|
President’s
Message
I would like to thank all the individuals who returned their bylaws
change ballots. This was for the bylaw changes the committee worked on last
year. We have been unable to have a quorum to vote on items so VOMCA emailed
them to members that had email addresses. We also received a few back in the U.S. mail.
With the start of the new year, we have not been able to approve either
the VOMCA or OMSC budgets. If we continue to fail to get a quorum, we will look
into invoking the emergency powers that are detailed in our bylaws.
The Olde Mill Swim Club had an excellent year. We are looking to approve
transferring $10,000.00 into the Swim Club’s savings. This will bring the
balance to approximately $26,000.00. I really would like to thank the
volunteers who assisted at the Swim Club last year.
Ballots should be going out again for all positions open in the VOMCA
organization. All officer positions are open, so please feel free to put your
name in for any position that interests you.
I would like to thank you all for your support in 2009. I hope we are
making a difference for everyone in the community. I also thank all who have
joined for 2010, and ask other residents who have not to please consider
joining VOMCA so as to give us a larger voice in local community matters.
―Tom
Stag, President
County Assessments and the Homestead Tax Credit
Olde Mill residents may have received their
property tax assessment notice from Anne Arundel County in the mail recently. Note that you have a limited
window of time to appeal the assessment if you disagree with it, although with
the drop in the housing market, your assessed value has likely has decreased
too.
But be aware that included with the
assessment notice is a form that you should fill out and return―the Homestead Tax Credit Eligibility
Application. If your Olde Mill home is owned by you and used as your principal
residence, this one-time application will assure that the amount of an
assessment increase on which you pay taxes is limited to no more than 2% per
year. Find more information at http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/taxcredits.html
Clean-Up and Easter Egg Event Dates to Note
The Anne Arundel County community clean-up program for 2010 will begin in
March. A large dumpster for Olde Mill
will be placed at Barlowe Field again this year. The county has scheduled
delivery of the dumpster for 12 noon on Friday, March 5 and removal by 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. The short time frame is due to the landfills not
being open on Sundays and dates through the week have already been assigned.
Mark your calendars for the children’s annual
Olde Mill Easter Egg Event at Barlowe Field on Saturday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. The Easter Bunny, an egg hunt, activities, and prizes
are all in store for a fun afternoon. Rain date is Sunday, March 28. We are
looking for a volunteer to coordinate and chair the Easter Egg Event this year.
If you are able to volunteer, please contact Sarah Hakulin at 410-987-1239 or
email board@vomca.org.
Friends of Olde Mill (FOOM) Receives
Generous Donations
Friends of Olde Mill (FOOM) is a not-for-profit
organization that is in charge of maintaining the playground, basketball courts,
and surrounding area at Barlowe Field where the children play. We continue to
hold functions throughout the year to raise funds, so we ask for everyone to
continue to help out. We post the events on the FOOM website at www.FOOMINC.org,
so please stop by and check out our site throughout the year for up coming
events.
In December, a flier went out
with the printed VOMCA newsletter requesting donations
for FOOM. The response was well-received and FOOM acquired 15 donations for a
current total of $411. This will help greatly with maintenance of the
playground and surrounding areas for this year, 2010. I want to personally
thank everyone for donating―especially in view of hard economic times. Please
continue to send in your donations to: Friends of Olde Mill, P.O. Box 1605,
Millersville, MD 21108. Thanks, and Happy New Year to all!
―Mike Hakulin, Jr., President of FOOM
Membership
in VOMCA Needs to Grow
Thanks to all who have renewed their
memberships in the Village of Olde Mill Community Association for this year. We have received 94 applications thus
far.
If you have not joined yet, please do so
today. $15.00 provides you many advantages that enhance our community and that
would not be possible without an association. Two examples near the top of the
list:
- The
larger our membership, the more likely we are to be heard by county government
officials when an issue affecting our neighborhood comes up. An example from about
a dozen years ago is when the county
considered putting a correctional facility off Brightview Rd.—until hundreds of Olde Mill residents attended a
meeting to voice opposition.
- Our organization will have enough funds to
improve common areas such as Barlowe Field and to hold kids’ activities such as
the Easter Egg Event.
We still need a quorum, 11 members,
to come to the meetings at Old Mill High
School the
first Wednesday of every month, in order for us to conduct business such as
elections and budgets for the year ahead. Get involved―we need your support and attendance.
We also need people to take various offices
for the coming year. All offices are available but we need volunteers to take
Membership and Secretary positions. We also need people who would be able to
serve on the Board for three years. We have been in need of people to
participate for a couple years so that the work of the Association can move
forward. We cannot conduct business without a sufficient number of people to
represent the community.
If you have questions, please call
410-987-1239 for information.
―Sarah Hakulin, Acting Membership Officer
A Letter from Dist. 32 State Senator James DeGrange
January 29, 2010
TO: THE CITIZENS OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 32
LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO SAFEGUARD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Over the last year and a half, we have
faced one of the most challenging economies in modern history. Factors beyond
anyone’s control, like the Wall Street meltdown and the real estate market
collapse, have led to an unexpected spike in unemployment. Even though Maryland’s unemployment rate is 25% below the national
average, our Unemployment Insurance Compensation Fund is under major stress.
The Fund is paying $24 million in benefits each week ―that’s more than double the “normal” amount.
If we continue at the current rate,
the Fund will be insolvent before the end of the first quarter. We’re not alone
in this situation. The federal government predicts that 40 other states will
need nearly $90 billion in loans to be able to continue issuing unemployment
insurance benefits.
The legislature must act to shore up
our fund. It will be challenging because we must protect benefits for those who
need them, without solving the problem on the backs of local businesses.
The Governor has offered a proposal
that involves a short term infusion of federal money in exchange for long term
structural changes to our unemployment insurance system. The proposal would
secure $127 million for short term relief, but would raise long term
unemployment insurance costs by 26% for businesses. The proposed changes would
cost small businesses an additional $20 million annually.
That might solve the immediate
problem, but it will create serious problems down the road. Local business
owners have contacted me to express strong opposition to this idea―and I share
their concerns. Unemployment benefits provide an important hand up to people
who need it, but raising long term costs will not solve the problem. In fact,
that would cause small businesses to lay off employees. That’s the last thing
any of us want in this economy.
One of my top priorities this session
is getting our economy moving again. We need to protect unemployment insurance
benefits for those who need them, but we cannot afford to do that on the backs
of small businesses. I look forward to finding a more practical solution to
this problem.
Please do not hesitate to contact me
regarding questions about this or any other 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
(410) 841-3589 (fax)
________________________________________________________________________________________
Village of Olde Mill
Community Association
2010 Membership Renewal
Please join your community association
today. To join, complete this form, or visit the website www.vomca.org
and join using PayPal. Please print the names of all members of your household
who are 18 years of age or older, and mail it with one check for $15.00, payable to “Village of Olde Mill Community
Association” to VOMCA, P.O. Box 366, Millersville, MD 21108. Membership card(s)
will be mailed to you.
Association meetings are
the 1st Wednesday of each month at Old Mill High School (June-Sept. meetings at
the community pool at Barlowe Field).
Names
of Adults in Household: ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Street
Address: _______________________________________________________________
Phone
Number:_______________ (Unlisted?____) Village Crier* Sign-up Yes___ No___
Email:
___________________________ Occasional Volunteering: Yes____No_____
************************************************************************
*Note:
Our community newsletter, The
Village Crier, is published online. You will be signed up automatically,
via the email address you provide,
unless you indicate that you do not wish to receive the publication. You can
also read it by going to the VOMCA website at www.vomca.org.
VOMCA has made it possible to secure
grants from the State and County for projects like the repair of sidewalks,
repavingour the pool road, installing speed humps, and other community improvements.
If we did not have an association and volunteers, we could not secure many of
these benefits or services.
- We sponsor an Easter Egg Hunt, Santa
Visit, Community Carnival, and Community Yard Sale. With more members and
volunteers, we could do even more.
- We’ve been keeping up with what’s
happening concerning the new development on the Wade property at Old Mill
and Oakwood Roads. Learn more, come to a meeting.
- We work with local government
concerning issues that affect our community.
- Elections are held in October for
members of the Board of Directors. In order to vote, or to run, membership
dues must be mailed and postmarked by September 1.
Occasional one-time
projects at the pool and Barlowe Field come up. If you can volunteer please
email www.board@vomca.com or call 410-987-0316.
The next VOMCA meeting will
be at the Old Mill Swim Club on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m.
Thank you,
The
Village of Olde Mill Community Association
|
