Marshy

In 1996, plans for a $5.5 million nature complex in Marshy Point Park took shape that included a nature center with an education wing, a trail network, bridges and outdoor exhibits. But when construction began at the 500-acre park in 1999, funding cuts had reduced the project to a nature center - minus the classrooms - and a parking lot. A decade later, using $2.8 million from the county and the state, the second phase of the Marshy Point plan is under way, if belatedly. The work includes a canoe storage facility and dock, bridges, a second parking lot and an entry road leading into the north half of the park, all scheduled to be completed this spring, county parks officials say. "Everybody who has been involved with Marshy Point ... is happy that they are finally seeing the fruits of their labors," said John Markley, the deputy director of the county's parks and recreation department.

If you're looking for a quieter activity than the Maryland State Fair this weekend but still want to pass on some of those home arts to your tweens and teens, you might want to head over to Marshy Point Nature Center, 7130 Marshy Point Road, Middle River, on Saturday. From 2 p.m.-4 p.m., kids 12 and older (and adults) can learn the art of canning peaches for fall and winter recipes. Free. Preregistration required; call 410-887-2817.

After waiting in a line of about 30 children to touch a black rat snake named Bugeye, Emily Dietz stepped right up and trailed her fingers down the reptile's scaly back. "I like to touch snakes," the 8-year-old said during a recent program at Marshy Point Nature Center in Chase. "I think snakes are one of the coolest animals around." Emily's reaction was an example of one of the two opposing inclinations visitors typically have toward snakes, said Bob Stanhope of the Marshy Point staff.

MTA to hold appreciation event today Commuters will be offered refreshments and giveaways today at the Timonium fairgrounds light rail stop for the Maryland Transit Administration's Light Rail Customer Appreciation Day. Trains will not run north of the fairgrounds stop so that a new crossing can be constructed at Warren Road. Shuttle buses will serve the five rail stops north of Timonium Road while the work is being done. Construction is expected to continue into August, officials said.

Bay advocate to speak at nature center today MIDDLE RIVER - Chesapeake Bay advocate Ann Pesiri Swanson will speak at 7:30 p.m. today at Marshy Point Nature Center, 7130 Marshy Point Road. For the past 20 years, Swanson has served as executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. She will speak about environmental restoration of the bay. Information: 410-887-2817.

On December 1, 2004, JUDITH ANN ENGELHARDT; devoted mother of Kelly Marie Hobbs, Kimberly Ann Storch and Karen Lynn Smith; cherished grandmother of Henry & Hannah Storch, Katlyn Renae and Connor Smith; wonderful companion Gary W. Krach. There will be a Memorial Service on Thursday Dec. 9, 2004, at 11AM at Marshy Point Nature Center, Marshy Point Rd., Chase, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Nature Center or to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Funeral arrangements are by the family owned Evans Chapel of Memories - Parkville, 8800 Harford Rd., Baltimore.

If you're looking for a quieter activity than the Maryland State Fair this weekend but still want to pass on some of those home arts to your tweens and teens, you might want to head over to Marshy Point Nature Center, 7130 Marshy Point Road, Middle River, on Saturday. From 2 p.m.-4 p.m., kids 12 and older (and adults) can learn the art of canning peaches for fall and winter recipes. Free. Preregistration required; call 410-887-2817.

Marshy Point birding Get a glimpse of the region's avian wildlife Sunday at the Marshy Point Nature Center. The center will offer a guided bird walk that's free and open to all ages. Led by a local birdwatcher, the expedition will begin at 9 a.m. and last for about two hours. The Marshy Point Nature Center is located at 7130 Marshy Point Road off Eastern Avenue (Extended). For more information, call 410-887-2817. River of history Learn how one waterway shaped the state's past Saturday during Patapsco Valley State Park's River of History tour.

On December 26, 2006, EDNA (nee Beever), beloved wife of the late Julian Joseph Fannon, devoted mother of Carol Lancaster and husband Stephen, Joseph Fannon and wife Kathleen and Patrick Fannon and wife Nancy, dear sister of Alonzo and John Beever, loving grandmother of Joshua, Jill and Jennifer Fannon, Matthew, David and Kerry Lancaster and Ashley Fannon. Relatives and friends may gather at MILLER-DIPPEL FUNERAL HOME, INC., 6415 Belair Road, Baltimore, MD 21206 on Thursday 6 to 9pm and Friday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm, where funeral service will be held on Saturday at 10am.

COMING UP Take a stroll through the woods with a local naturalist. Terry Covington will lead Saturday's "Wake Up the Woodchuck Walk," which begins at Marshy Point Nature Center in Chase. After viewing slides of the creatures, Covington and the group will search for groundhogs, their paw prints and their dwellings. This free event, which starts at 2 p.m., is open to children and adults. The Marshy Point Nature Center is at 7130 Marshy Point Road, Chase. Call 410-887-2817. -- Sarah Schaffer NOW OR NEVER Sample a variety of acoustic styles Saturday at the Gordon Center's International Guitar Night.

Baltimore County firefighters overwhelmingly ratified a one-year contract that calls for a 3 percent cost-of-living increase and additional benefits for tenured members of the department, union officials said yesterday. The agreement calls for additional pay raises for firefighters and paramedics who have worked for the department for at least 13 years and another increase for those with more than 17 years, union officials said. Under the new contract, new hires will be required to work 30 years with the department or be 60 years old before they're eligible for their pension, said Michael K. Day Sr., president of the Baltimore County Professional Fire Fighters Association.

In 1996, plans for a $5.5 million nature complex in Marshy Point Park took shape that included a nature center with an education wing, a trail network, bridges and outdoor exhibits. But when construction began at the 500-acre park in 1999, funding cuts had reduced the project to a nature center - minus the classrooms - and a parking lot. A decade later, using $2.8 million from the county and the state, the second phase of the Marshy Point plan is under way, if belatedly. The work includes a canoe storage facility and dock, bridges, a second parking lot and an entry road leading into the north half of the park, all scheduled to be completed this spring, county parks officials say. "Everybody who has been involved with Marshy Point ... is happy that they are finally seeing the fruits of their labors," said John Markley, the deputy director of the county's parks and recreation department.

A crowd gathers on a beach in weather better suited for sledding. Everyone goofs off, dancing and snacking, until the appointed hour, when they strip off wool caps and ski jackets and rush - usually screaming - into the frigid waters. They emerge shivering and wet. And their favorite charity gets a check. A mad dash into winter water is a far cry from a ballroom gala, but it is an increasingly popular way to raise money. The Polar Bear Club at Coney Island has been taking a dip on New Year's Day for decades, but only in recent years has it turned the event into a charity moneymaker.

On December 26, 2006, EDNA (nee Beever), beloved wife of the late Julian Joseph Fannon, devoted mother of Carol Lancaster and husband Stephen, Joseph Fannon and wife Kathleen and Patrick Fannon and wife Nancy, dear sister of Alonzo and John Beever, loving grandmother of Joshua, Jill and Jennifer Fannon, Matthew, David and Kerry Lancaster and Ashley Fannon. Relatives and friends may gather at MILLER-DIPPEL FUNERAL HOME, INC., 6415 Belair Road, Baltimore, MD 21206 on Thursday 6 to 9pm and Friday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9pm, where funeral service will be held on Saturday at 10am.

After waiting in a line of about 30 children to touch a black rat snake named Bugeye, Emily Dietz stepped right up and trailed her fingers down the reptile's scaly back. "I like to touch snakes," the 8-year-old said during a recent program at Marshy Point Nature Center in Chase. "I think snakes are one of the coolest animals around." Emily's reaction was an example of one of the two opposing inclinations visitors typically have toward snakes, said Bob Stanhope of the Marshy Point staff.

He was an adventurer who kept records that are studied to this day. Now, nearly four centuries after he explored the Chesapeake Bay, Capt. John Smith is the subject of a series of events at an eastern Baltimore County nature center. Marshy Point Nature Center's celebration of the coming 400th anniversary of Smith's exploration and mapping of the Chesapeake Bay begins tomorrow with a lecture at 7:30 p.m. by historian and ecologist Kent Mountford. Other free lectures in observance of Smith's feats, including one on a project to build a replica of his 17th-century boat, will follow at the nature center in Chase.

GRASONVILLE - Balancing on the top rail of a sun-bleached fence, Chad Angelini peered beneath a pine tree's branches and spotted his prize: a fallen swallow's nest. "Look at this!" the 6-year-old boy from Sudlersville called. His fellow campers, tramping across a meadow on a scavenger hunt, crowded around. They were quiet, faces solemn with wonder, as they admired the perfect circle of twigs. But only for a moment. Soon, the other boys and girls were exclaiming over their own finds. James Green, 7, of Glen Burnie peeled back a piece of bark to uncover an ant colony.