Route 144

A West Friendship woman was killed yesterday morning after she drove through a red light at a western Howard County intersection and was struck by a dump truck, police said.About 6: 15 a.m., Gwendolyn Pinnix, 37, of the 2000 block of Wynfield Road, was driving her Jeep Wrangler west on Route 144 when she ran the red light at Route 32, police said.Pinnix was hit by the dump truck traveling north on Route 32, police said.Pinnix was flown to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The Glenwood Community Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, will offer "Teen Scene Event - Monster Mash," a chance for those in sixth through eighth grades to socialize with friends and dance to Halloween favorites, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 24. Tickets are $5. Advance purchase is recommended; some tickets may be available at the door, if space permits. www.highlandmd.org/arts&letters.html. Senior programs : Glenwood Senior Center, 2400 Route 97, Cooksville, will offer a program about hearing loss with Dr. Ron Kaplan, "This Isn't Your Mother's Hearing Aid," at 10 a.m. Oct. 7. He will discuss hearing loss, why it happens and the digital technology of hearing aids.

TOUGH TIMES, it's been said, foster creative thinking, which is not at all to imply that what follows here is a good idea. What follows is, however, creative. The subject is amateur sports facilities, or lack of them, and it surfaced in a rather unlikely forum last week, during a meeting in the new Ellicott City Senior Center of the Howard County Commission on Aging. The voice that broached the topic, that of West Friendship's Donald Dunn, has been heard many times before, mainly on anything involving golf, Dunn's other passion (in addition to dabbling with Howard County affairs)

As reported Oct. 18, 1992, in The Sun: Some call it a traffic circle. Engineers prefer the term "roundabout." One mischievous patron at Lee's Market in Lisbon (population 129) has even labeled it the "Lisbon Beltway" on the flier that graces the deli counter wall. Whatever you call it, the plan to build one at the intersection of Old National Pike (Route 144) and Route 94 is all the talk in this tiny western Howard County community: Some like the idea, many others do not. "It's an experiment," says Dorothy Gray, a clerk at Lee's and a die-hard opponent.

Frederick County residents will be getting a new playground soon, courtesy of a 167-acre purchase of farmland approved yesterday by the state Board of Public Works.The land along Route 144 is to be transformed into New Market District Park, with picnic areas, ball fields, playgrounds and nature trails.County officials will decide over the next few months how to develop the property, which includes fields and woods.Gov. Parris N. Glendening, Comptroller William Donald Schaefer and Treasurer Richard N. Dixon -- the three members of the Board of Public Works -- gave unanimous approval to spending $686,000 in Program Open Space money to buy the land.

The left-turn traffic signal from northbound Route 32 to Route 144 will be altered this week to help reduce the number of accidents at the West Friendship intersection, the State Highway Administration announced Friday.A flashing red light will be installed on the traffic pole to require motorists turning left from northbound Route 32 onto westbound Route 144 to stop and yield to traffic on southbound Route 32. The SHA hopes the signal will discourage motorists from speeding on turns through the intersection, which now is controlled by a green turn arrow signal or a solid green signal, said Chuck Brown, an SHA spokesman.

The county Board of Appeals unanimously approved last night a proposed 147-unit retirement community at Route 144 and Marriottsville Road, over the objections of residents who fear the plan will set a bad precedent for the county's rural west. "Concerns about this not fitting in the neighborhood may be justified to a certain extent, but there's nothing in the regulations that prevents it," said board member Bill Waff. The proposal by developers Brantly Corp. and Landsource Ltd. calls for 75 single-family homes and 72 attached units on 73 acres.

A Baltimore County religious school is buying surplus Howard County government land for a new campus in Cooksville, solving three separate problems. Woodmont Academy, now in Woodstock, would pay $1.5 million for about 62 acres along Route 144, subject to approval by the county Board of Appeals of a conditional use to allow a school. The contract was signed last week, said James M. Irvin, county public works director, and Woodmont Principal Michele L. Blum. The Catholic school owns a 53-acre residentially zoned tract in western Howard between Routes 32 and 97, but nearby residents have fought a campus there, noting potential traffic problems.

Signs recently went up along Route 32 between Clarksville (Route 108) and West Friendship (near Interstate 70) informing drivers of mandatory use of their headlights. "Motorists have likely seen a number of the new signs installed in the past few weeks," said Dave Buck of the State Highway Administration. Indeed, they have. And they've not been shy about contacting Traffic Talk with questions about them. Charles Owen wondered why only in this section, but not the section of Route 32 between West Friendship and Eldersburg.

Homeland Location: 3010 Homeland Way, off Route 144 near the intersection of Route 144 and Marriottsville Road. Developer: L.B. Meadows LLC. Description: Luxury single-family units by Ryan Classics and villas by NV Homes, on about 75 acres.

Stream cleanups set for April 14 Friends of the Patapsco Valley and Heritage Greenway Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the natural, historic and cultural resources of the central Patapsco Valley, will hold stream cleanups from 9 a.m. to about noon April 14, rain or shine, to improve water quality and restore the beauty of the Patapsco River. Volunteers are asked to wear sturdy shoes and dress for the weather and bring work gloves and shovels, if available.

At Woodmont Academy, a Catholic school in western Howard County, students in art classes paint images of the Madonna. In science, they talk about the soul and how it separates humans from animals. They celebrate All Saints Day by dressing as their favorite saints, and they're told to be nice to others because that's what Jesus wants them to do. It's all part of a curriculum called Integral Foundation, which stresses the "formation of the whole person," said Executive Director Scott Brown.

At Woodmont Academy, a Catholic school in western Howard County, students in art classes paint images of the Madonna. In science, they talk about the soul and how it separates humans from animals. They celebrate All Saints Day by dressing as their favorite saints, and they're told to be nice to others because that's what Jesus wants them to do. It's all part of a curriculum called Integral Foundation, which stresses the "formation of the whole person," said Executive Director Scott Brown.

The River Hill High School drama department will present the Michael Frayn comedy Noises Off at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, 16, 17 and 18; 2 p.m. Nov. 18; and 3 p.m. Nov. 19 in the school auditorium. Drama teacher Pam Land will direct, with help from student directors Sheyda Alemzadeh, Allison Baker and Amanda Ogorzalek. Joe Blasko will direct construction of a set designed by students Mike Leon and Lauryn Fantano; a crew of more than 25 students will build the set and props. Tickets are $8 in advance; $10 at the door.

Meetings planned on transit changes The Howard County Public Transportation Board invites the public to comment on Howard Transit's proposed changes to service. Changes include restructuring that is designed to shorten waiting times, offer earlier morning and later evening service, and extend service to new destinations. Some underused or redundant route segments will be eliminated. Meetings to invite comment will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Nov. 28 in the Tyson Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Court House Drive, Ellicott City.

Highway administration to begin Route 166 work The State Highway Administration is starting an $850,000 project to resurface the section of Route 166 (Rolling Road) between Route 144 (Frederick Road) and Bloomsbury Avenue in Catonsville. Construction is expected to begin tomorrow. Single-lane closures along Route 166 might occur at any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday for the duration of the project. Motorists are advised to plan ahead for extra travel time and are urged to watch for construction personnel and equipment moving through the work zone.

FIRE* Mount Airy: Mount Airy investigated the report of smoke in the area of Route 144 and Bill Moxley Road at 1:46 p.m. Monday. Units were out for an hour.

FireMount Airy: Firefighters from Mount Airy responded to a brush fire on Route 144 at Rising Ridge Road at 4: 38 p.m. Thursday. Units were out 57 minutes.Pub Date: 6/02/97

Signs recently went up along Route 32 between Clarksville (Route 108) and West Friendship (near Interstate 70) informing drivers of mandatory use of their headlights. "Motorists have likely seen a number of the new signs installed in the past few weeks," said Dave Buck of the State Highway Administration. Indeed, they have. And they've not been shy about contacting Traffic Talk with questions about them. Charles Owen wondered why only in this section, but not the section of Route 32 between West Friendship and Eldersburg.