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Roger's Neighborhood Watch Report 10/3/10 Candidate Positions on Slots

The tempo is picking up as we approach the November elections. I have added 3 electricians and 1 real estate agent to the bottom of the "Services" section at the end of the report. Upcoming Dates: 1) 7:30pm, Wed, Oct 13th-PCRC (Police-Community Relations Council) Meeting at the (Anne Arundel County Police) Western District police station in Odenton (across from Greenway Bowl. I am attaching Dave Daughter Oct PCRC (Western View) Newsletter at the end of this report. "A representative of the Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team will provide a briefing on their operations. SET is a specialized team of officers, based in Crownsville, that provides support to all the districts when additional manpower and skills are needed for an investigation and search for suspects. They were instrumental in helping resolve some major cases in Western District." 2) 7:00pm, Thurs, Oct 28th-The Harman Civic Association (HCA) will hold their monthly meeting. At this time, I believe it will be held in the Harmans Community Room at Arundel Mills Mall. If you have any community concerns, this is the meeting to attend! 3) Tuesday, Nov 2nd-Election Day. This will be your opportunity to vote your conscience! Many of our elected officials are on the ballot (including the governor's race). This will be your opportunity to have your voice heard on whether there will be a slots casino at Arundel Mills. If you don't want the slots casino at Arundel Mills, on your ballot you need to VOTE AGAINST Bill 82-09 on Question A! The paragraph below is exactly how it will appear on the ballot on November 2nd. I have bolded the text where you need to put put your mark when you vote on November 2nd. Please note: no where is there any mention of the slots casino at Arundel Mills Mall! You need to know exactly what this general statement means. [Harman Civic Assoc Officer Rusty Bristow passed this information to me. Thank you, Rusty, as always, for all your hard work!] QUESTION A Local Referendum by Petition Zoning, Video Lottery Facilities Video Lottery Facilities are not permitted anywhere in Anne Arundel County under current zoning law. Bill No. 82-09 is a zoning bill and was enacted for the purpose of allowing a Video Lottery Facility as a conditional use in a W-i Industrial Park zoning district or at a Regional Commercial Complex. Vote "For Bill 82-09" if you want Bill 82-09 to take effect. Vote "Against Bill 82-09" if you do not want bill 82-09 to take effect. ____For Bill 82-09 ____Against Bill 82-09 Items: 1) Elected officials stance on the slots casino at Arundel Mills Mall (provided by Rob Annicelli of Stop Slots at the Mall. Thank you, Rob!): "With less than 3 weeks to go until early voting and less than a month to go until the general election I wanted to let you all know where the local candidates stand on slots. It is a bit strange, but it does not go along party lines:" "County Executive: John Leopold (Rep) - FOR slots at Arundel Mills Joanna Conti (Dem) - AGAINST slots at Arundel Mills Mike Shay (Green) - Against slots in communities where they do not want them County Council District 1 Daryl Jones (Dem) - Voted AGAINST slots at Arundel Mills John Moran (Rep)- FOR slots at Arundel Mills State Delegation (Senate and Delegates) All Republicans are AGAINST slots at Arundel Mills All Democrats have not taken a position on slots at Arundel Mills" 2) Senator Ed DeGrange letter to constituents titled, "LONG OVERDUE RESTRICTIONS PUT ON DEBT SETTLEMENT COMPANIES," is a very important letter for all to read and understand. Particularly if you are facing hard, financial times like so many of our fellow Americans. I have bolded key text in Senator DeGrange's letter and pasted here ......"using debt settlement companies should be the last step before bankruptcy. It is much better to contact creditors at the first hint of trouble to ask if they can work out a repayment plan or settlement." Please read the entire letter posted at the end of this report. Services: 1) Construction-Bill Brown, Harmans Woods homeowner, is the owner of 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. 2) Landscaping Services: a) John Bridges-(community resident) 410-519-9602 or 443-794-8138 (in the past, he has employed at least 1 of our neighborhood kids) b) Miguel Sanchez-(MAS Landscaping)-410-562-4007 3) Mike's Auto Repair-(410-850-0999) at 7466 New Ridge Road, Suite 7, Hanover, MD 21076 (next group of buildings on the left after the Hanover Post Office buildings, going north toward the airport rental car facility. 4) Tree Cutting Service-Wayne Dixon (410-859-0932) 5) Plumbing Services: a) http://www.alphaplumbing.biz/ [July 09-Ray & Debbie sent this blurb to me about Alpa Plumbing, ".....(We) were very pleased with their work – Alpha Plumbing, Glen Burnie. Came within 48 hrs.,worked steadily for 2 ½ hrs."] b) Rob McCauley 410-693-5280 c) Frank Hildebrand is a resident of our community with over 25 years experience. He is a master plumber licensed in Maryland and several other surrounding states. His company name is ABC Maintenance and Repair. Phone #: 301-674-2786 6) Handyman-Mike 410-557-0555-He replaces sliding doors and windows. He also does roofs and other home maintenance and services. 7) Tom's Painting, Pressure Washing, and Cleaning Service 410-519-6062 8) The Goddard School, 7538 Teague Road, Hanover, MD 21076 (owner Dipti Singh). Please visit Hanovermd@goddardschools.com or call 410-684-2601 9) Air Conditioning/Heating References: a) Jim & Peggie-We have all of our heating and air condition done by Sines & Son's. They also take care of emergency heating and cooling. They also offer annual service maintenance agreements. The number is 410 360-3219. They have been handling our home and father-in-law's for over 10 years. Excellent reputation. b) Dan-We have a contract with Blue Dot to maintain our heat exchange unit. They also do "on-call" work. Phone is 1-800-blue dot. They are really experts at most air conditioning/ heating systems. My son tried them and was very satisfied also. 10) Insurance Provider-John Robertson (Nationwide Insurance Agent)-John and Carol Robertson have a Nationwide Insurance agency at 1350 K Dorsey Road in the little shopping strip across from the fire station on Dorsey Road. They have been Nationwide Agents for 43 years and handle most types of insurance including Auto, Home and Business. Their phone number, 410 859 5200 is on the web at robertsoninsurance.us. 11) Tutoring-All Subjects including Algebra, Geometry, SAT prep and ESOL. Liz Greene 443-854-1390 12) Piano teacher on Elberta Dr in the Peach Orchard seeks new students of all ages. Teacher has 35+ years of experience and openings for afternoon, evening, and Saturday lessons. All types of music (e.g., hymns, classical, pop) taught. References and sample lesson available. Call Myra at (410) 519-6682 for more details. 13) Electricians: a) Tony Braun, Master Electrician, Bayside Electric Company, 101 Bodan Road, Millersville, Maryland 21108 410-421-5491 [Aug 2010-Lois highly recommended] b) Kroeger Electric Co., 1007 Crain hwy., S.E. Glen Burnie, MD 21061, 410-766-1416. [Aug 2010-Dan recommended with additional information-"......I went to the Better Business Bureau site and they came up with 3 or 4 names as recommended businesses. I called because they had a top rating and NO complaints over a substantial period of time." "They practically dropped everything to come over, isolate the problem, and corrected it at at least 10% less than the lowest offer I had from a couple of other companies and the others were not, just not able to respond the same day or the next to my problem. I would highly recommend them in addition to the BBB giving them a great rating." c) George Gilde, Brightview Electrical Co., 1205 Delmont Road, Severn, 410-551-1457 [Aug 2010-Dave recommended this firm.] 14) Real Estate Agent-The Garcia Team of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Melodie and Greg Garcia - home grown local Realtors who know your area. For all real estate needs, buying, selling, investing renting- give us a call. Melodie 410-375-1513 and Greg 240-240-535-3317 or office 410-740-7100. Thank you for your support and keep the info coming! Roger [PCRC President Dave Daughters newsletter starts here.] Western District View Western District Police-Community Relations Council October 2010 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton, Maryland 21113 Next Meeting – SET The next meeting of the Western District Police-Community Relations Council will be on Wednesday, October 13, 2010, in the meeting room at the Western District Station, starting at 7:30 p.m. A representative of the Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team will provide a briefing on their operations. SET is a specialized team of officers, based in Crownsville, that provides support to all the districts when additional manpower and skills are needed for an investigation and search for suspects. They were instrumental in helping resolve some major cases in Western District. Knowing how these officers function, and where they fit in the scheme of things, should be both interesting and useful. Traffic Safety On September 23rd, I attended the quarterly meeting of the Anne Arundel County Community Traffic Safety Task Force. The task force meets to discuss and coordinate programs involving Anne Arundel County, Maryland State Police, Annapolis Police, Transportation Authority Police, State Highway Administration and civilian representatives. The meetings are mandated by the various grant programs that provide money to Anne Arundel County. At this meeting, several awards were presented for traffic enforcement and safety during 2009: Corporal Gary Kazor, Southern District, for the highest impaired driver arrests – 75 in 2009. Corporal Scott Pederson, Northern District, for most productive seat belt enforcement during the 2010 Click It Or Ticket campaign. Corporal Nicholas DiPetro, Northern District, for the most productive enforcement in all areas of grant funded campaigns. Officer Richard Mioduszewski, Annapolis Police Department, for his overall performance in traffic safety programs in the city. Officer Eric Davis, Annapolis Police department, for his performance in impaired driving arrests in Annapolis. Leslie Thomas, Mother Against Drunk Drivers, for her dedication to impaired driving enforcement. Some statistics were also provided for program operations funded by grant money: In the Smooth Operator Program, targeting aggressive driving, during the period from July to September 2010, 799 vehicles were stopped, resulting in 18 arrests for driving on suspended or revoked license, 7 other arrests, 301 citations and 473 warnings. In Driving Under the Influence enforcement, during the same period, 676 stops were made, resulting in 26 arrests for DWI/DUI, 16 arrests for driving on suspended or revoked licenses, 10 arrests for illegal drugs, and the issuance of 380 traffic citations and 505 warnings. Odenton Traffic Circle At the Traffic Safety Task Force meeting, the State Highway Administration traffic engineer explained the reason for all the traffic cones at the Odenton traffic circle. They were put in place due to frequent accidents and problems with speeding in the two-lane circle, reducing it to a single lane circle. SHA is evaluating the effect and at some point will decide whether to make the changed configuration permanent or not. The engineer did not know how long the evaluation phase will take. Western District Traffic Coordinator Due to Corporal Brian Smith’s absence for medical problems, Corporal David Stallings has been assigned as the Western District Traffic Coordinator on an interim basis. He can be reached at 410-222-6155 or P91445@aacounty.org. He has been invited to stop by at a meeting to be introduced and we’ll probably schedule a longer session with him once he gets settled in. Minutes of September 8, 2010 Meeting The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. Treasurer Linda Reece provided her report. We currently have $896.34 in the treasury. The treasurer’s report and the minutes from the June meeting, as published in the newsletter, were approved. President Dave Daughters previewed some upcoming program events in the PCRC schedule: In October, our guest speaker will be a member of the police Special Enforcement Team. One of the team’s primary duties is to locate people – either victims or suspects. The speaker will also discuss other duties of the team. Dave addressed a problem about when to schedule the annual Holiday Buffet for Western District officers and personnel. For 18 years, the PCRC has scheduled this event on the 2nd Wednesday of December, the same day as its normal December meeting. This date has always proven to be convenient for all concerned. In recent years, however, the banquet for the Reserve Officers has been scheduled on the same day, causing a conflict for those who desire to attend both events. Dave will contact the Reserve Officer Coordinator to see what can be done. Dave noted that more volunteers are needed to serve in the Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program, because officer manning in Western District is currently critically low and unless volunteers are located, the district’s reception window may go unmanned, if a booking officer is not present. By policy, no officers can be spared for that duty. Dave requested that this need for more VIPS volunteers be disseminated to all community organizations in Western District. Interested parties can obtain additional information by calling Dave or Lt Ziwoliak, or through the County Police website. Lieutenant Ziowoliak, filling in to Captain Flemings, who was not available, delivered the Captain’s Report. In general, crime in Western District has – with a few exceptions – has been under control during the summer months. There was a mugging in the Provinces, with no further information yet available, and several incidents in the same community of people getting shot at with BB guns from moving vehicles. There was one resolved homicide and some repeated acts of people stealing motorcycles and transporting them away in U-Haul trucks. One vehicle – a dark green Dodge Caravan – has been tentatively linked to the BB shootings and Lt. Ziwoliak requested that all citizens be on the alert and report any sightings of such a vehicle in their area. Several members reminded everyone that a number of events of possible interest will take place in the near future. On September 18th, the First Annual Preparedness Fair will be held in downtown Glen Burnie on Post 40 Road, at the Glen Burnie Improvement Association building. On Saturday, September 25th, the Jessup Family Day Parade and vendor’s sale is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jessup Community Hall. Also on September 25th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a drug turn-in, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency, will take place at the Western District Station. Citizens are encouraged to turn in prescription or other drugs for safe disposal. The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 p.m. United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association This organization conducts both mail and telephone solicitations for donations, most recently sending out a desktop calculator that doesn’t work. According to the Better Business Bureau, the same organization also operates under the names of the American Foundation of Disabled Children, the Breast Cancer Relief Organization and the Reserve Police Officer’s Association. In turn, the American Foundation of Disabled Children also does business as The Association of Firefighters & Paramedics, while the Breast Cancer Relief Foundation also does business as the Firefighters Charitable Foundation and the Firefighter Support Foundation. None of these organizations have provided BBB with information for evaluation, despite written requests. One complaint sent to BBB was forwarded to the organization and received no response. Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org) has information on only two of the organizations – United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association and Firefighters Charitable Foundation. Both have zero stars (out of a possible four), largely because of their high fundraising expenses and low program expenses. Out of an annual revenue of $6,763,124, the United States Deputy Sheriff’s Association spents 73.7% on fundraising and only 17.8% on programs. The Firefighters Charitable Foundation, with an annual income of $6,192,400, spends 86.7% on fundraising and only 8.3% on actual programs. In October, 2003, the Kansas Sheriff’s Association and the Douglas County (Kansas) Sheriff’s Office denied any association or benefits from the organization after citizens there received repeated solicitation calls, and in December 2008, Chief Matthew Tobia, of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department said that his department received no benefits from the Firefighters Charitable Foundation and the Firefighter Support Foundation, after residents in this area received calls implying that their donations would help local firefighters. Use your charitable donations wisely. Some Final Words Some thoughts on the slots referendum: •Any time a developer touts the benefit to a community, it really means that the real winner will be the developer. In this instance, David Cordish has millions of dollars in corporate and personal wealth at stake. He’ll talk about what the community might get, but has yet to make public what he would get. •The pro-slots campaign has promised millions for Anne Arundel County, in one ad, they’ll say it will go to the police; in another, that it will go for teachers. The fact is that Cordish cannot guarantee any of that. Money will go to the county government, where politicians and bureaucrats will decide where to spend it. •State law requires that impact fees be spent on infrastructure in the “immediate vicinity” of the development. Thus, not a dollar will go to benefit Glen Burnie, Crofton, Millersville, Lothian, etc. •A counter-argument is that it will free up money for other works. But the money will go to infrastructure changes made necessary by the casino. Money that would not have to be spent otherwise. •The county Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) is backing the referendum, with absolutely no assurance that the police will be any benefit. I think that I have demonstrated over the past 30 years that I strongly support the police efforts on our behalf, but on this issue, I believe that the FOP has made a deal with the devil. •In one Cordish TV ad, support is expressed by a woman identified as Shannon Chatlos of Annapolis. It is true that Chatlos lives is Annapolis, but she is also the Regional Director of Political Sales, for Aristotle, a “political technology” corporation based in Atlanta, Georgia, that sells its services to political campaigns. I don’t know for sure, but it’s highly possible that they produced those ads. •Many Cordish mailers have the name of Todd Lamb. Todd Lamb lives in Sykesville, not in Anne Arundel County. Dave Daughters President 410-672-5703 dldaugh@aol.com [Senator Ed DeGrange's letter starts here.] September 8, 2010 TO: THE CITIZENS OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 32 LONG OVERDUE RESTRICTIONS PUT ON DEBT SETTLEMENT COMPANIES The decline of the economy, unemployment, maxed out credit cards and health care bills are just some of the causes that have driven Americans into debt. In order to obtain debt relief and get back on their feet, many individuals have reached out to debt settlement companies. These companies usually require large upfront fees that equal about 15%-20% of the consumer’s outstanding debt balance and in exchange, they promise to negotiate with the consumer’s creditors in order to reduce their unsecured debt by 50%. Often, however, the consumer is unable to actually obtain debt relief and is forced into bankruptcy. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) acknowledged that debt settlement complaints have doubled from 2007 to 2009. The Maryland Better Business Bureau (“BBB”) has logged 3,500 complaints about debt settlement firms involving high fees and debts that were never settled. The 2010 Maryland General Assembly passed Senate Bill 701 Commercial Law - Debt Settlement Services – Study. This legislation requires the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation in consultation with the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General to conduct a study of the debt settlement services industry and to determine how to best regulate the industry in the State. The report, which will outline the study’s findings, is to be completed by December 2010. In the meantime, the FTC announced restrictions on debt settlement companies. The regulations will prohibit debt settlement companies from charging an upfront fee and will only allow them to charge a fee once a customer’s debt has been reduced, settled or renegotiated. The new regulation will also require debt settlement companies to disclose to customers how long it will take to get results, how much it will cost, and any negative consequences that could arise from the process. These regulations will go into effect on October 27, 2010. The problem with the new FTC regulations is that they only apply to agreements made as a result of telephone calls by debt relief companies to consumers or consumers’ calls to a company in response to advertisements. While nearly all the fraudulent activity in the debt relief industry involves telephone traffic, perhaps the 2011 General Assembly session will seek to expand the application of the restrictions. The Maryland Consumer Rights Commission wants a State law banning upfront fees and making the same FTC requirements. The Commission also wants the State law to include debt settlement done strictly over the Internet. I have no doubt that regulation of the Debt Settlement Companies will be an important issue during the 2011 Maryland General Assembly. In the meantime though, the Better Business Bureau advises individuals that are in debt, that using debt settlement companies should be the last step before bankruptcy. It is much better to contact creditors at the first hint of trouble to ask if they can work out a repayment plan or settlement. Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding this or any other legislative issue of concern to you. I continue to encourage and welcome your input. Sincerely, James "Ed" DeGrange, Sr. State Senator, District 32 James Senate Office Building 11 Bladen Street, Room 101 Annapolis, Maryland 21401 (410)-841-3593 (410)-841-3589 (fax) James.DeGrange@senate.state.md.us

Kidnapping on Pinyon

From the police blotter on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/notes/anne-arundel-county-police-department/7-26-10-kidnapping-update-victim-recovered-and-one-suspect-arrested/408651127114

June 16 2010 newsletter from Roger Fox

Guys, 1) The Harman Civic Association is again sponsoring "Meet The Firefighters Day at the Harmans/Dorsey Firehouse (Company 21)" 10:00am-3:00pm, Saturday, June 26, 2010. I have attached the flyer here. Remember when you were a kid the first time you got to go on a field trip to your local fire station? This is a wonderful opportunity for you to take your kids or grandkids (and you!) to meet the firefighters at our local fire station. You can enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and fantastic desserts. The station Captain is very enthused about opening the firehouse to the local communities. Many of us have seen our local firefighters in action. They, along with our police officers and other public servants, work to keep our communities safe and a great place to live. Come out and enjoy the event and see the latest equipment our fightfighers are using. 2) President Wayne Dixon and the Harman Civic Association (HCA) continue to work hard for our communities. The Harman Civic Association Exec Board has several new, active members. Vice President Earl Wright, Recording Secretary Darlene Wright, and Corresponding Secretary Diana Ma have joined the team. Or course, HCA Officer Rusty Bristow continues to give so much of his time to the association and a myriad of other activities in our communities. The HCA breaks during the summer. They will convene again at 7:00pm, Thurs, Sept 23, 2010, in the Harmans Community Room at Arundel Mills Mall. Have a great summer! Roger

June 7 2010 newsletter from Roger Fox

Guys, 1) 7:30pm, Wed, 9 June 2010-The last PCRC (Police-Community Relations Council) meeting before the summer break. I am posting PCRC President Dave Daughters' June newsletter (at the end of this report) on the specifics. This is a great opportunity to meet the police commander to discuss your concerns, whether they are in our communities or elsewhere in the county. 2) On 18 May, Senator Ed DeGrange sent a letter out on "2010 SAFE SCHOOLS ACT - HELPING SCHOOLS DETER GANG PARTICIPATION" His e-mail letter is posted below the PCRC newsletter. 3) Delegate Pam Beidle sent her session closing letter back in April. It is listed below after Senator DeGrange's letter. 4) I forgot to mention another major pet concern by many homeowners. I get e-mails from some of our folks were are beside themselves angered over pet owners who walk their dogs and don't pick after their pets. Many of our homeowners do take all the right actions, but there are always a few folks who walk their pets and let them leave their jobs behind in other residents' yards. We need to make sure we get the word out to pet owners to take responsibility for their pets' actions. Dog urine is a little more difficult to take care of, but again, residents get very angry when their plants are effected by this problem. Here's what one of our watch folks sent me: "Those who don't garden may not realize that dog urine is toxic to plants and flowers. Even a small amount is enough to burn or kill a plant or flower. Please be a good neighbor and don't allow your dogs to stop and urinate in neighbors' flower beds while on walks. Thank you." Have a safe and enjoyable summer! Roger Western District View Western District Police-Community Relations Council June 2010 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton, Maryland 21113 Next Meeting – Talk to District Commander The next meeting of the Western District Police-Community Relations Council will be on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in the meeting room at the Western District Station, starting at 7:30 p.m. This will be an open forum, with no guest speaker, to provide extended time to talk to the District Commander. If you have had problems in your community or neighborhood, or if you foresee the need for extra police attention on problem areas over the summer, this will be an ideal time to raise your concerns. The District Commander will also have additional time to discuss ongoing police programs and respond to questions. Summer Break Following the June 9th meeting, we will take a break for the summer, with no meeting in July and August. Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 8, 2010. Minutes of May 12th meeting PCRC President Dave Daughters called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. He and Vice-President Anna Brus then led members and guests in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Our guest speaker for this meeting - Cpl. Brian Smith - was then introduced and invited to deliver his presentation on traffic problems, noise complaints and other miscellaneous law enforcement issues. Western District officers, he pointed out, have been very busy.. They currently lead all other districts in traffic stops and response to calls for service. Cpl. Smith also touched on many other topics - including traffic circles, traffic speed studies, water hydrant usage and users, problems and issues involving ATVs (all terrain vehicles), plus noise and noise abatement techniques, equipments and targets. PCRC Treasurer Linda Reece then read her report. The PCRC Secretary followed with his reading of the minutes for the April 14th meeting. Dave then noted that this was that time of the year when the PCRC usually reduced its bank balance by purchasing something that Western District personnel urgently needed, but for which they usually had no funds or any prospects of acquiring funds. In the absence of both Capt. Flemings and Lt. Zywiolek, Cpl. Smith relayed their request that the PCRC buy some leg shackles for Western District. Shackles, he explained, were important in certain arrest situations, but currently there were no funds to purchase them. Leg shackles cost some $50 per set. After discussion a motion was made and passed to allocate $600 for purchase of shackles. At some time in the future an evaluation will be made to determine whether or not more funds might be made available. Dave adjourned the meeting at approximately 9 PM. Membership Renewals There are several who have not yet initiated or renewed their membership for 2010. We want to make sure that our records are accurate. A copy of the membership form is provided with this newsletter. If you have not yet done so, please complete the form and return it at your earliest convenience. For mail recipients, the form is included for those who have not yet renewed. If at all possible, check the box to receive the newsletter by email. This will save a lot in copying and postage costs. If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft There are several steps to take. Notify your financial institution to contact you if there is any unusual activity on your account and to change your PINs. Contact police in the jurisdiction where the tehft took place. Files a report and keep a copy. Call your postmaster if you think the mail was used. Call the fraud division of one of the credit reporting agencies and request that a “fraud alert” be placed on your name and Social Security number. Reporting fraud will require any company or creditor to contact you to authorize any new credit. Ask for copies of all your reports. As a victim of identity theft, you’ll get them free. Follow up your call with a letter and enclose a copy of the police report. By doing this, you are protected legally should the agencies fail to remove the crime from your record. It is only necessary to call one credit reporting agency. Within 24 hours, each agency will attach a fraud alert to your record. The single call also opts you out of all preapproved offers of credit or insurance for two years and will get you a mailed copy of your credit file. Call the creditors who opened accounts in your name. Inform them of the identity theft and close the accounts. Get copies of all transactions and applications on the accounts. Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 877-IDTheft. Request and file the ID Theft Affidavit that alerts companies and organizations that may have fraudulent accounts opened in your name. Important Numbers: To report identity theft, contact one of these credit reporting agencies: TransUnion 800-916-8800 www.transunion.com Experian 888-397-3742 www.experian.com Equifax 800-685-1111 www.equifax.com Frederal Trade Commission Identity Theft Hotline: 877-IDTheft (877-438-4338) For online identity theft: www.consumer.gov/idtheft/ To receive your free credit report by phone, mail or online: annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228 Social Security statement request: 800-772-1213, or www.ssa.gov Identity Theft Resoruce Center (non-profit) 858-693-7935, or www.idtheftcenter.org Some Final Words Have an enjoyable summer. Dave Daughters President 410-672-5703 dldaugh@aol.com [Senator DeGrange's Letter] May 18, 2010 TO: THE CITIZNES OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 32 2010 SAFE SCHOOLS ACT - HELPING SCHOOLS DETER GANG PARTICIPATION Unfortunately, schools have become a breeding ground for gang recruitment. In order to enable schools to effectively thwart gang activity, the Maryland General Assembly passed and the Governor signed into law the Safe Schools Act of 2010. While a prior law did require a law enforcement agency to inform a certain school official of a student, between the ages of 5 and 22, who was arrested for a reportable offense or an offense that is related to the student’s membership in a criminal gang, this Act strengthens the already existing law. Specifically, this Act expands the list of reportable offenses to include malicious destruction of property, second degree assault, witness intimidation, retaliation against a witness, intimidating or corrupting a juror, and auto theft. In addition the Act requires the law enforcement agency to report a student’s arrest and their charges to the local superintendent, school principal and if the school has a security officer, the schools security officer within 24 hours of the arrest or as soon as practicable. This law also allows a court to notify specified school administrators if the court places a child enrolled in a public elementary or secondary school under the supervision or custody of a local department of social services or the Department of Juvenile Services. Additionally, the law requires the State Board of Education, to develop a model policy to address gangs, gang activity and similar destructive or illegal group behavior in schools by March 31, 2011. Along with prohibiting gang activity in schools, the policy must include the consequences and remedial actions for engaging in gang activity. This law will help close the existing communication gap between law enforcement agencies and schools and will provide the schools with another tool to address gangs in the school system. Research shows that two thirds of all serious and violent chronic juvenile offenders are gang members and that youth who are active in gangs continue a pattern of violence, drug use, and trafficking well after they leave the gang. Active participation in a gang negatively impacts a student’s ability to do well in school, get a job, and develop positive social contacts with their family and community. The sharing of information permitted by this law alerts a school that a student may be at risk of succumbing to gang activity and allows the school time to provide intervention. Please do not hesitate to contact me on this or any other legislative issue of concern to you. As always, I encourage and welcome your input. Sincerely, James "Ed" DeGrange, Sr. State Senator, District 32 James Senate Office Building 11 Bladen Street, Room 101 Annapolis, Maryland 21401 (410)-841-3593 (410)-841-3589 (fax) James.DeGrange@senate.state.md.us [Delegate Pam Beidle's April Newsletter] My four years in the legislature have gone by quickly. I have learned a great deal about State Government and I am proud to represent the citizens of District 32. If I am honored to be re-elected, I will no longer be a "freshman delegate." It is difficult to be effective in Annapolis in your first term. I have been the primary sponsor on six bills that have passed and become law and have co-sponsored many more. I look forward to working on your issues in the future term. This is a long newsletter with information on most of the issues that we acted on this year and for others a historic review of their progress during the past four years. The entire delegation supported six bond bills, all of which passed. Funds will be provided for the Reece Road Community Health Center in District 32, the William Paca House, the Coordinating Center for Home and Community Care Building Facilities, the Annapolis High School Concession Stand, Arundel High School lights and Southern and Broadneck High Schools lights. The entire delegation also sponsored five bills that passed. The Delegates from District 31 and 32 made a bi-partisan effort to pass gang legislation. Most of this legislation was rolled into one Gang Bill, SB 517 that was passed. BUDGET & CAPITAL BUDGET This session, the legislature made balancing the budget, public safety and job creation the top priorities. Working with the Administration and the Senate, we passed a number of bills to crack down on sex offenders, create tax credits and streamline government to give the private sector more confidence to invest in the economy. Balancing the State's Operating Budget Recognizing these tough economic times, the legislature balanced the State's operating budget for next fiscal year, while protecting our priorities of education, higher education and public safety. This budget continues to constrain spending to offset significant declines in revenues due to the global economic recession. Maryland balances its budget every year. We do not deficit spend or put future bills on the State credit card. Over the last four years, the State's General Fund budget decreased 3% while continuing to increase education funding and healthcare funding for Marylanders. Even if the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, commonly referred to as stimulus money, is included, the Governor and legislature have limited increases in funding to less than a third of spending increases from the four years prior. The FY11 budget: · Cuts spending by $525M in spending for next fiscal year, bringing the State's General Fund budget down to $13.19B. State General Fund spending - the funding source that we fund most core programs out of - is below 2007 levels. Overall spending also decreases almost 2% from last year. (FY10= $32.2B compared to FY11= $31.9B) · Makes government smaller and more efficient, with 4,000 fewer State government positions over the past four years, including eliminating 600 positions in this year's budget. · Maintains our commitment to K-12 education, one of the only areas in the budget to increase. Next year, the State will provide $5.7B in education aid for teachers, textbooks, and other important education needs. This budget supports 849,000 public school children in Maryland. · Continues our commitment to higher education, as well, providing $1.2B in funding to our colleges, universities and community colleges. This budget supports 121,235 students who want to attend a Maryland school next year and the 140,000 community college students. · Takes prudent steps to curtail outyear increases by cutting over $1 billion from the projected 2012 structural gap. The legislature leaves nearly $830M in cash reserves, including the State's Rainy Day Fund. Maryland is again one of only seven states in the country to retain the coveted triple-A bond rating, even through this global recession. The independent Fitch Ratings Agency has done a comprehensive review of the State's finances and highlighted that Maryland's "financial operations are conservative". Studying Teacher Pension Funding One of the biggest cost drivers in the growth of the State's budget is the cost of teacher pensions. This year, the cost increased nearly $130 million dollars and next year, projections are that the cost of teacher pensions for the State will increase another $100 million. The Senate proposed to phase-in a cost sharing of teacher pensions with local governments, beginning in Fiscal Year 2012. The House of Delegates rejected the cost shift plan. Instead, the legislature has agreed to create a Sustainability Commission of private sector experts to take a comprehensive look at the State's retirement system - which supports State employees, current retirees and teachers - and make recommendations to the legislature by December. Investing in the State's Capital Assets The State will continue to have a robust capital budget in order to generate jobs in the construction sector. The construction industry in Maryland has suffered significant job losses as a result of the crisis in the housing market that began in 2007. Prior to the crisis, construction employment in Maryland was strong, exceeding 190,000 for all of 2006 and most of 2007. Since June 2007, however, employment has fallen by 24%, to 145,400 in October 2009, the latest period for which figures are available. Over this fiscal year and next (FY10 and FY11), capital budget spending will provide 44,913 direct jobs. The capital budget includes: · $250M in school construction funding, bringing the full funding to $1.25 billion for this term. · $350M in funding for higher education facilities, including $73M for historically black institutions and over $80 million for community colleges. · $330M for environmental programs, including $20M for the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund, which provides funding for cover crops and other environmental programs to help restore the health of the Bay and Atlantic Coastal Bays. We funded $65M in Program Open Space Funding and Rural Legacy programs. Maryland's agricultural economy supports 350,000 jobs and $17B in revenue, according to the Maryland Manual. · $26M for new public safety facilities. This funding will help the men and women of law enforcement continue to fight crime across the State - an investment that has lead to the lowest levels of violent crime since 1986. No Raise for Legislators The legislature rejected a recommendation from the General Assembly Compensation Commission, a five member constitutionally mandated, citizen commission, to increase legislative pay in 2013 and 2014. In rejecting the pay raise, we tightened rules that prohibit future legislators that are convicted of a felony or misdemeanor related to their public office from collecting any pension at all. By 2014, legislative salaries will not have increased in 8 years and over 80% of legislators have participated in the voluntary furlough program over the past two years. PUBLIC SAFETY Keeping Our Students Safe from Gangs Speaker Busch introduced legislation this year to improve communication between schools and law enforcement, in order to prevent gang recruitment and expansion in schools across the State. The Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center reports that there is gang activity in every county in the State of Maryland. The State Department of Juvenile Services reports that children as young as 10 years old are being recruited to participate in gangs in Maryland. The Safe Schools Act of 2010 expands the types of crimes that law enforcement must report to school personnel if a child is arrested; requires the creation of a statewide model gang policy for school systems; and requires the assessment of intervention and prevention programs that schools can access. Cracking Down on Criminal Gangs The legislature also passed legislation to tighten up the existing State Gang Statute, supported by the Attorney General and State's Attorney's Association. The General Assembly passed the first Gang Prosecution Act in 2007 to crack down on criminal gang activity, including stiff penalties for crimes committed in support of a criminal gang. A gang member convicted under this statute is subject to up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. Maryland is one of 31 states that have enacted similar laws to combat the spread of gang violence. This year's law takes a step further by specifically prohibiting someone from being a gang "kingpin", makes a person eligible to receive an additional sentence if convicted of other underlying crimes, and creates stiffer penalties for gang members convicted of a second offense under this law or if death results in the commission of a gang crime. Tightening Sex Offender Laws Over the past four years, the legislature has provided several new tools to help law enforcement prosecute violent sex offenders. During the 2006 special session, the legislature passed Jessica's Law, which requires a 25 year mandatory minimum sentence for first degree rape and sex offenses. In 2007, the legislature eliminated the possibility of parole for Jessica's Law offenders. That same year, the legislature passed a law requiring court-ordered mental health assessments of sex offenders convicted of sexual abuse against a minor. In 2008, Governor Martin O'Malley and the legislature followed implementation of Jessica's Law with a bill requiring the collection of DNA on arrest for any crime of violence or felony burglary. Over 24,000 DNA samples have been eliminated from the State's backlog and, as a result, over 100 sex offenders have been arrested. Hailed as one of the most comprehensive package of sexual predator legislation in Maryland, we passed bills to: · Bring Maryland into compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act. The bill was amended to require homeless sex offenders, sex offenders convicted of indecent exposure and possessors of child pornography and offenders who repeatedly abuse children under the age of 14 to register on the Maryland Sex Offender Registry. The bill expands information posted on the Maryland Sex Offender registry to include places of employment, other residences and a plain language description of the crime. · Require lifetime supervision of serious and repeat sex offenders including GPS monitoring. · Require a judge, instead of a district court commissioner, to determine whether a registered sex offender arrested for any crime is entitled to pretrial release. · Eliminate diminution credits for the most serious sex offenders and repeat third degree offenders. · Further strengthen the State's prohibition against possessing or promoting child pornography. · Increase mandatory minimum sentences for second degree sex offenders and rapists from 5 to 15 years. · Reconstitute the Sex Offender Advisory Board to make policy recommendations to the executive and legislative branches. Making Maryland Roads Safer As more research comes to the forefront about the dangers of using a handheld cell phone while driving, the legislature this year passed a law that prohibits a driver from holding a cell phone while driving. SB321, which will take effect October 1st, makes driving while using a handheld cell phone a secondary offense (meaning the cell phone use cannot be the only reason a driver is pulled over) with a fine of $40 for the first time and $100 for any subsequent time. Six states and our neighbor, Washington D.C., prohibit cell phone use while driving. Supporting the State's Trauma System Continuing our focus on the State's renowned trauma system, the House of Delegates pushed for a $20M pre-authorization in funding to continue the purchase program for Medevac helicopters, to replace the State's aging fleet. Last year, the House increased funding to $52.5M in order to purchase the first three helicopters. This additional funding for FY12 will help keep the replacement program on track, to help volunteer firefighters and medical personnel save lives. The House pushed to fully fund the Charles E. Reilly scholarship program, a scholarship program that provides funding for fire and EMS rescue personnel to attend any higher education institution in Maryland. Passing a Correctional Officers Bill of Rights Supported by Correctional Officers around the State, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation to provide Correctional Officers with more protections while they serve. It means they will be afforded the same rights as the prisoners they are guarding and be presumed innocent until proven guilty. The legislation allows an employee to remain in a paid leave status pending a final decision on their case. It formalizes procedures for the interrogation of Correctional Officers and provides the department with better tools and more time to clear officers who are wrongly accused. These changes should help protect and clear innocent officers quickly and allow investigations to focus on officers who have broken the law. STIMULATING THE ECONOMY Creating a Job Tax Credit The Jobs Creation Recovery Tax Credit, signed into law in March, offers a $5,000 tax credit to any Maryland business that hires an unemployed Marylander. The bill is a one-year program: capped at $20 million, and $250,000 per employer. The worker must be employed for at least one year, and must fill a position that is new or that has been vacant for the prior six months. This legislation directly creates 4,000 jobs and will also help the private sector begin to reinvest in the State's economy. Increasing the Biotech Tax Credit The Maryland House of Delegates confirmed their continued commitment to the biotech tax credit again this year, by increasing the available funding to $8 million in the budget for a program that creates high paying jobs across Maryland. This credit is a proven job creator that has put Maryland at the forefront of the growing biotech industry. This funding is an essential tool in supporting early stage biotech companies. Creating a Small Business Loan Guaranty program In another effort to support businesses during these tough economic times, Governor O'Malley called for streamlining the loan approval process for small businesses and expanding access to credit by creating the Maryland Small Business Credit Recovery Program, offering a loan guaranty on small business deals through the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development's current loan guaranty program - the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority Program (MIDFA). The FY11 budget allots $5M for the Maryland Small Business Credit Recovery Program that will streamline the loan approval process and allow the State to guarantee a small percentage of loans, helping banks provide much-needed capital for our small businesses. Providing Property Tax Relief for Small Businesses The General Assembly unanimously passed HB484, legislationwhich gives small businesses the ability to pay their property taxes in two installments instead one lump sum payment, if the property tax assessment is under $50,000. This bill provides over 93,000 small business properties with added flexibility to avoid making difficult cuts to their businesses or employees to pay their property taxes in one lump sum. Creating the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit to Promote Construction Investment & Jobs Legislation sponsored by Governor O'Malley, HB 475, replaces the Heritage Tax Credit with a new program designed to create and sustain construction and design jobs in redeveloping historic structures, and support environmentally-friendly building standards. The Sustainable Communities Tax Credit is funded at $10M for existing commercial and residential structures, as well as qualified rehabilitated structures in Main Street communities. The program maintains the commercial project cap at $3 million and residential project cap at $50,000, but also provides a bonus credit of 5% for LEED certified construction on a commercial project. Retooling the State Unemployment Insurance System The product of months of negotiations, a new law has taken effect to reduce the burdens of high unemployment insurance rates on Maryland businesses by: · Creating payment plans to spread payments out over the entire calendar year · Guaranteeing payment plans and lower interest rates in future times of high unemployment · Reducing interest rate for late payments from 1.5% to .5%, a 200% reduction · Shoring up the UI system with an immediate influx of $126.8 million through cost-neutral modernization by covering more unemployed workers but eliminating sick claims, increasing penalties for misconduct and making adjustments to benefit calculations. Having bipartisan support, this bill was signed by Governor O'Malley in March. These changes to the unemployment insurance system in Maryland are critical to continue to give businesses the relief and certainty needed to begin to dig out of this recession and put people back to work. Protecting Homeowners from Foreclosure Foreclosures continue to drag on our economy and rip apart Maryland communities. Many of these foreclosures happen without the homeowners ever talking to a live person over the phone much less have a face to face meeting to discuss options to keep them in their homes. Maryland continues to have a high mortgage default rate with one in every 446 households in foreclosure, as of February 2010. The national average is one in every 409 households. HB472 is the product of more than six months of deliberations with consumer advocates, housing counselors, lenders, loan servicers, foreclosure attorneys and regulators. The bill is designed to: (1) ensure that lenders and loan servicers comply with federal law that requires them to consider whether the terms of a loan can be modified in ways that avoid a foreclosure, and (2) guarantee that a lender whose loan has not been modified and who thinks it should be is given an opportunity to meet with their lender in front of a neutral third party familiar with foreclosure issues to try to work out a solution that avoids foreclosure or reduces its impact on the homeowner. The bill goes into effect July 1st. Implementing a new Fast Track Process for State permits Legislators held a series of meetings throughout the session with staff from the Governor's office in order to streamline the State's permitting process to stimulate development across the State. Many different agencies are involved in issuing permits for new developments. As a result of our work, the State will soon have an expedited permitting process for major developments that create jobs across the State of Maryland. The legislature also unanimously passed legislation to streamline the minority business certification process. INVESTING IN EDUCATION Crafting the Third Wave of Education Reform Maryland has historically been on the cutting edge of education reform, as evidenced by significant improvements in student test scores over the past decade. This, plus the 82% increase in education funding since 2002, has lead to Maryland schools being ranked first in the country for two consecutive years. Maryland is eligible for up to $250M in education funding from the federal government, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. If Maryland receives the maximum funding, every county in the State could receive additional education funding from the federal government. Governor O'Malley introduced the Education Reform Act of 2010 that will not only make Maryland more effective in competing for the Race to the Top funds, but also begin the third wave of education reform, in order to continue the success of Maryland schools. The legislation: · Increases the length of time for a new teacher to achieve tenure from two years to three years. Currently, a teacher is eligible for tenure after two years in Maryland, with an additional year possible for teachers that do not meet the evaluation requirements. At two years, Maryland has one of the lowest teacher tenure durations in the country: 33 states require 3 years for teacher tenure and 8 states have more than 4 years. The legislation also requires student growth data to be used in teacher and principal evaluations. · Provides for local jurisdictions to implement differentiated pay programs to attract high-performing teachers to low-performing schools. The bill would provide stipends to teachers and principals in the lowest achieving 5% of Title I schools. Incentive pay programs have been piloted in Prince George's County, and parts of Baltimore City and Queen Anne's counties. Currently, 90% of Maryland teachers are "highly qualified", yet Maryland ranks last in the country for distribution of highly qualified teachers to the State's lowest performing schools. Capping Tuition Costs Next Year After a record 40% tuition increase last term, the legislature and the O'Malley Administration froze tuition for four straight years at Maryland public colleges and universities. After this record investment to make college more accessible and affordable, we again took prudent action to pass the Tuition Stabilization Act that caps in-state tuition growth at 3% for the 2010-2011 school year. This means that tuition for Maryland universities rose only 3% in five years, at a time when many states are seeing double-digit increases over the same period of time. Funding School Construction This year's capital budget funds $250M in school construction, totaling $1.25 billion over the last four years. While we are making record investments in funding for teachers, textbooks and programs, it is also important that we continue to modernize school facilities and provide the best learning environment possible to our students. PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT Protecting the Chesapeake Bay Over the past several years, the Governor and the legislature has worked to clean up the Bay including passing legislation to create the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund; enhancing the Bay's natural oyster population; strengthening the Critical Areas law and establishing aquaculture enterprise zones to restore the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay is Maryland's crown jewel. We all agree that maintaining the health of the Bay is important to our State. To that end, the legislature has funded the Trust Fund at $20 million for the coming fiscal year, as well as retained a fund balance in the Fund for existing projects. Accelerating Maryland Solar Energy Use In order to spur investment in Maryland's burgeoning industrial and residential solar industry, the General Assembly passed Governor O'Malley's legislation to require electricity suppliers to accelerate the amount solar energy in the electricity they supply to Marylanders. This legislation will supplement the State's clean energy supply and help stimulate new green jobs for Marylanders. This legislation will accelerate Maryland's Solar Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements in 2011 through 2017, resulting in more residential and commercial solar installations in those years. It will make the phase-in of the Solar RPS more evenly distributed over the next decade and provide long-term support for Maryland's growing solar industry. This change will put the State's solar goals in line with New Jersey and Delaware. Additional solar energy in Maryland will decrease peak load electricity prices in the summertime, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by displacing fossil-fueled powered generation, create new green jobs, and help Maryland meet its renewable energy goals. OPEN GOVERNMENT REFORMS We are elected by the people and serve the people so it is important that we make the legislative proceedings easily accessible to the public. With the advent of the Internet, we have many more tools available to promote transparency. This year, a number of Democratic and Republican members introduced legislation to bring legislative proceedings into the 21st century. Thanks to their hard work, we have implemented a number of recommendations this session. Final votes from each of the House and Senate standing committees are placed online before the bill comes to the floor for consideration. The House of Delegates completed a test run of a new system to live stream committee hearings this session, with the intent of making this available to the general public in the 2011 legislative session. Legislation passed with unanimous bipartisan support to require local elected officials to meet or exceed the State ethics laws relating to financial disclosures and conflicts of interest. Prior to enactment of this bill, each county and municipality enacted their own standards which may or may not have been as stringent as State laws. PUBLIC HEALTH Banning Dangerous Chemicals Affecting Children On January 1, 2012, child care articles, including bottles and sippy cups, can no longer be manufactured or sold in Maryland with the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA). According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), BPA can leach from the linings of canned foods and polycarbonate water and baby bottles, resulting in possible health risks to the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children. Prohibiting Fraud in the Medicaid System The Maryland False Claims Act (SB 279) will protect Maryland against theft and fraud in the State's Medicaid budget. Under current law, the state can do little to recover dollars paid out through false claims against the Medicaid program. The State's only recourse is to bring administrative actions against suspected perpetrators, but this painstaking process limits any recovery to only actual losses, with no penalties or damages to deter repeat offenders. The federal program, started in 1986, has recovered $24 billion to the government. Additional studies have shown that for every $1 spent on fraud enforcement, the government has recovered $15. However, the reach of the Federal FCA is limited and now States are enacting False Claims Acts to increase recoveries. Virginia, for example, recovered $100 million in the two years after it enacted an FCA. Prior to enacting an FCA, the Commonwealth recovered approximately $20 million. Creating a new Commission to Implement Federal Healthcare Reforms During the legislative session, Governor O'Malley signed an Executive Order creating the Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council. Maryland is already a national model for controlling health care costs under Maryland's unique "all-payer" hospital rate setting system. This term, Maryland has extended health care coverage to 161,000 Marylanders, 78,500 of which are children, under the Working Families and Small Business Health Coverage Act. The Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council will consist of private sector, government and legislative members and assist the executive and legislative branches of state government with the delivery of health care reforms from the federal level to the homes and businesses of Main Street Maryland. Assignment of Benefits The legislature also passed Senate Bill 314 that streamlines and improves the process for reimbursement of out-of-network physicians and protects consumers from unexpected and costly medical bills. The initial version of the legislation allowed for a patient to be "balanced-billed", meaning that a hospital-based physician, such as an anesthesiologist or emergency room doctor, could charge a patient for any services related to a hospital visit when the physician is not in the patient's insurance network. House leaders removed that provision before final passage. Now, patients will be protected from the surprise of additional charges during hospital visits. I appreciate hearing from my constituents about issues that are important to you. Please continue to stay in touch. My contact information is: Pamela.beidle@house.state.md.us, (410)841-3370 or fax: (410)841-3347. Also, please visit my fan page on Facebook, just search Delegate Pam Beidle. Best regards, Pam Beidle State Delegate

TREE SERVICE

After the storms in June, many homeowners had to have trees removed. I had two estimates to cut and remove an oak tree. National Tree Service will be removing it for $400. The other quote was $1000.00.

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