Abingdon Community Council eNews

Volume I Issue #10 July, 2012 C. David Copenhaver, Editor

Welcome to our latest issue of the ACC eNews. This eNews has been developed in an effort to reach out to the residents of Abingdon. Our purpose is to provide you an opportunity to become more informed and to encourage more participation at our monthly meetings! Please share this eNews with your neighbors. Why not plan to join us at our next meeting on Monday, July 23, 2012 from 6:30pm 7:30pm at the Abingdon Public Library, 2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009? Join us and participate; take that leap of faith, you may find it rewarding! (For additional information, contact
abingdoncc@gmail.com.)
(If at any time you wish to have your eMail address removed from our data base, just reply remove.)

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Abingdons Treasures: Brooms Bloom

(Brooms Bloom is located at 1700 South Fountain Green Road, Bel Air, MD 21015) (Editors Comment: Brooms Bloom technically is not within the Abingdon zip code, 21009. Nevertheless, as results of an unscientific survey yielded, it is clearly a favorite destination of numerous Abingdon residents.)

Brooms Bloom, begun c. 1747, by the locally prominent Webster family and continuously owned by direct descendants of the original builder and land patentee. The farm is named after the colonial land grant for the area. Added onto by succeeding generations of the Webster-Dallam family, the original portion of Brooms Bloom is still the largest and dominant section of the house and is a superior and exceptionally intact example of a vernacular building form popular in Harford County among the areas prosperous second and third generation planters and industrialists. A figurative handful (four) of such houses survive in the county; similar in scale, plan, and detail, these structures all date to the same decade (the 1740s) and comprise the oldest documented group of buildings in Harford County. None surpasses Brooms Bloom in the amount of surviving original material; furthermore, none can match Brooms Bloom history of single-family ownership and occupation. There have been three principal additions to the house; two of these (constructed c. 1845 and c. 1850) possess their own historical importance and the third (c. 1950) is small in scale utilitarian in nature and does not compromise the houses integrity. Also located on the acreage, and adding to the resources importance, are the 18th century springhouse and the oldest known family cemetery (with graves dating back to 1759) in Harford County. In 1997, David and Kate Dallam began by milking cows, which led them down the exciting "Rocky Road" to making and selling ice cream, cheese and pork sausage. The ice cream was originally sold at local farmers' markets and quickly became a hit among townspeople. As success grew, the farm needed a bigger space to sell its products and a store was built on the farm. In addition to a large selection of ice creams, you can buy milk, eggs, artisan cheese, pork sausage as well as other local meats and farmed products. The store sells a few deli items like sandwiches and soup, but it appears that most customers make the trip to the edge of town to eat ice cream.
(Source: bbdairy.com and the National Register of Historic Places, some changes have been made.)

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Harford County's Allied Law Enforcement Agencies Unite to Improve Traffic Safety
Leaders from Harford County's allied law enforcement agencies gathered at the Harford County Sheriff's Office Southern Precinct on Tuesday, June 26 to sign a Memo of Understanding officially ratifying the creation of the Harford County Traffic Task Force. The purpose of the multi-agency law enforcement based Harford County Traffic Task Force is to reduce traffic fatalities, traffic crashes and traffic violations which occur within Harford County, through enforcement and education. Members of the Harford County Traffic Task Force will operate throughout the County in targeted areas to enforce traffic related laws including, but not limited to: use of safety belts and child safety seats, driving under the influence and driving while intoxicated, speeding and aggressive driving and all other violations of Maryland's Transportation Article. The Harford County Traffic Task Force led by the Harford County Sheriff's Office consists of members from Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre de Grace Police Department and the Maryland State Police (Bel Air and JFK Barracks). Participation in Harford County Traffic Task Force is Crucial "As leader of the Harford County's primary law enforcement agency, I feel it is my responsibility to do everything possible to provide for the public's safety. With that in mind, traffic - particularly in light of the high fatality rates, is one of our agency's key issues being addressed at this time." Sheriff L. Jesse Bane - Harford County Sheriff's Office "Having the added resources of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, Aberdeen Police Department, Bel Air Police Department, Havre De Grace Police Department, troopers from JFK Barrack, and members of the community and Harford County Government is a win-win for all stakeholders. We will be able to provide complete saturation of identified "high crash" areas with the added resources and further improve our ability to improve driving behaviors of our citizens. Additionally, further partnering with our citizens and government entities will enable the task force to expand our ability to influence other factors that can influence driving behaviors, i.e., having citizen task force members participate alongside law enforcement during community/school presentations. Harford County law enforcement and governmental entities remain committed to improving the quality of life of our citizens by this cohesive and innovative approach to traffic safety." Lt Charles A. Moore - Maryland State Police - Bel Air Barracks "Traffic safety is an important component of the overall mission of the Aberdeen Police Department. We are committed to reducing the number of deaths and injuries due to traffic accidents through rigorous campaigns of enforcement and public education. The opportunity to participate in the Harford County Traffic Task Force amplifies our ability to reduce traffic crashes as we begin our cooperative partnership with our allied agencies in a combined effort to make Harford County roads a safer place to travel." Chief Henry Trabert of the Aberdeen Police Department "The Harford County Traffic Task Force is important to the Town of Bel Air, because we have learned from our experiences that traffic safety can be achieved with education, awareness and enforcement. Our red light camera program has significantly reduced crashes at our major intersections. Bel Air is the shopping hub of the County with over 40,000 vehicles traveling through the Town each day on Route 24. This volume of traffic creates more of an opportunity for motor vehicles crashes. Combining the police enforcement resources of State, County and municipal agencies will make the Town roadways safer for our motorist, cyclist and pedestrians." Chief Leo Matrangola - Bel Air Police Department "The Harford County Traffic Task Force is an excellent way to partner with the other law enforcement agencies in our county and to show drivers that collectively we are all committed to safety on our roadways whether the enforcement action is speed management, safety belt or aggressive driving enforcement. Regardless of the type of enforcement effort or location our goal is to reduce crashes and fatalities throughout Harford County." Chief Teresa Walter - Havre de Grace Police Department This innovative partnership supported by the Maryland Highway Safety Office and the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention is designed to increase law enforcement's visibility in identified problematic areas while maximizing shared resources. Following the rules of the road will prevent crashes and save lives.
(Source: Harford Neighbors.com)

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Harford officials celebrate $70M expansion of Abingdon Water Treatment Plant

Harford County officials unveiled the $70.4 million expansion of the Abingdon Water Treatment Plant on Thursday afternoon, which will double the plant's current capacity of processing 10 million gallons of water daily and serve more than 43,000 customers. "Assuring that we have good infrastructure has been one of the key initiatives for me as county executive," Harford County Executive David Craig told a roomful of about 50 officials, county council members and other guests on the second floor of the new building. With decorative brick and lighting fixtures, the plant has a decidedly less industriallooking presence overlooking Abingdon Road. Craig noted that Thursday morning the board of estimates approved another 5 million gallons through Baltimore City, bringing the plant's capacity to 25 million gallons daily. The county executive said he is dedicated to providing "good, adequate, reliable drinking water for everyone that lives here." The expansion was originally approved in 2005 and construction began in 2009, with an extensive process that included a new tap into Baltimore City's 108-inch wide raw water line, a 115-inch wide tunnel under I-95 for transmission mains, an upgrade to a sewer along the Bynum Run Interceptor, a new raw water screening process, two million-gallon emergency lagoons with a pumping station and an upgraded security system, according to a press release. The project will help the county provide 1.5 million gallons of back-up water for Aberdeen Proving Ground during emergency drought conditions, and partial water capacity to the city of Aberdeen, the Maryland American Water company and Greenridge Utilities Inc., which serve the town of Bel Air and the Greenridge community, respectively. Craig said he hopes the plant would eventually provide up to 40 million gallons. "There's always issues that have to be considered," he added. "This helped us resolve issues with the Aberdeen Proving Ground, this helped us resolve issues with the city of Aberdeen that had to be resolved." Craig also said he hoped to work toward unified water production in Harford County. He added BRAC would not have happened as readily as it did if Harford County had not been able to sell water to Aberdeen. More than 500 people and 500,000 staff hours were involved in the massive project. The event was held just before public works director Bob Cooper's last day with the county. "It is really fitting that this is happening today, with my last day being tomorrow," Cooper told the crowd. He thanked the Spencer family, from whom the land was purchased, for working with the county, jokingly explaining: "We call it Mount Spencer out there." Cooper noted the project did create some complications, as the county had to work with the Maryland Department of the Environment to cap a rubblefill on the site. "We knew that going into the project, and we knew that having this property was going to be the answer to our long-term [problems]," he said. County spokesman Bob Thomas thanked Craig for his leadership and persistence with the project. "This was not an easy project at all, and the county executive saw it as a high priority," Thomas said. Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti, who attended along with Councilmen Joe Woods and Chad Shrodes, commented on the improved appearance of the building. "This is an impact on the surrounding community," Lisanti said, adding the early designs did not look as nice. "Even that little touch made a big difference." Aberdeen Mayor Mike Bennett attended with City Manager Doug Miller. Bennett recalled when he took office in 2005, the city was faced with a crisis of water and worried it would not be able to meet the demands of BRAC. "After many, many, many hours of wrangling and talking, David [Craig] and I, along with our manager Doug Miller, knew what the right thing to do was," Bennett said. "We just had to get people on board."

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Bennett said he and Miller were at the Maryland Municipal League convention in Ocean City and "zipped" back to Harford County for the ribbon-cutting. "This is going to help us to continue to move forward very greatly in the city of Aberdeen and Harford County," he said, adding it would also continue keeping Harford County the "epicenter of things going on in the state of Maryland."
(Source: Bryna Zumer, bzumer@theaegis.com . Some changes were made.)

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Sports Complex to Be Built On Schucks Road

new, 45-acre regional sports complex is being built on Schucks Road in Campus Hills. The $3,932,298 contract for the project was awarded by the Harford County Board of Estimates Thursday to Greene Construction Inc., of Pylesville, the lowest bidder out of five total companies. The project includes construction of five baseball diamonds, a soccer/lacrosse field, an entry drive, pre-engineered bridge, a pre-fabricated building for electrical equipment, asphalt paving, parking lot lighting, fencing, bio-retention areas, turf installation and grass and plantings. County Councilman Jim McMahan asked if Greene had done construction for the county before. William McKean, with the department of public works, said he did a project with the company in Havre de Grace a few years ago involving baseball fields. The sport complex was included in the county's fiscal year 2013 budget, which is the spending plan beginning July 1. In those documents, it states that the design phase is complete and construction is anticipated for fiscal year 2013, though it isn't specified when. "Fields are expected to be available in 2013," the project's status reads. The budget also described the project as being on a 71-acre site and three recreation councils Hickory/Fountain Green, Forest Hill and Emmorton "have contributed funds toward site acquisition and will share facilities." A future indoor recreation center is planned for construction in fiscal year 2021. "BRAC is expected to generate demand for additional housing units in this area of Harford County," the budget reads. "Population growth will create demand for additional recreation facilities as well as schools." In May, the school system transferred a portion of property it owned on Schucks Road to the county government for a road construction project. It is not clear, however, if the sports complex will use that property. The property was purchased in 2008 as part of the future Schucks Road Elementary School site, consisting of two parcels. The school system determined the property was no longer needed for school purposes.
(Source: Marissa Gallo, mgallo@theaegis.com (Some changes were made.)

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Historic Tudor Hall opens for tours Sunday, July 22nd

Bel Airs historic Tudor Hall, home of the prominent theatrical Booth family that included Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, will be open this month for tours July 22nd. The property and first floor of the Gothic Revival cottage will be open at 1:00pm and again at 2:00pm. Tudor Hall is at 17 Tudor Lane in Bel Air. Tudor Hall will also be open August 12th and 26 th, September 9 th and 23rd, October14 th and 28 th. The historic Tudor Hall is a fascinating piece of our nation's history. When you visit, you'll connect to the story of the Maryland Booths who left their mark on America forever. You'll walk where they walked, lived, played, worked and dreamed. When you visit, history comes alive. The cost is $3.00 for those age 13 and older. The gift shop includes books which delve into the absorbing history of the Booths. Read more about its history at http://spiritsoftudorhall.blogspot.com and http://www.harfordhistory.net/th.htm. For more information: 443-619-0008 or SpiritsOfTudorHall@gmail.com.
(Source: belairnewsandviews.com/, some changes have been made.)

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Proposed Bel Air Walmart Site Plan Released

(Some members of the Bel Air community are rallying in opposition of Walmart's proposed move to Bel Air.)

meeting seeking community input on a proposed 185,706 sq. ft. Bel Air Walmart is scheduled to take place next week and some members of the community are already voicing opposition to the project. Advertising for the meeting, scheduled to take place July 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Patterson Mill High School, was originally printed in The Aegis before Harford County Planning and Zoning was aware of it. The meeting has since been announced on the county's web site along with a proposed site plan, which you can find attached to this article. The plan outlines a 185,706 sq. ft. building at the southwest corner of the intersection of Plumtree Road and Emmorton Road, or MD Route 924. It also includes a proposed extension of Blue Spruce Drive and several acres designated for future development. The front of the building would face away from Plumtree Road toward a parking lot about the same size as the building. "The purpose of this meeting is for the Applicant to provide information to the community regarding the proposed commercial development (including draft plans for the site layout), and to allow citizens to ask questions and make comments and suggestions," the legal ad states. In March of 2011, Walmart representatives told Patch the chain was considering moving the Abingdon store to the 33.7-acre lot. Based on preliminary discussions, Walmart plans to build a superstore at the new location and sell the current building located in Constant Friendship, a Walmart employee told Patch last year. It remains unclear whether closing the Abingdon store is part of the current plan. In addition to the Abingdon store, there are also Harford County Walmart locations in Aberdeen and Fallston. The plan for the Bel Air location was met with backlash from the community back in 2011, with residents along the Route 924 corridor holding meetings and expressing opposition to the Harford County Council. The opposition base remains strong against Walmart, with one online petition gaining 400 signatures. Check out this video on YouTube called "Stop Walmart Bel Air" which includes musical lyrics that oppose Walmart in a small town.
(Source: Bel Air Patch, by Kirsten Dize some changes were made)

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Dates to Ponder:
Outdoor Movies July, 13, 2012 6:00pm Shamrock Park, Lee Street and Hickory Avenue. Enjoy movies under the stars. Pack the blankets and grab the kids! Seating opens at 6:00pm and movie starts at dusk. Sponsored by the Bel Air Downtown Alliance. FREE. www.downtownbelair.com 443.823.1797

17th Annual Blueberry Festival July 14, 2012 10:00am-2:00pm Deer Creek Friends Meeting (Quaker) 1212 Main Street, Darlington, 10:00am-2:00pm. FREE. Homemade Blueberry pies, baked goods and delicious blueberry desserts, fresh picked blueberries, White Elephant table, 11am Live Auction, used book table, hot dogs, hamburgers, lemonade, and more. Bring a lawn chair and chat awhile. Oldtime family fun! www.deercreekfriends.org 410.457.9188

Music on the Lawn Annual Summer Concert July 14, 2012 6:00pm-8:00pm Little Falls Meeting of Friends, 719 Old Fallston Rd, Fallston, 6:00pm-8:00pm. FREE. Annual Family and Community Concert, rain or shine. Join us on the lawn to hear Dean Sapp and the Harford Express Band. Formed in 1969, Dean Sapp has developed one of the finest traditionally- based bluegrass bands in the country! Bring a picnic. Ice-cream with homemade blueberry topping is provided! www.littlefallsfriends.org 410.877.3015

Summer Concert Series July 15, 2012 7:00pm Wm. A. Humbert Amphitheater, Shamrock Park. 7pm. Outdoor concerts in the park feature local community bands, chorus, ensembles and military bands. Sponsored by the Town of Bel Air and Harford County Cultural Arts Board. FREE. 410.803.9784

Sunday Art Exhibits at the Gallery at Liriodendron July 15, 2012 1:00pm-4:00pm Liriodendron, 502 W. Gordon Street, Bel Air. Various artists featured. Check website for details. FREE. www.liriodendron.com

Margaritaville Cruise July 16, 2012 7:00pm-8:30pm Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy, 121 N. Union Avenue, Havre de Grace. $40/person. Set sail with island tunes and margaritas. Reservations required. www.skipjackmarthalewis.org 410.939.4078

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War of 1812 Bicentennial Observance Exhibit July 17, 2012 1:00pm-3:00pm The Hays-Heighe House at Harford Community College, 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air. FREE. The exhibit will showcase the local history as it relates to the War of 1812, as well as daily life in the early Republic period. New displays and updated information will be added throughout the exhibit run, which will close in December 2012. Refreshments will be served. http://haysheighehouse.blogspot.com 443.412.2495

Martha's Treasure Hunters Cruise July 18, 2012 9:00am-11:30am Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy, 121 N. Union Ave, Havre de Grace $15/person. Children ages 6-8 become pirates of the bay in search of sunken treasure. They will read the treasure map and help navigate the boat to find the treasure. Children only reservations. www.skipjackmarthalewis.org 410.939.4078

Abingdon Community Council Meeting July 23, 2012 6:30pm - 7:30pm Abingdon Community Council meets on the 4th Monday of each month at the Abingdon Public Library from 6:30 p.m.7:30 p.m. Public invited! abingdoncc@gmail.com

25TH Annual Harford County Farm Fair July 26-29, 2012 10:00am-10:00pm Equestrian Center in Bel Air. The Farm Fair promotes Harford County's agricultural community and highlights the 4-H and FFA programs. Family-oriented events, contests, and entertainment are provided; and local residents are encouraged to exhibit their homegrown produce, crafts, photography, and art work. Sponsored by Harford County Farm Fair, Inc. Admission fee to be determined. www.farmfair.org 410.838.8663

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Next Meeting: July 23, 2012

allee Kunkel Filkins, executive director of the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, will be the guest

presenter at the Abingdon Community Council. Please join us on Monday, July 23, 2012 from 6:30 PM 7:30 PM at the Abingdon Public Library, 2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD.

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Minutes from last meeting:

Abingdon Community Council Meeting June 25, 2012 There were 5 members (C. David Copenhaver, Cynthia Hergenhahn, Earl Grey, Carlin Cook, Gregory Beaty) and 20 guests in attendance including: Lt. Dougherty (Harford County Sheriffs Office), Dion Guthrie (Harford County Council), Susan K. McComas (Maryland House of Delegates District 35B), Andrew Tress (Aid to County Council President, Billy Boniface), Jamie Meier (Aid to County Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti), and Janet Gleisner (Harford County Planning and Zoning) The next meeting will be July 23, 2012 at 6:30 at the Abingdon Public Library. Handouts provided: ACC Mission Statement; Agenda; Updated Notes The meeting was called to order at 6:30 P.M. by Cynthia Hergenhahn, Chairperson. Lt. Dougherty - Community Policing Report for sectors 30 and 40: robberies up by 1/1, burglaries up by 6/10, vehicle theft down 2/2 Patrols have been increased Sheriffs Office does prepare an end of year report; State police reports are separate and must be requested. Janet Gleisner (Harford County Planning and Zoning) Stated that a Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan began development in January 2012, looking for answers to the health issues in Harford County Current programs are successful but short lived. There was a public meeting in March and still looking for community input She had a map showing input thus far from the Community walk, on the internet Anticipate field work to start in mid July 2012 and hope to have a plan ready in late fall and to present to the County Council next year A Box Hill North resident complained about the traffic situation at William S. James ES in the afternoons during school time. Janet stated that walk/bike policy is set by individual Principals. She also said working on safe routs to school plans and are promoting walking school buses. Suggestion was posed about having shoulders installed along Wheel Road. Suggestion posed about increasing the number and frequency of public bus service. Janet stated that this is under review but is dependent on ridership. Suggestion posed about having traffic impact studies done and to require developers to provide walk/bike facilities Janet invited more public comments/suggestions to be sent within the next 2 weeks. Approval of Aprils Minutes Shredding Event at Bel Ait Town Center on June 30 from 11-3 Facebook update do not need an account to view ACC page, but do need an account to comment and receive updates. Council member David Copenhaver presented eNews Updates From State Highways: looking into crosswalk at Singer and Rt. 924; median strip mowing along Rt. 24 is under new environmental law to provide natural barriers; revisiting Rt. 136 and Hookers Mill intersection line of sight; Wheel Road construction will include widening, straightening out some curves, providing pull over areas ACC member Greg Beaty presented the newly adopted ACC Mission Statement Susan McComas (Maryland House of Delegates District 35B)

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Suggested research be done to determine the reason parents wont let children walk to and from school Announced that there may be a special session of the MD Legislature to take up the issue of gambling

Dion Guthrie Harford County Council (dfguthrie@harfordcountymd.gov) Spearheaded a bill to have Harford County get appraisals on all properties it wishes to purchase He supports County Executive David Craigs idea to have riverboat gambling in Harford County

The meeting was adjourned at 7:45pm by Chairperson Cynthia Hergenhahn. Minutes submitted by Donna Copenhaver

Walmart Info Come to the Community Input Meeting July 19th,

1.

6:30pm

@ Patterson Mill High School

Members:
Cynthia Hergenhahn, Chairperson C. David Copenhaver Carlin Cook Earl Grey Gregory A. Beaty Recording Secretary: Donna Copenhaver

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