Greater Crofton

The Greater Crofton Council, which represents about 20 communities and 9,000 residents, elected officers for 1995-1996 Tuesday night at its monthly meeting.Robert J. Scott of Gambrills is president; Carol Robbins of Crofton, vice president; George Dupont of Gambrills, treasurer; and Bess Sharland of Crofton, secretary.All are incumbents except for Mrs. Sharland.The volunteer group represents residents outside Crofton's special tax district. The next council meeting is at 7 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Crofton library.

Amid rising opposition to a proposed Wal-Mart in Crofton, the discounting retailer will trim the size of the store by as much as 20 percent, and the state has agreed to hold a public hearing on the project. The Maryland Department of the Environment is not required to hold a forum as part of its consideration of a crucial license that would allow Wal-Mart to bury wetlands near the Little Patuxent River, said Julie Oberg, an agency spokeswoman. "Public interest is driving this hearing," Oberg said.

Are you worried about crowded schools? Then plan to attend the Greater Crofton Council meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Crofton library. The council is to focus on the problem of crowded schools.The council is composed of representatives from neighborhoods and communities in the Crofton area, but outside the Crofton tax district. The tax district is not a member, but usually sends a representative.The meetings are open to residents of the greater Crofton area, including the tax district.*Del.

The Crofton Civic Association has withdrawn its membership from the Greater Crofton Council, saying the larger group's positions on recent land issues are at odds with community interests. Steve Grimaud, president of the association, said the decision to leave the GCC was touched off by negotiations over Cunningham Sand and Gravel's request to expand its mine in Gambrills by 17 acres, which would bring it within several hundred yards of another development. He said that the move, which came last week, was designed to support other homeowners associations that had opposed the mine expansion, such as the Four Seasons Community Association and the Courts of Four Seasons Homeowners Association.

In what community leaders are calling a gesture of good will, the developers of a proposed rubble landfill in Odenton have offered to build a public high school in Gambrills and a community swimming pool and 500-acre park near the site. But the offer gets the developers no closer to formal approval of the landfill, which has faced opposition from local activists and county leaders for 15 years and still requires a state environmental permit. The package being offered by Halle Cos. of Silver Spring was approved in a vote Tuesday by the Greater Crofton Council, a community group that helped negotiate the deal.

A nonprofit organization has been set up to help review growth and quality-of-life issues in the Crofton area. The Greater Crofton Growth Management Commission Inc. will include participation in the county's subdivision, site plan and zoning approval process, as well as in the review of the capital improvement program, state funding priorities and public education initiatives. Officers of the commission are: David Espie, chairman; Ed Dosek and Sean Logan, vice chairmen; Ron Burns, treasurer; Robert Scott, secretary; Robert Johnston and Allen Davis, trustees.

CONSIDER GIVING the gift of life as Nichols-Bethel United Methodist and First Evangelical Lutheran churches sponsor a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday at Nichols-Bethel Church in Odenton.The Red Cross has a critical need for blood at this time of year.Call (410) 923-3365 to make an appointment or for moreinformation.Monthly breakfastThe Archbishop Keough Council, Knights of Columbus will have its monthly breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon Sunday in the Columbian Hall on Becknel Avenue in Odenton.

NEARLY 100 West County residents and community leaders gathered last week to celebrate the opening of the beautiful community center at the Village of Waugh Chapel. Against the backdrop of a beautiful fountain in a sparkling lake, Robert DeStefano, developer of the village, presented a symbolic floral key to the center to area residents, who were represented by the new community center's board of directors. Besides DeStefano, participants in the ceremony Friday included: Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens; County Councilmen John J. Klocko III and Bill D. Burlison; John Pantelides, senior vice president of Erwin L. Greenberg Commercial Corp.

THERE'S A LOT of work ahead for the new Crofton Civic Association (CCA) board of directors, and president-elect Richard Trunnell is kicking it off with a retreat for board members. Trunnell has worked with all the new board members before and believes they will be able to accomplish much together. One of his main goals is to oversee a less contentious board than has operated in recent years. With that in mind, he has arranged the retreat - a camping trip at a state park financed by the members personally, not through CCA funds - to foster teamwork.

Town centers seem to be getting popular.Just as the county is finishing designing one in Parole and working on a second in Odenton, residents of another community have expressed interest.This time, it's the people representing Greater Crofton. They arenot sure exactly what they want, but they are interested enough to have county planners come out next week and give a talk."It soundslike something we might want to look into," said Donna Arbogast, whojust took over as president of the Greater Crofton Council.

A flap over a proposed landfill has raised the stakes of the usually low-key Greater Crofton Council elections, which are set for tomorrow. Council President Torrey C. Jacobsen Jr. is locked in a heated re-election fight because of his support for Halle Cos.' proposal to erect a rubble landfill on 481 acres that the Silver Spring-based company owns near Odenton. In return for the council's nonbinding support last fall, Halle has offered to build a high school, a community center and a 500-acre park near the landfill and provide up to $750,000 a year to local community associations.

A protracted fight over a proposed landfill in western Anne Arundel County remains hotly contested, despite efforts by the Silver Spring-based Halle Cos. to push the deal through. Representatives for the Greater Crofton Council and the Greater Odenton Improvement Association have opposed the landfill for about 15 years, but they told those who packed the Crofton group's monthly meeting Tuesday night that they see it as inevitable - and hope to get something from Halle in exchange. "There's no way to stop the landfill," said Greater Crofton Council President Torrey Jacobsen before more than 120 people.

In what community leaders are calling a gesture of good will, the developers of a proposed rubble landfill in Odenton have offered to build a public high school in Gambrills and a community swimming pool and 500-acre park near the site. But the offer gets the developers no closer to formal approval of the landfill, which has faced opposition from local activists and county leaders for 15 years and still requires a state environmental permit. The package being offered by Halle Cos. of Silver Spring was approved in a vote Tuesday by the Greater Crofton Council, a community group that helped negotiate the deal.

Red Cross seeks donations to help with fire relief Volunteers from the Central Maryland Chapter of the American Red Cross have responded to numerous residential fires this winter. During a two-week period this month, the Red Cross assisted 80 area families with food, clothing, shelter, mental health counseling and replacement furnishings after their homes were destroyed by fire. The chapter has committed approximately $30,000 to meet immediate needs, but estimates that the total relief cost for the 14-day period will reach $80,000.

IN 1990, Marsha Perry threw a birthday party for the 1-year-old Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce with balloons, streamers and a birthday cake - it was a great way to celebrate. In fact, the party was so much fun that Perry made it into a tradition. The tradition continued Friday evening as the Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 13th year with a party at the home of the former 33rd District delegate. Local business people joined community leaders at the event, recognizing the organization's strong history of service to the business community.

A nonprofit organization has been set up to help review growth and quality-of-life issues in the Crofton area. The Greater Crofton Growth Management Commission Inc. will include participation in the county's subdivision, site plan and zoning approval process, as well as in the review of the capital improvement program, state funding priorities and public education initiatives. Officers of the commission are: David Espie, chairman; Ed Dosek and Sean Logan, vice chairmen; Ron Burns, treasurer; Robert Scott, secretary; Robert Johnston and Allen Davis, trustees.

IN 1990, Marsha Perry threw a birthday party for the 1-year-old Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce with balloons, streamers and a birthday cake - it was a great way to celebrate. In fact, the party was so much fun that Perry made it into a tradition. The tradition continued Friday evening as the Greater Crofton Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 13th year with a party at the home of the former 33rd District delegate. Local business people joined community leaders at the event, recognizing the organization's strong history of service to the business community.

A protracted fight over a proposed landfill in western Anne Arundel County remains hotly contested, despite efforts by the Silver Spring-based Halle Cos. to push the deal through. Representatives for the Greater Crofton Council and the Greater Odenton Improvement Association have opposed the landfill for about 15 years, but they told those who packed the Crofton group's monthly meeting Tuesday night that they see it as inevitable - and hope to get something from Halle in exchange. "There's no way to stop the landfill," said Greater Crofton Council President Torrey Jacobsen before more than 120 people.

NEARLY 100 West County residents and community leaders gathered last week to celebrate the opening of the beautiful community center at the Village of Waugh Chapel. Against the backdrop of a beautiful fountain in a sparkling lake, Robert DeStefano, developer of the village, presented a symbolic floral key to the center to area residents, who were represented by the new community center's board of directors. Besides DeStefano, participants in the ceremony Friday included: Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens; County Councilmen John J. Klocko III and Bill D. Burlison; John Pantelides, senior vice president of Erwin L. Greenberg Commercial Corp.

THE BANQUET ROOM in the Sly Horse Tavern on Crofton's Village Green is typically the site of such events as receptions or retirement parties - its elegance appropriate to quiet dining and happy social events. Wednesday evening, the room was filled to overflowing for a different sort of event, with parents, politicians and community leaders renewing pursuit of a goal that has eluded West County for many years: a new high school to serve the growing area. Like many other parents, I have been watching the development of plans for a new high school - it would be the county's 13th - for a long time.