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 Wednesday, November 3, 2010, 7:00 p.m. at Olde Mill High School, Room A- 271 - Election of Board |
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Volume 40, Number 11 / NOVEMBER 2010 |
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President’s Message
A reminder all positions for VOMCA Officers are currently
open. If anyone would like to volunteer
their time please contact Ms. Sarah Hakulin at board@vomca.org. I am still waiting to hear from the County regarding the
traffic along As most may know, the new community proposed by Snyder Homes
has changed from a 55 and older to any age community. I would like to thank ALL the volunteers who assisted with
VOMCA and the Olde Mill Swim Club this year.
I would like the swim club members to know that the final year of the
management fee with Community Pools Service has increased about $4500.00 for
the 2011 season. Our price was locked in
for the first two years, 2009 and 2010 and increased for 2011. This was a three-year contract. I would like to thank all the guards and
parents who volunteered their time at the pool.
The parents provide a fun and special time in the evenings for the young
club members at the pool. Again, please join us for the November meeting. We need input from our community. I thank all of you for your commitment in 2010. I think that the community has done well with
the limited resources we have. ―Tom Stag, President Health Insurance
Available to Uninsured Marylanders “Under an agreement entered into by the Maryland Health
Insurance Plan and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Individuals must complete an application to apply for the
program. CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield
will administer the Santa Visit This December The annual visit from Santa Claus will be Saturday, December
18, starting at Membership A printed copy of The
Village Crier will be delivered to your door for the month of
December. Attached will be an envelope,
letter and application for you to renew your membership in your community. Please be on the lookout for your Crier and application. We
need your support and involvement to keep our community strong. We need volunteers to hold office and members
to attend meetings so that business can be conducted. VOMCA Voting Set for
Nov. 3 Meeting Overview of Question A Del. Pam Beidle recently
sent this analysis of the controversial Question A that appears on the Nov. 2
General Election ballot. The Village of Olde Mill Community Assn. is not taking
a position on this issue. However, Del. Beidle’s explanation was the one of the
most balanced we have seen. She leaves the decision up to the voters, after
giving the history of how we arrived at this month’s slots question. Background Historically, slots have always been a controversial issue
in Anne Arundel County and the controversy continues today. I would like to
share just a little background about my involvement in this issue. When I
first ran for State Delegate four years ago, I talked to literally thousands of
voters about “slots in Maryland.” If given the opportunity to vote for
slots, the overwhelming majority asked me to support slots. When I was a
“freshman” delegate, Governor Martin O’Malley called a Special Session and
during the 18-day session, he put forth a slots proposal. The proposed slots locations described in the House Bill 4
and Ballot Question 2 are listed below: (3) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (E)
OF THIS SECTION, A VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION LICENSE ONLY MAY BE AWARDED FOR A
VIDEO LOTTERY FACILITY IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: (I) ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, WITHIN 2 MILES
OF MD ROUTE 295; (II) CECIL COUNTY, WITHIN 2 MILES OF
INTERSTATE 95; (III) WORCESTER COUNTY, WITHIN 1 MILE OF
THE INTERSECTION OF ROUTE 50 AND ROUTE 589; (IV) ON STATE PROPERTY ASSOCIATED WITH
THE ROCKY GAP LODGE AND GOLF RESORT LOCATED WITHIN ROCKY GAP STATE PARK IN
ALLEGANY COUNTY; OR (V) BALTIMORE CITY, IF THE VIDEO LOTTERY
FACILITY IS: 1. LOCATED: A. IN A NONRESIDENTIAL AREA; B. WITHIN ONE-HALF MILE OF INTERSTATE 95; C. WITHIN ONE-HALF MILE OF MD ROUTE 295;
AND D. ON PROPERTY THAT IS OWNED BY BALTIMORE
CITY ON THE DATE ON WHICH THE APPLICATION FOR A VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION LICENSE
IS SUBMITTED; AND 2. NOT ADJACENT TO OR WITHIN ONE-QUARTER
MILE OF PROPERTY THAT IS: A. ZONED FOR RESIDENTIAL USE; AND B. USED FOR A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING ON THE
DATE THE APPLICATION FOR A VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION LICENSE IS SUBMITTED. (4) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (E)
OF THIS SECTION, THE STATE MAY NOT AWARD MORE THAN ONE VIDEO LOTTERY OPERATION
LICENSE IN A SINGLE COUNTY OR BALTIMORE CITY. (5) A VIDEO LOTTERY FACILITY SHALL COMPLY
WITH ALL APPLICABLE PLANNING AND ZONING LAWS OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTION. The Constitutional
Amendment This Bill was presented to the House of Delegates in the
form of a Constitutional Amendment. The description of the Anne Arundel
County location was “within two miles of MD Route 295.” In an effort to
protect the local neighborhoods, I supported a House Amendment to mandate that
the facility comply with the zoning laws of the local jurisdiction. Now a
true quandary existed for me, I had committed to my voters that I would vote
for slots and like everyone else, I expected the slots location to be Laurel
Racetrack. While I was not pleased with the wording, I had to decide
whether to put the Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot or NOT. I knew that
Laurel Race Track was within the 2-miles of 295, and I knew the Magnum
Corporation had lobbied hard for slots for many years. I was confident
that Magnum would put in a good bid for Laurel Racetrack if the Constitutional
Amendment passed. Therefore, I fulfilled my campaign promise and cast my vote
to allow the voters, by voting on a Constitutional Amendment, to determine the
future of slots in Maryland. Personally, I am not a proponent of gambling. Slots or
casinos are of no interest to me and I was surprised when over 60% of Maryland
Voters and an overwhelming majority of 62.5% in District 32, voted for
slots. Senate Bill 3 gave the responsibility of regulating Slots to
the State Lottery Commission and the Video Lottery Facility Location Commission
was given the responsibility to locate and license the slots venues. I
expected, like everyone else (maybe naively) a valid license bid from Magnum
for Laurel Racetrack would be the only Anne Arundel County bid received. I was
surprised when the news announced the Cordish Companies had submitted a bid for
Arundel Mills and that Magnum had submitted an incomplete bid for Laurel.
Since Laurel did not submit the required fees with their bid, they were
ultimately disqualified. The Zoning Bill In order for the Cordish Companies to obtain the necessary
slots license, they had to obtain the appropriate zoning for the property at
Arundel Mills. As Anne Arundel County is a “permissive” zoning county,
only the Anne Arundel County Council and the County Executive are able to
provide the appropriate zoning. Therefore, the County Executive and
the County Council had the responsibility to determine and provide proper
zoning for slots. In other jurisdictions, the zoning was decided before
the bids for slots were submitted, but Anne Arundel County waited for the bids
before legislation was considered. The County Council passed two different
bills. Bill 82-09 allowed slots at “regional commercial complexes”
(Arundel Mills is the only regional commercial complex in Anne Arundel County,
any location seeking this zoning would need to apply for a change in
zoning). Bill 81-09 allowed slots in W-1 zoning with very specific
conditions that would safeguard any surrounding communities, and it did not
allow slots at the Mall as the bill specifically excluded slots at “regional
commercial complexes.” County Executive Leopold VETOED 81-09 and signed 82-09
allowing slots at Arundel Mills Mall. The Anne Arundel County citizens decided
that a referendum on Bill 82-09 was appropriate and they were able to achieve
the appropriate signatures for the referendum. The Referendum On November 2, 2010, all citizens of Anne Arundel County may
vote on Question A, it is a referendum on the County Council zoning bill
permitting slots at the Mall. The referendum allows the voters to decide
if they want Bill 82-09 to go into effect. A “YES” vote means that Bill 82-09 remains in effect and
construction will start soon for the slots parlor at Arundel Mills. A “NO” vote means Anne Arundel County has NO ZONING for
slots in Anne Arundel County. The Results If Question “A” passes, meaning a majority of Anne Arundel
County citizens voted “YES”, County Council Bill 82-09 remains in effect and
construction will start soon for the slots at Arundel Mill. The building is a
separate building from the Mall, but in very close proximity. If Question “A” fails, meaning a majority of Anne Arundel
County citizens voted “NO”, the County Council will need to pass a new bill to
grant zoning for slots somewhere in Anne Arundel County. It does not mean
the slots go to Laurel. This is because Penn National owns 51% of
Maryland Jockey Club, which owns the Laurel Racetrack. Penn National may not
own two slots licenses in Maryland as Senate Bill 3 specifically prohibits it: “(2) AN INDIVIDUAL OR BUSINESS ENTITY MAY
NOT OWN AN INTEREST IN MORE THAN ONE VIDEO LOTTERY FACILITY.” A “NO” vote also means that the County Council will be
required to pass new zoning legislation. There will be at least 5 new
members out of 7 on the County Council and possibly a new County
Executive. It is possible that Councilman Jones’ Bill 81-09 will be
resurrected or that there is a different bill entirely. With either bill,
the County Executive could choose to veto the bill. In Summary During the 2007 Special Session, when I voted for the
amendment to House Bill 4 that stated: “(5) A VIDEO LOTTERY FACILITY SHALL
COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE PLANNING AND ZONING LAWS OF THE LOCAL JURISDICTION.” I truly believed and still do believe, that I was protecting
the citizens of Anne Arundel County. Neither the County Executive, nor
the County Council members objected to the description of “within 2 miles of MD
Route 295” in Anne Arundel County. County Executive Leopold was not
actively communicating with the State Legislators during the Special
Session. In the 18 days of our 2007 Special Session, there was little
time for the people of Anne Arundel County to comment or testify on where the
State should locate slots, or what House Bill 4 should state. It was my
opinion that the local County Council zoning process would protect the citizens
of Anne Arundel County much better than 141 Delegates and 47 Senators from all
over the State. When I served on the County Council, the Council
respected the wishes of the other Council Representatives; obviously, the
outgoing County Council and County Executive Leopold did not have the same
respect for Councilman Jones and the residents of District One. I congratulate the citizens of Anne Arundel County,
particularly of Harmans, Hanover and Severn, for working to get the 15,000
valid signatures needed for the petition to take Bill 82-09 to
Referendum. Some people criticize the fact that Penn National has helped
with the referendum including their advertising against slots. While Penn
National has a great deal to gain if the slots are not located at Arundel Mills
(or anywhere in Anne Arundel County), the citizens that live near the Mall also
have a lot to gain by protecting their communities. Many citizens in Anne Arundel County, and all over Maryland,
are concerned about the downturn in our economy and loss of revenues. The
proceeds from the slots will certainly help with revenues. If slots are located
at Arundel Mills, Anne Arundel County expects about $30 million in revenues,
with an additional $400 million to the State. The promise of 4000 jobs is also
enticing in this economy. However, many question if the impact to the
communities around Arundel Mills is worth $30 million, but I know the unions
representing the teachers, fire fighters and police officers think so. On October 14, 2010, the Cordish Companies announced that
the slots parlor at Arundel Mills, referred to as “Maryland Live” will also
include an entertainment venue (maybe a Rams Head) and three restaurants; the
Cheesecake Factory, Ruth’s Chris and a restaurant from acclaimed chef, Bobby
Flay. These features are additional exciting venues in Anne Arundel County.
However, local residents see this as more traffic and an even greater impact. This is a difficult issue for all voters in Anne Arundel
County. We must weigh the effects of the slots at Arundel Mills on the
surrounding communities and consider the revenues that slots could bring to
Anne Arundel County. This is an important issue to all residents of our
county and most particularly to the residents that live nearby. Please consider
this issue carefully and whatever your decision, PLEASE VOTE on Election Day,
Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Also, remember early voting, October 22 to October
28. –District 32 State Delegate Pam Beidle
To Rake or Not?
Below are two articles that promote less leaf raking. One is from a lawn
product supplier (Scott’s) and the other is an article from Fine Gardening. Please take the time to
read these as you may be surprised to learn relevant information that could
save you time and effort this fall. We all could use some more time right? By the way, Anne Arundel County provides free composting
bins to residents. These are approximately 3 ft tall, made from flexible
material that can be formed into varying sizes of collectors. Call 410-222-7951 to find out how to pick up
one or more for your yard. ―Submitted by Stacy Epperson Chop Those Leaves with Your Mower Take the grass catcher off your mower and mow over the
leaves on your lawn. You want to reduce your leaf clutter to dime-size pieces.
You'll know you're done when about half an inch of grass can be seen through
the mulched leaf layer. Once the leaf bits settle in, microbes and worms get to
work recycling them. Any kind of rotary-action mower will do the job, and any
kind of leaves can be chopped up. With several passes of your mower, you can
mulch up to 18 inches of leaf clutter. ―from Scott’s Lawn Products
If you dread the annual fall leaf-raking marathon, I have
good news for you: Raking and collecting leaves every autumn is a tradition
without scientific basis. Research has proven that mowing leaves into your lawn
can improve its vigor, and observation shows that unraked leaves in planting
beds don’t smother shade-tolerant perennials. Based upon research at several universities, the organic
matter and nutrients from leaves mown into lawn areas has been proven to
improve turf quality. At Michigan State, researchers set a rotary mower to cut
at a height of 3 inches and then mowed an 18-inch-deep layer of leaves into
test plots. That’s the equivalent of 450 pounds of leaves per 1,000 square
feet. The tests resulted in improved soil and healthy lawns with few remnant
leaves visible the following spring. You can achieve similar results if you set your mower to cut
at the same height as in the Michigan State study, and mow at least once a week
during peak leaf fall when your lawn reaches a height of 4 inches. Leaves shred
most efficiently when slightly damp, so mow after a light dew. If you follow
these simple guidelines, you will never rake another leaf and improve the
quality of your soil. Under trees or in other shady spots where a lawn won’t grow,
you can create planting beds from fallen leaves as a source of soil-building
organic matter. Shredded leaves applied as mulch protect tree roots from heat
and cold and retain soil moisture during dry spells. Some gardeners believe
that excess leaves can harbor insects or disease, but I have experienced no
such problems in my garden. After we bought our property, I created planting beds where
the leaves would naturally collect on our densely shaded and sparse front lawn.
It’s been 15 years since I’ve raked a single leaf dropped by these trees.
Instead, the leaves settle among the hellebores, epimediums, Japanese forest
grass, hostas, and spring-flowering bulbs, where they decompose over time, just
like on the forest floor. To treat leaves as trash is both environmentally foolish and
financially ruinous. Currently, many municipalities encourage residents to rake
leaves to the curb for collection, but before they are collected, heavy rains
often wash the leaves into catch basins. [Or, in the case of Olde Mill,
residents rake their leaves into the small streams behind most of our homes.]
There, they decompose and release phosphorus and nitrogen into streams and
rivers that flow through the community. These excess nutrients contribute to
algae blooms during the summer, which result in lower oxygen levels, making it
difficult for fish and other aquatic species to survive. Municipalities, both large and small, spend thousands, even
millions, of dollars each year to collect, transport, and process autumn
leaves, tying up resources that could be used elsewhere in our communities. If
we all keep our leaves on our properties, we will improve our gardens, save
money, and enhance the environment we all share. A little effort can supply an organic source of nutrients
for your plants. Here are two ways to use your leaves. Pile composting for mixed
borders • Rake the leaves into
loose piles or in wire bins about 4 feet square within your borders. Sheet composting for annual beds • Rake your leaves into
the empty beds, and shred them with a lawn mower. Research has proven that
mowing leaves into your lawn can improve its vigor, and observation shows that
unraked leaves in planting beds don’t smother shade-tolerant perennials ―Terry Ettinger, from Fine Gardening 117, pp. 24-25
Village of Olde Mill
Community Association 2010 Membership Renewal
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