Trailblazer Torrey

Dr. Torrey C. Brown is one of our neighbors here at the Warehouse. The Hopkins-trained physician and one time assistant dean of the medical school is now a principal in a biotechnological firm. Yet, he has a far greater connection to Maryland sports that an office overlooking Camden Yards. For in those years between practicing medicine and developing cutting edge health products, Torrey Brown was a member of the Maryland General Assembly (where he chaired the Environmental Matters Committee) and, for twelve years, Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources. His influence, his legacy, is felt throughout Maryland in the parks and open spaces that provide enjoyment to so many.

Some of Maryland’s most prominent venues (like Fair Hill, Sandy Point, and Somers Cove Marina) are DNR properties. Others (like the rivers and our Bay) are DNR regulated. In fact, DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife. Learn about DNR facilities and programs here: www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/pfwma2.html

During his tenure, Torrey Brown was responsible for a number of advancements in the state’s park and recreational assets, helping to make them the attractions they are for outdoor sports. He fought some tough battles, too. One of the most controversial was banning the harvest of rockfish for five years when the species was seriously endangered. That’s a story for opening day of rockfish season.

Another bold initiative was transforming a 21 mile segment of the deserted North Central Railroad corridor, stretching from Hunt Valley to the Mason-Dixon line, into an all purpose recreational trail. In 1984, such a concept was revolutionary and met with tremendous resistence. Now when we see hikers, cyclists, and equestrians of all ages enjoying the linear park year round, it’s hard to imagine the furor he faced from NIMBYs who opposed him back then. But Torrey prevailed, and in the process the North Central Rail Trail became a national model for this type of recreational adaptive reuse.

Today, more than 800,000 visitors annually enjoy the trail, which is part of Gunpowder Falls State Park. And now it is known as the Torrey C. Brown trail, having been renamed in 2007 to honor the physician/visionary/conservationist who wasn’t afraid to take a tough stand to do the right thing.

Our next adventure (Ashley’s going along for this gig) is a visit to the Torrey C. We’ll start in Monkton and see where it takes us.

Fishing for Fortune – In Search of Diamond Jim

Among Maryland’s superb sports facilities and venues there is one treasure that stands alone. Even from space, it is recognizable as uniquely ours. The Chesapeake Bay, largest estuary in the country, has defined Maryland since the beginning of time. It gifted us with a world famous cuisine. It brought settlers to our shores, provided transportation for commerce and furnished resources for industry. For hundreds of years, the Chesapeake Bay has been our window on the world.

It’s also our biggest playground for sports and recreational activities. It’s hosted international competitions like the Volvo Ocean Race. Regional sailing and power boating competitions happen almost every summer day. Even so, I wonder if any sportsman enjoys the Chesapeake more than those in search of the Big One.

Sportfishing is a big industry in Maryland. Generations of head boat captains have made their living as fishing guides. Recreational boaters, whether seeking relaxation or excitement (sometimes both) spend hours with a line tossed overboard. No matter the reason or expectation, sportfishing in the Chesapeake Bay became infinitely more exciting when Diamond Jim swam onto the scene.

He isn't exactly Moby Dick, but Diamond Jim is worth chasing. Even obsessing over.  As with many other grand pursuits, there's plenty of fun to be had in the hunt.

Catching Diamond Jim is about as likely as hitting the Maryland Lottery. But the hunt is infinitely more exciting than a fistful of scratch offs. (Sorry, Buddy.) You never know if that tug on your pole is the ever-elusive, green tagged rockfish.

Not just any green tag, either. There is only one Diamond Jim (worth $10,000) and 49pretenders (Zircons?) The longer he stays off the hook, the more valuable Jim becomes. If he makes it through the summer without taking the bait he’s worth 25 grand. That’s a lot of fins.

The Diamond Jim chase is sponsored by the state through Department of Natural Resources and several private sector partners. It is a fun way to draw attention to the Bay’s bountiful resources and the state fish. It creates an element of excitement on even the laziest summer day.

Learn more about Diamond Jim, his court of imposters, and other ways to make hay with a day on the Bay here: www.dnr.state.md.us/dnrnews/pressrelease2009/052809.asp

Those Innovative Soxsters

As expected, the Soxs fans arrived early yesterday. My fave bartender said three were already perched on the stoop at Pickles when he arrived for work. Guess they wanted a cold one before beginning the vigil at Home Plate Plaza.

Sox fans lead the league in lurking. By noon on game day you see clusters of them stationed on the steps at Schaefer Circle, waiting for the players to arrive. Seasoned autograph-seeking veterans know which entrance certain players favor and when they are likely to arrive. (Some enter via the stadium, others prefer the Warehouse)

The real pros are prepared for all contingencies, as I learned this afternoon. On my way to lunch at Pastimes, I passed an encampment in front of the Warehouse. Couple of costumed Sox fans accompanied by bikes (must have been tough pedaling down I-95) were guarding their stash of memorabilia. Not just a few pictures and magazines, but boxes of baseball cards and a golf bag full of baseball bats. I was about to ask what this road show was all about (Soxsters always have good stories) when a cell phone rang. One of the guys answered the phone, grabbed a particular bat from the bag, hopped on a bike and sped in the direction of the stadium.

Seems they had a satellite camp over there, along with a sentry who called just as soon as a player was sighted. These guys are so slick I’m guessing they have it loaded on their Iphones and listed on ebay before the game even starts.

I asked if they do this drill at other stadiums. No, one of them told me. There’s no place like Baltimore. These trips are the highlight of our summer.

Ironic or not, it makes you proud to know people plan their summers around a trip to your ballpark. Particularly when it's a couple hundred miles away and they travel by bicycle.

The Red Sox are coming, the Red Sox are coming !!

I may get flamed for this, but hear me out. The times I most enjoy hanging around Camden Yards is when the Red Sox play. The team plays Monday night, but the fans will start lurking around the Warehouse about noon.

I know this is heresy to those who resent having Oriole Park taken over by a sizable (and highly vocal) contingent of opposing fans, particularly when they all come in costumes and sit together. They do seem to take over the place. But they also bring enough energy to light south Baltimore, and demonstrate a real appreciation for the game.

That’s not all they appreciate. I’ve spent a lot of time talking to them – on Eutaw Street and in my favorite haunt, Pickles Pub – and what I hear repeatedly is how much these folks from New England enjoy coming to Camden Yards. For many, the trip to Baltimore is a family vacation, a weekend with the guys, or even a romantic getaway. (No kidding!) For some, it is the only chance they get to see their favorite team in person since Fenway Park tickets are so scarce (and expensive.) As one group of guys told me (while swilling at Pickles) it’s cheaper to catch an AirTran out of Boston or Southwest out of Providence, get a hotel at the airport and light rail to the stadium, than it is to pay for tickets and parking in Boston. At Pickles, you can’t have a conversation without comparing StubHub steals.

In fact, said one, they enjoy coming here so much they call it “Fenway South” (I don’t think I’ll share that with Mr. Angelos anytime soon.) When one shouts across the bar to another “I'll catch you at Boog’s” you know it isn’t their first time here. For some, it’s an annual migration.

So while many O’s faithful (and probably the Birds themselves) resent the highly partisan Sox fans in their roost, look at it from an economic standpoint. Not only do the interlopers stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, visit attractions, and drink in bars (particularly the latter) but they also buy concessions and souvenirs at the stadium. With the hospitality industry hit particularly hard by a soft economy, these free spenders from the north are a welcome bump for the local economy.

That isn’t the reason I like the Sox visits the most, though. It’s the genuine admiration they express for Camden Yards and the experience they have when visiting here. Anyone who appreciates what a special place we Marylanders have is OK with me.

Don’t let the Beantowners have all the fun. Come to a game and spend the day or evening around the park. Be a tourist in your own state and see what we have that is the pride of the Major Leagues. Oriole tickets are available here:
baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=bal

Canoeing with Kiddies, Smithsonian Institute Research

My rained-out adventure on the Rhode River was rescheduled for today and the weather couldn’t have been more glorious. So was the company. Our canoeing excursion with the Smithsonian Institute Research Center consisted mostly of families with small children, ranging in ages from five to ten. Almost everyone was a novice, so we had the benefit of being taught safety and paddling techniques before we embarked. If you’ve never been canoeing before, this is a wonderful, pressure free way to learn. Even for experienced paddlers, the guided two hour journey offered a delightful peek into a secluded nature preserve, free of motorized vessels, and a good cardiovascular workout.

I accompanied our guide, taking the bow position and doing most of the paddling while he steered from the rear. Good way to learn about the Smithsonian’s programs at the Research Center while reminding myself to tighten the abs.

The guided tours are conducted by volunteers. They take school groups, scout troops, and the regularly scheduled weekly tours to the headwaters of the Rhode River and up Muddy Creek, its main source. While there are sailboats and the inescapable waterskiing power boaters on the Rhode, they can’t maneuver the shallow depths of the aptly named creek. So once we cleared the mouth, the water was still and the air silent.

The Smithsonian now owns about 3,000 acres where Muddy Creek flows into the Rhode. Everything we could see was part of the preserve. Our guide explained how we were in a mud flat where the water was very shallow – sometimes barely passable – but the mud was as much as fifteen feet deep. We passed a few osprey nests, whose occupants were out fishing. They flew overhead and scolded from the nearby trees. Several blue herons were also on the hunt. One was so engrossed he barely looked up as we glided by. The most startling was an enormous bald eagle who swooped by on his way back to his nest at the headwaters.

The trip was so engrossing, and the environment so interesting, that the two hours slipped away. The youngsters switched places about half way through the trip so that everyone had a chance to paddle and no one got tired. I was amazed how well even the little kids did. And no whining! I can only guess they were having such a good time and were so captivated by all they were seeing that they didn’t realize how much exercise they were getting,

(And yes, I loaded up on Motrin just as soon as I got to the car. Otherwise, my fingers wouldn’t be working now)

A lot of countries and regions have realized the appeal of eco-tourism. I just returned from Alaska, where it is a major part of the economy. Along with the benefits of recreation and fitness, outdoor adventure offers something even more important – the chance for families and friends to share an interesting experience. I think I enjoyed watching the moms, dads (and granddad) learning about the wildlife of the river with their children as much as I did seeing the sights myself. Our guide told me it’s one of the reasons he volunteers. It’s gratifying to see youngsters touched by nature.

Maryland is beginning to catch on to eco-tourism, with the abundance of natural recreational assets we enjoy year round. I’m looking forward to seeing more in the coming months, in the mountains and the backwaters of the Eastern Shore. Hiking, biking, kayaking and canoeing are all ways to enjoy the beauty of our state. We are fortunate that the Smithsonian is doing so much to preserve the fragile eco-system of South Anne Arundel County, and share its beauty with those who appreciate it.

Learn about their programs and check out their adventures here: http://www.serc.si.edu/

Renaissance Roller Girl

This heroic scene isn't what you'd expect on the wall of a neighborhood Irish pub. Usually, those spots are reserved for patriots martyred in the Easter Rebellion. But the full length wall mural in Dougherty’s of Mt. Vernon (223 Chase Street) pays homage to another team of warriors engaged in full combat – the Charm City Roller Girls.

Even more stunning than the visual impact is that the artist, Leah Koltko, is a roller girl who graduated from Maryland Institute.

This sport becomes more and more intriguing as its popularity grows. For those who think the last roller queen was the Kansas City Bomber, take note --a new generation of skaters has found an audience for their competitive, entertaining and fun sport.

Charm City Roller Girls was formed in 2005 as an outgrowth of recreational skating at Skateland rink. It quickly developed into an organized all-woman, flat-track roller derby league made up of local women from all walks of life –from moms to artists.



With success (and fans) came the move to the Du Burns Arena in Canton, where their season began in May.

Before summer is over, I’ll catch a game (match?) and blog about it. For now, check out their website and learn about these community-based competitors. There’s even information about team tryouts for aspiring roller girls.

It sounds like too much fun. Can’t help but wonder what other talents lurk in the lineup.

http://www.charmcityrollergirls.com/

Hot "PINKS"

The weather held for the "PINKS All Out" drag race series held at Maryland International Raceway over the weekend. According to reports, thousands of fans turned out for the all day SPEED channel event.

480 drivers participated, including 20 local drivers from Southern Maryland. Larry Boswell from Mechanicsville (pictured above in his 1967 Chevy Camaro) made it to the final eight.

The competition at MIR will be featured in the September 17th episode of "PINKS All Out" at 8:00 PM on the SPEED channel.