The following letter was sent by Roy Whiteley, president of Marylanders for Fair Property Taxation:
Hello Folks. Got your new property tax assessment notice? Happy with it?
If not, read on.
December 29, 2009
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE — STATEWIDE
Today the State mailed out new property assessment notices to 673,221 property owners while the Sunpapers screamed that home assessments fall an average of 19.7%?? That’s good news for one third of the over 2 million property owner/taxpayers. BUT what about the other two thirds of us???? Didn’t our property values decline the same as theirs???? And wasn’t it more than 19.7%???? We deserve the same reductions now??
You can do something about this inequity. Appeal your assessment now?? Go to www.dat.state.md.us and download the “Petition for Review of Real Property”. Hand deliver it tomorrow if possible. If not, the assessment offices will be closed on the deadline date December 31 for a State furlough ...Continue Reading
From the Maryland Department of Natural Resources:
WHITE MARSH, MD (December 29, 2009) – The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged Raymond Louis Biensach Jr., 38, of Essex, Md. on December 23, with hunting without a license in possession, hunting without written permission, and possession of a deer during closed season. In addition, Cody Lee Blakely, 19, of Street, Md. was charged with hunting without written permission, and possession of a deer during closed season.
The two were apprehended after NRP officers responded to Loreley Beach Road for a poaching complaint. The officers stopped the both men after observing them attempting to leave the area in possession of a deer while carrying shotguns, which are prohibited for deer hunting this time of year.
While hunting, a person must possess a hunting license with certain exceptions. They must also possess written permission from the landowner while hunting on private lands and harvest deer ...Continue Reading
(Harford County, MD – December 24, 2009) The Harford County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy held commencement exercises Wednesday, December 9, 2009 for the recruits of Entrance Level Class 27. The class, comprised of fifteen Harford County deputies, and one officer from the Bel Air Police Department, graduated after a rigorous program of intensive law enforcement and criminal justice training that began in June 2009. As part of their required training and certification, police recruits received extensive firearms training, Deputy Mark Jordan received the Firearms Proficiency Award for the class. Deputy Brett Smoot was named class valedictorian for his best overall scores. Deputy Tyler Vass was selected by his peers to place the ceremonial class flag onto the “guide on”, an honor bestowed on him by his fellow classmates.
Lieutenant Carl Brooks, Director of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy ...Continue Reading
The year 2009 opened on a sad note in Harford County with residents still mourning the death of prominent, longtime school superintendent Jacqueline Haas. Before the year was over, Harford County would lose two other wellknown female leaders – former delegate Joanne Parrott and Harford County Councilwoman Veronica Chenowith.
It was also a year of contradiction. Even as President-Elect Barack Obama slowed his inaugural train ride through Edgewood in January to wave and thank a thousand or so supporters, there were a thousand or so more Harford County residents who fought tooth-and-nail in September to prevent President Obama’s live address to be shown to their children during the school day.
Bel Air High School was demolished and Fallston Library was spared from closure. Art Helton survived another political scandal in Aberdeen while Harford County’s delegation to the Maryland General Assembly played a furious and humiliating game of musical chairs in Annapolis.
In 2010 the Edgewood Community Council will place a laser-like focus on two major areas- (Political and Economic Development) that play significant roles in improving our quality of life.
We will continue to address those social issues that affect our quality of life. But we can ill-afford to sit on the sidelines and complain about where we find ourselves, when WE possess the means to affect positive change.
The ECC will work with our local and state government representatives as well as such agencies as the Harford County Small and Disadvantaged Business Center to educate and engage our community about the potential that we already possess. At each of our meetings time will be set aside to discuss how to proceed in each of these areas.
The Edgewood Community has recently shown that when we work collectively (as we did in the the Prologics project), for the ...Continue Reading
(Harford County, MD – December 24, 2009) Harford County Sheriff L. Jesse Bane and Warden Elwood Dehaven are pleased to announce the 18th graduating class of Entrance Level Correctional Officers. The ceremony held on Thursday, November 12th and honored four graduates: Kevin Kegley, Sarah S. Phillips, Schultz Jr., Andrew M. Van Helten. Sarah S. Phillips was named class valedictorian. Kevin Kegley was selected by his peers to place the ceremonial class flag onto the “guide on”, an honor bestowed on him by his fellow classmates.
Lieutenant Carl Brooks, Director of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy welcomed over 100 families, friends and dignitaries to the event held at Harford County Circuit Court. The National Anthem was sung by Kenneth Tipton. The Posting and Retiring of Colors was skillfully performed by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Color ...Continue Reading
(Bel Air, MD – December 23, 2009) – - Harford County Executive David R. Craig will host a hearing on the FY 11 budget on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. The budget hearing is open to the public and will be held at the C. Milton Wright High School near Bel Air. The session will commence at 6:00 p.m. in the school auditorium.
“The purpose of this public budget hearing is to hear from the people of Harford County as to what is important for them and what they would like to see funded,” County Executive Craig stated.
Joining the County Executive for the hearing will be members of his cabinet and county budget officials.
The FY 11 fiscal budget will be prepared between January and late March of 2010. It will be presented to the Harford County Council by April 1. The County Council reviews the proposed budget forwarded to ...Continue Reading
(Bel Air, MD) – - Jericho Road at the bridge over the Little Gunpowder Falls has been re-opened to traffic, following repairs to the bridge.
The bridge will be closed to traffic again in 2010 when workers install timber parts in the bridge that are currently being fabricated.
For further information regarding the work and repairs made to the Jericho Road Bridge, contact Keith Duerling of the Baltimore County Department of Public Works at 410-887-3774.
If you’re like me, then you know reality is very tedious. It’s tireless, inescapable, humdrum and repetitive. It gives a cynical edge to the many thoughts I have. As a result, I have to make all of those thoughts funny. I’m a comedian. That’s kind of my job. However, I tend to have a change of mood when Christmastime rolls around every year. Even to a cynical comedian such as myself, I recognize that the month of December is different from the other months in a good way. I guess it has something to do with the fact that working in the evenings gives me the freedom to do my Christmas shopping in the mornings and early afternoons when everybody else is at work. The only people with whom I compete over parking spaces and the race to the checkout counter are the elderly, stay-at-home mothers and small ...Continue Reading
From the Maryland Department of Natural Resources:
HARFORD COUNTY, Md. (December 22, 2009) — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Waterway Improvement Fund has provided state funding to Harford County to dredge areas in the Bush River and Otter Point Creek. The project will provide access for hundreds of recreational boaters to two popular boat ramps and a marina.
“This is a long awaited project for local boaters and will greatly enhance access to these popular waterways,” said DNR Boating Services Director Bob Gaudette.
An estimated 20,000 cubic yards of dredge material will be removed from several channels and spurs. A dredged material placement (DMP) site in Perryman has been constructed to receive the materials. The total cost of the project, including the DMP site, will be approximately $2.2 million.
Dredging of the main channels is expected to be completed by December 31. Dredging of the spurs and marina basin should be ...Continue Reading
