Back River

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.

The sun glistens on the Back River, and motor boaters zip over the water. But there's trouble in paradise.Byron Livingston, who has lived in Bowleys Quarters for more than 40 years, has watched the decline of the area -- the demise of the aquatic grass, the diminishing number of fish and crabs. Sewage from failing septic tanks seeps above ground and leaks into the water. "My wife said if I caught a fish and brought it into the house, she'd throw it in the trash," Livingston said.For decades, Baltimore County has known that the waterfront communities in Bowleys Quarters and the Back River Neck Peninsula were in trouble from failing septic tanks.

When Charlotte "Mutzi" Maranto was a little girl growing up in the Canton area of Baltimore -- and even later, when she and husband Sam, a sales associate at Norris Ford in Dundalk, were raising a family and residing on a sunny hilltop in Hamilton -- one of her favorite pastimes involved exploring the many areas in and around Baltimore."

Eastern Baltimore County residents celebrated the opening of the Riverwood Family and Youth Center yesterday, the culmination of years of volunteer work by adult and teen leaders who are battling juvenile crime in impoverished pockets of the area.The $750,000 facility in Essex features a Police Athletic League center, a county recreation office, health department substance-abuse prevention programs, a day care center and a job-location program -- along with Orlando Yarborough's martial arts school and family fitness center.

It was midafternoon, the television was on and, instead of cartoons, there was news. And the news, of course, was all about the bombing in Oklahoma. An anchorwoman said the words "17 children" and "dead" and "buried," and before I could do anything about it -- grab the remote, change channels -- the words were going into the ears of the little boy who lives in my house. He seemed drawn into the news in a way I had never noticed before -- the way he's usually drawn into Shari Lewis. Usually, the news -- even with all its local horror -- is just background noise to him. This time, it seemed to mean something, and it was frightening.

Robert H. Christopher, a prominent community activist and conservationist in Eastern Baltimore County who worked to preserve the environment, died Saturday at his home from cancer. He was 58.Mr. Christopher, a resident of Back River Neck for 34 years, was instrumental in efforts to preserve the Lower Back River Neck Peninsula. Two years ago, he helped persuade the county to impose limits on development along the rural peninsula, bordered by Middle River on the east and Back River on the west.

The body of Michael Joseph Gebbia, the second of two East Baltimore brothers reported missing after taking a swim Sunday night in the Back River, was found floating in the river yesterday just west of Porter Point near the Essex Skypark.His brother, James Donahue Gebbia, was found about 10 a.m. Tuesday near the same spot.A state Department of Natural Resources police officer standing on the shore spotted Michael Gebbia's body around 6:15 a.m., said Bob Graham, a natural resources police spokesman.

Baltimore officials have decided not to allow the construction of a second processing facility to turn wet sludge into dry pellets at the Back River Waste Water Treatment Plant.The first such processing facility -- which uses indirect heat to make the conversion -- is in its start-up phase and is expected to be operational early next year.But plans for a second facility at the city-owned plant in eastern Baltimore County -- using direct heat -- had drawn fire from nearby residents and county politicians.

After more than four years of work, Lower Back River Neck Peninsula residents are praising the Baltimore County Council's approval of a plan they say will protect and preserve their community.At Monday night's meeting, the council approved a plan residents and the county Office of Planning and Zoning put together to preserve the peninsula's marshes and woodlands, and restore its coastal creeks.The plan, which the county Planning Board has approved, calls for limiting development, reducing zoning density and rigorously enforcing environmental regulations.

Baltimore can be a tough town if you're into a lifestyle high on glamour or pretension. But it remains a great place if you can appreciate its little joys and giggles, those smiles around every block. Here are a few spotted in the last few days:* The woman who stands on Lexington Street, outside the old Hecht Company, who courteously offers a sample of perfumed body oil.* Those indignant Baltimoreans who have been lashing out at the attempts to make Washingtonians believe the Orioles are their team.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.