Loch Raven

Bus contractor ends operations in Baltimore area TOWSON -- As many as 30 schools in Baltimore County were affected by a delay in school bus service yesterday after a local transportation contractor announced that it would shut down its Baltimore operations. Laidlaw Inc. told employees Monday that it would end its operations based in Baltimore. Five or six drivers employed by Laidlaw did not report for work with the schools yesterday. Other drivers had to cover those routes, mostly in the southwest county, and they will do so until the school year ends Friday, said Rita Fromm, schools transportation director.

Many folks may be traveling on this long Memorial Day holiday weekend, but if you're going to be around, here are two activities not to miss on Saturday. The first one's a snap - you don't even have to leave the house, or get out of your PJs. At 9 a.m Saturday (May 26), local cable, broadcast and satellite TV stations will feature a half-hour documentary about the Healthy Harbor campaign to make Baltimore's harbor swimmable and fishable by the end of the decade.  The algae bloom and fish kills this week are furnishing a pungent reminder of why this campaign was launched.

While the host Loch Raven boys lacrosse team was working on a regional quarterfinal shutout, J.B. Cadorette was busy setting one school record and chasing another. In the Raiders' 22-0 rout of Randallstown on Saturday, Cadorette scored a game-high 10 goals, the most scored in a single game and one goal short of tying the single-season record of 50 set by his cousin Eric Friant in 2006. Teammate Wes Dingman totaled 13 points on four goals and nine assists to set the single-game record for most points and assists.

Patterson Mill fell one win short of a second straight trip to a state baseball final, losing 6-4 to Patuxent in the Class 2A semifinal Thursday at Shipley Field in College Park. The Huskies (19-5), who lost to St.Michaels, 4-0, in last season's championship game, led 4-1 before the Panthers rallied for four runs in the fifth. Patuxent had three doubles, a single and a pair of walks in the inning. In Saturday's 2A title game at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, Patuxent will play Williamsport, which beat Loch Raven, 3-0, at 4 p.m. Boys lacrosse Carroll County 7, Baltimore County 4: Taylor Schmitz (South Carroll)

The recent letter by Anne Roberts ("Loch Raven needs rules, but not deer hunters" June 28) was mind boggling. Yes, of course, we need to abide by the rules in order to preserve our drinking water and for safety reasons. Regarding the survey of residential properties adjacent to Loch Raven that found half of the respondents had negative experiences with hunters and hunting, I have not had one negative experience with hunters through decades of hiking in numerous states. I am a hike leader for the Community College of Baltimore County and have had negative experiences with mountain bikers each time I have led a group of hikers as well as when I hike alone.

The senior captured the individual girls title at Saturday's Baltimore County cross country championships at Dulaney, coming across in 18 minutes, 47.2 seconds. Ruppel, the defending Class 1A state champion, established a fast pace and was able to fend off Dulaney sophomore Isabel Griffith (18:59.2) to come away with the win. In doing so, she took off more than one minute from her time in last year's county championship race, in which she finished second. This year, Ruppel also won the small schools race at the Bull Run Invitational at Hereford and the Barnhart Invitational at Dulaney.

To be a great swimmer, Loyola swim coach Keith Schertle says a person has to have "very good legs, very good kick and be born with a body that flows through water easily. " But on top of that, Schertle — who coaches Loch Raven senior Tanja Kylliainen in the Loyola-Blakefield Aquatics program — said a swimmer has to be committed to "working like a dog. " In Kylliainen, 5 feet 1, 120 pounds, Schertle has such a swimmer and Loch Raven has such a student. Kylliainen carries a 4.9 weighted grade-point average and is a United States Olympic Trials Qualifier in the 200 butterfly and the 400 individual medley, placing first in the 200 fly and 400 IM. She broke the meet records at the 2010 Spring Speedo Sectional Championships Series.

To say that No. 4 Loch Raven sweated out a 15-11, 9-15, 15-12, 15-7 victory over No. 7 Catonsville in the season opener for both teams certainly would be truthful.In more ways than one.Loch Raven first needed to overcome the stifling heat in the Catonsville gymnasium yesterday. The temperature soared to 85 degrees by the final game, and Loch Raven coach Carol McPherson said it made her team wilt a bit at times -- especially in the second game.The Raiders also had to fight off a stubborn Catonsville team.

A RECENT LETTER in The Sun responded to an earlier article about the riding of mountain bikes in the Loch Raven watershed area.The headline had been ''Bikers fight for their turf,'' and the letter writer, Jo Owen, objected to the implication that Loch Raven is mountain bikers' turf in the first place. ''This environmentally sensitive area,'' she wrote, must be protected from two-wheeled hell-raisers.It seems to me that the attack on mountain bikers has itself been based on erroneous assumptions.

After his team's 18-point loss to No. 8 Towson earlier this season, Loch Raven girls basketball coach Ken Witts wondered just what it would take to stop the undefeated -- and virtually unchallenged -- Generals.Last night, in the midst of a 74-48 win by host Towson, he found out."They're almost unstoppable," said Witts.Using the deadly inside-outside combination of center Katie Walker and guards Sarah Weaver and Jessi-ca Owens, Towson went on a 24-3 first-half run to break open a tight game, and never looked back.

Major Livingstone (Northwestern) scored the game-winner with two minutes left in the second overtime to lift the West over the East, 13-12, in the Baltimore City All-Star lacrosse game Wednesday at Mervo. William Gatling (Northwestern) scored his fourth goal with 24seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 12 and force overtime. Livingstone also finished with four goals. The West trailed 6-3 at the half. Baseball Class 2A state semifinals: Both games, Willamsport (13-9)

Whether teammates needed help developing their skills or just a few words of encouragement during a particularly challenging practice, Western Tech's Geraldine Ezeka and Loch Raven's Ryne Schanberger each were eager to step up. Ezeka often ran behind teammates to offer support if they were struggling with conditioning drills during Western's basketball season. She was also ready to dive for a loose ball in a practice or game, always leading by example. Schanberger, an offensive guard, was dedicated to the summer workout program for Loch Raven's football team, and learned how to punt after the team desperately needed a kicker.

Maryland junior midfielder Katie Schwarzmann (Century), who has 63goals this season, the 10th-highest mark in school history, was named Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player on Friday. Boston College attacker Covie Stanwick (Notre Dame Prep) was named Freshman of the Year. Big East: Loyola's Marlee Paton was named Midfielder of the Year and the Greyhounds' Kellye Gallagher was selected as Defensive Player of the Year. Ana Heneberry (Dulaney)

The brackets have been set for the IAAM A Conference girls lacrosse tournament which begins play Friday and culminates in the title game Sunday, May 13 at Stevenson University. Three-time defending champion McDonogh is the top seed and has a first-round bye along with second-seeded Bryn Mawr, third-seeded Maryvale and fourth-seeded Notre Dame Prep. The No. 1 Eagles, whose seniors aim to finish their careers 76-1, begin play on Tuesday vs. the winner of Friday's first-round game between Mount de Sales and Severn.

In answer to Dr. Camay Woodall's concern about the deer population in and around Towson ("Deer problem around Towson is threat to property, and safety" April 18) and his question, "Can archers help with this?" the answer is a resounding, "NO. " Does he want novice, or even "experienced" bow hunters, shooting arrows in the Towson area? Bowhunters have already taken over the recreational activities of hikers, bikers, nature watchers, etc., at Loch Raven by being allowed to hunt for an unbelievable five months out of the year, even when there is full foliage on the trees.

I am writing concerning the letter by Dr. Camay Woodall in the April 18 edition of the Towson Times ("Deer problem around Towson is threat to property, and safety"), concerning the number of deer in the Towson area. I fully agree with Dr. Woodall that the deer population is too large and presents hazards to people's health and the environment. While allowing a limited hunting season in order to cull the population is a good idea, I think there is better, more environmentally-friendly alternative to bring the deer population to a manageable level.

No. 10 Loch Raven upset No. 8 Patapsco's bid to finish the regular season unscored upon with a 2-1 victory in a Baltimore County 2A-1A Division field hockey game yesterday.The win sends Loch Raven into the Baltimore County championship Saturday against Dulaney, the 4A-3A Division winner. Last year, Patapsco tied with Perry Hall and shared the title.This year, Patapsco, with nine seniors on the roster, expected to return to the title game, especially since the Patriots (9-1 overall, 7-1 league)

A 36-game losing streak dating to 2005, including an 0-12 season in 2011, had the sophomores on the CCBC-Essex women's lacrosse team considering calling it quits this year. "Last year we didn't win any games," said sophomore midfielder Paige Orpin (Perry Hall Christian). "I think only maybe two of them were close. I wasn't sure if I wanted to play anymore. " Sophomore attacker Alexandra Breslin-Spinnato (Eastern Tech) was similarly frustrated. "It was really hard," she said.

McDonogh's girls lacrosse team extended its winning streak to 55 games with Monday's 18-4 victory at Garrison Forest and moved into fifth place on the Baltimore-area girls lacrosse chart for all-time consecutive victories. The Eagles' run is the nation's longest active girls lacrosse win streak, according to ESPN High School. They earned the top spot on a spring break trip to Florida where they ended Vero Beach's 69-game streak, 15-5.  In most sports, 55 straight wins would put a team a lot higher on their local all-time chart, but not with the girls lacrosse history around here.