Hampstead Business

The Hampstead Business Association will meet at 7 p.m. today at Dean's Restaurant, 832 S. Main St.The association provides a voice for the merchants and professionals of the Hampstead area. New members are welcome. Members will be contacted soon to survey their needs and opinions on several issues.Agenda matters for the HBA include: increasing membership and active participation, sponsoring a community service program or event, assembling a Hampstead Bypass committee and increasing public awareness of the organization.

The Hampstead Business Association plans to resurrect its tradition of holding an annual business exposition Feb. 26 at North Carroll High School.It will be the association's 11th expo. Until last year, the expo had been an annual event.The rebirth of the business expo also may signal a rebirth of the Hampstead Business Association, which claims "well over 100" members, according to Ed Cross, who is association president and president of C&D Garage Doors.The association's newest directory lists more than 270 Hampstead businesses.

Carroll car dealer Jeff Barnes will sell his Chevrolet-Geo dealership in Hampstead to spend more time at his Eldersburg dealership, he said yesterday."

Carroll car dealer Jeff Barnes will sell his Chevrolet-Geo dealership in Hampstead to spend more time at his Eldersburg dealership, he said yesterday."

Jim and Dolly Norris of Hampstead have an eye for Victorian flowers, doves and handshakes."The rose is for love, the little forget-me-not, just as it says," said Mr. Norris. "There's the dove for peace, and the hand for friendship."It's a paper garden they've acquired. They collect Victorian-era calling cards, a business-type card that expressed genteel friendship in the 1890s."At the end of a visit, you'd lay one on a tray as you left. They weren't expensive," said Mr. Norris.Shopping at flea markets, antique shops, and estate sales in Carroll and Pennsylvania in the past five years, they've discovered more than 2,000 cards they liked.

About 50 merchants are expected to participate in the Hampstead Business Expo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Four Seasons Sports Complex on Hampstead-Mexico Road.This is the 10th anniversary of the expo, started by the Hampstead Business Association to promote thearea's businesses and their products."This year will be our largest as far as dealer participation," said Ed Cross, expo chairman. "Right now, we have 43 merchants and we expect more to fill our remaining eight openings before Saturday."