| Role | Youth Worker |
| Program | Baltimore County Summer Jobs Now Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) |
| Location | Former Almshouse Estate 9831 Van Buren Lane, Cockeysville, MD |
| Duration | June 1989 to August 1989 |
Project Overview: Participated in a foundational site-reclamation project at the historic Van Buren Lane estate. The mission was to convert the acreage surrounding a defunct residential and institutional property into a structured public recreational park.
The Work Permit & The “Manual” Mandate
In the summer of 1989, at age 14, I entered the workforce under the strict governance of the Maryland Commissioner of Labor. As noted in the Baltimore Sun at the time, 14-year-olds were a crucial but highly protected part of the labor pool. Because state law barred minors my age from operating “power-driven machinery,” my role was defined by pure, manual grit.
While the industry was moving toward motorized tools, my summer was defined by the sling blade. I spent my days swinging that long wooden handle and curved steel blade to clear vines and brush—a role that met the state’s rigorous safety standards while achieving the county’s land-reclamation goals.
The Site: Transforming the Almshouse Estate
Our crew was stationed at 9831 Van Buren Lane, a site of significant local history. Then known as the old Baltimore County Almshouse (a limestone landmark built in 1872), the property was being transitioned into the central headquarters for the Department of Recreation and Parks.
My daily routine involved:
- Topographical Reclamation: Using the sling blade to de-obscure the winding hills and wooded paths that led up to the historic stone structure.
- The “Basement” Depot: Storing our manual tools in the building’s ground-level walk-out basement—a space that had served as everything from a farm cellar to a fallout shelter.
- Botanical Foundation: Seeding grass and raking the forest floor to transform a rugged institutional farm into a welcoming public sanctuary.
The “Special Ed” Waiver & Social ROI
Because I was in special education with a learning disability, I accessed this opportunity through a specific waiver. This program wasn’t just a “job”; it was a well-calculated strategic asset for a 14-year-old in White Marsh. Every morning, a van would meet me at the gas station (10740 Pulaski Hwy, White Marsh, MD 21162) across the tracks from my home on Ebenezer Road, transporting me from my neighborhood to the historic hills of Cockeysville.
The Morning Ritual: The Soda Machine Strategy
Every morning that summer, my workday began at the gas station across the tracks from my house on Ebenezer Road. While waiting for the van, I’d hang out by the covered area housing the soda machines. One morning, after a machine ate my money for a grape soda, I discovered a mechanical quirk: by reaching above the coin slot and wiggling my finger, I could force the change to drop.
I soon realized a piece of stuck bubble gum was holding up a backlog of change. From that point on, I made it a daily habit to check the machine, wiggling my finger to see if I could get an extra soda for the day’s work. Near the end of the summer, I had “pressed my luck” and cleared about $10 in loose change. Rather than pocketing the windfall for myself, I purchased a round of extra sodas for my coworkers—a well-earned reward for a crew that had spent three months in the Maryland heat.
Legacy of the Summer of ’89
Any analyst or labor historian would see the “Social ROI” here. This wasn’t just clearing brush; it was participating in a state-regulated program designed to protect and empower young workers. We were the “younger teens” filling the labor gap, ensuring that the smallest among us could eventually “abide” in a park we built by hand.
Historical Context
The Van Buren Connection: Working at this location in 1989 meant working at a crossroads of Baltimore County history. The site on Van Buren Lane wasn’t just any park—it was the former Baltimore County Almshouse, an 1872 limestone edifice that once functioned as a self-sustaining farm.
By the time our crew arrived in the late 80s, the property was being repurposed to house the very department that gave us our first jobs: Baltimore County Recreation and Parks. The “winding hill” and “long dirt road” led to a site that was being preserved through the sweat of local youth, turning an institutional relic into a green sanctuary. Using a sling blade on those hills was more than just a job; it was a physical contribution to the county’s infrastructure that still stands today.
