NEWS
By Mary Gail Hare | October 12, 2009
Concerned residents have recently cleared the Back River and its tributaries of more than 10 tons of debris and are urging officials to address continuing problems with trash flowing into the eastern Baltimore County creeks. The same group, striving to clean up the waterway's image, has adopted a new slogan - "Scenic Back River -- Discover the Hidden Treasure." While that caption will soon appear on nearby bridges and roadways, group members say the waterway still needs much polishing before it achieves gem status.
NEWS
By Mary Gail Hare | February 15, 2009
They saw well-preserved homes built nearly 100 years ago for residents whose children weren't allowed to attend nearby schools. They learned of the modest cabins that black steelworkers had renovated brick by brick into solid cottages. They passed century-old churches that endure at the heart of long-established African-American neighborhoods. As their tour bus drove through parts of Baltimore County's east side, the 60 people aboard heard stories about the area's history from Louis S. Diggs, 76, a self-published author of nine books on African-American life in the county.
NEWS
July 31, 2007
On July 28, 2007, MARY ELIZABETH. Friends may call at the FAMILY OWNED MARCH FUNERAL HOME EAST, 1101 E. North Avenue on Wednesday after 8:30A.m. The Family will receive friends at First Baptist of Back River, 1613 Hopewell Avenue on Thursday at 5:00P.M. Funeral services will follow at 6:00A.M.
NEWS
By Julie Scharper | June 3, 2007
On a hazy spring morning, George Malone steers his johnboat toward the head of the Back River in Essex, passing the twin golden domes of the sewage treatment plant and gliding under the Eastern Avenue bridge. In the shallow area he calls the flats, where the water is the color of beef broth, a ripple catches his eye. He draws an arrow. Fires. And reels in what looks to be a grotesquely overgrown goldfish. Each year this time, the waters of the Back River "boil" with spawning carp, says Malone, a retired Eastern Technical High School teacher.
NEWS
By Josh Mitchell | February 21, 2007
A Pikesville developer is moving forward with plans to build 144 high-end townhouses on a waterfront parcel in eastern Baltimore County. Mark C. Sapperstein won County Council approval last night to submit the project as a "planned unit development." The designation, while subjecting the plans to public hearings, allows Sapperstein to break some zoning rules if the project is determined to benefit the community. Early plans call for clusters of six "villa-style" townhomes built on 37 acres on what once was Bauer's Farm in Edgemere.
NEWS
August 28, 2005
On Friday, August 19, 2005, RACHEL E. SMILEY, beloved wife of James S. Smiley, Sr. Also survived by her stepchildren, grandchildren, brothers and their families. A memorial service will be held at the Back River United Methodist Church, 544 Back River Neck Road, Essex on Wednesday, August 31 at 1 P.M. Condolences can be offered to the family starting at 12:30 P.M. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Back River United Methodist Church.
NEWS
December 1, 2004
On November 29, 2004, JOY E.; beloved wife of the late Carl D. Snell Sr.; devoted mother of Terry and his wife Kathy, Carl Jr., and the late Lee and Gary Snell; cherished grandmother of Eva, Bryan, Daniel, Gregory, Andrew and Jeannette. Also survived by her sister, Barbara Griffin and her husband Gerald, and nephew Michael Ried. Friends may call at the family owned Bruzdzinski Funeral Home, 1407 Old Eastern Avenue, Essex, at route 702 (beltway exit 36) on Wednesday from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral Services from Back River United Methodist Church, 544 Back River Neck Road on Thursday at 11 A.M. Interment Gardens of Faith Cemetery.
NEWS
By Joe Nawrozki | October 27, 2004
A national design team unveiled a broad outline yesterday for improving Essex-Middle River through new community gateways and commercial hubs, abundant public spaces and improved public schools, and issued a call for volunteer "sparkplugs." What must come now, residents and officials agreed, is the investment to sustain the redevelopment of eastern Baltimore County. "It's time to summon that pride and accomplishment that was the hallmark of this area during and after World War II," said Hannah Twaddle, a planner from Virginia and one of 10 members of the Urban Design Assistance Team that studied Essex-Middle River for a week.
NEWS
By Tom Pelton | June 15, 2004
Bacteria from sewage are at more than 2,000 times healthy levels in tributaries to Baltimore County's Back River, according to a new report by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. But they are much lower and dropping at Sandy Point beach near Annapolis. The school's first major report on the Chesapeake Bay examined pollution levels to try to determine what impact they have on the health of the 16 million people who live in the bay's watershed. The authors, who studied numerous waterways in the Chesapeake region, didn't find any immediate threats to the public health.
NEWS
BY A SUN STAFF WRITER | March 4, 2004
Four city public works and transportation projects have won awards from the Maryland affiliate of the American Council of Engineering Companies. The council recognized the following projects Friday: Repairing a 72-inch water main that broke under the harbor near the Key Bridge on April 10, 2002. Dive teams had to work 35 feet under water, with a 24-inch gas main on one side and electrical cables on the other. The $2 million job was completed in July, restoring water to 250,000 customers.