Town Hall

The Baltimore City Department of Planning is hosting a town hall meeting Tuesday evening where new tidal flood maps will be presented to residents. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the War Memorial Building (101 N. Gay St.), near City Hall. "The public is invited to come learn about how changes to the flood plain maps will impact them and their properties - and more importantly how they may be able to save money on flood insurance," according to a statement from the department.

The Baltimore City Department of Planning is hosting a town hall meeting Tuesday evening where new tidal flood maps will be presented to residents. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the War Memorial Building (101 N. Gay St.), near City Hall. "The public is invited to come learn about how changes to the flood plain maps will impact them and their properties - and more importantly how they may be able to save money on flood insurance," according to a statement from the department.

Adelfeus Cole sees a lot of kids who are unmotivated in the classroom. Tyana Palmer wants to know why the cafeteria can't serve students more vegetarian meals. And Kyle Rivers wonders whether Baltimore County will change its traditional school calendar. The high school students questioned Superintendent Dallas Dance about those issues Wednesday at his first of two planned "student town hall meetings. " Throughout the event, hands shot up from the crowd of about 70 students from a dozen schools gathered at Chesapeake High in Essex.

Redevelopment plans for Carrolltown Center will be unveiled at the next Town Hall meeting, hosted by Carroll County Commissioner Doug Howard. Dixon Harvey, of Black Oak Associates, will discuss plans and a timetable for the project at the meeting on Monday, April 22. "At long last, our community will see plans for the redevelopment of Carrolltowne Mall," Howard said in a press release. "This is an important milestone in our community and should be an exciting meeting. " The troubled shopping center at Liberty and Ridge roads has seen K-Mart and Sears anchor stores shuttered.

Opportunities for economic development in Prince George's County will be the focus of a Town Hall meeting on Nov. 1, 7-9 p.m., at Baden Volunteer Fire Station, 16608 Brandywine Road, in Brandywine. The meeting is the fifth in a series of off-site evening, community meetings sponsored by the Prince George's County Council. The town hall meeting will feature presentations from a variety of officials, including Carla Reid, deputy chief administrative officer for economic development and public infrastructure; Prince George's County Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Gwen McCall; Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable President and CEO M.H. Jim Estepp; county Soil Conservation District conservation planner, Yates Clagett; and University of Maryland Extension agriculture marketing specialist Janna Howley.

The Harford County Sheriff's Office is holding a town hall meeting Saturday morning in Darlington. The doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the Darlington Volunteer Fire Company at 2600 Castleton Road, according to a news release. Topics at the meeting include crime statistics and trends in the Dublin/Darlington community and an opportunity to bring up any concerns or issues. The meeting is to develop partnerships within communities and address concerns.

Members of the Prince George's County Council and other county officials will bring a countywide town hall meeting to Laurel next week. "Growing Opportunities in Prince George's County," an economic development town hall meeting, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Laurel High, 8000 Cherry Lane. The meeting will include an economic development update from David Iannucci, the county's Assistant Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development; and Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Gwen McCall.

T homas Jefferson called them the "wisest invention ever devised by the wit of man for the perfect exercise of self-government." Hardly faint praise from one of the fathers of American democracy. So, what was he talking about? The town hall meeting. Fast forward 200 years to Dartmouth, Mass., where a "town hall" on health care reform finds a woman calling President Barack Obama's position "Nazi policy." Amusingly, aptly, but not very cordially, Rep. Barney Frank responds: "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"

There's a lot going on in Waverly, in case you haven't noticed. Late last month, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake signed a bill designating the old Waverly Town Hall at Greenmount Avenue and 31st Street as the city's latest historic landmark. The building's second-floor hall had once been a popular meeting place for 19th- and 20th-century politicians, as well as a neighborhood gathering place for Waverly residents. "A lot of us who live in the Waverly area are excited that this has happened," said Joe Stewart, a Waverly activist who is an attorney with the state Department of Assessments and Taxation.

A recent poll showed that 62 percent of Marylanders favor a ban on assault weapons, and 71 percent favor a limit on the number of bullets in a gun magazine. If the members of the General Assembly vote the way the polls are blowing, it appears Gov. Martin O'Malley's sweeping gun reform bill could become law. However, after attending a town hall meeting in Largo convened by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on the bill, my straw poll indicates the bill will go down to defeat: angry white men 1, sadly dismayed African-Americans 0. The meeting Tuesday night on the campus of Prince George's Community College roiled with barely contained fury, just as the first town hall meeting in Baltimore City did last week, according to Deborah Adams, who attended.

Sen. Ben Cardin lamented snowballing damage from federal budget cuts in town hall meetings with federal workers and small-business leaders Friday, pledging to work toward an alternative budget solution by October. But he acknowledged that achieving a compromise between similar budget proposals from the Senate and President Barack Obama and another from the House of Representatives could be a challenge. He spoke to two dozen Howard County business owners and more than 50 employees at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt.

Amid growing concerns about the relationship between substance abuse and mental illness in children and adolescents, the Harford County Office on Mental Health will hold an educational town hall meeting for Harford County families and service providers. A panel of local experts on drug abuse, mental illness and suicide prevention will present information about recent trends and local resources. The town hall meeting, "Resiliency: Building a Path to Recovery for Children and Adolescents," is scheduled on Thursday May 2 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the William N. McFaul Activities Center.

Johns Hopkins Dr. Ben Carson, who has been all over the news following a controversial appearance last week on the Fox News channel, is scheduled for a hometown Fox appearance on WBFF this week. The Sinclair-owned Baltimore affiliate will host a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday on the "The Proper Role of Government. " Slated to appear with Carson are Towson University Professor Richard Vatz and radio host Mike Papantonio. Here's the Fox 45 Facebook listing: Fox 45 is hosting a town hall Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. The topic will be "The Proper Role of Government".

The Town of Sykesville and the Warfield development along Route 32 will be the key topics of a town hall meeting Monday night hosted by County Commissioner Doug Howard, at 7 p.m. at the South Carroll Senior Center, 5928 Mineral Hill Road, Eldersburg. The meeting is the fourth in a series of monthly sessions for District 5 residents. Guests Ivy Wells and Brad Rees from the Town of Sykesville will provide information on the Main Street and Warfield projects.

A recent poll showed that 62 percent of Marylanders favor a ban on assault weapons, and 71 percent favor a limit on the number of bullets in a gun magazine. If the members of the General Assembly vote the way the polls are blowing, it appears Gov. Martin O'Malley's sweeping gun reform bill could become law. However, after attending a town hall meeting in Largo convened by Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on the bill, my straw poll indicates the bill will go down to defeat: angry white men 1, sadly dismayed African-Americans 0. The meeting Tuesday night on the campus of Prince George's Community College roiled with barely contained fury, just as the first town hall meeting in Baltimore City did last week, according to Deborah Adams, who attended.

The Greater Towson Committee will hold a Town Hall Meeting on Jan. 29 featuring Steve Mouzon, author of the "Original Green: Unlocking the Mystery of True Sustainability. " Mouzon will speak about a unique way to live more efficiently in an urban environment like Towson. According to GTC's website, " 'Original Green' aggregates and distributes the wisdom of sustainability through the operating system of living traditions, producing sustainable places in which it is meaningful to build sustainable buildings.

Having just celebrated its 25th birthday, Columbia now has a town hall. Or does it?The Columbia Association, the quasi-governmental agency that provides services to residents, moved to the city's downtown last week. Officials hope the move, which included putting the association's name outside the new building, will improve visibility for the organization and make its new location tantamount to a town hall.Unfortunately, what the move really amounts to is symbolism with little substance. Try as they might, those at the association are going to have a tough time selling their agency as town government the way most people envision it.A non-profit corporation, the association operates in a twilight zone, neither public nor private.

Johns Hopkins Dr. Ben Carson, who has been all over the news following a controversial appearance last week on the Fox News channel, is scheduled for a hometown Fox appearance on WBFF this week. The Sinclair-owned Baltimore affiliate will host a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday on the "The Proper Role of Government. " Slated to appear with Carson are Towson University Professor Richard Vatz and radio host Mike Papantonio. Here's the Fox 45 Facebook listing: Fox 45 is hosting a town hall Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 p.m. The topic will be "The Proper Role of Government".

Bel Air officials welcomed two new businesses to town earlier this week and lauded the turnout for the recent authors and artists holiday gift sale. Town commissioners and staff held a work session last Tuesday in preparation for the next town meeting which will be this Monday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 in town hall. The new businesses that recently opened are Kirkland's, a home décor and gifts retailer in Bel Air Plaza on Baltimore Pike, and Bird's Nest Barbeque in the 300 block of South Main Street.

Adelfeus Cole sees a lot of kids who are unmotivated in the classroom. Tyana Palmer wants to know why the cafeteria can't serve students more vegetarian meals. And Kyle Rivers wonders whether Baltimore County will change its traditional school calendar. The high school students questioned Superintendent Dallas Dance about those issues Wednesday at his first of two planned "student town hall meetings. " Throughout the event, hands shot up from the crowd of about 70 students from a dozen schools gathered at Chesapeake High in Essex.