Chesapeake

Supporters and critics of legislation that would grant farmers a 10-year reprieve from new environmental regulations squared off before a House committee Tuesday, with much of the debate focused on provisions in the bill barring any public disclosure of those granted the deferral. Farm group representatives, O'Malley administration officials and others told members of the House Environmental Matters Committee that offering state farmers a shield from new environmental cleanup requirements could boost efforts to clean up the Chesapeake Bay.  Farmers would voluntarily agree to reduce polluted runoff of soil and fertilizer from their farms beyond what they're now required to do, proponents say. Sen. Thomas M. Middleton, the bill's chief sponsor, said many farmers are having to invest in new equipment and facilities now to comply with recently adopted state regulations on how, when and where fertilizer can be spread on the ground.

Optimism might seem out of place after the Waterkeeper Alliance's bitter loss in a recent lawsuit to hold Perdue Farms and its grower Alan Hudson responsible for polluting waterways with poultry manure. But it's possible to at least be hopeful of solutions, perhaps within the current decade, to this widespread bay pollution. Reasons for hope were less likely when the lawsuit was filed three years ago. Witness a survey recently presented by University of Maryland ag scientist Kenneth Staver.

Crabbing season officially begins in Maryland today, but the Chesapeake Bay's blue crabs apparently haven't gotten the word. My colleague Richard Gorelick reports that watermen, seafood dealers, restaurateurs and state natural resource officials all believe that chilly bay water temperatures lately could mean a meager harvest for now. "The cold temperatures are likely to keep early catches low," Brenda Davis, blue crab program manager of...

April 1 is the official start to the blue crab harvest in Maryland. But don't reach for your mallet just yet. "It's not time for crabs," said Jessica Borowski, a manager at Midtown BBQ and Brew. "It's too cold out. " The crabs seem to agree. The Chesapeake Bay's water temperature hasn't risen enough for the crabs to become active - and catchable. Consumers set on Maryland crabs will see limited availability for now - and prices to match. Prices for Chesapeake Bay crabs are typically high at the start of the season, and people who want them in April will have to pay even more than usual.

Imagine running a 10-kilometer race more than 185 feet in the air, looking down and seeing the Chesapeake Bay. For those who've sat in traffic for what seemed like hours trying to get from one side of the Bay Bridge to the other - and even for those who haven't - Sparrow Rogers and Peter Paris want you to have another kind of experience on the 4.3-mile span. The Queen Anne's County commissioners recently approved use of the bridge for the inaugural Chesapeake Bay Bridge Run, and the event is expected to gain the support of the Department of Natural Resources for use of the parking lots at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis, where the race is scheduled to begin.

Chesapeake Urology Associates, P.A., one of the nation's largest urology groups, has announced Dr. Sankar Kausik, M.D., F.A.C.S., has been named Chief of Urology for the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, part of Upper Chesapeake Health, an affiliate partner with the University of Maryland Medical System. Kausik has practiced at the Bel Air facility for more than 10 years. Kausik is the 11th Chesapeake Urology physician to serve as Chief of Urology at a major Baltimore area hospital.

Driving the back roads that hug the periphery of Maryland's shoreline, there is no singular characteristic that defines the homes. The ones that date back to summer-only retreats are usually one-story clapboard structures with the give-away air conditioning unit in a window or two. Some are two-story, farmhouse styles. Many are built with their backs to the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries. While many of this style remain, there is a new kind of construction on the block: multistory, year-round homes, with the back of the home boasting sheets of glass in a variety of casements that frame the major attraction: the water.

Leah Allen Glenelg, infielder, senior Allen has established herself as one of the premier players in the region. Last season, she was first in Howard County with seven home runs and led the Gladiators in 13 offensive categories. The All-Metro first-team pick will play at Pennsylvania. Jordan Cargile Eastern Tech, pitcher, junior Cargile batted .461 with 21 RBIs last season for the Mavericks. She had 53 strikeouts and only allowed seven walks in 49 innings on the mound last spring.

Texas Roadhouse of Fallston announced recently it has formed a partnership with the Upper Chesapeake Health Foundation in support of The Senator Bob Hooper House, Harford County's first residential hospice facility. Texas Roadhouse will be donating entrees and providing food service to an estimated 750 guests who will be in attendance for the 14th annual Upper Chesapeake Hospice Regatta planned for June in Havre de Grace. The restaurant is committed to making a positive impact by providing all food at free for this year's Hospice Regatta.

Larry Simns, who founded and led the Maryland Watermen's Association for four decades and was a key influence on efforts to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay, died Thursday. He was 75. Mr. Simns, who grew up in the Eastern Shore fishing village of Rock Hall, was the public face of watermen, who saw their once-heavy catches of blue crabs and oysters becoming ever lighter as pollution crept into the bay. In the 1970s, he met with then-Sen. Charles McC. Mathias of Maryland, who was on a mission to examine the bay's environmental condition.