Falls Trail

A New York-based foundation has given $883,728 to help create the Gwynns Falls Trail, a proposed greenway from Leakin Park in West Baltimore to the Inner Harbor and Cherry Hill Park in South Baltimore.The gift from the Lila Wallace-Readers' Digest Fund is part of a $14 million initiative by that organization to support expansion of urban parks around the country.It represents the largest contribution to the Gwynns Falls project, which will cost an estimated $4.5 million and could take three years to complete.

A twisting path, marked by a plastic Day-Glo fence, is being cut through the maples and ash trees of the Gwynns Falls Valley on the west side of the city.It took four years of planning to conceive the Gwynns Falls Trail, but only four weeks to blaze its route into visibility.On a spring morning heavy with the scent of honeysuckle, the basic outlines of the 4.5-mile path are clear -- thanks to the construction fence that marks its course through an otherwise thick tangle of growth along the upper Gwynns Falls Valley.

Armed robbery conviction brings term of 40 years A 22-year-old man who was found guilty of armed robbery for holding up a liquor store in Northeast Baltimore has been sentenced to 40 years in prison, according to city prosecutors. After a two-day trial in Baltimore Circuit Court, a jury Wednesday convicted Jeffrey Corporal of armed robbery, reckless endangerment, using a handgun in a crime of violence and having a handgun in a vehicle, prosecutor said. Circuit Judge John N. Prevas ordered Corporal to spend 20 years in prison for armed robbery and 20 years in prison on the gun charges.

Where can you go fishing, ride a miniature train, tour a historic mansion, hike in the wilderness, visit a living memorial or try out some radical new moves on a skateboard -- all within the boundaries of Baltimore City? That's right, if you're a city dweller, all these activities can be found right in your own back yard -- in some of Baltimore City's public parks. Who knew? Many parks activities fit in the best-kept-secrets category. In some cases, the parks themselves are a best-kept secret.

The Baltimore Sun Police are investigating the death of an unidentified woman whose body was discovered Sunday evening on the Gwynns Falls Trail in northwest Baltimore. A female jogger on the trail in the vicinity of 3900 block Windsor Mill Road spotted the body and called police about 6:19 p.m., according to Det. Jeremy Silbert, city police spokesman. The body appears to be that of an adult woman and appears to have been the victim of some sort of trauma, Silbert said. It has been transported to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy.

Do you feel the nip in the air? Runners do. For them, the advent of fall means more than changing leaves and back to school. Cooler weather and coming races (the Baltimore Running Festival is October 13) make autumn the ideal time to run in the great outdoors. Baltimore is full of places to run, from stately neighborhoods to waterside paths. But for some runners, nothing beats the off-road experience. "Even if you start off easy, it's fun to explore," says Chris Cucuzella, a member of the Baltimore Road Runners Club, a trail running group.

The state Board of Public Works is forging another fishing legacy for Lefty Kreh: a seven-mile trail in Gunpowder Falls State Park to be named for the former outdoors editor of The Sun. The trail's moniker will become official at the board's meeting Dec. 21 in Annapolis. Kreh, 86, is expected to attend. The Cockeysville resident, who has authored more than 30 books on fishing, appeared humbled by the honor. "I appreciate [the state] doing this, but it kind of embarrasses me," said Kreh, who grew up in Frederick and spent 18 years writing for The Sun until his retirement in 1990.

A Roland Park resident has created a "passport" to Druid Hill Park. Janet Felsten, founder and director of the nonprofit group Baltimore Green Map, introduced the green-colored passport April 19 at a Baltimore Green Week kickoff party in the conservatory. Felsten said she created the 20-page, passport-shaped booklet on cover stock paper as a companion to a detailed map of Druid Hill Park that she made in 2010. The purpose of the map and the new passport is partly to point out places of interest in the 745-acre park, which is home to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Druid Lake and the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, among other attractions.

Take a night off from TV and experience crisp Baltimore air like never before. In a densely packed and populated city, it's easy to forget about the greener side of the state. It's even easier to forget how close to home it is. Wildlife and nature are, quite literally, right in Baltimore's backyard. The Gwynns Falls Trail stretches 15 miles to connect more than 30 neighborhoods in the Baltimore area. The trail consists of more than 1,200 acres, about 900 of which are forested. The trail association provides open access to bikers, hikers and joggers, as well as organized ways to take in the scenery, such as Campfire Hikes.