Think Summer! Wilson's Farm Market is taking applications for its Community Supported Agriculture program

While you're snowbound staring out at the 21.5 inches of snow that fell in Bel Air, why not turn your thoughts to summer days spent picking up bags of sweet corn, cantaloupes and ripe tomatoes from Wilson's Farm Market? The Bel Air farm is already taking orders for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program it started last year. CSAs are a European concept that Wilson's describes this way on its website:

"Community Supported Agriculture concept originated in Switzerland in the 1960s and quickly spread throughout Europe. It was introduced into the States in the mid 1980s. The idea is for members in the community to pledge support to the farm and farmer by purchasing shares for the upcoming growing season. In Europe, many people work on the farm for part of their share or volunteer to help with pick up day. In this country, most people prefer to pay the fee and pick up their weekly box of fruit and produce."

At Wilson's, local residents pay the farmer up front and Wilson's uses that money to pay its operating expenses for the season. Then, when the produce is ready for harvest, members who have paid into the CSA come to the farm weekly or every other week to collect a bag of the latest crop. The program runs for 16 weeks from July through October.

Click here to see the list of produce that will be available this coming season. Wilson's will also offer cut sunflowers and fresh herbs along with products from other area farms including fresh honey, eggs, beef and cheese.

The cost is $450 per full share. $225 per half share. A full share is weekly pick-up and a half share is every other week. A full share would be approx 2/3 of a brown grocery bag.

If you're interested in a full share, half the annual payment is due by April 30th. The rest is due by May 15th. Half shares must be paid in full by April 30th.

Click here to print an application. You can mail your application and payment to 2838 Forge Hill Road, Bel Air, MD 21015

If you have questions about our CSA, email: WilsonsFarmMarket@Verizon.net. Please put CSA in the subject line. Or call 410-836-8980.

For more information, visit Wilson's website at www.wilsonfarmmarket.net.

This post was sponsored by Wilson's Farm Market.

For more information on sponsored posts e-mail BANV at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com

All Harford County streets expected to be plowed at least once by Monday evening, says county official

The Director of the Office of Government & Community Relations for Harford County Roxanne Lynch filled me in on how the plowing is going so far:

"The Department of Public Works is estimating that all streets should be plowed at least once by Monday evening. We can not give a specific timeframe for all roads to be cleared.

Currently 160 county personnel and more than 20 private contractors are working to clear side streets and roads. Cul-de-sacs are the most problematic - and we have nearly 1,000 of them."

I live in one of those cul-de-sacs. It seemed like such a good idea when we moved in. A helpful neighbor in a Jeep rammed his way through the snow in our cul-de-sac to create a path. Then my mother and I and a neighbor with a snowblower (thank you!) dug out the path a bit so that my husband could get home tonight.

Hopefully, we'll all be able to get out before the next snow, forecast for Tuesday hits.

Click here for previous BANV posts on the big storm of 2010, including Harford County residents' plow sightings.

Help out your fellow Harford County residents and report a plowed road on Bel Air News & Views

I sent an e-mail to the county hoping they'll let me know how the plowing is going, but it occurred to me that we all probably have a more accurate view of which roads have been cleared. Let me know when you see a plowed road and I'll keep track of it here on Bel Air News & Views. Please leave a comment below or on my Bel Air News & Views Facebook page and I'll keep a running list. This is what Bel Air News & Views Facebook page fans have reported so far:

 I've see the plow come down Tollgate (by Wheel Road) twice today. Feb. 6 at 11:46am

Accross from Fallston High School...a small front end loader made a pass through the neighborhood about 5pm...thank goodness. Don't know if this was an individual doing a good deed or hired by county

Feb. 6 at 11:17pm

Henderson rd saw a plow but none of the streets branching off of it. lillygate, beetlebrock, etc.

Feb. 7, 1:10 p.m.  

We live in town in Homestead Village..we are looking pretty good! THANKS TOWN OF BEL AIR! Feb. 7, 1:10 p.m.  

The other side of Henderson in Hampton Ridge is clear. Feb. 7, 1:30 p.m.  

I just saw the National Guard fly over my neighborhood (Greenridge I) checking out the area. No snow plows here yet, but neighbors have all come together to help each other. Feb. 7, 2  p.m.  

I heard they are not doing side roads until later. They are working on main roads and main streets in neighborhoods. There is a Front Loader in our neighborhood right now working on our main Road Mardic Drive. Feb. 7, 2  p.m.

Homestead Village is plowed and passable. The Town has done a great job with our neighborhood - throughout the entire store. Our tax dollars at work!!!!  Feb. 7, 2  p.m.

Just got an automated message call on behalf of David Craig saying that they were working with subcontractors to get subdivisions plowed today - but that schools and government will be closed tomorrow! Feb. 7, 2  p.m.

West Riding Neighborhood has been plowed down the main strip. They are still working on the cul de sacs and have just now branched off and sort of plowed East Valley Oaks neighborhood.
(When I say plowed please take that with a grain of salt, I mean to say that A Utiliquest truck with a plow on the front has come through East Valley Oaks and left an opening one car width. ) Feb. 7, 2:30   p.m.

West Gate entrance off of Ring Factory Road has not been plowed, but for my understanding the neighborhoods around us have been. Feb. 7, 2:40   p.m.

Forest Lakes had a few plows come through. Feb. 7, 2:40  p.m.

in Fallston, Oakmont Rd is passable...can see the asphalt. not a full 2 lanes but if you share and go slow it's good. Feb. 7, 2:50  p.m.

Ridgecroft Community 2:55 (off Boggs Rd in Forest Hill ) just had one plow come through...thank you! :)  Feb. 7, 2:55  p.m.

Box Hill North doing well...we live off a secondary road on a cul-de-sac and we are all plowed out....we have bad backs and I was concerned about my elderly neighbors snowed in and neighbors and friends walked from other neighborhoods with shovels, plows, sno-blowers and shoveled us out like crazy! ....everyone happy here. I say Super Bowl bring it on...yee ha!  Feb. 7, 3:10  p.m.

Folks say that Boggs Road in Forest Hill is plowed.Feb. 7,  4  p.m.

Laurel Bush Rd. is okay. WIsh our driveway was too! Feb. 7, 4  p.m.

Hall Street and Edinshall Trail are plowed. They were plowed several times over the last 3 days Feb. 7, 4:10  p.m.

Wakefield Meadows Community has one passable lane on each street and some salt would be nice before everything freezes. They are doing an awesome job considering the monumental task at hand  Feb. 7, 4:30  

Stone Ridge is plowed. And my cul de sac is finally clear :)  Feb. 7, 4:30 pm

Stone Ridge is plowed. And my cul de sac is finally clear :) Feb. 7, 5 pm 

Hepburn Lane and Brentwood Park Drive are looking good! Feb. 7, 5 pm 


Parsons Ridge main road to the right is plowed but not to the left. None of the cul de sacs have been touched. Feb. 7, 5 pm 

Plows just coming through Fox Bow neighborhood. We see pavement!!! Feb. 7, 5 pm

Fountain Glen Dr into Redfield has been plowed. I can't say much for the courts in Fountain Glen development. Feb. 7, 5 pm

Southampton, Cleaned real nice Big trucks and Front-end loaders, Spenceola Frams Nothing, Hunters Run Nothing as of 3 today, I was the first truck on and off Point to Point.  Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m.

I live in Forest Lakes and have not seen a plow all storm. Only Osborne and other main roads being done, the rest of us are stuck. Feb. 7, 6:50 p.m.

Bynum Ridge Road has been plowed, looks like one lane..could see asphalt in some places. Heard Cannery Rd. in Spenceola was pretty clear. Feb. 7, 11 p.m.


East MacPhail...Snow packed in parts....and bare in other spots. Feb. 8, 9 a.m.

How long it will be before Harford County plows? And how do people walk their dogs in all this snow? Also, looks like Chestnut Hill Road might have lost power

Update 1:52 p.m.): A reader (thank you!) of BANV's Facebook page just wrote that the county called to tell her they would be plowing the main roads today and the secondary roads tonight and tommorrow.

Update 2:37 p.m.: Check out power outages reported statewide: http://www.bge.com/portal/site/bge/menuitem.42d31413f80c584606370f10d66166a0/
Thank you to the BANV Facebook page reader who passed that on!

The answer about when the plows will come is a little vague. Harford County's snow removal web site page says that we can expect plows to have made at least one pass through all county roads within 36 hours at the latest when up to a foot of snow has fallen. However, if we get more snow than that, it says:

"Conversely, more snow, longer time frame. However the type of snow (wet or powdery) and the temperature and wind conditions following the storm can alter this schedule."

It looks like we've probably seen more than 18 inches fall already according to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network. Although, this morning the person in charge of checking the snow level indicated that he couldn't make it through the drifts to reach the gauge. Click here to check it out.

The county offers these tips for how to park your car and where to dump your shoveled snow in order to make the plowing easier:

- If you have a driveway, please use it - especially if you live on a cul-de-sac.
- If you do not have a driveway, park as close to the curb as possible on one side of the road. Park your car on the even numbered side, if possible. Move to the other side of the road after the plow has cleared it.
- To help avoid frustration that occurs when a snowplow covers your driveway with snow after you have shoveled, stand facing the road and shovel snow to the right into the yard instead of into the road.

Click here to read more about how Harford County handles snow emergencies : http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/alerts/SnowRemoval.cfm

Click here to see what Twitterers around the region are tweeting about the storm: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/weather/bal-mdsnow-mappage,0,2651574.htmlstory

Check out BANV's Facebook page to see what others in Harford County are saying about today's snow. It sounds like the depth of the snow is making it difficult for people to find ways to let their dogs out to do their business. If anyone has any good suggestions please leave a comment below or on Facebook. Thanks!

Someone on BANV's Facebook page just commented that it looks like the folks on Chestnut Hill Road have been without power since 1 a.m. I heard Mayor O'Malley mention on Ch. 11 a little while ago that 151,000 people were without power, but they were mostly Pepco customers in the Montgomery County area.

Wondering what the roads are like? Check out the Maryland Department of Transportation live traffic cams before you head out in the storm

Honestly, you should probably stay in if at all possible until this storm clears. But if you need to go out, you can get a sneak peek at what the major highways look like in real time. The Maryland Department of Transportation  has web cams you can view by clicking onto their web page at http://www.chart.state.md.us/TravInfo/trafficCams.asp. Right now, the traffic is slow going. You can see asphalt, but there is plenty of snow on the road. If you're wondering what the roads are like closer to home here in Harford County, several people (thank you!) have left comments on Bel Air News & View's Facebook page letting us know what the driving has been like around town. Click here to read them: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bel-Air-News-Views/136958171000?ref=nf

Click here to read previous BANV posts on this weekend's storm.

Track the impending snow storm on Foot's Forecast & Mark Hofmann's Weather Station

Watch the impending storm creep closer on Foot's Forecast (http://www.footsforecast.org/) and Mark Hofmann's Weather Station (http://www.weather-station.org/), which offers thoroughly local and comprehensive meteorological data. A peek at Mark Hofmann's outdoor webcams will show you just how much snow is falling here in Bel Air while you're out at work today. I'm impressed by the bravery of Harford County schools and their willingness to open in the face of the storm, planning to beat it by sending kids home two hours early. Hope that works! I'm starting to get nervous about how Foot's Forecast's mentions emergency management officials in Arlington, Va. suggested people should be prepared to shelter in place for three to five days. And I don't like the idea of losing power. Other than that, I think we're set to spend a Saturday comfortably indoors.

Click here to watch the snow arriving on radar. Right now (9:05 a.m.) it looks like a circle of storm about to embrace the region:  http://weather.cod.edu/cgi-bin/radarloop.pl?station=LWX&product=BREF1&loopdir=brefs

Just got back from the old C-Mart's new opening day

Just got back from the old C-Mart's new opening day as the The Big Tarp Company Store. Loved the men's sport coats and women's shoes. My mom was excited about the Joseph Ribkoff dresses and separates. There was a line to see the Vera Bradley and Brighton purses and they sold out quickly. I saw only one LCD TV left and it was in a battered box. Those must have gone fast. The Oilily kids clothes were adorable, but you have to know your child's European size -- think if my kid was in Paris would this fit? If you can't figure it out, they do have a 7-day return policy so you can try it on them when they get home from school. The store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.


Click here to read previous BANV posts about C-Mart.

Bel Air's Tiddlywinks toy store has great ideas for kids' Valentine cards and gifts

Tiddlywinks Toys & Books  at 17 N. Main Street in Bel Air has fun and creative Valentine cards for kids. It's Valentine "Cootie Catcher Cards" fold up like their favorite Origami fortune teller game. Another set offers heart-shaped "Rainbow Glasses" that kids can wear. Girls would like the "Glitter Paper Doll" set while boys would enjoy the Valentine cards that fold into paper airplanes. If you're looking for a little gift to include with your Valentine cards, Tiddlywinks has scented pencils and pens with a Valentine theme. Come get them while they last!

Tiddlywinks is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00am – 6:00pm. Closed Sunday and Monday. For more information visit www.tiddlywinkstoys.com or call (443) 371-6420.

This post was sponsored by Tiddlywinks Toys and Books.

For more information on sponsored posts e-mail BANV at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com

All is OK after lockdown at Mountain Christian School this afternoon

Mountain Christian School in Joppa was locked down today after two young girls reported seeing a woman they didn't recognize acting strangely in a rest room at the private school for children in grades kindergarten through 8. (WJZ.com reported the children said the woman had a gun.) No one was injured and the intruder the children described was not found on the school grounds after Harford County Sheriff's deputies conducted a room by room search, said Harford County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Specialist Monica Worrell.

"Everybody did what they were suppposed to do," said Worrell.

Children informed their teacher of what they saw and the school instituted a lockdown. All the children were moved from the school building to another building at the site and parents were allowed to pick their children up early.

"No one was hurt and the temperature is calm," Worrell said after returning from the scene. She said that although no intruder was located at the school, the Harford County Sheriff's Office will continue to investigate the incident.

Update 11:21 pm: I just noticed the Harford County Sheriff's Office has posted its press release on the incident and the release says that the woman the children saw in the school was identified and determined to have had permission to be at the school:


From the release:

"Harford County Sheriff’s Office investigation into the matter determined that the children did observe a woman in the building, later identified as a local resident, who was attending a church program on the campus. An interview with the woman conducted by Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies established that there were no weapons involved and she had permission to be in the building at the time of the sighting. The incident is considered officially closed."

Click here to read the full release: http://www.harfordsheriff.org/media/press_releases/2010/details.php?id=5

Weekly Rumor Check: Martin's Catering is not planning to occupy former Giant Food space at Tollgate Mall

Weekly Rumor Check: A BANV reader (thank you!) asked, so I checked it out. And the answer is: No. It does not appear that Martin's Caterer's has any plans to come to Bel Air and use the space in the Tollgate Mall shopping center recently vacated by Giant Food. I just spoke with the assistant to the president at Martin's she told me that she doesn't believe Martin's has any plans to expand this year. The company recently opened a new site in Upper Marlboro and she said that she doesn't expect they'll open any more new facilities until the economy improves.

I also got a no from the Harris Teeter grocery store chain. I'd heard they might be considering a Fallston site, but the press staff at the North Carolina-based company with two Maryland stores says they haven't seen anything on this and wouldn't unless a lease was signed. If anyone has heard of an exact address they thought might be under consideration by Harris Teeter, they told me I could let them know and they'd check it out for me.

Saturday's snow traps shoppers for up to 3 hours in parking lots at Constant Friendship

The one-way-in one-way-out design of Constant Friendship shopping center really stuck it to thousands of drivers today. The snow storm that hit right in the middle of a busy day of shopping at the center's big box stores made the hills that carry traffic from the center to Route 24 too slick for the cars to climb. Traffic backed up horribly on the little two-lane roadway that is used by thousands to get to Wal-Mart, Lowes, Target Greatland, Regal Cinemas and BJ's. Shoppers reported on BANV's Facebook page of being stuck in the BJs lot for up to three hours.

Traffic at Constant Friendship is bad even on regular days. If snow can make it this unmanageable, what would happen if there was an emergency that blocked that exit and it wasn't the kind that would eventually melt? As Harford County grows and welcomes both new BRAC residents and a Wegmans near this area, perhaps it's time to get smarter about moving traffic through Constant Friendship.

BANV's Facebook fans report treacherous road conditions throughout Harford County

My BANV Facebook fans (thank you!) are all reporting treacherous conditions on Harford County roadways right now. Click here to read what local residents are saying about their experiences on the roads. My family was stuck in the traffic jam behind the Bel Air bypass accident around 1 p.m. today where a van flipped on its side. It took two hours to travel from Wal-Mart to the bypass. The commenters on BANV's Facebook page are reporting the the from Harford County into Towson are bad with a lot of Bel Air roads experiencing grid lock. Stay home if you can and if you've been out there, leave us a comment below or on Facebook to keep us up to date on the conditions. Thanks!

Keep up-to-date on today's storm with Bel Air resident Mark Hofmann's weather station: http://www.weather-station.org/

Wondering what happened to the old Harford County Health Department building at 119 S. Hays St.?

A few BANV readers (thank you!) had been asking me if I knew what had happened to the Harford County Health Department building (at 119 S. Hays St.) that had been recently reduced to rubble. I just heard back from they county's Department of Procurement. This is what they had to say about the old building:

"The old occupants housed at this site were moved into a new leased facility due to the deteriorating conditions of the building. The new County Health Department is to be built at the Bonnie Brae site in Edgewood next to the new Sheriff’s Department Southern Precinct. This building will occur when funding becomes available.

"The County looked at the cost of renovating the old Health Department, which was extremely expensive due to its age and condition. In addition, the Health Department, as a whole, was spread out into 6 different locations in Bel Air which made it difficult for citizens to receive services and very inefficient in regards to staffing and energy cost. It was decided that a new building was the most appropriate course of action and fit nicely into Harford County’s Global Plan. Once the Health Department was moved, the building was demolished and will be used as a parking lot."

Check out cycling and triathlon gear at Chesapeake Cycle & Sport's open house Feb. 5

Save the Date! Friday February 5th from 6-9PM at Chesapeake Cycle & Sport, 101 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace. We will have product demo and manufacturer reps on hand to discuss new and exciting releases for 2010. This open house will feature details on cycling product as well as tri-specific gear for the upcoming season.

As a SUPER special treat, TREK is bringing along Chris Lieto's back up bike from the Ironman World Championship in Kona! That's right- the fastest bike at Kona and the same TT bike that won at the Tour de France in it's prerelease debut in the Mid Atlantic region... the all new TREK Speed Concept. (You will NOT see this bike anywhere else until it's release later in the year.)

Information on our new Team Chesapeake race team and multisport club will be available, as well a sneak peak at our action packed event schedule for 2010. We will be announcing such events as the Havre de Grace Triathlon, Havre de Grace Criterium Series, Upper Chesapeake Celebration Run and Bike Race, and much more. Bring a friend and don't miss out on this very special evening.


We will soon be opening our Bel Air location to be called Chesapeake TriSport at 116 S. Main St. The Bel Air store will be the headquarters for the company's fully sanctioned multisport team (triathlon, road racing and mountain biking).

For more information, visit Chesapeake TriSport's website at www.chesapeaketrisport.com or call their Havre de Grace store at 410-939-TREK.

This post was sponsored by Chesapeake TriSport.

For more information on sponsored posts e-mail BANV at stacey@belairnewsandviews.com

For those of you who asked, the planned Forest Hill Kohls still needs permits from several county departments before construction can begin

BANV readers (thank you!) have been asking me to find out what is up with the Kohl's Department Store that has been planned for the new Village at Forest Lakes development to go in at the corner of Rock Spring Road and Osborne Parkway. I called the Harford County Planning and Zoning Department to see what was new. Right now, it appears the developers are still awaiting approvals from several county departments that they will need in order to receive the permits they would need to begin work on the site: water & sewer, public works and state highway. Until those approvals are secured, no work can begin.

Click here to read previous BANV posts about Kohls and the Village at Forest Lakes.