A nearly vacant building complex flanked by two huge asphalt parking lots to the north and south are what currently make up Lutherville Station, off Ridgely Road in Timonium, Maryland. On a late-summer morning, the place looks desolate, even with the recent addition of a church that’s moved into one of its main buildings.

“The site is a tear-down,” says Mark Renbaum, the lead developer of an ongoing effort to revitalize Lutherville Station. He has plans to transform it into a mixed-use site with residential units, retail space, office space, a dog park, an event lawn, and other amenities. Through Lutherville Station LLC, he has submitted an application to have his vision for Lutherville Station gain designation as a Transit Oriented Development (TOD).

What’s there now

East of Lutherville Station, also along Ridgely Road, is the Yorkridge Shopping Center, featuring a Kohl’s department store, a Michael’s arts and crafts store, a Mom’s Organic Market grocery, and other establishments. The Baltimore Light Rail runs just west of Lutherville Station, connecting Baltimore County to Baltimore City and continuing on to the BWI airport. The hope is that these nearby amenities and Lutherville Station — once redeveloped — would benefit one another.

Ridgely Road dead-ends at the Lutherville Light Rail stop. The thinking is that the Light Rail, plus the new residential units Renbaum wants to build, would bring new business to the shopping center, which Renbaum manages. The TOD application predicts more than $9 million in annual revenue, including more than $3 million for Baltimore County, if the project goes forward. 

“[It’s] a once in a generation opportunity for Baltimore County,” Renbaum said in a press release, calling the Lutherville Station site “the most obvious TOD site” in Baltimore County. 

A spokesman for County Executive Johnny Olszewski downplayed the submission, saying that the TOD application was “nothing new” and was essentially an update of a previous application. In September 2022 a proposal was submitted to make Lutherville Station a TOD. That proposal listed the owner of Lutherville Station as Schwaber LS, LLC. Mark Renbaum is the CEO of Schwaber Holdings. 

Community opposition

The project has met considerable opposition from the Lutherville community, many of whose residents are upset with the proposed density of housing on the site, fearing that new housing would worsen traffic congestion and overcrowd area schools. Most of the black and white NO APARTMENTS NO COMPROMISE signs have been taken down, however. A few black and yellow signs calling for NO HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT have taken their place.

Lutherville Station LLC’s recent application to become a Transit Oriented Development isn’t likely to put an end to the controversy surrounding the project. The TOD application calls for 560 residential units, an increase of more than 100 over a previous proposal. Renbaum says the increase was made possible by the passage of House Bill 538, which he says would allow for as many as 1,300 residential units on the site. Renbaum says he would comply with existing regulations for making a designated number of the new residences affordable. The others would be available at market rate.

The increase in the number of proposed residential units is likely to become a point of contention. Eric Rockel, vice president of the Greater Timonium Community Council, was taken by surprise by the change, and wonders whether it will undermine “any trust [Renbaum has] built up in the community.” Rockel stressed that he was speaking for himself, as the Greater Timonium Community Council has not yet taken up the issue. The TOD application was submitted on Aug. 13.

Gov. Wes Moore signed HB 538, which is scheduled to become law on Jan. 1, 2025.

In a prepared statement released by his office, Baltimore County Councilman Wade Kach, in whose district Lutherville Station lies, said the TOD application “flies in the face” of efforts to resolve the issue in ways that take into consideration the area’s uniqueness. “In my opinion,” said Kach, the TOD application is a sign that “the developer has not acted in good faith.”

Next steps

The TOD application first goes to Baltimore County. If it’s approved, it then goes to the state for TOD designation. The Maryland Department of Transportation has authority for final approval.

Renbaum says being approved as a TOD would be but “the first of many steps” required for the Lutherville Station project to come to fruition. He seems prepared for a long battle to get longer, yet tired of having to continually fight it. “We’re ready to start the process,” he says, and adds that it’s time for all the groups with a stake in Lutherville Station to come together. 

Lutherville Station, a now-abandoned shopping center in Baltimore County, has become ground zero for a prickly debate about who gets to say what kind of development happens in a community.

Adjacent to a light rail stop, and formerly the home of a Caldor’s, a Borders, a warehouse store for Best Buy, and other now-defunct establishments, Lutherville Station sits mostly vacant. But a developer wants to change that.

Mark Renbaum, principal of MLR Partners, has proposed converting the site into a mixed-use development, with new retail, office space, and, most controversially, up to 450 rental apartments. But signs have cropped up in the neighborhood saying “NO APARTMENTS NO COMPROMISE,” reflecting how the housing has attracted most of the community’s opposition. Attempts to reach Renbaum have been unsuccessful.

Earlier this month, after the Lutherville community raised concerns about the impact the project would have on their neighborhood, a Baltimore County bill which would have rezoned the site in a way that enabled the project to go forward without either community input or County Council approval, was withdrawn. That bill (Council Bill 3-24), “did not have community sentiment factored in,” says Izzy Patoka, the chair of the County Council who represents District 2.

In its place a new bill – Bill 9-24 – has been introduced. Bill 9-24 gives County Council members authority to create mixed-use overlay districts in locations where adequate infrastructure is in place.

Patoka is a co-sponsor of the compromise bill. The closest contact residents have to the county government, he notes, is through their County Council representatives. And “council members,” Patoka says, “have significant awareness of community sentiment based on the level of outreach that we all do.”

The location of affordable housing

One of the purposes of bill 9-24 is to “incentivize the creation of attainable, accessible, and affordable housing units.”

The issue of where to locate affordable housing is one that communities across the nation are grappling with. The New York Times recently reported on how the affluent community of Florence, South Carolina, fought the proposed addition of 60 affordable housing units. The Times story cited other cases in other states where residents sought to stop the addition of affordable apartments — decisions that many say have a disproportionate impact on Black families.

Communities in Baltimore County have a long history of opposing new and multi-unit housing, and some media accounts have suggested that efforts to stop the Lutherville Station development are racially motivated.

County Councilman Wade Kach, in whose District 3 Lutherville Station sits, dismisses that notion. “The main reasons for opposition have nothing to do with racial issues,” he says. “It’s not a factor in this at all.”

Eric Rockel, vice president of the Greater Timonium Community Council, points to other potential negative consequences of the project, including traffic congestion (particularly at the intersection of York Road and Ridgely Road) and school overcrowding.

Rockel says the new bill allowing overlay districts is likely to be an improvement, but he has been withholding judgment for closer examination. He notes he has identified for the county locations he feels are more appropriate to add new apartments, though he acknowledges that none of these are near existing hubs of public transportation. The Lutherville light rail stop sits adjacent to Lutherville Station.

Councilman Kach, who was opposed to the withdrawn bill, says he is inclined to support Bill 9-24, which, because it allows for input from a council member, is more in line with his thinking. Kach adds that he is not necessarily opposed to apartments, but would prefer those aimed at those age 55 or older, especially if they served older people who currently live in the community. Such a focus, he says, would ease both traffic congestion and school overcrowding.

The office of Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, who generally supports the idea of creating new mixed-use developments, released this statement:

“To realize our fullest potential, Baltimore County must do more to reimagine and revitalize today’s aging infrastructure into the thriving community hubs of tomorrow. By supporting opportunities for mixed-use developments across Baltimore County, we can drive a new generation of smart growth that protects our environment, create new housing opportunities and build stronger communities for years to come.”

The compromise local legislation authorizing the overlay zoning is expected to be voted on by the Baltimore County Council in the spring.

Just when you think Baltimore can’t get any more supportive of those battling illness, along comes Cupid’s Undie Run!

That’s right, kids, registration is now open for the 10th annual Cupid’s Undie Run, which raises money for those affected by neurofibromatosis (NF), which is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. The event raises awareness of the disease, and money for NF research through the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF).

Hundreds of people will brave the cold on Feb. 3, wearing just their undies, which the organization bills as the nation’s largest pantless party and “mileish” run for charity.

In previous years, local runners have raced through the streets of Baltimore. But for the first time, this year’s pantless party will take place at a new venue, Ryleigh’s Oyster in Lutherville-Timonium.

According to the website, the Cupid’s Undie Run begins with drinking and dancing, and once sufficiently warmed up, participants jog it out for about a mile(-ish). To celebrate this brief exertion, there is an epic dance party, guaranteed to uplift!

Undies worn can be functional, simple, frilly, sparkly, shiny, and silliness is encouraged. It may even be required, if one is to run in just one’s undies in February in Baltimore.

This event takes place in cities across the United States both in person and virtually.

Ryleigh’s Oyster is located at 22 W. Padonia Road in Lutherville-Timonium. The Cupid’s Undie Run event runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the run itself beginning around 2 p.m.

To register as an individual or a team, please click this link.

1505 Broadway Road • Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093

Live authentically. Timeless architecture. Picture perfect farmhouse that will always be exciting to come home to. Embrace the country lifestyle with a coveted in town locale. Warm, inviting interiors. Abundance of natural light. Stunning barn reimagined into your personal basketball court perfect for aspiring athletes and keeping your lymph moving. Autumn evening delight… relish the sunset on your multi-tiered, expansive outdoor terrace overlooking your serene backyard oasis. Flow seamlessly into your welcoming, anytime of day screened-in sunroom. Ample cooking space…release your inner chef. Visual connectivity to great room, dining, and crackling fireplace. Sumptuous primary suite with two Enjoy a warm cup of tea in the fresh morning air as you relax on your storybook covered front porch. Take in the mesmerizing views of the lively, old growth trees. Soak in the summer sun as you float and splash in your pool. Guest cottage complete with full bath and kitchenette. Still and private. The beauty of nature abounds. Zippy access to anywhere you need to be. Cultivate your existence. The art of uniting human and home.

For more information on this listing, connect with Heidi Krauss.

“Country house”: 10100 Falls Rd, Lutherville Timonium, MD 21093

“City house”: 5 Paddington Ct, Baltimore, MD 21212

What: I couldn’t make up my mind which house to write about this week, so as I was
deciding, I realized that they had one main thing in common: they are both old stone houses. So, I
thought I would write about both of them: the country house and the city house.

Country house: If you’ve ever driven by that corner of Falls and Old Court roads, you know our country house, an old stone house. The house is part of the historic Rockland Mills, with a cheerful
garden of sunflowers, stacked stone wall and more. Rockland is a tiny community of early 19th
century stone houses that formerly housed the workers at the Rockland Grist Mill. These stone
houses had fallen into a dilapidated state, and were rescued by historic preservationist, Marty
Azola. The close-knit Rockland community maintains the driveways, common road, and trails
throughout and the neighbors host community events throughout the year.

This house has three bedrooms and three baths and takes up a little more than 2,600 square
feet. It is on the market for $745,000. It was the Chief Miller’s House and was originally the
largest of the group. Many of the house’s original details remain, including the random-width
flooring, deep windowsills, and numerous fireplaces. The house has been sympathetically
renovated with air-conditioning, a modern kitchen, indoor plumbing and much more.

City house: The city house was designed by favorites Palmer & Lamdin in 1929 as part of a group of six similar houses that make up Paddington Court in Homeland. Two of the houses bracket the
entrance to the court and the other four are laid out around a circular driveway. P&L
designed several of these courts in Homeland and Guilford so that none of the houses would
face out onto a busy street. They clearly took their inspiration from England’s Cotswolds
region and it’s easy to imagine this house with a thatched roof.

Paddington Court has four bedrooms and four baths, and takes up a little more than 3,500
square feet. It is on the market for $850,000. The kitchen has been modernized while still
retaining its vintage look, including a Viking appliances and a breakfast nook. A sunny
enclosed sunporch could be used in a variety of ways, including a home office or family room.
The second floor has four bedrooms and three full baths, and the top floor has space for two
offices or exercise rooms. The back yard is fenced and gated with a stone patio and a garage.

Where: Each of these houses offers different benefits. The country house is literally a minute
to the south-bound JFX (and the Misty Valley farm stand) and a few minutes to the Beltway.
It’s a few minutes to Greenspring Station and to private schools including Park, St. Paul’s and
St. Timothy’s. The city house is just off of Charles Street to take you north or south to your
destination. It is a few minutes’ drive to numerous schools, both public and private.

Final Appraisal: Friends know that I am a city mouse through and through, but I do love
spending time in the country. For other friends, the opposite is true, they love the country
and enjoy popping into the city occasionally. Neither is right or wrong, it’s just personal
preference. The listing for the country house is here. The listing for the city house is here.

All photos are from the listings.

While actual construction remains unfunded, Baltimore County’s top elected official today announced there’s money in the fiscal 2020 budget to plan and design replacement buildings for Towson High and Dulaney High.

County Executive Johnny Olszewski’s office said the dollars he’s identified in the fiscal 2020 budget, which was approved in May, will kick off the planning process.

The county is allotting $500,000 for the first phase of planning work for each school, which Olszewski said “is predicated” on the state providing additional money in the upcoming legislative session to fund more planning and, eventually, construction.

“These are schools that have long been documented in need of additional assistance and progress and new schools, whether it’s the severe overcrowding we see at Towson or the conditions that are declining at Dulaney, between lack of air conditioning and brown drinking water,” he said at a press conference.

County officials have previously said building new high schools would cost more than $100 million apiece.

The $2.15 billion budget passed by the Baltimore County Council earmarked $260 million for capital schools projects, including $15 million already set aside to plan and design a new Lansdowne High School, another aged institution that parents and officials have pushed to replace in recent years.

Olszewski said the county expects to have 1,700 more students than seats in its high schools in the next decade.

“I’m committed to ensuring that every student, every parent and every teacher in Baltimore County has access to a clean, safe, modern learning environment, and today’s announcement is an important step in that direction.”

Projections have suggested a need for 1,000 more seats in Baltimore County’s central corridor alone. Meanwhile, previous reports have detailed burst pipes, rusted sinks and a lack of air conditioning in classrooms at Dulaney, as well as corroded electrical systems, worn-out floors and deteriorating ceilings at Towson High.

Councilman Wade Kach, whose district includes Dulaney, nodded to the late Kevin Kamenetz’s previous commitment to replacing those secondary schools, which drew opposition from all council members except for Kach. The projects ended up being delayed anyway this spring, after a $2 billion school construction bill stalled in the Maryland Senate.

Kach, a Republican, applauded Olszewski for following through on advocating for new buildings. He noted Baltimore County’s schools are the second oldest in the state, behind Baltimore City’s.

“When he took over, we had to get our fiscal house in order, and he’s done that,” he said of Olszewski and his 2020 budget, which is supported by a new tax on cell phone service and the county’s first income tax increase in 30 years. “He’s planning for the future, and this is why today is happening.”

David Marks, who represents District 5, encompassing Towson High, also thanked Olszewski in a statement, saying the planning-and-design commitment “advances new high school construction in central Baltimore County, a goal shared by hundreds of students and families.”

Olszewski’s administration is working on a 10-year capital plan, which today’s announcement said will serve as “a roadmap for equitable and effective allocation of school construction dollars.” The 2020 budget includes $750,000 to pay for a 10-year study of school maintenance needs.

The county already plans to proceed with renovating Patapsco and Woodlawn high schools, and replacing Dundalk, Colgate, Berkshire and Chadwick elementary schools. But other projects, including replacing Bedford, Summit Park, Deer Park and Red House Run elementary schools, and building a new elementary school at Ridge Road and a new middle school in Nottingham, among others, remain delayed without state-committed construction dollars.

Olszewski, a former public school teacher, said he plans to push state lawmakers to prioritize setting aside money for those and other building projects in the 2020 legislative session. His office noted he recently brought members of the House Appropriations Committee out for a tour of county schools to help them better understand his jurisdiction’s facilities needs.

He said if he gets his wish, the county can break ground on both new schools by summer of 2023. If the state “fails to do that, we are talking many, many years down the road, because we’re waiting for them to play catch-up.”

This story has been updated.

A Summer sale that will have Chip and Joanna Gaines drooling. This week, take advantage of Halcyon House’s Summer Storewide Sale with 20-50% the entire store. Browse through antiques, fine arts, one-of-a-kind furniture, decorative accessories and a wide selection of women’s jewelry and accessories. Check out Halcyon House’s Instagram to get some inspiration and get the shopping vibes flowing. Take advantage of this sale, stop by and find some great pieces for your home.

Event Details

What: Halcyon House Summer Storewide Sale

When: Tuesday, July 16 – Saturday, July 20; 10am – 5pm

Where: Halcyon House, 11219 Greenspring Avenue, Lutherville 21093

Details: There is no better time to shop than during a sale. This week, from Tuesday, July 16 through Saturday, July 20, take advantage of Halcyon House’s Summer Storewide Sale. All items will be 20-50%! For the most current items at the store, visit Halcyon House’s Instagram.

Visit http://www.halcyonhouseantiques.com for more information.

A little sipping, a little shopping – what more could a girl ask for? Join Green Spring Station on Thursday, May 9 from 6-8pm for an evening affair to benefit the great work of the Claire Marie Foundation, whose mission is to raise clarity and hope in the fight against adolescent and young adult melanoma. Purchase your tickets today and enjoy a night out browsing the boutiques and sipping on wines, spirits and more at Green Spring Station.

Event Details

What: Boutiques & Bevies at Green Spring Station

When: Thursday, May 9, 2019 6-8pm

Where: Green Spring Station, 10751 Falls Road, Lutherville, MD

Details: Make a date with some of your favorite pals for a night of shopping and sipping at Green Spring Station to benefit the Claire Marie Foundation.

Tickets: $50 a person and include: a Tasting glass, Lite Fare, Exclusive In-Store Promotions (details to come), Live Music in the Courtyard

BUY TICKETS

For more information, visit www.greenspringstation.com/boutiques-bevies

About Claire Marie Foundation: The Claire Marie Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting against adolescent and young adult melanoma through awareness, education and prevention. Every action taken is designed to help save lives, whether it’s through their free skin screenings or their one-of-a-kind Collegiate Ambassador program. 

Co-sponsors of the event: Tark’s Grill, Stone Mill Bakery & The Scout Guide Baltimore

Fieldstone farmhouse, circa 1836, with frame addition, circa 1905, completely restored. Four/five bedrooms, 2.5 baths over two and a half stories and 3,585 square feet. Entry foyer, living room, dining room, open-plan eat-in kitchen and family room, master suite with double walk-in closets, glass shower and den/dressing room. Three further bedrooms, office, three fireplaces, hardwood floors throughout. Central AC, attic, unfinished basement. Large wooded barn with hayloft, converted to four-car garage and workroom. Landscaped 1.9-acre lot: $749,900

What: Nothing says forever like a stone farmhouse. Listed in the Maryland Historical Trust, this house has been restored and modernized by someone who cared, and it looks ready for the next century. In the 1905 frame addition, the interiors are open and casual, the exterior covered tastefully with Hardiplank siding. The original house is more formal, with smaller rooms, beautifully proportioned and elegant. The two sides work well together. The owner is one of the founders of the popular gift shop 5 Wacky Women, and while there is nothing remotely wacky about the house, it’s been decorated in a breezy style that’s refreshing in a 200-year-old home.

Where: Pot Spring Road runs about nine miles from Goucher College to the edge of the Loch Raven Reservoir. This house is close to the reservoir, and about a mile and a half from Dulaney Valley High School. It feels rural out here, but it’s just 10 minutes to Hunt Valley Towne Centre, and even less time to the York Road corridor. Confederate major Harry Gilmor would have marched his men past this house during the Civil War.

Why: Barn.

Why Not: Currently there is no doorway or hall to connect the second-floor master bedroom (in the addition) to the other second floor bedrooms (in the original house). But it could be “easily done,” says the realtor.

Would Suit: History buffs, buyer looking for permanence.

NB: An additional, one-acre lot next door is also for sale.

Police have charged a 22-year-old woman who has a history of traffic and drunk driving charges with fatally striking a 60-year-old woman and her 5-year-old granddaughter with her car while drunk earlier this week in Baltimore County.

Baltimore County police today announced they have arrested Callie Noble Schwarzman, of Lutherville-Timonium, on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by a controlled dangerous substance, homicide while impaired by drugs and alcohol, negligent manslaughter by automobile and other offenses.

Schwarzman was detained Monday after the crash, and remains held without bail at the Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson. She was also charged Tuesday night with violating probation from a June 2017 drunk driving arrest in Carroll County.

Police say Schwarzman was behind the wheel of a Kia Sorrento that veered off of Girdwood Road Monday in Lutherville-Timonium at around 6:50 a.m. The car went through a grassy area, police said, before it struck 60-year-old Deborah Ann Limmer and 5-year-old Delaney Marie Gaddis, killing them both. Limmer had been pushing Gaddis in a stroller on the sidewalk while out on a morning walk.

EMS personnel and a supervisor provided life support to both victims before they were transported to separate hospitals, police said. Both were later pronounced dead.

After obtaining a search warrant Monday morning, police found evidence of alcohol and drugs inside the car. Schwarzman agreed to a blood test, the results of which are still pending, after she and a 25-year-old passenger were both transported to the hospital.

In addition to the June 2017 drunk driving arrest, Schwarzman has a history of traffic violations. In May of 2015, she was charged with failure to control a vehicle to avoid a collision, driving unsupervised with a learner’s permit and failing to both give insurance information and stop after an accident. She received probation in that case.

In May 2017, she was charged with failure to yield to an approaching vehicle while turning left, to which she pled guilty.

On Feb. 6 of this year, she was charged with speeding, driving on a suspended license and other offenses after being stopped on E. Padonia Road. Most of the charges were thrown out, and Schwarzman received probation for driving without a license.

A little over two weeks later, she was charged with failure to provide a uniformed officer with a driver’s license, failure to stop after an accident with an unattended vehicle and driving on a suspended license, among other offenses, after another crash, also on E. Padonia Road. The case remains active, per court records.

An attorney is not listed with Schwarzman’s name in court records for the most recent charges.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to assist Limmer and Gaddis’ family with funeral costs and other support services. The page says Limmer was an ICU nurse and Gaddis was “a beautiful little girl who loved her family, friends and enjoyed playing animals.”

Memorial services for both are scheduled for this Sunday at Peaceful Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Center in Timonium.

We all know that young children thrive on consistency and routine. Dr. Montessori discovered that children from ages one to four are actually in a “sensitive period” for order. This means that not only do they crave consistency from their environment and schedule, but that toddlers are particularly attuned to developing an internal sense of order at this age, if given opportunities to develop this skill.

For this reason, Montessori environments – both at school and in the home – are carefully prepared so that every item has a place. (I have previously posted about setting up Montessori spaces in the home – the bedroom and the bathroom – and am currently working on a piece about the kitchen.) But while it’s fairly easy to create physical places for things, creating a sense of order throughout the day is far more difficult. Young children have a strong need to feel in control and yet so much of what happens during the day is determined by others. Plus, toddlers can’t yet grasp the concept of time – today, tomorrow and yesterday – because the part of the brain that is able to plan ahead and make predictions about the future is still developing.

Creating a few simple routines at home can help your toddler practice making simple predictions, as well as understand concepts such as “before and after.” A consistent routine can (sometimes) eliminate power struggles because your child feels more control over what is happening. A routine is especially helpful during difficult times of day, such as at bedtime or when getting ready for school in the morning.

I’ve collected a few tips good from the experts:

Include preparation for transitions in the routine. For example, say, “We have 10 minutes left before we start getting ready for bed. Since toddlers can’t read a clock, try setting a timer. When the timer goes off, it’s time to start the bedtime routine.

Include opportunities for (limited) choice. Toddlers like to feel in control. You can create the illusion of choice, such as “Are you going to wear the blue shirt or the red shirt?” By putting clothes where your child can access them, this also allows for greater control (aka, independence!) over the process. Click to read full article.

About Greenspring Montessori School Greenspring Montessori School has served the greater Baltimore area since 1962, as a leader in both Montessori education and teacher training. The Montessori method supports the individual needs and interests of children ages 18 months to grade 8 in a dynamic, hands-on learning environment, with materials and lessons that ignite passion, curiosity, and purpose. The students of Greenspring Montessori School emerge as independent, critical thinkers and productive collaborators, prepared for the future the wish to pursue. Learn more at www.greenspringmontessori.org.

The ability to concentrate and focus is at the core of satisfying and successful experiences in many aspects of life. As adults we need to attend to what we’re doing, whether it be the details of a graph we’re explaining at a meeting, the particulars of a recipe, or the art of active listening to the people we engage with every day. This ability has many new challenges in times we live in. Children must be equipped with the ability to concentrate and Montessori education does so much to address this need.

While concentration at the Children’s House level often looks like a student sitting alone with her work, engrossed in the task at hand, successful concentration looks a little different for the Elementary and Adolescent Community student. The Elementary child must learn to work collaboratively with others. This partner and group work means the child will be engrossed in their work, stop to talk to a friend for a few minutes, and then continue working. The ability to be interrupted and return to focused work is an incredible asset as an adult and the Montessori student practices this skill throughout the work cycle as he or she interacts with classmates during work and participates in lessons.

Similar to the Elementary student, the Adolescent Community student often works on projects in groups. Concentration for Elementary and Adolescent Community students means fully engaging in the projects and work. This is done when enough choice is given so that students can take ownership and invest in their work. In contrast, when everyone is given the same thing to do, some students will inevitably be more invested than others. However, students who are invited to choose within a particular assignment or project, tend to focus more because they are more engaged. Students are also focused when the work is challenging, but not so challenging that they give up.  Click to read full post.

About Greenspring Montessori School Greenspring Montessori School has served the greater Baltimore area since 1962, as a leader in both Montessori education and teacher training. The Montessori method supports the individual needs and interests of children ages 18 months to grade 8 in a dynamic, hands-on learning environment, with materials and lessons that ignite passion, curiosity, and purpose. The students of Greenspring Montessori School emerge as independent, critical thinkers and productive collaborators, prepared for the future the wish to pursue. Learn more at www.greenspringmontessori.org.

Singling out the right seedling to become the matriarch, or “mother plant,” for a full-fledged cannabis-growing operation is a lot like a family competition, says Wendy Bronfein, marketing director for Curio Wellness in Lutherville.

“You plant all these seeds and it’s almost like having a family with a bunch of kids,” says Bronfein. “They all came from the same parent, but they’re all different.

So which plant proves to be, kind of in a survival-of-the-fittest sense, the strongest and best-looking plant to … become the mother?”

Bronfein, 37, and her father, Michael, CEO of Curio Wellness, have watched their cultivation team perfect this process since they first began growing cannabis last year.

Curio, the business they co-founded, has been awarded a trio of state licenses to cultivate, process and dispense the drug. The company is among 14 licensed growers across the state and 102 dispensaries that have opened or are still setting up around the state.

Read more about the company’s origins, holistic approach and growing and dispensary facilities over at Jmore.

Mobtown Fermentation’s Wild Kombucha is on a growth spree, one that co-founder Sid Sharma says might have never happened if it weren’t for Baltimore.

“Baltimore’s an incredible place to start a business,” the co-owner of the Lutherville-based fermented beverage company said. “People are tremendously supportive of local products.”

Wild Kombucha, approaching its third birthday next year, operates out of a 4,000-square-foot production facility in Baltimore County, complete with an automated bottling line that can kick out up to 1,200 bottles an hour.

It’s a far cry from where Sharma, Adam Bufano, Sergio Malarin started in February 2015. With some savings and a family recipe from Bufano’s and Malarin’s parents, they began brewing, fermenting, bottling and shipping flavorful concoctions out of a 400-square-foot space on the side of a juice shop on Hickory Avenue.

“We’d bottle at night and on weekends,” Sharma said. “Really it just kind of grew the old-fashioned way.”

They started off with one client. Six months later, on Aug. 10, 2015, they landed Whole Foods.

“On August 11, we all quit our day jobs and just decided to dive in and go for it,” he said.

For thousands of years, brewers have been concocting kombucha by fermenting tea, sugar and microbial cultures. But only in the last few years has a commercial market for the beverage taken hold, in part due to its professed health benefits, including improved digestion, immune system strength and liver function. Analysts from the firm Marketsandmarkets predicted in 2016 that kombucha’s market value would grow 25 percent annually for the next four years.

The trio from Baltimore has seized on that opportunity, crafting five flavors: mango-peach, ginger-grapefruit, elderberry, apple spice and watermelon hops.

After finding success one year in, Sharma, Bufano and Malarin were at a crossroads. With growing demand but not enough inventory space, they decided to take a jump and get a larger space in the county. The facility needed considerable work, however, including a fermentation room, a walk-in fridge and a wash area.

They faced a major hurdle: they didn’t have any money.

Most beverage companies start off with large investments or by co-packing their product with another established firm, Sharma said. Their path was different: “We produce everything ourselves, and we really just started this company with $2,000 of our own money.”

Their fix to pay for the upgrades was a gamble: a one-minute business pitch competition on the Eastern Shore. If they didn’t win, they couldn’t stay afloat, Sharma said.

They pulled it off – $30,000 in the first round and $15,000 in the second round. The money allowed them to follow through on their plan, which in turn has let them allocate more time to managing their business. The company has since built on that success with additional financing, including a $100,000 loan this year from Baltimore County’s government.

The recipe appears to be working. Since 2015, Wild Kombucha’s revenue has grown 170 percent each year, Sharma said. Today the company produces about 4,000 bottles of kombucha a week, to go with about 15 kegs. Its flavors can be found at 250 stores across five states.

The business has even become profitable enough to start giving some of what it makes to charity. In an arrangement with the National Wildlife Federation, Wild Kombucha donates a portion of proceeds from every bottle sold.

The next few years could be even bigger. Sharma said they’re eyeing expansions to New York and Philadelphia. Regionally, they have some local competition, including D.C.’s Capital Kombucha or Marshall, N.C.-based Buchi Kombucha, but most of it otherwise comes from the West Coast, according to Sharma.

Mobtown Fermentation also plans to roll out a new product next year that’s not kombucha at all. Sharma wouldn’t drop any hints, except to say “it’s definitely a unique product that will be targeting more convenience stores, grocery stores and fast casual restaurants with.”

Ironically, some of their big growth has come from small-time accessibility. Sharma said they work with Baltimore-based farm-to-door delivery company Rooftop Hot, which he said serves smaller businesses that don’t meet larger firms’ minimum distribution limits. That’s allowed them to expand their client base to fellow small-timers.

Only two years ago, Sharma, Bufano and Malarin sat in the cramped storefront on Hickory Street, sanitizing, stamping labels and bottling their product with their own hands. Reflecting today, Sharma attributes much of Wild Kombucha’s success to the same old-school ideals that you might hear from your elders: “Really being willing to grind it out and make personal connections with customers is still a way to thrive as a business.”

Ruth Shaw, Inc, 800 Kenilworth Drive, Towson, MD 21204