Sykesville

There once was a village vexed by the pillage of motorists who sped through its streets. "Do something inventive, cunning and preventive to rid us of this terrible plague! Anything will do, maybe a gizmo two, so long as no new taxes are raised!" With no chance of more spending to keep people from upending the limits on motorists' speed, The police chief devised what the mayor soon prized as a quite good solution indeed. Instead of cops on the beat, speed cameras would watch the street, and keep drivers who passed under scrutiny, The better to catch on that straight little patch those who flouted the law with impunity.

  University of Evansville archaeology major Nathan Biondi, of Ellicott City, will travel to Israel this summer as part of the Jezreel Expedition, an archaeological project co-sponsored by the university. Beverly Frimpong, daughter of Charity Marfo and Baah Frimpong, of Savage, and a graduate of Long Reach High School, participated in a Spring Break trip to Japan, as part of her Japanese Politics and Foreign Policy class at Washington College. Frimpong majors in political science and philosophy, and minors in African/black studies.

SYKESVILLE - Main Street in Sykesville has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program - a designation that means it meets commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center. Each year, the National Trust and its partners announce a list of accredited Main Street programs that have built revitalization organizations and demonstrate the ability to strengthen their economy and protect historic buildings. The evaluation includes standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress and preserving buildings.

SYKESVILLE - Main Street in Sykesville has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program - a designation that means it meets commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Trust Main Street Center. Each year, the National Trust and its partners announce a list of accredited Main Street programs that have built revitalization organizations and demonstrate the ability to strengthen their economy and protect historic buildings. The evaluation includes standards such as developing a mission, fostering strong public-private partnerships, securing an operating budget, tracking economic progress and preserving buildings.

SYKESVILLE - The Town of Sykesville will host a Main Street Planting Day event on Saturday, March 31, beginning at 1 p.m., and is seeking people to help out with the task. People will help plant trees and flowers on Main Street and the parking lot islands. Students service hours will be available. Ivy Wells, Sykesville's director of economic development and Main Street manager, said the planting is made possible through a donation of the Sykesville/South Carroll Rotary Club in honor of the late Harry Weer Haight.

In 15 years, Baldwin's Station has gone from the start-up stage to the forefront of fine dining. On Monday, April 16, the Sykesville restaurant was named Maryland's Favorite Restaurant for 2012 at the 58th McCormick and Company Stars of the Industry Awards Gala. The annual event, held at Martin's West in Baltimore, honored the state's top restaurants in 14 different categories. The Restaurant Association of Maryland tallied thousands of votes cast by the dining public. When the votes were counted, Baldwin's Station ranked ahead of five other finalists from around the state.

The Sykesville Town Council adopted a resolution this week stating its disapproval of the proposed state legislative redistricting plan, one that would place the town in a legislative delegate district split between Carroll and Howard counties. And in a Jan. 10 letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley, Mayor Michael Miller suggested the redistricting plan runs, "contrary to the state's Constitution" because it "does not give due regard to jurisdictional boundaries. " "The Town believes that … removing the southeastern part of Carroll County and moving it to a much larger district in Howard County, is inappropriate and will have a dramatically negative impact on the Town of Sykesville," Miller wrote.

FIRE* Sykesville: Engines from the Sykesville and Gamber fire companies assisted Baltimore County for a house fire on Melstone Valley Way on Saturday. Units were out for 34 minutes.

Fire Sykesville: Firefighters from Sykesville, Gamber and West Friendship in Howard County responded at 8: 30 a.m. Tuesday to an oven fire in the 7300 block of Norris Ave. Units were out 16 minutes.

In 15 years, Baldwin's Station has gone from the start-up stage to the forefront of fine dining. On Monday, April 16, the Sykesville restaurant was named Maryland's Favorite Restaurant for 2012 at the 58th McCormick and Company Stars of the Industry Awards Gala. The annual event, held at Martin's West in Baltimore, honored the state's top restaurants in 14 different categories. The Restaurant Association of Maryland tallied thousands of votes cast by the dining public. When the votes were counted, Baldwin's Station ranked ahead of five other finalists from around the state.

A woman was killed after two cars collided Sunday morning in Eldersburg, Maryland State Police said. A Chrysler making a left turn from Liberty Road onto Georgetown Boulevard collided with a Nissan shortly before noon, police said. Myrtle Coghill, a passenger in the Chrysler, was taken to the Carroll Hospital Center, where she was pronounced dead. The driver of that vehicle, Wallace Coghill, of Sykesville, was taken to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, police said.

SYKESVILLE - The Town of Sykesville will host a Main Street Planting Day event on Saturday, March 31, beginning at 1 p.m., and is seeking people to help out with the task. People will help plant trees and flowers on Main Street and the parking lot islands. Students service hours will be available. Ivy Wells, Sykesville's director of economic development and Main Street manager, said the planting is made possible through a donation of the Sykesville/South Carroll Rotary Club in honor of the late Harry Weer Haight.

Kirk McEwen wasn't nervous when he entered the radio booth at Oriole Park last Saturday. The Sykesville resident had been behind a microphone a few thousand times during a long broadcasting career. But this was different. McEwen was one of 25 semifinalists who participated in an open competition on Feb. 11 to determine the new public address announcer for the Baltimore Orioles. Even though he wasn't among the eight finalists chosen by Orioles' officials, McEwen will remember the experience.

A Sykesville man has been indicted on charges that he burglarized his neighbors' homes in Howard County, committing two break-ins at a residence whose owner told police his computer was taken and a third where a bottle of Viagra was stolen. A grand jury handed up indictments last week charging James Taylor Bell, 21, of the 1100 block of Underwood Road of multiple counts of burglary and theft. Police said in charging documents last month that he confessed and was charged Dec. 28. Charging documents say that county investigators linked Bell to burglaries committed Dec. 8 and Dec. 13 at a home in the 1100 block of Underwood Road through a laptop stolen from there.

SYKESVILLE — Other teens may have seen Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a day off school, but David Kreinar, a Boy Scout in Troop 719, tapped the philosophical meaning of the day to create "A Day Of Service," on Monday, Jan. 16. Following on the quotation from Coretta Scott King that the holiday should be, "a day on, not a day off," the event gave opportunities for people to donate their time to help local charitable and outreach causes....

The Sykesville Town Council adopted a resolution this week stating its disapproval of the proposed state legislative redistricting plan, one that would place the town in a legislative delegate district split between Carroll and Howard counties. And in a Jan. 10 letter to Gov. Martin O'Malley, Mayor Michael Miller suggested the redistricting plan runs, "contrary to the state's Constitution" because it "does not give due regard to jurisdictional boundaries. " "The Town believes that … removing the southeastern part of Carroll County and moving it to a much larger district in Howard County, is inappropriate and will have a dramatically negative impact on the Town of Sykesville," Miller wrote.

100 Years Ago The chicken and the egg From the Sykesville column: "The chicken farmers of Sykesville who visited the Baltimore Poultry Show in the Fifth Armory were enthusiastic in their praise of the show's exhibits. Mr. George Schrame who entered poultry in the contest received first, second and third prizes. Among the others who attended from here were Dr. D.H. Sprecher, Messers. H.D. Warfield, Earle Chaney, O.F. List, Floyd Spurrier, C.A. Phoebus, Wm. Forthman and E.M. Mellor, Jr. Mr. Mellor said the chicken fever seized him with such violence that his temperature went up to 105 and he immediately invested in three birds, white Wyandottes to the tune of $35.00.