district a happenings, may 1, 2015

7/21/2019 District A Happenings, May 1, 2015

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Harford County Council

District A Happenings

May 1, 2015

Volume 1, Issue 8

Mikes Musings The Livability CodeTax season has ended, so this section of the newsletter is up and running again. On April 9, the first meeting of the newly appointed

Edgewood Community Advisory Board took place, and a number of the members of the board expressed their support

for amendments to the Livability Code in Harford County. I discussed why I had been opposed to my predecessor's

efforts to update the Code, and would like to share my thoughts here with everyone.

Let me start with the way I approach legislative action in general. It seems that when you read and watch the news,

politicians who are in support of a bill tend to speak in terms of what the bill "will" do, and not what the bill "should" oris intended to do. We frequently witness the unanticipated consequences and sometimes failures of past legislative

efforts, yet we seem to give politicians a pass when they act as if every future effort will succeed. Because of this, I

don't believe opponents of new legislative measures should be challenged to argue why they believe such measures

would fail; I believe supporters of new legislative measures should be challenged to argue why they believe such

measures wouldsucceed.

Now back to the Livability Code. I have had many conversations with people who believe (or hope) that adding a rental

registration provision to the Code or tightening maintenance requirements for landlords will somehow reduce the blight

problems we have in many of our neighborhoods, and I believe this to be a false hope for several reasons.

On a property by property basis, Ive observed that blight seems to be more a factor of owner occupied property than it

is of rental property. When an owner occupant's equity in their home goes negative, many throw in the keys and walkaway. Landlords aren't as likely to do this because they can write off the decline in value of their properties. I also

believe blight is largely a function of HOAs and Condo Associations who cannot keep up with maintenance work

because they are unable to collect enough from their members. Rental properties certainly do contribute to the problem,

but then the question becomes: How much of this is the landlord's fault?

Unfortunately there is no easy way to distinguish between responsible landlords and slumlords, but I would wager large

sums of money most landlords aren't sitting on piles of cash they could be using to fix up their properties. Having been

a landlord for many years myself, owning rental property can easily generate negative cash flow. Tenant turnover is

costly -particularly when tenants don't care for the property and landlords have to shell out to make repairs which go

beyond normal wear & tear. Not to mention the fact that landlords still have to pay the mortgage even when there is no

rental income to cover it. Owning rental property can still make the landlord money if they can sell the property at a

gain, but that doesn't generate cash flow in the meantime.

My point is that if a landlord can't afford to maintain a property, they won't. Citations and fines can't recover money

which isn't there.

Ultimately, I am here to represent the interests of the citizens of District A, and if my initial reaction to an idea runs

contrary to what a large segment of the community wants, then I will work with everyone involved to reconcile our

differences. Fortunately for this topic, real estate generates a lot of data, and if there is any information out there which

makes a connection between code enforcement actions in other jurisdictions and property value trends, I would certainly

look at that information objectively and consider rethinking my position.


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A Run for the Heroes

We wish all of our District A

Mothers a very Happy Mothers

Council Office Contact

Information

Office Phone: 410-638-3521

Cell Phone: 443-752-2598

Email: [email protected]

Come talk to me the Second Sunday of each

month at the Joppatowne Flea Market from

2 pm to 4 pm.

Legislative Aide

Donna Blasdell

Office Phone: 410-638-4109 x1813

The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) serves veter-ans, service members, and their families who have suf-fered a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound as aresult of their military service on or after September 11,2001. WWP began when several veterans and friends,

moved by stories of the first wounded service membersreturning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, took actionto help others in need. What started as a program toprovide comfort items to wounded service membershas grown into a complete rehabilitative effort to assist

our warriors as they transition back to civilian life.

For WWP, there is a distinct difference between mem-bers and alumni; at WWP the term alumni indicates amutual shared experience and denotes your place in anorganization was earned. There are no dues required for

membership-

those were paid by wearing the uniformand on the battlefield.

The Alumni Program provides long-term supportthrough a wide range of complimentary programs.WWP Alumni enjoy getting together while attendingexclusive WWP events, college and professional sport-ing events, dinners, and many other activities. Over theyears, the Alumni program has grown substantially andWWP responded with innovative programs to meet theneeds of warriors and their families. The programs areuniquely structured to nurture the mind and body, and

encourage economic empowerment and engagement.

When a service member is wounded, ill, or injured,these changes place tremendous stress on familymembers since their family is an integral part of awarrior's successful recovery, the WWP team reach-es out to family members and caregivers of warriors

living with physical and/or mental health conditionsto ensure they receive the full range of support and

benefits of WWP programs and services.

Providing these types of services free of charge forour heroes requires financial support through thesales of promotional items, sponsorships and fund-raising efforts from local communities. In our com-munity, Alexis Watson, now a senior at JoppatowneHigh School, started the Joppatowne High SchoolWounded Warrior 5K Race in 2014. She said her

desire to help this organization came from seeingthe movieLone Survivor, which made her want togive back to the men and women who fight for ourcountry, explaining her uncle had served in Iraqand the movie really opened her eyes to the strug-gles he faced while serving. Once the idea became areality; approximately 15 students from JoppatowneHigh School stepped up and volunteered, makingthe event a possibility. Last year 300-plus communi-ty members raised over $6,000 for the Wounded

Warrior Project.

(Contnued on page 3)


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With the success generated from the inaugural race,plans were made to ensure it became an annual event.

This year, more students have come out to support thecause and take part in running the event. These volun-teer activities include preparing the course, promotingthe race, registering as many participants as possible,and running the race day tables. The students volun-teering their time this year to the 5K include, but aredefinitely not limited to, Rachel Lawrence, Stephanieand Nicole Praglowski, Allison and Hannah Kerr, Va-lerie Barker, Kenny Baroch, Jenna Richards, DerekFonzi, Savannah Moore, Austin and Rachel Kocsan,Katherine Wagner, Aimee Vess, Ryan Beeghley and

many others. In addition to the students, many teach-ers and staff at Joppatowne High School are volun-teering their time and talents too.. Their hard work isensuring the success of the race and is making it hap-pen in a way which brings honor to the men and wom-

en who have served our great country.

The event has partnered with many local businesses.Businesses such as Redners Market, Tri-State Tro-phies of Edgewood, and Baker Plumbing have re-turned to support this years event. Classic TeamSports, FC Clifford HVAC and Clever Dog Graphics

are welcomed as partners for the second annual race.

The rain or shine event is being held on May 16, at9:00 AM at Joppatowne High School. The early birdcost is $25.00 and provides a race bib and event teeshirt. Early registration ends on May 6th. If you signup on the day of the race the cost is $30.00. This raceis free for all past and present veterans, but please reg-ister to receive your race tee shirt. A pre-event cere-

mony to honor our veterans is scheduled.

Visit www.Joppatowne.org to register for the race.

(Contnued from page 2)

A Run for the Heroes Emergency Funds

Who needs one? Everyone!

What is an Emergency Fund?

An emergency fund is a pot of money available for

you to use when unexpected expenses happen. Amajor car repair or a washing machine no longerworking is classified as an emergency when you aredigging your way out of debt. Oh what a great sale

on shoes! is not.

Why have an Emergency Fund?

Having a pool of money available allows you to takecare of the emergency expense without having to usea credit card. This keeps the process of paying off

credit moving forward, not backward.

How much should you have in the Emergency

Fund?

This will be somewhat depend on you and your fam-ily. If you have newer cars and appliances and arehealthy, you could get by with a smaller emergencyfund. However if you have older and less reliableitems or a chronic health condition you will wantlarger fund to cover unexpected expenses. A goodtarget dollar amount to have in your fund is $1,000.Most major unexpected expenses can be covered

with this amount.

Where should you keep it?

The goal is to have the Emergency Fund be immedi-ately accessible for your use. Some people chose tokeep the entire emergency fund in cash, stored attheir home. Having a large amount of cash in yourhouse is not always a prudent idea, so having a sav-ings account at a bank with a debit card could a goodchoice. You would keep the card at home in a securelocation, but easily accessible for when you need it.

Some people keep a portion of their emergency fundin cash and some in the bank. Chose an option foryou and your family which will make sure you havethe money available to cover those emergency ex-

penses.

How do you build an Emergency Fund?

The goal is to reach your target amount as fast asyou can by focusing all of your efforts on this one

(Contnued on page 6)
http://www.joppatowne.org/http://www.joppatowne.org/http://www.joppatowne.org/


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PublicBudget Hearings

May 7, 2015 7:00 PM

Joppatowne High School555 Joppa Farm Road

Joppa, MD 21085

May 13, 2015 7:00 PM

Harford Technical High School200 Thomas Run Road

Bel Air, MD 21015

Harford Glen Environmental Education Center

And

The Harford County Department ofPlanning and Zoning

have partnered together to sponsor three tree plantings this spring:

May 5, 2015 Red Pump Elementary at 9 AM600 Red Pump Road, Bel Air, MD 21015

May 6, 2015 Magnolia Middle School at 8 AM299 Fort Hoyle Road, Joppa, MD 21085

May 12, 2015 Patterson Mill Middle School at 8 AM48 Patterson Mill Road, Bel Air, MD 21015

Volunteers are needed to instruct students, provide guidance andquality control and to insure the safety of all involved. In addition,wheel barrows, shovels and smiling faces are needed to help ourtrees get a good start in their new homes.

For information contact:

Mr. Howard [email protected]

Internet Caf

Tuesday through Friday10 am -2 pm

Free Wi-Fi Access

Loaner Computers AvailableFaxing & Copying On-Site

Surf the internet, research, job search, and

connect with others


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Emergency Funds

goal. To help reach this goal, look over your budgetand see how you can squeeze it a little more and putthe saved cash to put into the emergency fund. Somesuggestions are: stop eating out for a month, cut backwhat you spend on your groceries and bank the differ-ence, or pay only the minimum on your credit cards ifyou are paying more. If you cant find any room inyour budget, look at all the things you have aroundyou. Do you have things you can sell you are no long-er using? If you cannot think of anything else to cut orsell, think about finding a part-time job, for at least ashort time. Some ideas: tutoring, delivering pizza,dog walking, cutting lawns, babysitting. Moneyearned from these jobs go straight to the emergencyfund. When it is fully funded, you may choose to stopworking or you may choose to continue to work andput the extra cash into you debt payments to pay them

off even faster.

Rebuild it!

You had to use your fund. As long as you didnt addto your credit card debt, it has been used properly.Now you need to replenish the emergency funds youused. Go back to the method you used to first fund.

Once it is refilled, then the money is moved back topaying off the debt.

The emergency fund is one of the primary tools tokeep you from using credit cards and movingforward in paying off your all your debt or to keepyou from having to go into debt in the first place. Sostart building one today!

(Contnued from page 3)

Joppa/Joppatowne community residentshave a way to communicate with each oth-

er and share the wonderful things happen-

ing in the area. Head on over to Facebook

and join our new community:

https://www.facebook.com/

JoppatowneMD

Joppatowne Flea MarketCarnival

to benefit the

Edgewood-JoppatowneIndependence Day

Parade

May 25th through May 30th

Edge WoodStock

August 22, 2015


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Anita C. Leight Estuary Center

Sunset Paddle Series: Kayak

05/01/2015 6:00-8:30 pm

Explore the Bush River

05/02/2015 10:00-11:30 am

A Hike for Bluebells05/02/2015 3:30-5:00 pm

Kids n Canoes05/03/2015 9:30-11:30 am

4th Annual Spring Bird Count05/09/2015 8:00 am-12:00 pm

A Mothers Day Paddle05/09/2015 10:00 am-1:00 pm

Moms Herbal Tea Workshop05/10/2015 2:30-3:30 pm

Sunset Paddle Series: Canoe

05/15/2015 6:00-8:300 pm

Breakfast with the Birds05/16/2015 7:00-8:30 am

Abingdon Library

Boosting Morale: Art Out of Conflict Exhibit

05/01/2015 through 05/30/2105

Ed Emberly Thumbprint Art05/04/2015 through 05/09/2015

Genealogy Conference

05/02/2015 9:00 am-5:00 pm

Little LEAPERS 3.5: Digital Camp

05/04/2015 10:15-11:15 am

Meet the Author: Dan Fesperman

05/07/2015 6:30-8:00 pm


05/11/2015 10:30-11:15 am

Who Let the Dogs Out?

05/14/2015 1:30-2:15 pm

Ask a Master Gardener

05/16/2015 10:00 am-12:00 pm

Harford Ballet Presents Swan Lake05/16/2015 11:00 am-2:00 pm

Lego Club05/16/2015 2:00-3:30 pm

Edgewood Library

Friends of Edgewood Book Sale

05/13/2015 through 05/16/2105

Mothers Day Crafts

05/05/2015 6:00-7:00 pm

Booked for Lunch: A Moveable Feast

05/06/2015 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Springtime Origami

05/06/2015 6:30-7:30 pm

Oversized Angry Birds

05/07/2015 6:00-7:00 pm

Spring Jewelry Program

05/09/2015

2:00-4:00 pm

Joppa Library

Knitting for Beginners and Advanced Beg.

Meets weekly on Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 pm

Crazy 8s Preschool Math Club

05/05/2015 10:30-11:30 am

Job Search: Writing a Resume

05/05/2015 1:00-2:00 pm


05/06/2015 10:30-11:15 am

Teen After Hours

05/08/2015 5:00-8:00 pm

Scrap Your Memories

05/09/2015 12:00-4:00 pm

Toddlers Create Art

05/11/2015 10:30-11:30 am

Sing Along with the Movie Night: Hairspray!

05/14/2015 6:00-8:00 pm

Around the District Happenings


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House of Worship Events

Presbury United

Methodist Church

Pit Beef BBQ

May 9, 201510 am -2 pm

806 Edgewood Road

Edgewood, MD 21040

For more informaon

Call: 410-676-3234

Visit: www.presburyumc org

Copley Parish

Church of the Resurrection

May 9, 2015

Doors open at 5 pm

Event begins at 6 pm

One paddle for $2Three paddles for $5

Refreshments available.

For more information:700 Anchor DriveJoppa MD 21085410-679-8700www.copleyparish.org

Have an event?Let everyone know!

UpcomingDistrict A Happenings

Publication Dates

Publication Date

Information Needed

May 15th May 11th

June 1st May 26thJune 15th June 8th

In keeping with spirit of summer,District A Happenings

will be published once a month in July and August.

Summer Publication Dates

Publication Date

Information Needed

July 15th July 8th

August15th August 10th
http://www.copleyparish.org/http://www.copleyparish.org/http://www.copleyparish.org/


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Spotlights on:

Edgewood Lions Club

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with morethan 1.3 million members in approximately 45,000 clubs in more than 200 countries

and geographical areas around the world. The Mission of the Lions Club is to empower volunteers to servetheir communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding. Be-cause Lions seek to serve wherever the need is greatest, their activities are as varied as the needs of the commu-nities they serve. However, service activities fall into some general categories and there are some areas in

which they have special experience and expertise.

Sight. Lions Club International has long been associated with blindness prevention and sight restoration.

Youth Programs. Lions care about kids. Wherever children are in need of food, medical care, educational ma-

terials or other necessities of life, Lions are there to help.

International Relations. Lions serve everywhere and have for a long time. In 1945, Lions Clubs Internationalhelped write the United Nations Charter for Non

-Governmental Organizations and still maintains active rela-

tionships with UNESCO, UNICEF and other UN agencies.

Health. Lions began saving people's eyesight in 1925 and it's still a priority. But Lions also focus on hearing,working with the deaf and raising awareness about the dangers of diabetes. Recently Lions in various parts ofthe world have taken it upon themselves to raise breast cancer awareness and provide emergency medical

equipment to war-torn countries.

Community and the Environment. Lions serve where we live and we are a hands-on organization. Lions roll-up their sleeves and pitch-in. You can find Lions planting trees, working with a paintbrush or a broom and

building with hammer and saw.

Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Relief. Whenever disaster strikes, Lions stand ready to help. Theycan mobilize worldwide resources and manpower to help local Lions care for their neighbors. Through the Li-

ons ALERT program, Lions prepare for their role in emergencies.

The Edgewood Lions Club was chartered by Lions Clubs International on October 26, 1947. Its very first pro-ject was securing land, and building a much needed medical facility to serve the needs of the community. Sincethen the club has been involved in Sight and Hearing Screenings, and providing glasses for needy children andadults within the community. They support the local Elementary, Middle and High Schools in many projects.In addition to providing a medical equipment loan closet, the Edgewood Lions provides holiday meals for localfamilies in need. Over the years the club has been fortunate, through thesupport of the community, in building an additional facility for other medi-

cal needs.

For over 45 years the dedicated Lions of Edgewood firmly have believed inthe motto "We Serve"and they continue to reach out in service to the com-

munity.

For more information contact the Edgewood Lions Club at 410-676-6032,or at P.O. Box 35, Edgewood, MD 21040-0035.

district a happenings, may 1, 2015

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