Queen Anne S County

Joseph J. Elbrich Jr. is a NIMBY's nightmare.Since he joined the Anne Arundel County government 26 years ago, the Texas native has approved the construction of thousands of new homes and hundreds of industrial and commercial buildings.Along the way, Mr. Elbrich has suffered withering tirades from residents -- often referred to as NIMBYs for "Not In My Back Yard" -- who want to close the door on growth in their communities.Mr. Elbrich, who last week was appointed assistant director of the county Department of Planning and Code Enforcement, does not expect the tirades to end. His new division was created, in large part, to expedite still more construction.

Mary Ellen Seraydian of Taneytown and Rebecca Reinhardt of Mount Airy were awarded seats in the Farm Queen's court during the annual competition at the Maryland State Fair Sunday night.Rebecca, who represented Howard County, won the third runner-up position and Mary Ellen, Carroll County's Farm Queen, was fourth runner-up.Maryland's 1994 Farm Queen is Jami Todd of Caroline County. The rest of her court consists of Kimberly Stup of Frederick County, who was first runner-up, and April Hall of Queen Anne's County, second runner-up.

Charles S. SheainOwned King CleanersCharles S. Sheain, the owner of a dry-cleaning establishment who in 1984 was named one of Baltimore's Best in recognition of his civic involvement, died Sunday of cancer at his Cedarcroft home. He was 64.He owned King Cleaners on Joppa Road near Loch Raven Boulevard in Baynesville for over 25 years. He was also executive director of the Maryland Council of Gypsum Drywall Contractors, and an advertising specialties salesman.Earlier, he had been a building materials salesman in the Baltimore-Washington area.

Two dozen senior artists, representing Baltimore City and 23 Maryland counties, will receive honors for their artwork in the state's annual "Maryland You Are Beautiful" Senior Citizens Fine Arts Competition.The awards will be presented Friday at St. John's College.Competitions held statewide received more than 1,000 entries in three major categories: works on canvas, works on paper and wood carving.A list of winners follows: Allegany County: Irene Strickler of Frostburg; Anne Arundel County: Richard Twomey, Shady Side; Baltimore City: Betty Carp; Baltimore County: Jeanne Hiss, Reisterstown; Calvert County: Kathryne Wolfe, Solomons; Caroline County: Robert Harrison, Denton; Carroll County: Kenneth Nerim Sr., Sykesville; Cecil County: Edwin Friend, Elkton; Charles County: Lona Boggs, La Plata; Dorchester County: James Myers, Cambridge; Frederick County: Eleanor Carter, Frederick; Garrett County: Gladys Betley, Friendsville; Harford County: Ronald Fortner, Bel Air; Howard County: Newt Koenig, Columbia; Kent County: Ruth Voorhees, Chestertown; Montgomery County: Powell Lum, Silver Spring; Prince George's County: Jane Trout, Laurel; Queen Anne's County: Alice Slot, Stevensville; Somerset County: Fred Sernatinger, Westover; St. Mary's County: Catherine Stalcup, Hollywood; Talbot County: Elizabeth Hutchinson, Easton; Washington County: Elizabeth Robertson, Hagerstown; Wicomico County: Carolyn Parker, Parsonsburg; Worcester County: Ann Rinck, Berlin.

It's the last week of July with Labor Day six weeks away. There's still time to reflect on Baltimore summers past and present. Try these. . .To recall there's no finer lunch than a sandwich made of a gorgeously ripe Queen Anne's County tomato, bread, salt and pepper.To let the mind drift back to a July afternoon spent on the Mountain Speedway at Carlin's Park.To wonder why a summer day in Baltimore usually includes a hazy, silvery-gray period of absolute yuck.To get a headache when your Pennsylvania or North Carolina relatives call and inform you they're coming here and please arrange for a visit to the Aquarium and third-base seats for Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The Maryland Department of Economic and Employment Development announced yesterday that 11 high-technology companies would each receive grants of $50,000 as part of the department's Challenge Investment program.The grants will go to AniCom, Bio-Pax Inc. and Particle Technologies Inc. in Anne Arundel County; Adheron Corp. and AquaPharm Technologies Corp. in Baltimore; In Vitro Technologies Inc. in Baltimore County; ConQuest Software Inc. in Howard County; and Integrated Technologies for Medicine Inc. and Medical Waste Tech Inc. in Montgomery County.

Selina SchoenfeldTaught for 30 yearsServices for Selina Schoenfeld, who taught in Baltimore public schools for over 30 years, will be held at 9 a.m. today at Sol Levinson & Bros. funeral establishment, 6010 Reisterstown Road.Mrs. Schoenfeld, a Park Heights Avenue resident, died Wednesday of cancer at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She was 81.She retired in 1977 as a reading specialist at Cross Country Elementary School.The former Selina Rabinowitz was a native of Baltimore and a graduate of Eastern High School and the teachers' college that is now Towson State University.

The Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage -- celebrating its 55th year -- has long been a favorite of daytrippers. It sponsors tours in seven counties and Baltimore City. The pilgrimage opened yesterday in Wicomico County. It will continue weekends through May 16.Today, houses will be open in Worcester County, which celebrates its 250th anniversary this year. Houses range from a 1859 bed and breakfast plantation to a modern steel and glass structure built on a salt marsh. The first is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best examples of Italianate architecture on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore.

EASTON -- "A place in the country," tucked away amid golden wheat fields, pastures full of grazing cattle, and big, old red barns is what many potential homebuyers envision when they ride across the Bay Bridge in search of land on Maryland's Eastern Shore.But recent zoning changes that sharply restrict housing development in four counties of the Shore are making the dream of living along the picturesque, rural back roads less attainable.Fear of losing farmland and, consequently, the farming industry, have prompted county officials in Queen Anne's, Kent and Caroline counties to adopt some of the most restrictive zoning in the state.

ANNAPOLIS -- Maryland's tailpipe exhaust inspection program may soon be expanded to include at least six rural counties and to force owners of failing automobiles to make far more costly repairs.Legislation expected to be offered Friday by Gov. William Donald Schaefer will extend indefinitely the 7-year-old program, currently set to expire at year's end.But to comply with the federal Clean Air Act passed by Congress and signed into law last November by President Bush, the state must significantly expand and toughen the program or risk losing millions of dollars in federal highway funds, administration officials said.