 | Fire Prevention Poster Contest  View Photo Gallery
Forty-one third graders from Baltimore County public schools were honored November 27 at a ceremony at Loch Raven High School for their participation in this year's Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest. The Baltimore County Fire Service sponsors the contest each year to heighten awareness of important fire safety issues. This year's poster theme was, "Practice Your Escape Plan!” |
 | Fire Apparatus Dedication View Photo Gallery County officials dedicated two large sophisticated pieces of regional homeland security apparatus on September 17 at a ceremony at Texas Station 17. A $417,000 urban search and rescue vehicle to be housed at the Texas Station and a $467,000 decontamination unit to be housed at Chase Station 54. They also dedicated a new $579,000 addtion to the Texas station. |
 | Fill the Boot for a Good Cause View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith and Fire Chief John Hohman congratulated members of the Local 1311 firefighters union on their annual "Fill the Boot" fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Maryland. |
 | Public Safety Day
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About 2,000 people attended the 3rd annual "Public Safety Day" at White Marsh Mall, held July 28 and sponsored by the Baltimore County Police and Fire departments, the Police Community Relations Council and the Office of Fair Practices. |
 | 2007 Waterfront Festival View Photo Gallery
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith invited all citizens to enjoy the third Community Waterfront Festival on Saturday, May 12 at Martin’s Lagoon near Martin State Airport in Middle River. |
 | Six Alarm Fire in Violetville View Photo Gallery On June 3, 2007, a huge, six-alarm fire in the 1400 block of Rome Road in Violetville consumed the Wollenwebers Trucking and Warehousing complex. Fire crews remained on the scene days after the fire, working to extinguish hot spots in the massive piles of debris. |
| County Officials Named Among Top 100 Women View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith hosted a garden party to honor three County officials who were named among the Top 100 Women of Maryland by the Maryland Daily Record. This is the third time Delegate Jones has received this honor, so she was also named to the "Circle of Excellence for Sustained Achievement." |
 | Smith Dedicates New Police Helicopters and New Hangar Facility View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, along with Baltimore County Police Chief Terrence Sheridan and elected officials, officially opened the BCPD helicopter hangar and dedicated three new helicopters at Martin State Airport on the morning of April 20. The 10,000 square foot hangar and office facility, costing $2.3 million, will bring the County’s aviation operation in line with other law enforcement aviation operations in the state. The BCPD is the proud owner of three new American Eurocopter AS350B3 helicopters, costing approximately $3.2 million each. The updated systems in concert with the airframe improvements equate to a quicker response time to calls for service and an increased availability in adverse weather conditions. The new helicopters are the best-equipped police helicopters in the U.S. Airborne Law Enforcement community. |
 | Women Making a Difference View Photo Gallery On March 22, 2007 the Baltimore County Commission for Woman held it’s Woman of the Year and Young Woman of the Year presentation ceremony to honor women from Baltimore County who have made significant contributions, which have enhanced the quality of life for the citizens of Baltimore County. In recognition of it’s 25th anniversary the Commission also recognized 5 women who have made lasting contributions through their efforts that have enriched the lives of others. These women were presented with Women Making a Difference Award. |
 | Baltimore County Fire Department's Annual Promotional and Commendation Ceremony View Photo Gallery The Baltimore County Fire Department uniformed personnel and civilians who performed heroically at its annual Promotional and Commendation Ceremony held at Goucher College. |
 | Waterfront Festival Poster Contest View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith recognized Baltimore County Public Schools students who participated in the Waterfront Festival poster contest and created the winning pieces. Doug Bennett, a senior at Catonsville High School, takes home first place. His winning graphic represents the Festival’s theme of celebrating land, sea, and air. Second place went to Tom Johnston of Towson High, 3rd to Patapsco High’s Antonia Vega, and Alicia Mattheu from Eastern Techincal received honorable mention. The 2007 Baltimore County Community Waterfront Festival to be held on May 12 at Martin’s Lagoon in Essex is designed to highlight Baltimore County’s hidden treasure, the 175 miles of waterfront. |
 | State and County Officials Unveil Web Site for Students View Photo Gallery At Dundalk High School, a news conference of high school newspaper editors and reporters, state and Baltimore County officials unveiled a localized web site that enables students to get clear, real-world information about possible careers and the academic avenues they need to follow to pursue them.
The new site is a localized part of BeWhatIWantToBe.com, a web site developed by the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education. It offers career information specific to Baltimore County including profiles of workers at County businesses, student activities and career resources available in the County, as well as access to the broader statewide information on the site. |
 | County Executive Honored Chief Surgeon and Team View Photo Gallery On March 12, 2007 Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith and Police Chief Terrence B. Sheridan, along with members of the Baltimore County Police Department, visited the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore to honor Chief Surgeon Dr. Thomas Scalea and the shock trauma team. The County Executive and Police Chief thanked Scalea and team members for what they do everyday—perform lifesaving surgeries on critically ill or severely injured persons. This expression of gratitude was prompted by the lifesaving efforts of the shock trauma team who saved the life of Corporal David Garner. On December 14, 2006, a robbery suspect shot Garner. Recently, Dr. Scalea and the team saved the lives of four police officers—two from Baltimore City, one State Trooper, and Corporal Garner from BCPD. |
 | County Senior Centers Win Fitness Award View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith recognized the Baltimore County Department of Aging and Towson University for winning the 2006 Physical Activity Excellence Award from The State Advisory Council on Physical Fitness. The joint award acknowledges the partnership between the BCDA and the University for their Fitness Center Project. Senior fitness center managers and Towson staff members were also honored. This initiative helps senior citizens reap the benefits of being physically fit by using the centers’ apparatus and equipment under the supervision of professional trainers. The Towson University College of Health Professions provides skilled staff to each of the five centers currently in operation at the County’s senior centers. |
 | The County's Human Resources Building Celebrates a 100 years of Service View Photo Gallery On March 13, 2007 Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith visited the Open House for the 100th Anniversary Celebration at 308 Allegheny Avenue home to the County's Human Resources offices. The Towson High School Jazz Band entertained at the ceremony with outstanding musical performances. Several folks in attendance went to elementary school here. They walked the halls to find their old classrooms. Since February 22, 1907 the building has served the County for 100 years in various fashion from 1907-1923 it was Towson High School; from 1923-1949 it was a Towson Elementary School; from 1949-1990 it served as Baltimore County Board of Education Offices; and from 1990-present it houses the Office of Human Resources. |
 | Chesapeake Bay Trust Teachers of the Year View Photo Gallery On February 23, 2006 County Executive Jim Smith spent his morning highlighting the influence that teachers can have by promoting environmental investigation using creative, hands-on approaches with their students. Smith presented an Executive Citation to John Sandkuhler, a horticulture teacher at the Forbush School, a privately run school on the campus of Sheppard Pratt Health System. Smith’s second stop of the morning took him to Sparks Elementary where he honored Elizabeth "Pokey" Fair, designated as this year’s elementary teacher of the year in the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s annual review of teachers around Maryland. |
 | Hereford Middle School Designated Maryland Blue Ribbon School
View Photo Gallery On February 16, 2007 Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith joined State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick in honoring students and staff of Hereford Middle School for achieving the prestigious designation of Maryland Blue Ribbon School. To qualify as a Blue Ribbon School, a school must be in the top ten percent of all middle schools in the entire state of Maryland, based on data collected over three years through state assessments in mathematics, reading, and related language arts areas. |
 | Jim Smith Recognized Local Boy Scout Council in Honor of Scout Anniversary Week View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith recognized the Baltimore Area Council of Boy Scouts of America marking the institutions 97th Anniversary Week. Smith proclaimed February 6 Boy Scout Day in Baltimore County. |
 | County Executive Honors Junior Nobel Prize Winner View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith recognized Anna Cyganowski, Notre Dame Preparatory senior, for reaching the semifinalist status in the Intel Science Talent Search or better known as the "Junior Nobel Prize." |
 | Area School Tour View Photo Gallery Governor O’Malley, County Executive Smith and other County and State officials walked through General John Stricker Middle school with Baltimore County Public Schools facilities management professionals, visited classrooms, and engaged in a question and answer session with students. |
 | Marshy Point Groundbreaking View Photo Gallery On December 18, 2006, County Executive Jim Smith along with District 6 County Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder, broke ground for several phase two additions to the Marshy Point Nature Center in Chase. The Nature Center, located at 7130 Marshy Point Road, received $2.8 million to enhance educational facilities for students of the Baltimore County Public Schools and recreational facilities for Baltimore County citizens. The renovations are scheduled to be complete by late spring of 2007. |
 | Fields at Renaissance Park View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith, along with County Councilman Joseph Bartenfelder and other local dignitaries, dedicated the newly constructed Fields at Renaissance Park in Essex on December 7, 2006. The County Executive recognized George Mussini, whose winning entry was selected by the Office of Community Conservation’s Name the Park Contest. The 40-acre park includes a 90’ baseball diamond, athletic field, pavilions, playground, walking paths, parking areas, and a regional stormwater management facility, as well as a 15-acre environmental restoration area completed by DEPRM in October 2006. Total costs for construction of the park totaled $5.5 million. |
 | Chesterwood Park View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith, along with County Councilman John Olszewski and other local dignitaries, dedicated the newly renovated Chesterwood Park in Dundalk on December 8, 2006. Chesterwood Park now has a lighted and irrigated athletic field, new parking area, storage/concession building, pavilions, pathways, new signage, and buffer plantings. The $3 million project was funded by a $1 million state bond, a community parks and playground grant, and $99,000 in waterway/improvement funds. |
 | Baltimore County Public Libraries Recognized View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith presented an Executive Citation to the Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL) for its national rating in the Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings (HAPLR) Index. BCPL was rated in the category of serving the largest population over 500,000 and placed fifth in the nation for the 2006 index. The HAPLR rating criteria consist of circulation, staffing levels, funding levels, hours open, materials, reference services, and other non-circulation measures. In the seven years since HAPLR’s inception, BCPL has rated in the top five libraries six times. |
 | Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony View Photo Gallery Baltimore County’s Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony was held November 28 in the heart of the downtown Towson shopping corridor at the corner of York Road and Pennsylvania Avenue in front of Towson Commons. Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith presided over the official tree lighting while members of the Baltimore County Council and the Towson Chamber of Commerce helped lead the festivities. The event was co-sponsored by the Towson Chamber of Commerce, County Executive Jim Smith and the Baltimore County Council and was graciously hosted by Towson Commons. The Sheraton Baltimore North, neighborhood retailers and restaurants, WLIF Lite 102, the Tiger Marching Band from Towson University and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus, contributed to the successful event. |
 | Thank You Care Package View Photo Gallery As a tribute to their co-worker, Shelly Morrison, and a "Thank You" to her son, Marine Lance Corporal Raymond A. Chojnowski, employees of the Bureau of Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning took up a collection and purchased items for a Care Package to be sent to LCPL Chojnowski, currently stationed in Iraq. Master-minded by Ms. Morrison's Supervisor, Greg Carski, the employees managed to raise $300 and purchased several items without Ms. Morrison's knowledge. On the pretense of needing her input for a Staff Meeting issue, Ms. Morrison was ushered to Director Ed Adams' Conference Room, where she was greeted by a table full of 'goodies' and a group of her fellow employees holding signs of "Thank You" for her son and his comrades. The articles for the Care Package included such items as Beef Jerkey, Tuna Packs, Iced Tea, nuts, cookies, candy, handi-wipes, and fruit snacks, as well as a gift card for the Burger King located on base. An official Ravens Blanket was also included in the large pile of items, a most welcome touch of home! |
 | Annual Holiday Toy Drop View Photo Gallery On November 27, 2006, County Executive Jim Smith kicked off the Department of Social Services Volunteer Office's Annual Holiday Toy Drive at the Towson Library. Students from the Father Kolbe School, mothers from the Cockeysville Moms' Club, representatives from all drop-off sites, members of the Social Services Department, and BCPL's Sneaks the Cat, all gathered to help collect new toys for the needy children of Baltimore County. |
 | Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest Winners View Photo Gallery Forty-two third graders from Baltimore County public schools were honored November 29 at a ceremony at Loch Raven High School for their participation in this year's Fire Prevention Poster Contest. The Baltimore County Fire Service sponsors the contest each year to heighten awareness of important fire safety issues. This year's poster theme was, "Prevent Cooking Fires.” Thirty-seven students received honorable mentions in this year's contest. |
 | Opening of Maryland Route 43 View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith joins State and local officials, business leaders and community members for the opening of the extension of Maryland Route 43 in Middle River. The 3.8 mile extension from White Marsh to Eastern Boulevard is central to the renaissance of eastern Baltimore County, opening 1,000 acres of land for job-intensive business development. The tract is the largest available property zoned for business use in Baltimore County. Consultant studies project up to 10,000 new jobs and over $460 million in new private investment could be attracted to eastern Baltimore County as a result of this "economic development road." Four buildings in the 5.5 million square foot Baltimore Crossroads at 95 business park are completed with two more buildings starting construction in Fall 2006. Grading for Windlass Run Business Park begins by the end of 2006.
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 | New Vincent Farm Elementary School View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Public Schools will unveil the first rendering of the new Vincent Farm Elementary School in the northeast area of Baltimore County. Councilmen Joe Bartenfelder and Vince Gardina have worked closely with County Executive Jim Smith and the school system to expedite and forward-fund its construction. |
 | County Garbage Generates Electricity View Photo Gallery On October 26, 2006, County Executive Jim Smith along with Public Works and Pepco representatives officially opened Baltimore County’s Gas to Energy Project at the Eastern Sanitary Landfill, 6257 Days Cove Road in White Marsh. The environmentally friendly technology, which has proved successful at landfills across the country, taps methane gas generated by decaying organic matter and uses it as fuel for internal combustion engines. The mechanical energy is then converted into electrical energy and sold by Pepco Energy Services, the nation's fifth largest competitive electricity supplier through the PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization. Engineers estimate that the Eastern Sanitary Landfill can produce enough methane for at least 20 years and they expect the new plant to generate about three megawatts of power daily. That’s enough energy to power 1900 homes and is roughly equivalent to about 79 railroad cars of coal annually. |
 | Hannah More Skate Park Opening View Photo Gallery On Sunday, October 15 County Executive Jim Smith officiated at the grand opening of the skate park at Hannah More. Smith cut the ribbon at Hannah More Park located in Reisterstown at 12035 Reisterstown Road. Intended for use by the children of Hannah More School and the entire Reisterstown community. The park is a way for kids to have fun and get exercise and fresh air beyond the more traditional recreation programs. This is the fourth skate park Baltimore County has developed. Others are located in Cockeysville, Lansdowne, and Dundalk. |
 | Towson Manor Park View Photo Gallery On the weekend of October 13-15, 2006, County Executive Jim Smith joined citizens as they gathered in Towson to kick-off the tenth annual Pitch-In for Progress in Towson Manor Park. The event started with graffiti removal using the Farrow System - the County's environmentally friendly graffiti removal apparatus. Volunteers from the Department of Public Works did general cleanup around the park by planting flowers and raking leaves. The Baltimore County government has helped by providing dumpsters, mulch, gloves, trash bags, paint, and even flowers. Over 3,500 people participated in this year's event producing over 85 projects in 50 communities throughout the County. |
 | Flu Vaccination Initiative View Photo Gallery On October 30, 2006, County Executive Jim Smith, Department of Health Officer Dr. Pierre Vigilance, and County schools Health Services Coordinator Deborah Somerville announced the statewide flu vaccination initiative being conducted in the Baltimore County Public Schools. The announcement took place at Lansdowne Elementary as 93 eligible students received the FluMist. Representing District 12-A, Delegate Jimmy Malone was on hand during the event. |
| Pikesville Library and Senior Center Expansion View Photo Gallery On Wednesday October 4, 2006 County Executive Jim Smith and second district County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz broke ground at the site of an expansion of the Pikesville Library and Senior Center. The 7000 foot expansion will include new facilities and roof repairs. The new addition is expected to serve many members of the Pikesville community.
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| Young Parent Support Center in Essex View Photo Gallery On October 17, 2006, County Executive Jim Smith and Sixth District County Councilman, Joe Bartenfelder, cut the ribbon for the new Young Parent Support Center in Essex. The playground was made possible thanks to contributions from both local and state government, non-profit organizations, and private donations. For the past twelve years the Young Parent Support Center has helped more than 500 individuals and 380 families by promoting the healthy development of children and encouraging families to become financially independant. The Center recently received the Barbara Bush Foundation Literacy Grant to help with the hiring of literacy specialists and the development of literacy activities for both parents and children. |
 | Medicare Prescription Drug Program View Photo Gallery On September 6, 2006 County Executive Jim Smith helped kick off the County's new initiative to help seniors understand the Medicare Prescription Drug Program. |
 | Confined Space Rescue View Photo Gallery On Aug. 16, Baltimore County fire personnel responded to a confined space accident at Villa Julie College's Owings Mills campus that killed two men. The victims were construction workers who were asphyxiated when they entered a sewer vault. The men were pouring concrete above ground when one dropped his trowel in the vault and went to retrieve it. He lost consciousness, as did his co-worker, who followed him into the vault in a failed rescue attempt. Lack of sufficient oxygen is a common hazard in confined spaces. |
 | June National Caribbean-American Heritage Month View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith declared the month of June National Caribbean-American Heritage month during a ceremony in the County Executive office honoring members of various Caribbean-American associations. |
| Green School Celebration View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith hosted a garden party to honor the county’s 25 public and private schools who have earned the prestigious and rigorous Green Schools designation. Baltimore County’s Green Schools, more than any other jurisdiction in the state. |
 | 2006 Anti-Drug Poster Contest View Photo Gallery For 18 years, Sandra A. O'Connor, State's Attorney for Baltimore County, has sponsored an Anti-Drug Calendar Contest in middle schools (public, private, and parochial) located in Baltimore County. Students from 6th, 7th and 8th grades submit posters with an Anti-Drug theme. |
 | Community Waterfront Festival View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith invited all citizens to enjoy the second Community Waterfront Festival on Saturday, May 13 at Martin’s Lagoon near Martin State Airport in Middle River. The festival highlighted the County’s 175 miles of waterfront and included an appearance by NASA astronaut Dr. Tom Jones (born and raised in Essex), tours on the Skipjack Nellie L. Byrd, food from some of the area's finest restaurants, some 40 arts and crafts booths, sailing demonstrations, water rescue demonstrations by Volunteer Fire Companies, live music by BCPS choral groups and country musicians. |
 | 100th Anniversary of Forestry Service View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith presented an Executive Proclamation to Steve Koehn, State Forester, in observance of the 100th Anniversary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service. Koehn presented a white oak, the state tree, to the County that was planted at the Sherwood House in Cromwell Valley Park. Baltimore County was also the recipient of the Tree City USA award, an award given to municipalities that demonstrate aggressive programs dedicated to planting and protecting trees, from the National Arbor Day Foundation. |
 | Lansdowne Library Ribbon Cutting View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith cut the ribbon to officially reopen the Lansdowne Library, closed in 1993 due to budget constraints at that time. In 2003, County Executive Jim Smith and County Councilman Sam Moxley, along with Library Director James Fish, other county leaders, Sen. Ed Kasemeyer, Del. Steve DeBoy, and Del. Jim Malone made a decision to refurbish, upgrade, and reopen the library to serve the Lansdowne community. |
 | The Community Waterfront Festival Poster Contest Ceremony View Photo Gallery At a ceremony honoring students who participated in the Waterfront Festival poster contest, County Executive Jim Smith announced the 2006 Baltimore County Community Waterfront Festival, which will be held on May 13 at Martin's Lagoon in Essex.The poster contest, open to Baltimore County Public Schools students during the month of February, was developed to find the Festival's logo. Rebecca Brashewitz, a senior at Towson High School, produced the winning graphic representing the Festival's theme of celebrating land, sea, and air. The County Executive presented executive citations to the winner and four finalists at the ceremony. |
 | The Growing Home Event View Photo Gallery County Executive Jim Smith is joined by Al Todd of the USDA Forest Service; David Carroll, director of the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management; and Mike Galvin of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service to kick off the Growing Home Campaign. This campaign, one of County Executive Smith's Green Renaissance initiatives, is an innovative, market-driven promotion featuring county-sponsored dollars-off coupons for trees purchased from participating retailers. |
 | The Cockeysville Library Event View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, along with 3rd District County Councilman T. Bryan McIntire and Baltimore County Public Library officials will honor the Anderson Automotive Group for their generous donation of $30,000 to the Cockeysville Library. |
 | The Yorkway Event View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith and Council Chair John Olszewski Sr. made a significant announcement on March 27th regarding the county's purchase of Yorkway Apartments, a blighted apartment complex in Dundalk. Families and community leaders will hail this historic announcement as a critical step forward in Dundalk's renaissance. |
 | Program SAFE Kick-Off View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith will be joined by County officials and community leaders and to kick-off the Department of Recreation and Parks' new initiative, Program SAFE. The innovative project will provide safety education for youth, parents, and staff who utilize the Recreation and Parks' facilities by way of community presentations, brochures, flyers, and signs displaying easy to follow safety tips. In addition to safety education, Program SAFE will create a safer atmosphere by placing automated external defibrillator (AED) units at the six regional Recreation and Park facilities. |
 | Three-alarm Fire at Riverchase Condominiums in Halethorpe View Photo Gallery A three-alarm fire on Feb. 17 displaced 11 families from the Riverchase Condominiums in Halethorpe. No civilians were injured; two firefighters suffered superficial injuries and were treated at the scene. About 45 pieces of apparatus responded to this call. |
 | The Spring Grove Event View Photo Gallery On February 13, 2006, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith held a press conference to announce the formation of a task force that will seek community input and develop a vision for future use of the 200 acres at Spring Grove Hospital Center located between Catonsville and Arbutus. Councilman Sam Moxley and legislators from Districts 10 and 12A joined the County Executive at the press conference that was held on the grounds of Spring Grove Hospital Center. |
 | Expansion Plans Revealed for the Pikesville Library and Senior Center. View Photo Gallery Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith was joined by 2nd District County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz and local business and community leaders to reveal the expansion plans for the Pikesville Senior Center and Library. The Pikesville Senior Center and Library expansion will add 7,000 square feet to the facilities, increasing their space by 20 percent. |
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