Annual Meeting of RFC, Election + Candidate Bios

The annual meeting of the Rodgers Forge Community Association will be Wednesday September 12th at 7:00pm at Rodgers Forge Elementary in the cafeteria. All are welcome to attend and vote on the following years board members. You must be a dues paying member of the association to vote, each household will receive one vote. If you have not paid your dues to date for this year you will be able to pay them at the meeting.

In this months newsletter which should be on doorsteps shortly, there is a bio of the candidates. Jay Dunn has given me copies of those bios to print here:

Candidates are to be elected to a 2-year term for 2013-2014.

▪ Ginny Allen (Stanmore Road) is a 33-year resident of the Forge with four grown children. She received her B.S. from Towson University and worked in the banking industry from 1975 to 1996. She’s been a volunteer since 2005. Ginny wants to encourage all of the community to attend board meetings as a way to come together and do what’s best for the entire population. She hopes to convince “all members of the community to work together in a positive way to achieve” this goal. As a long-time resident who enjoys living in the Forge, she would like to continue the local traditions and provide good schools and an attractive, safe place to live, where all voices are heard and considered. She wants RF to continue to be regarded as “the best community in Baltimore.”

▪ Mike Calwell (Glen Argyle) has served on the RFC Board since 2010 and has been very influential in expanding and enhancing the activities of Citizens on Patrol in the Forge as well as the larger area encompassed by the Towson Area Citizens on Patrol. He has been a willing helping hand in RFC events such as Dumpster Day and the Annual Picnic. His primary goal is to continue to support the RFC Crime Prevention and Safety Committee and help make Rodgers Forge an even better place to live. Mike and his wife, Elizabeth, have two daughters and have lived on Glen Argyle for 12 years. He has a BS in Computer Information Systems and is a systems engineer with Dynamic Technology Group.

▪ Dave Crockett (Murdock Road) is an 11-year resident of the Forge who attended Loyola College and works as a mortgage officer for PNC bank in Towson. He is married, with three children. Dave believes living in a townhouse community as wonderful as Rodgers Forge has responsibilities and benefits for all. “As long as we agree on a common goal and work through the RFC, there should be no confusion or disagreement. As a community we are awesome, but there are things we could do better and many things we need to improve. I am willing to work toward those common goals.”

▪ Jean Duvall (Murdock Road), recently retired, has worked as a law clerk and in the banking industry. She has three children and four grandchildren, and has lived in the Forge for a whopping 41 years! Jean is a past president and VP/ secretary of the RFC Board and has served on many charitable and civic organizations, including the YWCA and The Charter Woman’s Commission. She also helped establish rape crisis centers for women. In her roles within the Board, Jean has served on numerous committees and worked for several years toward obtaining historic designation for the neighborhood. Her goal, if reelected, is to continue to support the covenants, the mission statement and the guidelines of the Board. She would also like to see dues raised and to visually enhance the RF blog. She promises “to work hard” on behalf of the Board on projects for the community.

▪ Eric Helfrich (Stanmore Road) is married to Jennifer and has lived in RF for 19 years. The couple has two children, Greg and Lily. Eric has a BA in Literature, a BS in Computer Science, a JD, and is a member of the Maryland Bar as well as a Chartered Professional Casualty Underwriter. He’s worked at a variety of computer consulting jobs and startups and recently became CTO of a banking regulatory compliance startup.

▪ Jennifer Helfrich (Stanmore Road), a 19-year RF resident, is currently self-employed. She holds a BA from Loyola College. She’s held many positions, management and otherwise, within the real estate/title industry, including title examiner, title abstractor, and database administrator/systems analyst. Currently the Board president, if reelected, Jennifer hopes to continue thoughtful discussion about how current committees serve the community and how they can evolve to meet its changing needs. She would like to continue to develop the RF blog, web site and newsletter, and make residents aware that the preservation of our neighborhood requires the participation of us all. Lastly, she wants to promote awareness of the RFC Board’s efforts as well as increase Board and resident involvement in the community. Jennifer is married to Eric.

▪ Kate Glorioso (Regester Ave.) is a lifelong Forge resident. She has a BS in Psychology from Towson University and is certified in Preschool Education. She is self employed in providing personal care and concierge services. Her goals, if elected, are: to start a welcoming committee for new residents; increase the percentage of dues paying residents; start a discussion on the expansion of the elementary school; and be someone who neighbors feel comfortable talking to about various problems. Kate would maintain the original covenants with slight modifications and focus on the maintenance of back yards. She wants to continue with and increase the RFC’s various seasonal events and would establish quarterly open forums in which residents could discuss concerns with the appropriate RFC committees for resolution.

▪ John Rinehart (Regester Ave.) is an eight-year Forge resident, married to Roxane and retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years as a Master Chief Machinest’s Mate. The Rineharts have one son, Ian, an incoming Freshman at Towson High. John’s goals as a Board member are to increase awareness of the covenants and their positive effects on the neighborhood stability and property values. He would further like to continue to assist neighbors who are having difficulty in home or yard maintenance and to continue to interact with the Baltimore County Police Department and Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P.). Lastly, John would attempt to find a way to resolve the differences and establish true dialog between residents who support the covenants and those with a more “anything goes” attitude.

▪ Roxane Rinehart (Regester Ave.) is an eight-year resident of the Forge and a 28-year dental assistant who trained at the Medix School. She lives with her husband, John, and son, Ian. As a board member, Rox would tour the Forge and send “friendly” letters to residents whose homes do not adhere to the covenants as far as windows, trim color, exterior, etc. are concerned. She would like to see the Board foster communication with residents and approve more materials to help preserve and enhance our homes’ original look and style. Rox grew up in the Forge and had a great aunt who was an original owner. She strongly believes that the covenants help RF homes retain their high value. She runs, walks, and bikes the neighborhood and is a C.O.P. member.

▪ Christiane Rothbaum (Hopkins Road) is a 25-year resident who received a Master’s degree in Social Communications, Advertisement and Public Relations in her native Belgium where she worked in a cultural center for seven years before raising her children in Rodgers Forge. She teaches French at the Peabody Institute and at Johns Hopkins University. If elected, she wants to be regarded as a sensible, fair and open-minded board member. She would walk our alleys and pay attention to the maintenance and cleanliness of properties, make herself available to speak with residents about problems we all face and carry those problems to the board. She would pay attention to community concerns as they are expressed in the various local print and electronic publications, and use a referendum process to address common problems.

▪ Del Schmidt (Overbrook Road) has lived in RF for four years and works as a Realtor. He is a graduate of Gilman School with a BA from the University of Maryland. Del has been a licensed associate broker for more than five years and is part of a fourth-generation family business: Chase, Fitzgerald & Co. He and his wife, Meghan, have a three-month old daughter, Rory. Del would like to uphold the architectural integrity of RF and preserve our uniform aesthetics by staying true to the original guidelines. He would like to maintain a vibrant, friendly community through special events and by proactively addressing neighborhood concerns before they become widespread problems. He believes communication between the Board and RF residents should be as transparent as possible and wants to encourage participation in the various committees. He hopes to continue managing the RF blog; to offer his professional take on real estate matters; and to assist on
architecture-related committees.

▪ Stuart Sirota (Hopkins Road) is a seven-year Forge resident with a BA in Geology and a minor in Urban Planning. He has 26 years of experience as an urban planner, with seven as principal of his own consulting practice. Stu and his wife, Lisa, have three children. If reelected, Stu would consider it an honor to continue putting his urban planning expertise to use on behalf of the neighborhood. His goals are to clarify the benefits and need for strong but reasonable community design standards and ultimately improve and update these standards. He would like to see civic engagement increase in RF and feels that, while the Board has been making progress, there are opportunities to expand its effectiveness through better use of the Internet and social media, Town Hall” meetings, roundtables and social networking events in the community. Stu has already helped launch several initiatives, including the Safe Routes to School and Tree Rodgers Forge committees.

▪ Bryan Tillman (Dunkirk Road) is a 12-year resident of the Forge and has a son with his wife, Melissa. He holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College and a JD from the University of Maryland School of Law. An attorney, Bryan is founding partner of the Law Office of Bryan M. Tillman, LLC. Bryan believes the high standards of Rodgers Forge can best be accomplished by continuing to enforce the existing covenants and educating residents through expansion of the RF directory and web site. As well as maintaining the covenants, he would like to help explore the possibility of holding additional community activities, such as the annual picnic. Bryan is currently the RFC, Inc., vice president and brings his legal expertise to various Board activities.

Upcoming: Blood Drive at GBMC

Join us for the GBMC Fall Red Cross Blood Drive on Sunday, September 23, 2012 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.in the South Chapman Bldg. Conference Room -- 6545 N. Charles St. Towson 21204 -- Enter through Sheppard Pratt (this is not at the GBMC main campus.)

 

Schedule your appointment to attend before or after church services!!  All donors will receive a GBMC umbrella
and parking is FREE!!  Donate and be automatically entered to win a $50 gas card!!

 

To schedule your life saving donation, please go to: www.gbmc.org/redcross or contact Kim Davenport,
Community Relations & Events Manager, at 443-849-2400 or kdavenport@gbmc.org

RFCOP Crime Update Week of August 27th - September 2nd

A word from the RFCOP:

School is back in session and before you know it the holidays will be upon us.  So many things to do have been added to our daily routine making us wonder how we will keep ahead of all the needed chores and obligations.  The past two weeks show an increase in our local or not so local criminals taking advantage of the situation.  Please do NOT give them added assistance!!  Lock your doors and windows when going out, even if only for a quick trip to the store, to pick up the kids, to walk down your street/alley to visit a neighbor. Lock those garages, car doors, and sheds. 

Do you realize the little time that it takes you to lock up and secure is a fraction of what you would have to go through when your house is robbed, your shed pilfered, your car riffled through or worse stolen?  Let us work together to continue to discourage crime in the Forge.  Rob Williams has worked long and hard compiling statistics for 2011 and working on 2012.  They will be available in the very near future.

Crime has decreased dramatically over the past three years, mostly due to the vigilance of you, a member of the community, doing your part.  Let us work together to continue the downward swing of crime in our community.  Remember our motto, “Lights on, Lock Up, Look out”.  It takes a neighborhood working together to keep it safe.  Thank you ALL for your continued vigilance.

B.C.P.D. Precinct # 6 - Crime Blotter –Aug 23-Sep 2, 2012

This is a summary of recent significant police news in your community. For police news from across the entire county, visit our news archive

September 2: Attempted Robbery, Bosley Avenue and York Road, 21286

At 11:10 p.m., four suspects approached the victim and asked for money. When the victim told the suspects that he did not have any, one suspect reached into the victim's pocket. The victim pushed the suspect away and fled on foot. All four suspects are described as black males, 18 to 20 years old, with medium builds.

September 2 to September 3: Commercial Burglary, 7600 block of L'Hirondelle Club Road, 21239

Between 2:30 p.m. on September 2 and 4:30 a.m. on September 3, an unknown suspect entered sheds belonging to the L'Hirondelle Club and took lawn equipment, gasoline, and kerosene.

September 2: Attempted Armed Robbery, 1600 block of East Joppa Road, 21234

At 12:37 a.m., a black male with black hair approached the victim and asked for money. The victim did not have any. The suspect punched the victim and struck him in the head with a handgun. The suspect fled in a vehicle.

September 1: First Degree Burglary, 1700 block of Wentworth Avenue, 21234

Between 6:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., an unknown suspect entered the home through an unlocked rear window. The suspect removed a money, jewelry, and electronics.

August 30: First Degree Assault, Unit block of Dowling Circle, 21234

At 12:55 a.m., two black males attempted to enter the victim's apartment through a storm door. The suspects were scared off by the victim, but one suspect fired a handgun at the victim as they fled. No injuries were reported.

August 29: Robbery, Hillen Road and Fairmount Avenue, 21286

At 9 p.m., three suspects approached a man and punched him. The suspects took the victim's shoes and fled. The suspects are three black males, 15 to 17 years old, 5'6".

August 28: First Degree Burglary, 700 block of Camberley Circle, 21204

Between 6:30 a.m. and 5:12 p.m., an unknown suspect used a key to enter the residence and remove hand tools.

August 27 to August 28: First Degree Burglary, Unit block of Neptune Court, 21234

Between 9:45 p.m. on August 27 and 1:30 a.m. on August 28, an unknown suspect entered the victim's home through a rear sliding door and took electronics.

August 26 to August 27: Commercial Burglary, 1200 block of Putty Hill Avenue, 21286

Between 6:30 p.m. on August 26 and 5:30 a.m. on August 27, an unknown suspect pried open the rear door to Rogero Electric and took an extension cord and copper spools.

August 24 to August 28: First Degree Burglary, 1600 block of Lyle Court, 21234

Between 5:30 p.m. on August 24 and 8 a.m. on August 28, an unknown suspect forced open the front window and took paint, drywall, and lumber.

August 23 to August 31: Fourth Degree Burglary, 1600 block of Wentworth Avenue, 21234

Between 2 p.m. on August 23 and 4 p.m. on August 31, an unknown suspect entered the victim's yard and stole the air conditioning unit from the porch.

August 23 to August 30: Second Degree Burglary, 7800 block of Ellenham Road, 21204

Between an unknown time on August 23 and 3:10 p.m. on August 30, an unknown suspect entered the garage through an unlocked side door and stole two bicycles.

 

Email Alerts  - Spot Crime.com

2.00 Miles around 222 Dumbarton Road –

Week of Aug 27-Sep 2, 2012

Case #                Crime                                          Date     Time                Address

122440861      Identity Theft                                     8/31    12:55 pm         2xx Regester Ave.

122461334      Theft-Other                            9/2      8:55 pm           xx Dunkirk Road

122450292      2^nd Degree Assault                 9/1      3:19 am           2xx Rodgers Forge Road

122430332      Vandalism-Dest. Of Prop      8/30    7:28 am           3xx Overbrook Road

122440645      Vandalism-Dest. Of Prop      8/31    10:50 am         York and Hopkins Road

122440224      Rape                                        8/31    4:54 am           64xx York Road

122400876      Theft from Motor Vehicle    8/27    12:00 am         64xx Murray Hill Road

New speed limit signs on Regester Avenue

On August 27, the Baltimore County Traffic Sign Department installed new

15 MPH sign posts in the 100 block of Regester Avenue. These new signs

are to advise drivers to slow down while driving on the bend in that block.

From Rob Williams

RFCOP Crime Update Week of August 20th - 26th

B.C.P.D. Precinct # 6 - Crime Blotter

This is a summary of recent significant police news in your community. For police news from across the entire county, visit our news archive

Nothing new since the previous weeks email, if anything shows up later this week we will distribute another email.

 

Email Alerts  - Spot Crime.com

2.00 Miles around 222 Dumbarton Road –

Week of Aug 20-26, 2012

Case #                Crime                                          Date     Time                Address

122361012      Theft from Motor Vehicle    8/23    3:15 pm           3xx Murdock Road

122330283      Theft from Motor Vehicle    8/20    8:46 am           xx Murdock Road

122340617      Theft from Motor Vehicle    8/21    10:48 am         xx Dunkirk Road

122351423      Theft from Motor Vehicle    8/22    5:55 pm           67xx York Road

122350383      Destruction of Property       8/22    8:12 am           63xx York Road

122340254      Theft of Motor Vehicle         8/21    5:51 am           6xx Murdock Road

122361232      Burglary – attempt                8/23    5:19 pm           6xx Murdock Road

122390327      2^nd degree Burglary               8/26    6:15 am           62xx Charles St. N

122340280      2^nd degree Burglary               8/21    6:52 am           62xx Charles St. N

122360248      1^st degree Burglary                8/23    5:58 am           7xx Murdock Road

 

MOTOR VEHICLE BREAK INS:

Last week’s crime report update included information of surrounding communities that had experienced car breaks-ins.  It appears since the return of school unwanted people are gearing up for crime.  We are now experiencing car break-ins in the forge.   See below information shared by one of our neighbors.

I wanted to alert you to the fact that car break-ins are on the rise again.  My neighbor had his road bike stolen this past Sunday night/Monday morning and my wife's wallet was stolen last night.  Both households were certain that we had locked our doors but with busy days etc., it appears that we didn't.  No signs of forced entry.  So, people are walking our streets checking door handles and taking what is inside.  We confirmed that there were many, many attempts with her check card and credit card, one of which went through.  It is sad to think that someone will capitalize on the occasional forgetfulness of residents but that is the case certainly on Murdock Rd.  Please report any suspicious nighttime foot traffic to the authorities.  Thank you.

 Xx Murdock Rd

BURLARIES - BREAK INS:

Please get the word out to your community members to always lock their doors and windows to prevent burglaries and thefts of property.  Between 08/22 & 23/12 there were three burglaries in the Murdock Rd and Overbrook Rd neighborhoods.  These incidents are being investigated but presently no suspect information is known.

636 Murdock-window screen partially pried open but entry not gained.

708 Murdock-removed window screen to enter through window and steal property

752 Overbrook-pried window screen, entered through unlocked window to steal property.

Thank You, Sgt Fink, PC06 COT 

 

“LIGHTS ON, LOCK UP, LOOK OUT” – if you see anything suspicious call 911.

 

Concerned Citizen on Stevenson School Crossing for Children:
Has there been any discussion on how to get the message to driver to stop for pedestrians at pedestrian crossings in RF? I am concerned about the children crossing Stevenson Lane to go to DMS and to get to the ball fields - at both pedestrian crossings on Stevenson Lane.  Most drivers don't stop. In fact, they speed through.

-          Submitted by a Rodgers Forge neighbor

 

Some Thoughts on addressing this problem:

The county and school board have placed islands to attempt to slow the traffic, but with little effect.  The only thoughts at the moment would be if someone can get a description of the cars and license plates and also approach the school and school board referencing using a crossing guard. It might be useful to gather a group of parents to attend the board meeting to discuss this issue as they have the most direct line of communication with the schools.

I will put out a request in the weekly emails and on the COP page of the concerns of our children’s safety and try to raise more awareness and encourage everyone to look into this issue for other solutions.

 

If anyone in the neighborhood has any other suggestions, please feel free to share them.  Reply to this email with your thoughts and suggestions.  Our children are our future.

Labor Day Trash & Recycling Reminder

Due to the Labor Day Holiday, there will be no trash nor recycling collection

on that day. Those residents whose regular trash collection day is Monday

will have their trash picked up on Tuesday September 4. Those residents whose

recycling collection day is Monday are asked to hold their recyclables for collection

until Monday September 10.

Runners & Walkers Needed for Charity Team at Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival

Are you a walker or a runner?  Do you care about children?  Towson-based Maryland CASA Association, a non-profit organization that recruits and trains volunteers to serve as Court Appointed Special Advocates for children under court protection due to abuse and neglect, is seeking runners and walkers to join its charity team at the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival on October 13, 2012.  "Team CASA" needs 50 more members to reach the 150 minimum required to qualify as a charity team.  Team members may compete in the 5k, half-marathon, full marathon or team relay.  There is also a Kids Fun Run.  Team members will receive an official Team CASA performance race shirt and access to the Team CASA tent in Celebration Village for food and drink throughout the day.  Incentive prizes will be provided for team members who reach designated fundraising levels and there will be top prizes for the top fundraisers.  Corporate sponsors and individual supporters are also needed to support our team.  We are also seeking volunteers to help at a water stop on the race route.  To register, please visit http://www.goteamcasa.org/ or call 410-828-6761 for more information.