Winterl 2003-04

WINTER 2003-04

There are so many new and exciting things happening at HARBEL, there is barely an obvious starting point. However, I’ll just dig right in and you can catch up anywhere along the long line.

Leadership forum

Our very successful Leadership Forum will conclude with the appearance of City Council President Sheila Dixon speaking to a lunch crowd on January 15. We are honored that the president has allowed time in her schedule to address concerns from the leaders of our Northeast neighborhoods. Please reserve your place at this event by calling the HARBEL office by Jan. 12.

As many of you who are active members of the Patrol know, the Al Packer organization is undergoing changes of their own, and cancelled insurance coverage for many of the cars in their fleet. This included the Patrol car, which they owned and graciously allowed the Patrol to use. Canceling the insurance on the car effectively took the car out of commission until the problem was resolved.

To the rescue came KAREN FIKE, our friendly agent extraordinaire for State Farm Insurance on Harford Road. Karen has participated in the activities of our member and her neighbor, the NORTH HARFORD ROAD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, for many years. The Al Packer organization donated the car to HARBEL and we now own the vehicle. Karen has undertaken the insurance for the car and, presto, the command car is back on the road. THANK YOU, KAREN, for all you do for our communities. THANK YOU, JEFF TUCKER, of Al Packer for helping us keep our communities safe and stable.

Our thanks also go to the NORTH HARFORD ROAD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION for their efforts toward securing a new repeater for the Patrol’s use. The new repeater is located atop the Sprint communications tower in the Parkville Shopping Center and enables our volunteers to transmit more clearly.

Community grants available

HARBEL has secured a considerable grant through the Baltimore Community Foundation specifically for our associations to develop a project to benefit their neighborhood. Guidelines for the projects will be proposed by a community-led team and winning proposals will be awarded funds to complete their project. Please call the HARBEL office and get details from our Community Relations Director.

Congratulations to MARY CLARE SIMON, HARBEL’s hard-working vice president and long-time volunteer on being awarded one of the 2003 Community Volunteer Awards presented by Mayor O’Malley. The annual award, part of the Maryland You Are Beautiful Campaign, recognizes Mary Clare’s many years of volunteering for HARBEL as well as her work with the FRANKFORD IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION. Well deserved, Mary Clare!

Good Samaritan hospital

Our health partner, Good Samaritan Hospital, will be conducting seminars and screenings for osteoporosis on March 22. See information included in this INK for more details. Over the coming year, we hope to be working with Good Samaritan on a number of projects to benefit our mutual communities. This follows a highly successful and well-attended visit for flu vaccines in November.

Big time congratulations go to our long-serving front desk Executive Assistant, ROSE FRENCH, as she welcomed her first grandchild. Valerie Christine joined the family on November 29, 2003 and weighed in at 7 lbs. 11 oz. Mom, dad, aunt Linda, grandparents, and great-grandmother are all doing well.