Bel Air

Anti-abortion group sues Harford, Bel Air and police

The Alliance Defense Fund, a group founded 14 years ago with the stated mission of safeguarding Christian beliefs, has filed suit against Harford County, the town of Bel Air and seven local and state police officials in connection with an anti-abortion demonstration in the town last month. The suit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, claims that at least 12 police officers handcuffed 18 demonstrators Aug. 1 and would not tell them a reason for their arrests. Three young women were twice subjected to strip searches, the suit alleges, once at the Bel Air police station and again at the Harford County Detention Center. The women, who were not released until the next day, were denied permission to call relatives or contact attorneys, the suit says. The state dropped charges, which included loitering, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order, on Aug. 12. Town and county officials said yesterday that they had not seen the suit and would not comment on pending litigation. State police had no comment.

Bel Air chef is all fired up for grilling class

Scott Opdyke learned to fend for himself in the kitchen at an early age.

County schools open amid fanfare

The Harford County superintendent of schools, accompanied by the county executive and a state senator, made her annual bus ride with students to celebrate the opening of the school year.

Harford History

The Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad operated for 80 years, beginning in 1884. The little railroad ran from Baltimore to York twice daily. Stops in Harford County included Forest Hill, Highland, Bel Air and Fallston. With the lack of good roads, the Ma and Pa, as it was called, allowed local businesses and farms to prosper through the barter and sale of their products. The Ma and Pa marked the beginning of a period of prosperity for Harford County. As roads and automobiles improved, the railroad industry suffered. By 1954, the Maryland and Pennsylvania was running at a deficit. On Aug. 31, 1954, the train pulled out of the Bel Air station for the last time. By 1959, the organization ceased all train runs, the roadbed from Baltimore to Delta, Pa., was deserted and the rails were sold for scrap.

Health notes

The Crohn's and Colitis support group meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Our King Presbyterian Church, 10 Lexington Road, Bel Air.

Education Beat

The Cruise Letter is holding its annual Grand Slam Car Show to benefit the Harford Community College Scholarship Fund from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today on the Bel Air campus parking lot.

Religion Digest

Grace United Methodist Church will hold three services today at 110 W. Bel Air Ave., Aberdeen.

Raymond Dombrowski

Raymond J. Dombrowski, who taught music at Bel Air High School for more than 30 years and also was leader of the school's band and Bobcat Marching Band, died Monday of pancreatic cancer at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. He was 79.

Events sought for Bel Air's 2009 community calendar

The Bel Air Economic & Community Development Commission is accepting events for the town's 2009 Calendar of Events.

Religion Digest

Grace United Methodist Church will hold an informal service at 8:15 a.m., contemporary service at 9:30 a.m. and traditional worship at 11 a.m. today at 110 W. Bel Air Ave., Aberdeen.

Education Beat

Harford County Public Schools open their doors tomorrow for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Hearing set on county's revamped zoning code

The Harford County Council will hold at least one public hearing next month on a proposed zoning code rewrite, an 800-page document that represents the first comprehensive effort to revamp land use standards in more than 25 years.

Exploring the life of law enforcement

Miguel Martinez knows what to look for in dangerous situations.

ART NOTES

The Laurrapin Grille will host an evening of comedy with two touring stand-up comics at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at 209 N. Washington St., Havre de Grace.

Bel Air baton twirlers earn top awards

Individuals and teams from Applause of Bel Air Baton Twirling Corps recently earned several top awards at America's Youth on Parade Baton Twirling National Competition in South Bend, Ind.

Education Beat

ESL aid available for foreign-born adults

Religion Digest

Grace United Methodist Church will hold three services today at 110 W. Bel Air Ave., Aberdeen.

Where disabled kids learn what they can do

For nearly an hour each week, children who have disabilities and cannot easily communicate take delight in commanding a 1,100-pound horse to go, canter and stop.

Community in shock over Harford man's drug charges

For many, Bob Chance has been the face of ecology in Harford County.

RECREATION NOTES

The 2008 Cal Ripken World Series, part of the Babe Ruth Series, is being held through Saturday at the Ripken Baseball Complex in Aberdeen.

Art notes

The 44th Annual Havre de Grace Art Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Aug. 17 at Tydings Memorial Park.

Education Beat

Registration for Harford Community College's Fall 2008 credit courses is being held through Aug. 30 in the student center at 401 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air.

The RAACE is on to protect hurt children

Statistics are more than just numbers to Kenneth Smith.

Blue House faces growing need

Across the street from the Episcopal Church of Reconciliation on Lee Street in Bel Air sits an unassuming light-blue two-story house with a screened front porch.

Council rejects plan to sell county buildings

Harford County cannot auction off three small public buildings in downtown Bel Air even though it cannot use the vacant structures without costly upgrades, officials said.

Growth forum seeing red

Red, the color code for development, has proliferated on planning maps of Maryland since the 1970s. And if current trends continue, it will almost eliminate by 2030 the green spaces on maps of the state's central area and along the Chesapeake Bay, according to organizers of a forum on growth held in Bel Air.

Art techniques taught outside of the box

On a recent morning, several youngsters learned how to look at nature through a third eye.

Religion Digest

Grace United Methodist Church will hold an informal service at 8:15 a.m., a contemporary service at 9:30 a.m. and traditional worship at 11 a.m. today, each with Holy Communion, at 110 W. Bel Air Ave., Aberdeen.

Barbecue contest open to amateurs, professionals

The Bel Air Downtown Alliance will hold its seventh Maryland Barbecue Bash from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and noon to 10 p.m. Saturday in the Mary Risteau State Office Building parking lot.

Education Beat

Cecil College holds advisory session

Fair offers a taste of farm living

The Mahoney family moved from Bel Air to Denver 12 years ago, but they return every summer, timing their trip to coincide with the Harford County Farm Fair.

Boyfriend held in woman's death

The boyfriend of an Aberdeen woman who was found dead Wednesday afternoon in a sleeping bag on the side of a rural Harford County road was arrested and charged with murder yesterday, state police said.

Public meeting about road changes

The Harford County Department of Public Works, Division of Highways and Water Resources, will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 7 to discuss proposed modifications to Harford Creamery Road. The meeting will be held in the Harford County Council chambers, 212 S. Bond St., Bel Air.

RECREATION NOTES

Harford County Public Library is presenting a summer program, "Magic & Wit & Bugs," with magician Mike Rose, who displays his mind-reading skills and sleight-of-hand routines.

Religion Digest

The Evangelical Methodist Church of Dublin will hold a series of old-fashioned tent meetings at 7 p.m. today through Friday on the Harford Christian School soccer field near Routes 136 and 440.

Education Beat

The Harford County Commission on Disabilities is seeking a high school student with a disability who is interested in serving as the commission's student representative for the 2008-2009 school year.

BUSINESS NOTES

United Way of Central Maryland has honored George T. Heidelmaier Jr. with the Bernard Cook Meritorious Leadership Award for his work on the United Way of Central Maryland Community Partnership of Harford County.

A 4-H member's last stand

Mike Amoss has spent more than half his 19 years in 4-H. According to the 4-H charter, he will be too old for the club after this year. But he won't leave without showing one more pair of steers at the 21st annual Harford County Farm Fair, which opens Thursday at the Equestrian Center in Bel Air.

CCBC awarded $2.6 million grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded the Community College of Baltimore County a three-year, $2.6 million grant to continue operation of the Technology and Innovation in Manufacturing and Engineering Center.

Growth, land-use forums set

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is co-sponsoring two forums on growth and land-use issues in Frederick and Harford counties next week.

County buildings may be sold

Harford County officials hope to auction three small public buildings in downtown Bel Air, rather than pay the high costs of renovating them.

County to celebrate Disabilities Act

The Harford County Department of Community Services Commission on Disabilities will mark the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act at its meeting at 5 p.m. July 28 at the historic Bel Air Colored High School.

Route 24 section set for construction

The State Highway Administration will temporarily close Route 23 between Business U.S. 1 and Route 24 tomorrow or soon after for construction of a new roundabout and other work by a private developer.

Education Beat

Harford Community College is offering its Computer Training for Re-entry Women series to help women who are re-entering the work force, need to gain or improve computer skills, or want to advance or change their career.

Development still draws resistance

Despite several community meetings, both in public places and at the homes of those living near a proposed subdivision in Edgewood, the developer has not dispelled fears that his plans for Washington Court will encourage more public housing.

Farmers’ Markets

These farmers' markets are open around Harford County this week:

Letters

A general rule in marketing: when you come across exceptional service, you tell five people. However, when you are unsatisfied with a product or service, you tell 20 people. I think good news deserves equal time.

Religion Digest

Grace United Methodist Church will hold three services today at 110 W. Bel Air Ave., Aberdeen.

Bel Air's hidden charms

Downtown Bel Air has fallen on temporary hard times. The construction of a new streetscape, begun in 2006, has been disruptive for the businesses on Main Street, but once the project is completed, it will make the area much more inviting. But with many of the storefronts vacant, downtown Bel Air now looks more like a business park filled with insurance companies and financial services than a charming collection of retail shops.

Dan Rodricks: Bring back the local farm

A woman pulled up in a Lexus at the farmers' market in Bel Air recently and approached the man who had sold her husband a bag of tomatoes earlier in the day. "I want my money back!" she snapped. "I don't know what my husband was thinking, paying $5 for a quart of tomatoes."

Kids sail, dredge up bay's future

Their parents lathered them in sunscreen, snapped their photos and waved as the dozen young sailors boarded the skipjack Martha Lewis at a Havre de Grace marina. They were bound for a Chesapeake Bay cruise.

Deputy state fire marshal appointed

The Office of the State Fire Marshal has appointed its newest deputy state fire marshal, Oliver Alkire, to the Northeast Region office in Bel Air that covers Harford and Cecil counties.

Religion Digest

Grace United Methodist Church will hold an informal service at 8:15 a.m., contemporary service at 9:30 a.m. and traditional worship at 11 a.m. today at 110 W. Bel Air Ave., Aberdeen.

Two named to school board

A PTA parent and a retired educator from Bel Air were appointed to five-year terms on the Harford County Board of Education yesterday by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

Education Beat

Meadowvale Elementary School will become the fifth Harford County public school to have a Carson Reading Room this fall, thanks to a donation of $15,000 from Louis and Phyllis Friedman and the Dr. Ben Carson Scholarship Fund.

Nature lessons, sweetened by s'mores

Each family found a spot on the grass where the folks spread out blankets or set up lawn chairs. There were about 100 people, from infants to seniors, gathered at the Eden Mill Nature Center for an evening program.

People News

Maryland State Police Trooper 1st Class Justin M. Gross of the Bel Air barracks was recently named the State Trooper of the Year.

Club Notes

MOMS clubs for stay-at-home mothers of young children will meet this week.

Events accepted for town's 2009 calendar

The Bel Air Economic & Community Development Commission is accepting events for the town's 2009 Calendar of Events.

State Fire Marshal appoints official

The Office of the State Fire Marshal has appointed its newest deputy state fire marshal, Oliver Alkire, to the Northeast Region office in Bel Air that covers Harford and Cecil counties.

Help sought in finding Harford arsonists

State fire marshals are looking for help in several Harford County arsons over the weekend, authorities said.

Five submit names for school board

Five candidates from the Bel Air area, including an educator with a doctorate, a retired principal and an active PTA parent, have submitted their names to the newly created Harford County Board of Education Recommendation Committee for a review of their qualifications for the school board.

Correction

A story in the June 22 edition of The Harford Sun misidentified the sponsor of the showcase of Aberdeen Proving Ground technology opportunities. Harford Community College presented the two-day event at the Amoss Center in Bel Air.

Business Notes

Redner's Warehouse Market opened its third Maryland store last week at 2126 N. Fountain Green Road in the Hickory Village Shopping Center, Bel Air.

Aberdeen looks at extending terms

A committee reviewing Aberdeen's charter will also look into the possibility of extending term lengths for members of the City Council.

Harford History

Dial phone system comes to Bel Air

Art Notes

James K. Hill, chairman of the art department at Salisbury University, has won Bel Air's Heritage Sculpture Contest with his entry, titled The Door.

Recreation Notes

Eden Mill Nature Center is offering recreation programs for all ages at 1617 Eden Mill Road, Pylesville.

July Fourth activities are set in Bel Air

The Bel Air Independence Day Committee will celebrate Independence Day on Friday with its annual parade and activities.

Education Beat

Harford Community College is offering the public a chance to help decide which rock bands will perform at its Rock 'n' Register event on Sept. 13 to encourage young people to register to vote.

County plans public meetings on zoning

The Harford County Department of Planning and Zoning will hold public input meetings on the Draft Zoning Code, following months of meetings by the Zoning Code Workgroup and various advisory boards.

Education Beat

Cecil College's Kids in "Kollege" summer program, offering a variety of classes for children ages 7 to 12, will be held for four consecutive weeks starting July 7 on the North East campus.

Recreation Notes

Eden Mill Nature Center is offering recreation programs for all ages at 1617 Eden Mill Road, Pylesville.

Religion Digest

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church will hold a 9 a.m. traditional worship and 11 a.m. contemporary service today.

Bocce takes root

Spectators lined both sides of a sunny bocce court in Harford County, cheering vigorously and keeping score as players aimed and rolled a ball toward a small target.

People News

Keia Brown of Abingdon, Miss Northern Maryland 2008, will compete for the Miss Maryland title in the Miss America Organization Wednesday through Saturday in Hagerstown.

Scaling the heights

To hear her parents tell it, 19-year-old Anna Wallis began singing almost as soon as she could talk.

Religion Digest

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church will hold one service at 10 a.m. today to celebrate Pastor Neal Wirtanen's 30th anniversary at the church.

Business Notes

Harford Community College will host a "Showcase of APG Technology and Research & Development Contract Opportunities" Wednesday and Thursday at the Bel Air campus.

Education Beat

Don Morrison, the longtime spokesman for Harford County Public Schools, will retire Aug. 1, after 25 years with the system.