Looking for some grown-up spooky fun? Do you want less pumpkin and more spice? There are so many ghoulish activities to put you on the edge of your feet! Check out the list below for just a few of the many things to help you get into the spirit of (after)life!

FELLS POINT HAUNTED PUBWALK
Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m., through end of November
$26 per person (21+)

In Fells Point, combine your love of all things haunted with all things sudsy on the Fells Point Haunted Pubwalk. You’ll visit some of Fells Point’s most haunted pubs. Sidle up to the bar and see if you feel the presence of lost maritime souls from years past. This tour is for people 21 and older, and leaves from Fells Point Square, near Max’s Taphouse at 733 S. Broadway, Baltimore, MD. These tours sell out early, so get tickets now, if not sooner!

MOUNT VERNON GHOST WALK

October 12, 25, 26 (8 p.m. all days)

Tickets cost $18

A tour guide will show you around Mount Vernon as they share stories about the ghosts of the Belvedere, a séance gone wrong, and more. Peer into the past and learn who continues to haunt the present in this fascinating ghost walk.

WESTMINSTER HALL AND BURYING GROUND
Open Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
No cost (except on Halloween night)

What’s more fitting during spooky season than a cemetery? Make that the cemetery of Edgar Allan Poe, the Baltimore-buried author of terrifying tales, and you have quite the potential for spine-tingling shenanigans. His death is still a mystery. In October 1849 he was found delirious in Fells Point and wearing someone else’s clothing. He died days later and was buried at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground. Visitors leave flasks of Cognac, coins, and flowers.

On Halloween, you can hear music on a pipe organ and watch a dramatic performance of “The Tell-Tale Heart.” There is even the rare opportunity to tour Poe’s grave and the Westminster Hall catacombs, along with other activities. This activity takes place on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. at the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, 519 W. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD. Tickets are $5 for adults, and children under 4 are free. Parental discretion is advised.

NEVERMORE HAUNT 2024
13 Nights in October (see calendar)
Ticket prices range from $30-$67

Staying with the Poe theme, The Nevermore Haunt is among the highest-rated haunted houses in Maryland. The website touts over-the-top and bizarre performances nightly, an on-site bar and concessions, and a terrifying haunted house that will strike deep into the depths of your darkest fears. But with a Baltimore theme, hon! “Expertly crafted, The Nevermore Haunt is an ever-changing and developing Halloween attraction that transports you directly into sordid, macabre visions of Baltimore’s past,” reads the website, where you can find the calendar for dates, and tickets. Anyone under 16 must be accompanied by a parent.

HAUNTED ELLLICOTT CITY MAIN STREET GHOST TOUR
Saturday nights through October
Tickets cost $20, discounts for military, students, seniors

Ellicott City is 250 years old, and the buildings on Main Street have secrets. Did you know that at one point there were four funeral homes on that tiny stretch of town? Just on Main Street! Founded by early Quakers, Civil War Troops, railroad workers, soldiers from both World Wars have traveled through the town thanks especially to the B&O Railroad at the bottom of the hill. Shop owners and customers swear they co-exist and encounter spirits from the past, and the period-costumed tour guides will give you all the spine-chilling details. Tours begin at the Howard County Welcome Center at 8267 Main Street, Ellicott City, MD. They run from 8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (tour end time is approximate). This tour is recommended for ages 12 and above, and tickets must be purchased in advance.

LAUREL’S HOUSE OF HORROR
October through Nov. 2
Tickets range from $34.95 to $39.95

Walking around an old movie theater can be spooky enough, but Laurel’s House of Horror takes it to epic levels. This terrifying attraction is in a historic theater, verified by Chesapeake Ghost Hunters to have signs of “other-worldly activity.” Its 28,000 square feet promise sensory overload, chilling anticipation, and plenty of jump scares. The House of Horror has been around for 10 creepy years, guaranteeing quality fright nights. It also has escape rooms based on iconic horror movies like “Insidious,” “Scream,” “Blaire Witch,” “Beetlejuice,” and more. Some even include a live actor to “enhance” your experience! Escape rooms experiences run approximately 45-50 minutes in length, and since it’s a timed activity, Laurel’s House of Horror asks guests to arrive 15 minutes prior to their appointed time.

COLT’S TRAIL OF TERROR
October 12, 19, 25
Free admission

This over three-hour-long tour takes you on a twisted trail through haunted woods, promising frights around every corner! That’s a long time to be terrified, but not only is the price right, guests have the chance to help a great cause. Donations are accepted, and all donations will go to Tunnels to Towers and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Colt’s Trail of Terror is located at 9207 Stone Spring Lane, Pasadena, MD. Reserve your ticket here.

DEAD OF NIGHT PARANORMAL TOUR
October 26, 7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Tickets cost $28.52

It may be The Harford County 4-H Camp and Deer Creek Overlook by day, but get ready to explore the supernatural in the dead of night! Paranormal Tours promises a thrilling journey through haunted spots, hair-raising graveyards, and mysterious landmarks. Don’t be surprised if you encounter a spirit from beyond the grave during this dark, eerie walk through the haunted woods! It looks so harmless during the day, doesn’t it? Located at 6 Cherry Hill Road, Street, MD. Tickets available by clicking this link.

Check out some additional bone-chilling attractions by clicking this link.

By Ricky Podgorski, Capital News Service

After years of devastating flooding, Ellicott City is set to break ground on the Extended North Tunnel: an underground flooding mitigation system.

The tunnel is expected to push 26,000 gallons of water per second from the North end of the city to the Patapsco river.

By Matthew J. Schumer, Capital News Service

ELLICOTT CITY, Md. — Workers at the Shipley’s Grant Starbucks cafe voted to unionize this week, just days ahead of a Supreme Court case involving the company’s challenge of a federal labor injunction.

“I started working here two and a half years ago, and as soon as I got here, I knew something had to change,” said Noah Smith, a shift supervisor at the Shipley’s Grant shop, which voted 21-2 on Thursday afternoon to unionize. Smith was one of the first three workers at the store to speak with Workers United about organizing the staff.

Dwindling hours coupled with increasing traction of unionization of Starbucks workers across the nation influenced Smith and his coworkers to initiate a union petition, which they filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on March 19.

Data compiled by UnionElections.org shows that 9,270 Starbucks employees are covered by a union — accounting for a bit less than three percent of the company’s total workforce.

The Shipley’s Grant location became the ninth Starbucks cafe in Maryland to unionize. Staff at more stores in the state are expected to go public with unionization efforts in the coming months.

Workers at a Starbucks location in Buffalo, New York, made history as the first unionized store in the company when they voted to organize with Workers United in 2021. Over 400 Starbucks locations have unionized since then, spanning 43 states and the District of Columbia.

In early 2023, corporate-level decisions led to reduced hours among the workers at the Shipley’s Grant cafe. While full-time employees saw only marginal schedule changes, part-timers came face-to-face with the possibility of losing health care benefits and access to free education — both offered to staff members working a minimum of 20 to 22 hours a week.

The team of 27 employees has a tough time ensuring every staff member works enough throughout the week to receive benefits, according to Smith. He added that workers often need to pick up shifts at other stores to meet the quota.

Smith said that one of the primary goals of unionizing was to establish a dialogue with the corporate leaders at Starbucks, setting clear guidelines about minimum working hours and clearer expectations for employees.

Another focal point of the unionization effort is to create a more inclusive work environment at the cafe. Smith shared a story about a recent directive from the store’s district manager to remove a Progress Pride Flag the workers had hung up in the store.

Since the staff went public with its petition to unionize, Smith said that Starbucks management also began enforcing a dress policy prohibiting workers from wearing union t-shirts on the clock.

Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment.

At other locations, the company has taken more serious action against union promotion, going as far as firing pro-union employees at several stores, NLRB judges have ruled.

In total, the NLRB has taken legal action in more than 700 unfair labor practice cases leveled against Starbucks by employees — the majority of which were filed in the last couple of years.

Starbucks Corp. most recently lost an appeal in the District of Columbia Circuit Court in which the company challenged an NLRB ruling to stop interfering with workers’ unionization efforts at a Seattle location.

The Supreme Court case involves a suit by Starbucks against the NLRB involving company actions against workers at a store in Memphis, Tennessee, in 2022, including the firing of seven employees for allegedly associating with the Workers United union.

In October 2023, Starbucks filed a petition for the case to be heard by the Supreme Court, which was granted in January. The question presented by the company to the court is whether NLRB injunctions should be subject to the same standards in all jurisdictions.

As it stands, injunctions filed by the board are evaluated by courts in some jurisdictions using a two-factor test, whereas other jurisdictions use a four-factor test to determine if they are warranted. An affirmative decision in this case would establish the four-factor test in all jurisdictions.

Both parties will present their arguments to the court on Tuesday.

Starbucks and Workers United announced in February that collective bargaining negotiations would begin in the near future. Discussions are scheduled to begin towards the end of this month.

Once the Shipley’s Grant vote is certified by the NLRB, the cafe’s staff will join nationwide bargaining discussions affecting unionized Starbucks workers across the United States.

“I’m not going to be here forever, but the next people that come behind me, I want them to have a store that’s safe and inclusive and open and with them,” said Smith.

When Mark Hemmis filmed “24 Hours to Hell and Back: Save Our Town” with chef Gordon Ramsay in 2020, he knew the day would come when the Old Ellicott City building that housed his beloved restaurant, The Phoenix, would be gone.

Four years later, that day is here. The original building is gone, and the restaurant has moved up the hill, now called “Phoenix Upper Main.” Hemmis and his restaurant’s story were featured on Ramsay’s national show in an effort to highlight the town’s need to rebuild after two devastating floods in as many years.

The human side of this resiliency tale and the effects of the climate on a centuries-old town have other aspects to it, as well. There have been efforts taken throughout to preserve as much of the historic architectural features from the four buildings being demolished as possible.

Demolition of the four buildings at the bottom of Main Street in Old Ellicott City are part of the Safe and Sound initiative, which has a dual mission, according to the Howard County government website: “to implement state-of-the-art flood mitigation measures ensuring the safety and well-being of all, and to celebrate and preserve the rich historical tapestry that makes Ellicott City unique.”

After the 2016 and 2018 floods, Howard County acquired 10 buildings on Lower Main Street, from the former Phoenix restaurant building up to the former Caplan’s building. The Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan involves removing the four buildings at the bottom, and renovating the remaining six so that they will no longer have portions that cross the Tiber stream.

“When the county first announced they were going to demo those buildings, I know my mind and I think a lot of other people’s minds went to a wrecking ball,” Hemmis said. “Literally picturing a wrecking ball at the side of that building. I think the job they’ve done down there has been unbelievably professional and very cognizant of the emotional states of town people and business owners and everything else.”

The initial 2018 plan was to remove all 10 buildings. The Safe and Sound plan limited removal to just the lower four, and renovation for the remaining six.

“Under the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball made a commitment to minimize the loss of buildings and preserve as much history as possible while advancing flood mitigation solutions,” said Mark Miller, Administrator for the Office of Public Information. “As part of the approval process to remove the buildings, Howard County engaged a Historical Preservation Architect, who in consultation with regulatory authorities, identified elements of each building to be preserved.  These elements, referred to as ‘Character-defining elements’ are being carefully removed, salvaged, and stored for future reuse.”

Miller explained that as part of the regulatory approval process, Howard County was required to preserve the character-defining elements of the buildings being removed. These elements will be stored at a secure location owned by Howard County, Miller told Fishbowl.

The Howard County Government will try to reuse these building elements within the Ellicott City Historic District. Specific decision-making on use of the salvaged elements, however, involves engaging a qualified historic preservation architect for advice on reuse. Miller said Howard County will also seek input from the county’s Historic Preservation Commission.

“Through the EC Safe and Sound Plan, we are protecting and preserve as much of our town as possible while advancing the most effective solutions to reduce and divert stormwater away from Main Street,” Miller said. “Although the County must remove four buildings along Lower Main Street under the Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan, we have sought to recognize and honor the history of these buildings on Main Street. By salvaging elements of the building, we will continue to tell their story and history elsewhere within the Historic District.”

Hemmis believes that will require next-level creativity and brainpower, but fully believes that is Howard County’s intention. He predicts, however, that as unusual and beautiful as some of the character-defining elements are, many of them will end up in the County’s Historical Society Museum.

“It’s going to take some vision to integrate those well into something down here,” Hemmis said. “I’m not sure how functional a lot of them are going to be in modern buildings and then also in keeping with the historic nature down here and current building codes.”

“They literally [took down] everything brick by brick, preserve everything they possibly could with with the intention to save them or use them. I hope that they get reused,” Hemmis said.

As the saying goes, ain’t no rest for the wicked…or the ghosts in Old Ellicott City.

Every Friday and Saturday evening, from April until mid-November, people flock to the Haunted Main Street walking tours to learn about the ghosts who are said to inhabit the centuries-old buildings there.

Unsurprisingly, October is the most popular month for these tours, according to Ed Lilley of Maryland History Tours, who spoke by phone with Baltimore Fishbowl on Tuesday. Lilley said the Haunted Main Street tours have been going on for more than 20 years, starting soon after the Howard County Office of Tourism and Promotion was established.

There are two different tours offered. “On Friday nights we do what’s called Mount Misery, which is of the hills north of town. That’s the area we’ve referred to as Mount Misery for many, many years,” Lilley said. “Then on Saturday night, we do what we call Haunted Main Street.” Guides are dressed in all-black attire, and some dress in period attire.

The Mount Misery tour encompasses the former circuit courthouse next to the Howard County Historical Society Museum, the Patapsco Female Institute, and a building that used to be an old jail on Emory Street. The Patapsco Female Institute is said to be home to the ghost of Annie Van Derlot who allegedly died of pneumonia while attending the school, but there is no documentation that she was ever enrolled at the institute.

The Main Street tour has plenty of hot spots with ghostly tales to be told. “Almost every building has a story of the town. It was last year we celebrated our 250^th anniversary, so in 250 years a lot of things happen,” Lilley said. “Fires, floods, people dying, and because Ellicott City was the county seat and the center of the agricultural community, if you needed anything you could get it in Ellicott City. At one time there were four funeral homes in Ellicott City.”

Lilley told Fishbowl that one of the buildings that was torn down to build the tourism office, which formerly housed the post office on Main Street, used to be a funeral home, as did Easton and Sons which is at the lower end of Main Street. Easton and Sons is one of the buildings that’s set to be torn down as part of the county’s flood mitigation plan.

“The B&O is a real hot spot. For many years, people that have worked there have talked about being on the lower level, the main street level, and hearing boxes being slid around upstairs and there’s nobody up there, but that sounds like boxes being dragged across the floor,” Lilley said. “And everybody likes to figure out a name for their ghost, and so they just decided to start calling whoever it was ‘Charlie.’ Then later we discovered that there was a gentleman that was at the B&O who, at the time of his death, was the oldest employee of the B&O and his name was Charles Harvey! Unbeknownst to them, they may have picked the right name!”

Lilley says almost every building has a story because of the town’s age, recounting a story about a Confederate prisoner during the Civil War who escaped, and people say they still hear him running down the steps between the Forget-Me-Not Factory and the next building, which used to be the Railroad hotel many years ago.

Tickets for the tours are $20 per person, though there is a discount for members of the Howard County Historical Society. Tours begin at 8:30 p.m. and last between 60 -90 minutes.

To purchase tickets for the Mount Misery Ghost Walk, please click here.

To purchase tickets for the Haunted Main Street Walking Tour, please click here.

With the leaves turned their bright colors and fall season in full swing, local farms are bringing families together for fresh air, fresh foods and farm fun. We’ve rounded up some great spots to visit around Baltimore with plenty of activities and attractions for all ages.

Weber’s Cider Mill Farm in Parkville features duck races, a mini maze, hillside slides, a tire mountain, straw maze, and barrel train ride. On weekends, for an additional price, guests can enjoy caricature artists, glitter tattoos, face painting, balloon creations, and live music on specific days. Also, enjoy great foods like fresh kettle corn, caramel apples, apple cider donuts, and slush.

Chapel Hills Nursery in Perry Hall offers various sizes and shapes of pumpkins and other gourds to pick from. Visitors can also meet the resident goats and ponies, enjoy a hayride, and purchase from an assortment of foods, including apple dumplings, apple cider, homemade jams and apple butters, apple cider donuts, and more.

Baughers in Westminster offers hayrides and scarecrow-making only on weekends. But guests can get up close and personal to feed animals at their petting zoo seven days a week. The zoo has farm livestock such as goats, donkeys, rabbits, pigs, guinea pigs, and more. Families can pick their own pumpkins, apples, and sunflowers or enjoy the orchard market that features local raw honey, homegrown produce, jams, jellies, apple cider donuts, and apple butter.

Gaver Farm is open seven days a week and is located in Mt. Airy. Daily attractions include a corn maze, jumping pillows, mini mazes, playgrounds with giant slides, duck races, ball games, photo centers, and more. On weekends, additional attractions include pedal karts, a cow train, and gem mining.

Clark’s Elioak Farm in Ellicott City offers a petting farm, pony rides, and an enchanted forest. The forest is a fairytale come to life with castles, a train ride, a tree maze with enchanted character sightings, and so much more, 

If you’re just looking for pumpkins, visit Valley View Farms in Cockeysville, where you will find thousands of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes, including a giant 2,005 pumpkin. Visitors have the opportunity to guess how many seeds are in the giant pumpkin for a chance to win prizes to $300. Contest entries can be submitted from now until the seed counting begins, Oct. 29 at noon.

The Maryland Corn Maze in Gambrills is not just about the 8-acre corn maze. They also offer zip lining, a bouncepad, a hands-on petting zoo, hayrides, giant Lincoln logs, pedal tractors, rodeo roping, cow milking, and so much more. 

This Saturday navigate your way through the twists and turns of Strohmer’s Farm evening event, the Flashlight Corn Maze. On weekends, pick a pumpkin, play games, go on a hayride, or visit the farm animals. If you’re wondering what to do with your jack-o-lantern after Halloween, the Baltimore County farm also hosts Pumpkin Smashing Days, where families can take a trip out to the fields and smash pumpkins they wish to discard.

Knightongale Farm on Solomons Island is only open on weekends. They offer access to a huge pumpkin patch, barnyard basketball, John Deere pedal tractors, 40-foot barrel slides, a moon bounce, milking the cow, games including tug of war and pin the tail on the pony, and so much more, 

Rock Hill Orchard in Mt. Airy is only open for activities on the weekends. All pumpkins are $10, so pick the largest one in the field for the same price as the smallest one. There’s also a corn maze and a variety of apples for picking, including Aztec Fuji, Sun Fuji, Evercrisp, Pink Lady, Stayman and more. Rock Hill even has a pumpkin cannon, which uses compressed air to launch pumpkins down the field!

Visit Montpelier Farm in Upper Marlboro for all your favorite fall farm festivities and a few extras including hill slides, pumpkin bowling, public bonfire, an interactive scavenger hunt, paint a pumpkin, duck races, and a load more. 

Each farm has different regulations on reservations, admission prices, and weather cancellations. Please visit each site for additional information.

Howard County and state officials on Monday officially opened the largest stormwater retention project to date to protect Historic Ellicott City from devastating flooding.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball led a ceremony to celebrate the completion of a project that is known as the H-7 Pond. The pond is essentially a dam built in a clover-leaf interchange where U.S. 29 intersects with Baltimore National Pike, near the top of the Tiber River watershed and upstream from the historic town, and can hold 4.2 million gallons of water during a heavy rain event.

“This pond is the first major public works project to be completed through our Ellicott City Safe and Sound plan and is one of the largest and most important projects in the history of Howard County,” said Ball. “While we can never eliminate the risk of flooding, we can do all we can to reduce the toll of devastating storms. We are making Ellicott City a national model of resilience.”

While the pond will typically remain dry, it can hold enough water to cover a football field to a height of 13 feet, restricting its flow into the Tiber River watershed and away from Historic Ellicott City.

The project cost $5.3 million to build, $4 million of which came from state funding. It was finished four months ahead of a projected completion date. In addition to creating the retention area, 110 trees and 1,800 native plants were planted, officials said.

Ellicott City has been the site of devastating and deadly flooding in recent years, exacerbated by its location on a granite slope leading into the Patapsco River. Ball was elected county executive a few months after the deadly 2018 flood, and one of his first tasks was developing a series of flood control and other protection projects.

Federal, state and local officials have worked together to amass the resources needed to protect Ellicott City, home to the oldest railroad terminus in the United States, the first station on the Baltimore and Ohio line. Ball said during his administration, $167 million has been committed, which includes $40 million in state funds.

State Sen. Katie Fry Hester, a Democrat representing Ellicott City, said that she and other lawmakers have created a Resilient Maryland Revolving Loan Fund, which will use $25 million in state funds to leverage $1 billion in federal funding for Maryland projects.

Ball’s flood control plan includes seven major water retention and water conveyance projects; as well as enhanced stream cleaning; a tone alert warning system and signage; and drainage improvements throughout the watershed.

Jillian Joseph, the executive director of the Ellicott City Partnership, called the new pond a “critical piece in ensuring that…the historic and wonderful businesses and Main Street residences stay safe during a severe weather event.

“When everyone works together,” she said, “great things can be achieved.”

The Maryland Board of Public Works yesterday approved more than $2 million in grants to protect Ellicott City from flooding.

The board – composed of Governor Larry Hogan, Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, and Comptroller Peter Franchot – approved a total of $2,108,644 in grants to Howard County. 

The grant will fund the Quaker Mill Mitigation Pond project, which will expand and improve a stormwater pond in Ellicott City.

The pond, located at the intersection of Rogers Avenue and Patapsco River, will capture and reduce the flow of water from an adjacent stream and redirect runoff. 

Ellicott City is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters because of its geological makeup and the geography of the town itself. 

Back in May 2018, a severe rainstorm caused flash floods that destroyed roads and buildings and killed one person. 

It was the second torrential storm to cause flash floods in Ellicott City in two years.

In July 2016, heavy rains caused flash floods that engulfed Main Street and killed two people. 

“This investment represents a critical step in helping downtown Ellicott City avoid the catastrophic flooding experienced in recent years,” said Maryland Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles in a statement yesterday.

“With climate change bringing wilder and wetter weather, it is more important than ever to support water infrastructure improvements that make Ellicott City and other Maryland communities safer and more resilient,” he said.

Governor Larry Hogan officially opened Koreatown on Saturday. 

Koreatown, a five-mile stretch along Route 40 in Ellicott City, is home to roughly 12,000 Korean-Americans and 170 Korean businesses. 

The area is marked by traditional Korean palace-style signs. 

Hogan was accompanied by First Lady Yumi Hogan, honorary chair of the Koreatown Planning Committee, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, and South Korea’s Ambassador to the United States Lee Soo-hyuck. 

Yumi Hogan, an artist and adjunct professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, is the first Korean American First Lady in the United States and the first Asian American First Lady of Maryland.

Last year, she was awarded the Order of Civil Merit of the Republic of Korea, the nation’s most prestigious civilian honor, for her commitment to strengthening U.S.-Korea relations and serving the Korean-American community. 

“With Maryland’s own Koreatown, even more Marylanders and visitors from all across the country will have the opportunity to show their support for all of the local businesses and learn more about this incredible Korean-American community, which contributes so much to our economy, our culture, and our society,” the governor said in a statement.

In the wake of two devastating flash floods in three years, Howard County last week unveiled its plan to tackle any future deluges before the same natural disaster happens again. The county’s $50 million blueprint entails demolishing as many as 19 low-lying historic buildings in order to widen existing channels for the Tiber River and streams running beneath the old town’s streets, and adding three water-retention facilities upstream and new tunnels to carry floodwaters away from Main Street.

County Executive Allan Kittleman said the changes would help protect the town at a press conference one week ago. “I wish we weren’t here,” he said solemnly. “But this is a change we need.”

A group of preservationists says that’s not true, however.

In a report published yesterday, Preservation Maryland criticized the county’s reliance on demolition as a flood-mitigation strategy, saying it “could come at an extremely significant cost to the economic well-being of the district” and could cause the town to lose its National Register of Historic Places designation.

“Having the buildings in place and being able to tell that story about Ellicott City, perhaps if it’s no longer commercially viable, at least in that area, is still a much better alternative,” said the nonprofit’s executive director, Nicholas Redding, in an interview.

The group also pointed to models referenced in the county’s recently published study of all its options, saying “by the study’s own admission,” flooding on Lower Main Street—the area hit hardest in 2016 and 2018—”may only be reduced from 6′-8′ to 4′-6′.”

Here’s the baseline (left) model from 2016 paired with the planned model with the buildings removed. Purple represents eight feet of water or more; dark red represents six to eight feet of water; light red represents four to six feet.

Overdevelopment above the historic section of Ellicott City has been blamed in part for the Tiber Branch’s rapid rise during storms. But Redding noted the demolition plans are “pretty much all focused on the lower town… This is like an end-of-pipe solution for a problem that’s beginning at the top of the pipe.”

Preservation Maryland’s report noted the McCormick Taylor hydrology study that Howard County paid for after the 2016 flood doesn’t make any references to demolition as an option. Howard County’s report does note that the government was “in the process of designing and engineering” four projects recommended in the McCormick Taylor study when this year’s Memorial Day weekend flood hit; that flood has since “shifted the conversation in dealing with this issue,” the county’s report said.

Redding says the county should “take a step back” and work with preservationists and others more closely on its plan before carrying it out. His orgnaization has some other ideas for what to do. The nonprofit says each would keep all of historic Ellicott City’s structures intact, including the ones set to be removed on low-lying Main Street that house popular businesses like the Phoenix Emporium and Bean Hollow, and some would also add new tourist appeal while still allowing space for water to flow through.

Among the proposals:

• Go with McCormick Taylor’s recommendations, like creating more storage ponds, expanding and stabilizing stream banks, upping capacity of existing pipes and culverts (read: drainage tunnels) and adding underground “pipe farms” and storage vaults to divert water away post-flood;
• Acquire and preserve, but not demolish, flood-prone structures, then add “structural steel skeletons” to stabilize them inside and “wetproof” them by removing drywall, plumbing, wiring and more modern trappings. This would basically turn them into shells. “You would allow flood waters to move through the building, and essentially create a situation where they are allowed to actually accept water and expel water,” Redding said.
• That same option, but also renovate the second floors of the buildings to make them usable as office or residential space, including as rentable rooms for tourists.
• Perhaps the most radical idea compared to the status quo: Have the state acquire the buildings with funds reserved for parks and recreational space, stabilize and “wetproof” them and then turn the preserved area into a state park. It would be similar to preserved historic sites in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, or the low-lying former towns along the C&O Canal in Montgomery County that serve as individual museums or period piece-like rental properties.

A spokesman for Howard County they could not respond to Preservation Maryland’s proposal Thursday.

Preservation Maryland’s report didn’t criticize the county altogether, and noted the top priority here is “life safety.”

“We absolutely applaud the work of both the local officials and employees in county government. They’re doing a really good job under tough circumstances,” Redding said. “That said, I think that whether you’re a preservationist, a concerned taxpayer, whatever it might be, out of this process you probably would want a little more public engagement.”

All signs point to the county proceeding with its razing plan. Kittleman said last week that some property owners had approached the government about buying their properties, tired of dealing with flood damages. The county is still “having those conversations” about acquiring the buildings, he said.

In the meantime, he’s appointed four Ellicott City locals to an advisory group that will identify “key historic features that can be preserved and re-used when the buildings are removed to widen the channel” at the lower end of Main Street.

“I’m confident that when Ellicott City celebrates its 500th anniversary, people will point back to this year and say that community fixed it. They got it right,” Kittleman said.

This story has been updated.

In the wake of the severe flooding that devastated Ellicott City’s Main Street, the second such disaster in less than two years, local businesses are hosting benefits to help the town get back on its feet. Already, Hysteria Brewing Company in Columbia held an event Monday to raise money for relief efforts.

Here’s a roundup of benefits in the coming days and weeks, including one that is pitching in to help people in West Baltimore affected by the flooding. We’ll try to update the list as we see more. If you are planning an event and would like it included, please email brandonweigel@baltimorefishbowl.com.

• Taco Love Grill in White Marsh is donating 10 percent of all sales Wednesday and Thursday to the Ellicott City Partnership.
• The Horseshoe Casino announced that it will donate $2 from every drink sold at 14Forty tomorrow from 12:01 a.m.-7 p.m., and $3 from every drink sold during the Capitals viewing party, from 7 p.m.-midnight, to Howard County Government’s relief fund.
• This Thursday, Land Of Pleasant Eating and Fells Point Tavern are teaming up for a dinner to benefit both Ellicott City and the Beechfield community in West Baltimore hit hard by the flooding. All proceeds will go to fundraising efforts.
• The band Strings Attached is collecting donations for the Ellicott City Partnership at its June 2 show at Wieland’s Barbecue, in Catonsville.
• On Saturday, Rooster + Hen Store in Catonsville will host a benefit concert, featuring Colamiles, Joe P. Harris and other to-be-announced artists, with proceeds benefiting the Ellicott City Partnership. $10 suggested donation.
• Peabody Heights Brewery will be donating 50 percent of sales from Saturday to the Ellicott City Partnership.
• The Dundalk-based paddleboard group B’more SUP will donate a portion of proceeds from its Sunday classes to the GoFundMe pages of Ellicott City businesses. There are three different $40 classes, Distance Paddle, FloYo and Barre on Board, and each includes an açaí bowl with unlimited toppings.
• Black Flag Brewing Company in Columbia is donating 50 percent of all revenue from beer sold on-site this Sunday and $1 from every to-go order. The brewery is unveiling a new beer, the EC Wit, and Dough Boy Fresh Pretzel Co. will be serving up pretzel rolls inside. The pretzel company will also be donating money.
• Crossfit Catonsville is hosting its “Fit Fundraiser” on Sunday, holding a series of workout classes from 9 a.m. to noon. All proceeds will go to the Ellicott City Partnership.
• Laurel’s Tampico Grill will be donating 50 percent of all food and alcohol sales on Wednesday, June 6, to the Ellicott City Partnership.
• On June 7, Heavy Seas Bear will donate 50 percent of revenue from the tap room in Halethorpe to the Ellicott City Partnership.
• The Baltimore Whiskey Co. and Paulie Gee’s are teaming up to host A Drink for Ellicott City, with the entire June 8 bar tab going to the Ellicott City Partnership.
• In late July, Cub Scout Pack 432 will hold a 5k to help victims of the 2016 and 2018 floods. Limited to 500 runners.

Howard County police say searchers have found the body of a National Guardsman in the Patapsco River, two days after he went missing while assisting with rescue efforts during a devastating flash flood.

The department said via Facebook that it confirmed the body was that of Sgt. Eddison Alexander Hermond, a 39-year-old Maryland Army National Guard member from Severn who was reported missing Monday afternoon. After the flood began, Hermond was assisting merchant Kate Bowman, who had escaped through a window with her cat. He went missing outside La Palapa Grill and Cantina, the department said.

“He was trying to save me,” Bowman told The Sun. “He’s a hero.”

Rescuers had been scouring the area for Hermond in the two days since the flood. His body was found in the river “just across the Baltimore County line,” police said.

No one else was reported missing.

Meteorologists have estimated about eight inches of rain fell on the riverside Howard County town in a span of roughly three hours, which sent a wall of water crashing through Main Street. Dozens of businesses were destroyed and cars were washed away into the river.

Officials have said the storm was worse than the one that struck in July of 2016, killing two and leaving the town in need of a total rebuild. This time around, the storm washed away major pieces of the roadway.

“We put so much effort into rebuilding,” Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman said, per WTOP. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

Hermond had been a member of the Maryland Army National Guard since 2009, and served in the Air Force for 10 years from 1996 to 2006, The Sun reported.

Another local Confederate memorial disappeared from public view last night, when Howard County work crews removed a large commemorative stone located right outside the circuit courthouse in Ellicott City.

County Executive Allan Kittleman put in a request with his jurisdiction’s Historic Preservation Commission on Wednesday, Aug. 16, to remove the stone. After a review and a five-day public comment period, crews visited the sight during the evening yesterday and carted it off in a flatbed truck.

The memorial displays a coat of arms and, per geo-cataloguing website Waymarking.com, includes text that reads, “By the Howard County Confederate Monument Association in honor of these brave men who fought so courageously in the Confederate Army.”

“It has become increasingly clear in recent weeks that memorials such as this are hurtful to many residents in our community and elsewhere,” Kittleman, a Republican, said in a statement. “Given these feelings and the tragedy in Charlottesville, I felt compelled to remove this memorial from public property.”

Confederate memorial removed from courthouse. https://t.co/6q9OwZdL5m pic.twitter.com/g2jAX4yXMy

— Calvin Ball (@HoCoGovExec) August 22, 2017

The memorial stone is being relocated to the Howard County Historical Society’s museum. It’s at least the sixth one in the Baltimore area to come down in the last two weeks. Mayor Catherine Pugh sneakily had Baltimore’s four controversial statues taken down overnight one week ago, and days later state elected leaders arranged for the removal of Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney’s bust outside the State House in Annapolis. (Taney wasn’t a Confederate sympathizer, but issued a decision in the 1857 case Dred Scott vs. Sandford that said black people, freed or enslaved, could only be property and never citizens.)

Cities and states around the country have been busy removing their Confederate memorials and statues in response to the hate-fueled violence that hit Charlottesville, Va., on Saturday, Aug. 12. Hundreds of neo-Nazis and white supremacists convened in the town that day to protest the proposed removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. In subsequent clashes with counter-protesters, three people – including 32-year-old Heather Heyer, and two Virginia state troopers whose helicopter crashed while monitoring the unrest – were killed, and 35 others were injured.

Similarly to Baltimore’s stealthy removal operation, crews went out the Ellicott City Circuit Courthouse and dug up the memorial stone late at night. According to state historical trust records, the memorial was dedicated in September of 1948. A Howard County circuit judge whose father’s name is on the memorial helped install the stone there, but Kittleman’s administration maintains “no county officials played a role in the dedication.”

County Council Chair Jon Weinstein called for the the stone to be moved to the historical society’s Civil War collection. Kittleman said that will allow visitors some more context about the piece.

“We can’t forget that this symbol and symbols like this represent hate and cause many people pain,” Weinstein said in a statement. “The monument is not representative of who we are as a community today and does not belong on grounds of a building that represents justice.”

This weekend marks a buyer’s paradise, with a plethora of open houses.  Trust the Whit Harvey Group to navigate the market and get you the best value to investment that’s available.

All Foreclosures Are Not Created Equal

“That home is in foreclosure.” You get an immediate mental picture of an overgrown yard, and falling down house or angry owners who are resentful of the foreclosure and trash the property. Sure, this is true of some foreclosures but not all.

The biggest caveat when buying a foreclosure home is that it is typically sold as is, which means the bank is not going to fix any problems. And unlike a normal home sale, in which disclosure requirements force owners to reveal a home’s every flaw, there’s no such legal stipulation in a foreclosure.

Since banks are often eager to unload these properties, they aim to break even with an asking price that’s typically the sum of the remaining mortgage note plus interest, lawyer fees, and penalties. On average, this ends up totaling about 15% below the home’s actual value—and homes often sell for less than asking price. […]

Not all foreclosures mean a bad investment, or a difficult transaction. And some can present great opportunities for buyers.With luxury foreclosures sometimes the bank WILL do repairs.They will spend the money needed to make sure the house is maintained and “in keeping” with the value of the neighborhood. For [this] listing in Ellicott City, improvements included fresh paint, new carpet and a new furnace. What was an unfortunate situation for the previous owner, who took meticulous care of the home, presents a great opportunity for the next buyer. Click to read entire article.