Commentary

by Jeffrey Smith

As a lifelong resident of Maryland, I have come to realize that one of the most important assets of our state is the wealth of parks and open spaces dotting the landscape.

In the immediate vicinity of my family’s Nottingham home, there are over a dozen parks, trails, community centers, or other recreation facilities available.

The development of parks and the preservation of open space are vital for everyone.

First and foremost, these

by David Marks

Many people don’t give a second thought to the food they eat – and I’m not talking about calories and nutrition.

I’m referring to the complicated process by which food begins on farms and ends up on our kitchen tables. Sadly, the role of the American farmer is simply lost to many people today.

In 1870, half the country’s population was employed in agriculture. Today, that number has fallen to less than 1 percent.

Thanksgiving

by Jeffrey Smith

There’s something special about settling down for a good night’s sleep and hearing the sound of a train in the distance.

Wherever I’ve lived, I have always been lucky enough to experience this unique aspect of Americana. For over 150 years, there have been rail lines operating throughout eastern Baltimore County. To this day, residents of the area can still witness regular visits by trains of all

Girl Scouts from Troop 772 (Perry Hall Presbyterian) have a lot to smile about lately.
In addition to their yearly cookie sale – which is going on now – the girls are now raising funds by collecting paper for recycling.
Through the Abitibi Paper Retriever company, which gives non-profit organizations proceeds from recycled paper sales, Troop 772 hopes to pad the fund for a future trip to Savannah, Ga. – where Girl Scouting was founded in 1912.

Anyone wishing to help out the girls by bringing newspaper, white paper, magazines and such for recycling is welcome to use the bin, located behind the Times-Herald office at 8846 Belair Rd.

Please do not dump trash, phone books (the glue causes problems), or cardboard in the recycle bin. Envelopes with see-thru plastic windows and shredded paper in plastic bags is OK.

– Cheryl Keffer

From: David Marks
President, Perry Hall Improvement Association

On Nov. 7, county officials will break ground for a major expansion at the Seven Oaks Senior Center.

This is good news for Perry Hall’s older residents and all those who use the senior center.

When it opened in 1991, Seven Oaks Senior Center was rather unique. It was built next to Seven Oaks Elementary School, allowing some degree of interaction

From: Evelyn (Robertson) March Hearn
Perry Hall

Do the names of Misses Lettie and Lulu Fox, Misses Street, Dost, Miller, and Smith, Mrs. Lubinski, and Mr. Blacklock take you down memory lane? If so, you must have attended Perry Hall Elementary, grade 1 through 7 in the 1930’s.

Each room housed a full grade plus the fast learners of the next lower grade. When

by David Marks

This is the time of the year when children gather around bonfires to hear stories about the dead who may walk among us. Ghosthunters come out of the woodwork. And in Perry Hall, one of the oldest places in Baltimore County, speculation turns to those houses that look like they might belong in a Stephen King story.

Without a doubt, the most frequently-mentioned place is

by Jeffrey Smith

While the month of October may generally be most associated as ending with the costume-wearing, candy-collecting night known as Halloween, for those of us of German descent (like myself), the month will always be seen as a time for such classics as polka music, steins full of beer, and plates heaping with bratwurst sausages!

In other words, it’s time for the fun and fellowship that can only come from a Maryland Oktoberfest.

For those of you

From: Kent Smith
Nottingham

The last Northeast Area Educational Advisory Council
meeting was an example of how well informed and well
spoken our neighbors are about the educational process.
Parents and teachers spoke about the need for dedicated
information technology workers in our schools to work on
the hundreds of machines in our schools, the low pay for
some of the school system’s most important people, and
the level funding that our

From: Evelyn (Robertson) March Hearn
Perry Hall

I remember the “lost” villages of Perry Hall which David Marks described (”Bethcha didn’t even know it was here” 9-17-07), especially Indian Rock.

When I was a little girl, my mother and dad used to watch the Indian Rock baseball team’s games on Sundays. They were played on a diamond located in the area of what is now the road going into Ace Hardware and the bygone Frank’s garden plant

by Jeffrey Smith

I was recently at the local bookstore and I happened to notice former President Bill Clinton’s new book titled Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. While flipping through the book, I came across this inspiring quote: “We all have the capacity to do great things – lift spirits, touch hearts, and demonstrate that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world.”

The book itself serves

by Jeffrey Smith

No sooner than the kids go back to school does it seem like autumn weather descends on northeastern Baltimore County. The leaves are already starting to fall and the local stores are stocking up on candy and decorations for Halloween.

Fall is probably my favorite time of the year, which makes living in this area all the more enjoyable.

All along the U.S. Route 1 corridor – starting from up at Kingsville, continuing through Perry Hall, and

by David Marks

A visitor to northeastern Baltimore County in the early Nineteenth Century or early Twentieth Century would have strained his or her eyes to find Perry Hall on a map.

Riding horseback along the dusty country lane that became Belair Road, the visitor would have climbed Putty Hill to come across three villages, none of which were named Perry Hall. Moving north, these were the villages of Necker, Indian Rock, and Germantown.

Today, the villages are lost to

JD Carpets rolls out the red …

To: Editor
From: John C. Marken, president
JD Carpets Inc.

The Parkville Towne Centre Fair is Sept. 9. Some proceeds of the fair benefit The Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation and JD Carpets Inc is joining the fundraising efforts.

My daughter, Kimberly Canatella, and I have been raising funds for the CdLS Foundation for 20 years. This

by Jeffrey Smith

I never really thought about the significance of Labor Day until very recently.

For me, it was always just another day off – either from school or from the daily grind of a career.

But recently, I began to think about the important place that work actually occupies in the lives of most of us. If you stop and think about it, the average person probably spends more time at work (eight-plus hours a day,

To: Editor
From: David Marks
Vice-chairman, Baltimore County Historical Trust

On July 27, the Baltimore County Historical Trust submitted paperwork to the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission to give the former Loch Raven Elementary School historic status. It is deserving of protection for four important reasons.

First, the school was the focal point for one of Maryland’s earliest planned communities. Loch Raven Village was advertised in the 1940s as “a new planned community,” and it likely was one

by Jeffrey Smith

If you’re looking for something to do outside in Perry Hall, you don’t have to go very far to have a whole bunch of options for fun in the sun!

And these days, with the fast pace of our daily schedules, it’s even more important than ever for us to make time for outdoor recreation and exercise.

Whether you choose to join an organized sports league, or just want to find a quiet spot

by David Marks
There’s a saying: everything old is new again. Look no farther than Honeygo Boulevard and Joppa Road.

Most people think of Honeygo as Twenty-First Century Perry Hall, with its tree-lined streets, fancy restaurants, and million-dollar homes. It’s the last part of Perry Hall to be built-out. But ironically, this “new” neighborhood is actually the oldest part of our community.

More than two centuries ago, northeastern Baltimore County was

by Jeffrey Smith

Now that the hottest days of summer are here, I’m sure that most of you are seeking out ways to beat the heat, especially if you have any children within earshot! Sure, you could opt to go swimming, either at a local pool or perhaps at some industrial-size water park somewhere. However, I’m sure, if you’re like me, you would rather find a tastier way to cool off.

As it happens, this part of the county

To: Editor
From: G.W. Frazier
Hamilton

I too hate seeing all those signs on every pole, transformer, traffic control box, etc. (“Signs signs everywhere,” July 6)

I do have to say that my friend and I love yard sales and flea markets and the signs help us find different locations for great buys. But folks know the law and folks could be fined.

It’s illegal so take them down after your yard sale is over – you took the time to put them up, so take the time and take them down.

You never know when the law will come after you. Most times your address is on the posters. Just take them down and help keep our neighborhood clean.