Harford Mall

The American shopping experience changed in the second half of the 1900s from one where customers made their way to free-standing stores ranging from ma and pa operations to department stores to one where customers converged on a single destination, that being a mall with an enclosed and largely climate controlled common area surrounded by outlets selling just about anything. Harford Mall was among the early such facilities, given its relatively rural location when it opened 40 years ago in 1972 at the site of what had been a horse racetrack and county fairgrounds.

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. April 1, votes will be accepted via Facebook for Harford's Most Beautiful Baby as part of the fourth annual "Celebree Presents Harford's Most Beautiful Baby" contest, hosted by Harford Family House and SARC. The 10 entries that receive the most votes will move on to face the judges as semi-finalists and the winner of the grand prize package valued at more than $11,000 will be announced at a free event on Saturday, May 11 at Harford Mall. The announcement of the contest winner at 1:30 p.m. will be the culmination of a day packed with events that include additional live contests and entertainment emceed by Kristy Breslin of WJZ-TV.

In light of recent news articles pertaining to homelessness in Harford County, Harford Mall management is partnering with the Welcome One Emergency Shelter in a collection and donation drive to benefit the shelter. The collection drive, called Have a Heart for Harford's Homeless, is taking place until Feb. 29. The goal of the Have a Heart for Harford's Homeless campaign is to collect needed items from the Welcome One wish list, as well as monetary donations. Donations for the shelter can be placed in the display area at Harford Mall's center court. Mall representatives will be on hand throughout the donation period to accept monetary donations to the shelter.  "This is a wonderful opportunity for the mall to provide some much needed assistance to our neighbors in Harford County," Harford Mall General Manager Lauri Altman said in a news release. "It is one small way that we as a community can give back to those who need it. " The kickoff for Harford Mall's campaign was last Friday afternoon in the mall's center court.

On Feb. 10, the Patterson Mill High School Class of 2013 held its fourth annual Senior Fashion Show & Prom Expo, "Red Carpet Affair!"  With over 570 guests in attendance and 109 models participating, including seniors and faculty, the afternoon was a huge success. This event is sponsored by the PTSA Chemical-Free Senior Events Committee to help fund the chemical–free After Prom Party at the Bel Air Athletic Club and After Graduation Cruise on the Spirit Baltimore at the Inner Harbor.

The owner of the Harford Mall has pulled off the table plans to expand and transform the shopping center into a "lifestyle center," noting a reorganization within the company. The plans, which had gone through various changes and faced several obstacles, were expected to be reviewed at last Thursday's planning and zoning meeting. But a planning official said the mall's owner, CBL & Associates, notified Bel Air that the plans were being pulled because of an internal shuffle, but could be revamped in the future.

An electrical malfunction and small fire at Harford Mall in Bel Air have caused the temporary closing of 14 stores, a mall official said today.Nancy Brown, a mall marketing official, said the malfunction cut electricity to the 14 stores and caused minor smoke and water damage to a few of them.The most damage from the malfunction, which occurred about 5 p.m. yesterday, was in Carpet Fair, she said.The 550,000-square-foot, 65-store mall at U.S. 1 and Md. 24, Harford County's largest, was evacuated and closed after the incident.

An attempted holdup of an armored truck ended amid gunfire yesterday afternoon outside an entrance to Harford Mall, and a suspect -- found hiding in a food court employee break room -- was arrested, Bel Air police said. Shortly before 3 p.m., police received a 911 call reporting a gunshot near the east side food court entrance to Harford Mall. The shot had been fired by a Brinks armored carrier employee at a would-be robber outside the mall along U.S. 1, where the truck had arrived moments earlier for a pickup at a Liberty Federal Savings & Loan branch, police said.

Holiday shopper Ruth Ward carefully examines each ornament, from the fire hydrant perched in the treetop to the dog biscuits and pictures of animals hanging from the branches.L The tree is a creation of the Churchville Veterinary Clinic.Mrs. Ward, a resident of Bel Air, moves on to check out the next one, unsure yet of her choice for the best decorated tree.The trees are part of the second annual "Festival of Trees" at Harford Mall, a project that benefits the Steppingstone Museum in Havre de Grace.

Harford Mall, one of the last bastions for shoppers who smoke in the Baltimore metropolitan area, will initiate a smoke-free environment called CARE (Clean Air Rights for Everyone) on Wednesday. All common areas will be off-limits to smokers.Nancy Brown, the mall's marketing director, said the smoking ban -- in the only enclosed mall in Harford County -- is being instituted in response to many patrons' requests. She said each store has its own policy, but the majority already ban smoking.

Mid-Atlantic Realty Trust said at its annual meeting yesterday that it will launch renovations and expansion projects at two shopping centers in Baltimore and Harford counties.As part of the projects, a Super Fresh is to open as a new anchor grocery store at the Rosedale Plaza.Also, a Gap and Old Navy store will open at Harford Mall in October, the company said."These are two very significant transactions most REITs can't pull out of the bag," F. Patrick Hughes, president of the Lutherville-based real estate investment trust, told shareholders.

A number of Harford County residents, young and old, received flu vaccinations at a free clinic held in Bel Air Friday afternoon by the Harford County Health Department. One of the workers at the clinic said there had been a steady stream of people during the first portion of the four-hour clinic, which was held in the Harford County Council's chambers. Both FluMist and flu shots were available. Friday's clinic was the first of two scheduled in Harford this weekend. Upper Chesapeake Health is offering a flu vaccination clinic at Harford Mall Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m inside the main mall building near Yankee Candle.

Upper Chesapeake Health, owner of Harford County's two hospitals, is offering a flu vaccination clinic Saturday and restricting its visitation policy in order to protect its patients and to help control the spread of the flu this season. Effective Jan. 14, the visitation policy for Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air and Harford Memorial Hospital in Havre de Grace is: • No visitors who are sick; • No visitors younger than 12 years of age; • No more than two visitors at one time per patient; • New visitation hours are noon to 8 p.m. "As many of our patients are at high risk for development of serious flu complications, it is our responsibility to protect them from acquiring influenza while hospitalized.

The American shopping experience changed in the second half of the 1900s from one where customers made their way to free-standing stores ranging from ma and pa operations to department stores to one where customers converged on a single destination, that being a mall with an enclosed and largely climate controlled common area surrounded by outlets selling just about anything. Harford Mall was among the early such facilities, given its relatively rural location when it opened 40 years ago in 1972 at the site of what had been a horse racetrack and county fairgrounds.

In light of recent news articles pertaining to homelessness in Harford County, Harford Mall management is partnering with the Welcome One Emergency Shelter in a collection and donation drive to benefit the shelter. The collection drive, called Have a Heart for Harford's Homeless, is taking place until Feb. 29. The goal of the Have a Heart for Harford's Homeless campaign is to collect needed items from the Welcome One wish list, as well as monetary donations. Donations for the shelter can be placed in the display area at Harford Mall's center court. Mall representatives will be on hand throughout the donation period to accept monetary donations to the shelter.  "This is a wonderful opportunity for the mall to provide some much needed assistance to our neighbors in Harford County," Harford Mall General Manager Lauri Altman said in a news release. "It is one small way that we as a community can give back to those who need it. " The kickoff for Harford Mall's campaign was last Friday afternoon in the mall's center court.

WEATHER Today's forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high temperature around 60 degrees. The low temperature is expected to be around 46 degrees with rain expected tonight. TRAFFIC Here are today's morning traffic issues . FROM LAST NIGHT... Hundreds gather to honor those who died homeless : On the longest night of the year, a crowd of about 200 gathered at the Baltimore Inner Harbor Amphitheater to remember the 111 people who died homeless in the city this year.

Whether you prefer big chain stores or smaller boutiques, there is something for every shopper in Harford County. Perhaps the best place to begin your shopping adventure is the town of Bel Air, also known as the “heart of Harford County.” At the intersection of Routes 1 and 24, there are four shopping centers: Harford Mall, Tollgate Marketplace, Bel Air Plaza and Bel Air Town Center. Harford Mall is home to about 80 stores, such as Macy’s, Sears and Old Navy. Recently, the mall underwent a major renovation and remodel, adding a family-friendly outdoor component with new stores and restaurants, including Lane Bryant, Bonefish Grill and Five Guys Burgers and Fries among others.

BEL AIR -- David Hansford thought trolls would be a boon to his business. His efforts, however, have gone bust.The businessman was hoping to cash in on the craze over the small dolls that have a shock of hair in flaming colors by selling them at a temporary stand at the Harford Mall in Bel Air for the Easter holiday.But the mall's merchant association ordered Mr. Hansford to stop selling the popular trolls so he would not cut into the sales of his competitors."I can see the point of protecting tenants," the 35-year-old Bel Air resident said.

Holiday shopper Ruth Ward carefully examines each ornament, from the fire hydrant perched in the treetop to the dog biscuits and pictures of animals hanging from the branches.L The tree is a creation of the Churchville Veterinary Clinic.Mrs. Ward, a resident of Bel Air, moves on to check out the next one, unsure yet of her choice for the best decorated tree.The trees are part of the second annual Festival of Trees at Harford Mall, a project that benefits the Steppingstone Museum in Havre de Grace.

A huge traffic jam that stranded hundreds of holiday shoppers Thursday near an Abingdon strip mall in Harford County took more than two hours to clear, according to state police. The backup sparked a rash of complaints to area law enforcement and was the subject of calls to talk-radio programs in which some shoppers said they had been trapped on the lot for up to seven hours. State police Cpl. John Krysiak said seven hours was "a bit of an exaggeration," but some drivers might have had to wait up to two hours before getting out. "Everyone waited to go Christmas shopping at the last minute," Krysiak said.

W. Va. man sentenced in crash death A 23-year-old West Virginia man was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in jail and five years of unsupervised probation for his role in a head-on crash in Woodbine that killed a Mount Airy man last summer. Joel Nathan Wareham, convicted of vehicular manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol, apologized to the family of Milton Bowens Sr. and said he accepted responsibility for the man's death Aug. 14. The accident occurred on a stretch of Route 144 when Wareham's car, which was clocked at between 85 mph and 90 mph, slammed into a van driven by Bowens, killing him and injuring two others.