Anthony Munzert, 6, came to Hawthorne Trail in Middle River on Wednesday morning wearing his new helmet and ready to ride.
While he listened to several dedication speeches, including one from his grandfather, a community resident, he kept pedaling in place, testing his first bicycle and its training wheels. When the oratory ended, he cycled vigorously behind a mountain bike that Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. was steering. The cyclists cut right through the ceremonial ribbon and made the opening official.
Neither Smith nor the boy made the entire 3.5-mile trek along Middle River near Eastern Avenue, but Anthony vowed to return.
"I am going to do this every day," he said.
Neighbors lauded the blacktop trail, built with $1 million in county and state money, as only the beginning of a series of pathways that will eventually connect downtown Essex north to Marshy Point Creek. The path begins in the 7.4-acre Hawthorne Park, winds through the neighborhood to Darkhead Creek Park and ends at Hawthorne Elementary School.
Smith thanked the residents for their perseverance and support of the project, which, he said, lends itself to the revitalization efforts in eastern Baltimore County.
"Open space is important to our quality of life," Smith said. "It is not easy to find that open space close to historical-home towns like Hawthorne."
The trail adds another amenity to the neighborhood of brick town homes, many with a waterfront view. It expands residents' access to the shoreline. And a nearby pier offers the chance to angle for bass or perch in the river.
"We just started getting into trails and have found them to be really popular with seniors, young bikers and parents with strollers," said Bud Chrismer, deputy director of the county Department of Recreation and Parks.
Officials passed out lime-green T-shirts, imprinted with Hawthorne Trail, to participants at the ceremony. All five of Theresa Phillips' brood donned them.
"The trail actually starts at our street," she said. "It will be great to walk in the woods and near the water."
And fish, several of her children added.
One neighbor who worked tirelessly for the trail project received a surprise honor - a green metal sign marked Tomecek Trail will be posted along the route.
"We have done everything we could to keep Hawthorne in Baltimore County's renaissance and this is a perfect fit with the revitalization," said Doug Tomecek, a 40-year resident and community development director for the neighborhood association. "We want to keep moving ahead with open space, new industry and economic development."
