In Spite of all the traffic hassles...

We love Wegmans. The staff is friendly, it's clean and not very expensive--with the exception of the prepared food section. With that area, enter at your own risk! Home Goods is cursed with the pre-existing Weis parking lot which is too small and insanely arranged. It's very busy and has brought some life back to that center.
Our only complaint, sitting through the extra lights to get there from our side of the 24/Tollgate intersection/manmade disaster area. In our imaginations of what that intersection would look like, we imagined that we would have the light at Constant Friendship and then breeze over to the Wegmans. Now we have an extra stoplight and it takes twice as long as it used to.
And when is it going to be finished? Why as we write this is one lane of traffic closed and orange barrels everywhere? When?
Also, if you missed it, in Friday's Aegis there was an article about how great the traffic pattern was. The reporter talked with various officials who said they hadn't heard anything negative, thereby helpfully providing a laundry list of people who are going to get complaints from us at TAA. Thank you Aegis.

What the expletive expletive expletive

We tried to be hopeful about the new traffic pattern but after almost facing mortality up close tonight after encountering a traffic barrel in the road on newly divided highway we have really had it.
What insane group of highly paid consultants designed this cluster expletive expletive. No one is using the highly touted bridge to Bel Air except to bypass the now --and one would guess forever-- jam packed conditions at the Tollgate/Emmorton Road "exit" of 24 to make an illegal u-turn.
Since the new traffic pattern emerged we have personally experienced the following:
** sideswiped while trying to "merge" onto traffic speeding down the hill on 24 to exit at 95 south. Merging out of Constant Friendship there is nowhere to go except into the line of traffic trying merge over and presumably kill you.
** watched numerous people try to drive over the median to get to the Tollgate Road area.
*** saw someone run into barrel dividing the new area.
*** watched dozens and dozens of vehicles come up the hill on 24 and make an illegal u-turn at the light at Singer to get to Walmart/Target, etc.
*** traffic backed up to Crisfield Drive from the light at Constant Friendship.
So who was this designed for? Not for the thousands and thousands of Wegman's customers who are forced to take the Tollgate exit and block all the lanes coming down the hill at Emmorton Road to try to get to 95.
Definitely not, as if anything is ever built to benefit the residents of Abingdon Ha!, for those of us here in Abingdon.
Who to complain to? Joe Woods? David Craig? The MTA? Who cares? It's done. I guess we should just say thank you that they didn't just bulldoze us out of here for the convenience of people trying to get out of Bel Air.

Not-free summer movies at Regal in Abingdon

Sorry for the confusion with the old link. Here are updated times for the formerly free, now $1 movies at Regal.

6/28-6/29 (10am)DESPICABLE ME HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
7/5-7/6 (10am)ASTRO BOY CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
7/12-7/13 (10am)SHREK FOREVER AFTER YOGI BEAR
7/19-7/20 (10am)KARATE KID RAMONA & BEEZUS
7/26-7/27 (10am)MARMADUKE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
8/2-8/3 (10am)ALPHA AND OMEGA NANNY MCPHEE RETURNS
8/9-8/10 (10am)CLOUDY W/ MEATBALLS PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING
8/16-8/17 (10am)DIARY OF A WIMPY KID OPEN SEASON 3

Abingdon Community Council Meeting Tonight

Here's a look at tonight's agenda. We here at TAA have a previous commitment so can't attend. Please post here if you'd like to update us on what happened. The meeting is at 6:30 at the library.

Abingdon Community Council Agenda

April 25 2011

Guest Presentation

Bob Ward

Jim Martin

Developers Box Hill South Project Update

Government Updates:

1. Sheriff’s representative

2. County Executive’s representative

3. County Councilman Joe Woods

Review of Minutes

Old Business

Next meeting Traffic report by DPW and State Roads

Face book update

Community involvement with communication

New Business:

Announcements:

Next Meeting

May 23, 2011 6:30 Abingdon Branch Harford County Public Library

Bass Pro Shop is Coming-Not

Unconfirmed (but reliable) reports do indeed have Bass Pro Shops coming, but not to the former Weis location, but to the Wegman's complex, or should we say Boulevard at Box Hill South.
Also, a shoe store will take over the Weis building. And in the dreams do come true department, we are hearing it is a DSW.
Please see comment below. This was discussed at a community meeting as something that was coming.

"Hairspray"

Check out the new Edgewood High School and auditorium—-which we have seen and is really an impressive facility—-by enjoying the Baltimore-centric "Hairspray," presented by Edgewood High School. Performances are at 7:30 today and Saturday, and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The cost is $8 for adults and $6 students. Call 410-612-1500 for more information.

A Site We Like

While we thank you for reading us for local happenings, we realize that you can't get all your news from our sporadic blogging. We'd love to point you in the direction of belair.patch.com that has been doing great work.
For example, they are the only place to get a list of road closures this evening. We appreciate the attention to breaking news without all the blood-pressure inducing comment boards of other sites.

Early Years Expo Looking for Vendors

From Harford County Government:

Vendors Needed for the Early Years Expo
The Harford County Department of Community Services Local Management Board, in collaboration with the Early Childhood Roundtable, is seeking vendors for The Early Years Expo, an early childhood resource fair to be held on Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 9:00am to 1:00pm at Abingdon Elementary School, 399 Singer Road in Abingdon.
The Early Years Expo is for local families with children ages birth to five years to learn about a wealth of early childhood related opportunities that exist in Harford County. The Department of Community Services Local Management Board believes in educating families about community resources and making the lineage between valuable services and the families they exist to serve. The better connected that families are to community resources, the more likely children will be provided with the building blocks of early childhood development.
Vendor Registration is due by March 18. Click here for the Vendor Registration Form. Vendors will be given the option of purchasing a table and ad space in the event program (see Vendor Registration Form for details). Event sponsorship opportunities are also available.
For more information, contact 410-638- 3166.

Odds, Ends

** The Fallston Walmart is slated to open on March 16, so maybe this will alleviate some of the traffic in Constant Friendship when shoppers realize that even after a facelift a few years ago, the Abingdon Walmart still is lacking when compared to newer stores. The Fallston Walmart will have groceries, and we're guessing a less insanely designed parking lot.
** The newly formed Abingdon Community Council has a new Facebook page, if you are social media-inclined.
** The "opening soon" Pelican Cove is sporting new signage.
** A sure sign of spring, the Rita's on Emmorton Road is now open.
** Abingdon Elementary is getting a new playground. Money is coming from the school, county, PTA and private donations (which are still being accepted). We are excited because let's face it, there is no decent playground in Abingdon.

Abingdon Community Council

The newly formed Abingdon Community Council will have its first meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Abingdon Library. The council is set to meet every fourth Monday. The agenda wasn't posted on the site, but we hope will be after this first meeting.
Council members are: Carlin Cook, Cynthia Hergenhahn, Earl Grey, Gregory Ralph Durham, Lucas Anderson and Susan Rausch Cook.

Overheard in Abingdon

We've been unable to confirm a Bass Pro Shop is going in across from Wegman's, where Weis now resides. We're skeptical because Bass Pro Shops are usually pretty large and we believe everything currently in the center would have to go to make room.
The restaurant that may someday inhabit the defunct Country Kitchen has changed its named to Pelican Cove, according to its sign out front.
Saturday's wind caused damage throughout Abingdon. We were very thankful for our underground power lines yesterday.
More developments are coming. Route 7, near the HaHa Branch, will see new development, as well as more houses coming to Monmouth Meadows.
Bel Air Patchis reporting vandalism at Patterson Mill Middle/High School, something you won't see anywhere else. We here at TAA are pleased to see a local "Patch." While we enjoy reading The Dagger, it has become the home of flamers that incense us every time we visit. The Patch's focus is on news.

Abingdon Community Council

Please consider joining. The last time the county put out this notice, there were just a few applicants (including us here at TAA). The council was never formed because of lack of interest. It's your community! Do something!

Here's the press release:
(Bel Air, MD) - - Harford County Executive David R. Craig has announced he
will soon be expanding the number of community councils by two. The County
Executive, along with Councilwoman Mary Ann Lisanti and Councilman Joe Woods
are seeking interested individuals to serve on the Abingdon and Bush River
Community Councils respectively.

“Community Councils have served as an effective vehicle for disseminating
and receiving information to citizens and their communities,” remarked County
Executive Craig. “We thank Councilwoman Lisanti and Councilman Woods for their
interest in developing additional community councils to help better serve the needs or
our constituents,” Craig stated.

An information and organizational meeting for the two proposed Community
Councils will be held on January 24, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the
Abingdon Library, located at 2510 Tollgate Road in Abingdon.

Community Councils were initiated by former County Executive James M.
Harkins in the fall of 1999. The councils replaced the previous Community Planning
Councils which began during the Rehrmann Administration.

Community Councils are significantly different than the previous Community
Planning Councils. Community Planning Councils focused on planning-related
issues. Community Councils take a much broader view of local community issues
and recommend to the Administration how best to address such areas of concern.

Goals of Community Councils are as follows:

• Strengthen existing communities and neighborhoods and help achieve a satisfying quality
of life for county residents.
• Advise the County Executive on issues of concern and interest in local communities.
• Act as a liaison between members of the community-at-large and the Harford County
Administration.
• Increase citizen participation and responsibility in community throughout Harford County.

Presently there are local Community Councils in the following geographic regions of Harford County: Dublin/Darlington; Edgewood; Fallston; Joppa/Joppatowne and Whiteford/Street. Councils shall meet at least four times per year, although they may choose to meet more regularly if necessary.

For further information regarding the work of Community Councils, or to obtain an
application to serve, contact the Office of the County Executive, Office of Constituent Services at 410-638-3511, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Restaurant opening?

Pelican Pete's, located in what briefly was the Country Kitchen, appears to be opening soon, with a sign out reading just that. The owner, received tentative liquor license approval all the way back in October 2009, was required to report to the liquor board every 30 days after a meeting in May when the liquor board threatened to revoke the license because of the stalled opening.
The project has been much delayed, but we are hoping that the end result will be a vast improvement from the dismal restaurant that inhabited the space previously.

Weis in Abingdon Closing

Weis will close its door Feb. 26. This is not surprising, but sooner than we expected. Certainly the two years of construction before Wegman's opens didn't help its finances. But we must say we won't miss the terrible parking lot. We did get a few good birthday cakes in there, however.

Looking Up for 2011

Reading back on some of our most recent posts, we've noticed that traffic, construction, and general idiocy have been getting us down. But for 2011, at least in this entry, we're going to look at some bright spots.

As much as we hate the mass destruction of thousands of trees and an awesome sled riding hill at Box Hill South, when perusing a recipe last week we immediately thought, "Where in Harford County could we find these ingredients?" And then we had a happy thought. Maybe if at some point we can safely get through the bottleneck at Tollgate/MD 24 in September, we can go to Wegman's and buy the ingredients. What will it be like to be able to find the unusual right here in Harford County? And so close. When that construction is completed, we're sure we will breeze right over there, problem-free. (OK, we admit there might be just a smidge of sarcasm there.)
We're also hoping that a new movie theater will make an appearance at the Boulevard. On seeing "True Grit" on opening day, we were bombarded with noise from the movie next door. (Bonus movie critique: True Grit is a must-see.)

In some of our previous posts, there were also comments on Abingdon students attending Edgewood Middle and High Schools. While no one was more concerned than we were about sending our children to EMS with all the horror stories (everyone's on drugs, pregnant, homeless, gang-banged, etc) we could not be happier with the experience our student has had since attending this fall.

Two years ago we attended a meeting of the Alternate Governance Board which had chosen, of its available three options, to hire a new principal. We were skeptical that this indeed, would make any difference. But we have seen firsthand the difference one person can make when he has the tools and the authority to effect change. Dr. Lawrence Rudolph, who was given the authority by the state, not HCS, was able to hire and fire who he wanted. For years, Edgewood was a dumping ground for teachers who the county could not or would not fire. While the former superintendent talked about how much she wanted success in Edgewood, the actions of the front office clearly showed otherwise. When you walk into the building now, the change is palpable. While before when we went into EMS it was dirty with broken water fountains, it's cleaner and brighter. There are student organizations there now that didn't exist before. The teachers take time to talk to parents and work with the students.

It's not perfect, after all, it is middle school. There have been fights, just as there have been at any other middle school. There are students facing problems that students at Fallston don't have to worry about. That doesn't make them bad students--it just makes it more challenging to teach them. But when the drug-sniffing dogs came, the police officer said it was the cleanest school in the county. That's something you will never read in The Aegis.

We have had conversations with school board members in the past where they have said, "well, it's not really that bad there." They were trying to convince us to send our children there because, hey, it could be worse. They were apologists because they didn't really want to admit there was a problem. Once the state and federal government said there IS a problem, only then did it change. As much as this county hates state intervention, we would personally like to send them a thank you card for stepping in at EMS.

So we're starting out 2011 with optimistic realism, if that's possible. The bluebirds have returned to our back yard, the library's winter reading program has started, and for now, everything's looking OK.