Post from Roger Fox April 29

Guys, I appreciate the quick response on the paint ball vandalism query in last night's watch report. Sure sounds like some juveniles had nothing better to do on Monday night than drive around and cause problems for folks: 1) Our watch folks reported a number of cars were paint-balled in the Leaside area on Monday night also (27 April). 2) Moose and Cindy reported a house in the Stone Castle Drive area over in the Provinces was also paint-balled on Monday night. 3) One of our watch folks, John Robertson, is a Nationwide Insurance Agent. He sent me the falling regarding your home insurance and what to do when these kind of incidents occur. John is always quite helpful providing very timely insurance information. "Paintball damage is a double edged sword. Here is why: if the damage requires more than soap and water to clean the siding then the homeowner would need to make a claim against their Homeowners policy. Before this claim is reported: the homeowner should consult with their insurance agent." "Here is why: a Homeowners policy has a deductible and may also have a surcharge added for having a claim. So, some idea of the amount to be paid by the insurer after the deductible and any claims surcharge should be understood so that the homeowner can make an informed decision." 4) I was pleased to hear more of you are willing to go down to Annapolis to the County Council meeting (7:00p.m., Monday, 4 May) and intend to wear RED SHIRTS. The slots casino bill to change the zoning to permit its construction is Bill 10-09, Zoning Video Lottery Facilities. We need to be prepared for a number of these sessions. We HAVE TO SHOW where we stand on this issue. Most likely the Council will make their final decision by June, but even as early as Monday night, a vote could be taken on the zoning issue. Commercial Services: 1) I always like to give special advertising to one of our own. Many of you may know Bill Brown. I have known his wife, Hope, for many years. She provided dedicated service to the school PTA a number of years ago. Here is what Hope had to say: "My husband owns his own contractor/construction company. He's seeing a lot of roofs being replaced in the neighborhood and is concerned that homeowners may not be getting the best price or having unlicensed people doing the work." "As a fellow Harmans Woods homeowner, he is willing to beat any written estimate from a licensed contractor for Harmans home owners. His name is Bill Brown. His company name is The Three Brothers Construction Co., Inc., phone 443-324-4810/fax 410-551-2655. He does all types of home repairs - from large to small - including roof repairs/replacements, siding, kitchen remodels, window replacement and fences/decks." Thank you for your support and keep the info coming! Roger

April 28 Post from Roger Fox

Guys, A short report to let you know a house and cars were paint-balled around 11:00p.m, last night (Mon, 27 April) in the Aragorn Court area. If anyone else was hit, please let me know. Please call the police at 911 or 410-222-8610 to report any vandalism, to include this kind of mischief. Kids are getting ansy with the school year coming to a close and having a sudden blast of warm weather. That still isn't any excuse to vandalism other folks property. If left unchecked, this behavior can morph into more violent acts. Please do not hesitate to call police for any suspicious vehicles or persons. Upcoming Dates: 7:00p.m., Monday, 4 May 09-Amendments to the proposed Slots Casino at Arundel Mills Mall are expected to be voted on at this County Council meeting in Annapolis. The Mills Task Force headed up by Chuck Levay (also Peach Orchard Association President) and the surrounding associations (including the Harman Civic Association/Villages of Dorchester Association) continue to attend every County Council meeting where any vote may occur. We need to keep the pressure on the County Council with our opposition to the slots casino at the mall. So far we have had good attendance, but we need your support! We are all wearing bright red T-shirts or shirts to these meetings to clearly identify ourselves in this "grass roots" effort. 7:30p.m., Wed, 13 May 09-PCRC (Police-Community Relations Council) meeting at the Western District Police Station in Odenton. This meeting is open to everyone and is your chance to meet the commander and hear the latest police news. It is also an excellent forum for residents to bring their concerns. 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m., Sat, 16 May 09-Shred-A-Rama III (3rd year) will be held at the Cancun Cantina parking lot. This is your chance to get rid of all those old personal papers that smoked your own shredder and took hours to do by yourself! PCRC President Dave Daughters has taken charge of this event for the Western District PCRC. Joe Cifala, the PCRC Chairman for all the Districts has worked hard with Dave to organize this event. There will be 3 other locations in the county where you can take your papers for shredding (besides Cancun Cantina). They are: Anne Arundel County Police Headquarters in Millersville Brooklyn Park Middle School (200 Hammonds Lane) South River High School (200 Central Avenue East in Edgewater) 7:00p.m., Thursday, 28 May 09-The Harman Civic Association will hold its last regularly scheduled meeting until September. That is assuming we don't have any special meetings called (for the fight against slots casino, etc.). Please note: We will be meeting at the Harmans Community Room at Arundel Mills Mall. The school has its annual concert, so we weren't able to secure the school cafeteria. New Services: Aaron's Lawn Care-Dan D. passed this information to me a while back. I understand this a a young man who lives in our area. Please go to http://alclawns.com/ or call 443-995-7528 for more information. Thank you for your support and keep the info coming! Roger

April 7 Post from Roger

Guys, 1) I would like to commend all the residents who went down to Annapolis last night to testify against the slots casino proposed for Arundel Mills Mall. They didn't start the testimony [Bill 10-09, Zoning Video Lottery Facilities] until around 8:15-8:30p.m. The Council wanted to knock out all the quicker bills first. Council Chairman Ed Reilly stated that 49 people testified last night. It was about midnight when the council proceedings ended. I am sure our group's presence really helped our cause. You all waited patiently and at the appointed time stood as a group to show our solidarity as a community. I must say I am quite proud of all the Harman Civic Association folks, residents, and members of neighboring associations who rode down on the bus or drove down in their cars. I am sure President Wayne Dixon and HCA Officers Rusty Bristow and Chip Woods, were also quite pleased, along with Senior Advisor Harry Matthews. Due to the absence of Councilman Edward Middlebrooks, the vote on the slots was postponed until the County Council meeting in 2 weeks on Monday, 20 April 09. Councilman Middlebrooks was recovering from surgery. FOX45 TV reporter Joy Lepola was at the County Council proceedings last night and interviewed a number of people prior to the Council meeting. You may see that reporting at 10:00p.m. tonight. We'll see. 2) One additional note today from Councilman Daryl Jone aide, Linda Harris: Holiday Schedule - Good Friday and Easter Sunday CURBSIDE COLLECTION PROVIDED RECYCLING AND TRASH FACILITIES CLOSED Annapolis (April 7, 2009) - The Department of Public Works, Waste Management Services, will provide curbside collection of recycling, yard waste, and trash on Friday, April 10, 2009. However, in observance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the Millersville Landfill and Resource Recovery Facility, the Glen Burnie Convenience Center and the Sudley Convenience Center will be closed on Friday, April 10, 2009. All facilities will be open on Saturday, April 11, 2009. Please visit the Department’s web page at www.aacounty.org/DPW/WasteManagement or the County’s web site at www.aacounty.org. Thank you to all of you who came out and exercised your rights as American citizens. We often take for granted our liberties, but we truly live in a great democracy. So many people around the world live their entire lives in lands of tyranny and political turmoil. We are indeed fortunate to be Americans! Roger

April 5 post from Roger Fox

Guys, We are on a roll! The only bad note for tomorrow is the possibility of rain storms. Come rain or shine, the bus will be at Frank Hebron-Harman Elementary School tomorrow. The bus will leave at 5:30p.m., so please try to arrive beforehand (by 5:15p.m.). Bring your umbrellas (Hopefully, the longest walk will be from the bus into the County Council building in Annapolis. We have close to 40 people signed up for the bus right now. If you already signed up for the bus, please make every effort to ride with us! We need to fill the bus (57 is capacity)! At this point, if you want to go, just come up to the school tomorrow night. We will get everybody to Annapolis that we need to, whether it is by bus or car. Please remember the slots casino developer, Cordish, will be well organized and bring a lot of their people. We have to show we can get the troops out when we need to! I apologize for not doing a full report, but this event tomorrow night has consumed all of our free time. I will try to get a full report out soon. One other item: The Western District PCRC (Police-Community Relations Council) meeting will be at the Western District Police Station on MD 170 at 7:30p.m., Wed, 8 April 09. All residents are welcome to attend. See Dave's newsletter below for details. Thank you for your support! Roger Fox Dave Daughters' April PCRC Newsletter (see below):

Western District View

Western District Police-Community Relations Council April 2009

8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton, Maryland 21113

Open Forum, April 8, 2009

At the next meeting of the Western District Police-Community Relations Council, we will have an open forum, with no guest speaker, to give Council members and community residents an opportunity to talk to the District Commander and address community concerns and problems.

The meeting will be on Wednesday, April 8^th, in the meeting room at the Western District Station, starting at 7:30 p.m.

If you are encountering problems in your community or neighborhood, this will be your opportunity to address these directly with the district commander. It will also provide the department time to bring us up to date on events and programs.

Shred-A-Rama III – May 16, 2009

On Saturday, May 16, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., all four district Police-Community Relations Councils will sponsor Shred-A-Rama III. On that day, four commercial shredding trucks will be positioned around the county so that county residents can bring up to four boxes of personal papers and have them safely shredded.

There is no charge for this service, but donations will be accepted.

This is an ideal and safe way to dispose of old bank statements, tax records and other documents that could otherwise be used for identity theft and fraud.

The Western District location will be in the parking lot at Cancun Cantina, 7501 Old Telegraph Road, Hanover, just south of Dorsey Road. Other locations will be at Brooklyn Park Middle School, the rear parking lot at Police Headquarters, Millersville, and South River High School.

A flyer on the event is being provided with this newsletter. If you have a community newsletter, or places that you can have the information posted on bulletin boards, please do so. At the April meeting, we will be looking for volunteers to assist on the day of the shredding. If you are available, we can use your help.

Is That Email Rumor or Threat True?

At our last meeting, there was a discussion about email rumors or threat reports, and whether some are valid or fall into the category of urban legends. There are three websites that you can use to check on the validity of any story you hear, ranging from threats of criminal activity to the latest rumor about your favorite politician or celebrity. These are: www.snopes.com, www.urbanlegends.about.com, and www.truthorfiction.com.

Membership Renewal

If you have not yet done so, please renew your PCRC membership so that we can keep our mailing list accurate. A renewal form is being distributed to email recipients with this newsletter. For those receiving it by mail, a form is being included for those who have not yet renewed.

Help Save Us Some Money

With postage going up again in May, we would like to switch distribution as much as possible to email. Each newsletter costs about 70 cents in copying, envelopes and postage. It costs nothing to send it by email. It’s faster and means we can use that money to benefit the community and the officers at Western District.

If you are now receiving this newsletter by mail, but have email access, please contact me with your email address and we’ll make the switch.

An added benefit is that you will be on the list for email information coming from the Western District’s Community Response Network and receive alerts on potential

Some Final Words

Please spread the word about Shred-A-Rama III, on May 16^th, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the parking lot at Cancun Cantina.

Dave Daughters

President

410-672-5703

dldaugh@aol.com

April 4 News From Roger

Guys, I wanted to get another report out to you prior to Monday night's bus trip (April 6th) to Annapolis to show our opposition to the slots casino at Arundel Mills Mall. The bus continues to fill up, but we still have seats available. The bus holds 57 people. If we fill the bus, don't worry, we will arrange for folks to either ride in groups by car, or caravan to Annapolis. [Of course, you can also drive down to Annapolis. The key is for us to sit or be together as a group. That will be much more effective when we are sitting at the County Council meeting in Annapolis. Particularly, if you haven't been to a Harman Civic Association meeting, we may not recognize each other.] Please be advised that the slots casino developer, Cordish Company, is organizing bus rides for the slots casino supporters. They aren't rolling over and are very well organized. I understand not everyone is against slots--that's fine. However, if you are against slots YOU NEED TO HELP US FILL UP THE BUS. Tell your neighbors or friends. Bus riders don't have to be Harman Civic Association (HCA) members. As long as you live in the communities surrounding Arundel Mills Mall area, you are welcome to ride the bus to Annapolis on Monday night. The Villages of Dorchester Home Owners' Association (HOA) has contacted the HCA to let us know some of their folks may wish to ride our bus. At the April 6th meeting, the County Council is expected to vote on whether to change the zoning to permit a Slots Casino at Arundel Mills Mall. Since new people are continually joining the neighborhood watch reports, I will continue to repeat the information below with the specific information on this Monday night's meeting. Thank you to all of you who are getting the word out about the bus and the County Council meeting! Roger Fox Items: 1) 5:30p.m., Monday, April 6th-A Gunthers bus will leave from the Frank Hebron-Harman Elementary School parking lot to take folks to the County Council meeting in Annapolis. Please be there prior to departure time, so we can depart at precisely 5:30! We need to get to Annapolis in time for folks who wish to speak to sign in prior to the meeting start time (6:30p.m.). One of our residents (Ray) has kindly offered to schedule and pay for the bus. Ray has refused to accept any reimbursement, but rather, requests folks make donations to the Harman Civic Association. Donations can be mailed to: Harman Civic Association P.O. Box 711 Hanover, MD 21076 Please remember you don't have to speak at this County Council meeting! When HCA President Wayne Dixon speaks (or one of our other speakers), we want to have the group stand up to show the community supports our testimony. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AT THIS MEETING!!!! 3) If you wish to speak at the hearing, you need to sign up to speak. They will start letting speakers sign in at 6:30p.m. on Monday, April 6th. Each speaker is allowed to speak for 2 minutes. Those of us who wish to speak will have to wait until it comes up on the agenda. This item is called "Bill 10-09, Zoning Video Lottery Facilities." I am hoping it will be early on the agenda because of its importance. If you have never been to a County Council meeting, the Council members sit at the front of the room facing the audience. There is a table for speakers set up at the front and middle of the room facing the Council members (with the audience to the speakers' backs). This set up makes it easier for folks who don't like to speak before a group; the audience sits behind you! Usually 3-6 speakers are called down to the table at one time. There are usually about 3 microphones on the speaker table. The speakers then have up to 2 minutes each to speak on the topic (they speak in the order they are called). After this group is done speaking, then another group of 3-6 speakers are called to come to the table to speak in the order they were called, 2 minutes for each speaker. If you sign up and everything you wanted to say has been said by earlier speakers, you don't have to go down. They will just fill your seat with another speaker on the list. After everyone is done speaking, we may expect the County Council to vote on whether to change the zoning to W1. The slots casino must have the change in zoning to W1 or it will not be permitted at Arundel Mills Mall. Thus, the zoning change is the key! 4) If you wish to drive down to the County Council meeting, the address is 44 Calvert Street in Annapolis. Directions: -Take I-97 to US 50 east -From US 50 exit off on to Rowe Blvd (MD 70) -On Rowe Blvd, you will pass the Naval Academy Stadium (on your right side) -Continue on Rowe Blvd over the bridge (you will see the Naval Academy on your left) -Stay on Rowe Blvd as it curves to the right (you will see a cemetery on the right) -From Rowe Blvd, turn right on to Calvert Street. -You will cross over Northwest Street -Then turn right almost immediately on to Clay Street -As you turn on to Clay Street, stay to the left side, you will almost immediately turn left into the parking ramp. Be sure to take your ramp parking ticket with you, so you can get it validated at the desk outside the Council Chambers. The County Council Chambers are across the street from the Clay Street parking ramp. From the ramp you cross Calvert Street to enter the building. There is also a parking ramp behind the Council Chambers, but you have to pay to park there. It isn't a huge cost, but they do charge you and you can't validate that ramp ticket. 5) I am attaching the information on the County Council members to send e-mails on how you feel about a slots Casino at Arundel Mills Mall. Please go to the following. This is very important to let all 7 County Council members know where you stand. Please paste the link below into your web browser. http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/index.cfm You will see all 7 members (Daryl Jones (District 1)) is our County Council member. The Council Chair is Ed Reilly (District 7). Just click on the contact link next to each County Council member to do an e-mail to each one of the members. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail. Thank you for your support! Roger Fox

April post from Roger- Slots at Mall

Guys, If you are against the slots casino at Arundel Mills Mall, this is your CHANCE TO BE HEARD. We still have seats available on the bus and we need to fill the bus! Let's show the County Council that we can get the people out for an important event. I often hear, "someone should do something about it." That someone is YOU, me, and everyone in our communities. At the April 6th meeting, the County Council is expected to vote on whether to change the zoning to permit a Slots Casino at Arundel Mills Mall [Bill 10-09, Zoning Video Lottery Facilities]. Items: 1) 5:30p.m., Monday, April 6th-A Gunthers bus will leave from the Frank Hebron-Harman Elementary School parking lot to take folks to the County Council meeting in Annapolis. Please be there prior to departure time, so we can depart at precisely 5:30! We need to get to Annapolis in time for folks who wish to speak to sign in prior to the meeting start time (6:30p.m.). One of our residents (Ray) has kindly offered to schedule and pay for the bus. Ray has refused to accept any reimbursement, but rather, requests folks make donations to the Harman Civic Association. Donations can be mailed to: Harman Civic Association P.O. Box 711 Hanover, MD 21076 Please remember you don't have to speak at this County Council meeting! When HCA President Wayne Dixon speaks (or one of our other speakers), we want to have the group stand up to show the community supports our testimony. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT AT THIS MEETING!!!! 3) If you wish to speak at the hearing, you need to sign up to speak. They will start letting speakers sign in at 6:30p.m. on Monday, April 6th. Each speaker is allowed to speak for 2 minutes. Those of us who wish to speak will have to wait until it comes up on the agenda. This item is called "Bill 10-09, Zoning Video Lottery Facilities." I am hoping it will be early on the agenda because of its importance. If you have never been to a County Council meeting, the Council members sit at the front of the room facing the audience. There is a table for speakers set up at the front and middle of the room facing the Council members (with the audience to the speakers' backs). This set up makes it easier for folks who don't like to speak before a group; the audience sits behind you! Usually 3-6 speakers are called down to the table at one time. There are usually about 3 microphones on the speaker table. The speakers then have up to 2 minutes each to speak on the topic (they speak in the order they are called). After this group is done speaking, then another group of 3-6 speakers are called to come to the table to speak in the order they were called, 2 minutes for each speaker. If you sign up and everything you wanted to say has been said by earlier speakers, you don't have to go down. They will just fill your seat with another speaker on the list. After everyone is done speaking, we may expect the County Council to vote on whether to change the zoning to W1. The slots casino must have the change in zoning to W1 or it will not be permitted at Arundel Mills Mall. Thus, the zoning change is the key! 4) If you wish to drive down to the County Council meeting, the address is 44 Calvert Street in Annapolis. Directions: -Take I-97 to US 50 east -From US 50 exit off on to Rowe Blvd (MD 70) -On Rowe Blvd, you will pass the Naval Academy Stadium (on your right side) -Continue on Rowe Blvd over the bridge (you will see the Naval Academy on your left) -Stay on Rowe Blvd as it curves to the right (you will see a cemetery on the right) -From Rowe Blvd, turn right on to Calvert Street. -You will cross over Northwest Street -Then turn right almost immediately on to Clay Street -As you turn on to Clay Street, stay to the left side, you will almost immediately turn left into the parking ramp. Be sure to take your ramp parking ticket with you, so you can get it validated at the desk outside the Council Chambers. The County Council Chambers are across the street from the Clay Street parking ramp. From the ramp you cross Calvert Street to enter the building. There is also a parking ramp behind the Council Chambers, but you have to pay to park there. It isn't a huge cost, but they do charge you and you can't validate that ramp ticket. 5) I am attaching the information on the County Council members to send e-mails on how you feel about a slots Casino at Arundel Mills Mall. Please go to the following. This is very important to let all 7 County Council members know where you stand. Please paste the link below into your web browser. http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/index.cfm You will see all 7 members (Daryl Jones (District 1)) is our County Council member. The Council Chair is Ed Reilly (District 7). Just click on the contact link next to each County Council member to do an e-mail to each one of the members. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail. Thank you for your support! Roger Fox