Want to blog about the joys of parenting, with a focus on Harford County? We will be launching a local parenting blog very soon, and need a bunch of local parents to be the site’s authors. You will have full creative control over your writing. All we ask is a few posts a week. They could be about anything: a bad (or good!) day with the kids, new toys or local establishments you want to rant and rave about, or pretty much anything else.

For more info, send us an email at writeforus@harfordnow.com, our leave a comment below so we can get back to you. We would be happy to share more about this blogging opportunity!

Categories: Harford Bloggers
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From a Harford County Public Schools press release:

Jason’s Music Center, one of the oldest piano distributors in the country, will hold their 6th Annual Piano Liquidation on April 25, 26, and 27 at the Forest Hill Air Park. The highly anticipated liquidation provides shoppers a rare opportunity to purchase top-quality pianos while supporting Harford County Public Schools. Jason’s Music Center and Harford County Public Schools have had a unique partnership since 2002. To date, Jason’s Music Center has loaned HCPS pianos to use in targeted schools with a total value of over $850,000.

The partnership with Jason’s Music Center provides pianos free of charge for one school year to support the music education program. They deliver and service the instruments at no cost, and at the end of the year the company exchanges the 12-month old pianos with brand-new replacements. The schools’ slightly-used pianos are then sold at the liquidation sale in Forest Hill. The partnership extends beyond HCPS and Jason’s Music Center. Additional partners include the Harford County Office of economic Development and the Forest Hill Air Park, which donates the warehouse space for the piano sale each year.

In 1998 Jason’s Music Center began partnering with local school systems lending numerous pianos to elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the state free of charge. This year the philanthropic company donated pianos worth more than $2.4 million to Maryland schools. “The partnership is a win-win-win-win situation,” explained Steven Cohen, President of Jason’s Music Center. “The schools receive top-quality pianos at no charge, students learn on instruments equipped with the latest technology, parents are offered the opportunity to purchase superior pianos at substantial savings, and we receive publicity for our sale,” said Cohen. Jim Boord, Supervisor of Music for Harford County Public Schools says, “this partnership provides much needed, top-quality instruments that we would not otherwise be able to afford.”

Pianos will be available at the liquidation sale 30% to 40% below the list price, according to Cohen. Appointments may be made to “pre-view” the selection on April 25th and 26th. Any remaining pianos will be sold to the public from 12 noon to 4 pm on April 27th. The location of the piano sale is 2216 Commerce Drive in the Forest Hill Airpark. To make an appointment with Jason’s Music Center (recommended), or learn more about their piano donation program, please contact them at 410-638-2272.

Categories: Harford County Events, Harford County News
Tags: Harford County Public Schools, piano sale

From the Harford County State’s Attorney Office web site:

The parents of Dennis Merryman, who was systematically abused and starved to death over four years, were sentenced for Child Abuse Resulting in a Death.

Samuel Merryman 40 and his wife Donna Merryman 45 were each sentenced by Judge Emory Plitt in Harford County to twenty-two years in the Division of Correction for causing the death of their adopted son. The Merrymans had plead guilty during the trial of the case.

The case was investigated by the Harford County Sheriff and prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorneys Diane Tobin and Lisa Marts. The judge in passing sentence said the message that should come out of this case is that courts will not tolerate the abuse of the most trusting, vulnerable members of our society. The sentence exceeded the maximum suggested by the sentencing guidelines.

Categories: Harford County News
Tags: child starvation case, harford county, State's Attorney

From the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Website:

(Bel Air, MD – April 15, 2008) — Harford County Sheriff’s Office Detectives are investigating a bank robbery that occurred on Monday, April 14, 2008 at approximately 9:30am. The event took place at the Bank of America located in the 1400 block of Rockspring Road. Investigators are searching for a tall medium build, white male in his late 30’s to early 40’s. He was last seen wearing a red or maroon colored sweat shirt, blue / black baggy sweat pants, black gloves, a dark colored baseball hat and a fake beard and mustache. The suspect entered the bank, walked over to a teller, and implied he had a gun. He then left the bank with an undisclosed amount of cash. Numerous patrons and employees were inside the bank and at the ATM at the time the crime was committed however; none were injured.

When the suspect departed the bank, he was seen walking north towards Bynum Road. Numerous units from the Harford County Sheriff’s Office responded and canvassed the area despite a thorough search; deputies were unable to locate the suspect. Investigators were able to retrieve video footage from security cameras that provided the attached images of the suspect. Anyone with information regarding the bank robbery or suspect is urged to contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division at 410-836-5408. Additionally, Harford County Crime Solvers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the robber. Tipster must call the 24-hour tip-line at 1-888-540-TIPS to be eligible for the reward. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Categories: Bel Air - 21014 21015
Tags: bank robbery, bel air, Harford County Sheriff's Office

The Harford County 911 Center has become the first in Maryland to achieve accreditation as an Emergency Medical Dispatch Center of Excellence by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch. They are also only one of 120 centers nationwide to receive this honor.

Harford County 911 was awarded the distinctive honor because of the center’s 65 dispatchers’ comprehensive implementation of and compliance with the Medical Priority Dispatch System and the Associated 20 points of Excellence. The MPDS is the world’s most widely used 911-type pre-arrival instruction and dispatch life-support protocol system. With scripted telephone instructions for CPR, airway obstruction relief, hemorrhage control and child birth assistance, MPDS has been credited with helping save thousands of lives.

County Executive David Craig was on hand for a ceremony celebrating Harford County Public Safety Telecommunications Week at the 911 Center in Forest Hill on April 14th.

“It truly is an honor to achieve accreditation. It’s an indication that those who work in the 911 Center are dedicated and focused on providing the best service possible to the public,” Craig said. “Protocols developed by the National Academies are based on the recommendations of fire, emergency, medical and law enforcement professionals from around the world.”

For the full press release, visit the Harford County Goverment’s website.

Categories: Harford County News
Tags: County Executive David Craig, Harford County 911

Aberdeen, Maryland - February 28th, 2008 - Members of Fraternal Police Municipal Lodge 128 recognized officers from the Aberdeen Police Department for their outstanding service last year. Officer First Class Michael Palmer received the traffic award for his yearlong commitment to highway safety. Officer First Class Michael Yeagy took home Rookie of the Year honors. Since graduating from the police academy Officer Yeagy has become a true asset to the police department. Officer Yegey’s supervisor described Officer Yeagy as committed, trustworthy and dependable. Officer First Class C. William Reiber received two awards. Officer Reiber was recognized for making 118 criminal arrests last year. Reiber was also named Officer of the Year. Officer Reiber came to the Aberdeen Police from the Maryland Transportation Authority Police and brought him extensive knowledge and a work ethic that is second to none. Fraternal Order of Police Municipal Lodge consists of officers from Aberdeen, Havre De Grace and Bel Air police departments.

Pictured left to right: Ofc. Michael Palmer, Ofc. C. William Reiber and Ofc. Michael Yeagy

Categories: Aberdeen - 21001
Tags: Aberdeen Police Department, FOP Lodge 128

If you haven’t heard, April is National Autism Awareness Month. The Harford County Chapter of the Autism Society of America has some interesting statistics on their website pertaining to the increase of diagnoses in the county:

The following is taken from the official State statistics produced by the Department of Education in the United States, for numbers of children aged 6-21 served by IDEA (Individuals With Disabilities Discrimination Act) who have autism. It compares the increase over the eleven years between 1992-93 and 2003-04:

State | 1992-1993 | 2003-2004 | Percentage Increase
Maryland | 28 | 3,536 | 12,529

I encourage you to check out the many blogs written by parents with autistic children. The daily journals of their experiences will be sure to open you eyes. While all of the blogs are great, I highly recommend Autism Vox, written by Kristina Chew.

Categories: Harford County News
Tags: autism vox, harford county, national autism awareness month

Well, I do now, thanks to Megan McGonigal over at Cecil County Connection!

Absorption Rate is the rate at which properties are able to be leased or sold in a given area. Here is what Megan details on her blog about Harford County:

There are several ways to determine the absorption rate. For example you can break it down by how many weeks or months will it take to sell your home in the current market. I’ll go with month for this example. I am using information provided through the Harford County mls for the month of February. During that time period there were 1937 homes on the market in Harford County, MD + 255 properties under contract. You add those two figures together and get 2192. There were 165 Harford County home sales that month. Now take 2192 and divide it by 165. This is the rate of absorption in months. That means that for Harford County, MD the rate of absorption is 13.28 months. That means that in the current market conditions it will a little over 13 months to sell all of the current inventory.

Will BRAC help bring the rate back down to normal? Or will the KKK and 3-headed deer continue to be a problem?

Categories: Harford County News
Tags: absorption rate, harford county real estate

Below are the finalists for HCPS 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year Award. HarfordNow.com would like to congratulate all of the nominees:

Kristina L. Bilderback | Bel Air Elementary School | Fifth grade
Mary Jo Day | Abingdon Elementary School | Fourth grade
Mark D. Evans | Aberdeen High School SMA | Mathematics
Yvonne K. Gabriel | Aberdeen High School SMA | Earth Science
Peter F. Griffiths | C. Milton Wright High School | Social Studies
Sharalyn R. Heinly | North Harford Middle School | Mathematics
Christopher A. Hoover | Fallston High School | Social Studies
Donna L. Hott | Havre de Grace Middle School | Earth/Space Science
Sarah H. Lovelidge | North Bend Elementary | K-5 Enrichment
Ronald C. Wooden | George D. Lisby Elementary School at Hillsdale | Fifth grade

Categories: Harford County News
Tags: 2008, harford county, Harford County Public Schools, maryland, Teacher of the Year

Delegate Wayne Norman, 35A, will be having his first Fund Raiser on May 21, 2008 at the Green Turtle Tavern, on Main Street in Bel Air. They have rented the entire restaurant from 6:30 until 9:30 pm. There will be a hot and cold buffet, beer and wine, and a DJ.

Tickets are $40.00 apiece. For tickets, call Delegate Norman at (410) 836-7756 or his office at (410) 893-1436.

Categories: Harford County Events
Tags: Delegate Wayne Norman, District 35A, Harford Events