Back River

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.

Despite finding high levels of a suspected carcinogen in fish in Back River six months ago, Maryland officials have failed to post signs warning people not to eat the fish - partly because they can't agree on how the signs should be worded. Maryland Department of the Environment officials say they expect the signs to be posted by the end of the month. But the lapse has irked at least two environmental groups that want the warning signs posted on the popular eastern Baltimore County waterway, where people fish every day. "What irritates me most is that they identified the problem and there was supposed to be some notification earlier," said Richard S. Hersey, executive director of the Herring Run Watershed Association.

The Maryland Department of the Environment said yesterday that it will be posting up to 10 signs "within days" warning people not to eat fish caught in the Back River, which have been found to contain high levels of a suspected carcinogen. The announcement came one day after the Herring Run Watershed Association and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation chastised the MDE for failing to put up the signs while people have continued to fish in the polluted river for the past five months. The department, however, denied that it had promised to post the signs as early as February.

A 588-acre parcel of waterfront land on Baltimore County's Back River is in line to be added to Maryland's Rural Legacy Program, forging another link in a conservation chain along the county's Chesapeake Bay margin. The property, Essex Skypark, is owned by the I. D. Shapiro family of Baltimore. The county has agreed to pay the Shapiros $2 million, money set aside by the state two years ago. The state's Board of Public Works is expected to approve the deal at its meeting in Annapolis today.

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 October 9, 2003, GEORGE F. McGINNIS, 82, of Essex, MD, beloved huband of Ruth D. McGinnis (nee Detweiler); devoted stepfather of Caren Bezanson, Robin Jones, and Kevin Shaner; dear brother of Helen Till of Alabama. Also survived by seven grandchildren. Cremation private. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Back River United Methodist Church, 544 Back River Neck Road, Baltimore, 21221. Arrangements by Cvach/Rosedale Funeral Home.

Baltimore is getting a $40 million federal grant to help upgrade its Back River sewage treatment plant and to eliminate the foul odors generated by the facility that have plagued Essex area residents for years, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-3rd., announced today.The grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be used to install advanced waste treatment systems at Back River to remove nitrogen from the plant's wastewater discharge, said a spokesman for Mikulski.Nutrients such as nitrogen from sewage and runoff are considered to be the major cause of poor water quality in Chesapeake Bay, and Maryland, along with other Chesapeake-area states have pledged to reduce nutrient pollution 40 percent by the end of the decade.

Suddenly on January 12, 2004, GLENN BARRY MORALES; beloved husband of Nancy Morales (nee Wilbanks); devoted father of Alexander Glenn Morales; loving son of the late Jim and Ida Morales and loving son-in-law of George and Geri Wilbanks; dear brother of Brenda, Diane, and Adele Morales; dear brother-in-law of David and Donna Wilbanks; loving uncle of Steve Wilbanks, Christina Blackman, Treavor Morales and Kimberly Gill. Friends may call at the Cvach-Rosedale Funeral Home, 1211 Chesaco Ave., on Friday, from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. Friends may gather at the Back River United Methodist Church, 544 Back River Neck Road, in Essex, on Saturday from 10 to 11 A.M., with funeral services at 11 A.M. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Back River United Methodist Church.

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.

The basketball hoops are in place, and the court's lines have been painted. The only thing missing at yesterday's dedication of the Back River Community Center were kids running up and down the courts. Baltimore County lacks recreational space, and the $775,000 Back River center in Essex replaces an outdated facility scheduled for demolition. In addition to a 6,000- square-foot gymnasium, baseball and softball fields, and a soccer field, the new center has several meeting rooms. Lighted horseshoe courts are available, too. "They have some wonderful times out there," said John Weber III, director of the county's recreation and parks department, as he spoke about the Baltimore Metro Horseshoe Club during his remarks at the center's dedication.