Published monthly by the Village of Olde Mill Community Association P.O. Box 366, Millersville, MD 21108 Email: crier@vomca.org Articles are due by the 21st of preceding month. VOMCA Meeting Wed., June 2, 7:00 p.m., Old Mill Pool |
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Volume 40, Number 6 / JUNE 2010 |
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The next VOMCA meeting will be on June 2 ,
at I want to thank Ashley Smith and her father
Dana for the cleanup of Barlowe Field. Ashley and her father also painted the
basketball hoop supports. Ashley has done this for a second year that I know
of. I left my President’s Message spot open in May for Sarah Hakulin’s
interview with Ashley. I am both amazed and proud of Ashley’s volunteer work
for the community. She is a remarkable young lady. We are
sorry that we were unable to provide the community with a carnival this year. We
have tried to make the carnival an annual event, however the company was not
breaking even. We had been approached by another company and we will let them
know after we make a determination if we still think it is an event that we can
expand on. The
county has been in touch with VOMCA about a traffic study along I would like to remind everyone to get in
their 2010 season dues for the Olde Mill Swim Club. The swim club offers swim
lessons and serves as host to the Torpedoes swim team. I would like to thank
all the volunteers who assisted at the pool this spring and extend a special
thank-you to Kevin Kendall and Rick Behringer. Without both of these
individuals’ efforts, we would not be able to get the season started. They have
both put in many tireless hours each year so we all may enjoy the pool. Please
pass your thanks on to Kevin and Rick if you see them at the pool this summer. ―Tom Stag, President Rain
Barrel Demonstration and
On Wednesday, July 7, at Barrels
can be painted to match your exterior home color or to blend behind your
landscaping. Arlington Echo is offering a special bulk price of $60 each for
these barrels if we get at least 10 orders through our Watershed Steward, who
is Olde Mill resident Stacy Epperson. If you purchased directly from Arlington
Echo, you would pay $80. There
is no obligation to buy, and the demonstration is brief. Come with questions,
invite your neighbors, and do your part to reduce stormwater runoff!
If you can’t make the meeting, you can pre-order the barrels. Contact Stacy
Epperson at tryswim@comcast.net for more information. Why You
Should Install A Rain Barrel On Your Home Did You Know? . . . ● 60% of lawn fertilizers are washed away by surface water ● 30% of nutrient & sediment overloading in the Chesapeake
Bay can be attributed to non-point source pollution and human land use ● Anne Arundel County has the fourth worst air quality in the
U.S., most of this pollution ends up in our runoff So what does this have to do with rain
barrels? Some people might think that rain barrels are only used for water
conservation during drought periods, when in fact they are just as useful
during rainy periods. The water that falls onto
your roof carries air pollutants that are funneled from your downspout onto
your driveway and into the street storm drain. The storm drain is a direct path
to the Chesapeake Bay. Water that runs off your property can be
loaded with nutrients from your fertilizer, bacteria and nutrients from your
pet waste, and toxic chemicals from the pesticides and weed killers that have
been applied to your lawn. By placing a barrel at any downspout that drains
directly onto your driveway or impervious surface, rainwater can be collected
from the roof and redistributed into a filtration area such as a rain garden or
conservation plantings that consumes and filters nitrates, phosphates, and
other pollutants. The barrels collect the first flush, the
most critical rain that is loaded with pollutants, and then slowly releases the
water to a garden or shallow dry well area. By diverting water from storm
drains, the impact of runoff into streams and the Chesapeake Bay is greatly
decreased. ―Stacy Epperson, Watershed Steward 2010 Safe
Schools Act Helping Schools to 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 school’s 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, Financial
Reports Treasurer’s report is as follows: VOMCA Checking $6,345.31; Savings $3,066.38 Members: 123
You can join your own representative association for only $15 a year and
make a difference in the issues that affect you in your own neighborhood. See
VOMCA application at the end of this newsletter. *July and August payments total
$13,950.00. June has been paid. Pool Members: 238 (Active: 171, Inactive: 67) 2 new certificates Remember
to please get your membership packets at the pool gates. When the temperature
is 90°+ in July, a cool dip in a pool right down the street would be very
refreshing. This is an inexpensive way to have a mini-vacation every day or weekend
in your own neighborhood…no bridge traffic, no tolls to pay, no endless swarms
of people. Take advantage of the best “staycation” of the season―join the Olde
Mill Swim Club! ―Sarah
Hakulin, Treasurer Dairy Farm
to Become a County Park Hammond’s
Connection at the Dairy Farm in Gambrills will become a 176-acre park which
will highlight the rural and agricultural nature of the Dairy Farm. Construction
of the Park has not begun, but the public is invited to explore the Dairy Farm
during Open Days (every third Sunday from 1 - 4 pm rain or shine) and other
special events. Join the many volunteers to learn more about the history of farming
in Anne Arundel County. Budget
Maintains Low Tax Burden The Fiscal Year 2011 Budget maintains the
lowest tax burden of any County in the Baltimore Region. In an economic
downturn, I believe it is important to let taxpayers decide how to spend their
own money. In
fact, the property tax rate has declined during my tenure from 93 cents per
$100 of assessed value to 88 cents per $100 of assessed value. This balanced budget maintains
high-quality services while also reducing spending and making key investments
in our future. ―County
Executive John R. Leopold Operation D.R.A.G.O.N.
Nets 24 Drug and Gang Arrests The County Police Department
conducted a six-month operation that yielded 24 arrests for drug possession and
distribution in Brooklyn Park. Citizens were an instrumental part in the
initiative because they had the courage to report criminal activity in their
neighborhood. Police have identified several suspects as gang members. First Large-Scale Solar
Power Project is Coming to Millersville The Combined Support
Services Building in Millersville will be the site of the County’s first
large-scale solar energy project. The project will be designed to generate 500
kWh of electricity for the 165,000-square-foot facility, which provides office
and warehouse space for Police, Fire, Facilities Management and the Board of
Education. Dredging Projects Mean
Waterways are Open for Business The County recently
completed its busiest dredging season to date, with eight important projects
that will allow access and commerce along our waterways. The sites include
Broadwater Creek, Carr’s Creek, Town Point Cove, Main Creek, Locust Cove, Mill
Creek entrance, Brady Cove and Old Glory Cove. Hopefully the increased access
will lead to more boat sales, which directly contribute revenue to future
dredging projects.
Village of Olde Mill
Community Association 2010 Membership Renewal
_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 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.
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