“Whale Rock” – The Gunpowder River – Parkton, MD
Copyright 2013. Austin Green Weinstein. All Rights Reserved.

Graul’s Market in Parkton held a cookout Saturday to raise money for Erika Brannock’s medical costs.

Brannock had to have her left leg amputated below the knee and surgery on her right leg.

Graul’s donated 10% of sales and all proceeds from the event to Erika.

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So cute.  And so in love!

It happened in Parkton in the 2200-block of Mount Carmel Road around 11:30 a.m.

A woman was killed in the accident and three others were taken to the hospital.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

She can run, shoot, fence, swim and ride, and she’s one of the best in the world.   

Denise Koch has more on Suzanne Stettinius and her quest to go for the gold.

Maryland has made its mark in the Olympics, with athletes such as Michael Phelps, Kimmie Meissner and Dominique Dawes.

Now there is a new name to add to the mix: Suzanne Stettinius. She is one of the best in the world, but in a sport not many have heard of.

The modern pentathlon, composed of riding, running, shooting, swimming and fencing, pits this 24-year-old from Parkton against the world’s best athletes.

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Growing up, she did not even imagine that she would one day be competing in the Olympics.

“No, I didn’t even think it was a possibility,” she said.

Stettinius has been riding horses since she was just 4 years old.

“My dad taught me how to shoot. I got swim lessons to try to work on my stroke a bit,” she said.

However, it was not until a national riding competition in middle school that her Olympic dream began to take shape.

“These pentathletes came and we learned about what the pentathlon was, ’cause we never really knew. We’re like, ‘That’s pretty cool.’ I already do all these sports. All I have to do is learn to fence,”  Stettinius said.

It didn’t take her long to master fencing. She competed in her first competition when she was 17 years old, and her potential was immediately recognized.

“I won the junior division. The coaches were like where did this girl come from because nobody had ever heard of me before,” she said.

In the world of pentathletes, plenty of people have heard of Stettinius now. She is one of only two American women who qualified for the 2012 Olympic team.

“You have to be one of those people, you’re not amazing at anything, but you’re solid at everything,” she said.

She’ll have to be solid at riding, as competitors don’t find out which horse they’ll be riding until 20 minutes before the event. Then, they’ll have to jump 15 fences.

Her riding coach feels confident.

“She’s so gifted and so naturally balanced. I think she has the edge there,” coach Perry Fitzpatrick said.

It hasn’t always been easy, and at times it has been dangerous. Stettinius has broken both her neck and collarbone over the years.

“It was a reality check. I realized if I want to do this sport, I’ve got to dedicate myself to the sport,” she said.

Hours of training everyday make this a full-time commitment, which can be tiring at times.

“When I hit a wall, it’s not just me anymore, my whole community is backing me up. I have to suck it up,” she said.

Stettinius is the first woman from Maryland to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team in the modern pentathlon.

Gov. Martin O’Malley is leading a dedication ceremony Monday in Parkton for a fishing trail named for Cockeysville resident Lefty Kreh. The trail runs for seven miles along the Gunpowder Falls trout stream from Prettyboy Reservoir to Big Falls Road.

Kreh is an author and fly-tier best known for a lure he created called Lefty’s Deceiver.

The lure was designed for striped bass. It is one of the world’s most widely used and imitated saltwater fishing flies.

Kreh’s 1974 book, “Fly Fishing in Saltwaters,” is considered a classic guide to the sport.

He served as outdoor editor of The Baltimore Sun for 17 years before retiring in 1990.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

A view of Gunpowder River from the Gunpowder South Trail at Bunker Hill Road.

The Basics

Distance:  The Gunpowder South Trail is about five miles total. The section from Bunker Hill to York Road is probably about a mile and a half to two miles.

Time:  I decided not to cross York Road this time around, so the trail took me about an hour there and back. You can make it a longer trip by crossing York Road and continuing the trail.

Trail condition:  Excellent. Barely any trash along the way and no serious obstacles.

How to get there: From 1-83 North take exit 27 (Hereford/Mt.Carmel Rd). Turn right onto Mt.Carmel Rd. When you get to the stop light, turn left onto York Rd. Go about one mile, just passing Hereford High School (on the right) to Bunker Hill Rd. on the left. Take that left turn onto Bunker Hill Rd. and follow the road to the parking lot at the end.

My Experience

The trails at Bunker Hill Road are a great place for families to go and visit because it’s really easy to access and there’s always open parking. Bunker Hill Road can get a little bumpy on your way down, but once you get to the parking lot it’s very well taken care of.

Many schools and organizations like to visit this part of the park, which is why you will find picnic tables, bathrooms and an amphitheater (see picture to left) there. It can be a pretty busy place, especially during the weekends, so keep that in mind if you are planning on going.

I began my hike on the Gunpowder South Trail, which is relatively easy to find. When you head down the paved path from the parking lot, you’ll see the bathroom building and the river. If you go to the left, that’s where the campgrounds are located, if you go to the right, that’s where the Gunpowder South Trail start is.

Despite this location being a part of Gunpowder Falls State Park, there are no maps of the trails around the area on location. Matt and I visited several of the information boards around the parking area and couldn’t find one with a map on it. I recently read an article on how state parks are beginning to put QR codes on these information boards that will download a map of the surrounding trails to the hiker’s smart phone. It’s a pretty clever idea in my opinion because it would allow people to literally carry the maps with them. Obviously, you would need to have internet accessibility and a phone that doesn’t die on you all the time (like mine) to really utilize the codes, but still a great idea, especially for a generation that didn’t grow up reading paper maps.

Despite not knowing exactly where we were headed, Matt and I followed the white marks on the trees and the well-treaded path. We didn’t run into anyone else on the trail, which did surprise me a bit. Bunker Hill isn’t exactly in a remote location. Hereford, a small town in Baltimore County, is basically a minute drive away and although it doesn’t have the largest population, a good amount of people travel it through it to go home in the evening. We arrived around 4:30 in the afternoon and only saw one other group of people, who were rock climbing, there.

Although it’s nice not to run into any other people, you definitely know that there are other people around because you can hear the sound of the highway and even see it at some points. Matt and I thought it was kind of strange experience to be encompassed by trees and simultaneously hear the roaring of cars on I-83. I felt that even though you could hear the traffic, it didn’t make the hiking experience bad. It’s interesting to be walking under an overpass and realizing that no one has a clue that you’re there.

The walk itself took us about 25 minutes both ways, so it’s not an incredibly long hike which is why I recommend it for families. The trail is well treaded and there was only one tough hill on the way. The other great thing about the Gunpowder South Trail is that if you continue on the trail to its end you will eventually run into York Road. Don’t be afraid to cross over, on the other side is great place to have a picnic that locals call “Hill Billy Beach”. I know, the name sounds odd, but it actually is a great little field to take your family, especially if the water is warm enough to swim in. With the weather being this great, that should be really soon!

Another thing to keep in mind is that the summer is great time to go camping and backpacking. While this blog mostly focuses on small day hikes, Maryland has some great places to start backpacking. I found a fellow hiker who embarked on a 1,700 mile long hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. His story is really amazing and inspiring. I couldn’t help but watch his video and want to go on the trail and hike it myself. If you are thinking about going on a long day or two hike, check out the national parks near you. This up coming week is “National Park Week” where all national parks will be offering free admission. It’s a great opportunity to go and check out new places without having to worry about fees. I strongly recommend Shenandoah Valley as a place to visit. Although it is far away from Baltimore, it has some awesome and challenging hiking spots, such as Old Rag Mountain, that are definitely worth the drive.

Google Map

Here is a Google Map of the Bunker Hill area. The pinpoint on this (A) is on the opposite side of the fallen bridge. Using my directions in the “How to get there” section above will place you on the York Road side of the bridge. This side is a little more accessible, though you can hike on the other side.

Derek Valcourt has more on the victims and how it happened.

On Vernon Road in White Hall, near a small cliff overlooking a tiny stream, flowers now mark the spot where Jeffrey Griffin, 29, of Parkton and Stephen Tracey, 30, of Hampstead died Sunday morning.

“It’s very tragic the way, it’s something that should not have happened,” said Heidi Owings, the victims’ friend.

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What happened according to police was four men and one woman piled into a 2002 Polaris Ranger ATV early Sunday morning. The ATV went over the cliff into the ditch, killing Griffin and Tracey. The others were rushed to a hospital.

Friends say the group had been at a party in the heavily farmed area. One of the five called a cab. The others agreed to help him find it.

“Went on down the road on the golf cart thinking the taxi was up there and couldn’t really find the long driveway, so they figured they’ll just go ride down the road. I think the fog and all got pretty thick,” Owings said.

“It apparently was fairly dark so it’s conceivable that you could easily accidentally drive through that field and drive over that cliff into the stream,” said Lt. Rob McCullough of the Baltimore County Police.

The accident site itself is a really steep drop. It’s at least 30 feet deep, and at the bottom, there are huge concrete and metal drainage pipes.

“He was Uncle Jeff to all of his friends’ kids,” Griffin’s friend Cori Eppig said.

Eppig and her husband were business partners with Griffin, whose death they call heartbreaking. They’re joining many others, remembering him as a great man, who died trying help a friend.

“Everyone who knows him understands what I’m feeling right now,” she said. “I can’t put it into words.”

Police say so far no charges have been filed, though the accident is still under investigation.

Four hundred people are killed in ATV crashes in the U.S. every year.

A police officer saw the suspect speeding away from the location. They later found the car overturned in a field on Mount Carmel Road near Cedar Grove Road. Police were unable to locate the suspect.

Later in the morning, at 10:40, police got a report of a carjacking at 2015 Mount Carmel Road near a church. No one was injured in the carjacking. The car was later found abandoned at 14 Mount Carmel Road.

Officers believe the same person may be responsible for both incidents. The suspect is described as a black male in his 40s, 6’1″, with a shaved head. It is believed he has a silver semi-automatic handgun.

If you see someone fitting the suspect description call police immediately and do not approach the suspect.

Suzanne Collins reports on efforts to save their lives.

The sound of food brings cats swarming to Sharon Wheeler’s deck in Parkton.  She loves animals, but in a few years, three abandoned kittens living in the barn turned into 50 cats.  Her husband just died and she’s putting a call out for help.

“The problem here is the population is getting out of hand.  I couldn’t continue to feed them because he’s not here and financially need help,” said Wheeler.

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Animal Rescue arrived with traps and cages to take a few cats at a time to their shelter for spaying.  They want to stop the colony from getting even bigger.  Cats must recover from surgery in a warm place, but the shelter has limited space.

“We would love to be able to bring our mobile unit here and do as many as we can in one day, but because of the weather we’re doing about 10 to 15 at a time,” said Grace Froelich, Animal Rescue.

Animal Rescue says most of these cats are very healthy. Some of them are also very friendly, somewhat domesticated and it is believed many will be adoptable.

“I’ve seen them with Sharon.  They come around. She can pet them, may take a bit of extra work to be able to pick them up and cuddle them,” said Froelich. “But I think a lot of these cats have the potential of being house cats.”

Animal Rescue is using a grant from the Snyder Foundation to pay for the spaying, but it needs donations for food. They also want to impart a message: don’t abandon unwanted cats in the country.

“If you cannot keep your cat, take your cat to a shelter. It may not find a home, but it’s a lot kinder than a cat that dies of starvation,” said Froelich.

If you are interested in donating to Animal Rescue to help cover the cost of spaying and food, or can adopt a cat, click here.

I would highly recommend it. the atmosphere (inside and out) was extremely pleasant.  The wait staff was good as was the food.  I’m looking forward to trying it again in the future!   I think that while the Wagon Wheel Restaurant (which formerly stood on this site) will be missed by locals, this place over time will capture the same local appeal and is much more enjoyable.

Powerball has arrived in Maryland with much fanfare as the Maryland Lottery rolled out the red carpet for its newest multi-state jackpot game. Nearly 400 attendees gathered at Martin’s West on Sunday to celebrate the debut of the game at a huge Powerball Kick-Off Party. Attendees received red Powerball t-shirts upon their arrival and were greeted by the Lottery’s Powerball mascot. Many donned their t-shirts to create a sea of red revelers in the ballroom. Cameras flashed and news media captured the happy partiers as they kicked up their heels to the eight-piece band and lined up to purchase their first Powerball tickets.

VIEW PHOTO SLIDESHOW

“I had a great time and the band rocked,” said one happy partygoer.  “Hopefully I will have the first winning Powerball ticket in Maryland!”

Throughout the event, the Lottery gave away $15,000.  Christina Ignatowski from Parkton won the $10,000 grand prize. $1,000 winners included Jeff Waters from Baltimore, Sandra Byrd from Reisterstown, Nita Fridley from Glen Burnie, Cheryl Cugle from Harmon’s, and Kelly Hutton from Edgewater.

“This party was a great way to get players enthused about our newest multi-state jackpot game,” said Lottery Communications Director Carole Everett.  “And, to top it all off, the jackpot is $115 million tonight!”

Powerball drawings will air Wednesday and Saturday evenings at 11:22 PM on WBAL-TV, Channel 11.

This 34′ x 12′ low maintenance deck features brownstone Azek flooring, white Azek trim, vinyl railing, and bronze metal balusters. The highlight of this custom deck is the 13′ x 13′ low maintenance pavilion with fan. A curved paver walkway leads from the side of the deck towards the front of the house.

www.welcomehomedecks.com

Welcome Home Decks is based in Harford County, Maryland