Western Shore

Standing amid his $44 million refurbished textile mill, now nearing completion, developer and one-time mayoral candidate David Tufaro observed a bird wading in the Jones Falls nearby. "That's our great blue heron," Tufaro said. Water birds fly up and down the Jones Falls between the two sides of the mill, which straddles the stream. So he insisted that an image of one be included on the rooftop sign that faces Interstate 83, announcing the presence of the commercial-residential complex called Mill No. 1. When residents begin moving into the converted mill early next month, the valley between the Baltimore neighborhoods of Woodberry and Hampden will shift from being a predominantly industrial area to being an extension of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Another wet, gloomy day is in the forecast in the Baltimore area Tuesday, with chances for rain and highs in the mid-60s expected, according to the National Weather Service. A coastal flood advisory is in effect for the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. Another quarter of an inch of rain is possible throughout the day. At BWI Marshall Airport, 0.18 inches of rain fell Monday. A northeasterly flow of winds bringing ocean moisture is responsible for the wet weather, and is forecast to bring 5-10 mph breezes.

The Upper Western Shore Tributary Team, a group dedicated to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay watershed, is seeking volunteers to work on several projects, including the upgrade of two wastewater treatment plants in Harford County.Other projects include educating gardeners about environmentally sensitive practices, creating an environmental atlas for the Upper Western Shore and touring a Harford County farm to show how farmers are helping restore the bay.The group also is lending support to a North Harford High School student who is planning a class project that would create a man-made wetland to lessen the impact of harmful nutrients coming from the school's wastewater system.

Standing amid his $44 million refurbished textile mill, now nearing completion, developer and one-time mayoral candidate David Tufaro observed a bird wading in the Jones Falls nearby. "That's our great blue heron," Tufaro said. Water birds fly up and down the Jones Falls between the two sides of the mill, which straddles the stream. So he insisted that an image of one be included on the rooftop sign that faces Interstate 83, announcing the presence of the commercial-residential complex called Mill No. 1. When residents begin moving into the converted mill early next month, the valley between the Baltimore neighborhoods of Woodberry and Hampden will shift from being a predominantly industrial area to being an extension of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Thomas Sjolander of Abingdon asks, "How come as soon as you cross the Bay Bridge onto Kent Island you see Southern Pines. ... Why not on the same latitude on the Western Shore?" Joe Sullivan, professor of plant ecology at College Park, says "southern" pines - loblolly, short- and long-leaf pines - prefer the Shore's sandy, sedimentary soils and temperatures moderated by the ocean. They grow more "coastal" the farther north you look, and can be found as far north as southern New Jersey.

Just in case you were wondering what the Natural Resource Police turned up in their inspection of the recreational fishing effort for striped bass earlier this month, Col. Fred Willing of the NRP provided the following statistics for the period of Oct. 5 through Oct. 12:( Southern (western shore)Boats fishing 3,977Fishermen checked 6,682Fish inspected 1,733Citations issued 30Warnings issued 25# Upper Eastern ShoreBoats fishing 4,698Fishermen checked 11,377Fish inspected 1,871Citations issued 50Warnings issued 15( Northern (western shore)

The Chesapeake Bay remains in poor health, virtually unchanged from the year before, University of Maryland researchers reported Thursday. The bay's vitality improved just 1 percent overall, earning it a grade of C-minus on the annual ecological report card produced by the university system's Center for Environmental Science. While some portions of the estuary such as the Gunpowder and Bush rivers show signs of gradual improvement, other areas such as the upper Eastern Shore have declined in recent years, researchers found.

The National Weather Service is calling for Monday to be cloudy in the Baltimore area, with a slight chance of showers, a high near 75 and south winds between 7 and 9 miles per hour. The chance of precipitation is 20 percent. A coastal flood advisory is in effect Monday morning for locations along the western shore of the Maryland Chesapeake Bay from Anne Arundel County northward and for Washington, D.C., along the tidal Potomac River. A small craft advisory is in effect Monday night for the Maryland Chesapeake Bay south of Pooles Island and the lower tidal Potomac River from Cobb Island to Smith Point.

Tournament waters for the BASS Masters Classic Thursday, Friday and Saturday include 12 major rivers, dozens of major creeks and hundreds of coves and feeder creeks.The following is a look at the waters that Gene Kane of Totchterman's Bass Guide Service and DNR biologist Alan Heft believe hold the most promise for the 40 contenders in the Classic.Magothy River, Western ShoreAlthough this area is open to contestants, in 20 years Kane never has heard of a largemouth bass taken. Not worth fishing.

The National Weather Service is calling for Thursday to be mostly sunny in the Baltimore area, with a high near 94 and southeast winds 5 to 8 miles per hour in the morning. Thursday night is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a low around 76 and south winds around 6 miles per hour or less. Forecaster warn that there may be minor coastal flooding near high tide Thursday night along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay and the tidal Potomac River. Friday is expected to be partly sunny, with a high near 91 and winds around 5 miles per hour in the afternoon.

A Valentine's Day auction has been scheduled for developer Patrick Turner's Westport Waterfront site. The auction house A.J. Billig and Co. is advertising that sale of the roughly 43-acre property will take place Feb. 14 on the steps of the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse downtown. The property is eight parcels but will be sold as a single unit, according to the auction materials . A $500,000 deposit will be required at the time of purchase. In November, lender Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp.

The National Weather Service is calling for Friday to start out mostly cloudy in the Baltimore area and then gradually become sunny, with a high near 54 and north winds 5 to 8 miles per hour. Friday night is expected to be mostly clear, with a low around 39 and north winds around 6 miles per hour Forecasters warn that minor coastal flooding may occur Friday evening near high tide at sensitive locations along the western shore of the Maryland Chesapeake Bay and the upper tidal Potomac River.

The National Weather Service is calling for Monday to be cloudy in the Baltimore area, with a slight chance of showers, a high near 75 and south winds between 7 and 9 miles per hour. The chance of precipitation is 20 percent. A coastal flood advisory is in effect Monday morning for locations along the western shore of the Maryland Chesapeake Bay from Anne Arundel County northward and for Washington, D.C., along the tidal Potomac River. A small craft advisory is in effect Monday night for the Maryland Chesapeake Bay south of Pooles Island and the lower tidal Potomac River from Cobb Island to Smith Point.

Maryland is under a state of emergency as a winter storm that forecasters described as "extremely dangerous" brought potentially record-breaking snow totals and gale-force winds to the region. Accumulation rates as high as 2 to 3 inches an hour were expected to bury the region in up to 2 feet of snow by daybreak Saturday. If the forecasters are right, another 5 to 9 inches of snow is possible before the precipitation ends Saturday evening, with total accumulations of 20 to 30 inches, or more, predicted.

The Chesapeake Bay remains in poor health, virtually unchanged from the year before, University of Maryland researchers reported Thursday. The bay's vitality improved just 1 percent overall, earning it a grade of C-minus on the annual ecological report card produced by the university system's Center for Environmental Science. While some portions of the estuary such as the Gunpowder and Bush rivers show signs of gradual improvement, other areas such as the upper Eastern Shore have declined in recent years, researchers found.

Thomas Sjolander of Abingdon asks, "How come as soon as you cross the Bay Bridge onto Kent Island you see Southern Pines. ... Why not on the same latitude on the Western Shore?" Joe Sullivan, professor of plant ecology at College Park, says "southern" pines - loblolly, short- and long-leaf pines - prefer the Shore's sandy, sedimentary soils and temperatures moderated by the ocean. They grow more "coastal" the farther north you look, and can be found as far north as southern New Jersey.

A Valentine's Day auction has been scheduled for developer Patrick Turner's Westport Waterfront site. The auction house A.J. Billig and Co. is advertising that sale of the roughly 43-acre property will take place Feb. 14 on the steps of the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse downtown. The property is eight parcels but will be sold as a single unit, according to the auction materials . A $500,000 deposit will be required at the time of purchase. In November, lender Citigroup Global Markets Realty Corp.