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Abingdon Community Council eNews

Volume I Issue #20 May, 2013 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, June 24, 2013 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: Our Schools William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary School
(The School is located at 2706 Old Philadelphia Road, Abingdon, MD 21009)

In the beginning: Old Post Road High School opened its doors on September 1928 with Mr. F. High, a one man faculty. Two classes (23 freshman and 5 sophomores) continued on to become the first and second graduating classes in 1931 and 1932. Mr. High served as principal for 19 years, during that span, 34 teachers joined the teaching staff for various lengths of time. In 1935 a General Course, as well as an Academic Course was offered. The building itself grew from 6 classrooms adjoining the Auditorium to 11 classrooms. The basement was converted to a shop and two classrooms. The next Chapter: A Junior High School was the next chapter. In 1948 Mr. Jones followed Mr. High as Principal. In 1950 Old Post Road became, and now is, an Elementary School with an additional building on the grounds. Today the school is known as William Paca Old Post Road Elementary School: For the past 60+ years, the staff at William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary School has worked to help all students achieve academically. The schools location on Old Philadelphia Road, provides a diverse student population that emphasizes the need for a focus on inclusion for all, student achievement, and an appreciation for diversity, Today, under the leadership of Principal Gail I. Dunlap, numerous program offerings help to enrich and accommodate the variety of learning styles of the students. The school provides support programs including: Pre-Kindergarten, School-wide Enrichment, Special Education, outreach programs for School Health Readiness and Key Point. These programs help facilitate success for the students. Title I resources provide family liaisons who offer ongoing support between home and school, para-educator classroom support, Title 1 offers Specialists who work with teachers to analyze data and to improve instruction, and state of the art technology that enhances teaching. Teacher Mentors, Reading & Math Specialists, and an Instructional Facilitator provide ongoing opportunities for staff development and assist with academic events for families. Use of scientific research based intervention programs continue to provide valuable practice opportunities. Parents are welcome to volunteer and are encouraged to become active decision makers in the educational process. Opportunities include Family Advisory Team, School Improvement team (SIT), and PTA. The school improvement Team and the Instructional Leadership Team utilize existing data and research-based best practices to target areas for school-wide improvement. William Paca/Old Post Road Elementary strives to achieve academic excellence and healthy interpersonal relationships.
(Source: http://www.hcps.org/schools/SchoolProfile.aspx?schoolID=40. Some changes were made.)

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Abingdon Community Council Asks Harford County Council to Better Examine Impacts of Ill-Managed Growth
(The following letter was sent by the Abingdon Community Council to the Harford County Council. A copy was provided to The Dagger for publication)

The Abingdon Community Council wishes to bring to your attention a very important matter which continues to be vocalized at every meeting and hearing in our area. Traffic congestion and public safety issues due to increased traffic are growing major concerns as more and more development is undertaken. Citizens continue to vent frustrations that nobody seems to be examining the bigger picture of how all of the various projects converge and negatively impact the overall traffic and safety situation. Resident calls for more comprehensive traffic studies are a consistent and ongoing request. The Abingdon Community Council agrees there is an urgent need for action by the county to address these concerns. We are writing to request your support and enact a review of current planning and zoning policies within the development envelope due to considerable public sentiment that such growth, though necessary, has been undertaken in too hasty a manner as to be beneficial to Harford County and its residents in the long term. While traffic congestion and road safety are the most obvious impacts of ill-managed growth, issues can extend into all parts of life. It is clear to us that the current system of reviewing and approving development projects in purely sequential and isolated steps fails to take a holistic and comprehensive view of the rapid and expansive growth in a dynamic area like the designated growth envelope. This complexity should require some kind of additional evaluation process that might not be needed outside this area, or perhaps it requires changes to the process we already have. Currently, intersections, traffic studies, land conservation, emergency services, water service, etc., are all reviewed either independently along the scope of impact for each project or periodically by each appropriate department. We understand the purpose and importance of the comprehensive zoning process and acknowledge all the work currently done by Planning and Zoning, the Department of Public Works, and associated agencies with regards to development proposals and approvals, as well as the legal requirements of having a fair and expedient process. However, some kind of additional layer of review seems to be necessary to ascertain the capability and sustainability of communities in the growth envelope to maintain a sensible and smart pace of growth. This additional layer could consist of conducting periodic reviews and reports on various town centers, community council areas, or other clearly identifiable zones. Perhaps it requires the formation of a committee or council to confer with the appropriate agencies in order to develop new policies or determine if all current policies are properly followed. It may require an audit of existing policies. It may require redefining or expanding zoning classifications, so that projections for the future can be improved. It will likely require a review of our Adequate Public Facilities (APF) plan, which was created and designed to smartly control growth in our county. There appear to be deficiencies in the current APF plan. For example, the traffic requirements state that for projects to be approved intersections must have a grade of D or better within the development envelope (Planning and Zoning code Section 126). We do not believe that D is an adequate grade. Most people would consider C to be acceptable and we urge you raise these standards. Carroll County, which is maybe most similar to Harford, uses the same system and their requirement is C grades for intersections. We realize increasing these standards runs the risk of slowing growth, but that is not our intent, nor do we believe it would be a problem as other areas with similar standards have had growth similar to Harford County. Please refer to the Maryland Department of Planning APFO Inventory (2012) for reference as to the APF requirements used across Maryland. Similarly, we urge you to consider expanding the current APF plan to include stormwater, fire, and police criteria for development projects, as the current one does not have specific standards for these critical areas. The singular goal of any action should be to take what is now a process that largely examines each project on its own merits and faults, and apply a big picture approach that will bring together multiple projects in proximity to each other in some fashion that just simply makes more sense for the local community and the county, while still working within the legal requirements of our laws and regulations. We do not think it is realistic to view every proposal in isolation from likely future projects. Though it might be legally necessary to approve or deny projects in this manner, it may not have to be the only way they are evaluated and we strongly urge you to take up this effort to enhance the quality of living and doing business in Harford County for years to come. Please advise us on what immediate action can be taken and how we can work together to create ongoing comprehensive traffic studies and better planning and zoning codes for Harford County.
Members: Cynthia Hergenhahn, Chairperson C. David Copenhaver Carlin Cook Earl Grey Gregory A. Beaty Joan Hamilton Recording Secretary: Donna Copenhaver

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News from Boulevard at Box Hill:

Old Navy Moves to Boulevard at Box Hill: Confirmed


While the Old Navy located in the Harford Mall closed Thursday, it won't be long before shoppers again have access to the store in Harford County. Old Navy will move to the developing Boulevard at Box Hill shopping center in Abingdon later this year, a company spokeswoman confirmed Friday. "We are constantly evaluating our store fleet to ensure we have the right stores in the right locations to best serve our customers," Andrea Hicklin with Gap Inc. which owns Old Navywrote in an email to Patch Friday. "While we dont have specifics to provide about the Harford Mall store, I can tell you that we look at a number of factors including our existing store base, market demographics and sales potential of a particular market." Old Navy has leased 12,500 square feet for its new store, Tom Fidler, senior vice president and principal of MacKenzie Commerical Real Estate Services, the Boulevard's consulting and leasing agent, wrote in an email to the Patch Friday. The store will be part of the shopping center's next phase, which includes about 49,000 total square feet of retail space, according to Fidler.
(Source: belairpatch.com. Some changes were made.)

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Havre de Grace Unveils Exhibits for the Star Spangled 200 Banner Trail
The City of Havre de Grace will kick off the Maryland State Chesapeake Campaign the first weekend in May 2013 with a three day festival marking the 200th year of prosperity since they were ransacked and burned by the British. In 1813 Havre de Grace was a small fishing village; and with Post Road traversing through town, was a major source of land travel. The taverns and ferry made Havre de Grace, originally called Susquehanna Lower Ferry, a vibrant town in the early 19th century. On May 3rd, 1813 British forces; led by Admiral Cockburn, arrived at early dawn and the residents of Havre de Grace woke to terrifying sounds of rockets hissing signaling the arrival of 400 British Marines. The marines went from house to house, burning and confiscating belongings along the way. Beds were ripped apart, and furniture and clothing were ruined. John ONeil led a defense when the British raiders attacked and briefly manned cannons as other defenders fled. Over the last two years the research on the accounts of the attack were put together in exhibits at six Heritage Museums of Havre de Grace. A remarkable partnership and funding from National Park Service and Maryland Heritage Authority has allowed the City to set the stage to tell the story of their involvement in the War of 1812 and how the Britishs terror on the Chesapeake began. An interactive model circa 1813 highlights the homes that survived the burning and allows visitors to experience the way of life during 1813. Illustrations created by local artist Bill Watson depicts the savage attack and burning of Havre de Grace. Signage has created a interpretive trail along the parks and attractions throughout the City. On January 31st the City of Havre de Grace held a reception honoring the achievements of Museums, National Park Service and all the volunteers who brought together the elements to tell the story of life in Havre de Grace during the War of 1812. Mayor Wayne Dougherty presented the National Park Service a Proclamation highlighting a grant that had been awarded in the amount of $99,000. With an additional $34,000 award from the Maryland Heritage Area Authority, a comprehensive trail was created taking the visitor to all the Citys attractions to learn of the components of the attack on Havre de Grace. This is an excellent example of bringing various volunteers and organizations together to complete a common goal, stated Brigitte Peters, City of Havre de Grace Office of Tourism the work done by our Museums is a remarkable achievement. You are encouraged to stop by the visitor center in Havre de Grace, walk the promenade, go to David Craig park, and experience our Museums to learn more and enjoy the exhibits that have been created to show our involvement in the War of 1812.
(Source: harfordneighbors.net. Some changes were made.)

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Dates to Ponder:
Walk-in Computer Instruction at the Library
May 1, 2013 2:00 pm 4:00pm Abingdon Public Library Learn basic computer skills and web search techniques to boost your know-how. All ages are welcome.

First Fridays
May 3, 2013 5:00pm 8:00pm Office and Main Streets. FREE outdoor celebration of live music downtown; beer & wine garden; refreshments; merchants participating with specials. Sponsored by the Bel Air Downtown Alliance. www.downtownbelair.com 443.823.1797

Zumba at The Abingdon Elks


May 4, 2013 10:00am 11:00am Join certified instructor, Amber Huber, for a fast-paced and exciting Zumba workout! The drop-in fee is only $5.00 p/class.

Out of the Park Yard Sale


May 4, 2013 8:00am 1:30pm Ripken Stadium, 873 Long Drive, Aberdeen, 8am-1:30pm. Are you looking to clean out your house or find a new treasure?!? 100+ vendors with a parking lot full of treasures to be found. www.ripkenstadium.com

Bel Air Community Band Concert


May 5, 2013 3:00pm Free Bel Air High School Auditorium Popular music for the season. Big band music for all ages. Sponsored by the Town of Bel Air. 410.638.4550

Gardening Fun
May 7, 2013 10:30pm 11:15am Ladew Topiary Gardens, 3535 Jarrettsville Pike, Monkton. 10:30-11:15am or 12:30-1:15pm. Ages: 2-6 years with an adult. Members $5/child, Non-members $10/child. One accompanying adult per child is free.

Smile With Style


May 9, 2013 5:00pm 8:30pm Rockfield Manor, 501 Churchville Road, Bel Air. 5-8:30pm. $35. The ultimate "Ladies Night Out" features food from The Harp Restaurant, upstairs Spa area from Hair Design LLC, shopping, caricatures, Shutter Booth, and live music. Come walk the pink carpet on the arm of a handsome gentleman, receive a complimentary glass of pink champagne and escape from reality with your girlfriends for the evening! Everything included (except shopping) for the price of the ticket! Makes a wonderful Mother's Day gift for yourself or a dear friend. Last year's event sold out! 410.272.2229 susanwelcomeoneshelter@gmail.com www.welcomeoneshelt

Lunchtime Concert
May 10, 2013 Noon 1:00pm Office Street near the Courthouse. 12 Noon-1pm. Lunchtime concert with food vendors available and tables and chairs provided. Sponsored by the Town of Bel Air. FREE Admission.

Mothers Day Cruise


May 12, 2013 3:00pm 5:00pm Chesapeake Heritage Conservancy, 121 N. Union Avenue, Havre de Grace, 3-5pm. Treat Mom to a relaxing Mother's Day! 410.939.4078 www.skipjackmarthalewis.org

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Hereditary Fair
May 18, 2013 1:00pm 4:00pm The Historical Society of Harford County, Inc., 143 North Main Street, Bel Air. FREE. Have you ever wondered what all those different organizations like the DAR and SAR are all about? What do they do, how do you join? The following organizations have indicated that their personnel will staff tables to provide visitors with handouts and information, and answer questions: Daughters of American Colonists (DAC); Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR); Sons of the American Revolution (SAR); Children of the American Revolution (CAR); The Hereditary Order of the Signers of the Bush Declaration; General Society of the War of 1812; Colonial Dames of America; The Historical Society of Harford County [the host location]; The Harford County Genealogical Society [the host organization]. HaCoGenSoc@verizon.net www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdhcgs/

Memorial Day Ceremony


May 27, 2013 Call for Time Lee Way and Hickory Avenue. FREE. Ceremony honoring American Vets. Free. Sponsored by Town of Bel Air and American Legion Harford Post #39. 410.303.8138

2 0 1 3 H O L I D AY / C L O S I N G S C H E D U L E
HOLIDAY/DATE CLOSED Memorial Day Monday, May 27, 2013 HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT CLOSED HARFORD WASTE DISPOSAL CENTER CLOSED HARFORD TRANSIT BUSES NO SERVICE

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Abingdon Community Council (No May Meeting)

Next Meeting
June 24, 2013 at the Abingdon Public Library 6:30pm 7:30pm 2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD

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

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