Details about the project have been scarce over the last eight months, but Amtrak spokeswoman Chelsea Kopta has held that the planned work will be completed during this construction season.

However, this late into the season, questions have loomed about what defines the construction season and when it ends. And with the area seeing its first overnight freezing temperatures last week, residents have wondered if the work can be done this season.

Kopta said that Amtrak has received the material for the project and is preparing to schedule the work.

While Kopta was not specific about the sealer they intend to use, Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) spokesman Charlie Gischlar, who is aware of the bridge project, said the products SHA uses generally need temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

“This is that time of year when we’re in transition,” Gischlar said, adding that work could be completed during the day when temperatures are higher. “But in a couple more weeks when it starts getting cold during the day, that’s when it’s going to have to kind of be booted for the next construction season.”

Kopta explained the project’s delay in that recent major safety infrastructure projects requiring the same crew have taken priority, but she maintained that the work will be completed by the end of November.

She stated simply that “the repair work will not be impacted by the weather at this time.”

Kopta did not give information about how long the project will take or how much it is expected to cost.

She did reveal, though, that there is no work scheduled for their bridge over Golden Ring Road in Essex, and she said in June that no work is planned for the rail bridge crossing the Gunpowder River into Harford County, both of which exhibit the same issues.

“Amtrak prioritizes projects that are safety-critical and the present condition of the [Gunpowder] bridge does not affect its load carrying capacity,” Kopta said at the time. “It’s also important to note that Gunpowder River Rail bridge goes over a body of water rather than traffic or pedestrians.”

The Golden Ring Road bridge, which does span a roadway, has often been mentioned in the same vein as the Martin Boulevard bridge regarding the community’s concerns. It was inspected in April, according to Kopta, and inspectors made similar findings to those at the Martin Boulevard bridge.

“To address community concerns, Amtrak is planning to address the spalling concrete area from the bridge at Golden Ring Road, which is scheduled to be completed this summer,” she said in June.

She had not responded by press time as to why the Golden Ring Road brige was not included in the work plan.

“I’m glad they’re living up to their commitment of doing work on the Martin Boulevard bridge,” said Essex-Middle River Civic Council President Bob Bendler. “But I’m very disappointed that they’re not dealing with the other one and I’d like to know why.”

Bob Driscoll, president of the Aero Acres Civic Improvement Association which has also followed the issue, aimed his frustration at U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin and Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger who he said have been largely unresponsive in dealing with the quasi-governmental rail line.

“They could make a flurry of phone calls and get some answers,” he said.