(*#)%"-,' ! )&'!! )!#"% $(' &)) ! +$ baltimoresun.com Informing more than 1million readers weekly in print and online SUNDAY Price$2.50 ($3 out of market). Our 176th year,No. 307 D November 3, 2013

SUN INVESTIGATES Beach towns endure Senior Week rowdiness and underage drinking to boost business; teen party Gansler attended exposes the tradition Free money raises doubts Maryland attorney general Doug Gansler (white shirt with cellphone) is seen at a Senior Week party this summer. Sides debate propriety FROM HAVOC of Balto. County’s loan forgiveness program

By Alison Knezevich and Michael Dresser COMES PROFIT The Baltimore Sun

The transformation of a vacant, 12-story eyesore into a gleaming office building has brought workers, shoppers and diners to the northern edge of downtown Towson — thanks in part to a public financing package that waived repayment of millions of dollars in loans to a developer. The county makes so-called conditional loans that do not require repayment if certain conditions, such as job creation, are met. The $3.5 million in conditional loans to Caves Valley Partners for the Towson KARL MERTON FERRON/BALTIMORE SUN PHOTO REALTOR’S PHOTO project would rank as the largest ever Ocean City beaches, shown in August, are swarmed This was the scene a Realtor found in the kitchen of forgiven; others have provided $300,000 to by recent high school graduates in early June. a rental property during Senior Week. demolish vacant Pikesville buildings and $40,000 to renovate a bank branch in By Jean Marbella, Liz Bowie and Kevin Rector | The Baltimore Sun Randallstown. While backers say such loans help spur OCEAN CITY—Brent Ashley may have aged into future guests. So you have to go with it a little bit.” development, some lawmakers and busi- the enforcer role at a certain point, but he still For the stretch of beach towns running from ness owners are raising questions about the remembers when he was the miscreant. Ocean City north into Delaware, putting up with county government’s lending strategy be- “I was halfway up the stairs and felt the hand on rowdy teens means landlords, restaurants and cause it lacks written guidelines and isn’t my shoulder,” Ashley said of the night about 40 years stores can make thousands of dollars over a advertised, so few businesses know about it. ago when he got kicked out of a motel for his own three-week stretch before family vacation season Critics also say the loans are a waste of Senior Week infraction: trying to sneak a girl into his picks up. public funds and unfairly favor some room. The four- or five-decade-old tradition of “June businesses over others. Alongtime rental property owner, and a city bugs” swarming to the shore for a week of sun and “I think it’s corporate welfare,” said state councilman in the beach town where thousands of not-always-legal fun is in the spotlight after photos Sen. Jim Brochin, a Towson Democrat. He high school graduates descend every June, Ashley, emerged of Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. questioned the value of the Caves Valley 62, views Senior Week the way many here do: as “a Gansler, who is running for governor, in the midst of deal for taxpayers as well as one for the necessary evil.” awild party thrown by Landon School boys in June. renovation of the Greene Turtle restaurant “All the revenue we bring in is important to Ocean The photos put in stark relief an uncomfortable in Towson. He said such loans amount to City,” he said. “If you don’t rent to young people in truth: Many parents, property owners and other the government selecting which businesses June, you aren’t going to rent to anyone. The young adults implicitly accept the underage drinking and should succeed. people can be a pain, but you are cultivating the See SENIOR WEEK, page 10 See LOANS, page 21

SUMMARY OF THE NEWS Maryland eyes Fall back Did you remember major expansion to turn your clocks back an hour last Linda’s night with the end of its wildlands of daylight saving time? journey DNR proposing to set aside ‘last great places’ BUY DIRECT FROM OUR WAREHOUSE

inda Hershey lost her nose By Timothy B. Wheeler to cancer. In a series of The Baltimore Sun KITCHENKITCHEN DISTRIBUTORS DISTRIBUTORS L operations over the past O F MARYLAND six years, doctors at Johns Hopkins The call for the wild is being heard O F MARYLAND Hospital have worked to rebuild again across Maryland — though not WEHAVETHE everyone welcomes it. her face with pieces of her fore- BEST BRANDS, More than a decade after the last THE BEST arm, forehead, skull, blood vessels, addition to the state’s wildlands network, rib and ear — and a cadaver. Her QUALITY AND Department of Natural Resources offi- BEST OF ALL arduous journey has been chroni- cials have proposed a major expansion of cled in photographs by The Balti- the legally protected wilderness areas, BUY more Sun’s Algerina Perna. including a section of northwestern Baltimore County. They want to preserve ARTICLE AND PHOTOS, PGS 14-15. from development, cars and even bicy- DIRECT ■ Find online story exclusives at cles those spots that still harbor rare baltimoresun.com/lindajourney plants and animals, ancient trees and other remnants of what Maryland looked AND like before European settlers arrived nearly 400 years ago. SAVE TODAY’S WEATHER MARYLAND “These are the last great places of Maryland,” said John F. Wilson, who is PARTLY SUNNY STRETCHING FOOD STAMPS: Baltimore FROM THE BELTWAY, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has an- coordinating the agency effort to name NORTH ON I83 TO nounced an additional $10,000 in funding for a additional wildlands. “These are places TIMONIUM RD. EXIT. where you can get as close to solitude as THEN LEFT AT LIGHT 54 29 program that gives food stamp recipients up to TO 2221 $10 extra a week if they use their EBT possible in a state like Maryland, on the HIGH LOW GREENSPRING DR. (electronic benefits transfer) cards at city highly developed East Coast.” See WILDLANDS, page 22 Sunny and chilly Monday SPORTS PG 10 farmers’ markets. NEWS PG 2 410-252-6200 OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY inside bridge autos 3 ● lottery news 9 ● obituaries news 24 opinion news 26 ● puzzles a&e 6 ● classified b&j 5 22 THE BALTIMORE SUN|NEWS |SUNDAY,NOVEMBER 3, 2013 FROM PAGE ONE

LLOYD FOX/BALTIMORE SUN PHOTOS MaDavid Brinker, a Derylandpartment of Natural Resources ecologis hearst, explores Soldiers Delight in Baltimore call County, one of the forstate’s richest ecos theystems, and one of the wild most threatened.

WILDLANDS, Frompage 1 If all get legislative approval, the state’s nearly 44,000-acre wildlands system would be expanded by more than half. The last additions were made in 2002. The move is welcomed by bird-watchers and conservationists, who say that as the state population grows and sprawls, this might represent the last chance to give the highest level of protection from human disturbance to Maryland’s remaining natu- ral gems. “The people here need a place where they can see the Earth, wildlife and plant life as nature left it, or God created it,” said Native Americans set fire to the grass to flush game in the once largely treeless landscape. Chris Yoder, conservation co-chairman of the Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club. But some are skeptical because wildland Expanding Maryland’s wildlands status would bar commercial activities such as timbering and limit some recreational The Department of Natural Resources is considering establishing 10 new wildlands and pursuits, including mountain biking. While expanding 17 existing ones, increasing the size of the state’s network of protected wilder- hiking, primitive camping and often hunt- ness areas by more than 50 percent. ing and fishing would be permitted, build- 25 ing amenities such as picnic tables, shelters 19 16 14 27 20 17 15 13 12 or paved trails would be prohibited. 26 23 21 18 Thorny greenbrier bushes, above, and Vir- “I have some questions — I know my 24 22 ginia pines have overgrown much of the 10 constituents up here have a lot of ques- native vegetation at Soldiers Delight. tions,” said state Sen. George Edwards, a Republican who represents Allegany and Garrett counties, where six of the 10 new 11 Expansion wildlands would be created. Others are outright opposed to the Candidate Wildlands wildlands proposal, which covers nearly 1 Pocomoke-Whiton’s Crossing New 27,000 acres in nine counties. On the 9 Eastern Shore, Crisfield Mayor Percy 2 Pocomoke-Poorhouse Branch 8 6 J. Purnell Jr. objects to turning nearby 3 Pocomoke-Mattaponi-Bachelors Branch 7 Janes Island State Park into a wildland, 1 4 Hickory Point Cypress Swamp saying that “the state’s got enough wilder- 2 ness.” He’d like to build facilities on the 5 Janes Island 3 marshy island to draw 4 6 5 tourists there, in hopes it might help revive Parkers Creek his town, which was devastated last year by 7 -Allens Fresh 14 Sideling Hill Expansion 21 South Savage superstorm Sandy. Soldiers Delight’s rocky soil — with chromite, 8 Mattawoman Expansion 15 Potomac Bends 22 Backbone Mountain The only site proposed in the Baltimore asbestos and other minerals in it — provides area is an addition to Soldiers Delight, an 9 Chapman’s Forest 16 Deep Run Expansion 23 Middle Fork Expansion habitat for 40 rare plants and animals. ecologically rich swath of rocky soil and 10 Soldiers Delight 17 Maple Run Expansion 24 Maple Lick Run grassy savanna in Owings Mills that officials ardship, defended the restrictions on wil- say is the largest of its type on the East 11 Islands of the Potomac Expansion 18 Dans Mountain 25 Puzzley Run dlands activities and development, but said Coast. 12 Trout Run 19 Savage Ravines Expansion 26 Youghiogheny Corridor the state would try to work with those Known as a serpentine barren, Soldiers raising questions. Delight is the last significant vestige of the 13 Thurmont Watershed 20 Savage River Warnick Run 27 Upper White Rock Run Addressing complaints from mountain largely treeless landscape that once bikers, he said there are plenty of other stretched from northern Maryland into SOURCE: Maryland Department of Natural Resources BALTIMORE SUN GRAPHIC places in the 475,000 acres of state parks, Pennsylvania, a byproduct of unusual geol- forests and other public lands where they ogy and the Native Americans’ practice of before, and some are voicing questions and recreation, including cycling, in Garrett can ride. Janes Island is surrounded by salt setting fires there to flush game. The thin, objections to one or more of the new sites County wants to include the river on a marsh, he noted, and the beach has a rare rocky soil — with greenish chromite, under consideration. planned 150-mile trail that would loop beetle — the Northeastern Beach tiger asbestos and other minerals in it — provides The region’s mountain-biking organiza- down from Pennsylvania. beetle — which argues against more in- habitat for 40 rare plants and animals, many tions, for instance, say they don’t want to “We’re not pushing to make it into an tensive use there. of them found nowhere else in the state. lose the right to ride on any more interstate highway or anything,” said Mike Wilson said the Youghiogheny is so “If you’re into biodiversity conservation, state-owned land. Under state law, motor Dreisbach, co-owner of the Savage River special that the state intends to keep access this is the real deal,” said R. Wayne Tindall, a vehicles and “mechanical transport,” in- Lodge and president of Garrett Trails. But there limited, whether it is designated as a DNR ecologist who coordinates efforts to cluding bicycles and snowmobiles, are not he said planners hope to extend a trail along wildland or not. restore natural habitat on state lands. He permitted on wildlands. the river or at least improve a short trail “Not every square inch of public land is said it’s hard to step off any of the unpaved Mountain bikers contend that they don’t near Friendsville that follows an old rail going to be available,” he said. “There are trails through the 1,000-acre tract without tear up vegetation or cause erosion any bed. resources we are charged with protecting — stepping on a rare plant. more than horseback riders, who are “The more people that get to see it,” he old-growth forest, habitat for rare and Soldiers Delight, one of the state’s richest permitted. said of the river, “the more people will want threatened plants and animals, wetlands, ecosystems, is also one of the most threat- “It just doesn’t make any sense to us,” said to protect it.” high-quality streams.” ened. Virginia pine trees and thorny green- Patrick Miller, an avid biker who’s active in Western Marylanders have chafed at The Department of Natural Resources brier bushes have overgrown much of the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts, or wildlands in the past, noting that the state has been holding public meetings on the area, crowding out the scattered oaks and MORE. He said mountain bikers are already owns a large chunk of land in wildlands proposal, which are expected to tall grasses that once covered the landscape. “stewards of the land,” frequently helping to Allegany and Garrett counties. Edwards, wrap up Thursday. Written comments With volunteer help, state ecologists are maintain trails in state parks and forests. who represents the area, said wilderness submitted by Dec. 9 will be considered by slowly removing the pines and staging Bikers could support more wildlands, he areas generate little or no economic benefit the agency. Officials will decide after that controlled fires to burn off the non-native said, if the law were changed to permit for the region because access is limited to which lands will be proposed to the General vegetation and re-create the savanna-like them to ride there. hikers for the most part and the lands are Assembly for wildlands designation. conditions. “We think the state’s goal should be not available for commercial timbering or Conservationists back the wildlands ad- The state wants to expand Soldiers getting more people into parks, away from other revenue-generating activities. ditions, noting that the system now consti- Delight by 341acres, with some additions television,” Miller said. “Keeping people out “You would think the state would want to tutes less than 10 percent of state-owned intended as buffers against suburban devel- seems like the wrong direction.” be a little more helpful in utilizing land they land. They say that besides protecting rare opment and others as more remnants of the Those seeking to boost outdoor recre- own in poor parts of the state instead of plants and animals, wildlands provide rare ecosystem. A hearing on that proposal ation and tourism in Western Maryland are leaving them [alone],” Edwards said. opportunities to learn about nature. is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Soldiers also questioning the proposal to designate Purnell wants the state to help storm- To Ajax Eastman, one of the leaders over Delight visitors’ center, 5100 Deer Park the Youghiogheny River corridor a wil- battered Crisfield by allowing some ameni- the decades of efforts to establish wildlands, Road. dland. The “Yough,” as it’s known, has ties to be built on Janes Island. He’d like to they are “spiritual recharge areas.” State lawmakers established Maryland’s already been designated as Maryland’s first start a ferry service to the island so more “You talk about religions,’’ she said. wildlands system in the early 1970s, mod- and only wild river, which affords it some people would take advantage of its sandy “People like cathedrals — I love wildlands. ... eling it on the federal wilderness law passed legal protection from development and beach on the Chesapeake Bay. He said a They lift my spirits.” by Congress in the 1960s. Since then, 29 disturbance. It draws whitewater rafters shelter, restrooms and a concession stand For more on the wildlands and public wildlands have been designated in 15 and fly fishermen, but there are no roads or would help. meetings to discuss them, go to news.mary counties. paved trails along its banks. Wilson, the Department of Natural land.gov/dnr/2013/09/27/. Wildlands have generated controversy But a group seeking to boost outdoor Resources’ associate director for stew- [email protected]