Consider doing your holiday shopping in downtown Catonsville!
Free Holiday Parking, provided by Baltimore County and the Baltimore County Revenue Authority, means local shoppers will not have to feed street and lot meters Thanksgiving Day through the holiday weekend, November 22 - 25 and December 16 - 25, 2007.
As a way to remind residents of the free metered parking, red “Seasons Greetings Free Parking” meter bags will be placed over the meters on designated days. Baltimore County’s neighborhood downtowns are located in Arbutus, Catonsville, Dundalk, Essex, Liberty Road, Loch Raven, Overlea-Fullerton, Parkville, Pikesville, Reisterstown, Towson and Woodlawn Village.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Board of Directors Nominees
The bios for the nominees didn't make it into the mailing. Here they are in no particular order. Others may by nominated from the floor. There are 3 seats up for election. Please feel free to post comments/questions as long as they are in good taste. Mud-slinging by nominees or voters will not be posted on this site. These bios were written by the candidates and appear in unedited form.
Anne Altemus (current board member): I moved to Oella in 1993 and bought my home in 1996. I am a medical illustrator by training and work at the National Library of Medicine at NIH, and am an Associate Professor at Department of Art As Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins. My primary office location is at the NIH campus in Bethesda , MD. It is a lengthy and sometime arduous commute, but once I turn onto Oella Avenue and wind up the hill toward Long Brick Row, I quickly realize why I live in Oella. I am keenly interested in preserving the charming and historic character of the village, and was happy to fill a vacant position on the Board in the spring so I could support the effort to transfer the Architectural Review Committee to the Board for the future establishment of sound policies and procedures. My short time on the OHA Board has not surprisingly reminded me that change and progress take time. I am running for re-election to the Board to continue the work to establish some semblance of preservation to the structures and grounds of our community, as well as to work as a member of the Oella Mill Liaison Committee. This is a particular area of interest, as I have been actively involved for 18 months to communicate the challenges and frustrations of the Mill construction to the Mill developers on behalf of Long Brick Row and Short brick Row residents, as well as other neighbors who have been adversely affected. Now that we have an established line of communication, I feel it is very important to continue the dialogue as the construction phase comes to a close, and the renters start moving in.
Toni Mullin (current board member, Director of Landscaping): I moved to Maryland from West Virginia in 1980. I graduated from UMBC in 1991 and started working for the Social Security Admin. When I decided to buy a house, Oella was the perfect choice. It was close to work and reminded me of WV. I'm a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and enjoy yoga, gardening and cooking.
Joe Greer (Oella resident): My 'discovery' of historic Oella occurred in the winter of 2007, when a wonderful new friend was kind enough to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for this village with me. Having grown up in the DC area, Oella felt like a side-step to another place and time, one that I wanted to be a part of. I wound up buying a home on Stone Row in June of 2007. On any given Sunday morning you'll find me rocking away on the patio, admiring the 200 year old stone walls that are my home, watching and listening to the river only yards away, surrounded by steep, forested hills, enjoying the occasional freight train rumble by. I like to tell my outside-of-Oella friends that on the same patio I sit and sip coffee and read the Post, someone likely once sat wondering whether to vote for that Abraham Lincoln fellow running for President. I am a software architect by trade, with a BS in Chemistry and Mathematics, and an MS in Computer science. My commute is short as I normally work near Ft Meade. Outside of work I enjoy jogging around Oella and the park, and as a Private Pilot I spend a good bit of time volunteering with an organization known as Angel Flight which flies underprivileged folks to and from medical facilities willing to provide them with medical care. I am looking forward to serving on the Board with the intention of working to preserve, restore, and help others to know and enjoy Oella.
Scott Hall (Oella resident): I have been a resident of Oella since 2005 with my wife Jenn and our dog Oreo. I am a Washington, DC metro area native, having grown up in Vienna, VA. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, I briefly lived in Miami, Florida before settling in the Columbia/Ellicott City area. I've always been involved in the communities in which I've lived, but never in a formal capacity. My wife and I intend to make Oella our home for many years to come, so now's the time to help improve our community. I've spent the last 2 years with T-Mobile as a Market Manager for many stores; prior to that I spent 16 years with CompUSA in a variety of executive positions.
If you live in this area as much as Jenn and I do, you share the same passion for nature and keeping Oella beautiful like us. My goals once being electing to be a board member are simple: to be a representative of your shared desires to keep Oella clean, improve the services you receive from the HOA and provide logical, non-politicized leadership to our growing community. So many of you, I'm sure, have opinions and desires about Oella. With me on the board, you'll receive sound leadership, more communication - and more say - into what happens in our community.
Anne Altemus (current board member): I moved to Oella in 1993 and bought my home in 1996. I am a medical illustrator by training and work at the National Library of Medicine at NIH, and am an Associate Professor at Department of Art As Applied to Medicine at Johns Hopkins. My primary office location is at the NIH campus in Bethesda , MD. It is a lengthy and sometime arduous commute, but once I turn onto Oella Avenue and wind up the hill toward Long Brick Row, I quickly realize why I live in Oella. I am keenly interested in preserving the charming and historic character of the village, and was happy to fill a vacant position on the Board in the spring so I could support the effort to transfer the Architectural Review Committee to the Board for the future establishment of sound policies and procedures. My short time on the OHA Board has not surprisingly reminded me that change and progress take time. I am running for re-election to the Board to continue the work to establish some semblance of preservation to the structures and grounds of our community, as well as to work as a member of the Oella Mill Liaison Committee. This is a particular area of interest, as I have been actively involved for 18 months to communicate the challenges and frustrations of the Mill construction to the Mill developers on behalf of Long Brick Row and Short brick Row residents, as well as other neighbors who have been adversely affected. Now that we have an established line of communication, I feel it is very important to continue the dialogue as the construction phase comes to a close, and the renters start moving in.
Toni Mullin (current board member, Director of Landscaping): I moved to Maryland from West Virginia in 1980. I graduated from UMBC in 1991 and started working for the Social Security Admin. When I decided to buy a house, Oella was the perfect choice. It was close to work and reminded me of WV. I'm a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary and enjoy yoga, gardening and cooking.
Joe Greer (Oella resident): My 'discovery' of historic Oella occurred in the winter of 2007, when a wonderful new friend was kind enough to share their knowledge and enthusiasm for this village with me. Having grown up in the DC area, Oella felt like a side-step to another place and time, one that I wanted to be a part of. I wound up buying a home on Stone Row in June of 2007. On any given Sunday morning you'll find me rocking away on the patio, admiring the 200 year old stone walls that are my home, watching and listening to the river only yards away, surrounded by steep, forested hills, enjoying the occasional freight train rumble by. I like to tell my outside-of-Oella friends that on the same patio I sit and sip coffee and read the Post, someone likely once sat wondering whether to vote for that Abraham Lincoln fellow running for President. I am a software architect by trade, with a BS in Chemistry and Mathematics, and an MS in Computer science. My commute is short as I normally work near Ft Meade. Outside of work I enjoy jogging around Oella and the park, and as a Private Pilot I spend a good bit of time volunteering with an organization known as Angel Flight which flies underprivileged folks to and from medical facilities willing to provide them with medical care. I am looking forward to serving on the Board with the intention of working to preserve, restore, and help others to know and enjoy Oella.
Scott Hall (Oella resident): I have been a resident of Oella since 2005 with my wife Jenn and our dog Oreo. I am a Washington, DC metro area native, having grown up in Vienna, VA. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, I briefly lived in Miami, Florida before settling in the Columbia/Ellicott City area. I've always been involved in the communities in which I've lived, but never in a formal capacity. My wife and I intend to make Oella our home for many years to come, so now's the time to help improve our community. I've spent the last 2 years with T-Mobile as a Market Manager for many stores; prior to that I spent 16 years with CompUSA in a variety of executive positions.
If you live in this area as much as Jenn and I do, you share the same passion for nature and keeping Oella beautiful like us. My goals once being electing to be a board member are simple: to be a representative of your shared desires to keep Oella clean, improve the services you receive from the HOA and provide logical, non-politicized leadership to our growing community. So many of you, I'm sure, have opinions and desires about Oella. With me on the board, you'll receive sound leadership, more communication - and more say - into what happens in our community.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. If you are staying in the area, please remember to keep an eye out for suspicious activity. Last year we had some minor vandalisms in the neighborhood (pumpkin-smashing, destruction of signs). If you are going out of town, remember to put lights on timers and lock up.
Monday, November 19, 2007
BGE along Oella Ave
BGE has been installing new gas lines in the neighborhood. They are currently working along Long Brick Row. They say that they have hired someone to replace the bricks. However, the work may last into December.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage Tour in Oella
Oella has been selected to represent Baltimore County in the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage. This a good chance for Oella to get recognition as the special place that it is. It is also good for boosting slumping home sales.
A letter was mailed to all residents in October about how to become a patron of the tour. Please consider supporting this endeavor. Simply complete the patron card and mail by December 1st with payment and your name will be printed in the tour book. Proceeds will go toward the beautification project at the entrance to Oella by Main Street and Oella Avenue. Plans include a clean-up, removal of invasive species, and landscaping (with native plants) of the riverside area near the Trolley Stop. Not only will this be good for the health of the ecosystem, it will create a lovely entrance to our community and allow us to better enjoy the beauty of the river.
Your support is greatly appreciated.
A letter was mailed to all residents in October about how to become a patron of the tour. Please consider supporting this endeavor. Simply complete the patron card and mail by December 1st with payment and your name will be printed in the tour book. Proceeds will go toward the beautification project at the entrance to Oella by Main Street and Oella Avenue. Plans include a clean-up, removal of invasive species, and landscaping (with native plants) of the riverside area near the Trolley Stop. Not only will this be good for the health of the ecosystem, it will create a lovely entrance to our community and allow us to better enjoy the beauty of the river.
Your support is greatly appreciated.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Candidates needed to serve on the HOA board of directors
The Nominating Committee is now seeking candidates for the upcoming board elections (Dec 10, 7:00pm Westchester Center). If you are interested in serving your community in this capacity, please send a brief e-mail stating your intention and a short bio to the board (board@oellahoa.com). The Committee will make every effort to include the bios in the mailing that will come out soon. However, our bylaws allow nominations from the floor, so bios for all candidates may not be available.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Get your flu shot!
There are plenty of flu shots this year, so please make arrangements to get shot! Some employers offer the shots for free (such as Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions), or you may get one from your primary care physician or from a flu shot clinic.
Ways to decrease the chances of getting the flu are:
* Avoid prolonged contact with individuals showing possible symptoms of the flu.
* Maintain a healthy lifestyle to build your immune system.
* Eat balanced meals, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; drink lots of water.
* Get plenty of rest.
* Wash hands frequently.
* Get vaccinated for the flu (flu vaccines are 70% to 90% effective among healthy adults).
Ways to decrease the chances of getting the flu are:
* Avoid prolonged contact with individuals showing possible symptoms of the flu.
* Maintain a healthy lifestyle to build your immune system.
* Eat balanced meals, including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; drink lots of water.
* Get plenty of rest.
* Wash hands frequently.
* Get vaccinated for the flu (flu vaccines are 70% to 90% effective among healthy adults).
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Watch our for those deer!
'Tis the season for the running of the deer. Be especially wary when driving in Oella. The deer love to meander down the road or come thundering across the lanes at dawn & dusk. Our dear/deer little hosta-eaters are hungry and hopped up on reproductive hormones, so watch out! The best thing to do is slow down & honk the horn. DON"T SWERVE! We don't want anyone to crash into the river.
Requests for zoning changes to Oella properties
Several requests were submitted to the county for zoning changes in Oella. Most pof the requests were submitted by JW Treuth & Sons. Click on the link above to read the full story.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Oella Historical Society meeting Nov 14
The next meeting of the Oella Historical Society will be Wednesday, November 14, 2207 at 7:00PM in the Oella Company Conference room (803 Oella Ave.)
They will have a special guest, Mr. Russell Ridgely, now age 81, who grew up in Thistle, just downriver from Oella and the site of another mill. He, his father, and his grandfather all worked in the mill. He has agreed to speak and has several maps and pictures he will bring with him.
Membership in the OHS is open to all who are interested.
They will have a special guest, Mr. Russell Ridgely, now age 81, who grew up in Thistle, just downriver from Oella and the site of another mill. He, his father, and his grandfather all worked in the mill. He has agreed to speak and has several maps and pictures he will bring with him.
Membership in the OHS is open to all who are interested.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Turn Clocks Back on Sunday
Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday (and change the batteries in your smoke alarm). What will you do with your extra hour? Sleep? Work? Watch TV? Let us know your favorite way to spend gained time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
