Olde Mill Village Crier

Volume 39,  Number  12  / DECEMBER 2009

President’s Message
   We are still in need of VOMCA officers to run for the 2010 year. If you are interested please email board@vomca.org. 
   There are issues with commercial vehicles parked on Brandon Drive. Brenda Reiber from the County Executive’s office is working on this and will let us know what the resolution will be. Please remember that certain vehicles are not allowed to be parked in residential areas. Please go the County web site and pick “County Code”. There is lots of information on what you may and may not do as a property owner.
   The taxes for VOMCA and the Olde Mill Swim club have been completed by Gary Mott. They have been signed and were sent in on November 15.
   The following are the current checking and savings balances as of November 17, 2009:
                                VOMCA                 Olde Mill Swim Club
Checking               $2,912.79                $17,008.54             
Savings                 $3,062.38                $16,618.59

   I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Please be safe and enjoy the holiday season.
   I would like to thank all volunteers from VOMCA and the Olde Mill Swim Club who have put in lots of time and effort to allow us all to better enjoy the community. The pool and the park would not be here if it were not for the volunteers.
   Please study the following item about the proposed bylaws changes. Something has to be done to enable us to get a quorum at meetings in order to conduct business. We will mail a ballot later to VOMCA members on whether to incorporate these proposed modifications. Please be sure to reply so your vote is counted.
   Also please read the Crier for info on Santa’s Dec. 19 visit to Olde Mill!
—Tom Stag, President

Proposed Changes in Bylaws for VOMCA – Nov. 2009

ARTICLE IV - OFFICES
Section 401 – Definition (01 October 2009)

                                The elective officers of the Association are President, Vice-President, Secretary, Membership Officer, Treasurer, and five (5) directors, in addition to the Pool Committee Chairperson serving at the discretion of the Board, together and four (4) directors comprising the Board of Directors.  The elective officers shall appoint a Pool committee Chairperson to serve at their discretion.  The elective officers and Pool committee chairperson comprise the Board of Directors.

Footnote: This reduces the Board from seven (7) positions to five (5) positions, eliminating two (2) positions—one (1) elected position and the Pool Director position. This is to change the number of Board members needed to constitute a quorum to five (5) from the current seven (7).

Section 403 - President) (04 October 2006)
                                The President, as chief executive officer of the Association, shall preside at all general membership and Board of Directors meetings, and shall supervise the Association's affairs and activities. The President shall oversee the operations of the Olde Mill Swim Club as the director. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shall be responsible for conduct of all Association external affairs, and shall be one of the authorized signatories of all Association financial accounts.

Section 802 - Board of Directors Meetings (01 October 2009)

                                The Board of Directors of the Association shall convene once a month. A quorum of the Board shall consist of not less than seven (7)  five (5) members of the Board. However, nothing in this section shall prevent the call for a meeting of said Board by its chairperson or at the request of not less than four (4) members of said Board. If a Board member fails to attend three (3) consecutive Board meetings, unless excused by a majority of the Board, it will be assumed that Board member has tendered his or her resignation and it may be accepted by the Board.

Section 902 - Standing Committees (01 October 2009)

There shall be four (4) standing committees:

1.       The Bylaws committee with Vice-President as chairperson.

2.       The Finance committee will include the pool committee treasurer, a member selected by the Board of Directors, the V.O.M.C.A. accountant as an advisor if requested, and the V.O.M.C.A. Treasurer as chairperson;

3.       The Nominating committee, which will be elected as set forth in ARTICLE V, Section 502, of the Bylaws.

4.    The Pool committee, which is also known as the Olde Mill Swim Club. The Pool committee Treasurer must be a member of V.O.M.C.A.  The elective officers shall solicit recommendations for Pool committee chairperson from the Pool committee, with the final decision made by the Board of Directors.

Membership in Your Community Association
   Please complete the attached 2010 Membership Renewal Form and return it along with your check for $15.00 in the attached pre-addressed envelope. Your membership card will be mailed to you for the new year. Please review the advantages of community association membership listed on the attached form.

Elections at December 2 Meeting
   We are in great need of community residents to volunteer to run for an office in your association. There was no quorum (11 members) at the November meeting—nor has there been one for several consecutive VOMCA meetings—so the elections will be held at the December 2 meeting. Without enough people to fill open positions, your community cannot conduct business.
   Consider volunteering a year of your time to serve your community. It is a great opportunity for anyone considering going into politics or public service. There are several vacant positions available but all positions are open to you. Secretary, Membership, and two Board positions are vacant. Board members serve for 3 years. Contact board@vomca.org if you are interested.
   Come to the Wednesday, December 2, meeting and exercise your right to vote and/or run for office; be part of making things happen in Olde Mill. We need new people and new ideas.

Calendar of Events For December
North County Food Collection Drop-Off at Hair Expressions December 2 until December 19 at 1 p.m.
Santa Home Visits begin Friday, December 11 (see article)
Holiday Light Judging Saturday, December 12, 6-9 p.m.
Santa Arrives by Fire Truck* Saturday, December 19 at 2:15 p.m. (see flyer).
   *Includes Canned Food Collection by Glen Burnie Volunteer Fire Department; leave donation on front porch if you are not home and have not dropped off food at Hair Expressions.

Santa Home Visits
   Santa will once again be making home visits in Olde Mill starting Friday, December 11. Parents should call 410-672-2837 and leave a message. You can also send an email to Tomdixon13@hotmail.com. You will be contacted  by Santa’s helper, Tom Dixon. Please be patient; he will get back to you.

Santa Arrives by Fire Truck
   Every year the Glen Burnie VFD brings Santa on a fire truck to our neighborhood to visit with the children and hand out candy canes. Along with that visit the volunteer firefighters collect canned food for NCEON.
   NCEON, North County Emergency Outreach Network, operates a food bank in Glen Burnie. The holiday season is a very difficult time for food banks in general, so in this season of giving, please be as generous as you can by donating non-perishable food for those who are in need. Shelves become depleted quickly and replacements are hard to get. Olde Mill residents’ generosity in this cause has always been outstanding.

FOOM Launches Unique Fundraising Initiative
   Attached is a letter from Friends of Olde Mill (FOOM) asking your help in the maintenance of the play area.
   A flyer from Verizon is also attached offering a way for you to support the play area effort by signing up for Verizon service. It is a fundraising program that donates money to nonprofit organizations whenever you order a qualifying product. You can pass this flyer to friends and family in MD, DC, VA, and WV so we can benefit from their orders too.
   This Verizon program gives back to the community by offering this opportunity and honors all current promotions with Verizon FiOS.

Gangs Active in Every Neighborhood in Anne Arundel County
   County Executive John Leopold held a county-wide meeting in October regarding gang activity in our county.  Some 200 plus people from all areas of Anne Arundel County were in attendance along with Mr. Leopold. The speaker for this meeting, which was held in Brooklyn Park, gave detailed information regarding the recruitment tactics, dress and language used by gang members. Their activities involved selling drugs, assault, and other destructive behavior.
   Guidelines for parents were distributed, with the Number 1 need for parents being constructive involvement in their child’s life. Other warning signs to look for included:

• Admits to gang involvement; obsessed with color of clothing & logos
• Wears sagging pants
• Excessive jewelry distinctively worn only on one side of the body
• Obsessed with gangster-influenced music, videos, etc.
• Withdraws from family with change in demeanor
• Associates with undesirables and breaks parental rules consistently
• Develops unusual desire for privacy and may rearrange living quarters
• Uses hand signs while with friends and practices them at home
• Evidence of or appearance of:

        Physical injury (such as being beaten)

        Peculiar drawings or language on school books/tattoos or brands

        Unexplained cash or goods such as clothing or jewelry

        Possible use of alcohol and drugs with attitude change

RESOURCES  (supplied by the Anne Arundel County Police Department):
http://irr.com/nygc/gaq.htm
http://www.gangs.umd.edu/index.aspx
http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
http://sanantonio.gov/sapd/pdf/awareness.pdf

   A quote offered by the speaker at the meeting, which was attributed to the founder of the Bloods gang, said it all: “The only State that gangs are not in, is the state of Denial.”
—Sarah Hakulin

A Letter From State Sen. James DeGrange About Gang Activity

November 12, 2009
TO:  THE CITIZENS OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 32
MAKING GANG LAW TOUGHER SHOULD BE PRIORITY IN 2010

   During the 2007 session, I was a co-sponsor of the Maryland Gang Protection Act of 2007. The measure, which became law with overwhelming Assembly approval, had the support of the Governor, law enforcement officials, and the Attorney General.
   The law prohibits a person from participating in a criminal gang while knowing that the members of the gang engage in an ongoing pattern of criminal gang activity. It also prohibits a person from directing or participating in the commission of a certain crime for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal gang. The law defines a “criminal gang” as a group of three or more persons who collectively engage in a pattern of criminal activity, whose primary objective or activity is committing certain crimes, and who have an identifying sign, symbol, name, leader, or purpose.
   The Governor's Office on Crime Control and Prevention warned that criminal gangs were becoming a problem throughout the State. The FBI places the number of gangs in Maryland at 350 with about 7,700 members. There are at least three national gangs―Bloods, Crips, and MS 13―organized in Maryland. Anne Arundel County has about 25 criminal gangs with about 100 members. When Christopher Jones, a 14-year old Crofton youth, was killed  last May by youths identified as gang members by police, many came to the realization that gang violence was not just a city problem. Schools have become breeding grounds for gang recruitment, with the average age for recruitment being 13.
   As with most legislation, the Maryland Gang Protection Act of 2007, has been a good starting point but has left room for improvement. Prosecutors have discovered that the law’s vague language, weak penalties, and cumbersome burden of proof made it hard to convict and impose strong penalties on those who commit or aid gang violence. In addition, gang-related penalties can run concurrently with other penalties. When a 10-year sentence for a gang-related crime runs concurrently with a 30-year sentence for armed robbery, the gang penalty is nullified. Sentences should run consecutively, so that the gang-related penalty means something.
   Prosecutors and legislative representatives are working to rewrite the current law to make it stronger and more effective. Hopefully, legislation to this effect will be introduced during the 2010 legislative session. 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 E. DeGrange, Sr.
State Senator, District 32
James Senate Office Building
11 Bladen Street, Room 101, Annapolis, Maryland 21401
(410) 841-3593 and (410) 841-3589 (fax)
James.DeGrange@senate.state.md.us