Halethorpe

Baltimore County residents may take tree debris from Hurricane Floyd to nine highway yards that will be open Monday through Saturday until Oct. 2, from 6: 30 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m.The yards are in three regions. In the central area, they are at Halethorpe, 1900 block of Washington Blvd.; Reisterstown, 8 Clarks Lane, off Nicodemus Road; and Woodlawn, in the 7200 block of Windsor Mill Road.In the northern area: White Hall, 19100 block of Graystone Road; Middletown, 20000 block of Middletown Road, about 4 1/2 miles west of Interstate 83.In the eastern area: Dundalk, 2200 Chesterwood Road, off Peninsula Expressway; Essex, the first block of Emala Ave., off Eastern Boulevard; Hydes, 5200 block of Hydes Road; and Perry Hall, 7800 block of Perry Road, off Ridge Road.

RANDALLSTOWN -- A 13-year-old boy apparently drowned yesterday while swimming in a pool at a friend's home, police said.Police said the youth, whose name was not immediately available, was swimming in an in-ground pool behind a house in the 3700 block of Courtleigh Drive about 8 p.m. and was pretending to be drowning when he failed to surface in water 6 feet deep. The deepest part of the pool is 10 feet, police said.They said the boy was pulled from the pool by friends, one of whom attempted to revive him before an ambulance arrived and took him to Northwest Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The Korean manufacturer that bought the dormant Procter & Gamble Co. factory in Locust Point is negotiating to buy the Halethorpe brewery that was closed last year by Stroh Brewery Co.A&E International Ltd. is considering a purchase for about $25 million, but the deal is not complete, a source familiar with negotiations said.The company would use the brewery to manufacture Soju, a liquor popular in the Far East. It is not clear how many people the new owner would employ. The closing in December eliminated about 430 jobs.

They had ice cream and cake the other night at the Halethorpe-Relay United Methodist Church on Ridge Avenue to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Halethorpe Improvement Association.Joseph B. Kinsey, a Halethorpe resident who has been active in the association since 1963 and now serves as president, pronounced the evening a success."We have 210 households, which translates into about 400 members, and we're still growing," said Kinsey, 66, a metallurgist who retired in 1995.Kinsey is effusive in his praise of the quiet little community that is 6.9 miles from Baltimore and is bisected by two railroads and such major thoroughfares as U.S. 1, better known locally as Washington Boulevard, and Southwestern Boulevard, Interstate 95 and the Baltimore Beltway.

A South Korean firm that had planned to buy the shut-down Halethorpe brewery from Stroh Brewery Co. said yesterday that it's walking away from the deal because of insufficient support from the state."

HALETHORPE -- A White Marsh man who police said drove his pickup into the front of a building in Halethorpe on Monday was in critical condition yesterday at Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.Police said Frank H. Spurley, 26, of the first block of Smithy Court was depressed about separating from his wife. They said he called her Monday and threatened suicide, then drove to her office in the Edward Don & Co. building at 3300 Transway Road. He crashed the car after talking with officers at the scene, police said.

The AHL Bandits have looked at different sites around the area for the purpose of eventually constructing an arena, and among them is a 33-acre tract near the Beltway and Washington Boulevard in Baltimore County.Leroy Merritt, a developer who owns the land, said he met team owner Mike Caggiano on Tuesday, but, "We haven't signed a contract yet." He added: "We're close, pretty close" about a potential deal for the land, an assessment Caggiano said is "premature.""It's premature until a contract is signed and there's lots of uncertainty at this point.

Three months after Stroh Brewing Co. bought G. Heileman Brewing Co. Inc., workers expect to be told today that the Halethorpe brewery in Baltimore County will be closed.Executives of Detroit-based Stroh, who are scheduled to be at the plant today, did not return calls Tuesday and yesterday.Stroh, the nation's fourth largest brewery, completed the acquisition in July.A closing of the 36-year-old brewery would be no surprise to many workers. "To a person, we're convinced that's what they're here to do," said Charles Stansburge, secretary treasurer of Teamsters Local 570, which represents about 330 of the brewery's roughly 400 workers.

There's no place like home.Elkridge residents have been trying to convince the U.S. Postal Service of that for three years now. They say they are fed up with driving to Halethorpe in Baltimore County for their mail service."

Merchants Tire & Auto is relocating two Baltimore City tire distribution and repair centers to the Halethorpe section of Baltimore County, a move that will cost the city nearly three dozen jobs.The company's shift to the county marks the latest blow to the city in its effort to retain service-oriented and other businesses.In the past decade, more than 65,000 jobs have evaporated from the city.Jim Matthews, Merchants president, said the company considered various city properties as part of a yearlong search before leasing a 150,400-square-foot building at 4625 Hollins Ferry Road.

On Sunday, July 12, 2009, Mrs. Velma A. Proulx Visitation for family and friends will be held on Friday, July 17th, 2009 from 11:00 - 1:00 P.M. in HUBBARD FUNERAL HOME, INC., 4107 Wilkens Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland with Funeral Service at 1:00 P.M. in the Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Loudon Park Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, donations may be made in remembrance to the Alzheimer's Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, MD 21093 or to Halethorpe Community Church, 1312 Francis Avenue, Halethorpe, MD 21227.

MARC rider Suzanne Lurie's knees were hurting her, so of course she wrote her local transportation columnist. Who would you consult - an orthopedist? Lurie had some questions about the MARC station in Halethorpe. She thought I could get some answers out of the Maryland Transit Administration. As it turns out, tormenting the MTA is one of my specialties. But let's let Lurie tell her (lightly edited) story: I began working in DC a little over 3 years ago. I live in Owings Mills so, all things considered, Halethorpe is the best choice MARC train station for me. As you probably are aware, in order to access the southbound side of the tracks from the northbound side, a person must ascend about 50 steps to an overpass, cross the tracks via the overpass, then descend at least another 50 steps on the other side.

On March 15, 2009, DOROTHY T. KIRSCH (nee Kocyan); devoted wife of the late William L. Kirsch, Jr.; loving mother of William L. Kirsch, III, Patricia G. Kirsch, and Karen L. Swatski. Also survived by three grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at the family owned Leonard J. Ruck Funeral Home, Inc., 5305 Harford Road (at Echodale), on Thursday at 10 A.M. Friends may call Tuesday and Wednesday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9. Inurnment private. Contributions may be made to Animal Rescue, Inc., P.O. Box 35, Maryland Line, MD 21105 or The Maryland Food Bank, 2200 Halethorpe Farms Road, Baltimore, MD 21227.

On January 31, 2009, Gregory M. Johnson Per his request his remains were cremated and a Memorial Service in celebration of his life will be held this coming Friday, February 27, 2009, 11:00A.M. at the Halethorpe-Relay UnitedMethodist Church, located at 4513 Ridge Ave., Halethorpe, MD 21227, 410-242-5918 or 410-802-2275.

On December 31, 2008 Margaret A. Davis, The family will receive friends on Saturday, January 3 and Sunday, January 4 from 4 to 7P.M. at the family-owned AMBROSE FUNERAL HOME, INC., 1328 Sulphur Spring Rd, Arbutus. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Monday January 5 at 10A.M. at The Church of the Ascension, 4603 Poplar Ave., Halethorpe. Interment to immediately follow at Meadowridge Memorial Park, Elkridge. At the family's request, donations may be directed to either The American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116 - 7023 or to The Church of the Ascension, 4603 Poplar Ave., Halethorpe, MD 21227.

The village of Halethorpe developed as a community where workers could easily commute to jobs in the city by rail. Today, it still offers residents a convenient retreat, but with the welcomed familiarity of a well-established neighborhood. "The community is largely blessed with many multi-generational families and that has been the hallmark of and a great contribution to the stability of the community," said Sandra Cullen, president of the Halethorpe Improvement Association. Her family has been in Halethorpe since 1896.

The Maryland State Highway Administration has eased parking restrictions along U.S. 1 in Halethorpe, creating an additional 70 spaces for MARC train commuters - many of whom have been parking in nearby residential areas. The highway agency said it removed some no-parking signs along the part of U.S. 1 known as Southwestern Boulevard last week after being asked by the Maryland Transit Administration whether it could provide additional parking along the highway, which runs alongside a free MARC lot whose 770 spaces fill up most weekday mornings.

On Avon Court in Halethorpe, there's an unwritten law that says the parking space in front of your home is your spot. But the commuters who flock to the Halethorpe MARC station don't follow that code. They see the absence of no-parking signs as an invitation to leave their cars on the residential street - especially as the 770-space lot at the station fills up every day. The daily influx of outsiders has led to ugly scenes between residents and commuters, sometimes involving calls to police.

Andrea Soukup and her neighbors woke to the sound of chainsaws. Before Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. crews were done in November, the wooded banks along Cromwell Bridge Road looked like they'd been cleared by a tornado. "Something needs to be done to protect us in the future," Soukup, president of the Cromwell Bridge Community Association, told state lawmakers yesterday. A half-dozen residents upset about tree-clearing along utility lines testified before lawmakers who are considering requiring more public notice before companies can start chopping down trees.

Some Halethorpe residents who are clashing with Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. have signed five-year agreements with the utility company to permit the clearing of trees on their property. The agreement between BGE and residents states that the trees near the transmission lines, in which the company has a right of way, will be removed in "approximately five years" or when it is "deemed necessary" and owners will be offered $175 per tree. Even without the agreement, the utility can cut vegetation within 33 feet from both sides of its transmission lines.