Abingdon Community Council eNews

Volume I Issue #26 November, 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 A bingdon. 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, November 25, 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.) ************************************************************************************

Abingdons Treasures: The MA & PA Heritage Trail

(Editors Comment: The Ma & Pa Heritage Trail technically is not within the Abingdon zip code, 21009. Nevertheless, the results of an unscientific survey yielded, it is clearly a favorite destination of numerous Abingdon residents.)

The Ma and Pa Trail is a 6.25-mile (10.1 km) multi-purpose rail trail that follows the path of the old Ma and Pa Railroad through Harford County, Maryland. It contains three linked trails, one unconnected, with plans to bridge the gap in the middle, bringing the total length to 10 miles (16 km). Both links of the trail are paved, have few steep hills or hazards, and contain overlooks and bridges when necessary. The Bel Air Trail is a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) trail that runs from Williams Street in downtown to the Equestrian Center on the other side of the bypass. It passes underneath of the Maryland Route 24 (MD 24) highway, the U.S. Route 1 (US 1) bypass, and crosses Tollgate Road, where it meets the Fallston Trail. Spurs off of it connect to the Harford Mall and Liriodendron mansion, and branches out to a dog park at the end. It serves as a shortcut across town, rather than walking along highways, and contains several bridges across branches of the creek while cutting through the forested Heavenly Waters Park. Bathrooms and parking are available at each end of the trail. Horses and dogs are permitted on the Bel Air link of the path. The Fallston Link is a 2-mile (3.2 km) segment dedicated on June 7, 2008, that runs from the Equestrian Center to the Edgeley Grove Farm area of Fallston. The Forest Hill Trail is a third, 1.75-mile (2.8 km) link of the trail running from the duck pond at Friends Park to Melrose Lane. A tunnel is located at MD 23, but passes over a development street on the north end. Bathrooms and parking are located at each end. Dogs are allowed on the Forest Hill link, but horses are not. As of late 2006, planning has been underway to link the two routes into one continuous trail. At the time of the original constructions, a tunnel was built underneath of US 1 in preparation, but it is unconnected to any path system. Construction for an extension from Bel Air to the Edgeley Grove area in Fallston is planned, and a 4.1-mile (6.6 km) northern link at Dooley Road, near the state line in Cardiff is under study.
(Source: The Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Some changes were made. ***********************************************************

Come Join Us - Lets Get The Trail Connected!

The MA & PA Heritage Trail, Inc. is holding a hike along the proposed route that would connect the two segments of the trail from Forest Hill to Bel Air. Although the trail route is designated in its entirety in the County Master Plan, one last landowner still refuses to negotiate the rights for the trail to pass through their property. The walk will be held on Saturday, November 2 at 2:00 pm followed by a rally and live music, featuring local musicians Kurt Sudbrink and Brian Wood. The public is invited to participate and meet at the Williams St. trailhead, where a shuttle will take them to the starting point, at the Melrose Road trailhead off of Bynum Road in Forest Hill. Walkers will head back to Williams St., traversing a route that will approximate where the trail will eventually be constructed, according to the countys Master Plan, using secured public right-of way. For additional information, see www.mapatrail.org
(Source: The belairpactch.com. Some changes were made. ***********************************************

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Daylight Saving Time 2013 Ends November 3rd

Daylight saving time ends for 2013 overnight between Saturday and Sunday, meaning that before you go to bed Saturday, make sure to turn the clocks in your house back one hour. The concept of daylight saving time emerged in the late 1800s and was first implemented in parts of Europe during World War I. DST came to the United States in 1918, according to National Geographic, and was made mandatory nationwide during World War II. After the end of the war, the government made daylight saving time optional for each state again. To this date, neither Arizona nor Hawaii set their clocks forward or back. The practice of daylight saving time was extended by a month in 2007, thanks to the Energy Policy Act. According to National Geographic, the debate over whether or not setting clocks forward during the spring and summer months actually saves energy, has long been one of the many modern reasons to keep it around.
(Source: Google/Internet. Some changes were made.) *******************************************

Crossing Guards Headed To Roundabouts Near Emmorton Elementary School

Elementary County Sheriff's Office addresses public safety concerns at Bel Air South area school

Students should soon have added protection as they walk to Emmorton Elementary School in the Bel Air South area, as three new crossing guards are being hired to direct traffic near Tollgate Road, said Capt. Jon Kras s of the Harford County Sheriff's Office. "The new crossing guards are in the hiring process," Krass said during Monday night's monthly meeting of the Abingdon Community Council, held at the Abingdon Library. "The Sheriff's Office has been providing officers to help with crossing issues," Krass said. "We have been making sure the roundabouts at Montrose Way and Tollgate Road are manned daily. "The new hires come after parents raised concerns about the safety of their children, as more students are walking to Emmorton Elementary this year following changes to school busing policies made over the summer. Cuts to the Harford County school budget request led to a decrease in school buses allotted to pick up students in the area. At a school board meeting on Oct. 14, parents complained about their children crossing the "extra-wide roundabout" at Montrose Way and Tollgate Road. Issues were also raised about driving behavior of parents who are now driving their kids to school in the morning. According to some concerned residents, parents driving their children to school have been exceeding the speed limit and hitting U-turns in the street after dropping them off. But Krass said Monday that on average, most drivers near Emmorton Elementary are obeying the speed limit. He said a study was recently completed in the area to measure the average speed of drivers. "We aren't seeing a speed issue on Tollgate Road," Krass said. "It's the volume of cars. The roundabout slows people down and people are going the speed limit." The speed limit near the elementary school is 35 mph. Krass said the Sheriff's Office is looking into changing the speed limit to 25 mph to ensure drivers are looking out for the student's safety.
(Source: exploreharford.com Aegis Staff Report, by Krishana Davis, Kdavis@Baltsun.Com. Some changes were made.) ***********************************************************************************************

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Dates to Ponder:
Harford County Public Schools Teacher Staff Development School closed for Students
November 1, 2013

Christmas in the Woods

November 1, 2013 10:00am 5:00pm Rockfield Manor, 501 Churchville Road, Bel Air, MD. Handicrafts, collectibles, antique furniture, decorations, gifts, childrens accessories and toys, specialty foods and much more for the holidays! - See more at: http://www.christmasinthewoods.com

Daylight Savings Ends. Turn your clocks BACK one hour.

November 2, 2013

Walk-In Computer Instruction at the Abingdon Public Library

November 6, 13, 16, 20, and 27, 2013 2:00pm 4:00pm Learn basic computer skills and web search techniques. For: All ages Registration is not required. For more information, call 410-638-3990.

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale

November 7-10, 2013 5:00pm 7:30pm Bel Air Public Library, 200 E. Pennsylvania Avenue. Thursday is Members Night, 5:00pm-7:30pm. Friday and Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm. Sunday is $5/Bag Day, 1:00-4:00pm. Books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Sponsored by Friends of the Bel Air Library. 410.638.3151

Veterans Day County Holiday

November 11, 2013 Harford County Government offices will be closed. Harford Transit buses will NOT be available.

Veterans Day Observances

November 11, 2013 11:00am-12:00pm Tydings Park, Commerce Street, Havre de Grace. FREE. Join members of the American Legion in recognition of our
veterans. www.hdgtourism.com

Community Input Meeting (More Traffic in Abingdon!)

November 14, 2013 6:00pm-8:00pm Ramada Conference Center 1700 Van Bibber Road, Edgewood, MD 21040. Create an outparcel to the existing Target @ Constant Friendship Business Park. See attached file 11/14/2013 for additional information.

Harford County Public Schools Elementary Teachers Planning time Elementary students dismissed 3 hours early.
November 15, 2013

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Quarter Auction for Kurt Chenowith Foundation

November 17, 2013 6:00pm-Till Bel Air Moose Lodge, 310 E Jarrettsville Rd, Forest Hill. Doors open at 6:00pm. Quarter Auction begins at 7:00pm. $3/paddle or 2 for $5. Bring a canned good donation and your 2nd paddle is free. Food will be available for purchase. Kurt was a Baltimore County Firefighter, but grew up and attended school in Harford County. He also began his firefighting career volunteering for Fallston Fire Company. For all the ways that Kurt gave to the community, as a fire fighter, a family member, and a friend; the foundation is looking to continue Kurt's good deeds and continue to give to the community by providing scholarships and playground equipment to children in the Harford & Baltimore County areas. Prizes from ThirtyOne, Scentsy, Tupperware, Vera Bradley, Under Armour, Gift Cards, Unlimited Art By Shawn Forton, Oragami Owl, Longaberger and Cookie Lee, just to name a few. Vendor list is subject to change. For more information on the Kurt Chenowith Foundation visit his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KMCMemorialFoundation.

Community Input Meeting (More Traffic in Abingdon)

November 21, 2013 6:30pm-7:30pm Abingdon Public Library. Riverwoods at Tollgate A concept site for a multi-use project in the Constant Friendship Business Park. This project will consist of the following: Climate Control Storage Facility, 72 unit Housing for the Elderly mid-rise building, 84 unit Garden Apartments and 4000 sq.ft. Community Building. See attached file 11/21/2013 for additional information.

Abingdon Community Council Meeting

November 25, 2013 6:30pm-7:30pm Abingdon Public Library, 2510 Tollgate Road, Abingdon, MD 21009

Thanksgiving Holiday - Harford County Public Schools students dismissed 2 hours early!
November 27, 2013

County Holiday Thanksgiving Day

November 28, 2013 Harford County Government offices will be closed. Harford Transit buses will NOT be available.

Thanksgiving Holiday - Harford County Public Schools and Offices closed!

November 28-29, 2013

County Holiday Day after Thanksgiving

November 29, 2013 Harford County Government offices will be closed. Harford Transit buses will NOT be available.

Small Business Saturday

November 30, 2013 Celebrate and support the small businesses in your local community. Hours vary by store. Please go to www.downtownbelair.com for more information.

Breakfast with Santa

November 30, 2013 Applebees, Bel Air. 8:00am-10:00am. Benefits Chesapeake Cancer Alliance. Adults $8, children $5. 410.942 0743.
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Members:
Cynthia Hergenhahn, Chairperson C. David Copenhaver Carlin Cook Earl Grey Gregory A. Beaty Joan Hamilton Recording Secretary: Donna Copenhaver

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