Bel Air Coffee Talk 10/30: MTA Cutbacks, Concerts, Tudor Hall Tours

Oct 30, 2008
Capt’n Jim’s Coffee Talk©

NEWS
THE MTA IS PROPOSING CUT BACKS IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FROM HARFORD/CECIL COUNTY TO BALTIMORE.
Public Hearings will be held on the following dates:
Monday Nov 17, 2008 Tuesday November 25 Tuesday November 25
6 to 8:30 PM 6:30 to 8:30 PM 6 to 8:30 PM

In Bel Air at: In Edgewood at: In Perryville at:
John Carroll H.S. Edgewood Rec. Center Perryville H.S.
The Brown Room Multipurpose Room 2nd Floor Media Ctr.
703 E. Churchville Rd. 1980 Brookside Dr. 1696 Perryville Rd.
Bel Air, MD. Edgewood, MD. Perryville, MD.

Nov 1 - Special benefit concert featuring the North Harford High School Choir. Tickets are $30 and proceeds will benefit “Pennies for Peace” - concert begins at 7:30 pm.

Nov 2 - Tour Tudor Hall, the home of John Wilkes Booth. Reservations required - call 443-243-7571. Suggested donation is $3.00. (Tours at 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM)

Nov 6, 7, 8 - The Patterson Mill Drama Club will present “The Crucible” at 7:00 pm. in the school auditorium. Tickets are $10.00 adults, $7.00 for students, and $5.00 for seniors.

Nov 9 - A Taste of Excellence benefiting Harford Friends School – Bel Air Armory 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. Visit www.harfordfriends.org

Nov 13 – Movie Premier of “Under Our Skin” - A two hour feature film about Lyme disease presented by the Harford County Lyme Disease Support Group Inc. Admission is free & refreshments will be served. Highland Presbyterian Church in the Fellowship Hal, 701 Highland Rd., in Street. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Nov 16 – Tour Tudor Hall, the home of John Wilkes Booth. Reservations required -call 443 243 7571. Suggested donation is $3.00 (Tours at 1:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM)

Nov 28 – 30 - The Festival of Trees to benefit the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance will hold their Christmas Tree Event at the Bel Air Armory. November 28 is the Preview Party by reservation only. Saturday is open to the public from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.; Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission on Saturday and Sunday is $5.00 for ages 12 & up.

Dec - 5 & 6, Dec - 12 & 13 - THE BEL AIR CHRISTMAS THEATRE returns. The region’s most talented young actors will present the musical adaptation of “Miracle on 34th Street”, a musical by Meredith Wilson. Tickets prices $14 (18 and under), $16 seniors, & $20 adults. Tickets include dessert and coffee. Pre-show dinners are being offered by area restaurants. For more information and reservations, call 410-838-2177.

Dec 6 – Eagle Watch - Dr. Dennis Kirkwood will lead a workshop on eagles at Fisherman’s Park at the Conowingo Dam from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Sponsored by Exelon Power Co.

One last Hurrah! Saturday April 25, 2009. Dinner catered by Outback Steak with dining in the cafeteria. Go to www.saygoodbyetobelairhigh.com. The Bel Air High School building, as we knew, it will be demolished June 2009. Tickets are limited due to the space available. First Pay…First Play! For more information, you may call 410-342-8891.

Participants wanted for Bel Air’s Christmas Parade on December 7, 2008. Deadline for signing up is November 3, 2008. Email for details. ssaunders@belairmd.org

Voters in Precinct 3-16 – NOTICE: Your polling location has been changed from Wakefield Elementary School to Ring Factory Elementary School due to construction.

That’s it for today……………….Captain Jim
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK MY WEB SITE WWW.thecaptaincares.com
Citizens for Captain Jim - Authority William Kelly, Treasurer
Copy write 2007 2008

Armchair Coach: Terps Control Their Own Destiny With Big Wins

I have a lot to cover since I have taken the last couple weeks off. First the Terps have been able to secure two very big wins coming off an embarrassing loss to UVA. The win two weeks ago over Wake Forest was impressive because the Terps played a complete game.

Their Offense was able to put points on the board and their Defense managed to shut out Wake Forest, who has given them a lot of problems in recent years. To be fair to Wake Forest, their Offense did put them in position to score a couple of times; but with their All-American kicker Sam Swank out of the game they had trouble cashing in on field goal attempts. This win allowed the Terps to stay in control of their own destiny.

The win over N.C. State was impressive because it proved the Terps could beat inferior opponents. N.C. State came into the game without an ACC win but had played many teams very close and were a dangerous opponent. The weather conditions in this game were incredible. I don’t think I have ever seen so much water fall from the sky during a sporting event. The weather made it the perfect game for Da’rel Scott to return to form after his shoulder injury. Scott carried the Terps to victory with 163 yards rushing. That was almost not enough. When Scott went down at the beginning of the last drive and re-injured his shoulder, the crowd became very nervous. Freshman Davin Meggett stepped into the role with a couple big runs and one huge catch on a screen pass.

The truth is that this game never should have been this close. The officiating in this game may have been the worst I have ever seen in key moments. First the Wolfpack muffed a punt and fell on it at the goal line. The ball appeared to cross the goal line before the Wolfpack player gained possession. The crowd started to chant for a replay and then the officials announced that there had been a personal foul on the play and that Maryland would get a first down. A flag was never thrown on the play and they never said what the personal foul was. Then on the ensuing possession Da’Rel Scott scored on a TD run, but there was a holding call. My complaint is not with the call, because there was a hold, but with the fact that the flag was not thrown until the entire team was in the end zone celebrating. Then on the game winning drive the Terps were called for two more holding calls. In football you can probably call a holding on every play if you want to, but the officials in this game had only called one in the first three quarters. I believe that as an official you cannot change the way you are calling a game in the fourth quarter. Then the final blown call was on a Heyward Bey touchdown. Heyward Bey appeared to come down with the ball in the endzone and was lying on his back with the ball when the defender knocked it out. The pass was ruled incomplete by the official on the field and then replayed and still called incomplete. I can assume that the reason it was ruled incomplete is that they don’t think that Heyward Bey maintained possession through the catch. In the end zone, all the WR needs to do is touch the ground with possession of the ball. That looked like it was clearly the case, as the ball sat on his stomach. Luckily the Terps were able to score anyway and move on with the win.

Now the Terps are still in control of the rest of their season, but they have a very tough road. Next up is a huge game at Virginia Tech next Thursday. The Terps have been embarrassed the last few times out against VaTech and playing in that stadium might be the toughest place to play in the country. The good news for the Terps is that Tech may be playing with out their top two quarterbacks. Both Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon left the game against FSU with injuries. Tyrod Taylor is the biggest threat for the Terps because he is a mobile quarterback much like N.C. State’s Russell Wilson, who gave the Terps a lot of trouble.

I am not going to go into much depth with the NFL this week. I just wanted to hit a couple of key things.

First if Joe Flacco could have kept his legs under him he would have caught, passed, and ran for a TD in the same game. He just was running too fast for his feet. Still, he played a great game and gave Raven’s fans something to look forward to.

Second, the Steelers finally found an injury that they could not overcome. The Steelers managed to start 5-1 despite the fact that they have lost a punter, an O-lineman, and a 1st round draft pick running back for the season. They have also lost a DE, a corner, a DT, another O-lineman and a star RB for multiple games. The Steelers overcame all of those things to keep winning. The one injury they couldn’t overcome was to their long snapper. Because of the injury the Steelers chose not to attempt a 49-yard field goal that would have put them up 17-9. Then, later in the 4th quarter Pro-bowl linebacker James Harrison airmailed a long snap over the punters head for a game-tying safety. The Giants scored on the following possession to win the game with a short field. Football is a complete game, and the coaches don’t lie when they say every man counts.

Finally we are getting to the part of the season where those severely underachieving teams such as the Chargers and Colts are in real trouble. The Chargers still have a chance because they are only one win behind the Broncos and they have another game against the Broncos. The Colts, on the other hand, might be done. They are 4 wins behind the Titans with only 9 games to go. The Colts are also in a three-way tie for last place in their division. Peyton Manning must get on a very hot streak right now or the Colts are done.

I personally can’t wait to see how the rest of this crazy season works out.

Ehrlich/Hanley: Vote Harris For Congress. Hiob: Vote Kratovil

With just a few days left until the election, the endorsements are coming in for the 1st District Congressional race between Andy Harris and Frank Kratovil.

The first letter of endorsement is from former-governor Bob Ehrlich, whose name now graces many of Harris’ campaign signs: Continue reading Ehrlich/Hanley: Vote Harris For Congress. Hiob: Vote Kratovil

County Executive Craig Manages Revenue Shortfall With Dramatic Budget Cuts

(Bel Air, MD – October 29, 2008) - - In a dramatic move today, Harford County Executive David R. Craig announced reductions in the FY 09 budget for all county departments and independent agencies of the county. The budget reductions were made necessary due to a projected shortfall in the income tax, recordation taxes and transfer fees the county will receive.

“Today we are taking steps to insure county government lives within its means,” stated County Executive Craig. “Difficult fiscal times call for tough decisions, and we have acted responsibly to reduce spending in government in an effort to maintain a balanced budget,” Craig remarked. Continue reading County Executive Craig Manages Revenue Shortfall With Dramatic Budget Cuts

HCSO Seeks Missing Person David Joseph Lombardo, Last Seen In Edgewood

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating critical missing person - David Joseph Lombardo.

Last seen in the Edgewood area on October 27, 2008, family members believe he may be heading out west (possibly California). Lombardo is identified as suicidal and may be operating a 1999 dark green Buick Park Avenue – MD tag 1CJW12.

If you see this person, immediately contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office at 410-838-6600. If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of this missing person, contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigative Division at 410-836-5442.

High School Assessment Score Data For Harford County Public Schools

School Name	Number meeting requirements	Class of 2009	Percent meeting requirements
Aberdeen High	263	313	84.0%
Bel Air High	378	385	98.2%
C. Milton Wright High	389	404	96.3%
Center for Educational Opportunity - Alternative C	18	30	60.0%
Edgewood High	179	207	86.5%
Fallston High	380	394	96.4%
Harford Technical High	239	250	95.6%
Havre de Grace High	143	160	89.4%
Joppatowne High	174	200	87.0%
North Harford High	306	316	96.8%

Thoughts?

America’s top 10 Healthiest Grocery Stores

According to Health.com America’s top 10 Healthiest Grocery Stores are…

1. Whole Foods – 279 stores in 38 states and Washington, D.C.
2. Safeway – 1,700-plus stores nationwide
3. Harris Teeter – 176 stores in the Southeast
4. Trader Joe’s – 300-plus stores in 23 states and Washington, D.C.
5. Hannaford – 165-plus stores in the Northeast
6. Albertsons – 529 stores in the West
7. Food Lion – 1,300 stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic
8. Publix Super Markets – 952 stores in the Southeast
9. Pathmark – 141 stores in the Mid-Atlantic
10. SuperTarget – 239 stores in 21 states, primarily Texas and Florida

I would have definitely picked Whole Foods to be in the top 5 but the more traditional, affordable grocers that are so close to our neighborhoods surprised me. The six prominent health experts picked the winners out of the nations largest chains based on the freshest and healthiest foods, and which ones offer the best tools to help shoppers make smart at are leading the way to healthier food shopping choices.

I am very shocked that Ralph’s Grocers is not on there. They are in the West and remind me of Wegman’s.

Just In Time For Halloween: Saw V Delivers A Luke Warm Movie Experience

It’s Halloween time and you all know what that means? Yes, another installment of the Saw franchise hits the big screen. What are we on, number five now? Wow, how time flies and Hollywood exploits the crap out of anything mildly successful.

Anyway, as a huge fan of the first Saw movie and a somewhere in the middle fan of two thru four, of course I had to go to the theater and see Saw V. And I will say right off the bat, anyone who has never seen a Saw movie, do not see this. A lot will not make sense. If you have seen all of them thus far and want to see this one, save your $10 until it comes out on DVD. Big time fans should not panic just yet, the movie was fine. I just recommend not spending the money because it’s something that is probably only good enough for a rental.
Continue reading Just In Time For Halloween: Saw V Delivers A Luke Warm Movie Experience

Tell State Leaders About Smart Growth Tuesday Night in Aberdeen

MDP and MD’s Growth Task Force Host Public Listening Session in Aberdeen

Citizens Share Ideas and Concerns on Growth and Development

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland are hosting a public forum in Aberdeen, Maryland for residents to share their thoughts and ideas on future growth in the state.

This Smart Growth Listening Session, planned for Tuesday, October 28th, will take place in the Aberdeen High School Auditorium and is open to all citizens. The Listening Session will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. to accommodate diverse public input on a variety of growth-related topics including, smart sustainable growth; growth and a healthy environment; regional development; historic preservation; transportation and growth; and growth and schools.

Moderated by a community leader, this session is designed like a town hall meeting with open discussion on these important matters.

“Protecting our forests and agricultural land and ensuring our existing communities remain places where our citizens want to live, work, and play is a worthy and achievable goal of all stakeholders statewide,” said MDP Secretary Richard E. Hall, AICP. His agency and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland are exploring a wide range of smart growth and land use issues affecting the state.

Task Force Chair and partner at Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP Jon M. Laria said, “These sessions will facilitate understanding citizen and community leaders’ priorities and ideas. The Task Force recognizes a broad audience for the public discussion on future growth. Wemust know how those affected by development feel and consider their recommended solutions.”

Aberdeen High School is located at 251 Paradise Road in Aberdeen, Maryland. For information on Listening Session, visit www.mdp.state.md.us/listeningsessions.htm.

The Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland was formed under House Bill 773 signed into law during the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly. Its 21 members are charged with studying a wide range of growth and land use issues affecting Maryland. Public input will help guide the Task Force’s work.

MDP promotes growth that fosters vibrant, livable communities, preserves and protects the environment, safeguards historical and cultural resources and makes efficient use of State resources. The department also provides data, trend analysis, research assistance, and policy development and implementation support for local governments, communities, businesses, and organizations.

Fighting Owls Women’s Tennis Brings Home NJCAA Region XX Championship, Courtney Brewer Named MVP

10/27/08 From HCC Sports Desk…

HAGERSTOWN, Md.­­­­—The Harford women’s tennis team, in its first year competing as an NJCAA Division I program, claimed the NJCAA Region XX Women’s Tennis championship title last weekend at Hagerstown Community College. After finishing in third place at last year’s region tournament, and the Division III champs, the Fighting Owls claimed the overall title this year by outdistancing host Hagerstown by just three points and claimed six of the nine overall titles.

Harford amassed a total of 14 points to the Hawks’ 11, while Cecil added two points to take third place and Montgomery College-Rockville rounded out the four-team tournament with zero points. With the D-I title, the Owls also earn an automatic bid to the NJCAA Division I National Championship from May 2-7, 2009 at the Randolph Tennis Center in Tucson, Ariz., where they will look to improve on their 10th place finish in the Division III tournament in 2008.

Head coach George Budelis, who claimed his fourth Region XX title, and first title as a D-I team, named freshman Courtney Brewer (Street, Md./North Harford) the MVP of the tournament for Harford after she claimed victories as part of the No. 2 doubles team and at No. 3 singles.

Brewer teamed with freshman Agnes Burke (Havre de Grace, Md./Havre de Grace) to win the No. 2 doubles crown, as they defeated Rockville’s Makale Nyabhele and Calvine Tiengwe, 6-2, 6-3 in the first round, and handed Hagerstown’s Carrie Martin and Gina Garbaya a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 decision in the final.

In the No. 3 singles slot, Brewer handily defeated Cecil’s Rachel Jackson, 6-1, 6-3, setting up a finals matchup against Hagerstown’s Carrie Martin. Martin had been victorious in the three regular season meetings between the two athletes, but this time Brewer came out the victor, beating Martin in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5 to claim the No. 3 singles title.

Brewer’s doubles teammate also fared well in the singles draw as Burke earned a bye into the final and defeated Hagerstown’s Lindsay Hathaway without dropping a game, 6-0, 6-0 to claim the No. 6 singles crown.

The only other Harford competitor to notch two titles on the weekend was freshman Kate Tiburzi (Fallston, Md./Fallston) who teamed with sophomore Julie Strong (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright) to win No. 3 doubles as well as No. 5 singles.

Tiburzi and Strong advanced straight to the final thanks to a bye, where they defeated Hagerstown’s Hathaway and Carly Jones, 6-3, 6-3. Tiburzi also earned a bye into the finals of the singles draw, and handed Jones a 6-1, 6-2 decision to take the No. 5 singles championship.

Freshman Kelsey Strine (Abingdon, Md./Edgewood) was the only other winner for the Owls, as she handed Rockville’s Tiengwe a 6-1, 6-0 decision in the first round and defeated Hagerstown’s Garbaya, 6-4, 6-4 in the finals of the No. 4 singles draw.

Harford’s No. 1 doubles team of freshman Ashley Sherinsky (Fallston, Md./Fallston) and sophomore Katrina Tiedeman (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford) easily dispatched their first round opponent, Rockville’s Sophia Pikalova and Jennifer Gregory, 6-0, 6-0, but faltered against Hagerstown’s Mia and Tessa Doyle in the finals.

After dropping the first set, 6-3, to Hagerstown, Harford built a 6-4 advantage in the second set tiebreaker, but squandered two set points and dropped four points in a row as Hagerstown earned the 8-6 tiebreak and 7-6 set and match win. The defeat marked the first time that the No. 1 team of Sherinsky and Tiedeman lost to a conference opponent, either during dual match or tournament play. The duo also struggled in individual play, as Sherinsky fell to Hagerstown’s Tessa Doyle, 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 in the first round of No. 1 singles and Tiedeman defeated Cecil’s Rachel Meholic, 6-0, 6-1 in the first round of No. 2 singles, only to fall to Mia Doyle, 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 in the finals.

The 2008-09 Fighting Owls team completed its best season in the history of the school, finishing with an unblemished 10-0 record in addition to claiming the Wilson/ITA Northeast Regional Championship and Region XX Championship titles and will look to make a splash at the extremely competitive NJCAA Division I National Championship in May.

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