Sales Center

The Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company has announced plans to close its Havre de Grace sales center in November, company officials said Thursday. The center is staffed by 50 warehouse and sales employees as well as drivers, said Curtis Etherly, the company's vice president for public affairs and communications. Some may transfer to other positions at locations in Baltimore, Hagerstown, Cumberland and throughout the state after it closes Nov. 23, he said. However, it is too early to say specifically how many might move, he said.

The Mid-Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company has announced plans to close its Havre de Grace sales center in November, company officials said Thursday. The center is staffed by 50 warehouse and sales employees as well as drivers, said Curtis Etherly, the company's vice president for public affairs and communications. Some may transfer to other positions at locations in Baltimore, Hagerstown, Cumberland and throughout the state after it closes Nov. 23, he said. However, it is too early to say specifically how many might move, he said.

MCI Communications Corp.'s Hunt Valley service and sales center, which employs about 700 people, will add 400 workers in an aggressive push to sign subscribers to its popular Friends & Family discount long-distance plan.The nation's No. 2 long-distance company said yesterday that it will hire and train sales employees throughout November, and will have the operation up and running next month.The jobs will include 150 full-time day-shift jobs and 250 part-time positions on the 5:30 p.m.-to-10 p.m. shift, the company said.

Phillips Fields Ten home sites remain for sale at Phillips Fields, a 26-lot development of luxury single-family homes by NV Homes in Parkton. The Colonial-style homes offered have two stories, four bedrooms, two or three full bathrooms and one half-bath. There are nine floor plans encompassing 2,491 to 5,000 square feet. Priced from $380,990 to $500,000, the homes will be on 1- to 3-acre lots. Standard features include family rooms, gas fireplaces and two-car, side-entry garages. The model will be open next month.

The developer of Baltimore's HarborView Marina and Yacht )) Club was selected as a Silver finalist for marketing efforts in the 1992 "MIRM" awards, the nation's largest new home marketing competition.HarborView Development Co., a joint venture of the Swirnow Group and Parkway Holdings Ltd., was named as having the "Best Sales and Information Pavilion" -- the three-story sales center and yacht club off the 1100 block of Key Highway.The pavilion was designed by the Columbia Design Collective to serve as the sales center for the entire $600 million, 42-acre HarborView community, which will have up to 1,590 residences.

J. C. Penney Co. will open a catalog sales center at Normandy Shopping Center on Wednesday.The center will offer shop-at-home telephone service. Orders may be picked up at the sales center or delivered.The catalog will also be available at the store.NETWORK ADDS CUSTOMERNetwork Designs, the Columbia-based local and wide area networking systems integrations firm, has recently added WorldWatch Institute of Washington as a network maintenance customer.BENDIX GETS CONTRACTBendix Field Engineering of Columbia was awarded a contract by the U.S. Air Force Logistics Command to maintain and perform engineering modifications on the Space Command's Satellite Control Network.

The Preserve at Mount Hebron Ryland Homes has 18 homes remaining at its Ellicott City community, The Preserve at Mount Hebron. Standard features include brick fronts, 9-foot first-floor ceilings, hardwood foyers and garden baths with ceramic tile. Five floor plans are available. Base prices range between $438,000 and $490,000. The Shenandoah, the model, sells for $487,990 and features on the first floor a front porch and foyer, 13-by-11-foot living and dining rooms, an 18-by-19 family room, a 15-by-9 breakfast room and a kitchen, an 11-by-14 den, a bathroom, a utility closet and a two-car garage.

Masonry Homes has just opened its Hallie Hill Farm community of single-family homes. In Manchester, the community has 71 quarter- and half-acre lots, of which 14 have been released for sale. The community has public water and sewer systems and offers natural gas. Standard features include full basements, 10-year homeowners warranties, landscaped and seeded home sites as well as maintenance-free exteriors. The 10 floor plans range in size from 1,700 to 2,606 square feet. Base prices range from $210,700 to $256,600.

Seminar on building farmers' markets set at county fairgrounds The state's county agricultural development specialists, including the Howard County Economic Development Authority, will sponsor a "Building Better Farmers' Markets Seminar" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship. Ann Harvey Yonkers, manager of American Farmland Trust's FreshFarm Markets in Washington and St. Michaels, will speak about "The Business of Farmers' Markets - What Works and Why?"

Grayson Homes has a sales center open and 11 home sites available at Cliveden Reach in Westminster. The community has a public water and sewer system and comes with gas heating and electric cooking, with optional gas cooking. Standard features include a library, two-car garage, full basement, gourmet kitchen, four bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. The Browning model home, which will open in December, has a base price of $314,990 for 2,747 square feet. The first floor includes a foyer, 13-by-16-foot living room, 11-by-15 dining room, 11-by-15 kitchen, 11-by-12 breakfast area, 20-by-14 family room and 11-by-10 library.

The Preserve at Mount Hebron Ryland Homes has 18 homes remaining at its Ellicott City community, The Preserve at Mount Hebron. Standard features include brick fronts, 9-foot first-floor ceilings, hardwood foyers and garden baths with ceramic tile. Five floor plans are available. Base prices range between $438,000 and $490,000. The Shenandoah, the model, sells for $487,990 and features on the first floor a front porch and foyer, 13-by-11-foot living and dining rooms, an 18-by-19 family room, a 15-by-9 breakfast room and a kitchen, an 11-by-14 den, a bathroom, a utility closet and a two-car garage.

Masonry Homes has just opened its Hallie Hill Farm community of single-family homes. In Manchester, the community has 71 quarter- and half-acre lots, of which 14 have been released for sale. The community has public water and sewer systems and offers natural gas. Standard features include full basements, 10-year homeowners warranties, landscaped and seeded home sites as well as maintenance-free exteriors. The 10 floor plans range in size from 1,700 to 2,606 square feet. Base prices range from $210,700 to $256,600.

Glen Arbor North Pulte Homes has a sales center open and 12 home sites available at Glen Arbor North, a community of single-family homes in eastern Baltimore County. The Rosedale community is located near Gunpowder Falls State Park and is adjacent to Pine Valley Swim Club. The homes are on public water and sewer systems and come with gas heat and cooking. Lot sizes range up to one-quarter acre. Prices range from $234,990 to $269,990 for four floor plans. Pulte will begin construction on a model home, the Chaucer, in late spring.

Seminar on building farmers' markets set at county fairgrounds The state's county agricultural development specialists, including the Howard County Economic Development Authority, will sponsor a "Building Better Farmers' Markets Seminar" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Howard County Fairgrounds, West Friendship. Ann Harvey Yonkers, manager of American Farmland Trust's FreshFarm Markets in Washington and St. Michaels, will speak about "The Business of Farmers' Markets - What Works and Why?"

Grayson Homes has a sales center open and 11 home sites available at Cliveden Reach in Westminster. The community has a public water and sewer system and comes with gas heating and electric cooking, with optional gas cooking. Standard features include a library, two-car garage, full basement, gourmet kitchen, four bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. The Browning model home, which will open in December, has a base price of $314,990 for 2,747 square feet. The first floor includes a foyer, 13-by-16-foot living room, 11-by-15 dining room, 11-by-15 kitchen, 11-by-12 breakfast area, 20-by-14 family room and 11-by-10 library.

Houses under construction filled with new refrigerators, microwaves and whirlpool tubs are attracting so many thieves in Baltimore County that police have stepped up patrols in construction areas.This year, Baltimore County police have reported 101 cases of burglaries at home construction sites, primarily in the high-growth areas of Owings Mills and White Marsh. That's 15 more incidents than the same period last year."It parallels the construction activity," said Bill Toohey, Baltimore County police spokesman.

Developers of Baltimore's HarborView condominium community will reach a construction milestone today when contractors place the final steel girder in the frame of a $100 million, 27-story tower called 100 HarborView Drive.More than 600 people have been invited to the topping-off ceremony, which will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the pier that overlooks the construction site, just off the 1200 block of Key Highway."It's a big occasion," says Thomas N. Marudas, vice president of HarborView Properties Development Co., the developer.

Glen Arbor North Pulte Homes has a sales center open and 12 home sites available at Glen Arbor North, a community of single-family homes in eastern Baltimore County. The Rosedale community is located near Gunpowder Falls State Park and is adjacent to Pine Valley Swim Club. The homes are on public water and sewer systems and come with gas heat and cooking. Lot sizes range up to one-quarter acre. Prices range from $234,990 to $269,990 for four floor plans. Pulte will begin construction on a model home, the Chaucer, in late spring.

Grand opening Saturday at Farmington VillageFarmington Village at Schramm's Farm in Pasadena will hold its grand opening -- which will feature a Disney World vacation giveaway -- Saturday beginning at 11 a.m.Formerly a turkey farm, the community will eventually contain 448 single-family homes and townhouses built by Koch Homes, Ryland Homes, Ryan Homes and Grayson Homes. The sales center is open from noon to 6 p.m. daily. Take Interstate 695 south to Route 97 south, to Route 100 east to a left on Catherine Avenue, to the community on the left.

The man who co-founded Re/Max, one of the nation's largest real estate firms, came to Baltimore last week with hopes of boosting the company's market share here with as many as five new franchises.David Liniger, chairman of Re/Max International Inc., said his firm is looking to become more competitive in a market that is dominated by three firms -- Timonium-based O'Conor, Piper & Flynn, Long and Foster of Fairfax, Va., and Coldwell Banker Grempler Realty of Towson. Together, the three companies' agents are involved in nearly half the home sales recorded by area multiple-list services.