Owings Mills

The long-planned Metro Centre in Owings Mills is set to finally stir to life this week with the opening of Baltimore County's largest library. Officials envision the library branch, to open in a building called the County Campus next to the Owings Mills subway station, as the anchor of a cluster of shops, restaurants and apartments that they have long hoped would form a new center in the northwestern suburb. Also planned for the County Campus are dozens of classrooms and offices for the Community College of Baltimore County.

Paul L. Ensor, a retired Baltimore County police officer, died Thursday from colon cancer at Sunflower Assisted-Living in Westminster. He was 95. The son of farmers, Paul LeRoy Ensor was born and raised in Sparks. He attended Baltimore County public schools. Mr. Ensor was working at Bendix Corp. when he joined the Baltimore County Police Department in 1952. He was assigned to the Garrison Precinct, where he drove the patrol wagon, family members said. He retired in 1975. The longtime Owings Mills resident, who had lived in Upperco for the last 22 years, enjoyed fishing, crabbing and gardening.

Always, there were those lovely old country estates and gracious manor taverns with roaring fireplaces, but in the old days fine dining was associated with the city. Not so anymore. Now, there are more compelling reasons than ever for diners to cross county lines for a good meal. The 50 best county restaurants in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County is a mix of the old and the new, destinations for special occasions and joints for Monday night suppers, the chef-driven and crowd-pleasing.

Doesn't anyone realize that in this dreadful economy and with the equally dreadful Obamacare looming, an increase in the minimum wage would result in even more unemployment? ("Labor official brings minimum-wage push to Baltimore," May 13.) Simple arithmetic shows that a small business that is currently struggling to meet payroll will simply fire enough employees to be able to give the others their governmentally mandated "raise. " That's the only way to keep their payroll within reason.

Will consumers pay $20 for a reusable glass drinking bottle? Walt Himelstein thinks so. The Owings Mills environmental chemist and entrepreneur invented the Pure reusable glass drinking bottle, which features a shock-absorbing plastic sleeve that holds the glass together if it breaks. Himelstein, 59, hopes to tap a surging interest among environmentally conscious consumers who want their own reusable bottles, rather than buying beverages in single-use glass, metal or plastic containers.

Baltimore electrical engineering company Gill-Simpson plans to build an office complex on 13 acres in Owings Mills, the first new office construction in that part of the county to start this year and a sign to some observers of better days ahead for the stalled commercial real estate market. The company, which attributes some of its growth to the federal military base closure and realignment, is scheduled to break ground this week on a 40,000-square foot headquarters, the first phase of a three-building project.

It's not a matter of "if" but "when. " Medifast Inc., the No. 3 manufacturer of weight-loss food products, is growing so quickly in that industry that there will soon come a time when it outgrows its sole production facility in Owings Mills and builds plants elsewhere. To keep up with that rapid growth, Medifast plans on making $5 million in improvements to its headquarters and plant in Owings Mills over the next two years. But it's also considering other sites for the future, including a possible West Coast manufacturing site and one in Mexico to serve the growing Latin American market.

In Baltimore County Water pressure drops in northwest areas after valve breaks OWINGS MILLS -- A broken valve caused four pumps at a pumping station in Owings Mills to shut down yesterday morning, causing water pressure to drop in some northwest Baltimore County neighborhoods. The valve broke Tuesday night or early yesterday, which caused flooding at the station and the pumps to stop, said Kurt L. Kocher, spokesman for the Baltimore Department of Public Works. Owings Mills and Reisterstown residents may have experienced low water pressure yesterday morning, said Kocher, adding that pressure was back to normal by afternoon.

Ever since their season ended, former Towson quarterback Grant Enders and wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard have been honing their timing with a regular series of throwing sessions. Now, the undrafted free agent rookies are eager to put that rapport to work at the Ravens' three-day rookie minicamp that starts today at team headquarters. Sheppard agreed to terms on a three-year contract, while Enders is attending the minicamp on a tryout. Both had hoped to hear from the Super Bowl champions ever since taking part in the Ravens' local prospects day in March.

Send sports notices a minimum of two weeks before the requested publication date to Patuxent Publishing/OMT Sports Notices, Third floor, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278; e-mail tworgo@tribune.com . Include date, time, location, contact information and subsection. Competitive Northwest Area Spring Lacrosse Program holds registration for teams from ages 7/8 to 17/18. nwasports@aol.com or http://www.cmsasoccer.com. Pipeline Soccer Club holds spring academy for boys and girls, ages five to 10. http://pipelinesoccerclub.com.

Why is it that since the current president has been in office everything that is proposed by his or Gov. Martin O'Malley's office has had to be a major change? We've had an "overhaul" of the finest health care system in the world. We've had "sweeping" new gun control legislation. The examples of "sweeping," "overhaul," and even "major overhaul" and "sweeping overhaul" go on ad nauseum. What ever happened to tweaking a current law or program? Why does everything that worked well now have to trashed and started over?

Augustine H. "Humpy" Stump Jr., a retired Baltimore insurance executive who had been president of Stump, Harvey & Cook Co. Inc. and an active churchman and volunteer, died Sunday of complications from a fall and pneumonia at Springwell, a Mount Washington senior-living community. He was 87. "He was smart, worked hard and liked people," said his brother, Dawson Stump of Owings Mills, who had been vice president and secretary at Stump, Harvey & Cook. "He had a great outgoing personality and liked the job and worked hard at it. " Augustine Herman Stump Jr. was born in Baltimore and raised in Owings Mills.

Although this is the first time these programs will meet in the NCAA tournament, they have met nine times in the regular season since 2006. Stevenson has won five of those contests. Lynchburg (14-5) - ranked 13th in the most recent United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll - is 0-1 in the quarterfinal round, losing to Roanoke, 10-9, in 2005. Senior Vin Curran has won 55.8 percent (129-of-231) of his faceoffs and ranks third on the team in goals with 29. No. 4 Stevenson (19-2)

When the Stevenson men's lacrosse team last tangled with Lynchburg, the two sides went to overtime before the Mustangs escaped with a win. Stevenson made sure that scenario was not repeated. Sophomore attackman Mark Pannenton scored all three of his goals in the first half and senior midfielder Peter Green chipped in two goals and two assists to lift the No. 4 Mustangs to a 13-7 victory over the No. 13 Hornets in a NCAA tournament quarterfinal Wednesday night. An announced 1,276 at Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills — the second-largest crowd to watch a lacrosse game at Stevenson — watched the Mustangs earn their fourth trip to a national semifinal in the last five seasons where they will meet No. 12 Salisbury at 7 p.m. on Sunday in Owings Mills.

Senior defenseman Parker Bratton is fully expected to make his customary start when No. 4 Stevenson welcomes No. 13 Lynchburg to Mustang Stadium in Owings Mills for Wednesday night's NCAA tournament quarterfinal. Whether the Baltimore native and McDonogh graduate plays the entire 60 minutes is a different matter. Bratton, who is tied for fourth on the team in caused turnovers with 17 and ranks seventh in ground balls with 47, has been bothered by a turned ankle suffered about two weeks ago. Coach Paul Cantabene said he is not too worried about Bratton, who has missed two games this season.

The Kenwood boys lacrosse team isn't filled with Division I college prospects and doesn't have near the depth than most teams. In fact, its roster only consists of 19 players, 17 of which are seniors.  But that hasn't stopped the Bluebirds from enjoying a breakthrough season. After claiming Baltimore County's Division II championship last week with a 12-2 win over defending champion Owings Mills, the Bluebirds enjoyed the program's biggest win when they upset longtime Baltimore County power Catonsville, 7-6, to open their region playoff run.  After knocking off Poly in the quarterfinal round, the Bluebirds (12-3)

Air National Guard Airman Reginald Fairley Jr. graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio. He is the son of Reginald Fairley Sr., of Catonsville, and the brother of Kellie Pindell, of Owings Mills. Fairley graduated in 2006 from Woodlawn Senior High School. Air Force Airman Aaron Springer graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, in San Antonio. He is the son of Trevorline Springer, of Columbus, Ohio, and the nephew of Caseta Mangal, ofPikesville.

Donald M. Cohen, a retired credit manager and magician who was known as "Magic Don," died May 1 from a heart attack at his Edgewood home. He was 87. The son of a bar owner and a homemaker, Donald Martin Cohen was born in Baltimore and raised in the city's Pimlico neighborhood. He was a graduate of city public schools. After serving in the Army during World War II, Mr. Cohen returned to Baltimore. He worked as a credit and collections manager for Farber's Inc., a North Eutaw Street furniture store, for 20 years until retiring in 1992.

Stevenson's 18-2 record and No. 4 ranking in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association poll has been aided by Division III's sixth-ranked offense and 14th-ranked defense. But another pillar of the program's success this season has been ground balls. The Mustangs entered the week ranked second in the nation in ground balls per game (47.4), and that number will improve after the team collected 70 loose balls in an 18-6 pummeling of Christopher Newport in the first round of the NCAA tournament Wednesday night.