Public Meeting

A public meeting will be held to discuss a petition to modify the western portion of Church Lane in White Hall from a dirt road to a tar and chip surface. The meeting, sponsored by the Harford County Department of Public Works, Division of Highways and Water Resources, will be on May 16 at 6 p.m. in the offices of the Department of Public Works on the third floor of 212 S. Bond St. in Bel Air. To request disability-related accommodations, contact Shirley DeVaughn at 410-638-3548 (TTY users call Maryland Relay)

The Harford County Department of Public Works, Division of Highways and Water Resources, will conduct a public meeting Wednesday, May 16, to discuss a petition to modify the western portion of Church Lane in White Hall from an earth to a tar and chip surface. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the offices of the Department of Public Works, 212 S. Bond Street, Third Floor, in Bel Air. Interested persons who cannot attend may send written comments to H. Hudson Myers III, Deputy Director, 212 S. Bond Street, Bel Air, MD 21014, or by e-mail to hhmyers@harfordcountymd.gov .

A community meeting on revitalizing the Middle River watershed will be held at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the auditorium at Chesapeake High School, 1801 Turkey Point Road.For further information, call Bob Christopher, president of the Back River Neck Peninsula Community Association, at 687-4011.

Debate over the meaning of gold-colored sheets of paper passed among members of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners has pitted the elected officials against residents who allege they are thumbing their noses at state open meetings rules. Two residents complained to the commissioners and state officials Tuesday that the so-called "goldenrod" form — or as it's officially known, the "Board of County Commissioners Action Authorization Form" — violates the state's Open Meetings Act, which requires elected officials to meet publicly when conducting official government business.

Baltimore County environmental officials will answer questions and take complaints tomorrow in a public meeting at the Rosedale library, 6105 Kenwood Ave.The session, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., is the second in a series aimed at making local government agencies more accessible to the public by holding meetings in the evening at various sites around the county."

Manchester will hold a 7:30 p.m. public meeting Wednesday at Town Hall, 3208 York St., to discuss the formation of a foundation to oversee some of the management of the Nature Center in Pine Valley Park.A foundation may have a better chance than a municipality of securing future grant money for programs at the center, said Dave Warner, town manager.A rough draft of bylaws has been prepared, and "We want to let the public share their ideas with the Town Council members, who ultimately would be the ones to approve it," he said.

Representatives of Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke will hold a public meeting with the Howard County Council, the county executive and other civic leaders at 9 a.m. Jan. 14, Council Chairman C. Vernon Gray said yesterday.Mr. Cooke has announced plans to move his professional football team to Laurel and build a stadium there. Although the stadium would be on Anne Arundel County property, the parking lot likely would be in Howard County.January's meeting is expected to follow the line of the private briefing Mr. Gray, County Executive Charles I. Ecker and other county officials had with Cooke representatives Dec. 16.Mr.

Howard County school board Vice President Stephen C. Bounds will ask his colleagues tomorrowto schedule another public meeting to air plans for a controversial wastewater treatment plant near Glenelg High School, he said yesterday.In addition, Councilman Allan H. Kittleman, a Republican who represents the western county, said he is confident the council will not vote on the proposal as part of the larger county water and sewer master plan at the next voting session, Nov. 1."It's not going forward," Kittleman said yesterday, in response to a large group of residents who appeared at the council's public hearing Monday night to complain that they got little or no notice of the project.

Westminster will hold a public meeting at 9 a.m. today to review designs for the Locust Lane shopping area on Main Street. The plans to update the pedestrian mall have been altered to include a new parking deck on the Longwell Avenue parking lot since they were last reviewed in public meetings. The Common Council is scheduled to vote on a design for Locust Lane and the Longwell parking deck at its meeting Feb. 25. Locust Lane was created in the 1970s as a shopping area and pedestrian walkway from the Longwell Avenue parking lots to East Main Street.

About 60 people attended the first public meeting on the county's master plan update last week, a figure planners found encouraging but local activists found wanting. "We need more turnout. The citizens have to be invested in their community or it just doesn't work," said Charles Day, a farmer who worked on the Dublin-Darlington Community Council during the last master plan review, in 1996. Residents who don't get involved, then don't like the results of the review have little room for complaint, he said.

A public meeting will be held to discuss a petition to modify the western portion of Church Lane in White Hall from a dirt road to a tar and chip surface. The meeting, sponsored by the Harford County Department of Public Works, Division of Highways and Water Resources, will be on May 16 at 6 p.m. in the offices of the Department of Public Works on the third floor of 212 S. Bond St. in Bel Air. To request disability-related accommodations, contact Shirley DeVaughn at 410-638-3548 (TTY users call Maryland Relay)

I saw the Easter Bunny Saturday at the Perryville Outlets with several members of the Perryville Lions Club. Lioness Peggy Morrison advised that you can have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny at the Outlets in Store 19 on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $5 and your donation supports Lions Club projects in our community. Speedy recovery to Margaret Cifaldo, Perryville, as she has been on the sick list lately. Happy birthday to Sarah Bryanne Stanley, daughter of Steve and Michelle Stanley of Conowingo, as she celebrated March 31. Mike Lowe, North Main Street, enjoyed birthday greetings April 1. And his cousins, Jim Sice and Alice Sice, celebrated their birthdays April 2. The Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 8185 sponsored the quarterly dinner meeting of the District 10 Ladies Auxiliary on April 3. Post 8185 Auxiliary President Janet Mortus welcomed District President Dee Russo of Earlville along with the other officers of District 10. Following the dinner and short business meeting, the election of officers was held for 2012.

Harford County government will hold a public meeting later this month to discuss a petition to put a tar and chip surface on a dirt road in the northwestern part of the county. The petition is to modify a portion of Amoss Road in White Hall from a dirt to a tar and chip surface. The Harford County Department of Public Works, Division of Highways and Water Resources, will conduct the public meeting on March 27 at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the county office building, at 212 South Bond St. in Bel Air. Those interested who cannot attend the meeting can send written comments to H. Hudson Myers, III, deputy director of DPW at 212 South Bond St., Bel Air, Md., 21014, or by e-mail at hhmyers@harfordcountymd.gov .

There are characters, and there are characters, and one of the area's true unique ones, Leonard "call me Len" H. Lockhart Sr., died Feb. 27, the day following his 85th birthday. Plenty of folks around Havre de Grace knew Mr. Lockhart and some had business dealings with him, among them Cecil Hill, Bob Wood and the rest of group that developed Bayview Estates, where the eponymous Lockhart Court is named for him. Mr. Lockhart was a lawyer and a banker, a mixture of Harold Hill, Seabright Cooley and Elmer Gantry to name a few literary characters that come to mind.

A state panel said Wednesday that members of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners violated the state's Open Meetings Act by holding a fee-based forum on a controversial smart-growth policy attended by a majority of the board. "The County Board violated the Act by charging admission to a meeting held for the consideration of public business," the Open Meetings Compliance Board said in a written opinion. "We commend the County's prompt posting of materials from the event on its website.

The first step is always the hardest, they say, but those attending a meeting last week regarding future biking and hiking trails in Eldersburg and Sykesville said they are willing to take that first step - and many more - to realize the goal of a trail system in the Freedom area. Led by Jeff Degitz, director of Carroll County's Department of Recreation and Parks, the Jan. 19 meeting offered residents a chance to share ideas for future trails - and also for the county's goals regarding pedestrian and bike access.

Outrage and frustration spilled out last night at a public meeting on ground rent and tax sale property seizures in Baltimore that drew about 200 people. "I think it's a disgrace that they haven't stopped the practice of ground rent," said Ron Weaver, an investor who told others attending the forum at the Polytechnic Institute/Western High School auditorium that he had to pay fees many times his ground rents for his properties after a new ground rent owner took over. "I've been involved in property for 30-something years, and I've never seen a case where you could lose your property with no hearing of any kind," he said - other than through being ejected for nonpayment of ground rent.

I saw the Easter Bunny Saturday at the Perryville Outlets with several members of the Perryville Lions Club. Lioness Peggy Morrison advised that you can have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny at the Outlets in Store 19 on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $5 and your donation supports Lions Club projects in our community. Speedy recovery to Margaret Cifaldo, Perryville, as she has been on the sick list lately. Happy birthday to Sarah Bryanne Stanley, daughter of Steve and Michelle Stanley of Conowingo, as she celebrated March 31. Mike Lowe, North Main Street, enjoyed birthday greetings April 1. And his cousins, Jim Sice and Alice Sice, celebrated their birthdays April 2. The Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 8185 sponsored the quarterly dinner meeting of the District 10 Ladies Auxiliary on April 3. Post 8185 Auxiliary President Janet Mortus welcomed District President Dee Russo of Earlville along with the other officers of District 10. Following the dinner and short business meeting, the election of officers was held for 2012.

As concerned citizens, we were pleased to attend the recent public meeting about the proposed Baltimore Washington Intermodal Rail Facility. This facility will play a major role in Maryland's long-term economic growth by supporting the expansion of the Port of Baltimore and providing additional rail access. This project is a great example of the public-private partnerships that everyone is talking about, which will help rebuild our economy and infrastructure at a time we need it most.

Sunday, Dec. 4 'Home for the Holidays' The Brooks Tegler Army Air Force Big Band performs holiday classics at 7 p.m. at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis. Tickets are $28; $23 for hall members. Information: 410-280-5640 or go to marylandhall.org. Open house The Ann Arrundell County Historical Society holds its annual "Holiday Open House" from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Benson-Hammond House, 7101 Aviation Blvd. in Linthicum. The theme of this year's celebration is "A Civil War Christmas.