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Relay Improvement Association Newsletter Volume:14 - Issue:03 www.relaymaryland.com

Relay Improvement Association Board of Directors 2013-2015 President- Theda Mayer, theda.mayer@icloud.com, 410-737-9319

Vice-President- Barbara Reeves, breeves@comcast.net, 410-247-1947 Secretary- Rob Mintz, robandbeth@raincity.com, 443-304-2459

Treasurer- Ed Hardester, edward.hardester@ngc.com, 443-257-9981

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT The state of Relay is good thanks to the watchful eye and willingness to get involved of many of our neighbors. Kudos to those who let me know about the car vandalism and break ins. I was able to give a report to Officer Wareheim and JP alerted the community to be on the lookout. We may think that we live in the safest place on the planet, but there is always someone waiting for an opportunity for an easy take. Lock your car doors and you’re less likely to become their victim. Thank you to Faith Hermann for literally staying on top of the clogged gutters and the crumbling water grates. Also thanks to Charlie Beusch for following up on a box of trash dumped on Viaduct. We’re not the county landfill. Again, this year we had a terrific turnout at the 4th of July Arbutus 10K water stop. Barbara and Art Reeves, Theresa Evans, Faith and Bill Hermann, Charlie Beusch and John Greco helped with the set up and handed out water. It was a cool morning and a great way to start the 4th. As some of you know, I retired after teaching for 36 years this spring. In celebration, I joined the 21st century and got a MacBook Pro computer, an iPhone and a flat screen TV. Please note my new email at the top of the newsletter. Thanks to Bill Hermann and Barbara Reeves for the technical support or you wouldn’t be reading this letter from me. You will notice a light at the bottom of the steps from the parking lot to the Town Hall. Thanks to Jack Herbert and Charlie Beusch for volunteering to help hook it up. The lamp has a light sensor and we won’t even have to think to turn it on when there is an event. As always a huge thanks to Ray Chism and Richard Gloth who spend infinite hours coordinating all these projects with the care and attention they would give their own property.

As the summer winds down, the activities in Relay ramp up. Please join your neighbors for everything Relay this September 19, 20 and 21. Friday is the annual Wine and Cheese party hosted by John and Linda Kacur. Saturday is the Relay - St. Denis community yard sale, coordinated by Faith and Bill Hermann and Sunday is Relay Day with Sheila Muccio in charge of the festivities, which is a fun even for everyone, especially the youth of Relay.

And last but not least we will have our House Tour this December 6 with a grand eight houses this time thanks to those who graciously volunteered to open their doors to guests this year. They are all homes that you longed to peek inside. See you there. UPCOMING EVENTS September 8 – RIA General Meeting September 17 – Bookies September 19 – Wine and Cheese September 20 – RIA Community Yard Sale September 21 - RELAY DAY!!! 12-5 PM October 15 - Bookies October 15 - Newsletter submissions deadline October 18 – Covered Dish (Megarity 6-8) November 4 – Senior Luncheon November 16 - Covered Dish (Branham 6-8) December 6 – House Tour

September, 2014 FALL IS RELAY PARTY SEASON!

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RIA GENERAL MEETING – Monday September 8 at 7:30 PM Our sincere thanks the May meeting speaker, Neil Zurowski from Northwest, who gave us an overview about our financial choices and answered our questions. The speaker for the Relay Improvement Association meeting on Monday, September 8, will be William R. Evans, who will speak about the operation of the Orphans' Court in Maryland and why it is called "Orphans' Court." He will describe what they do, what constitutes probate assets, and the validity of a Will. There will be time for questions at the end. There will be a vote at the September 8 meeting to install Harry Frank as treasurer until May 2015, when there will be an election for all new officers. Ed Hardester wished step down as treasurer. Thank you, Ed, for taking care of the books for the past three and a half years and offering your advice. Your service was greatly appreciated. Please continue to bring your non-perishable food for SWES when you come to the September 8 RIA general meeting. Peanut butter, spaghetti and sauce and mac and cheese are always welcome. Thanks to Lucy McKean for transporting it to SWES. RELAY BOOKIES- Wednesday, September 17 and October 15 at 7:30 PM Relay Bookies enjoyed the August book, One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson. What a time that was in our country! Our September book selection gives readers a choice of two books with similar themes. Life After Life: A Novel by Kate Atkinson is one. "What if you could live again and again, until you got it right? On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war. Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she? Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly

original -- this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.” Or Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson. "As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me . . .." Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love--all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life.” Choose one or both books, if you have the time. We’ll be meeting on the third Wednesday evening of the month, September 17 at 7:30 PM at the Town Hall. October’s selection is King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village by Peggielene Bartels and Eleanor Herman. It was the One Maryland One Book Choice for 2013. WINE AND CHEESE PARTY – Friday, September 19 at 7 PM

The popular Wine and Cheese Party returns, hosted by John and Linda Kacur, at the Town Hall. Admission is $20 per person or $10 if you bring a bottle of wine to share. Cheese, crackers and other goodies will be provided. You are cordially invited to join us for a relaxing, fun evening at the Town Hall. Following are some pics from last year’s wine and cheese.

Hosts Linda and John

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Wine and Cheese 2013 Evidence of Fun

Janice and Richard

Ed and Pat

Kitty, Cheryl, Karen and Kurt

Barbara, Linda and Gloria

ANNUAL RELAY – ST. DENIS COMMUNITY YARD SALE – Saturday, September 20 from 8AM – 2PM Back by popular demand is the Annual Community

Yard Sale on Saturday, September 20, rain or shine, from 8 AM - 2 PM. Saturday is the biggest yard sale day in the area and residents have report success for the last three years. So, clean out your attics and basements. The RIA has advertised the Yard Sale online at the Baltimore Sun, Craigslist, Arbutus Patch, on flyers around the neighborhood, and in Pennysaver, so we expect lots of visitors. JP has emailed the flyer to the community list. Please feel free to print and post the flyer at your place of work, business, worship, or gym. After the sale, we can donate usable leftover items to a local charity. This year Habitat for Humanity has agreed to have a truck in the neighborhood after 2 PM on Saturday to pick up unsold items you wish to donate. They ask that all donations be structurally sound, in good condition, and clean. Please put a sign on the items to be picked up: “For Habitat for Humanity.” They accept new and gently used furniture, home décor, appliances, kitchen cabinets, tools, hardware, lighting fixtures, electrical fixtures, windows, doors, and household goods. No mattresses, box springs, baby furniture, toys, clothing, shoes, linens, electronics, used paint, blinds, unframed mirrors or hazardous materials are accepted. Please visit the website for more donation guidelines: www.chesapeakerestore.org/donate or call them at 410-633-0506.

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Habitat for Humanity’s Restore is open to customers Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm. There are other charities that may be able to use your unwanted and unsold items: Purple Heart does not accept furniture, but you can go online at www.purpleheartpickup.org to schedule clothing, shoes, books, small appliances, kitchenware, linens, sporting goods pickup. Or call 410-789-7692. Vietnam Veterans of America, Call 1-800-459-VETS (8387) or go online at www.clothingdonations.org/maps/maryland.htm They accept clothing of all types and sizes, clothing accessories, shoes, baby items, house glassware, books, toys, bikes, stereos, radios, portable TVs, all bedding, draperies, curtains, kitchenware, usable small furniture and rugs, small appliances, tools, jewelry and cosmetics. National Children’s Center, Call 410-536-4205 to schedule a pickup. Large furniture and other large items cannot be accepted. Items have to be able to be lifted by one person. Or you can drop off donations to Goodwill (Routes 1 and 175) or SWES at the Arbutus United Methodist Church on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9-11:30 AM Or contact the charity of your choice to have items picked up at your door. Finally, please remember to throw out the trash that no one can use. It’s not going to bring you a small fortune. The following are tips gleaned over the years from our local yard sale pros. Yard Sale Tips 1. If you want signs for your yard, just go to Awesome YardSale.com or YardSalePortal.com to print out free signs for your yard. 2. Create a photo album on Facebook of a few of the items you intend to sell. 3. Organize your items. Group kitchen items, children’s items, clothing, tools, etc. much like a department store. If you don’t have a clothes rack, hang clothes on a rope between trees or fold them on a table. 4. Price your items with a Sharpie on blue painter’s tape. The tape color really stands out, and it can’t ruin the item you are pricing.

5. What’s the right price? About 12-15% of the original retail value. Items priced too high stay around longer. 6. Get change. Be prepared for the $20 bill. 7. Got early birds? Ask them to help put out the stuff. 8. Keep customers outside your house. RELAY DAY FESTIVAL Sunday, September 21, 2014 from Noon to 5 PM Mark your calendars for our annual Relay Day Food, Games, Crafts by local artists, Live Music Some of this year’s festivities include: Magic show by D’s Magic-Mr. Dave Thomen and live music from the O Street Band. Spin Art, Bake Table with homemade goodies, Face Painting, Dog Costume Contest – Put Fido in his best outfit and win a prize! Sack Races and Pie Eating Contest.

Bike and Trike Contest – Kids of all ages, decorate your bike and win a prize! Food and Beverages by the Relay Men’s Club, and Raffles. Come for lunch, enjoy the entertainment, eat some dinner and have some fun! It’s all for a good cause.

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Relay Day volunteering is fun too! Please Help Support our Relay Day Festival by Please sign up to help on the day of the festival, contact Sheila Muccio at relayday12@gmail.com. Or donating for the Bake Table, contact Diane Chism at gramchism@verizon.net or by phone 410-737-8163

COVERED DISH – Sunday, October 19, 6-8 PM The September covered dish has been cancelled due to Relay Day. Upcoming covered dish events will be: October 19 Dylan and Cassie Megarity 1710 Forsythia Lane November 16 Brandon and Clare Branham 1539 Rolling Road As usual, please bring something to share. Hosts asked to supply non-alcoholic beverages and paper products. If you are interested in being a hosts and hostesses, please contact Laura Vetock at jermvetock@yahoo.com or 410-242-5329. Many thanks to Doreen and Al DeSa for the wonderful covered dish dinner in June. QUILT RAFFLE Another quilt by our glorious RIA president, Theda Mayer, will be raffled for the benefit of the Town Hall. This quilt is a modern mix of paisleys, polka dots and prints surrounded by a border of coral and aqua. It would be perfect to brighten a den or living room, or placed at the foot of the bed. Tickets will be one chance for $1, six chances for $5. Raffle tickets will be available starting at the general meeting on September 8. Tickets will also be available during any of the Relay weekend events. The winner will be announced at the Senior Luncheon on November 4.

SENIOR LUNCHEON – November 4 from 11:30 AM – 2 PM The Senior Luncheon will be held this year on Election Day, November 4, from 11:30- 2PM. Invitations will be mailed, but if you know anyone who should be included please contact Karen Shannon at 410-242-2833 or Theda Mayer at 410-737-9319. The theme this year is “An All American Day.” Come with an “I voted” sticker from the polls and get double chances on the door prize.

Seniors Partying at 2013 Senior Luncheon Senior Luncheon Food and Volunteers - We count on volunteers to make a side or dessert for our seniors and to set up and serve. If you can help us this year in either way, please call Theda Mayer at 410-737-9319. RELAY HOUSE TOUR - December 6 from 5 - 9 PM On December 6 between 5 and 9 PM, you will be able to go inside eight of Relay’s historic homes. Tickets can be purchased at the Town Hall starting at 4:30PM on the night of the House Tour. Admission is $15 per person, $12 for seniors and RIA members. This is a golden chance that you don’t often get. Bring your friends and relatives and get the word out. Money raised goes to support the Town Hall. BACK TO SCHOOL INVOLVES YOU, TOO! Celebrate the start of another great school year with the Baltimore County Public School’s (BCPS) ‘Back to School Involves You, TOO!’ Campaign. Schools impact the health and wealth of our community, and each one of us is an important member of Team BCPS. Get involved! You can volunteer in a school or subscribe to the e-newsletter. Learn more at www.bcps.org.

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RELAY ELEMENTARY UPDATE

Latest News on New Relay Elementary School and Other Proposed School Construction Construction on the new 700-seat Relay Elementary School is to begin October 2014, with the building ready for the 2016-17 school year, and all landscaping work completed by June 2017, according to information available on the Baltimore County Public Schools web site at www.bcps.org/construction/southwest. Schematic Design Presentation Available Powerpoint slides of the June 30, 2014 Relay and Westowne Elementary Schools Schematic Design Presentation are also available at www.bcps.org/construction/southwest. The slides show the proposed interior spaces, including common areas and where various grades will sit, and feature the proposed exterior design, including the location of the bus loop, parent drop-off area, and new ball fields. The slides also feature a brief, cool virtual video showing the proposed new complex.

Budget Requests In addition to initial funding for a new Relay Elementary, the August 12, 2014 Proposed FY2016 State Capital Budget Request asks for partial funding for three additional local projects:

• Renovation of and/or addition to the former Bloomsbury School. The new 700-seat school would accommodate students from the current Catonsville Elementary School.

• Replacement of Westowne Elementary School with a new 700-seat school.

• 200-seat addition to Westchester Elementary School.

A fourth project for the southwest area, creation of a new Lansdowne Elementary school, is in the planning stages and no funding request has been made in the FY2016 budget, which is available at www.bcps.org/construction/southwest. The April 23rd Arbutus Times reported that $1.1 billion is proposed county-wide for school renovation and construction over a decade, adding 11,000 seats to county schools and resulting in 97 percent of schools having air conditioning. STATE HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION (SHA) UPDATE At an information meeting on July 24 at the Arbutus Town Hall, SHA officials shared the following information. 1. Inner loop Bridge Replacement over Benson Avenue, Amtrak, US1, and Leeds Avenue Originally constructed in 1957 and widened in 1970, the two bridges are nearing the end of their service life. Replacing the structurally deficient bridges is necessary. When the bridges are complete, an additional through lane along I-695 will open. Eventually, three lanes from the I-95 ramps and three lanes from I-695 will merge into four lanes of traffic at the Westland Boulevard overpass bridge. 2. Leeds Avenue ramp will be closed. Drivers will be detoured up to Knecht Avenue, right on Southwestern Boulevard, and south to I-195 exit ramps. Eventually, commuters will leave Southwestern Boulevard, travel the to-be-built bridge over Leeds Avenue, to reach the inner loop of the Beltway heading to Towson. This will be a direct connection between US 1 and the Inner Loop. Folks will not have to travel through communities. 3. Concrete barrier replacements will be installed along the inner and outer loops of the Beltway from I-895 to I-95. The current barrier in the median is 33” high and it should be 42” to meet the industry standard. The barriers reduce head-on crashes and headlight glare from oncoming traffic.

RELAY AND WESTOWNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS June 10, 2014

Building Organization

Second Floor Plan First Floor Plan

Pre-K and Kindergarten Neighborhood

Media Center

Second Grade Neighborhood

Music

Gymnasium

Rec & Parks

Cafeteria

Administration

Health Suite

Fifth Grade Neighborhood

Third Grade Neighborhood

First Grade Neighborhoo

d

Fourth Grade Neighborhood

Commons Areas

Commons Areas

Bus Entry

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All guardrails will be upgraded to all steel also to meet industry standards. SHA will replace and upgrade drainage pipes and inlets under I-695, grind and resurface the pavement along all lanes of I-695, and install new reflective pavement markings. 4. Southwestern Boulevard from the Baltimore City line to Knecht Avenue (section 1) and Linden Avenue Spur to the end at US1 Alternate, Washington Boulevard (section 2) will be reduced to one lane in either direction, bicycle lanes will be installed, existing sidewalks upgraded to meet current ADA standards, and the road will be resurfaced. Current traffic does not support the need for two lanes, we were told. It’s already one lane in spots. Commuters will still be allowed to park on the street in either direction. For more information, please visit SHA’s website at www.roads.maryland.gov and click on Projects and Studies. Or contact Mr. Jesse Free, District 4 Construction at 410-229-2420 or DistrictFourConstr@sha.state.md.us RAY CHISM FEATURED IN RELAY ARTICLE As a part of a promotion of his talk on Relay at the Arbutus Senior Center on August 22, Ray Chism was featured in the Baltimore Sun. He really made Relay shine. An excerpt of the article is as follows… When Ray Chism, 74, bought the Relay Hotel in 1972 with his wife, Diana, he wanted to learn more about the history of the building, where he has lived with his family for more than 30 years. The couple began sorting through archives and talking to older residents in the community. "For a small area, there is so much history here," Chism said of the designated historic district, which is bordered by Viaduct Avenue to the west and Maple Avenue to the south. It is one of 17 Baltimore County Historic Districts and received the designation Nov. 4, 1996. Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/arbutus-lansdowne/ph-at-history-of-relay-0820-20140820,0,2051093.story#ixzz3BEe7gXZA

CRIME ALERT Please be aware that there was a rash of car break-ins and vandalism in the neighborhood this summer on Magnolia Ave, Arlington Ave, S Rolling, Linden Ave and Francis Ave. Car break-ins or vandalism should be reported to the police. Do not leave valuables in your car and lock your car doors even though you feel safe. Keep an eye out and an ear open for any one who seems suspicious. Call 911 if you see or hear anything that does to seem right. Remember a little over a year ago we had numerous break ins on Arlington Ave and with extra vigilance from the police and neighbors, the culprits were apprehended. We can stop this if we work together. SEEDLINGS OFFER If anyone would like a seedling for a Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia), please contact Lucy McKean, 410-242-8854 or Lucymckean403@gmail.com. Takes a few years to grow to the size at right, though. RELAY HOUSE HISTORIES Neighbor Mike Anson shared the following story about his house. We hired a historian a few years ago to dig into the history of our house. We were interested about what we could find out about our house and that the tax records reflected a different age than what we had thought. Our own house, based on deeds and publicly available land plats, was built in 1894. See below some of the “house history” we were able to find. Mortgage from: The Provident Savings Bank of Baltimore To: Eliza Jane Hall & her husband, Frank W. Hall On: January 26, 1894 Amount: $1500. Terms: 6% per annum; monthly payments of $16 + interest payable in gold coin Reference: Liber LMB 170 folio 110 The mortgage has a requirement to insure the improvements on the mortgaged property in the amount of at least $2500 with the bank as a

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beneficiary. This is the first indication of improvements to the property. An educated guess based on the purchase price, amount of the mortgage and the covenant requirements is that the house standing today was built at this time. I am interested in finding out more about house histories in Relay. If anyone has a similar interest please contact me at anson@jhu.edu. FARMERS’ MARKET Yes, there’s still a Wednesday and Sunday Farmers’ Market in Catonsville, but here’s one that is open a little later. Farmers’ Market 3320 Benson Avenue Wednesdays, 11-3 THANK YOU, DELEGATE DEBOY!! Since Steve Deboy was unable to attend the last RIA meeting, his parting gift was delivered. His thank you note says in part, “It has been my very distinct honor and one of the highlights of my life to have served Relay/ St. Denis in the Maryland House of Delegates. I’m taking a slight break. However, I don’t believe I’m finished in public office. Please stay tuned.” PERSONALS Sadly, on July 7 Janet Cherry, our friend and neighbor, passed away. She was a teacher, linguist, computer programmer and avid gardener. Many who passed her yard were invited to walk through and more often than not went home with something to plant in their own. She is survived by Ray, her husband of 45 years, two brothers and a sister. She will be missed. Tess Sheets has begun her studies at UMBC. Raleigh McGarrity will begin his at University of Texas.

We send our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Connie Englehart and Faith Hermann. We welcome Ted and Michelle Skinner to Relay and Arlington Avenue. Best wishes to Carol Malone and Theda Mayer on their retirements. An article about Carol shared the following tribute: Carol Malone has been molding minds for generations at Maryvale Preparatory School. At 67, she is retiring after 34 years teaching at the all-girls Catholic school in Towson, 30 as chairwoman of the English department. Evidence that she will be missed was scrawled across the white dry erase board in her classroom where dozens of students wrote to their teacher during the final week of school, expressing their gratitude for her dedication to the profession. "I just couldn't stand the idea of retiring because I just don't feel myself retreating. But I will be doing the things that enrich me," said Malone, a Relay resident. Read more: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/arbutus-lansdowne/ph-at-carol-malone-retires-0611-20140611,0,6587719.story#ixzz3BEaW7YoO Our thanks to Pete Kriscumas in Councilman Quirk’s office for a speedy response to our association’s requests to have downed trees removed, storm drains repaired, trash cleaned up, and weeds removed from the Cedar Avenue bridge grates, so we can get proper drainage. The last job was actually done by the State Highway Administration, but the rest was Baltimore County. IT’S COOL TO CONTRIBUTE Huge thanks to this edition’s contributors: Theda Mayer, Laura Vetock, Barbara Reeves, Faith and Bill Hermann, Lucy McKean, Beth Meeks, Sheila Muccio and Mike Anson for their valuable contributions.

OUR RIA WEBSITE! For more information about our community or looking for earlier newsletters? Find it at www.relaymaryland.com