Center Street

C Conditions on Westminster's Center Street have improved considerably since Gregory L. Howard was murdered there a year ago. At the time of the 22-year-old's death, dealers brazenly hawked their drugs on the street corners and in the nearby playground. Buyers from all over the county and beyond would drive to the open-air market to purchase crack, marijuana and other drugs. Since Mr. Howard's death, this unwanted market has been nearly put out of commission. The credit belongs to the neighborhood and the Westminster Police Department.

Commuters who've begun using downtown streets because of lane closures on the Jones Falls Expressway might want to think about a backup plan for Thursday evening and Friday. The Baltimore Department of Transportation will close streets in the Mount Vernon neighborhood from 3 p.m. Thursday through midnight Saturday to accommodate the 95th annual Flowermart. Other city events this weekend will require detours as well. The Flowermart closures will be in effect on Charles Street from Centre to Read streets; Madison Street from St. Paul to Cathedral streets; and Mount Vernon Place from Cathedral to St. Paul streets.

Fire Mount Airy: Firefighters from Mount Airy and Lisbon in Howard County responded at 3: 16 a.m. Friday to an alarm on Center Street. Units were out 10 minutes.

Carroll Hospital Center, operating room expansion Location: Northwest side of Gist Road, south of Stoner Avenue, Westminster Owner: Carroll Hospital Center, Westminster Developer: Same Engineer: CLSI, Westminster Zoning: Residential Acreage: 16.4 acres Description: An 8,916-square-foot addition to the existing hospital for use as operating rooms. Loading docks and a helipad will be relocated to allow for the project. Access to the building will be from the hospital entrances along Center Street and Stoner Avenue.

New stop signs aimed to improve Center Street flow Carroll's Department of Public Works urges motorists to be aware of new traffic patterns on Center Street, north of Route 140 in Westminster. Stop signs were posted Tuesday on Cranberry Road at its intersection with Center Street. Stop signs will be posted next month on Gorsuch Road, making Center Street a throughway from the Town Mall of Westminster to Market Place. A traffic impact analysis for the new Winters Mill High School on Gorsuch prompted the changes, said Doug Myers, county public works director.

Icicles festoon the jungle gym behind the apartments on Westminster's South Center Street. Winter tightens its grip, temporarily keeping children out of school, their parents away from work and drug dealers off the streets.One year after a 22-year-old man was gunned down in the Carroll neighborhood as a result of a drug deal gone awry, people who live in the 100 block of S. Center St. have vastly different perceptions of whether the danger and the drug trafficking have abated."Oh, yeah, it's been much different.

FIRE* Union Mills: Pleasant Valley responded for an auto fire on Littlestown Pike at 6:14 p.m. Friday. Units were out for 19 minutes.* Westminster: Westminster responded for a car leaking gas on Center Street at 12:14 p.m. Saturday. Units were out for 35minutes.

Mount Airy, which has been planning to extend Center Street for five years, isn't going to wait for developers to do the job.The Town Council approved retaining an engineer to design an 800-foot extension of Center Street, to Route 27. The extension will allow traffic to use Center Street as a link between Main Street and Route 27, as called for in the town's 1993 street system plan.The council decided at its meeting last week to proceed with the engineering design, after Councilman C. Robert Mead urged his colleagues to begin construction.

HRW Development of Baltimore broke ground yesterday for Westminster Marketplace, the newest retail center along Route 140 in Westminster. The 400,000-square-foot center will be anchored by Home Depot, BJ's Wholesale Club and Kohl's Department Store. In addition, Eastern Petroleum will build a freestanding 4,000-square-foot service station, convenience store and carwash. The center will open in July. The city annexed the 54-acre site in June 1999, at which time the Carroll County commissioners granted commercial zoning status to the area.

On February 15, 2005, CHARLES HENRY LONG, beloved husband of the late Beverly Ann (nee Pepper); father of Matthew C. and Gregory A. Long; brother of Eldon D. Long, Raymond L. Long, Jr., Shirley M. Winebarger and Rolin W. Long. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Funeral services from the ELINE FUNERAL HOME, 11824 Reisterstown Road (at Franklin Blvd), Friday, at 10 A.M. Interment All Saints Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. If desired, contributions may be made to the Carroll County Cancer Center, 555 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157.

On February 15, 2005, CHARLES HENRY LONG, beloved husband of the late Beverly Ann (nee Pepper); father of Matthew C. and Gregory A. Long; brother of Eldon D. Long, Raymond L. Long, Jr., Shirley M. Winebarger and Rolin W. Long. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Funeral services from the ELINE FUNERAL HOME, 11824 Reisterstown Road (at Franklin Blvd), Friday, at 10 A.M. Interment All Saints Cemetery. Friends may call Thursday, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 P.M. If desired, contributions may be made to the Carroll County Cancer Center, 555 S. Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157.

New stop signs aimed to improve Center Street flow Carroll's Department of Public Works urges motorists to be aware of new traffic patterns on Center Street, north of Route 140 in Westminster. Stop signs were posted Tuesday on Cranberry Road at its intersection with Center Street. Stop signs will be posted next month on Gorsuch Road, making Center Street a throughway from the Town Mall of Westminster to Market Place. A traffic impact analysis for the new Winters Mill High School on Gorsuch prompted the changes, said Doug Myers, county public works director.

HRW Development of Baltimore broke ground yesterday for Westminster Marketplace, the newest retail center along Route 140 in Westminster. The 400,000-square-foot center will be anchored by Home Depot, BJ's Wholesale Club and Kohl's Department Store. In addition, Eastern Petroleum will build a freestanding 4,000-square-foot service station, convenience store and carwash. The center will open in July. The city annexed the 54-acre site in June 1999, at which time the Carroll County commissioners granted commercial zoning status to the area.

Carroll County Farm Museum will celebrate July 4 in its usual grand way, starting at noon and ending with a giant fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. Families are invited to spend the day on the grounds of the 140-acre historic farm in Westminster picnicking, visiting the farm buildings and enjoying a variety of entertainment. WTTR-AM radio station will broadcast from the grounds throughout the day. The Westminster Jaycees will return to put on the fireworks display. Bring your food or buy freshly prepared fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, sodas, pizza, ice cream and more from the many food vendors on the grounds.

Fire Mount Airy: Firefighters from Mount Airy and Lisbon in Howard County responded at 3: 16 a.m. Friday to an alarm on Center Street. Units were out 10 minutes.

A line started forming the morning after the Westminster Common Council approved a program last week to provide $3,000 toward closing costs for city employees who choose to live close to downtown. Officials hope employers such as Western Maryland College and Carroll County General Hospital will participate in the state's 2-year-old Live Near Your Work program. "Obviously, this could be used as a recruiting tool," said Karen Blandford, manager of housing and community development for the city.

Carroll County Farm Museum will celebrate July 4 in its usual grand way, starting at noon and ending with a giant fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. Families are invited to spend the day on the grounds of the 140-acre historic farm in Westminster picnicking, visiting the farm buildings and enjoying a variety of entertainment. WTTR-AM radio station will broadcast from the grounds throughout the day. The Westminster Jaycees will return to put on the fireworks display. Bring your food or buy freshly prepared fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, sodas, pizza, ice cream and more from the many food vendors on the grounds.

Weather permitting, the closing of the intersection at Main and Center streets in the heart of Westminster will last three weeks. However, some city officials and residents make it seem like this is nothing short of a biblical plague visited on the downtown.The State Highway Administration, which is responsible for the Main Street reconstruction, has been planning this project for three years. Its purpose is to correct severe drainage problems and road deterioration while preserving trees along the county seat's main business thoroughfare.

To ease traffic after Carroll County Farm Museum's July Fourth celebration and fireworks Sunday night, the following traffic patterns and parking restrictions will be in effect:Center Street and Kate Wagner Road will close at 8: 45 p.m. to incoming traffic.No parking along Center Street, Gist Road or Kate Wagner Road will be permitted.All traffic leaving the museum lot will use two lanes and be directed out Center Street toward Route 140. Vehicles will be allowed to turn left onto Green Street and Main Street or proceed to Route 140.East Main Street and Green Street will be closed to through traffic between South Center Street and Washington Road.

Mount Airy, which has been planning to extend Center Street for five years, isn't going to wait for developers to do the job.The Town Council approved retaining an engineer to design an 800-foot extension of Center Street, to Route 27. The extension will allow traffic to use Center Street as a link between Main Street and Route 27, as called for in the town's 1993 street system plan.The council decided at its meeting last week to proceed with the engineering design, after Councilman C. Robert Mead urged his colleagues to begin construction.