Falls Park

County planners and recreation officials are to begin "brainstorming" today about possible recreational uses for the long-proposed Gillis Falls park in southwestern Carroll.John Little, the county's Parks and Recreation Department director, said he envisions a park similar to the 800-acre Piney Run Park near Eldersburg, which would feature boating activities, hiking trails and picnic pavilions.The Gillis Falls park, which eventually would be the site of a reservoir, would encompass about 1,100 acres, Mr. Little said.

More than 240,000 gallons of sewage has spilled in Gunpowder Falls State Park as of Monday afternoon after someone vandalized a manhole, Baltimore County public works officials say. Officials said the sewer overflow was discovered Sunday afternoon near Jennifer Branch - a tributary to the Gunpowder Falls - in a heavily wooded area of the park that is east of Harford Road and south of Gunpowder Falls. A resident alerted the county to the problem, officials said. Crews have been working to contain the overflow, but the waste is being discharged at a rate of about 10,000 gallons per hour, according to the public works department.

A large tract of south Carroll County woodland bought years ago for a reservoir may now be developed into the county's first park with an extensive trail system for bicyclists and birders, hikers and horseback riders. An initial master plan for Gillis Falls Park will be presented at a meeting at 7:30 p.m. today at Mount Olive Methodist Church's education building, at 2927 Gillis Falls Road in Woodbine. "It's a preliminary plan, and the idea is, this is a starting point," said Richard J. Soisson, the county's director of recreation and parks.

A person was fatally shot Wednesday night in the 4700 block of Windsor Mill Road, in Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park, police said. Police were notified of the shooting at 9:05 p.m. No other information, including the sex or age of the victim, was immediately available from police. steve.kilar@baltsun.com twitter.com/stevekilar

Police identified yesterday a Northwest Baltimore man found fatally shot in a car on a West Baltimore street last month and also have identified a man whose decomposed body was found by geologists working in Gwynns Falls Park nearly two weeks ago. Lt. Richard Fahlteich of the homicide squad said David Johnson, 40, of the 5100 block of Queensberry Ave. in Pimlico, was found shot to death in his car July 1 in the 2300 block of Braddish Ave. No arrest had...

The 1991 City Fair delivered as promised -- a downsized urban carnival staged in Waverly with a renewed emphasis on community participation."We're very pleased," Mark Quackenbush, the fair's chief, said early today. "The fair was a critical success. There'll be one next year. We made money and hope to retire more of our debt."Quackenbush gave the paid attendance as 114,000 -- 15,000 Friday, 54,000 Saturday and 45,000 yesterday.Framed by the facade of Memorial Stadium, some Ellerslie Avenue rowhouses, a wall of St. Bernard's Church and clumps of green trees, this community bazaar seemed to have found the home it has wanted for many years.

Council of Governments to meet Thursday in Westminster The Carroll County Council of Governments will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday in Room 003 of the County Office Building, 225 N. Center St., Westminster. Town representatives are asked to take any town ordinances pertaining to adequacy standards to the meeting for a discussion of county and town regulations. The Council of Governments is made up of representatives of the eight incorporated municipalities, the county commissioners, Freedom Area Citizens and Finksburg Planning Area councils.

Hikers and bikers will be able to complete a 14-mile trail journey from Leakin Park to the Baltimore waterfront thanks to a $1 million grant announced yesterday. Gov. Parris N. Glendening announced the funding for the third and last phase of the Gwynns Falls Trail as part of a $2 million infusion of federal dollars to expand the state's network of foot and bike paths. The governor appeared at Charles Carroll Barrister Elementary School in Baltimore and praised the Gwynns Falls Trail as part of his environmental strategy.

With county ball fields all at peak use and residents clamoring for more and varied recreational outlets, the commissioners have promised to have three new parks under construction next spring, adding playing fields, hiking trails and gyms and enhancing green space throughout Carroll. The county will spend nearly $4 million to develop Leister Park in Hampstead and Krimgold Park in Woodbine and to build a 7.5-mile trail in the 1,200-acre Gillis Falls Park. The commissioners will also include a community gym in the new South Carroll Senior Center in Eldersburg.

Residents of the West Baltimore block where a city police officer fatally shot a fleeing 14-year-old boy in the back said they heard only one gunshot when the youth was killed -- rather than two shots as the officer recalled.Seven people who live in the 900 block of Ellicott Driveway and were awake at 1 a.m. Saturday said they heard only a single gunshot the night Simmont Donta Thomas was killed.The accounts of the residents, related this week in interviews with The Sun, directly conflict with the statement of police Officer Edward T. Gorwell II. The police officer said that he heard gunfire before he fired the fatal shot.

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A gunman opened fire on a Baltimore police officer as he stepped out of his patrol car while responding to a domestic violence call Tuesday night, grazing his hip, according to a statement from a city Police Department spokesman. Police spokesman Detective Kevin Brown said the shooting occurred about 11:40 p.m. in the 1100 block of Cooks Lane, near the southern edge of Gwynns Falls Park and about a quarter-mile from Security Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue. The Southwestern District officer, who has been on the force five years, was treated at Maryland Shock Trauma Center and released.

A man was shot in the head in southwest Baltimore, about two blocks south of Gwynns Falls Park Wednesday night, city police said. Officers were called to the 900 block of Woodington Road where a man in his 30s was found wounded, said Detective Nicole Monroe. No other details were immediately available. jkanderson@baltsun.com Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

An affiliate of the National Aquarium plans to start an environmental cleanup of nearly 13 acres along the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River this fall and open a public park late next year, but has put on hold more elaborate plans to build an animal care facility. The aquarium's Center for Aquatic Life and Conservation Inc. said today it is seeking a contractor to clean up its contaminated waterfront property in South Baltimore, along Baltimore's lesser-known harbor. The two-phase project will create a park with walking trails, some of which will connect to the Gwynns Falls trail, a 100-foot fishing pier and some wooded areas, said Tim Pula, the aquarium's senior director of capital planning.

With county ball fields all at peak use and residents clamoring for more and varied recreational outlets, the commissioners have promised to have three new parks under construction next spring, adding playing fields, hiking trails and gyms and enhancing green space throughout Carroll. The county will spend nearly $4 million to develop Leister Park in Hampstead and Krimgold Park in Woodbine and to build a 7.5-mile trail in the 1,200-acre Gillis Falls Park. The commissioners will also include a community gym in the new South Carroll Senior Center in Eldersburg.

The Great Falls of the Potomac may not have the instant name recognition of, say, Niagara Falls. But each year, about 3 million people visit this series of rapids and cascades along the Potomac River, where the rushing water and varied topography make for a beautiful outdoor canvas. "It's very picturesque and scenic, like Yosemite, the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone," says Bill Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service, which oversees some 388 parks across America. "Most people don't realize it, but [this area]

It's hard to miss Baltimore's spring show. It's in the air and water. Clean, fragrant, fresh, new. If you're not convinced, just take in . . .The magnolias outside Walters Art Gallery.The kids playing lacrosse at Lombard and Bond streets.The mature and lovely weeping cherry tree donated by gangster Capone outside Union Memorial Hospital's old 33rd Street entrance.The view of the shoreline from the amusement pier at North Point (Bay Shore) Park.The judas trees (red buds) sprinkled throughout Gwynns Falls Park and along Franklintown Road.

A large tract of south Carroll County woodland bought years ago for a reservoir may now be developed into the county's first park with an extensive trail system for bicyclists and birders, hikers and horseback riders. An initial master plan for Gillis Falls Park will be presented at a meeting at 7:30 p.m. today at Mount Olive Methodist Church's education building, at 2927 Gillis Falls Road in Woodbine. "It's a preliminary plan, and the idea is, this is a starting point," said Richard J. Soisson, the county's director of recreation and parks.

County to present preliminary plan for Gillis Falls Park The Carroll County Department of Recreation and Parks will present its preliminary master plan for Gillis Falls Park at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in Mount Olive Methodist Church's Educational Building. The community is encouraged to attend with comments and suggestions. The church is at 2927 Gillis Falls Road in Woodbine. Information: 410-386-2103. Taxpayers association to meet in Westminster The Carroll County Taxpayers Association will meet at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Westminster Senior Center, 125 Stoner Ave. George Otto III will discuss "Constitutionally Limited Government - Honest Money and Lawful Taxation."