Abingdon Community Council eNews

Volume I Issue #12 September, 2012 C. David Copenhaver, Editor

Welcome to our latest issue of the ACC eNews. This eNews has been developed in an effort to reach out to the residents of Abingdon. Our purpose is to provide you an opportunity to become more informed and to encourage more participation at our monthly meetings! Please share this eNews with your neighbors. Why not plan to join us at our next meeting on Monday, September 24, 2012 from 6:30pm -7:30pm at the Abingdon Public Library, 2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009? Join us and participate; take that leap of faith, you may find it rewarding! (For additional information,
contact me at abingdoncc@gmail.com.)
(If at any time you wish to have your eMail address removed from our data base, just reply remove.)

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Abingdons Treasures: Neighborhoods

Each month a different Neighborhood will be highlighted. Please share interesting things about your neighborhood, send to abingdoncc@gmail.com

Neighborhoods are the places where the everyday practice of life occurs. They are geographical units that are essential to peoples livespeople connect these living environments to their identity and, thus, neighborhoods become personally meaningful. For these reasons, magazines feature neighborhoods based on the activities, restaurants, or personalities of the people who live there. The media often set the context of news stories in a neighborhood. Travel literature promotes neighborhoods to visit. Real estate marketing highlights houses for sale by neighborhood. Essentially, neighborhoods create and form communities. Residents share the same experiences. They suffer or revel in the availability and quality of local housing, schools, jobs, businesses, health care, and human services. They experience the effects of crime that occurs within neighborhood boundaries. Neighborhoods create the background for peoples life stories. They leave lasting impressions on residents about what life is like and what social problems exist in a living community.
(Source: Ronald E. Wilson, National Institute of Justice, some changes made.)

Bel Air South Community Foundation

We are redoubling our reach and looking for volunteers to continue our opposition to this project.

It is important that the community continues to show that Plumtree and 924 is not a good location to put a new Walmart or any big box high traffic retail business. A meeting has been planned at the Abingdon Public Library, September 12, 20112 from 6:30pm 7:30pm for those who want to volunteer in their local neighborhoods to help organize, document opposition (gather petitions), fund-raise for signs, schedule/organize demonstrations, etc. This is a volunteer organization meeting sponsored and led by the BASCF (Bel Air South Community Foundation).

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We are also urging our neighbors to go to the County Council meetings and speak on the record about this topic, or simply show up and fill the chamber on September 11th and September 18th at 212 South Bond Street @7:30 or earlier if you want to be scheduled to speak.
(Source: Bel Air South Community Foundation, some changes made.)

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SARC Seeks Volunteers for Balloon Festival

SARC is looking for volunteers to assist with the nonprofits biggest fundraiser of the year The 3rd Annual Rising Above It Hot-Air Balloon Festival Family Fun Day on Saturday, September 22, at the Harford County Equestrian Center, 608 North Tollgate Road in Bel Air. Volunteers are needed to help with admissions/registration, main stage entertainment, exhibitors, vendor hall, food vendors, hot-air balloon interactive demonstrations, horse ring and feinting goats, activity areas and overall festival operations. Adults 18 years of age and over (or youth 14 and older, with parental permission) are invited to sign up for one of three shifts: 8 a.m. to noon; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. For those who are unable to work a full shift, volunteers will be accommodated based on their availability. Volunteers will be able to enjoy the festival before or after their shifts and will receive a T-shirt. Family Fun Day attracted nearly 2,500 visitors last year and features a mix of activities for kids and adults alike. Volunteers from the community have been so generous with their time and talents at the festival over the past two years, said Luisa Caiazzo-Nutter, executive director of SARC. We are hoping that additional volunteers are willing to help us so that we are able to provide a great experience for what we hope will be 2,500 or more visitors at Family Fun Day. The festival is SARCs biggest fundraiser of the year, and volunteers are vital for a successful day. The funds raised by the festival are critical to helping SARC provide hope and resources to victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse and stalking. People interested in volunteering at the event should click Website below, email volunteer@sarc-maryland.org or call 410-836-8431. Website
(Source: Harford Neighbors.com, some changes made.)

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West Nile Virus Prompts Public Health Attention

Several weeks ago, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (MD DHMH) reported its first confirmed case of symptomatic West Nile virus (WNV) infection in 2012. At about the same time, the National Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention released a media advisory announcing that some areas of the country have experienced greater numbers of WNV infections in humans, birds, and mosquitoes. Although Maryland is not among those states reporting increased WNV activity, the first confirmed human case in Maryland serves as an important reminder to local residents to take steps to prevent WNV infection. West Nile Virus continues to threaten the health of Maryland residents," said DHMH Secretary Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein. "These findings remind us that there are basic actions we can all take to reduce our risk of getting infected."

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Most people are at low risk for disease. However, people 50 years of age and older have the highest risk of developing severe illness if infected, while those who spend a lot of time outdoors have a greater risk of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Prevention is key and there are actions individuals can take to reduce the risk of West Nile virus infection, states Harford County Health Officer Susan Kelly. In addition to personal protection, prevention requires attention to your surroundings. She encourages the public to help reduce the number of mosquitoes in outdoor areas where they work or play by draining any sources of standing water, even small ones, where mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed. Specifically, she recommends:
At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool

covers, buckets, barrels, cans, or from any other place where you find standing water. Check for clogged rain gutters and clean them out if necessary. Look for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home. Fix dripping faucets. Aerate ornamental pools and water gardens or stock with fish and use a circulating filter system Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors.

Just as importantly, continues Ms. Kelly, there are measures people can take to effectively protect themselves from mosquito bites. These include avoiding areas of high mosquito activity as well as avoiding unnecessary outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts and hats when concerned about mosquito exposure and use an EPA-registered insect repellent according to package directions. Also be sure to place mosquito netting over infant carriers when you are outdoors with infants. West Nile virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne disease that affects the nervous system. Although approximately eight out of ten of people infected with West Nile virus will not experience any symptoms or signs of illness at all, some people who develop illness may experience mild flu-like symptoms occasionally accompanied by a skin rash and swollen lymph glands. These symptoms may last a few days or as long as several weeks. Fewer than 1% of persons infected with WNV develop more severe disease with symptoms such as high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and effects on the nervous system may be permanent. In Maryland, West Nile Virus first appeared in 1999 in a crow in Baltimore City. The first human West Nile cases were reported in 2001 and since that time WNV activity has been found in humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses and/or other mammals throughout all jurisdictions, reaching a peak of 73 human cases and over 230 infected horses in 2003. The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene collaborates with the Maryland Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources and with the US Department of Defense to monitor WNV and other arboviruses in humans, mosquitoes, and wildlife throughout the state. For more information on the West Nile Virus , visit Harford County Health Department website Website
(Source: Harford Neighbors.com, some changes made.)

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Wanted: Gingerbread House Architect for the Abingdon Library

Using your own recipes and blueprints, construct your dream gingerbread house. The winning entry will be displayed in a fantasy wonderland and the winning architect will receive two tickets to the 8th Annual HCPL Foundation Gala on November 3, valued at $200! The house must be a minimum of 24x24x24. All exhibits must be submitted by Tuesday, October 16 at 7:30 pm. Website

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Dates to Ponder:
Is Our World Melting? Science Caf at the Library September 11, 2012 7:00pm 8:30pm Abingdon Public Library, 2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009 Learn how ice has diminished with each passing winter during the past three decades, and how it will be measured employing satellites with new photon-counting laser altimeters on board. Contact Name: Mary Paramore 443.360.9134. Website Sunday Country Breakfast Buffet at Abingdon VFC September 16, 2012 8:00am11:00am The menu includes: Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Baked Home Taters, Sausage Gravy, Toast, Bagels, Biscuits, Baked French Toast, Cinnamon Buns, Fruit, Milk, Juice (Orange, Apple, Tomato), Coffee, Tea, and Hot Chocolate. Price: $8.00 for adults; $7.00 for seniors; $3.00 for children 6 10. Children under the age of 6 are free. Takeout is available for $9.00. Website Bel Air Festival for the Arts September 16, 2012 10:00am5:00pm Shamrock Park (behind the Bel Air Town Hall on Hickory Avenue), rain or shine; 350 artists, photographers and craftsmen display their handmade work. Continuous live entertainment. Great food! Free shuttle bus from the MVA parking lot on Route 24. Sponsored by Bel Air Recreation Committee and Town of Bel Air. Free. 443.616.6708 Rosh Hashanah September 16, 2012 Rosh Hashanah begins in the evening of Sunday, September 16, 2012, and ends in the evening of Tuesday, September 18, 2012. It is commonly known as the Jewish New Year, and is one of the most important Jewish religious holidays. SARC's 3rd Annual Rising Above it Hot Air Balloon Festival! Family Fun Day September 22. 2012 7:00am7:00pm Harford County Equestrian Center. Fabulous food, crafts, business vendors, entertainment, and fun activities for kids young and old. The day's activities will conclude with an exciting balloon race. Last year, over 3,000 participated in the event. Abingdon Community Council Meeting September 24, 2012 6:30pm - 7:30pm Abingdon Community Council meets on the 4th Monday of each month at the Abingdon Public Library from 6:30 p.m.7:30 p.m. Public invited! abingdoncc@gmail.com Yom Kippur September 25, 2012 Begins in the evening of Tuesday, September 25, 2012, and ends in the evening of Wednesday, September 26, 2012. also known as Day of Atonement. It is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, Craft and Scrapbook Crop September 29, 2012 Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company, 109 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air. Price: $35. This event is a fundraiser for a local family in order to help with medical expenses for their five year old son who is currently being treated at Johns Hopkins for leukemia. Your registration fee covers your table space for the entire day, as well as lunch, dinner, snacks, and beverages. Several vendors will be available for you to browse and shop, including Pampered Chef, Creative Memories, Stampin' Up, Tastefully Simple, and more! For a registration form, Email thefunone70@hotmail.com 410.638

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Clean out your medicine cabinet! Nationwide Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Saturday, September 29, 2012 10:00am 2:00pm Harford County will have 2 drop-off locations for unused and expired medicines: Parking Lot of the County Office Building 220 S. Main Street (corner of Business Rt 1 and Main Street) Bel Air, MD 21014 Havre de Grace Police Station 715 Pennington Avenue Havre de Grace, MD 21078 No questions asked when medications are turned in! Contact 410-638-3333 or odcp@harfordcountymd.gov for more information.
(Source: Harford County Office of Drug Control Policy, some changes made.)

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Abingdon Community Council, September 24, 2012 at the Abingdon Public Library 6:30pm 7:30pm
2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD. Special Guest:

County Executive David R. Craig

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

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