Sunday, January 20, 2013
What you need to know about Baltimore County, Baltimore city and Patch services on Monday, Jan. 21.
Monday is the day set aside to observe Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Patch offices will be closed, as will most county and city government offices. Baltimore County government offices and District and Circuit courts will be closed, as will health department clinics, libraries and senior centers, according to county officials. CountyRide vans will not operate. Trash and recycling pickup will operate on a normal schedule and trash and recycling drop-off centers will be open. For more information about drop-off locations and hours, visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/solidwaste, or call the Bureau of Solid Waste Management, 410-887-2000. In Baltimore city, trash, recycling and bulk trash collections will not take place Monday. All drop-off …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
From noon to 2 p.m., residents will gather at Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue in support of keeping the buildings open.
Community residents hoping to save the North Point Government Center and Eastwood Elementary Magnet School will hold a rally Saturday morning. Any resident wishing to join the gathering is encouraged to make a sign and bring it to wave at the corner of Merritt Boulevard and Wise Avenue from noon to 2 p.m. The rally was announced Jan. 12 at a meeting held by the newly organized Dundalk United, a community group created to present a unified voice concerning recent county decisions regarding the two Dundalk properties. "Presenting a united front to the county government and school board (is) important," organizers wrote on the Save the North Point Government Center Facebook page. Children are encouraged to attend the rally, which will take …
Monday, December 31, 2012
Arbutus native John Coolahan served as the chair of the Baltimore County Delegation in 1973, 1975, and 1983 to 1986.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
A federal judge grants the county permission to seek an appeal while the damages phase of the trial continues.
Baltimore County will appeal a federal judge's ruling in October that found pension rules that charge some county employees different rates are discriminatory. At issue is an October ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Benson Everett Legg that found that the county's pension rules requiring different contribution rates from employees based on age violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. That ruling came after a federal appeals court overturned Legg's original ruling that was in favor of the county. The county asked Legg for permission to seek an appeal on his current ruling while the trial enters the damages phase. The county argued in a filing that it would need as long as two years to review as many as 10,000 pension …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
The county executive once ordered a study of alternative work week schedules in 2008.
Some county employees could work from the comfort of their own homes as soon as January under a new policy announced Tuesday by County Executive Kevin Kamenetz. "Telecommuting is a proven tactic that enables employers to reduce their carbon footprint by using readily available technology to cut down on employees' unnecessary travel to the workplace," Kamenetz said in a statement. Beginning next month, all non-probationary employees can request to participate in the program.The county will approve those requests on a case-by-case basis based on which jobs can be adapted to working from home, according to the release. Employees who wish to work from home must have telephone and Internet access. Those employees approved to work from home will…
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
One proposal would merge Eastwood and Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools into a K-8 STEM academy.
About 150 Dundalk residents and school children attended a meeting Monday night at Holabird Middle School that addressed the futures of three Dundalk schools. Parents said they were notified of the meeting late last week and were given little information as to what it was about. The meeting was called to discuss a potential reorganization of Eastwood Elementary Magnet, Norwood Elementary and Holabird Middle schools. At its end, some parents thought school officials delivered mixed messages. School system Deputy Superintendent Kevin Hobbs told those gathered that no school was being closed, but parents said they heard something completely different. "Nothing's being shut down, nothing's being lost, we're not losing a school," Hobbs told the…
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Dundalk residents have until Jan. 15 to comment on a construction and demolition materials recycling plant proposed for North Point Road.
The Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability has extended the deadline for citizens to submit written comments regarding a proposed solid waste recycling facility in Dundalk. The department is reviewing a permit application filed by Bear Creek Recycling LLC to operate a construction and demolition material recycling plant at 4070 North Point Road. The Baltimore County Department of Public Works is proposing an amendment to the county's 10-year solid waste management plan regarding the proposed Bear Creek recycling facility, according to a statement from county officials. A public hearing about the proposed facility was held Nov. 7. The deadline to submit written comments has been extended to Jan. 15. The …
Monday, December 3, 2012
Three major Wall Street companies give Baltimore County a Triple-A rating.
Baltimore County continues to maintain its coveted triple Triple-A bond rating companies. Fitch, Moody's and Standard and Poor's all gave the county its highest rating. Only about 1 percent of the counties in the United States have a Triple-A rating from all three companies. [All three reports are attached to this story.] The rating means the county can borrow money at the lowest available interest rates, which saves taxpayers money. All three companies cited the county's fiscal management and budget practices as reasons for the continued ratings. "If we are going to continue to fund public safety, education, and rebuild our aging infrastructure, we must continue to manage our budget in a fiscally responsible manner," County Executive …
Monday, November 19, 2012
Maryland Court of Appeals reverses lower court decision on a grievance filed over changes to health insurance costs.
As many as 400 retired police department employees could see a reduction in their health insurance costs and be due a refund for charges since 2007. A state Court of Appeals ruling Monday effectively affirmed arbitration and a Baltimore County Circuit Court decision on the case that dates back to 2007. [A copy of the court rulling is attached to this article.] The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 4, which represents county police officers, filed a grievance five years ago after the county increased the costs of health insurance for employees who retired between Feb. 1, 1992 and June 30, 2007. On July 1, 2007, the county changed its share of retiree health insurance costs from an 85-15 split with retirees to an 84-16 percentage. The union …
Monday, November 5, 2012
Trash and recyclables will be picked up as scheduled in Baltimore County on Tuesday; all county libraries will be open.
After you finish voting on Tuesday, you can stop by your local library to read a book, check out a movie or just sit and enjoy some quiet time. Your trash and recyclables will be picked up as normally scheduled, but most other county offices will be closed for the day and many services will be unavailable. All Baltimore County government offices and District and Circuit courts will be closed on Election Day, according to a statement from county officials. While all libraries will be open during normal operating hours, health department clinics and senior centers will be closed and CountyRide vans will not operate. Trash and recyclables will be collected according to the normal schedule. The County's trash and recycling drop-off …
Ashley Virginia
8:10 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
We will stand up against this. We are tired of everyone telling us what is good for dundalk when they do not even live here. We will stand DUNDALK UNITED. and if you don't like it then get over and shut up! more ›