Dayhoff Carroll

Dayhoff Carroll: www.kevindayhoff.org Westminster Md Online - The Winchester Report, by Kevin Earl Dayhoff: Runner, writer, artist, fire and police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist, and artist Westminster, Hampstead, Manchester, Taneytown, Union Bridge, Mount Airy and Sykesville in Carroll Co, Maryland... and Frederick Co. Westminster Fire Dept., Firefighters, police officers, Carroll Co Sheriff's Office, Md St Police. Chaplain duties, Religion, Grace Lutheran Ch.

Showing posts with label Westminster File Belle Grove Square. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Proposed Westminster Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone worksheet

November 8, 2010 Kevin Dayhoff http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/11/proposed-westminster-neighborhood.html

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Westminster%20PZ%20Planning%20Zoning

My worksheet for the November 8 2010 Westminster mayor and common council discussion of the proposed Westminster Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone… Find an accompanying set of documents here: http://www.scribd.com/document_collections/2712718

Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zones to be considered by the Westminster mayor and common council on November 8, 2010.

As a result of the feedback from Westminster residents in the development of the (a) 2008 Westminster Community Visions Survey and the (b) 2009 Comprehensive Plan, the city of Westminster is continuing to move forward with a series of zoning changes and enhancements.

According to the city of Westminster website, “The State of Maryland requires comprehensive plans to be updated every six years. The 2009 Comprehensive Plan Update began in October 2007 followed by the coordination of the first Westminster resident survey in the summer of 2008.

“The City hosted a series of community workshops in the fall of 2008 that offered residents the opportunity to voice their ideas about the future of their community. In the winter of 2009, the planning staff combined the results of the survey and the feedback from the workshops, to create the 2008 Community Vision Report.

One the zoning enhancements being considered is Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone for properties currently zones R-7,500 and R-10,000, which arguably comprises the bulk of where folks live in Westminster.

Recently, the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zones came before the (d) Westminster Planning and Zoning Commission in the form of two specific legislative initiatives which include: Zoning Text Amendment No. ZTA 10-3 – “Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone” and Sectional Zoning Map Amendment No. SMA 10-1 – “Belle Grove Square Neighborhood” and “Willis Street Neighborhood.”

(e) A public hearing notice was posted in the local newspaper of record [for the Westminster Planning and Zoning Commission to put on its (f) October 14, 2010 agenda a public hearing for proposed zoning changes in two historic Westminster neighborhoods.

The purpose of the public hearing on October 14 to hear citizen comments and subsequently deliberate for approval or disapproval of Zoning Text Amendment No. ZTA 10-3 and and Sectional Zoning Map Amendment No. SMA 10-1.

The ad noted, “The proposed text and sectional map amendments are available for public inspection at Winchester West, 56 West Main Street, Westminster, MD during normal business hours in the office of the Zoning Administrator.”

A public hearing notice document was also placed on the city’s website, dated September 30, 2010 that indicated that the Westminster mayor and common council would hold a public hearing on November 8 on Zoning Text Amendment No. ZTA 10-3 which was subsequently introduced at (g) the October 11 common council meeting as Ordinance 816. The Ordinance is sponsored by councilmembers Greg Pecoraro and Dr. Robert Wack.

(h) Ordinance 816 – Zoning Text Amendment 10-3 would amend the text of Chapter 164 of the Westminster City Code by adding a new article VIVD to create a “Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone.”

Section 164-45.25 introduces, “The Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone (NP Zone) is intended to provide for the preservation of the historic character and physical setting of the city’s traditional neighborhoods by promoting residential uses and directing more intense uses to other suitable locations.

“The Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone is a mapped zone which is superimposed over properties included in the R-7,500 residential zone and R-10,000 residential in certain traditional residential neighborhoods. Once properties are included in the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone, any development or use of such properties are subject to its provisions.”

This indicates that once Ordinance 816 - Zoning Text Amendment 10-3 is approved; all of Westminster that is currently zoned R-7,500 and R-10,000, according to the (i b) 2009 Westminster zoning map found in Chapter 54; are eligible to be placed under the provisions of the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone. (j1) (See Chap 164 ARTICLE VI R-10,000 Residential Zone (§ 164-28 — § 164-33.) (j2) (See Westminster City Code Chap 164 ARTICLE VII R-7,500 Residential Zone (§ 164-34 — § 164-39.)

However, a specific area can only be placed into, and thereafter subject to the provisions of the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone by way of a Sectional map Amendment according to “Procedure” section, 164-45.31, of the proposed changes in Chapter 164.

Moreover, under the “Inclusion of Additional Neighborhoods section, 164-45.32, of the proposed changes, “The city will partner with its Historic District Commission … to identify additional traditional residential neighborhoods for potential inclusion in the Neighborhood Preservation Zone as an integral component of an overall preservation plan for Westminster.

“This important work not only helps to implement the city’s comprehensive plan by focusing attention on the perseveration and improvement of the city’s traditional residential neighborhoods, but also by initiating a dialog among city government and its residents about the look, feel and character of Westminster.”

Section three of the proposed Ordinance 816 indicates, “City staff shall focus city programs, including but not limited to residential façade loans… and related historic programs and rehabilitation programs of the city, to properties included in the Neighborhood Preservation Zone.”

The proposed 164-45.31 proscribes, “An application for zonal classification in the Neighborhood Preservation Overlay Zone may be made only by a Sectional Map Amendment.”

A Sectional Map Amendment for the inclusion of the Belle Grove Square and Willis Street neighborhoods was filed simultaneously by the mayor and council on September 30, 2010. (k) (See [20100930 SMA10-1-Belle Grove Square and Willis Street Neighborhood.] City of Westminster Sectional Zoning Map Amendment – SMA#10-1)

(l) A public hearing notice was placed on the city’s website, on or about October 12, that indicated that the Westminster mayor and council will receive the public’s input on Zoning Text Amendment No. ZTA 10-3 and Sectional Zoning Map Amendment No. SMA 10-1 on November 8, 2010.

(m) For an in-depth understanding of the city’s zoning initiative see the staff report and recommendation for the proposed Zoning Text Amendment and Sectional Map Amendment which may be found here: http://www.scribd.com/The-Westminster-city-SMA-10-1-Staff-Report-and-Recommendationn/d/41650007

Documents cited:

2008 Westminster Maryland Community Vision Survey http://www.westgov.com/citygov/CommunityVision.html http://www.scribd.com/doc/40463409/2008-Westminster-Maryland-Community-Vision-Survey

Westminster Planning and Zoning Public Hearing Notice for ZTA 10-3 and SMA 10-1 http://www.scribd.com/doc/40396022/Westminster-Planning-and-Zoning-Public-Hearing-Notice-for-ZTA-10-3-and-SMA-10-1

Westminster Planning and Zoning Commission agenda for Oct 14 2010

http://www.scribd.com/doc/40396820/Westminster-Planning-and-Zoning-Commission-agenda-for-Oct-14-2010

October 11, 2010 Westminster MD council meeting http://www.scribd.com/doc/40426182/October-11-2010-Westminster-MD-council-meeting

2009 City of Westminster zoning map

http://www.scribd.com/doc/40428551/2009-City-of-Westminster-zoning-map

Mayor and common council public hearing notice for Nov 8 2010 for proposed zoning changes

http://www.scribd.com/doc/40431257/Mayor-and-common-council-public-hearing-notice-for-Nov-8-2010-for-proposed-zoning-changes

Links for the City of Westminster 2009 Comprehensive Plan, which was adopted on September 28, 2009.

http://www.westgov.com/citygov/citygov_complan.html

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2010/10/city-of-westminster-2009-comprehensive.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/40464024/Links-for-the-City-of-Westminster-2009-Comprehensive-Plan

(a) 2008 Westminster Community Visions Survey

(b) 2009 Comprehensive Plan

(d) Westminster Planning and Zoning Commission

(e) A public hearing notice was posted in the local newspaper of record

(f) October 14, 2010 agenda

(g) the October 11 common council meeting

(h) Ordinance 816 – Zoning Text Amendment 10-3 would amend the text of Chapter 164 of the Westminster City Code

(i b) 2009 Westminster zoning map found in Chapter 54

(j1) (See Chap 164 ARTICLE VI R-10,000 Residential Zone (§ 164-28 — § 164-33)

(j2) (See Westminster City Code Chap 164 ARTICLE VII R-7,500 Residential Zone (§ 164-34 — § 164-39.)

(k) (See [20100930 SMA10-1-Belle Grove Square and Willis Street Neighborhood.] City of Westminster Sectional Zoning Map Amendment – SMA#10-1)

20101021 sdosm Neighborhood Preservation Zone

Agenda for the Westminster MD mayor and Common Council meeting for November 8, 2010

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/ or http://kevindayhoffart.com/ = http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/ or http://www.westgov.net/ = www.kevindayhoff.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ = www.newbedfordherald.net Explore Carroll: www.explorecarroll.com The Tentacle: www.thetentacle.com

*****

Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/

My http://www.explorecarroll.com/ columns appear in the copy of the Baltimore Sunday Sun that is distributed in Carroll County: https://subscribe.baltsun.com/Circulation/

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life

August 29, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff

Memorial service McDaniel College Westminster MD to celebrate Dr Ira Zepp’s life Aug 29 2009 http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/memorial-service-to-celebrate-dr-ira.html http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y

For more articles on Dr Zepp click here: http://tinyurl.com/n3u32e

_______

The death of Dr. Ira G. Zepp has reminded me of one of my columns that was published in Explore Carroll on July 25, 2008. The column was titled, “Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life,” http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/359/westminsters-sacred-places-are-shrines-community-life/, and it was about a 1981 book by Dr. Ira Zepp and Marty Lanham, "Sacred Spaces of Westminster."

That column, published in July, 2008, was edited a great deal in order for it meet my word limit requirements for the paper. What follows is the long unedited version:

“Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life” an unedited version of the column originally printed in my
“EAGLE ARCHIVE”column 7/25/08

Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places.

Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are most often considered sacred places.

I'm thinking of the sacred public places as described in a 1981 book by Dr. Ira Zepp and Marty Lanham, "Sacred Spaces of Westminster."

I thought of the book as I sat in the council meeting and looked around the room and imagined all the history that room and the building we now know as Westminster City Hall -- a building that many consider one of the true sacred places in Carroll County - -has seen since it was built in 1842 by Colonel John K. Longwell.

Westminster Common Council President Roy Chiavacci always begins each council meeting by reminding us some of the history of Westminster City Hall.

Westminster purchased it from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September of 1939 for $11,000. After extensive renovations and improvements, without impairing the original features of the structure, the City offices were moved there from the old Westminster Fire Department building at 63 West Main Street, during the administration of Mayor Frank A. Myers.

I wonder what it was like to have lived there right after it was built by Colonel John K. Longwell in 1842. Or what it would have been like to have been there in August 1863? That was when, as Frederic Shriver Klein writes in “Just South of Gettysburg” that over forty prominent Westminster citizens were arrested by Union soldiers on the charge of “general disloyalty.”

Those arrested included Dr. Mathias, Dr. Trumbo, Dr. J. W. Hering, Colonel and Mrs. Longwell - and their wives.

According to “Recollections” by Dr. Hering, at Mrs. Longwell’s “trial” on August 27th, 1863, in Westminster, she was told that “among other things, you are charged with feeding the rebel soldiers…”

“Well,” she replied, “I did, I would feed a hungry dog who came to my house. I would even feed you, if you came to my house hungry.” At that, it is reported that Mrs. Longwell’s husband, Colonel Longwell, “nearly collapsed.” Reportedly, Mrs. Longwell subsequently took the oath of allegiance. Others, however, did not and were imprisoned at Ft. McHenry.

However, getting back to a discussion of “Sacred Places in Westminster” …

Although it can be argued that Westminster is no longer a sleepy southern town; when I attend council meetings and witness all the “Peyton Place” – “Harper Valley PTA” operatic dramas take place I often think of the existential "Southern Gothic" genre of storytelling – and all the accompanying “Sacred Places in Westminster” not to be confused with the “sacred cows of Westminster;” however that is the stuff of another future essay, or not…

The month of July is recreation and parks month. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Tom Ferguson read a proclamation recognizing July as Recreation and Parks Month, and paid tribute to the city's recreation and parks director Ron Schroers, as well as other employees who work tirelessly for our benefit.

The mayor’s proclamation recognized the importance of recreation in our community; and paid tribute to the large number of volunteers in the community that make it happen.

Family and recreation has always been important in Carroll County and as a result we celebrate recreation and parks month twelve months out of the year.

Nevertheless, we are particular fortunate to have many talented, community oriented citizens who devote a great deal of time to the various recreation councils and committees throughout the county; and it is only fitting that we collectively take a moment to recognize their efforts.

Not to be overlooked is the fact that we are equally privileged to have a county and eight municipal governments which also recognize the importance of family and recreational opportunities.

Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham are examples of the enormous talent that we often take for granted in Carroll County.

Dr. Zepp is now retired, but when the book was written, Dr. Zepp was a professor of religious studies at McDaniel College and taught several courses which reflected the “comparative, phenomenological and historical methods used in (the) book.”

Ms. Lanham, in 1981, was the public relations coordinator and photographer for Westminster. Among her many journalism credentials, she had been the editor of the “Diamondback,” at the University of Maryland for two years, where she got her degree in journalism.

It is in this context that took me back to the sacred public places as was described so well in a 1981 book by Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham - “Sacred Spaces of Westminster.”

One of the many recreational facilities that Mr. Schroers oversees is the very popular Westminster playground in the heart of the city. One the very first pictures in the book is a picture, taken by Ms. Lanham, of the Westminster Playground.

Moreover, towards the end of the book, the authors discuss one of the overlooked sacred landmarks in Westminster: the Memorial Gateway to the Westminster playground off of Center Street.

Zepp and Lanham explain that the "gateway was given to the city by H. Peyton Gorsuch in 1937. Its primary purpose was to acknowledge the community's debt to Carroll Countians who had served in the nation's wars."

Next chance you get, stop, and read the memorial plaque affixed to the Memorial Gateway.

The book goes on to portray and discuss public places such as Belle Grove Square and various other parks, gardens, memorials and monuments.

Included are discussions about the Mather Gardens behind City Hall, dedicated on Oct. 13, 1963; the War Memorial at the forks of Pennsylvania Avenue and West Main Streets; Ward Memorial Arch at McDaniel College; and the Westminster Community Pond, dedicated by Governor Theodore R. McKeldin on September 10, 1954…

I am reminded of a great tradition in Westminster, which has long since gone by the wayside, of erecting huge archways in town at special occasions.

Fortunately pictures still exist of huge archways over Liberty Street, Main Street in the vicinity of the old fire hall or at the forks of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue – back in the days when it was still part of Westminster’s business…

When the book came out, I had been practicing landscape designer and a keen observer of Westminster’s historic places for many years, and yet, Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham’s work caused me to look at Westminster’s history and public design in a much different light.

In a classic example of not seeing the forest for the trees, I began to look at our many squares, circles, fountains, monuments in a very different perspective.

As an aside, who can recall that when the park area, in the center of Westminster, at Locust Lane was first developed, it had a fountain in the center of the plaza.

When the book came out I had been a practicing landscape designer and a keen observer of Westminster's historic places for years, and yet, Zepp and Lanham caused me to look at Westminster's history and design in a much different light.

To the best of my knowledge, the book has been out of print for many years. Perhaps with the permission of the authors, an initiative could be undertaken to reprint this valuable resource and have it available at the Historical Society of Carroll County.

#####

Memorial service to celebrate professor’s life August 29 2009

http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/memorial-service-to-celebrate-dr-ira.html http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y

http://www.mcdaniel.edu/10305.htm

For more articles on Dr Zepp click here: http://tinyurl.com/n3u32e

A memorial service celebrating Ira Zepp’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 29 on campus at Big Baker Chapel with the Rev. Carroll Yingling officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at McDaniel Lounge.

Zepp, a 1952 alumnus and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at McDaniel College who inspired generations of students to lead lives committed to service, activism and peace, died Aug. 1. He was 79.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ira & Mary Zepp Center for Nonviolence and Peace Education, P.O. Box 552, Westminster, MD 21158. Arrangements are by the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home in Westminster. Online condolences may be made to the family at http://www.myersdurborawfh.com/.

Related:

Dr. Ira Zepp, 79, McDaniel College and Westminster civil rights leader, dies Published August 4, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
The Rev. Dr. Ira Gilbert Zepp Jr., professor emeritus of the religious studies department at McDaniel College, died peacefully at his home on Aug. 1. He was 79. In a memorial tribute by McDaniel College president Joan Develin Coley, she recalled that Dr. ... ...

Wednesday, August 5, 2009
R.I.P. – Dr. Ira Zepp
Kevin E. DayhoffLast Saturday word spread quickly throughout the greater Carroll County community that Rev. Dr. Ira Gilbert Zepp, Jr., professor emeritus of the Religious Studies department at McDaniel College, had died peacefully at his home. He was 79 years old.

Drs. J. W. Hering and Ira Zepp, Sacred Places and Westminster City Hall
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/drs-j-w-hering-and-ira-zepp-sacred.html
http://tinyurl.com/nfe522
Pictured is Westminster City Hall MD around 1953. Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/ddez2
The death of Dr. Ira G. Zepp has reminded me of one of my columns which was published in http://www.explorecarroll.com/ on July 25, 2008. Find it here: http://tinyurl.com/6yb23j or find the full story on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ here: http://tinyurl.com/krebky

The Rev. Ira Zepp: Legacy of lessons
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/rev-ira-zepp-legacy-of-lessons.html

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ on 7/25/08 http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2008/07/westminster-sacred-places-are-shrines.html

20090829 sdsom Mem service to celebrate professors life Aug 29 2009

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/People%20Zepp-Dr%20Ira%20Zepp

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835 Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/ Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/kevindayhoff_soundtrack

Kevin Dayhoff: http://www.westgov.net/ Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Municipal band to hold concert Sunday Aug 23 2009

Municipal band to hold concert Sunday Aug 23 2009

Click here for other posts on the Westminster Municipal Band

Click here for larger images: Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff

Municipal band to hold concert By Brandon Oland, Carroll County Times Staff Writer Friday, August 21, 2009

The Westminster Municipal Band is holding a concert at 6 p.m. Sunday at Belle Grove Square in Westminster.

(According to) Band spokeswoman Sandy Miller…

The concert will feature marches, show tunes and other favorites.

Belle Grove Square is located at the corner of Bond and Green streets.

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2009/08/21/news/local_news/8_westminster_municipal_band.txt
20090821 sdsom Municipal band to hold concert Sunday Aug 23 2009

http://twitpic.com/etomt Westminster Municipal band to hold concert Sun Aug 23 2009 20070826 WMB BGS1b http://tinyurl.com/ltdh5u

http://twitpic.com/etoq3 Westminster Municipal band to hold concert Sun Aug 23 2009 20070826 WMB BGS2b http://tinyurl.com/ltdh5u

http://twitpic.com/etosn Westminster Municipal band to hold concert Sun Aug 23 2009 20070826 WMBAcomp http://tinyurl.com/ltdh5u

http://twitpic.com/etovu Westminster Municipal band to hold concert Sun Aug 23 2009 20070826 WMBBcomp http://tinyurl.com/ltdh5u

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/municipal-band-to-hold-concert-sunday.html http://tinyurl.com/ltdh5u

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Kevin Dayhoff: http://www.westgov.net/ Westminster Maryland Online http://www.westminstermarylandonline.net/ http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Arbor Day in Westminster

Arbor Day in Westminster

For this article and other community and family oriented news about Carroll County go to: http://www.explorecarroll.com/

Workers put the finishing touches on planting one of the three Yoshino cherry trees at Belle Grove Square on Thursday. From left to right, Westminster assistant street department superintendent Wayne Reifsnider, city arborist Eric Schlitzer, and Tree Commission chair Joe Barley. Kevin Dayhoff photo

Arbor Day in Westminster

Planting kicks off city's tree replacement effort

Posted 4/03/09

WESTMINSTER — In commemorating Arbor Day, the City of Westminster Tree Commission this week announced a project to replace dead or dying trees in downtown Westminster.

As part of the effort, the city planted three cherry trees at Belle Grove Square in a ceremony April 2. At the event, Mayor Tom Ferguson read an Arbor Day proclamation.

The trees are replacements for others that were in poor health. Another three trees, also replacements due to poor health, will be planted on Willis Street in cooperation with the Parkview condominium association.

An additional 11 trees will be installed on West Main Street, Pennsylvania Avenue and John Street, replacing trees that have been removed or have died.

http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/2694/westtrees/

20090403 WE KED Arbor Day in Westminster weked
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Friday, April 3, 2009

Photographing the photographer

Photographing the photographer

April 3, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff

Carroll County Times photographer Dylan-Slagle reviews the photographs he just took at the city of Westminster Arbor Day ceremonies at Westminster’s historic Belle Grove Square.

According to his Carroll County Times’ website brief bio, Slagle is a 1999 graduate of Tulane University and before “coming to the Times in August 2005, Dylan was a freelance photographer for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans.”

To see the way-kewl photograph by Slagle that was published to accompany Carroll County Times staff writer Carrie Ann Knauer’s April 3, 2009 article in the Carroll County Times, click here: “Westminster plants trees for Arbor Day.”

20090402 photographing the photographer
20090402-7b-Dylan-Slagle-CO.gif

Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Arbor Day Activities and Tree City USA for Westminster

Arbor Day Activities and Tree City USA for Westminster

City of Westminster
56 West Main Street
Westminster, MD 21158
Phone (410) 848-9000
Fax (410) 848-7476
Press Release
Contact: Tim Rogers
Phone: 410-848-4628

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Arbor Day Activities and Tree City USA for Westminster

In commemorating Arbor Day, the City of Westminster Tree Commission has undertaken projects to enhance the tree canopy, landscaping, and appearance of downtown Westminster.

Among the many projects is a scheduled installation of three Cherry Trees at Belle Grove Square Thursday April 2, 3:30 pm, where Mayor Tom Ferguson will read an Arbor Day proclamation, declaring Arbor Day and Westminster’s dedication to it. The trees are replacements for other trees that were in poor health and that posed a threat to safety. The remaining trees have been inspected for safety issues as well as pruned, if necessary.

Another three replacement trees will be installed on Willis St. in cooperation with the Parkview condominium association—again due to health issues. Another 11 street trees will be installed on West Main, Pennsylvania Ave, and John St, replacing trees that were previously removed or had died.

Over 120 large shrubs (Bottlebrush Buckeye) were installed along the Wakefield Valley Trail. These plants will eventually provide shade for the trail, provide habitat for wildlife, and reduce the mowing necessary in that area.

The activities are coordinated by the Westminster Tree Commission, a group of local volunteers charged with overseeing the City’s robust urban tree canopy program. Thanks to the efforts of the Tree Commission and the City’s grounds maintenance staff, Westminster achieved Tree City USA (Arbor Day Foundation) designation for the 21st consecutive year in 2008. Only five other municipalities in Maryland have earned this distinction more often than Westminster.

If you have any questions about the event, or if you want to participate on the Tree Commission, please contact Tim Rogers, Natural and Cultural Resources Planner, at 410-848-4628.

20090331 Arbor Day Activities and Tree City USA for Westminster
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 9, 2009

Westminster Mayor and Council Meeting Agenda for March 9, 2009

Westminster Mayor and Council Meeting Agenda for March 9, 2009

City Council

City Council Members Minutes of City Council Meetings

AGENDA

CITY OF WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND

Mayor and Common Council Meeting of March 9, 2009

1. CALL TO ORDER – 7:00 P.M.

Mayor’s Proclamation – Historic Belle Grove Square Neighborhood Association

Mayor’s Proclamation – Tri-Street Community Association

Appointment of New Recreation and Parks Advisory Board Member, Mr. Matt Purkins

2. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF FEBRUARY 23, 2009

3. PUBLIC HEARING:

Revised Capital Improvement Program (CIP) F.Y. 2009 - 2014

4. CONSENT CALENDAR:

License Agreement – Exploratory Well Drilling – Union Mills

5. REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR

6. REPORTS FROM STANDING COMMITTEES

Tri-Street Area Advisory Committee Report

7. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

Resolution No. R09-2 – Solid Waste Rules

8. UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

a. Adoption of Revised Capital Improvement Program (CIP) F.Y. 2009 – 2014

9. NEW BUSINESS:

a. None as of March 5, 2009

10. DEPARTMENT REPORTS

11. CITIZEN COMMENTS

12. ADJOURN

20090309 Westminster Mayor and Council Meeting Agenda

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Kevin Dayhoff: www.westgov.net Westminster Maryland Online www.westminstermarylandonline.net http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/

Friday, August 15, 2008

Belle Grove Square in Westminster MD

August 2008

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Westminster%20File%20Belle%20Grove%20Square

For articles and information about Belle Grove Square in Westminster click on the image...According to the Belle Grove Square neighborhood website, "Located just one block away from downtown Westminster, the Belle Grove Square neighborhood can trace its roots back to 1866 when George W. Matthews purchased the parcel of land that eventually became the Belle Grove Square neighborhood. Belle Grove Square Park is the heart of our historic neighborhood and it was donated to the city of Westminster on May 8th, 1877." http://www.bellegrovesquare.org/ - See more at: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/#sthash.PLO7CmB3.dpuf

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Historic Belle Grove Square Neighborhood

Preserving our past, building our future!

http://www.bellegrovesquare.org/

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Westminster%20File%20Belle%20Grove%20Square

About

Welcome to the Historic Belle Grove Square Neighborhood website

Located just one block away from downtown Westminster, the Belle Grove Square neighborhood can trace its roots back to 1866 when George W. Matthews purchased the parcel of land that eventually became the Belle Grove Square neighborhood. Belle Grove Square Park is the heart of our historic neighborhood and it was donated to the city of Westminster on May 8th, 1877.

The Belle Grove Square neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. Our voluntary neighborhood association is committed to perpetuating the historical character of Historic Belle Grove Square, as well as improving and beautifying our neighborhood and improving neighborhood and community relationships.

Click the links at the top of the page for more information on the neighborhood’s history.

Historic Belle Grove Square Neighborhood, a newsletter for the Belle Grove Square neighborhood of Westminster, Maryland, has been published each month since August 2008. For the most up-to-date information, please read our latest newsletter. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, the free Adobe Reader software is available at the link below.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Belle Grove Square in Westminster MD

August 2008

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Westminster%20File%20Belle%20Grove%20Square

Also see: http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2008/08/belle-grove-square-in-westminster-md.html

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Historic Belle Grove Square Neighborhood

Preserving our past, building our future!

http://www.bellegrovesquare.org/

http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/Westminster%20File%20Belle%20Grove%20Square

About

Welcome to the Historic Belle Grove Square Neighborhood website

Click the links at the top of the page for more information on the neighborhood’s history.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life

My Sunday Carroll Eagle column is up…

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life

EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on www.explorecarroll.com on 7/25/08

Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places.

Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are most often considered sacred places.

I'm thinking of the sacred public places as described in a 1981 book by Dr. Ira Zepp [pictured here in a 1996 file photo] and Marty Lanham, "Sacred Spaces of Westminster."

I thought of the book as I sat in a recent Common Council meeting at Westminster City Hall -- a building that many consider one of the true sacred places in Carroll County.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Tom Ferguson read a proclamation recognizing July as Recreation and Parks Month, and paid tribute to the city's recreation and parks director Ron Schroers, as well as other employees who work tirelessly for our benefit.

One of the recreational facilities that Schroers oversees is the popular Westminster playground in the heart of the city.

The playground is one the first pictures, taken by Lanham, in that 1981 book.

Moreover, toward the end of the book, the authors discuss one of the overlooked sacred landmarks in Westminster: the Memorial Gateway to the Westminster playground off of Center Street.

Zepp and Lanham explain that the "gateway was given to the city by H. Peyton Gorsuch in 1937. Its primary purpose was to acknowledge the community's debt to Carroll Countians who had served in the nation's wars."

The book goes on to highlight public places such as Belle Grove Square, various other parks, gardens, memorials and monuments.

Read the entire column here: Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life

When he is not watching the ducks at the Westminster Community Pond, Kevin Dayhoff can be reached at kdayhoff@carr.org. Please don't feed the ducks ... or the Dayhoff.

20080725 Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life

Labels and related: People Carroll County Zepp – Dr. Ira Zepp, Religion Dayhoff articles and essays, Art The Library, Art The Library Carroll County, History Westminster, Dayhoff Art writing essays and articles,

Westminster Dept Recreation and Parks Westminster Playground, Westminster Dept Recreation and Parks Dir Ron Schroers, Westminster Mayor 200505 to 2009 Thomas K. Ferguson

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

20080518 Sunday Carroll Eagle running chron as of May 18 2008

Sunday Carroll Eagle on "Soundtrack"

Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=902857&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

05/16/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Prohibition became the law of the land after the 18th Amendment went into effect on Jan. 16, 1920, but Carroll Countians had already voted to outlaw the sale of alcohol six years earlier in 1914.

Throughout the roaring '20s, until prohibition was repealed on Dec. 5, 1933, by the 21st Amendment, many legendary accounts of stills, moonshiners, speakeasies and enforcement raids became a part of a folklore and story-telling tradition in the county.

If only half of the stories are true, Carroll County must have been an interesting place back then.

A May 18, 1923, newspaper account stirred the kettle about one such event -- a May 5 raid on the North Branch Hotel by prohibition agents.

Read the entire column here: Alcohol, prohibition, mysterious women and the roaring '20s

Roads, reservoirs, property rights and four-letter words

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=901111&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

05/09/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

The state of the roads has always been a hot topic in Carroll County and, recently, funding street maintenance is a cause of great concern for Westminster officials in the budget process.

History frequently mentions street projects. In the Westminster municipal election of 1890, the issue bitterly dividing the community was the condition of the streets. Some 550 citizens voted to decide whether or not the city should take out a bond for $25,000 for street upgrades.

Nearly 40 years later, on April 27, 1927, an emergency bill was passed in the General Assembly that authorized Westminster to borrow "Seventy-five Thousand Dollars, to be secured by a bond issue É (to) be used and applied exclusively to the paving and improving of the streets, curbs and gutters of the town."

Alas, then-Gov. Albert C. Ritchie vetoed it.

(The year of 1927 was not a good one for Westminster in the Maryland legislature. Another bill passed by the legislature provided "for the extension of the (city) limits of Westminster." It was also vetoed. What did we ever do to Gov. Ritchie?)

Speaking of roads, a reader's question asked why there are so many sharp curves on old county roads?

The answer is: In days gone-by, roads went in between and around property lines. Agricultural fields and property lines were more important than straightening out roads and using eminent domain -- the means by which government takes land for public projects -- was out of the question.

And that leads to another question posed in the past several months, asking if Carroll County government has ever used eminent domain to acquire property? The short answer is no, never.

Eminent domain is a four-letter word in Carroll. Property rights have always been a sacred cow in Carroll County.

Panic, depression, recession ... and Dick Cheney in a rabbit suit

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=899248&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

05/02/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

This is the time of the year when a young man's fancy turns to the budget process of Carroll County government and the eight municipalities.

In reading through historical economic accounts (which beats reading the most recent fiscal accounts, by the way) budget processes have never been easy.

The economy dominates the news these days; especially the number of people losing their homes to foreclosure.

Read the entire column here: Panic, depression, recession ... and Dick Cheney in a rabbit suit

Westminster came of age by following railroad tracks

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=895826&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

04/21/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

One of my fondest memories of growing up in Westminster is the railroad. More than 50 years later I still live within easy earshot of the train whistle as the train chugs its way through town.

The railroad is interwoven throughout much of the fabric of Westminster history.

Joseph... [Read full story]

Fire in Westminster and a hunk-a hunk-a burning love in Hampstead

04/13/2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

King’s sad anniversary reminds us of Carroll’s own history

04/06/2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

Parades, impact fees, mail service ... and Dwight Dingle in a bathtub?

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=890542&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

04/02/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Time for a little spring-cleaning, in which we'll catch up with answering some readers' questions.

Recently I was asked about Easter parades in Westminster. I have no recollection of any such parades, but local historian Joe Getty noted in an article he wrote a number of years ago for the Historical Society of Carroll County that, "Easter Monday parades were held in Westminster in 1884, 1885, and 1887. After a short lapse, a large parade was held in 1892"

Rolling out a few good eggs, and our Easter Sunday best

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=888582&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

03/26/08 by Kevin Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Happy Easter. Yes it's not quite warm outside, although warmer weather should be around the corner. And yes, it seems like Christmas was just yesterday.

We all have favorite Easter memories. For those of us who grew up in a church, Easter marked the opportunity to wear our "Easter Sunday best," i.e. new clothes.

Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=885695&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

03/14/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Many people have been commenting about how early Easter is this year. In fact, the last time Easter was as early as March 23 was 1913.

But a later Easter doesn't ensure good weather for Holy Week. I wonder how many readers remember the Palm Sunday blizzard of 1942. It was the fifth worse snowstorm in Carroll County history, as folks were greeted by 22 inches of snow on March 29, 1942.

20080316 The Carroll Sunday Eagle: Palm Sunday 1942 was a time of high snow and higher anxiety by Kevin Dayhoff

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080316-carroll-sunday-eagle-palm.html

20080309 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080309-sunday-carroll-eagle-history.html

Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

Sunday Carroll Eagle March 9, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

I cannot find my March 9^th, 2008 Sunday Carroll Eagle column on the Westminster Eagle web site.

Pasted below, please find the column as it was written. It is my understanding that the column was altered for publication…

Ever since the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, many of us has felt that the best management approach to solid waste was source reduction and recycling. It would take 18 long years to get the Maryland Recycling Act passed in 1988. That legislation required a recycling rate of 20 percent.

Twenty years later, getting the recycling rate increased is still illusive. In 1998, on the 10-year anniversary of the law, the Baltimore Sun ran a lengthy analysis in which the Maryland General Assembly member who spearheaded the recycling initiative, Montgomery County Sen. Brian Frosh, admitted “that recycling has been costlier than expected. His 1988 bill predicted significant cost savings…”

Later in the article, the $250 million cost of recycling 2.5 million tons was compared to the $83 million it would’ve cost to landfill it instead. The rest of the article went downhill from there.

Those of us who are opposed to landfilling were less than pleased. Four decades after the first Earth Day, the recycling rate in Carroll County is only around 30 percent.

20080309 The Sunday Carroll Eagle: “History will know us by our trash”

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/03/20080309-sunday-carroll-eagle-history.html

Traffic always made us see red

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=881679&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

Traffic always made us see red

02/29/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff

The concern over traffic congestion, safety and speeding tend to surface with every discussion of growth and quality of life in Carroll County. I was recently approached by folks and asked how I felt about red light and speeding cameras, and it got me thinking about Carroll County's past attempts to marry growth and speed control.

Perhaps the first mention of an effort to address the problem of speeding in our county came on or about June 20, 1839. According to a history of the Westminster Police Department, it was then that a speeding ordinance was passed stating:

"No person shall run or drive through the town of Westminster at an improper gait except in case of necessity."

The life, and the lasting local influence, of Robert Moton

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=873699&CategoryID=19662&show=localnews&om=1

02/01/08 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Construction continues these days at the site of the 28,000-square-foot former Robert Moton School on S. Center Street in Westminster -- it's across from the Carroll County Health Department.

After approximately $2.3 million in renovations, the Carroll County Board of Elections, Carroll Department of Recreation and Parks and Change Inc., a nonprofit that works with the developmentally disabled, are slated to move their offices there.

Questions about the old school building are posed to me from time to time, but the question I'm asked most frequently, especially from younger folks who are new to Carroll County, is "Who was Robert Moton, anyway?"

For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

January 13, 2008 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

20080113 Westminster Municipal Band: For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080113-westminster-municipal-band-for.html

For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

Sunday Carroll Eagle

01/11/08 by Kevin E. Dayhoff

EAGLE ARCHIVE

Below please find the long – unedited version of the column…

Just before the holidays got into full swing, I had the pleasure of attending the Westminster Municipal Band’s end of the year Christmas party and annual meeting.

It is certainly not a very well kept secret that this former Westminster Mayor and his family are madly in love with the Westminster Municipal Band. And it's not just because I'm a washed-up trumpet player.

Usually when one thinks of the Westminster Municipal Band, visions of “Mom, Country, and Apple Pie” come to mind.

The purpose of leadership today is to build community. Certainly one of the chief builders of our community has been the Westminster Municipal Band.

However, the rich history of the band includes being part of rapid deployment force to hotspots around the globe, a machine gun section, and a rumored reputation of being a heavy metal grudge-garage band. Who knew?

If a Greek mythologist were to write the history of the Westminster Municipal Band, they would write the Band's Mother is the history and tradition of the Westminster Community and the Father is the 29^th Division National Guard Regimental Band. That Greek mythologist would also want to write that the band's ancestral home is Belle Grove Square and that it's midwife was Mayor Joseph L. Mathias.

The roots of the present Westminster Municipal Band are found in 1920, but “there are records of a Westminster Band dating back as far as 1860,” according to the band’s director, Sandy Miller, in a July 2004 interview.

However, to the best of our knowledge, it was 1893 when it was first incorporated as the Westminster City Band of Carroll County.

It was around this time that Company H First Infantry Maryland National Guard was organized in Frizzleburg in 1898. This unit later evolved into the famous 29^th Division of the Maryland National Guard. Part of the Westminster Municipal Band's lineage can be traced back to the First Maryland Infantry Band consisting of the Westminster Units of the Maryland National Guard.

20080113 Westminster Municipal Band: For 115 years, Westminster's band of brothers ... and sisters

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2008/01/20080113-westminster-municipal-band-for.html

Shedding a little light on early Christmas tree decorations

December 23, 2007 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

Christmas reminds us of worry, and glory, of downtown business

December 16, 2007 EAGLE ARCHIVE by Kevin Dayhoff

20071104 The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071104-sunday-carroll-eagle-column-of.html

Gist worried about being forgotten but not quite gone

The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

Below please find my October 28^th, 2007 column and it was submitted.

Sunday Eagle

Ghost Stories in Carroll County

October 28^th, 2007 by Kevin Dayhoff

Of the horror stories of Carroll’s yesteryear, none was greater than the very real fear of being buried alive. In today’s world, society’s collective faith in the modern advances of the medical arts has gone a long way in alleviating the fear of being buried alive; a fear which was rampant in the 1800s.

A few years ago, local historian Jay Graybeal retold an account by Ruth Gist Pickens about the fear of being buried alive held by one of Carroll County’s most prominent citizens in the 1700s, Colonel Joshua Gist.

It seems that Colonel Gist maintained a coffin in a portion of his bedroom for the last years of his life; “into which he would have his personal servant lay him out and then call the family to comment on his appearance. Each time he would ask them to promise not to bury him until the third day after his death.”

20071104 The Sunday Carroll Eagle column of October 28 2007

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/11/20071104-sunday-carroll-eagle-column-of.html

When it comes to beets, timing is everything

IN THE GARDEN WITH MR. BEE

I haven't grown beets for a while. So when I mentioned to Judy, my wife, that I'd learned of a variety -- "Lutz Green Leaf" -- that remains tender as it grows larger, she suggested that I sow some seeds right away.

Timing is important, you see, especially when it comes... [Read full story]

Two for the Show

They come from opposite ends of the county and their sports are as different as night and day, but Tyler Mullen of South Carroll High School and Cammeron Woodyard of Winters Mill have one thing in common -- they each ended their high school careers as state champs.

And without their leadership and... [Read full story]

Stream is proving ground for healthy water

On a chilly late March morning, Ted Hogan, an environmental scientist with Hunt Valley-based URS Corp., threads his way through briar patches, bogs, locust groves and back yards as he follows a meandering stream that runs through several Eldersburg subdivisions.

Now and then, Hogan, a cont... [Read full story]

Spring is a great time to get kids reacquainted with outdoor Carroll
MOM ON A MISSION

It's taken some time, but spring appears to finally be arriving. The days are getting warmer, my weeping cherry is turning into a beautiful fountain of pink and the birds are flocking to our feeders.

Hearing the kids' faint voices outside on the swing set while I'm making dinner...
[Read full story]

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