Havre De Grace

It's time to clean out the medicine cabinet again and get rid of any unused and expired prescription medications that may be sitting around. Harford County will host another Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when residents can drop off any leftover medicine - no questions asked. There are three dropoff sites: the parking lot of the county office building, 220 S. Main St. in Bel Air; Havre de Grace Police Department, 715 Pennington Ave. in Havre de Grace; and the Maryland State Police Barrack D, 1401 Belair Road in Bel Air. Contact 410-638-3333 or odcp@harfordcountymd.gov for more information.

Time for spring cleaning, dear readers, The Havre de Grace department of public works sponsors clean-up days April 20 and 27 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Havre de Grace Community Center, 100 Lagaret Lane for Havre de Grace residents. For details, contact city hall, 410-939-1800. Celebrate Earth Day, Saturday, April 20, at the annual river sweep along the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. from Tydings Park to the Susquehanna Museum at the Lock House. For details, phone 410-939-7644 or 410-808-6118 or email peter.d.green@att.net or visit http://www.hitourtrails.com . Earth Day is April 22. The American Legion Post 47, 501 St. John Street, Havre de Grace, hosts chicken and ribs night with live music, April 20, 6-10 p.m. Tickets available for $15 by calling Josh, 410-939-0234.

Editor: I write to support the City of Havre de Grace's attempt to purchase the 701 Concord Street (Gamatoria's) property.  As the President of the Friends of the Concord Point Lighthouse and representing its Board of Directors, I ask all Havre de Grace citizens to vote YES on this ballot question. There are many reasons for my support of this effort.  Number one it would be an additional treasure for tourism in our city.  It would greatly enhance the appearance and accessibility of the Concord Point Lighthouse property.  It would certainly be better for the city than anything a commercial developer would provide.

Whoever the wag was that said golf is “a good walk spoiled” no doubt had a 20-plus handicap. Yes, the idea of chasing a ball around a series of fields with a stick to knock it into a hole hundreds of yards away is preposterous. How can that possibly be easy, or fun? But that stick is a custom-fitted weapon of forged steel with tight grooves for scientifically-designed loft and lift; a rubber grip endorsed by the best golfers on the planet; and, sometimes, a very serious price tag. The ball in question is a dual-dimpled wad of high-tech material encased in a thin urethane cover and designed to scream off the tee with a satisfying snick, and continue its flight until it is out of sight.

Soroptimist International of Havre de Grace, presenter of the 50th annual Havre de Grace Art Show, has announced the winner of the poster contest for original art created to highlight this year's event. Michael McMillion, of Bel Air, was presented an award of $300 by Soroptimist Club member and chairman of the Art Show, Cindy Height, for his entry. Soroptimist International expresses thanks to those who participated in the contest. The Havre de Grace Art Show has a call to entry for this year's show with a deadline of April 15. Proceeds from the show benefit scholarships and community service.

It's April showers, dear readers, But things to do are stacking up. The Susquehanna Museum of Havre de Grace at the Lock House reopens April 13 (Saturday), 1-5 p.m. for the season. Free admission. Contact 410-939-5780, email: lockhousemuseum@gmail.com or visit their site at http://www.thelockhousemuseum.org. A bargain meal! The Boy Scout Troop 967 will prepare its spaghetti dinner and bake sale for April 13 (Saturday), 4-7 p.m. at the Havre de Grace United Methodist Church, Congress and Union Avenue, adults $7, seniors $6, children $4. Eat in or carryout.

A little more than three weeks remain until the May 7 city election in Havre de Grace and though the campaign has been relatively quiet to date, things can be expected to heat up as Election Day draws near. This year's election features a race for mayor and for three city council seats. Mayor Wayne Dougherty is seeking a fourth term and is challenged by former city councilman Jim Miller. In the council races, incumbents John Correri and Randy Craig are seeking re-election. Challengers include former councilman Fred Cullum and two first-time candidates, Thomas Barnes and Robert Greene.

In conjunction with the city's big War of 1812 Bicentennial Celebration May 3 to 5, Havre de Grace Main Street Inc. is sponsoring a storefront window display contest. Downtown business owners and owners of vacant storefronts are being urged to enter the contest, which carries $500 in total prizes. The theme is the commemoration of the attack on Havre de Grace by the marauding British, which occurred on May 3, 1813. Theme and period windows should be up no later than May 2 at 5 p.m., according to the Havre de Grace Main Street website, and extra points will be given for period dress of any contestant's staff.

The annual Way of the Cross observance in Havre de Grace began at noon Friday, as participants walked to several points in the city in this decades old Good Friday tradition organized by the Susquehanna Ministerium. "This is my 21st year and it predates me," Pastor Ron Tabor, of the First Christian Church of Havre de Grace, told the assembled group before the celebration began in David Craig Park. About a hundred people of all ages participated in Friday's walk, carrying a large wooden cross under sunny skies and breezy temperatures.

The Harford County Office of Tourism has released "Destination Harford 2013," the county's official visitor guide and calendar of events. This year's guide features the commemoration bicentennial of the attack on Havre de Grace by the British on May 3, 2013. Reenactments, encampments, tall ships and concerts can be enjoyed by visitors to the event. Fireworks, a 5-K race and the annual Decoy Festival also round out the weekend's festivities. There are plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy Harford County's scenic attractions.