Aberdeen City

A pit bull dog was shot and killed in Aberdeen Sunday evening, according to the city's police department. At about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aberdeen city police officers were dispatched to the first block of Liberty Street, along the border of Aberdeen Proving Ground, to investigate the report of a dog being shot. Arriving officers found a dead pit bull terrier suffering from a gunshot wound to head. People living nearby heard the dog barking and then a single gunshot. When the they ran outside, they found the dog but no one was in the area, according to the police department.

Editor: An Oct. 14 Aegis editorial noted that justice was served when Aberdeen received $2.5 million from a class action suit in a groundwater contamination case. A gasoline leak contaminated Aberdeen's water supply well with benzene, which causes cancer, and the settlement was for costs the city incurred because of the leak. The editorial noted "Aberdeen has been fortunate insofar as the municipal drinking water supply ... could relatively easily be supplemented by the county's water system.

TOMORROW Aberdeen City Council -- will meet at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 60 N. Parke St. 410-272-1600. Harford County Zoning Hearing Examiners -- will hold public hearings at 6:30 p.m. in the County Council Chambers, 212 S. Bond St., Bel Air. Case information: 410-638-3349. TUESDAY Bel Air Board of Commissioners -- will hold a work session at 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 39 Hickory Ave. 410-638-4550. Harford County Council -- will meet in legislative session at 8 p.m. at 212 S. Bond St., Bel Air. Zoning Appeal Case No. 5533 (Hasselbarth)

Public must be notified of issues At the July 3 meeting of the Aberdeen City Council, public notification regarding city issues was of concern. As noted by Councilman David Yensan, council meeting agendas posted on the city Web site often do not reflect the agenda actually presented at the meeting. His suggestion to post them on a community bulletin board at City Hall has some merit, if used in concert with the existing procedures for notification. To use it instead of newspapers and the city Web site would be of little value.

Aberdeen's first election under a new city form of government May 5 finds Town Commissioners George J. Englesson and Ruth Elliott squaring off in the race for mayor and eight hopefuls vying for two city council seats. The deadline to file for the race was Friday.Englesson has been mayor since 1987, an honorary title awarded by the five-member board of commissioners. Elliott has been on the board since 1982.Under the new Aberdeen city charter, approved last December as the community neared its 100th birthday this year, the mayor will have limited executive powers.

Editor: Elections matter! Re-electing Michael Bennett as Aberdeen's mayor matters, too. We are focusing on a positive campaign. We focus on teamwork and support. There are no "I wills" in our platform. We wish to bring people together through consensus building. There is no "I" in team. We are not a rubber stamp for the mayor. We have differences of opinion; we share our concerns with the mayor and each other, then work together to find solutions to the issues. Please do not become distracted by negative campaign tactics.

Two incumbents and one political newcomer will battle for two Aberdeen City Council seats. Voting for the two-year positions will be May 2.Ronald Kupferman, council president, and Macon L. Tucker are being challenged by Douglas Wilson, a certified public accountant in Aberdeen.The council is made up of the mayor and four council members whose terms are staggered.The biggest issues this year are the revitalization of Aberdeen's downtown and upgrading the city's infrastructure, particularly to provide adequate water and sewage service.

A Harford County golf course owner faces charges after being accused of firing shots near homes, state police said. Samuel C. Smedley, 50, was charged with one count of having a handgun in a vehicle, one count of disorderly conduct and two counts of reckless endangerment in connection with the incident Saturday, according to police. Smedley was a key figure in an Aberdeen annexation proposal. Last year, the Aberdeen City Council attempted to annex 524 acres to make way for a development of more than 1,000 homes.

Cal Ripken is hitting the Information Superhighway.A Ripken Museum site on the Internet's World Wide Web will allow fans to check out Ripken memorabilia and photos, meet Cal Sr., Billy and other Ripkens, take a virtual tour of the museum and visit Aberdeen, the Ripkens' hometown and home of the museum.The Ripken web site (www.picgroup.com/ripken) -- now featuring basic information about the museum and details on becoming members of a fan club -- remains "under construction."The Piccirilli Group, a Bel Air marketing and advertising firm designing the site, says the site will be greatly expanded in the coming weeks to include a wealth of exhibits on Cal Jr., the streak that shattered Lou Gehrig's 2,130-consecutive game record and the museum, among other things.

Instead of heading to the market next time you need fresh produce, take a trip to Aberdeen's farmers market. Every Friday from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m., Festival Park across from Aberdeen City Hall is full of vendors selling local goods and families having a good time. “Aberdeen wanted its citizens to grow local, buy local,” says Felicia Bledsoe, a spokesperson for the city of Aberdeen. “It helps the small business out, and you can always be sure there will be fresh vegetables, delicious homemade snacks, handmade products and other items each week.” Aberdeen's farmers market began in May and will run until October.