Nataf

After hours of impassioned debate and irate speeches, th Greater Severna Park Council Tuesday took a chance and endorsed an option for the East-West Boulevard that does not exist in the state's plans for the road.The umbrella group of civic associations voted 34-to-4 to support a two-lane road on an 80-foot right of way that would clip the southern corners of Elvaton Park and extend from Shipley's Choice to Veteran's Highway.The move has infuriated residents of both neighborhoods, who said they do not want the state to build the road at all.About 40 protesters accosted County Executive Robert R. Neall, who has supported the road, as he toured Severna Park yesterday.

Del. Theodore J. Sophocleus has won the endorsement of the AFL-CIO's Baltimore Metropolitan Council in his race for the Democratic nomination for county executive.A committee of representatives from several local unions interviewed prospective candidates for county executive, county councils and state legislative offices for two weeks and made recommendations at a meeting of the council Thursday. Endorsements are based on questionnaires, interviews and voting records.George F. Bachman, a Linthicum Democrat, and Carl G. "Dutch" Holland, a Pasadena Republican completing his first term on the council, were the only incumbents to win AFL-CIO endorsement.

UNTIL I moved to the central county, I thought bird-watching was something other people did. But Maryland skies offer so much: iridescent hummingbirds in the summer, migrating geese in the autumn, busy winter birds when all else is still.I've become a bird-watcher. It's a natural evolution for an animal lover. All I need is a good bird book, a pair of binoculars and some bird seed. It's a lot easier and cheaper than other animal pursuits, such as show dogs or tropical fish.To attract more birds than you can possibly watch, all you have to do is provide a steady supply of food and water.

Del. Donald H. Dwyer Jr. said Thursday that he had been drinking alcohol when a motorboat he was operating collided with another boat in the Magothy River — an accident that left six people with serious injuries. In a brief news conference outside a Baltimore hospital, the Pasadena Republican said his blood-alcohol content was measured at 0.2 percent after Wednesday's crash. The legal limit is .08, according to state law. "I deeply regret my actions and ask for your forgiveness," Dwyer said, adding that no one should operate a car or boat while under the influence of alcohol.

Aspire Inc. (Association for Severna Park Improvement, Renewal, and Enhancement Inc.) has announced the election of members of its 1998-1999 board of trustees.Officers are: chairman, Pat Troy; first vice chairman, Dan Nataf, second vice chairman, George Moran; secretary, Gale Gillespie; treasurer, Dennis Wells. Tricia Lehmann of Severna Park was elected as a new member of the board.The agenda of Aspire Inc., is, "to implement solutions to present and future needs in order to enhance the lives of all Severna Park residents."

Former Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold was led out of a courtroom Thursday with his wrists handcuffed behind his back and his head lowered, bound for the county jail after being sentenced for his misconduct in office conviction and behavior a judge condemned as "outrageous. " Outside the county courthouse, a Leopold supporter said the judge should be fired, while a woman whose lawsuit alleges that she was wrongly terminated by the Leopold administration walked from the building exclaiming, "Pop the champagne!"

Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens has purchased a 1,100-square-foot house in the 3rd Congressional District, a move that would allow her to claim residency there should she mount a campaign for Congress this fall. Owens, who owns county homes in two other congressional districts, has been signaling that she plans to join the field vying for the 3rd District congressional seat now held by Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, who is running for the U.S. Senate. In a telephone interview yesterday, Owens confirmed that she and her husband, attorney David Sheehan, purchased a two-story home on Crownsville Road because of its location in the 3rd District, in which Anne Arundel residents are a third of the population.

If the Greater Severna Park Council has a new buzz word for 1994, it's "proactive."The trendy word is on everyone's lips, from retiring leaders to new officers describing the council's future.The council needs to reach out to draw the entire community into the council, says Ellen McGee-Keller, who has been nominated as the new president.The council hopes to become active in addressing the way the county's adequate facilities ordinance is applied, says Dan Nataf, chair of the public works committee.

Republican challenger Alison L. Asti captured a seat on the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court last week, booting out one of two recent gubernatorial appointees. Asti will take the place of Ronald H. Jarashow. She joins Democrat Laura S. Kiessling, who ran as a team with Jarashow, in winning a 15-year term as a judge. "My message was about the importance of an independent judiciary," Asti said. She said she tried to keep her message positive and focused on presenting herself to voters.

Trial period for 'Malfunction Junction' will end this monthThe trial period for "Malfunction Junction," the six-way jumble where Robinson Road and Route 648 crisscross Ritchie Highway, ends this month, says Dan Nataf, public works committee spokesman for the Greater Severna Park Council.The committee will meet with State Highway Administration representative Larry Elliott this month to review whether the new section of Route 648 has eased traffic problems.The SHA is beginning discussion on widening Ritchie Highway to six lanes through the commercial segment of Severna Park, Mr. Nataf said.