UNION BRIDGE NEWSLETTER
January/February 2003

INSIDE

From the Mayor's Desk
Resident Deputy
Funding Committee
Special Projects Report
Health Department
Rec. Council
Council Opening

DATES TO REMEMBER

Main Street Committee and Heritage Committee info, contact Joan McKee 410-775-2976

OFFICE CLOSED

Jan. I, 2003

&

Jan. 20, 2003

Web Page www.carr.org/~unionbr

E-mail unionbr@ccpl.carr.org

Mar/April. 2003  NEWSLETTER ARTICLES DUE IN CITY OFFICE Feb. 14, 2003

UNION BRIDGE RESIDENT DEPUTY

(Attention School Bus Stops)

Parents or Guardians:

      Please remind your children to be careful at the school bus stops and to pay attention to vehicle traffic.  Some citizens advised me that there have been some close calls due to horseplay at the bus stops

(Attention to Road Signs)

      Violations of the 1 TON LIMIT sign on Locust Street are still occurring.  Please obey the traffic signs.  The violation will result in a fine and points on your license.  The signs have been in place for a few months and several warnings have been issued.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.

Non-emergency  #410-386-2900 EMERGENCY # 911

FUNDING COMMITTEE

Holiday Cheer – Annual Christmas Tree Lighting

Union Bridge kicked off the holiday season with its annual Christmas Tree Lighting on December 4^th at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway. Mayor Bret Grosnickle conducted the ceremony. The children were delighted to see Santa Claus ride in on a Harley Davidson to spread holiday cheer in the form of candy and traditional holiday greetings.

      The next Funding Committee breakfast will be held on Jan. 19, 2003.

MAIN STREET REVITALIZATION PROGRAM

There is good news and bad news about the Main Street program. The good news is that the $2.5 M in State and federal funding is still intact and available for the planned improvements to Main Street. The bad news is that the first round of bids received by the State Highway Administration (SHA) were high in price and therefore rejected. The SHA will re-bid the project in late January, with a new construction start date set for April 2003.

Main Street will be upgraded from the Rt. 75 intersection at North Main to the Brethren Church on South Main. Improvements to Main Street will involve construction and installation of the following new facilities:

1. Rt. 75 (Main Street) and several town side streets will be reconstructed and resurfaced.
2. All sidewalks will be replaced with decorative pattern/pressed concrete walkways 
3. The existing curb and gutters will be replaced.
4. The storm drain system and inlets will be replaced.
5. New brick-patterned crosswalks will be installed at several intersections.
6. Decorative brick edging will be installed along the curb line.
7. A new eight-inch water main and service lines will be installed.
8. The current traffic signal at Main and Broadway, including the four metal poles, will be replaced with a new signal and only one pole.
9. A memorial area and parking will be located at the corner of Main and Broadway.
10. The overhead electric and cable wires will be installed underground at Main and Broadway.
11. All parking meters will be replaced with duel-headed meters, thus reducing the number of meters by half.
12. Decorative streetlight poles and globes will be installed along the roadway.
13. Safety improvements to the Lehigh entrance across from the 7-11 will be completed.
14. A park entrance and small parking area will be constructed for the Little Pipe Creek Park across from the gas station.
15. Upgrade and changes to landscaping, signs, parking, and other streetscape items along the roadway are planned.

      The town will bid separately the undergrounding work for the overhead wires.  Construction for this segment of the work should start in February 2003. 

CHRISTMAS DECORATING CONTEST

      After much deliberation by the judges for the Holiday decoration contest the following winners were selected.  Thank you to Lehigh Cement for donating the prize money.

LIGHTING

1^st place - Kathy Naill, 208/210 E. Broadway

2^nd place - Bud Zimmerman, 8 W. Broadway

3^rd place - Eric Grinder, 1 N. Farquhar Street

TRADITIONAL

1^st place - Vickie Shockley, 124 N. Main Sreet.

2^nd place - Ruth Leppo, 10 Whyte Street

3^rd place - Charles Sayler, 30 W. Broadway

ORIGINAL

1^st place - Steve Zimmerman, 206 Elger Street

2^nd place - Lana Zile, 301 E. Broadway

3^rd place - Wendy Beacham, 16 Whyte Street 

 FORMATION OF WEST CARROLL RECREATION COUNCIL

      The Carroll County Bureau of Recreation is pleased to announce the formation of the West Carroll Recreation Council.  This council has been established to meet the recreational needs of the communities of New Windsor and Union Bridge and the surrounding area.  This new organization replaces the former New Windsor and Union Bridge Area Recreation Councils as they have merged into one organization.  Programs such as baseball, rugby, softball, lacrosse, dance; the new West Carroll Recreation Council will now offer basketball, wrestling & soccer that were formerly operated independently by these two councils without interruption.  The executive board of the West Carroll Recreation Council consists of Jeff Hook as President, Brad Rockwood as Vice-President, Karen Brown as Secretary, Sandy Sullivan as Treasurer, Steve Linkins as New Windsor Town Representative and Kim Eckard as Union Bridge town representative.  The Council will meet on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Union Bridge Town Hall. Meetings are open to the public and everyone is welcome to attend.  For more information about the West Carroll Recreation Council, please contact community Coordinator Anita Staley at 301-898-9451.

WEST CARROLL REC. COUNCIL

      The West Carroll Recreation Council has scheduled registrations for spring sports including baseball, slow pitch softball, fast pitch softball, and lacrosse.  All registrations for baseball, softball and lacrosse will be held on the following dates: Thurs., Jan. 23-6p.m. to 8:30 p.m. & Sat., Jan. 25-10a.m. to 2 p.m., on Thurs., Feb. 6-6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., & Sat. Feb. 8-10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Additional registrations for softball only will be held on Thurs., Feb. 20-6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. & on sat. Feb. 8-10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

      Baseball will be offered to ages 5-12 with the following fees:

5-6 yrs., $25, 7-8 yrs. $30, 9-10 yrs., $50, 11-12 yrs., $55.  For more information, contact Brian Klein at 410-775-7992.

      Slow pitch softball will be offered to ages 5-18 at a cost of $30 for 5-8 yrs., & $40 for ages 9 and up.  For more information, contact Rhonda Sswartzbaugh at 410-775-7858.

      West Carroll Rec. Council is offering fast pitch softball in the following age groups 12 & under, 14 & under and 16 & under.  Registration fee is $60.  For more information contact Kristin Tracey at 410-751-1538.

      The council will sponsor FSK Junior Eagles Lacrosse for boys & girls in 3^rd-8^th grades.  The fees are $35 for girls & $60 for boys.  Players must provide their own stick.  For more information contact Sadi Miller at 410-756-1633 or Linda Galvin at 410-756-2798.

      Discounts are available to families registering children in the same sport.  Late registrations will only be accepted if positions are still available in the applicable age group.  Registration will be canceled if the snow emergency plan is in effect.  For more information on the West Carroll Rec. Council, call Anita Staley, Community Coordinator at 301-898-9451.

CARROLL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

FREE CANCER SCREENING TESTS

      Several cancer-screening tests are available at no charge to Carroll County Residents.  Free colon cancer kits (FOBT take home test) are given to ANY person age 50 and older, and to younger people who may have a family history or other risk factors.

      Free mammograms and gyn exams are available to women age 40-64 who are uninsured or under insured and meet generous income guidelines based on family size.

      For additional information on these programs please call 410-876-4423 or 1-800-966-3877 ext. 4423 and ask for Susan Rinehart.

TRASH SERVICE

For questions concerning your trash pick up service please call Maryland Disposal & Recycling at 301-368-9094.

DON’T FORGET

 MAIN STREET IS A SNOW EMERGENCY ROUTE NO PARKING is allowed when the snow emergency plan is in effect.

ORDINANCE #263 B-2

Owners or occupants of premises fronting on any street with paved sidewalks shall remove any snow and ice from the traveled portions of the sidewalk, to a width of at least 30”, within 24 hours after snow or ice ceases to fall.

COUNCIL PERSON NEEDED TO FILL VACANCY DUE TO APPOINTMENT OF FORMER MEMBER TO MAYOR

RESIDENTS INTERESTED IN FILLING VACANT SEAT PLEASE CALL THE TOWN HALL AT 410-775-2711