Traffic Report

Here's the traffic report for Dec. 23.
Constant Friendship: Packed
924: Where are they all going?
Festival: Is Kohls' having another biggest sale of the year?
It appears everyone, like us here at TAA, has waited until the last minute to shop. We've also noticed increased traffic on Tollgate Road because of the MD 24 construction. Please be careful. And for those of you unfamiliar with how the traffic circle works. The vehicle already in the circle has the right of way. They don't stop for you to come out. Just a helpful holiday driving tip!

Bad Day for Newspapers

I know there are few fans of The Sun here in Republican Harford County, but the bankruptcy of The Sun's parent company is bad news for everyone.
Newspapers, at their best, focus on their communities. The death knell for many of the larger metropolitan newspapers occurred when other businesses decided they could make tons of money by purchasing newspapers. (Believe us we know this firsthand, after working at The Kansas City Star when it was purchased by Disney.) The owners lost any ties to the community they covered, sometimes bringing in editors who didn't know the area and coming up with ideas that would make them tons of money (see zoned editions). When these behemoths started losing money they cut the editorial staff and focused resources elsewhere (handing out free content on the Internet). Reporting suffered and the readers found fewer bylines and limited coverage.
Many say print is already dead and most people get their news from the Internet. But where is that content coming from? Many of the bloggers just steal the content without attribution and then put their spin on it. And for those of you who say reporters are all biased we would strongly disagree. Some reporters definitely are, but others try very hard to cover all sides, but more importantly, uncover the truth.
When we're all reading content from Reuters online or help us CNN, which is starting its own news service, we here at TAA will be mourning a local newspaper.
Here is The Sun story about the bankruptcy.
click here

The Aegis Nails It

We don't always agree with The Aegis editorial page (see below), but the paper got it totally right in Wednesday's edition with the editorial "The James Gang." The paper not only takes the delegate to task for being responsible for killing the elected school board issue last legislative session, but also recognizes the effects of the current governing system.

From the editorial:
"The continued opposition of one solitary county legislator, Del. Mary Dulany James, to having an elected school board is ludicrous. James has torpedoed every recent attempt to bring Harford County into modern times. Her arguments that an appointed board keeps politics out of school decisions and guarantees minority representation on the school board are disingenuous. Those who subscribe to the James view might want to take note that, nearly five and a half decades after Brown vs. Board of Education, Harford County continues to have one of the most racially segregated systems in the state, but that's a topic for another day."

We especially agree with that last sentence.

Road work to begin

The blinking sign on MD 24 said that roadwork on the 24/Tollgate intersection is set to begin on/or about Dec. 8. I'm sure all the merchants are very excited that the state has picked the busiest time of the year to begin this work.
Drivers, please be careful of workers. We've seen fender benders happen at this time of year with people in a hurry and smacking into the car in front of them. Please watch out for the construction workers. It's not their fault!

Response to Aegis Editorial

The Aegis wrote a glowing thank you to County Councilwoman Roni Chenowith today, thanking her for all she's done for the Fallston community. Fallston named its community center after her, for her tireless efforts on their behalf.
The Abingdon community might have a different outlook. We'd like to know where's our community center? Where is one piece of green space that you don't want to pave over? Where is our relief from the peddlers who use Tollgate Road as their own personal swap meet?
At TAA we say thanks. Thanks for nothing.

Country Kitchen-Sold

The former Country Kitchen property on Constant Friendship Boulevard has sold. We're thinking someone took a loss on this one. It sold for $805,700.
To read what the sale included click here.
If anyone knows what's going in there, please let us know. We're keeping our fingers crossed it's something that's much better than the previous tenants.

School Board Must Read

Over at The Dagger they've reprinted a very interesting letter from a school board member about how without an appointed board there would be no minority members on the school board. To read the political ploy to keep up the charade of the permanent nominating committee click here.

A Week Later...Kratovil Wins

The Sun is reporting that earlier today Republican Andy Harris conceded and Democrat Frank Kratovil claimed the 1st District House Seat. To read The Sun article, click here
The article quotes someone from the NAACP saying that that Obama voters in the lower part of the Eastern shore helped Kratovil win. But if you look at the Harford County numbers, many McCain voters actually split from a party vote to vote for Kratovil.

3rd Annual Noon Year's Eve Celebration

Harford County Kids is sponsoring the 3rd Annual Noon Year's Eve Celebration in Bel Air. Families and children can join in the fun of celebrating the New Year without staying out late. A Countdown to Noon will be the highlight of the day along with activities, crafts and music such as noisemakers, DJ, dancing and much more. Light refreshments will be offered.

Date: Wednesday, Dec. 31st Time: 10am to 1pm
Location: BAACyard Clubhouse at Bel Air Athletic Club

Admission: $5 per person, age 2 and under free.
(Spaces are limited. This event sold out last year.)

Registration*: Opens November 15, 2008.
Call Member Services at 410-838-2670

This sold out in less than two weeks last year.

For more highlights,click here

Unofficial Election results for Harford

Got this from the Harford County Board of Election site. These are unofficial. The Kratovil/Harris race is too close to call with 100% of the votes counted from yesterday. Absentee ballots will decide the race, but they're not counting those until tomorrow. At this point, Kratovil is slightly ahead, by less than 1,000 votes.

Here are the unofficial presidential results. No suprise here:

Number of Precincts 75
Precincts Reporting 72 96.0 %
Times Counted 114447/149651 76.5 %
Total Votes 114100
Times Blank Voted 347
Number of Uncast Votes 0
Obama-Biden DEM 44601 39.09%
McCain-Palin REP 66744 58.50%
McKinney-Clemente GRN 213 0.19%
Barr-Root LIB 767 0.67%
Nader-Gonzalez IND 884 0.77%
Baldwin-Castle CON 254 0.22%
Write-in Votes 637 0.56%

Short Lines at Abingdon Elementary

Just got back from voting and in our precinct (gym side) at Abingdon Elementary we zoomed right through. There is a line on the cafeteria side, but not too long. It seems like they had maybe a few more voting machines. Definitely more volunteers, and no offense to previous volunteers, but younger volunteers. I noticed that the voters also skewed younger, at least when we were there.
If you're going to vote, the back parking lot on Singer Road was completely empty. You can't get in the side door, but it's just a short walk around to the front.
The touch screen worked well, but we still do not like the lack of a paper trail. If you have a voting experience you'd like to share, please do.
Also, if you vote and get your little voting sticker, it entitles you to a free coffee at Starbucks or an ice cream at Chik-Fil-A.

Unintentionally Funny Quote of the Day

"Harford County is beyond race." State Sen. Nancy Jacobs in today's Aegis.

Happy Birthday to Us!

Today is TAA's first anniversary. It seems like just yesterday we started writing about traffic, over-development and hopes for an elected school board.
As always, we welcome your feedback and are interested in what you'd like to read about in TAA.
Thanks -- and keep reading!

Voting FAQ

The Maryland Board of Elections has posted a helpful FAQ on its site to address some of the rumors concerning your odds being turned away at the polls. If you are concerned about any of these issues it might be helpful to print out this page and take it to the polling place with you. Don't assume that the poll workers are familiar with these issues. We at TAA are not encouraged, especially after the primary and the confusion over the voting machines, and the expected high turnout for the general election.
The FAQ addresses what you can wear to the polls, provisional ballots, absentee ballots, etc. To check it out, click here.

Book Sale

The Friends of the Library will hold a book sale from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Abingdon Library. They had lots of books last year at reasonable prices. Support the library and do some Christmas shopping. Many of these books are in really good shape. TAA loves getting books for Christmas!

Abingdon Armed Robbery

It's an acknowledged pattern that when the economy goes down crime goes up. We just wish it wasn't happening so close to us here at TAA.
On 12:30 a.m. Sunday while a couple slept in their townhome on Longridge Court in Abingdon, two armed men entered through a basement door. According to The Aegis, the couple heard a noise and the man went to investigate and saw the intruders. The robbers brandished a handgun and ordered the resident upstairs, and the intruders ransacked the bedroom and the rest of the house. Police aren't detailing what was stolen and are asking anyone with information call 1-888-540-TIPS.
The police told The Aegis they believe the home was targeted. Police also said they didn't think the crime was gang-related, but there could be a possible drug connection.
Not to be alarmist, but keep those doors locked.

Last Chance to Register to Vote

Got this from the Maryland Board of Elections:
The deadline to register to vote is October 14th at 9:00 p.m. The Voter Registration Application must be delivered in person to the State Board of Elections, a Local Board of Elections, or must be postmarked by October 14th to be eligible to vote in the 2008 Presidential General Election.
For more information click here.

Delaying the Uniforms Again

Just got this in our inbox:

Dear Parents:

Due to economic constraints, all School Uniform Parent Community Meetings are cancelled and will be rescheduled. At this time, the Board of Education of Harford County is deferring the school uniform exploration process, as well as other new initiatives, in order to focus on current budgetary issues. The Board is analyzing all current initiatives in the operating budget and realize the need to focus their energies at this time. No decisions have been made regarding school uniforms and the process will continue at a later date. As soon as that timeline is available, it will be communicated promptly. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Teri Kranefeld, manager of communications

Harford County Public Schools

I-95/MD 24 Meeting

The Maryland Transportation Authority is holding workshops to discuss the improvement project for I-95/MD 24. It says the project will begin this fall and continue through spring 2011. The workshops are from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Abingdon Fire Hall.
There will be no formal presentation but staff will be available to answer questions. Our first question would be, we thought a specific plan wasn't approved so how can construction be starting already?
For more info click here and then click on "Capital Projects."

Are You on the List?

A disturbing article from The Washington Post:

The Maryland State Police classified 53 nonviolent activists as terrorists and entered their names and personal information into state and federal databases that track terrorism suspects, the state police chief acknowledged yesterday.
Police Superintendent Terrence B. Sheridan revealed at a legislative hearing that the surveillance operation, which targeted opponents of the death penalty and the Iraq war, was far more extensive than was known when its existence was disclosed in July.
The department started sending letters of notification Saturday to the activists, inviting them to review their files before they are purged from the databases, Sheridan said.
"The names don't belong in there," he told the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. "It's as simple as that."
The surveillance took place over 14 months in 2005 and 2006, under the administration of former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R). The former state police superintendent who authorized the operation, Thomas E. Hutchins, defended the program in testimony yesterday. Hutchins said the program was a bulwark against potential violence and called the activists "fringe people."
Sheridan said protest groups were also entered as terrorist organizations in the databases, but his staff has not identified which ones.

The article continues:
But Sen. James Brochin (D-Baltimore County) noted that undercover troopers used aliases to infiltrate organizational meetings, rallies and group e-mail lists. He called the spying a "deliberate infiltration to find out every piece of information necessary" on groups such as the Maryland Campaign to End the Death Penalty and the Baltimore Pledge of Resistance. When Hutchins called their members "fringe people," the audience of activists who filled the seats in the hearing room in Annapolis sighed....
The police also entered the activists' names into the federal Washington-Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area database, which tracks suspected terrorists. One well-known antiwar activist from Baltimore, Max Obuszewski, was singled out in the intelligence logs released by the ACLU, which described a "primary crime" of "terrorism-anti-government" and a "secondary crime" of "terrorism-anti-war protesters."



To read the entire article
click here

Spellcheck at Work

Did anyone else notice in the A1 story in The Aegis yesterday the Democratic Presidential nominee was named "Barrack Obama" ?
Ed note: However, this is not as bad as absentee ballots mailed in upstate New York with candidate Barack "Osama" listed.

October Odds and Ends

Here at TAA we've been distracted by our new Facebook account and have been ignoring the blog. We've also been out and about and here are some random thoughts/ideas we've been having.

***Construction equipment is now located on Rte. 24 near the 1-95 interchange. Could the Rte. 24 project be about to start? We are doubtful, as there is no money anywhere for anything.
11 a.m. UPDATE: Maybe we're wrong. There are two construction workers with surveying equipment standing in the intersection of Tollgate/Constant Friendship Blvd. Watch out for them!

***The Aegis is reporting that Wegman's is indeed looking at the site on Rte. 24/Plumtree. Wegman's has no comment. We are skeptical about that particular site and believe the county council is trying to do some PR after completely disregarding the zoning board/board of appeals decision about that site. We could be wrong, but the timing of the leak doesn't seem coincidental.

***Uniform meetings are coming to a school near you. We would just like to add to our earlier post. The current dress code is not being enforced properly. Some children are sent home for wearing the same exact clothing as other children who are allowed to remain. It happens and it's not fair.

***Starbuck's has Wi-fi now, but good luck trying to use it. You either have to be an AT&T customer or another carrier we cannot remember, because it is not ours. The baristas said we did not need a password but we did. If any readers can help us with this technical problem we would be grateful. Also, the pumpkin spice latte is delicious.

***In an area this size it is a crime that we do not have a paid fire department. This is not 1960, 1970 or 1980 when people lived/worked in Abingdon. The reality is, people work far away and are pressed for time. Volunteer firefighters should be commended, they go far beyond normal public service. But the county needs to be realistic. There is a limited pool of possible volunteers to draw from. Nobody wants to pay a penny more than they need to for anything, while at the same time complain they have no services.

***Cokesbury Manor, the fairly new subdivision off Abingdon Road, is being used for Section 8 housing because there are no buyers for the homes. Reason: Edgewood school district. The houses are being subdivided and more than one family is living in some of them. We're not speaking against housing for people who need it. The point is, this is tax money that is being lost on these houses. Inadequate schools hurt everyone, not just the students. Everyone.

***Random thought: where is this Main Street everyone keeps talking about? Politicians and pundits keep talking about how the economic crisis is affecting the folks on Main Street. It's not 1950. Main Street is boarded up. And I know Bel Air has a Main Street, but it's not the same idealized version they're referring to. How about this phrase, "the folks in the cul-de-sac"? No?

Comments

Sorry to longtime commenters, but we've had to enable comment moderating. You should still be able to sign in as usual, but it won't appear right away.
Thanks to the junior high comedian whose comments have been removed. Really. They were hilarious! Thanks so much for sharing!

Harford County Schools--Uniform Edition

We just read The Aegis editorial about school uniforms. The editors predict, and we agree with them, that after a series of pointless meetings (if you remember, pointless meetings about this were already held last year), hearing from committees, dissenters, etc., the ultimate approval on school uniforms would lay with HCPS' Executive Director David Volrath.
Unlike The Aegis, we don't have a problem with the school system deciding on this issue. If they really think it's a safety issue and it might help thwart gangs or just stop poorer children being made fun of, we're for it. But decide already and focus your attention on REALLY important issues. Because with the middle school situation in Abingdon, most of the kids are wearing uniforms anyway -- when they attend St. Margaret's, Trinity, St. Paul's, etc.
We spent the summer searching in vain for a store that did not have Hannah Montana or High School Musical clothing. We dare you to try to find a non-boutique store without these. We would have gladly bought some khakis and a white polo shirt instead of searching in vain for something without a Disney-fied Lolita adorning it.
And we here at TAA are not worried about students not being able to express themselves by how they dress. For those students whining about the lack of self-expression, here's an idea: write about it! Discuss! Is wearing a shirt that says how much you hate your sister really effective after the 1,000th wearing?

Kidnap try in Bel Air

Just got this in from the eSchoolnewsletter:

State police and Harford County authorities were seeking a man who attempted to abduct a woman yesterday afternoon in Bel Air while she walked back to work during a coffee break. The woman, 30, told police she was walking along Agora Drive near Econ Drive about 3 p.m. when the driver of an older-model, green Jeep Cherokee with no front license plate stopped and told her he was looking for his dog. When he showed the woman a photo of a dog, he tried to pull her into the vehicle through a passenger side window, police said she reported. The woman told police she escaped, returned to her job and called police. The woman suffered a bruise on her right cheek and declined medical treatment. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bel Air barracks at 410-679-2101.

Starbucks Open

The Abingdon Starbucks, complete with drive-through, is now open. We'd advise making a right turn when exiting and going down to the BJ's traffic circle so you don't spill any of your $5 mocha trying to make a left turn out of there.

Developers Get Help from County Council

Here at TAA we've been out of town so we're just now catching up on some news that we've missed. The Aegis, in the Wednesday edition, reported that the Harford County council overturned its hearing examiner's decision on rezoning Plumtree Road from residential to commercial.
You may remember this because the developers said the original zoning, which was R-4 residential, was a mistake and that they should be granted a B-3 commercial because it was more profitable. They were denied the request because the zoning board said that wasn't really a valid reason/good use for the area.
When the developers appealed, the hearing examiner laughed off the request. However, the county council voted 5-2 in favor of overturning his decision. They had no comment on the decision, because really, do they have to say anything?
Voting in favor to overturn the decision was Abingdon/Fallston councilwoman and friend-of-developers Roni Chenowith. Will she not be happy until every inch of the county is paved over with strip malls?

Provident Card Theft

A TAA reader reports this news from Provident Bank. Her Provident debit card was declined for a purchase and she was subsequently given a new card. She went to the bank to determine the problem and was told that a number of debit card numbers had been stolen and that's why she was denied/then sent a new card. She was never notified of the number theft and believes she wouldn't have been told about it unless she visited the bank.
She mentioned this to a co-worker who had just received a new debit card in the mail for no reason and without explanation.
We are wondering if any readers have had similar experiences. We thought companies had to report when card information was stolen. If we missed this report, please clue us in.

Library Yard Sale

The big sale set for the Abingdon Library tomorrow has been postponed until 8 a.m. Sept. 13. Hanna's already canceled all Harford County School activities tomorrow. Batten down the hatches -- or at least secure your lawn furniture.

Regal Robberies

The Aegis is reporting that three suspects have been charged in one of the incidents at Regal Cinemas this summer. The three charged are all residents of Constant Friendship -- Nanticoke Court and Clairborne Way. From the article, it appears that at least one of the victims, who was walking home from the movies, knew two of the suspects because they all attend Edgewood High School. We're making assumptions here, but this sounds as if the suspects knew the victims and that's why they robbed them of less than $100.
We're not minimizing the crime, but it just sounds odd that they were all walking home on Tollgate at the same time.
The sheriff's department says the suspects might be involved in the other crimes, but as former police reporters, we'd be very surprised if this was true. This sounds like a crime of opportunity. They didn't even have a car. How many armed robbers flee on foot from a business park? Sounds odd.

I Love the Library....but

Longtime readers are aware that we here at TAA love the Abingdon library. It's got everything. In fact, just last week we were checking out books when a man from Bel Air chatted us up and said, "you know, I've lived across (MD.) 24 for four years and I never realized this was over here. It's great!"
But lately we've had some library trouble, and this has happened to us enough times that we thought it was worth mentioning.
On more than one occasion we've returned books that don't show up -- movies, too -- which can be a very expensive proposition.
The first time it happened was right after the long July 4th weekend. The librarians told me they had put things in a special bin and nothing was going to be marked overdue from that bin even though it was going to take awhile to get to it. We were concerned because we'd checked out four movies. A few days later, they still hadn't showed up as returned. Then three were, but one wasn't. We had to go to the library and they marked it as "claimed to be returned" and really made us feel like we were lying about it, to be honest.
In August, we returned a book, which wasn't overdue, but it still showed up as checked out. We went to the library, got it off the shelf, and said, "this is still showing up on the card, but it's here." He assured us that when someone checked it out, it would have cleared on the card, but it was a very obscure book that no one ever may have checked out, or not checked out for a long time. And then we would have racked up fines.
This has happened a few more times since then. We are now religiously checking our account online to make sure everything clears when we take it in. But really, it makes us nervous. We don't mind giving donations to the library that we love, we just can't bear the shame of fines or having to "claim" we returned something. (We did. Honest!)

Worst Headline Ever?

In today's Aegis there's an article detailing the traffic congestion predicted for this Labor Day weekend. Here's the headline: Labor on 95 days?

Odds and Ends

Just got the kids' backpacks filled with their notebooks, tissues, washable markers, etc. We here at TAA are also trying to get organized, but have been unable to coordinate our thoughts in a cohesive manner. So here are some random thoughts/happening from the last week.

**Welcome to new blogger Around Harford County. Thanks also for the link to us at TAA!

**There was an armed robbery last week in the townhouses right across from the Constant Branch Pool last week. That's correct. An armed robbery which closely followed the assault on the woman who was walking her dog the previous week.

**Every time we see Mark Wolkow referred to as having children "who attended Edgewood schools" we want to scream. When did they graduate? Were they at Edgewood Middle School when the math score was a FAILING 39 last year? No. And as far as we are concerned, the Edgewood Community Alliance is part of the problem. If they would get ANGRY that these students are getting an unequal education, maybe someone would notice. Instead they keep up with the rah rah everything is fine.

**Abingdon Elementary School's open house for students is this Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. This gives the students a chance to see their new classrooms before school starts on Monday.

**Just received an e-mail from Zillow saying that home prices in Abingdon dropped 8%in the second quarter of '08 compared to '07. Nationally, home prices decreased 9.9%.

**Thanks to the unknown woman/good samaritan who saved a turtle from certain death on Tollgate Road near Crisfield Drive this a.m. Thanks!

Class Lists Posted

Abingdon Elementary School posted its class lists for 2008-09 yesterday. The bus schedules are also up. It's all on the front door.

Fair and Balanced

Recently we here at TAA were forced to suspend our daily subscription to The New York Times when the monthly expense became as much as a car payment. In its stead we began reading the free newspaper thrown on our lawn, The Examiner. It was OK. They have some good reporters -- Stephen Janis pops to mind. They've broken some good stories, such as uncovering the parking ticket scandal in Baltimore.
That's why it really dismayed us here at TAA when we looked at Thursday's edition. Readers can tell from the opinion page it's right leaning. That's fine. It's marked plainly "Opinion." The newspaper's prerogative is to take whatever editorial stance it chooses. That's why people buy newspapers (see Hearst, Scaife, Murdoch) What bothered us today was the next two pages after the opinion pages, on the next spread. These "news" articles were written by The Heritage Foundation, The Hudson Institute, The Tax Policy Center and the Progressive Policy Institute. Above the Heritage Foundation article there was a "Think tanking" headline that was so small it was unclear if it was for that specific article or for the entire page.
It was meant for the entire page, as there was no news, just opinions from these various think tanks. But these looked like articles, not opinion pieces. But the "think tanking" was too small to really get our attention at first. It definitely wasn't as large as the graphic with The Heritage Foundation piece, "Leadership for America," (which closely resembled the ad it ran on a previous page.)
Trying to camoflauge opinion as news taints everything in the newspaper in our opinion. What were they thinking?
From experience, we know that many readers think all reporters are biased and slanted. (We here at TAA were testified about in a church by an interview subject as being a good Christian while a few days later told by a priest we were "on the path to hell." True story) But really, many reporters do strive to be unbiased. Of course there are the fabulists and hacks. And for those who think newspapers are still owned by liberal cigar-chomping entrepreneurs, see Knight Ridder, Tribune Media, Gannett and aforementioned Rupert Murdoch. These very large corporations don't care about much except $$$. Certainly not anything local.

Back to School Shopping

Here at TAA we've completed our back to school shopping. Last week the Abingdon Target was devoid of any school supply lists for Abingdon Elementary. Many other schools were there, but not AES. This might have changed since then.
If you didn't get one at the end of last year, you can find it by clicking here.
Don't forget to vote in our back-to-school poll. You've got just a short time left!

Crime Site

The Examiner had an article this a.m. discussing the Crimereports.com Web site. It's interesting to look at with a detailed map and description of the crime. Very up to date. Keep in mind that the Bel Air police department is not participating, so no reports from that force are listed, only the Harford County Sheriff's Department and the Maryland State Police.

Starbucks

Received a report that a Starbucks, complete with drive-through, will be opening in the space next to the mattress store on Constant Friendship Blvd. We are personally happy about this, as quality of Target Starbucks has gotten pretty bad. Don't know how/if all the recent closings of Starbucks will affect this plan.

Lipstick on a Pig

I previously linked to the glowing press release sent out when the MSA test scores came out for Haford County. And now that we're back from sunning ourselves/trying to stay out of rip currents and we've actually seen the test scores for ourselves, we just keep thinking of the phrase, "that's like putting lipstick on a pig." When HCPS talked about the great improvements! in test scores, we guess we were expecting a bit more. You know, improvement that didn't resemble failure.

The math scores for 8th grade at Edgewood Middle School averaged 39.9 for all groups. For African Americans that was 29.9, for white students, 48.0 -- all groups were below 50. Compare that to Bel Air Middle, where all 8th grade groups averaged 85.3 for math, and no group finished below 50.

Some will blame these scores on transient students, broken homes, blah blah blah. These students are not receiving the same education as other parts of the county. We are paying the same taxes as the people in Bel Air, and living a stone's throw away from the Patterson Mill district where 8th-grade students averaged an 80 in math and 92 in reading.

Are we at TAA the only ones angry about this. If one more administrator or Edgewood Community Alliance member says "it's not that bad," we are going to scream. Admit there's a problem and fix it. We're not idiots.

To see the Harford County breakdown
click here

Harford County Favorites

Thanks to all who voted in the last poll. Every place got at least one vote with Harford County Public Library netting the most. Abingdon Target and Rocks State Park tied for second.
Don't forget to vote in this week's poll!

MSA Results In

The Maryland State Assessments are Harford County School officials say there was significant improvement in scores all around. Unfortunately, the mdstatereportcard.org site hasn't been updated yet. What does the rise in scores for Edgewood Middle mean -- is it off the No Child Left Behind watch list yet?
Read the official press release here.

School Board Shake-up Part 2

Gov. O'Malley named the new Harford County school board members this afternoon -- and ignored the recommendations from the "nominating" committee created by the Harford County Council.
The Sun has this quote from Richard Slutzky, who created the temporary committee.
"In the end, this validates the concerns of Harford County citizens that we have no process and that we have a need for an elected board of education," he said. "The reality is that in three administrations, three different governors, whatever the procedure was in Harford County, there are occasions when the recommendations are overruled, ignored and denied. People need to elect their Board of Education. This validates the whole issue."
To read The Sun article click here.
Also note that one of the new school board members was endorsed by a special interest group that was the only group to lobby against the elected school board bill last session, joining board member Mark Wolkow in saying an elected school board would be "too political."

School Board Shake-up

Harford County School Board Vice President Salina Williams resigned last night, effective immediately. It seems she was not going to be reappointed, so decided to quit right away. The Examiner hints it was all political. Gee, we thought the current system was not political at all. That's what we keep hearing from the current school board.
You can read The Examiner's article here.

For Sale

It's official. Country Kitchen is closed and is sporting a brand new for sale sign out front.
Can a good restaurant please buy it? We'd personally vote for Eat N' Park.

Wine World meets Cake Love

We here at TAA love the weekly Wine World e-mail newsletter. It not only talks about events and tastings, it also highlights the history of wine and other beverages. This week's e-mail announced that Warren Brown, founder of CakeLove Bakeries and star of The Food Network's "Sugar Rush" will be at the store at 1 p.m. Saturday.
He's going to bring some sweets and also copies of his new book that will be available for purchase/signing.
To find out more, visit the store's site mywineworld.com

Sky blue, grass green

Friday's Aegis contained the most unsurprising article I've ever read, that realtors, county officials, just about everyone is advising the New Jersey BRAC transplants to avoid Edgewood.
I especially liked the county's hedge that they advised people to go to the state of Maryland's Web site to view test scores. It's all right there -- the schools are "not meeting expectations" in bold letters.
This had the potential to be a good article, but in our opinion at TAA, it was marred by the reporter's reluctance to clean-up the quotes of the realtor from Edgewood who was quoted. While the realtors in Bel Air, Fallston, Forest Hill, etc., benefit from the poor schools across 1-95 by inflating home prices in those school districts, this poor realtor (a phrase I don't think I've ever used before) is fighting against TPTB who are in collusion with the realtors. The reporter shared the realtor's use of "ain't" which was entirely unnecessary. It distracted from his valid points about the trouble he's experiencing. While some are reaping the benefits of poor schools, many (not even counting the children) are not.
As former reporters here at TAA, we know it is common to clean up quotes. If David Craig uses the word "ain't" or Jacqueline Haas misplaces a pronoun, it will not appear in print. We knew reporters who relished making their subjects appear stupid. Most of these subjects were politicians who could take it. The realtor, who was passionately defending the schools in his area and using the word "ain't" in the process received an unnecessary jab from the reporter -- "see, the schools are failing, the realtors can't even speak correct English!"
In our naive days when we first moved here four years ago, we really thought that BRAC would bring about a change in the school district. Certainly the high-tech new residents wouldn't stand for subpar schools. And then here at TAA we realized that they wouldn't stand for subpar schools in Fallston, Bel Air and Forest Hill. Keeping the "desirables" on one side of I-95 and the "undesirables" on the other seems to be working for someone. That article had a chance to highlight that, but instead it decided to highlight poor grammar.

Brawl at the School Yard

Just heard about this on WBAL-TV. The graphic was "Abingdon Brawl."
To read the details, click here:
Brawl
Surprising!

Wine Festival at Rockfield Manor

If you're looking ahead for something to do in September, keep this in mind:

3rd Annual Harford County Wine Festival at Rockfield Manor

Rockfield Manor, Bel Air, MD will host the 3rd Annual Harford County Wine Festival on Saturday, September 13th from 12 to 7 pm and Sunday, September 14th from 12 to 5 pm. The event will take place at Rockfield Manor, 501 Churchville Rd., Bel Air.
The event will feature "Wines from Around the World", food, Pottery at the Barn, unique artists, crafters and silent auction. In addition, this year's festival will feature live music from Around the Block, known for their unique blend of rock, pop, and soul, on Saturday from 12-3 pm. The Kelly Bell Band will follow from 4-7 pm. Armed with an infectious groove and style, Bell and his band have held the title of “Best Blues Band in the Mid-Atlantic Region” for many years in a row. Their deeply rooted style is capable of stepping across several musical genres from one moment to the next. As many fans across the Eastern Seaboard can attest, their live show is a musical marathon second to none.
On Sunday from 12-5 pm, Nothin' ta Plunder will take the stage. Nothin' ta Plunder covers the full gamut of musical styles from the Beatles to Van Morrison. Rock, Rockabilly, Country, Blues and some Motown are thrown in for good measure.
Tickets are $25 for ages 21 and older, $10 for ages 13-20 and kids 12 and under are free. Tickets are available online at rockfieldmanor.com Advance tickets are also available at Bel Air Liquors, 116 S. Hickory Ave., Bel Air, MD. Each ticket valid for one day only. No pets or coolers allowed. No alcohol brought onto the premises. Proceeds benefit the Rockfield Foundation. Rain or shine. Sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are still available.
The Harford County Wine Festival is presented by the Rockfield Foundation, a non-profit organization charged with the promotion and general operation of Rockfield Manor, a multifaceted meeting, recreational and cultural venue offering continued service to the local community. Wine Festival sponsors include the Town of Bel Air, Harford County Executive's Office-Division of Agriculture, BB& T and Bel Air Liquors.
For more information call 410-638-4565 or rockfieldmanor.com

Country Kitchen/Cheap Gas

It appears that Country Kitchen is indeed closed. It's been a few weeks with no sign of cars/activities. Could this be where the Putt Putt's new restaurant is going? Could something good go there please? Here at TAA we are begging.
And please matress stores or storage facilities need not apply!
Also, if you have a BJ's membership, now is the time to fill up. Yesterday late afternoon (of course this might have changed by now) gas was $3.90 for members, 9 cents cheaper than at WaWa on Emmorton Road.

Change in Booster Seat Law

Just saw this and thought I'd pass it along. As of June 30, the Maryland booster seat laws will change. The new law requires that every child younger than 8 years old must ride in a booster seat or other appropriate child safety seat unless the child is 4 feet, 9 inches or taller, or weighs more than 65 pounds.
"Child safety seat” includes infant seats, convertible seats, forward-facing seats, booster seats,or other federally approved safety devices.
TAA's 6-year-old weighs around 40 pounds soaking wet so she's still in a booster seat, although she's itching to get out. Now we can say, "you can't get out, it's the law."
We lived in Pennsylvania when that state passed a similar law. I've never heard so much complaining about anything. The residents of Doylestown (i.e. well-heeled) decrying the law because of the "hardship" cost of a new booster seat. FYI -- you can get a booster at Target, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, etc. for about $20.

Storm Remnants

Ever since TAA returned home last week to find tree carnage in the back yard, a creepy crow has been hanging around. We think it might be a juvenile who was possibly left homeless by the storm. In the photo, we just caught it taking a rest on one of the many limbs still waiting to be sawed by TAA's handyman who was at the Harford District's cub scout/boy scout day camp all week.
Here at TAA we believed the return of the bluebirds was a good omen. This, not so much.

Summer Reading Program at HCPL

Today's the first day you can sign up for the Harford County Public Library's summer reading program. Here's the info from the library:

Join Harford County Public Library's Summer Reading Program and Catch the Reading Bug!
Our Summer Reading Program is designed for kids of all ages - preschool, elementary, middle school and teens. It's easy and free to join. Register in person at any branch beginning June 16th and receive a backpack/tote bag (while supplies last) and valuable coupons. (Preschoolers will receive a pail and shovel set.)

READ 10 Books!

Read the books you like to read. Come to the library throughout the summer and participate in exciting programs and activities such as events presented by the Maryland Science Center and the Maryland Zoo at Baltimore, along with magicians, storytellers and more!

When you have read all your books, return your completed reading list and receive a certificate & a free book (while supplies last) and complete a fun activity. Last day to return your completed readling list is August 16th. (Read to Me, Please! for preschoolers and children not reading on their own have 25 books read to them.)

Assessing the Damage

While TAA was sunning on a North Wildwood beach, it appears that all heck was breaking loose here in Abingdon. We returned home to find our back yard greatly changed with numerous branches down and at least one of our trees probably doomed.
One of our largest branches was actually tossed by the wind into the middle of our neighbor's yard. It looks like lightning got some the wind didn't get. We are glad that our house survived and that we missed it!
A word of advice, some broken branches that are barely hanging on can be quite dangerous. One almost struck us in the midst of cleanup.
How was the storm in your neighborhood?

TAA Represents

As readers you can tell we're not working for daily newspapers anymore as it's taken us an entire week to report on the community meeting for the new Constant Friendship development adjacent to Target that was held June 5 at the Ramada. But here at TAA we did attend the meeting, which consisted of many concerned community members.
Not really.
Just your TAA correspondent.
So TAA received firsthand all the info. The four buildings are planned for service uses. One confirmed is a daycare center, another not-quite-yet confirmed addition is a ballet studio.
They are not planning on taking additional trees, as most of the area has already been cleared. The design of the buildings will be similar to those of the new buildings near WaWa on 924.
TAA voiced the traffic concerns and that the additional buildings would cause even more chaos. TAA also expressed happiness that it was not another storage facility (which developers did not seem amused by) but that it was going to be for local service people.
Also overhead at meeting, the lot near BJ's that was recently auctioned off was bought by a local hotel/motel developer, but that the Constant Friendship property is not going to be for a hotel/motel.
Developers also seemed to be in the dark about the work on the 24/Tollgate Road intersection that stopped unexpectedly. He said the state made him take down the large sign, cleared trees, and then left. It is still planned. But did the money run out?

Free Movies at Regal

If you're looking for something to do with the kids that's free this summer, Regal in Constant Friendship is having its free family film festival again this summer. If you want a seat for a more popular movie, get there early, as a lot of daycares bus in their kids. And dress warmly. Sometimes it can be very cold. I once sat through Clifford's Big Movie with two kids on my lap to keep warm.
They will also confiscate any snacks you take with you in an effort to make you buy $6 buckets of popcorn. I've seen them check purses and try to take sippy cups. Be warned! But at least the movies are free.

Here's the schedule. Some are G and some PG. They all start at 10 a.m.

06/17/2008-06/18/2008 Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (G)
Ice Age: The Meltdown (PG)
06/24/2008-06/25/2008 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - Veggie Tales (G)
Evan Almighty (PG)
07/01/2008-07/02/2008 Everyone's Hero (G)
Bee Movie (PG)
07/08/2008-07/09/2008 Arctic Tale (G)
Shrek The Third (PG)
07/15/2008-07/16/2008 Running Free (G)
Hairspray (PG)
07/22/2008-07/23/2008 Clifford's Really Big Movie (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks (PG)
07/29/2008-07/30/2008 Mr. Bean's Holiday (G)
Happy Feet (PG)
08/05/2008-08/06/2008 Charlotte's Web (G)
Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep (PG)
08/12/2008-08/13/2008 Wallace And Gromit (G)
Surf's Up (PG)

And We're Back

We at TAA apologize for taking an unexpected break from the blog. Thanks to our loyal reader(s) who asked what we were doing and asked us to write.
The break resulted from happy occasions (hurrah to a certain Edgewood High School graduate wandering around OC this week) and sad (a small victim of a 5th disease outbreak at Abingdon Elementary -- and yes -- you can have a high fever with it!)
We can't write much today, as TAA's full-time job is preventing it in part because TAA is finding it difficult working with "off-shored" new colleagues with a completely opposite schedule (you know, they're on Indian time).
We do have enough time to give a shout-out to Edgewood graduates and a nice graduation ceremony.
Also, congratulations to all the Harford Ballet Company for excellent performances on Saturday/Sunday, especially Shana O'Brian who choreographed a new piece to "Rhapsody in Blue." Really exciting to watch.
And special praise goes to TAA's own "bluebird" who performed outstandingly while having 5th disease. (She wasn't contagious! Don't worry!)
Don't forget the upcoming meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ramada Conference Center to discuss the Constant Friendship zoning. We are hoping to attend, but because all of our plans in the last week have changed, we can't make any promises.
There also are some new comments on the Plumtree post. It looks like there are actually at least 3 parcels being discussed. Check it out.

Constant Friendship: A Troubling Development

In case you missed it, in last Wednesday's Aegis there was a notice of a community input meeting concerning Constant Friendship Lot 3. Although they had a county url in there to get more information, I couldn't find anything on the county Web site so I e-mailed them. I got a call from someone from the county, and she said they hadn't been yet notified about the meeting. I told her I was concerned about the increasing traffic and she said, "You know, all that was decided in 1987."
Today I received an e-mail response from Frederick Ward Associates, who sent me a PDF of the development. While I thought it might be another building behind Target because of the location, I was shocked at what I saw. It's not one building, but FOUR, with a huge parking lot. It is equally as big as the Target site, and it will use the same access road, on Arundel Court (the back entrance to Wal-Mart, first entrance to Target)
Once we figure out how to post the PDF, we will.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. June 5 at the Ramada Conference Center in Edgewood. If you'd like more information, contact Kevin Small at ksmall@fredward.com or 410.838.7900.
While I understand that we need businesses -- don't we also need a way to get in and out of them safely? And how long must we hear everything was decided on 20 years ago?

Road Closures

As of 12:30 p.m. today, U.S. 1 was closed in two spots: at Reckord Road and at Hickory Avenue. I'm guessing this is due to the deluge.
To get all the latest road closures click here.

Plumtree Zoning revisted

Just got an interesting comment on an old post about Plumtree Zoning. The anonymous comment says that Aldi owns the land by the baptist church on the corner of Rte. 24. My question, to you anonymous, if you're out there: The information you saw, does it specifically say that an Aldi's warehouse is planned, or that it is owned by Aldi? My hopeful theory of the day -- Aldi's owns Trader Joe's. So maybe a TJ's is coming there?

Constant Friendship Box Store Update

A sign at Constant Friendship now proclaims a Mattress Giant will be the new neighbor to PetSmart and Lowe's. In the bad news department, aforementioned sign has 3 blank spaces for additional businesses. I guess we'll have to wait until those are filled in to find out what's coming.

The Harford County BRAC Tour

An article in The Examiner listed places that were on the tour of Harford County for military families from New Jersey. Four busloads of them. Are Harford County taxpayers paying for this? Think about the cost of gasoline alone for four buses. Who was absorbing the cost for this road trip was missing from the article. I thought the entire idea of "winning" BRAC was that people were going to come here, regardless.
Sights on the tour: Ring Factory Elementary, Patterson Mill High School; businesses in downtown Bel Air; Harford Mall, the “big box” retailers and the museums and shops of downtown Havre de Grace; and concluded with a visit to model homes at Bulle Rock.
I guess they missed the lovely sites on Rte. 40. I wonder if the big box retailers included Constant Friendship?

Support Your Local Ballet Company

Harford Ballet Company's production of Beauty and the Beast is almost here. The production will feature the Harford Ballet, guest professionals from the Pennsylvania Ballet, students of the Dance Conservatory of Maryland and pianist Duke Thompson of the Maryland Conservatory of Music. There are also two bonus ballets and a classical pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet performed by guest professionals of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
The performances are 6 p.m. May 31 & 1 p.m. June 1 at Patterson Mill High School. Tickets are $17 in advance ($18 through PayPal) and $20 at the door (if any remain).
Harford Ballet puts on a very professional show. Here at TAA we're very excited about the pas de deux and a performance by a very special bluebird.
To get all the information, click here.

BRAC: Heading Up the NJ Turnpike

Found this article in the Asbury Park Press. It talks about how Maryland has opened offices in NJ to try to lure people here -- and how they don't want to come:

Maryland opens centers to try to get fort workers to move
By Keith Brown • COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU • April 26, 2008

FORT MONMOUTH — Efforts to woo post employees to Maryland reached an unprecedented level Friday when that state's labor department opened an information center on the fort targeting those employees considering moving with the fort's mission.

Billed as a "Transition One-Stop Career Center," the information center opened at the post's Credit Union, with another opening on Industrial Way in Eatontown. A kick-off event was held at Gibbs Hall, where Maryland officials touted their state's assets and pledged to assist anyone considering moving there.

"We're here to answer every question you have," Thomas Perez, Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing & Regulation, said to a crowd of about 100 assembled at Gibbs Hall. "We are indeed here with open arms."

Fort Monmouth is a casualty of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure decisions that shuttered military installations in a nationwide consolidation aimed at streamlining the military and saving money. The bulk of its core mission is scheduled to move to Maryland's Aberdeen Proving Ground by 2011.

But Maryland's inroads onto the fort — what Perez called the first information center of its kind that has opened at any military installation in the nation — was seen as an insult by some.

"It's rubbing it in the noses of those employees who believe the BRAC was a fraud," said John Poitras, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1904, a fort employees union that has filed a federal lawsuit aimed at stopping the fort's closure.

State Sen. Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr., R-Monmouth, also criticized the move.

"New Jersey has a history of being a leader in innovation and a magnet for the best and brightest employees in many industries," Kyrillos said in a statement. "That Maryland wants to lure away members of our work force should not be a surprise, but it definitely should be a concern."

Major Gen. Dennis L. Via, commanding general of the fort's Communications-Electronics command, headed the line-up of speakers at the kick-off event. Via praised opening of the information center.

"This center will help reduce uncertainty and provide personalized information to our employees that they otherwise would not have access to," Via said. "It's strong evidence of the state of Maryland's commitment to make our move to APG smoother and easier."

Col. Jeffrey Weissman, commander of Aberdeen Proving Ground, touted his installation's contribution to the nation's defense, praised Harford County — where the post is located — and pledged assistance to those considering the move.

"I can promise that we will do everything we can to ensure that you're not disappointed," Weissman said.

The center, which will be staffed by a Maryland official, will supply information on Maryland home prices, school systems, entertainment and practically any other topic of interest to post workers considering the move, officials said. The center at the fort will be open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., while the Eatontown office will be open from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Fort Monmouth, which generates about $3.2 billion annually into the state's economy, employs more than 5,000 and supports another 22,000 jobs statewide.

Post workers in two separate surveys taken last year said overwhelmingly they would pass on the moving from the Garden State. Up to 70 percent of those surveyed said they would not move to Maryland when the post closes in three years.

Perez, in an interview following the kick-off, downplayed the number of post employees who have said they would not move.

"We don't know what the number will be," he said. "It's a very fluid number. There's people who don't know what they're going to do. The best way to address uncertainly is to supply information."

Forest Hills Flap

Over at Bel Air News & Views there's been a lot of discussion about the proposed Kohl's. At the risk of drawing the ire of those trying to block it, I will be very upset if the county does a double take and decides to deny construction.
As the few previous TAA posts detail, the lots in Constant Friendship were decided on in 1987 -- and although they said signs were posted for the PetSmart, there were none giving residents any warning of what it was. We still don't know for sure what's going in across from it, just that some huge, ugly box store is being built.
If the Kohl's is blocked, it will be a direct slap in the face of the Abingdon community. It will make us here at TAA believe that Forest Hill residents are listened to because they have higher property values. (BTW, Councilwoman Chenowith -- still waiting on your reply)
If it is blocked, it will be interesting to hear what lame reasons the county council gives for blocking it. I bet it will have something to do "with the children."

Constant Friendship: Been There, Done That

A concerned citizen and loyal friend received another reply from TPTB (transportation planning) in the county when she questioned the validity of a study completed in 1987. But as you'll see, they have done something more recently. Only not in this century!

Thank you again for your comments regarding the development and traffic issues at Constant Friendship.The Constant Friendship development is grandfathered because lots were recorded and approved prior to the establishment of Adequate Public Facilities (APF) for roads. The development of these lots has been phased in over the years. As we mentioned before, a traffic study was done for the Constant Friendship Area, including the residential component, and road improvements identified in that study are currently in place. The developer of Constant Friendship has met the traffic requirements in accordance with the policy that was in place in 1987.

In 1998 a traffic study was done for the Constant Friendship townhouse development south of Singer Road and west of Tollgate Road. The study was required because these townhouses were not approved in the original Constant Friendship Plan. Road improvements were identified at that time and have been constructed. The intersection of Tollgate Road and Constant Friendship Blvd was not analyzed in this traffic study because under the APF guidelines only intersecting collectors or higher functional classification roads are studied based on definitions of roads in the Harford County Transportation Plan. Constant Friendship Blvd is not a functional classified roadway. However, Harford County’s Department of Public Works has modified the Constant Friendship Blvd traffic pattern in recent years as well as intersection capacity improvements at Tollgate Road and Constant Friendship Blvd.

Her response, and I heartily concur, "That's just silly." Why don't they just say they're not going to do anything instead of making excuses?

Here at TAA we wonder what qualifies as a "high functioning road." We're also questioning what improvements were made to that intersection -- was it the jersey barrier left on the bridge before the intersection that people crashed into and then one day just disappeared? Or is it the "sticks" in the road when you're making a right hand turn onto Rte. 24 from Tollgate that are constantly replaced because people keeping running them over?

Disenfranchisement: American Idol Edition

All day I've been wondering why here at TAA we've been so upset about last night's surprise ouster of our favorite American Idol contestant, Michael Johns. Sure, we'd downloaded all his music and enjoyed his performances, but why were we so upset and shocked that the voters (or possibly producers, if you're a conspiracy theorist) kicked him to the curb?
Then it occurred to us that it wasn't just the fact that we called an embarrassing number of times to keep him on the show. It was just the culmination of a week (really more) of supporting lost causes.
It started with the cold realization that the elected school board bill was going to be left to wither in committee, without the respect of local courtesy from the legislature. My calls didn't matter. Mary Dulaney-James (who sends her children to private school) and Chairwoman Hixson (who by the way can vote for her school board in Montgomery County) decided that we in Harford County don't get to vote for our school board. End of story.
Shortly after that realization, I received the e-mail that a concerned citizen and friend had received an answer to her query about the zoning/traffic problems in Constant Friendship. My excitement was quickly squelched when I read that all the decisions had been made for the business park in 1987 -- 21 years ago. Here at TAA we're giving away our age, but 21 years ago we were 21. We shudder to think if we had to follow any plans we'd made at 21. Case closed. Our e-mail was not answered, but we were still shot down. We were officially 0-2.
Which leads me to last night, when Ryan Seacrest turned to the camera after announcing the bottom three finalists and said, "Last year for Idol Gives Back, we decided not to send anyone home....(long long pause, Michael looked hopeful) but tonight, it's the end of the road for Michael Johns."
I know it's not the same. It's just a TV show. But Ryan Seacrest doing the bait and switch reminded me of being hopeful (elected school board passes, yes!) to angry (school board bill being held hostage in committee, what? why?) It shows a similar lack of courtesy.
Ryan Seacrest was a jerk to Michael Johns and the viewers (who booed loudly and have been flaming Seacrest on the Internet all day), but we'll be all right. The state showed discourtesy to Harford County and now Harford County has to choose not the next American Idol, but a new board president, and guess what, you don't get to vote on who it's going to be. Oh, and the committee to pick him/her has been disbanded. So they're not voting either.
There was only one real winner this week, those special interests that the school board was so "afraid" of. Call us cynical -- we'll probably be more hopeful next week. But right now we're feeling that theirs is really the only vote that matters.

Recycling Event on Saturday

Two locations will be accepting electronics for recycling from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. CPU's, speakers, fax machines, scanners, printers, keyboards, mice, cell phones, stereos and microwaves will be accepted free of charge. A $10 contribution is requested for monitors. No TVs are being accepted. All electronic donations are tax deductible and receipts will be provided. The event is also a project/fundraiser for a boy's youth club (although I've been unable to find out which specific one).
The press release says all hard drives are either erased in compliance with the Dept of Defense 5220.22-M disk sanitizing standard or are physically destroyed during recycling operations. Collected materials are handled in an environmentally and socially responsible manner with virtually no material being land filled.
Locations are the SAIC Parking lot (next to the new Y in Abingdon) at 3465 Box Hill Corporate Center Drive and St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 533 East Jarrettsville Road, Forest Hill.
Here at TAA we're excited about ridding ourselves of a giant computer monitor that's been taking up much space.

Constant Friendship Blvd.: 1987 Edition

Thanks to a concerned citizen and friend, I have an answer to my traffic study question! She e-mailed the planning and zoning department and received this helpful answer below:

Thank you for your email regarding land use and traffic concerns along Constant Friendship Boulevard. Constant Friendship received approval for full build out prior to the establishment of Harford County’s Adequate Public Facilities (APF). However, a traffic study for the project was prepared by The RBA Group in June of 1987. All road improvements required in that traffic study are in place.
In addition, the Maryland Transportation Authority (MdTA) is planning improvements to the traffic patterns in that area by reconstructing the I-95/MD 24 interchange and reconstructing the intersection of MD 24/MD 924/Tollgate Road with a grade separated intersection. The improvements to the MD24/MD924 intersection should begin this year, hopefully as early as June. This project is proposed to alleviate the traffic issues at Constant Friendship Boulevard and Tollgate Road. The site, however, is physically constrained from providing an additional access into the development.
All of the lots along Constant Friendship Boulevard were approved as part of the original plan for the area. Under Harford County’s Subdivision Approval Procedure, all large-scale developments proposed for that area must be reviewed by the Development Advisory Committee (DAC). According to Section 5.03 (c) of the Harford County Subdivision Regulation, a notice is posted on the property at least 2 weeks prior to a DAC meeting with the date, time and location of the meeting and telephone number of the Department of Planning and Zoning. The regulations require that the notice be conspicuously placed on the property along the frontage near the right of way with a sign measuring 22-inches by 28-inches and with red lettering. I realize that it can be difficult to read the specifics of the sign as you drive by, so please do not hesitate to contact our Development Review Section to get more information about the project being proposed.


This would be funny if it wasn't so sad/discouraging. Think back to 1987. For those of us who didn't live here then, someone filled me in on what the neighborhood was like:
No Wal-Mart
No Constant Friendship townhomes, Dominion apartments
No Abingdon Elementary School (or neighboring townhouses)
Tollgate Road did not go through, stopped at Singer Road (no Monmouth Meadows)--in fact when this person bought her house, they said Tollgate would NEVER be a through-road.
Only development: Constant Branch


Also, were those signs for the new stores posted in 1987? I remember the sign for Lowe's, but never saw a sign for the pet store.

Feel free to add your comments below. And I guess the message from the county is this: there's nothing you can do, because it was all mapped out 21 years ago.

Trying to Kill the School Board Bill:UPDATED

I've taken this from The Dagger comment board and the article I previously linked to:

It looks like Del. Sheila Hixson is holding up SB 306, the blended school board bill. It was not on the voting list today and may not be on the list tomorrow (Saturday).
THERE IS NO REASON FOR DELAY EXCEPT TO KILL THIS BILL
Hixson told her committee that she would not play games. Please call her office and ask her to keep her word. Call today and tomorrow (Saturday) 1-800-492-7122. Ask for the House Ways & Means Committee. Tell the staff you are calling to ask Chairwoman Hixson to move SB 306, which had a hearing on April 2nd and is word for word the same as HB 779 which the committee passed last week.

I just called. Why are legislators from other counties in the state involved in what happens in Harford County? Why are others allowed to vote for their school boards but we're not!
Here's the original link
UPDATE: They killed it.They left it to die. Thank you Mary Dulaney James for ignoring your constituents, and who, unable to find anyone to publicly speak against the bill, used backroom tactics.
And thank you also Harford County Board of Education, for your part in squelching our chance to have a say in what happens in our schools. Oh, but thanks for giving us the opportunity to vote on the name of the new Vale Road school -- for giving us a say in what really matters!

Clothing Drive at Abingdon Elementary

If you see people with lots of yard sale stuff at Abingdon Elementary on Sunday morning, don't call the police! The school is have a clothing drive from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the school parking lot.
The school is accepting all wearable clothing for adults and children. Shoes, belts, scarves, hats, pocketbooks, soft toys and household items made from fabric (towels, blankets, curtains, et.) also will be accepted. All items must be in tied bags, except for hard toys, which can be brought in boxes. The school receives 13 cents per pound for all donations.
Clean out those closets and help AES!

School board bill: Hanging on

Local muckraking site The Dagger (and I mean that in the best way) has some up-to-the-minute updates about what's happening to the elected school board bill in the state house and senate. The legislators involved are posting as it happens.
To keep track, click here

I-95 Shooting: Police Want Help

The reason for all the traffic this a.m.: The AP and all local media outlets are reporting on two shootings that happened around 2:30 a.m. today on I-95 on the southbound shoulder of the highway north of Route 24.
The AP reports that in the first incident, emergency vehicles responded to a call and found a man who had been shot, and he later died at Upper Chesapeake Hospital. Another shooting victim was taken to Upper Chesapeake separately. The Maryland State Poice are saying these shootings are related. The second victim is supposed to recover.
The state police are asking anyone who may have been driving along I-95 at that time and may have seen something to call the Bel Air barracks at 410-879-2101. The police spokesman on the local news made it sound as if the shooting may have happened right there, or there was an altercation at that scene. Because the investigation is ongoing, the state police didn't release too much information.

Traffic Question..no answers

Here's part of an inquiry I sent to my county councilwoman in February. I just resent in hopes of a reply. In case anyone from the county is reading this, could you please answer?

Dear Mrs. Chenowith,

I’m writing now because of some traffic concerns at the Constant Friendship business area – Target, BJ’s, etc. The traffic is getting increasingly worse and I see that two more lots are up for sale. My question is in two parts.

First, the new, what I believe to be a pet store and possibly a Best Buy are being built right now. I’m saying I think, because I’ve been trying to find out what businesses are going there. I missed any sort of hearings for these businesses – or were these approved a long time ago? Is there a place on the county Web site, without knowing the zoning permit numbers or whose purchasing the land, that I could find out what’s going where?

The second part of the question is I would like to know if any traffic studies are being done on this area? The traffic on the weekends is heavy and it is very difficult to exit from the businesses. For example, if you’re taking the lower exit out of Target, you have cars coming up and down Constant Friendship Blvd., cars coming out of Lowe’s and cars coming out of Chik-Fil-A. It’s very difficult to gauge who’s coming out from where. It’s a miracle there are not more accidents just at this one spot. With the two new businesses being added to the Lowe’s site, this situation will only worsen.

I know this is a big tax base for the county, but we here in Abingdon are suffering the most from the increased number of businesses. I guess my question is threefold – is there any end in sight to the building over there?

That's it -- I just resent, because obviously I now know that the big blue sign is for a pet store (its light pollution now coming through my trees). So if anyone has any answers, please write!

Addition & Clarification. We here at TAA love some of the businesses in Constant Friendship and frequent them more than we probably should (yes, we're talking about you, Target) but my question in the letter is about the traffic pattern, and the continuous adding of businesses without consideration to how people exit from these new facilities. The letter was questioning whether this was being looked at by the county. Not that I've gotten an answer.
And please keep our arguments/comments friendly ones!

Edgewood High Gets the Short Shrift Again

Edgewood High School parents were surprised to learn last week that they were to be given only two tickets to their child's graduation ceremony. It seemed it was surprising to officials that the football field which has been a construction site for the last several months would be unavailable for commencement exercises and that the ceremony would have to be moved indoors to the school's small auditorium.

When a parent questioned the school board about why this was happening, public information director Don Morrison responded that the auditorium had always been the contingent plan for inclement weather, but that other schools had used other venues.(Question: Is construction considered inclement weather?)

A response from the EHS principal stated that school officials had tried -- and so far failed -- to find another venue to hold commencement as these other sites had been booked at least a year in advance. The principal said the school is trying to work out an arrangement with Patterson Mill High School to possibly hold the graduation there. A meeting with parents is supposed to happen sometime, although no date was given.

My question is, how did the school board not know that the field was going to be unusuable for a May graduation? Anyone who has only half paid attention to the construction would have known it would be impossible. In fact, I remember during one board meeting that I happened to catch on the public access station earlier this school year, they spoke in depth about graduation ceremonies not for this year -- but for 2009 -- and making sure they could secure locations for C. Milton Wright & Bel Air High School.

I guess I really have two questions: if the Greater Edgewood Education Foundation really wanted to make a difference, wouldn't they have been concerned about trying to secure a location for graduation instead of holding a pep rally where students got to see the Ravens' mascot?

By the way, Bel Air, Fallston and C. Milton all have space secured in Towson for their commencements.

Cub Scout Shout-Out

If you check out today's Aegis you'll see one of Abingdon's own from Cub Scout Pack 810 planting some trees at the county's annual Arbor Day event last Friday. Pack 810, which meets at St. Francis de Sales, has taken part in the event for the last several years.
If you don't get The Aegis but still want to see the photo, it's on the front page of its Web site.theaegis.com

Otter Point Events

Anita Leight has 2 events coming up. Not sure if these are still open, but why not visit over spring break? It's fun.

NO SCHOOL NATURE WALK
Friday, March 21, 9:30-11:30am
Anita C. Leight Estuary Center
Wondering what to do with your kids when you can’t drop them off at school? Why not take the day and spend some quality time with them in the woods? Bring some water, binoculars or even a lunch and have a picnic with the kids when the hike is over.
Ages: 5 - Adult, 5-10 w/adult
Fee: Free
To register or for additional information, please call 410.612.1688.

Fri.Mar. 21
FULL MOON FRIDAY NIGHT
Friday, March 21, 7:30-9pm
Anita C. Leight Estuary Center
Wander the trails of Leight Park by the light of the Worm Moon on day two of Spring 2008. Frogs should be calling, but will the worms be wiggling?
Ages: 5 - Adult, 5-12 w/adult
Fee: Free
To register or for additional information, please call 410.612.1688.
Check out more events online at the Otter Point Web site.

St. Patty's Day -- Don't Drink and Drive

The Harford County Sheriff's Department is stepping up its patrols today so don't forget to designate a driver if you're hitting any of the bars in Bel Air which are open most of the day today. This is a dangerous night to be out -- as one of my bartender friends called it, "amateur night."
The sheriff's department is going to have checkpoints throughout the county. Maybe they can catch some speeders while they're at it!

Survey Question (not mine)

Our e-mailing delegate Rick Impallaria just sent me this survey. He asked to forward it to anyone who might be interested in responding, so I'm posting it. Feel free to cut and paste. I'm printing it in its entirety:

Opinion Survey - March 14, 2008

Each year I like to do a survey of Maryland residents to determine how they feel on certain issues. After I receive your responses (which are kept confidential), I tally the results, which I share with the Caucus, the Governor's Office, and, of course, with you, the respondents. This way you can see how others in the community react on these issues. I hope you will enjoy participating in this survey and seeing the end results.

1. Do you believe that the Special Session of November 2007, which raised taxes, is now helping or hurting the Maryland economy?
Helping Hurting

2. Do you intend to support slots in the upcoming election? Yes No Undecided

3. Do you support re-regulation of the utility industries? Yes No Undecided

4. Do you support the building of nuclear power plants to supplement our energy sources?
Yes No Undecided

5. Do you support the death penalty? Yes No Undecided

6. On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate the performance of Gov. O'Malley?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I will not take personally the rating for the General Assembly, so please answer honestly. We will tally the results and send them back to you as soon as we can. Please feel free to forward this survey to others you think may like to participate.

Rick Impallaria
Delegate, District 7
rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us
Mailing Address: 310 Lowe House Office Bldg., Annapolis, MD 21401

How's the (cough cough) Ozone Level?

I just read an interesting article in The Daily Record about new ozone limits. The Record reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a mandate Wednesday to increase restrictions on ozone limits in the atmosphere, placing 11 of the 12 Maryland counties monitored for air quality in violation of the new health standards. Only Garrett County made the cut.

Here's what caught my attention: Harford has the state’s worst recorded ozone level at 93 parts per billion. Susan Kelly, Harford's director of the Bureau of Environmental Health said the area suffers from transport winds from the Ohio Valley.

Is that why I had to get an inhaler and was diagnosed with asthma when I moved here? (Even though I'm originally from the Ohio Valley?) Also, is part of the ozone problem caused by what's being blown up at APG while I'm writing?

BRAC -- official version

Here's the press release version of what happened at the BRAC meeting on Monday. The video isn't up yet to watch it unedited, but check back later.


BRAC TOWN HALL MEETING DRAWS LARGE AUDIENCE
(Bel Air, MD – March 11, 2008) - - A near capacity crowd of 400 attended the third BRAC Town Hall meeting Monday evening at the Aberdeen High School. The event was hosted by County Executive David R. Craig and James Richardson, Director of the Office of Economic Development for Harford County.
Among the officials participating in the community meeting were Colonel Jeffrey Weissman, Aberdeen Proving Ground Garrison Commander, Aberdeen Mayor Michael Bennett, Sheriff L. Jesse Bane, Marlene Lieb, Associate Vice President, Harford Community College, David Volrath, Executive Director of Secondary Education, Harford County Public Schools, Bob Cooper, Director, Harford County Department of Public Works, James Richardson, Director, Office of Economic Development and County Executive Craig.
“We are extremely pleased with the attendance at the BRAC Town Hall meeting,” said County Executive Craig. “Clearly the citizens of Harford County and the surrounding communities have a keen interest in BRAC and the positive impact it will have on our county,” Craig remarked.
The Harford County Office of Economic Development, the lead department for Harford County with BRAC issues, served as coordinator for the event. A fourth BRAC Town Hall meeting will be held later this year in Havre de Grace at a date and time to be determined.
The panel of officials responded to 40 questions posed by those in attendance. A concern of many of those who attended was transportation and the ability of the state, county and federal government to fund the necessary infrastructure improvements necessary to meet the needs of the BRAC.
“We will continue to work with our federal, state and local government partners to meet the challenges and opportunities that BRAC presents,” stated James Richardson, Director of the Office of Economic Development. “BRAC is a reality. Jobs are coming to Harford County and that means we must be ready to address the needs of the people who move to Harford County as well,” Richardson stated.
The BRAC Town Hall meetings are part of the county executive’s “Open Government” initiative, sharing information with citizens and those interested in BRAC and the impact to Harford County. The Town Meeting can be viewed on the Harford County Government website. For more information regarding BRAC visit www.harfordcountymd.gov or the Office of Economic Development website at www.harfordbusiness.org

St. Patty's Day Dinner

Cokesbury Memorial United Methodist Church is having its annual St. Patrick’s Day Dinner from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday March 15th. The cost is $9 for Adults, $5 for children(5-12). Children younger than 5 eat for free. The church is located on Abingdon Road, about 2/10 mile south of its intersection with Maryland Route 7 (just south of the 7-11 on Abingdon Road).
I can personally vouch for the corned beef, cabbage and ham. Delicious and for a great price.
The Falmanac did a nice photo essay on the church recently if you'd like to check it out.

Abingdon...No Country for Old Men

Just got back from playing hooky this afternoon at Regal Cinemas where I caught the matinee of "No Country for Old Men."
Some observations:
Regal management, please don't put loud films like Will Farrell's "Semi-Pro" next to a relatively quiet movie from the Coen Brothers. At one point I thought that the loud bass music was actually the soundtrack for my movie. Wrong. I couldn't figure out why the disco beat was accompanying Josh Brolin as he was viewing a deadly scene. It reminded me of when I used to live in an apartment and I could hear the guy next door playing bass.
Also to Regal: I understand now why some art house movies never make it here. I apologize. To my dozen or so other moviegoers who shouted at the screen when the credits rolled, "IS THAT IT?" All movies don't have happy endings. For future reference, if you see a movie with the Coen Brothers on the credits, just skip it.
And they wonder why people aren't going to the movies anymore!

Bluebirds

Am happy to report that the bluebirds which visited my back yard almost every day last winter have finally returned. I had rarely seen any before last winter.
It's such a beautiful day. Enjoy the outdoors of Harford County while you can -- you know, before they pave over it to put up another PetSmart or Walgreen's.

Edgewood Alternate Governance Plan

The Edgewood Middle School Alternative Governance Board presented its recommendations to the school board last week. To read the entire proposal click here.
It's pages and pages of ideas. You can decide for yourself. I'd love to hear some comments.
One question I have is in the budgeted items. Under "contracted services" there is $50,000 requested for "related leadership services." The proposal doesn't say specifically what that is. Just curious if anyone can figure that out -- seems vague for that kind of money.
Also, when you look at how many hours a month the school administrators are supposed to allocate to the success of the school -- am I reading that correctly? Is the school improvement coordinator for the district really only required to spend 10 hours a month on EMS? With that much dedicated time, success is assured!

Bad Week for School Buildings (& Students)

In case you missed it, Harford County Schools showcased its infrastructure problems this week in three separate incidents.
Homestead/Wakefield students were exposed to asbestos because technicians tore off an asbestos ceiling sending fibers into the air. The air was contaminated and school was closed. Students got Wednesday off, but after they'd been exposed to the asbestos on Tuesday.
On Thursday, Joppatowne High students were forced to leave their building because of a suspected gas leak. BGE arrived and examined the site while students waited outside in the cold.
Also this week, Edgewood High students were forced to endure a stench from a pipe underneath the kitchen that cracked, causing wastewater to spill into a crawl space and leaving behind an unpleasant odor in the cafeteria and locker room areas, school officials told The Sun.
The Sun reported that county health inspectors determined that there were no health concerns but that the odor presents a "human comfort situation," spokesman Don Morrison said. You can fill in your own comments on that one.

Annapolis Update: Nukes

Ever since I e-mailed him about something a month ago, my District 7 delegate has been flooding my inbox with e-mails. Here's an interesting update on Nuclear Energy I thought I'd share.

Annapolis Update #4: Follow-up to Nuclear Energy

Thank you for the great number of responses you sent to the last update -- it was overwhelmingly positive, and has set up a great dialog on this important topic. Many people had questions and comments, and I'm doing this follow-up to give you the answers.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? There are a number of things you can do to help generate public and political support for nuclear power: write letters to your local newspapers; contact your local, state and federal elected officials and voice your support for nuclear energy; call in to talk radio programs; spread the truth about nuclear power and our need for it to re-educate people who are fearful and debunk the negative myths.

WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH THE SPENT FUEL? Europe, especially France, is much more advanced than the U.S. in nuclear technology -- we are 30 years behind the times. The French reprocess spent fuel. Their new, modern fleet of nuclear reactors is state-of-the-art. They are constantly researching ways to reprocess, recycle, and dispose of nuclear waste. Each year the technology gets better, and it is concievable that what we now consider "waste" will in future be a valuable resource. And as a side note, the disposal facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada can probably handle 1000 years of waste, not taking into account any coming advances in treatment of nuclear waste.

CAN NUCLEAR WASTE BE SAFELY TRANSPORTED BY ROAD? It is safer to transport nuclear waste than gasoline or chlorine. This is because the same safeguards used for nuclear weaponry are also used in the transportation of nuclear materials. We know that a nuclear warhead can be dropped from an airplane and fall safely to earth without detonating or causing environmental damage, unless it is intentionally detonated.

WOULD YOU LIVE NEAR A NUCLEAR PLANT? Yes. I would have no qualms for my family. And a good bill to propose would discount electricity for those living in proximity of a nuclear plant, the amount of the discount depending on distance from the plant.

IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAPABLE OF SAFELY REGULATING NUCLEAR PLANTS? The government already safely regulates them. The government has its own reactors. The Navy has had nuclear submarines for 50 years without incident.

HOW MANY OF YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS FAVOR NUCLEAR POWER? I took a straw poll of our 23 members, and 75% are pro-nuclear, and 25% have an open mind about it. I don't believe anyone is totally opposed to it.

ARE THERE ANY OUTSTANDING NUCLEAR POWER COMPANIES? There are only a handful of companies that operate nuclear facilities. My personal feeling is that by re-regulating electricity production the energy industry in Maryland and throughout the country, the federal and state governments could play a very large role in moving toward clean, safe, and economical nuclear power.

IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THE POWER GENERATED BY CALVERT CLIFFS PLANT AVAILABLE TO MARYLANDERS? There is a bill in this session (House Bill 624 - Energy Consumer Protection Act) to sell the cheap electricity produced by the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant to Marylanders first, rather than selling it out-of-state. This would help our electric rates to go down.

Rick Impallaria
Delegate, District 7
rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us

Finally...The Best Picture Arrives

Only months after its initial release (note sarcasm here) multiple Oscar winner "No Country for Old Men" is hitting the Regal in Constant Friendship. It starts tomorrow with its first showing at 12:40. Another Oscar winner, "Juno," has its last showing tonight at 9:10.
I'm constantly dismayed at how this large multiplex RARELY has Oscar-caliber movies. While we were treated to such gems as "The Hottie and the Nottie," we completely missed movies such as "La Vie En Rose." I guess they don't think out in the 'burbs we could possibly handle subtitles?
When I went to see "The Queen" last year, it was absolutely packed. But this year, good movies have been hard to come by. Which could explain why the last several times I've frequented Regal haven't been to watch anything but children's movies: Happy Feet, Bee Movie and Harry Potter.

Lead Paint & More

This is not specifically Abingdon-focused, but I saw an article today about how there was a rise in injuries from nursery products in 2006. I clicked on the link in the article to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and was surprised to see all the recalls in just the last few months for everything from space heaters to hoodies.
When I switched my e-mail I forgot to sign up again for the CPSC's e-mail newsletter. You have a choice to get alerts about everything, or just specific products categories (e.g. infant/child products.) If you subscribe, you'll get e-mails about what's being recalled directly from the CPSC. Some of these don't get any media attention, so it's a good resource.
There's still so much lead paint out there -- not getting all the attention it was a few months ago -- but there are still many products being recalled because of it.

It's Not Just About A Principal

I’ve been waiting to write about the Edgewood Middle School Alternative Governance Board meeting on Feb. 7 in the blog because I’ve been considering writing a letter to the newspaper or contacting someone to try to get what’s happening into the mainstream media. I still may do that, because I can’t believe that nothing’s been written about the actions being taken at this school. I know they have a small staff, and failure’s not as exciting as contaminated well water in a more well-heeled neighborhood, but I can’t believe that the items written by The Aegis gloss over the fact of why the school is looking for a new principal.

The Aegis’ coverage of a search for a new principal at Edgewood Middle School misses an important aspect of the process. Because of the school’s failure to meet testing standards for several years in a row, it is required by the state to choose among four different actions; one choice is hiring a distinguished principal. The state is required to supply candidates, but had only three available to the entire state. None were available with middle school experience.

One impossible choice presented by the state was making EMS a charter school – a two-year process that no probationary school can make because of its short time frame. EMS must have a plan approved by the spring. Another choice was to hire an outside agency to run the school. However, no agencies available have any middle school experience. The last option available was dismissing inadequate staff and hiring new staff.

These somewhat false choices shine a light on the institutional failure of the state to provide options for really improving failing schools. The group working on improving the situation at EMS, while well-intentioned, was never presented with a chance to make the real changes needed. This is not an attack on the group working to rectify the situation or EMS students. If EMS qualified for Title 1 status, which it is close to doing, students would then be presented with school vouchers and Harford County Public Schools would have to let them attend another school in the county. Faced with students heading to Patterson Mill, with its state-of-the art equipment or a school with broken water fountains – what would happen? The school system, because of overcrowding issues, would have to act and really improve the schools.

Weather Update

Here in Abingdon at 11:15 it's 32 degrees with a clear road in front of my house. I'm saying this because the speeders on my road don't seem to be slowing down at all, not because I've actually been out.
Just wanted to check with readers to see if it's worse where you are. I saw there was an accident at the 77A exit of I-95 earlier, but really haven't seen too much since then.
I agree with the decision today to cancel school, but come on Harford County, take one of the spring break days away. You're cutting too far into our summer!
Also, is anyone getting the feeling that eSchoolnewsletter is really spam in disguise? Did I really need to get an e-mail before the school closing notification about titled "Emergency School Closing Information" with a link to an eSchoolnewsletter site page with the school closing information. (My newly updated Internet Explorer wouldn't even let me open the link because of certification problems.) I thought the idea of having an e-newsletter was not having to check a Web site. You can always just check the HCPS site for school closings. It's posted on the site almost immediately.