Bill Burton

Topics Fishing United States Martin O'Malley See more topics �X Heavy Engineering By Candus Thomson | candy.thomson@baltsun.com7:37 AM EDT, July 1, 2009E-mailPrintVote After more than 60 years as the unofficial ambassador to Maryland's outdoors community, newspaper columnist Bill Burton is expected to be honored by the state on July 22 by naming the popular Choptank River fishing pier for him.Gov.

Martin O'Malley has asked the Board of Public Works to acknowledged Burton's contributions, which include 37 years writing for the Evening Sun in addition to stints at the Bay Weekly and the Capital newspaper of Annapolis, by placing his name on the pier, which runs adjacent to U.S.

50 just outside Cambridge.

The announcement came Tuesday night at a gathering in Annapolis that honored Burton's accomplishments and raised money for the Gibson Island Country School environment center in Pasadena.

Burton recently donated his books, research and photographs to the center.

Eric Schwaab, deputy secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, noted that the lighted pier, open year-round, is "very special" to thousands of anglers and an important public access point on the Eastern Shore.

Using his column as a platform, Burton fought to save the structure, which opened in 1935 and served as the U.S.

50 bridge between Dorchester and Talbot counties until the new span was built in 1986.

Bowing to public sentiments, the state removed the drawbridge section of the old bridge and left the two pieces as platforms for anglers to target white perch, striped bass and croakers.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing could please me more," said Burton at the announcement.

"Honest to God, I couldn't be happier." Earlier this year, Burton was induced into the Maryland Delaware DC Press Association's Hall of Fame.



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