My Top Ten News Stories in Eastern Baltimore County for the 2010s


Here is my list of the biggest news stories over the past 10 years in eastern Baltimore County. There might have been a few I missed and I’m sorry about that. I know the list won’t please everyone but here it is:

1.Perry Hall High School Shooting
The Perry Hall community will never forget the day the area made the national news for all the wrong reasons. A student shot another student on the first day of school on Aug. 27, 2012 at Perry Hall High School.

Social media and local news outlets were filled with photos of Perry Hall students leaving the school and heading down to Perry Hall Shopping Center as the school evacuated the building. Many worried parents were relieved when they were reunited with their children at the shopping center.

The day started when Robert Gladden Jr., a 9th grader and 15-year old at Perry Hall, went to the school with a 16-gauge shotgun and 21 rounds of ammunition. When he entered the cafeteria, he pulled the gun out. Then school counselor Jesse Wasmer saw Gladden with the gun and quickly tackled him. Gladden did get off two shots during the struggle. The School Resource Officer stepped in and arrested Gladden at the scene.

One of those bullets hit 12th grade student Daniel Borowy. Although the shot was fired randomly in the air during the struggle, Borowy suffered a bruised lung and fractured rib. He would survive and returned to school in November 2012. Gladden pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

That was a sad day and Perry Hall and a huge story watched all over the area and state. That is why I am making it the number one story in eastern Baltimore County for the decade.

2. Killing of Officer Amy Caprio
I hate to list the top two stories of the decade from the Perry Hall area, especially when both stories were devastating and sad for the area, but the death of Officer Amy Caprio on May 21,2018 ranks as the second biggest story of the decade.

Officer Caprio was called to Perry Hall after a suspicious condition was reported on Linwen Way at 1:58 p.m. According to a report from Baltimore County Police, Caprio was given information about a suspect vehicle and a description of the four suspects that could be attempting a burglary. She found the suspect vehicle after an extensive search. The report added that Caprio realized the danger that a confrontation could ensue. She still approached the suspect stopped at the end of the cul-de-sac on Linwen Way. Reports show that the suspect, 16-year-old Dawnta Anthony Harris, refused to listen to Caprio’s request to exit the vehicle, and choose to drive the vehicle towards the officer which resulted fatal injuries. Harris left the scene.
Harris was found guilty of Caprio’s murder by a jury on May 1, 2019 and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole and received 20 years for burglary and five years for theft.

3. The Sale of the North Point Government
Baltimore County trying to sell a piece of land would rank as the third biggest story of the decade. On a December 2012 morning, Baltimore County sent over a release about the North Point Government Center being for sale.
What we learned is that Baltimore County issued its public solicitation for the sale of three parcels of Baltimore County. The Towson Fire Station, The Randallstown Police substation and the Government Center were the three parcels of land. There was not much controversy with the Towson and Randallstown properties but the Government Center in Dundalk was a big fight. The building located on the corner of Wise Avenue and Merritt Boulevard was the home to a junior high school until the early 1980s. Then the land was transferred over to Baltimore County and the building and fields have been used for Baltimore County Recreation and Parks program, the County Council’s office in District 7 and was the home of North Point Police Precinct 12. The police moved over to the old Eastwood Center school.

Baltimore County decided to award the property to Vanguard as their plan was to demolish the government center and to build a small rec. center and use the other side to bring in retailers Chipotle, Panera Bread, Chick-fil-a and Five Guys. The ballfields would remain at the site and there would be retail.

The sale of the Government Center started the creation of Dundalk United. It was group made up of the different rec. programs at the Government Center along with residents who were against the idea of having retail in their backyards.
Members of the Dundalk United received a huge break when it was revealed that since the state of Maryland still held school construction bonds on the property since the 1980s. That meant the Board of Public Works had to approve the project. The late Kevin Kamenetz was trying to sell the property as Baltimore County Executive, but two of the three members of the Board were his political rivals -Republican Governor Larry Hogan and Democratic Comptroller Peter Franchot who battled with Kamenetz over school air conditioning in Baltimore County.

As of late 2019, the North Point Government Center property is still at the corner of Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue and many rec programs such as the Sky is the Limit theater remains at the site.

4. President Barack Obama Visits Parkville Middle
I don’t care what side of the aisle that you sit on, when a sitting U.S. President comes to your area it is a big deal. It might be the story of the decade. So why was Barack Obama’s visit to Parkville Middle School only ranked fourth? It was low key and no local media was allowed to go to the event. That meant we didn’t get the great local stories that we received when candidate Hillary Clinton visited the GM Plant in White Marsh in 2008 or when then-candidate Donald Trump visited the Dundalk Boulevard Diner in 2016. Even visits by Governors Martin O’Malley and Larry Hogan to the area created many great stories as our local community members, media and even elected officials were part of the visit. This visit was not the case.
Obama picked Parkville Middle to make an announcement about education priorities for his Federal Government’s 2012 budget and thought Parkville Middle was the perfect choice with the school’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program.
From what I recalled, The Avenue News, East County Times and the local Patch websites were not invited to the event. I am not sure if the local TV stations were allowed at the school during Obama’s visit. A press release was sent out to the local media outlets.
I can understand the security of protecting the President, but it would have been great if the local media and others would have been allowed to attend.
The Avenue News wrote an article a day or two later when Editor Amy Graziano got to go to the school after the President left to interview the teachers and the students that met him but I’m sure it was not the same. It was a story about a story that took place a day earlier.

5. Angel Park is Built by Community
This is one great story that was uplifting and brought a community together. That was the building of Angel Park in Perry Hall.
Yes, this story started off with sadness as Kelli and Andy Szczybor were looking to give back to their community after their son Ryan was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 6 months old and he later died at 15 months. That lead the Szczybors to want to create a place that children could enjoy and they came up with the creation of Angel Park.
Bill Paulshock of Bill’s Seafood spearheaded the project along with the Szczybors and he announced that Angel Park would be built next to the Perry Hall Library on Honeygo Boulevard. Paulshock also announced that the playground would be under construction from July 8 to July 18 in 2016 and they were seeking volunteers from the community to build the park. That included people with or without experience.
It was reported that over 4,000 people volunteered to help build Angel Park and many of those volunteers return on multiple times on the 10-day construction period. Angel Park added indoor bathrooms a few years later and it is one of the most popular playgrounds in all of Baltimore County.

6. The Closing of the Sparrows Point Steel Mill
The history of the steel mill at Sparrows Point goes back centuries but in May 2012, RG Steel, (owned by Renco Group) announced that it was shutting down the mill. As the Baltimore Sun reported, RG Steel was the last company to own the steel mill, but the list goes back to Pennsylvania Steel all the way back to 1889. Bethlehem Steel, which had over 30,000 employees in the late 50s, bought the steel mill in 1916 for $50 million. They would own the property until they filed for bankruptcy in 2001.
That resulted in multiple owners throughout the steel mill’s final 11 years.

Hilco Trading LLC bought the property from RG in August of 2012. The Baltimore Sun reported that Hilco was a plant liquidator and the company has dismantled industrial properties in the past so everyone knew this was the end of the steel mill in Sparrows Point.
In late 2014, Hilco partner up with a new group called Sparrows Point Terminal, which later became Trade Point Atlantic.

7. Rebirth of Sparrows Point
After the steel mill property was sold to Hilco Trading LLC, that company started to rebuild the area by dismantling steel mill building. Hilco would partner up with a new group called Sparrows Point Terminal, which later became TradePoint Atlantic.

After TradePoint Atlantic took over the site, many new businesses started to locate the old steel mill site. TradePoint prided its location on “Unparalleled Railway Connectivity, Deep Water Port and Direct Highway Access. Some of the businesses that moved into the site include FedEx Ground, Pasha Automotive Services, Harley-Davidson of Baltimore, Access World, Atlantic Forest Products, C. Steinweg, Lafarge Holcim, Under Armour, Amazon and Gotham Greens.

8. Death of Kenwood Student on the Aero Acres Train Tracks
The decade was only five days old, but the death of Anna Marie Stickel on January 5, 2010 was one of the worst tragedies of the 2010s in eastern Baltimore County and probably one of the worst days in the history of Kenwood High School. It was the worst event that I personally covered in my nine-year history as a journalist.

The 14-year-old was walking to school along the railroad tracks near Old Orems Road and Middle River Road when a southbound Amtrak train struck and killed her. Another girl was walking along the tracks with Stickel but was able to get off the tracks safely.

Anna’s death obviously upset the Kenwood High community. I went to the site of the tragedy the next day and many of her friends and classmates where there to pay their respects. There were hearts and teddy bears placed along the train tracks’ gate. The area is still decorated there 10 years later.

After her death, there were concerns that Kenwood students from Aero Acres were still using the tracks to take a short cut to school. There was a request from some Kenwood parents to build a pedestrian bridge over the tracks that would connect Aero Acres to the Middlesex area. That bridge was never built, but a black iron fence was placed along the tracks from Eastern Boulevard to Mace Avenue to replace the worn-out chain-link fence.

9. Paragon Outlets
The White Marsh area had its version of the sale of the North Point Government Center with the near development of the Paragon outlet stores. This project saw opposition from community members, but also had opposition for existing shopping centers such as White Marsh Mall. According to the Baltimore Sun, Paragon Outlet Partners bought an 88-acre site at the corner I-95 and Route 43 for $15.3 million. Paragon’s plan was to build 100 stores and 250 residential units.

The proposal was met with mixed emotions from the community. The Sun reported other members of the community were not happy with the outlet proposal but some wanted that project instead of the original plan that called for 1,200 housing units. There were other residents that did not want the project at all. Some of the opposition came from other retail centers.

White Marsh Mall started a petition drive in opposition of the plan and spent over $500,000 to collect over 26,000 signatures from registered county voters to place a referendum on the 2016 ballot to uphold the zoning law for the Outlets.
The proposal was passed by Baltimore County voters, but the Paragon announced in January 2017 that it had plans to sell the property and the plan for outlet stores was dead.

It was reported in June 2018 that Atapco Properties and Chesapeake Real Estate Group LLC (CREG) bought the property and had plans to turn the site into warehouse space. The Baltimore Sun reported that the idea of warehousing was more lucrative than outlet stores and gave examples of Amazon, FedEx and Under Armour moving into Sparrows Point. As of April 2019, Atapco and CREG reported that construction began on a two-building project. The first-phase of the project is expected to be completed in 2020.

10. War of 1812 Bicentennial Celebration
The Dundalk Patapsco Neck Historical Society and Museum kicked off their celebration of the 200 years anniversary of the War of 1812 in 2012.

Defenders Day has been an annual tradition on Labor Day weekend as reenactments are always held on Labor Day Sunday at Fort Howard Park. In 2013 & 2014, the Maryland War Of 1812 Bicentennial Commission asked Defenders Day Chairman Harry Young to move their day back to the second weekend of September where it became a two-day event. This would accommodate other events at Fort McHenry so the War of 1812 events were promoting and not competing with each other. Defenders Day moved back to it one day slot back on Labor Day in 2015 and the event was still going strong in 2019.

Battle Acre Park on Old North Point Road had been a quiet landmark in the area for almost 200 years. In September 2014, the area was flooded with excitement as soldiers reenacted the six mile walk from Patterson Park to Battle Acre. After the march, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and other dignitaries met at the site for a celebration.
Battle Acre did become the center of controversy when the historic wrought-iron gates at the front of the park was stolen and allegedly scrapped in June 2014. An arrest was made in August before the festivities.

The final piece of the War of 1812 Celebration took place in 2015 when the Maryland Natural Department of Resources official opened the 9- acre North Point Battlefield at the end of Trappe Road. The state of Maryland bought the vacant Trappe Road field from Mars Supermarket in 2006.

Former BCPS Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston Dies


Baltimore County Public Schools reported that former Superintendent Joe A. Hairston died on Saturday Dec. 28 at the age of 71.

“Team BCPS, we are saddened to hear of the death of former Superintendent Dr. Joe Hairston,” said BCPS Chief of Staff Mychael Dickerson in a tweet on Saturday.

“I spoke with Mrs. Hairston just moments ago and she wanted the information shared with the BCPS community. Our prayers are with Dr. Hairston’s Family and all our staff who worked with him.”

Hairston was the first African American BCPS Superintendent and served in the top BCPS position for 12 years until 2012. Current BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams issued a statement on the passing of Hairston.

“On behalf of the entire Baltimore County Public Schools community, I express condolences to the family of Dr. Joe A. Hairston. While I did not have the opportunity to work with Dr. Hairston, I greatly appreciated him meeting with me earlier this year as I was getting to know the community<" Williams said, "For 12 years, Dr. Hairston served as superintendent of Baltimore County schools. With every action, he exuded the “quiet confidence" that he often advocated, and he worked to ensure high-quality education for every child regardless of race or zip code. Under his leadership, as the school system grew and became more diverse, academic achievement and graduation rates remained strong. Advanced Placement exam participation almost tripled. Dr. Hairston’s noteworthy innovations include establishing a virtual learning environment at Chesapeake High School (believed to be the first of its kind in the nation); forming key partnerships with the College Board and AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) to promote college attendance; and launching the school system’s first school-wide STEM academy. "But his strongest mark on Baltimore County Public Schools was his recognition of the “seismic shifts" coming in education and his devotion to every child. “All means all" was his mantra, his commitment, and his goal. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in the lives of every student, educator, and community member who benefited from his service."

Rosedale Motorcyclist Killed in Christmas Eve Accident


Baltimore County Police responded to a motorcycle crash the on-ramp of White Marsh Boulevard from the northbound lane of Belair Road in Fullerton on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 4:45 p.m.

Police were able to determine that a 2018 Triumph motorcycle was traveling north on Belair Road, then entered the ramp leading to White Marsh Boulevard. The driver lost control, struck the curb, and was ejected from the motorcycle. He was transported to a local hospital but was later pronounced deceased.

The driver has been identified as Anthony John-Ryan Heilker, 27, of the unit-block of Leatherwood Place in Rosedale. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Police are continuing their investigation at this time.

Parkville Man Fatally Stabbed by Family Member on Christmas


Baltimore County Police were called to a Parkville home on Christmas morning located in the 7900-block of Tilmont Avenue for a disturbance. Police arrived around 11 a.m. and found a man suffering from an apparent stab wound to the upper body. The man was identified as William Daniel Barry, 63, of the 7900-block of Tilmont Avenue, 21234. Barry was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.

The subsequent investigation determined that William Barry had an argument with the family member inside the house. The two individuals lived together and were the only two inside the house at the time of the incident.

During the argument, Barry punched the female family member several times on her face, knocking her to the floor.

Barry eventually walked away from the woman and she was able to grab a knife. Barry started to approach the woman again at which time she stabbed Barry.

This case will be reviewed by the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office to determine if the woman will face any charges from this incident.

Arrest Made in Stabbing Death at Middle RIver Nightclub


Detectives from the Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit have charged a man in the stabbing death of another man at Excape Nightclub early Saturday morning.

Joshua David Edwards (28) of the 200 block of Kershaw Court, of Joppatowne, is charged with first degree murder and held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center pending a bail review hearing scheduled for Monday.

Detectives determined that Edwards initially engaged in a verbal altercation with the victim, identified as David Bryan Collins Jr (32) of the 100 block of Breakwater Court, 21085. The argument escalated into a physical fight during which Edwards produced a knife and stabbed the victim, who later died of his injuries.

Fatal Stabbing Reported at Middle River Nightclub


One man is dead after a fight led to a stabbing outside a Middle River nightclub early Saturday.

Police were dispatched to Excape Nightclub in the 10000 block of Pulaski Highway at 12:15 a.m. for a call of a stabbing. The victim, an adult man, was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center where he later died. The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers.

Detectives from the Baltimore County Police Homicide Unit are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stabbing and are asking anyone who may have information to contact them by calling 410-307-2020. Callers may remain anonymous.

Police Make Arrest in Rosedale Fatal Stabbing


Police have charged a suspect in the death of a man killed in a stabbing on Capella Court in Rosedale on the morning of Dec. 19.

Carlos Alexander Chavez-Alvarez (37) of the 9800 block of Tailspin Lane, in Middle River is charged with first degree murder and held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center pending a bail review hearing scheduled for Monday.

Detectives learned that Chavez-Alvarez confronted the victim, identified as 32-year-old Denys Javie Hernandez-Martinez of the unit block of Capella Court, Rosedale, in the early morning hours yesterday over a previous dispute. Chavez-Alvarez cut and stabbed the victim, then fled the scene.

He was arrested by Baltimore County Police Homicide Detectives around 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.

Police said that they are grateful to the members of our department who work tirelessly every day to make this a safer Baltimore County.

Art Teachers from Pine Grove & Golden Ring Receive Linda Popp Leadership Award


Vernon Fains, visual arts content leader at Pine Grove Middle School, has earned the Linda Popp Leadership Award, and Camille Gibson, visual arts teacher at Golden Ring Middle, has earned the Middle School Teacher of the Year award. The statewide awards from the Maryland Art Education Association were presented at its annual award ceremony on Dec. 15.

The Linda Popp Leadership Award, meant to recognize an individual for outstanding contributions and professional service, is named after the former visual arts coordinator for Baltimore County Public Schools. After the awards ceremony, Popp described Fains as “truly a champion for every child and all teachers!”

The awards ceremony program featured the following quote from Fains: “As an art educator, I want to be able to encourage and contribute to the holistic growth of artists/students by providing space and opportunities for individual expression and meaningful experiences as they develop unique and personal ways to communicate thoughts and feelings.”

Beyond his role at Pine Grove Middle, Fains is an adjunct art education professor at Towson University, a board member for the Maryland Teachers Union, and a National Education Association Leader for Just Schools. As a member of the BCPS Lead Art Teacher Cadre working with special needs instruction, Fains is helping to facilitate a transformation of inclusive art instruction. Fains’ educational background includes a bachelor of fine arts degree in visual communications from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master’s degree in art education, both from Towson University. Fains has won multiple awards and says that he is inspired by interacting with fellow educators by leading and participating in exhibitions, workshops, collaborative planning, and curriculum writing sessions.

In addition to serving as an art teacher at Golden Ring Middle, Gibson also serves as department chair and art lead teacher for the eastern zone of BCPS. In addition, Gibson created a student-driven art program at Golden Ring Middle called “Art for a Cause.” The program allows her students to use their artistic abilities to address issues that are relevant in their community. Gibson has worked at Golden Ring Middle for six years and has her master’s degree in leadership teaching in cultural proficiency from Notre Dame of Maryland University. She is working on her post-master’s certificate in administration and supervision from the same university.

“My philosophy of art education,” Gibson said, “is creating a safe space where students can foster their artistic abilities, providing opportunities for my students to make artworks that are meaningful for them, and providing an outlet to students to explore various components of the visual arts.”

Parkville, Perry Hall & Eastern Tech Students Part of Youth Diplomats Program


The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) has named four local Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) students among the inaugural class of participants in its Youth Diplomats Program.

The new program for Maryland high school juniors and seniors offers workshops, meetings with professionals, and volunteer opportunities for students who are curious about the world, open to diverse perspectives, committed to making an impact locally and globally, and who advocate for human rights, equality. and peace.

In total, 31 students, representing 23 schools from six counties and Baltimore City, have been selected through a rigorous application process for the inaugural class. The eastside BCPS participants are:

•Rebecca Angin, Parkville High School

•Cameron Rozankowski, Parkville High School

•Lena Wang, Eastern Technical High School

•Rylee Wienhold, Perry Hall High School

The Youth Diplomats Program includes eight workshops, held on Saturdays from Jan. 25 through Aug. 15, 2020. The program also incorporates components such as a group trip to Washington, D.C.; a meeting with the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program; and a hosted dinner with international families.

Eddie Resende, co-CEO of the World Trade Center Institute, said, “The program is designed to increase the younger generation’s appreciation for some of today’s most pressing global issues in international affairs and business. We hope their experiences in our program inspire them to become global citizens and pursue careers in some of the program’s featured topics.”

The students will also earn 25 service-learning hours, gain cultural competency, and further a connection to the network of Youth Diplomats from around the nation, as well as advance their abilities to demonstrate knowledge of global affairs to colleges and employers.

“This program is meant to empower students with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to make a positive impact both locally and globally,” says Zachary Sheaffer, assistant manager of programs and operations for WTCI. “After all, they are our future leaders.”

Upon completion of the program, the Youth Diplomats will be deemed Albrecht Fellows. The Albrecht Fellowships’ goal is to help globally-minded students become the next generation of international leaders.

Joppa View Student selected as Baltimore Chick-fil-A Kid Correspondents


Alexis Orzolek, a Grade 4 student at Joppa View Elementary School, has been selected as one of the 12 Chick-fil-A Kid Correspondents for FOX45. She is one of two BCPS students as Bryce Garrett, a Grade 8 student at Sudbrook Magnet Middle School, was also selected

This is the third year that FOX45 has teamed with the 42 Baltimore-area Chick-fil-A restaurants to select Kid Correspondents. The educational competition was designed to reach youth interested in exploring careers in broadcast journalism. From applications, semi-finalists are selected through a random drawing.

One child from each of the 42 Baltimore-area Chick-fil-As is selected as a semi-finalist. The semi-finalists attend a luncheon at FOX45 studios, where they receive a tour of the studios, including a meet and greet with a FOX45 anchor and producer, and a bag of Chick-fil-A promotional items. Then, each semi-finalist presents a 30-second “report” in front of the camera and judges, explaining why he or she should be the next Chick-fil-A Kids Correspondent. The semi-finalists are judged on poise, creativity, personality, and presentation. Based on the presentations, the top 12 semi-finalists are chosen to become official Chick-fil-A Kids Correspondents.

Orzolek and the other winners will each receive 52 free chicken sandwiches and will each record a 15-second public service announcement that will be broadcast on FOX45 for one month in 2020. Scripts will be provided to the winners, and the recordings will take place at the end of December

Orzolek, a FOX45 News fan, told the judges, she has set many goals for herself. She hopes to become a veterinarian, American Ninja Warrior, and the president of the United States. To prepare, she works with rescue bunnies at Joppa View Elementary, has earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and studies presidents and other people who have had major impacts in the world.