Harford County Council

District A Happenings

March 15, 2015 Volume 1, Issue 5

Council Office Contact

Information

Office Phone: 410-638-3521

Cell Phone: 443-752-2598

Email: DistrictA@HarfordCountyCouncil.com

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

Changing Lives, One Child at a Time Harford County has many wonderful programs to help

our children grow and mature, one of them is the Boys

and Girls Club of Harford County. Their mission says it

all: “To enable all young people, especially those who

need us most, to reach their full potential as productive,

caring, responsible citizens.”

In 1990, Boys and Girls Club began in Harford County, in

Aberdeen, where a group of concerned teachers, the

mayor and a city commissioner banded together with a

common purpose: to provide a safer and more educational

alternative for out-of-school time. The first group of 40

Aberdeen kids met in the basement of Grove Presbyterian

Church. Twenty-five years later, Boys & Girls Clubs are

serving nearly 4,000 kids at their five Clubs in Harford

County.

The Clubs are dedicated facilities, which offer a substan-

tial benefit to the children served by their programs.

These Clubs are neighborhood-centered, with programs in

specialized areas, including character development, edu-

cational enhancement and career exploration. Club em-

ployees are well-trained, full-time child youth develop-

ment professionals.

Character development and leadership are two primary

focus areas for the Clubs. The goal of these programs is to

help the children become responsible, caring citizens and

acquire the skills necessary to participate in the democrat-

ic process of our country. The children also develop lead-

ership skills and are provided opportunities for planning,

and decision-making, contributing to both Club and com-

munity.

Several programs help the youth create

aspirations for the future, providing op-

portunities for career exploration and edu-

cational enhancement. One of the programs is Project

Learn. Project Learn reinforces and enhances what the

children learn through activities which are fun, yet contin-

ue the learning. These activities include leisure reading,

writing activities, homework help and games like Scrab-

ble, which develop children’s cognitive skills. Another

wonderful tool the Clubs utilize is

the Power Hour. The Power Hour

provides Club professionals with

the strategies, activities, resources

and information to create an en-

gaging homework help and tutoring program, encourag-

ing Club members at every age to become self-directed

learners. Other programs offered

include: Money Matters: a pro-

gram to teach the 13-18 year old

club member financial responsi-

bility and independence. Career

Launch: a career exploration pro-

(Continued on page 2)

2

gram for the 13-18 year old member. Junior Staff assists

Club members ages 13 to 18 in exploring a career in

youth or human services, particularly Boys & Girls Club

work.

Another main focus for the Boys and Girls Club is to en-

courage the members to begin, achieve and maintain an

active and healthy life style. There are several programs

the Club uses to encourage this goal.

SMART Moves: The SMART Moves (Skills Mastery and

Resistance Training) prevention/education program ad-

dresses the problems of drug and alcohol use and prema-

ture sexual activity. Using proven techniques, the program

uses a team approach involving Club staff, peer leaders,

parents and community representatives. More than simply

emphasizing a “Say No” message, the program teaches

young people ages 6-15 how to say no by involving them

in discussion and role-playing, practicing resistance and

refusal skills, developing assertiveness, strengthening de-

cision-making skills and analyzing media and peer influ-

ence. The ultimate goal: to promote abstinence from sub-

stance abuse and adolescent sexual involvement through

the practice of responsible behavior.

SMART Girls: An outgrowth of

the popular and effective

SMART Moves program,

SMART Girls is a health, fitness,

prevention/education and self-

esteem enhancement program for girls ages 10-15. The

program is designed to encourage healthy attitudes and

lifestyles that will enable early adolescent girls to develop

to their full potential.

Passport to Manhood: The program promotes and teach-

es responsibility in Club boys ages 11 to 14. Passport to

Manhood consists of 14 sessions, each concentrating on a

specific aspect of character and manhood through highly

interactive activities.

Date SMART: This program is a sup-

plement to SMART Girls and Pass-

port to Manhood for Club members

aged 13 to 18. Through fun and easy-to-use sessions,

members learn how to achieve mutually supportive rela-

tionships free of violence and abuse.

The Boys and Girls Club provides chances for the mem-

bers to display their creativity, by providing exposure and

developing skills in crafts and visual, performing and lit-

erary arts. One national photography program is Image-

Makers. This comprehensive photography program en-

courages girls and boys to learn and practice photography

to express themselves. ImageMakers provides local, re-

gional and national recognition through an annual photog-

raphy contest. Winning photos will be displayed nation-

wide at museums as well as at Boys & Girls Clubs of

America’s annual National Conference. The National

Fine Arts Exhibit encourages creativity through a variety

of media. The Exhibit is made up of local, regional and

national exhibits. Artwork selected through a national

competition is displayed at Boys & Girls Clubs of Ameri-

ca’s annual National Conference.

As part of the Boys and Girls club goal for the members

to maintain and achieve an active life style, several pro-

grams are offered. WANNA

PLAY? encourages the 6 to 12

year old members to increase their

overall fitness and health through

physical activity and improved

nutrition education, while learning the fundamental skills

of baseball and softball. Badges for Baseball is designed

to teach the fundamentals of baseball and softball to chil-

dren ages 5 to 12. The members are instructed by Harford

County Sheriff Office Deputies. Triple Play is a compre-

hensive health and wellness pro-

gram, striving to improve the

overall health of Club members

aged 6-18 by increasing their daily

physical activity, teaching them

good nutrition and helping them develop healthy relation-

ships.

The Boys and Girls Clubs are forward thinking in the goal

to help their members reach their full potential. Realizing

there is a growing need for people in the science, technol-

ogy, engineering and math fields, otherwise known as

STEM programs, the Club has developed the i3STEM

program. This program uses hand-on, project based learn-

ing to have members learn about and enjoy science and

math from an early age, developing an interest and skills

in STEM areas.

Since the Boys and Girls Club wants to ensure the learn-

ing continues in the summer, they offer summer enrich-

ment programs too. The in-club summer programs in-(Continued on page 3)

Changing Lives, One Child at a Time (Con’t.)

3

clude field trips and swimming, in addition to other fun

planned activities.

Another little know the summer program the Boys and

Girls Club offers is Camp Hidden Valley, an outdoor

education program focused on character and leadership

development and curbing summer learning loss. It is lo-

cated on 180 acres of beautiful land along Deer Creek in

White Hall, Maryland. With walking and hiking trails,

low ropes courses, a swimming

pool, basketball, archery, indoor

spaces and volleyball, a well-

rounded camp experience has been

created. Each two week day camp

has a theme. You can look here for

more information. The Boys and

Girls Club also has a Family Swim

Center in Aberdeen. For an annual membership rate, a

family can have a safe, fun place swim.

When you look at all the Clubs provide it is hard to imag-

ine what it costs the families to have their children partici-

pate in the after school program. One would think it

would costs hundreds of dollars a month. While the pro-

gram is worth the cost, a family only pays $20 a year for

each member. Twenty dollars a year! This only happens

because of generous donations by local individuals and

companies, so it is important to thank them when you

know who they are. Summer Enrichment camps and

Camp Hidden Valley are offered at an additional cost.

The Boys and Girls Club is making a difference for the

youth of Harford County. The Clubs fill a vital gap and

provide needed programs to help our children grow now

and give them a springboard to a great future. As a matter

of record, 57% of Boys & Girls Club alumni say partici-

pating in a Club “saved my life.” What more can a com-

munity ask out of an organization?

Changing Lives

One Child at a Time (Cont’d) Spring Finally Arrives!! (We Hope)

March 20th

Joppa/Joppatowne community residents

have 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

Digging Out of Debt:

Cutting Expenses

If you look at the sample budget from last time, you

will see there is $143 dollars available at the end of

the month, which is wonderful. Look more closely at

the budget though. There are vital things missing,

food, gas, transportation, which when plugged into

the budget will use all the money and probably more.

When families spend more than they bring in, they

often turn to credit cards to fill that gap.

To dig out of debt, the first thing one needs to realize

is you have to stop using credit. Until you make this

decision and stick to it, you will have a hard time

paying off credit cards and any other outstanding

bills. The family needs to take a hard look where to

cut expenses to reduce the gap between income and

expenses.

Let’s use the sample budget from last time and see

how to hopefully save money. Expenses the family

are paying (other than the mortgage/rent) have been

put in order from the highest to lowest:

Electric $200

Water $200

Car Insurance $150

Trash $67

Cell Phone $45

Cable $45

Credit Card $50

(Continued on page 4)

4

Electric Bill. Utilities are one area

the family has a lot of control over

in regards to the cost. Take a look

around the house and see where you

are throwing away money. What

types of lights do you use? Do you

leave lights on when you aren’t in the room? Where

is your thermostat set? There is phantom electricity

used for things such as quick start functions on com-

puters or TVs or leaving the chargers plugged in with

nothing charging. They are kept primed to start with

a little electricity running through them all the time.

Do you run the dishwasher when it is not full? Are you

using a dryer for every load of laundry?

Brainstorm with the family ways to reduce electric use.

Make sure lights are turned off when no one is in the

room. Put those phantom users on power strips and turn

them off when not in use. Set the thermostat higher in the

summer and lower in the winter. If you have a program-

mable thermostat, research the best ways to use it so your

family can save money. Can you dry half of your loads of

laundry? Can you run the dishwasher only when it is full

or hand wash the dishes? Reduce the temperature on the

hot water heater to 120 degrees. Call around to electricity

providers and get some quotes and contract terms. Re-

search the companies to make sure they have good re-

views. Change to another if it works for the family. Make

a goal to reduce electricity use by 20 percent. If the fami-

ly meets this goal there will be savings of $40.00.

Water Bill. Think about ways to lower it. Take quicker

showers; make sure the dishwasher and washing machine

are full before they are run. Use the water from washing

dishes or even baths to water plants. (Look into ways to

use grey water.) Install low flow shower heads, faucets

and toilet fixtures. Another trick for toilets is to take a

washed out milk jug, filled with water and place it in your

toilet. Less water will be used to fill the toilet, and it does

not effect the flushing. Again aim for a 20 percent reduc-

tion for another $40.00 savings.

Car Insurance. Call your insurance compa-

ny or agent; see if there are ways to reduce

your cost. Can you raise your deductible?

Can switch to collision only? If you have a

decent driving record, call other insurance

companies to compare prices. Let’s assume a raised de-

ductible or a switch to collision only resulting in a $25.00

savings.

Trash Bill. Can you find a way to reduce the cost? Call

your company. Can you switch to once a week pick up?

Are they running a deal for new customers, if so ask for

the rate. Some companies have a “per bag” rate. You can

purchase bags from them for a set cost per a bag. The goal

here is to reduce the amount of trash you generate to save

money. Research ways to recycle and to compost food

items, except dairy and meat, they will stink. Let’s as-

sume you switch to a once a week pick up, for a savings

of $20.00

Cell Phone. Why do you have it? Is it for

personal use or business use? If it is just for

personal use, do you really need it? Do you

need a smart phone? Call your company

and evaluate the options. What is the cost

for a basic, non- smart phone and cell phone

plan? Do you need it at all? If you are keeping the cell

phone, do you need a home phone? Are they offering a

special for new customers? If you have a plan through

one of the major carriers like Verizon or AT&T, can

switch to a pay-as-you-go plan like Straight Talk? After

calling and talking to the company a decision it made to

keep the phone and plan. No cost savings.

Cable. Do you really need it? Do you watch all those

channels? Why do you have it? Do you need the fastest

internet speed available if you are only using it read email

and search the internet? Do you need those premium

channels? There are other options out there, Roku and

Chromecast are some examples. If you have a newer

gaming device such as the Wii, Xbox 360 or the

PlayStation 3, you can access Netflix, Hulu plus and other

sites to view TV shows and movies, for the cost of the

services monthly fee. Call your cable provider. Are they

offering a special for new customers? Explore options

with them and see how much you can save. A decision is

made to keep the internet, dropping down to a lower

speed, and cancel the cable and home phone. You save

$20.00, but sign up for HULU Plus to watch your favorite

shows on the PlayStation. It costs approximately $8.00 a

month. here is a net savings of $12.00

Credit Cards. If you have been a long time account hold-

er for your credit card(s) and have a decent credit rating,

call to see if they will reduce the interest rate. If they

won’t, explore options for other another

card with a lower interest for a balance

transfer to save money. Don’t look for re-

wards points, cash back offers; after all you

will not be using the card. Look for the card

(Continued on page 6)

Digging Out of Debt:

Cutting Expenses (Cont’d)

5

Near Tragedy in Edgewood

On March 6, 2015 at 2:48

AM, the Joppa Magnolia

Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched for

a townhouse fire in the 1800 block of Eloise

Lane, Edgewood. The first unit arrived at 2:56

AM and reported smoke showing from the

middle of the group of townhouses. As fire-

fighters were approaching the residence, they

found an adult female in the front yard who

had jumped from the third floor. Four children

had also jumped from the third floor. A second

alarm to dispatch additional fire trucks, was

called to help combat the fire. Additional para-

medic units were sent to the scene. The adult

patient was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview

and the four children were taken to Johns Hop-

kins Pediatric Trauma Center. The Maryland

State Fire Marshals are investigating the cause

and origin of the fire.

The most important thing to note is THERE

WERE NO SMOKE DETECTORS IN THE

HOUSE!

This time no lives were lost, but injuries hap-

pened because the home’s residents were not

alerted in time and had to take extraordinary

measures to reach safety.

Check the batteries in your smoke detectors to

make sure they are working and replace them

if they are not. If you do not have a smoke de-

tector, please get one. If you cannot afford to

purchase a one please call your local fire de-

partment and ask to speak to the Fire Preven-

tion Officer. They will be able to provide and

install them for you. If you have any questions,

please email Ron Sollod, Chair of the Harford

County Fire and EMS Association’s Fire Pre-

vention and Life Safety Committee.

Volunteers Needed!!

The Edgewood Community is seeking your

help in planning and hosting two events we

believe help foster a positive image of our

community. We are seeking assistance from

the Harford County community to make

these events happen this year. We strongly

believe helping Edgewood greatly benefits

Harford County as a whole.

If you, or an organization you know are will-

ing to help please contact one or both of the

event coordinators listed below.

Edgewood Independence Day

Celebration Parade Coordinator

Veronica Black

410-868-2796

veronblack@hotmail.com

Edge WoodStock Coordinator

Jansen Robinson

410-258-4552

Jansen.robinson@hotmail.com

6

2015-2016 Harford Fire Cadet

Application Deadline

April 15, 2015

Get the Application HERE.

Contact John Richter at

443-903-8098 or jrichter@hcvfa.org

You have the skills and time

to volunteer.

But not sure where to go?

Head to the

Harford Volunteer Expo

March 21st

9 am - 12:00 pm

Patterson Mill Middle-High School

85 Patterson Mill Road, Bel Air, MD

The Expo provides the perfect chance to hear from many

organizations and agencies about volunteer opportunities

available!

Sign up to volunteer on the spot. Hundreds of exciting and

rewarding volunteer opportunities are available.

with the best interest rate. The goal is to not use the card,

but use the lower interest rate to help pay off the card

faster. If you get a new card, make sure to close the old

account. Many cards offer a zero (0) percent interest on

balance transfers for a limited period of time. Make sure

you know the time limit. The goal is to pay it off during

the promotional rate time frame. A decision is made to

transfer the balance of your credit card to a new card with

a 0 percent interest rate for 18 months. For the next 18

months you save $4.00 month. To explore different pay-

off options you can use a payoff calculator, like this one.

When you add up all the savings, there is an additional

$141. in the monthly budget, which will bring the total

available at the end of the month to $284. It may take a

month or two to see these all savings as the changes take

effect.,

Your homework this time is to evaluate where you can

free up money by reducing your expenses. It never hurts

to call your service providers and see what specials they

are offering and take advantage of them. Most companies

want to keep you as a customer and will work with you.

Digging Out of Debt:

Cutting Expenses (Cont’d)

7

Anita C. Leight Estuary Center

PhenoForays: Butterflies & Flowers

03/15/2015 12:30-2:30 pm

Invasinator

03/15/2015 1:00-3:00 pm

Muskrat Matinee

03/15/2015 3:30-4:30 pm

24th Annual Marsh Clean-Up

03/21/2015 9:00 am-12:00 pm

Candid Camera: Wildlife!

03/21/2015 2:00-3:00 pm

Shamrocks Rock

02/21/2015 4:00-6:00 pm

Meet a Critter

03/22/2015 3:00-3:30 pm

Estuary Science Lab

03/27/2015 4:30-6:00 pm

Children’s Gardening

03/28/2015 11:00 am-12:00 pm

Native Seed Starters

03/28/2015 1:00-2:30 pm

Owl Prowl

03/28/2015 7:30-9:30 pm

Wild World of Clouds

03/29/2015 2:00-3:00 pm

Wood Duck Kayak

03/29/2015 3:00-6:00 pm

Abingdon Library

Defense of the Nation: Maryland

in the War of 1812

Entire month long exhibit

A Visit from a NASA Ambassador

03/22/2015 1:00-5:00 pm

Totally Tomatoes

03/38/2015 10:15 am-12:15 pm

Edgewood Library

American Girl BeForever Spring Celebration

03/16/2015 6:30-7:30 pm

Where There is Hope: How Liberian Children

Fought Ebola in their Communities

03/23/2015 6:30-6:30 pm

Awesome Afternoon at the Movies

03/28/2015 2:00-4:00 pm

Foreign Film Festival

03/30/2015 6:00-8:00 pm

Get Ready for April Fools’ Day

03/31/2015 6:00-7:00 pm

Joppa Library

Boating Skills & Seamanship Course

Eight week course, meeting beginning Monday,

03/02/2015 7:00-9:00pm

You must attend all sessions.

Knitting for Beginners and Advanced Beg.

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

Experiment and Explore: Colors

03/16/2015 10:30-11:30 am

Genealogy Sharing

03/17/2015 6:00 -8:00 pm

9th Annual Joppatowne Art Show

03/21/2015 12:00-3:00 pm

Awesome Afternoon at the Movies

03/28/2015 2:00-4:00 pm

Joppatowne High School

Drug and Alcohol Awareness Assembly

Joppatowne High School PTSA

03/26/2015 6:00 pm

Around the District Happenings

8

House of Worship Events

March 13 & 20

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Cost $6.00 Per Person

Grilled Cheese also available

Prince of Peace Catholic Church 2600 Willoughby Beach Road

Edgewood, MD 21040

Sponsored by the

Knights of Columbus

Corpus Christ Council

Copley Parish

Gunpowder Hundred

Church of the Resurrection

Lenten Soup Suppers Copley Not for Prime Time Players

March 18 & 25 Doors Open at 6 pm

Cost $7.00 Per Person

Children 6 to 12, $5.00

Under 5 Free

700 Anchor Drive

Joppa, MD 21085

For more information:

410-679-8700 or www.copleyparish.org

2015 Lord of Life Lutheran Church Spring Family Fest

April 25th

8 am - 2 pm

Tables Available for

Flea Market Vendors, Crafters and Businesses

$15.00 per table for flea market vendors and crafters

$20.00 per table for businesses

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Food Pantry Available Every Thursday 5:00 pm - 6 pm

Serving all of Harford County

For more information:

Email: Travel with Shawn@comcast.net 501 Sequoia Drive

Call/Text: 410-812-2040 Edgewood, MD 21040

9

Register for Prepare Because You Care, a four (4) week course sponsored by the

Harford County Department of Emergency Services (DES) and supporting agen-

cies. It is designed to educate citizens on an "all hazards" approach to Emergency

Preparedness and other safety topics. This exciting, interactive program will fea-

ture:

Fire Safety & Extinguisher Use,

Crime Prevention & Awareness, and

General CPR/First Aid Class.

The program will be an exciting and interactive experience to prepare citizens for

emergencies and disasters. In addition, it will provide general knowledge on how

to survive the first 72 hours following a disaster. Citizens enrolled should attend all

four classes.

1st Session March 25, 2015 Emergency Management Presentation and

Emergency Preparedness

2nd Session April 1, 2015 Fire Safety & Extinguisher Use

3rd Session April 8, 2015 Crime Prevention & Awareness

4th Session April 15, 2015 CPR/First Aid

Make-up April 22, 2015

Classes will be held 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Some classes may run longer than anticipated.

Southern Precinct

Harford County Sheriff's Office

305 Pulaski Highway, Edgewood, MD 21040

For questions, registration or cancellation please call:

Shawn Krout at 410-588-5724 or email slkrout@harfordpublicsafety.org

10

Spotlight’s on:

Global Studies Program/International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme To remain competitive and offer the county’s students greater opportunities, Har-

ford County Public Schools offers magnet programs and special certificate programs

in their high schools. One of the magnet programs, based out of Edgewood High School, is the Global Studies

Program/International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. The International Baccalaureate Organization is the

governing authority for this internationally recognized program and aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and

caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and

respect. Our local program, coordinated by Ms. Amy Woolf, makes such these goals are accomplished throughout

the four year program.

In the first two years students participate in classes with a global focus, preparing them to meet the rigorous aca-

demic and personal requirements of the two-year long IB Diploma Programme. Students complete a wide range of

classes which meet both Maryland State and the International Requirements. IB specific classes have assessments

and tests which are sent throughout the world to be graded, in addition to some locally graded requirements.

These wide ranges of classes stretch their mind, bodies and community commitment of the IB Student. One

unique IB required class is The Theory of Knowledge. This course stretches the student to think “how we know

what we know” and asks the student to delve into a greater awareness of personal and ideological assumptions, as

well as develop an appreciation of the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives.

Another requirement is the completion of the Extended Essay, a 4,000 word research paper. This paper allows the

student to develop research and analytical skills, learn how to formulate an argument and communicate ideas. It

lays a foundation for college undergraduate research.

A third requirement is completion of the CAS Programme. CAS stands for Creativity, Action and Service. This

program occurs outside the normal school hours and tries to provide a balance with the academic requirements.

For the Creativity aspect students are required to participate in clubs or activities which focus on creative pursuit,

such as drama productions, school newspaper, or band. The Action part puts the student out in the community to

assist local organizations trying to make a difference and it must involve some physical action or movement, an

example would be a dog walker at the Humane Society. For the Service portion, students volunteer with projects

or organizations to provide a service to the greater community and receive a learning opportunity in the process.

Volunteering with an elementary school enrichment program or a senior citizen home would meet this require-

ment. Throughout the CAS Programme, students provide personal reflections on their activities.

Entrance into the GS/IB program is competitive and involves an application and

consideration of grades, standardized tests, and courses taken. Applicants must

demonstrate and interest and motivation for learning, which is documented by

teacher recommendations, a writing sample, community involvement, and an

interview.

The program is extremely rigorous as the students enter the final years with the

essays, oral presentations and tests required to obtain the IB Diploma. However,

the program prepares the students for life-long learning and provides a spring-

board to greater opportunities in the future.

For further information on the GS/IB program, you may contact Ms. Amy

Woolf, Program Coordinator at 410-612-1500 or Amy.Woolf@hcps.org.