Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce has new addresses

The Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce, which recently moved its office to 214 W. Bel Air Avenue, Aberdeen, MD 21001, also has a new email address. It is aberdeenchamber@verizon.net. The chamber’s telephone number remains 410-272-2580.

Free ‘Urban survival’ training Feb. 10

No one thinks they will fall victim to a shooting rampage when they head off to the office or send their kids to school, but senseless violence is occurring with increased frequency. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, Harford Community College took a serious look at campus safety and made some changes. Now, they want to help community members prepare to survive if they are caught in the crossfire.

Mary Eilerman, former police officer and HCC’s new full-time chief of college security, will address ways of reducing the risk of being victimized and strategies to survive a school or office shooting. The free two-hour class, offered Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 2:30 p.m. and again at 6:30 p.m. in HCC’s Edgewood Hall, Rm. 132, is open to the public.

Session on City’s MOE zoning set for Feb. 11

The Mayor and City Council of Havre de Grace will hold public work session Feb. 4 and Feb. 11 to discuss possible amendments to the section of the City Zoning Code pertaining to the Mixed Office/Employment (MOE) district. Public comment on the MOE also will be taken at the sessions, which will be held both evenings at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers in City Hall at 711 Pennington Avenue.

A copy of the zoning ordinance is available at City Hall.

Feb. 14 Kick-a-thon to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital

Impact Martial Arts of Aberdeen will host a kick-a-thon to benefit the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Saturday, Feb. 14, 10:30 a.m. Students at the Tang Soo Do studio are asking friends and family members to sponsor them per kick, with the option to make a flat donation to the charity.

For more information about the Kick-a-thon or Impact Martial Arts, go to www.impacttsd.com or call 410-777-8830.

Humane Society Adopt-a-Thon at PetSmart Feb. 14, 15

The Humane Society of Harford County will hold a pet adopt-a-thon at PetSmart in Bel Air, MD on February 14 & 15, 2009 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. PetSmart is at 602 Boulton Street in Bel Air. Adopt an animal from HSHC – where forever love is found! For more information about the adopt-a-thon or to learn how to volunteer at the shelter, contact Erin Long at 410-836-1090, ext. 106, volunteer@harfordshelter.org or visit www.harfordshelter.org.

HCC Faculty Exhibit runs through Feb. 18

Celebrate the arts at "The Winter Doldrums: A Sunday Afternoon of Music and Art," the annual Harford Community College music faculty concert and fine art faculty art and photography exhibition. The event will be held on Sunday, January 25, from 3-5 p.m. in the Chesapeake Theater and Student Center on the HCC Campus.

HCC's music faculty will perform in the Chesapeake Center. After the concert, the public is invited to visit the Chesapeake Gallery in the Student Center and enjoy works created by HCC's visual, performing and applied arts faculty. There will be a reception in the Globe Cafe with jazz performed by HCC's jass-artists-in-residence, "After Hours."

Tickets are $15 for adults and $1 for youth ages 17 and under. HCC students are admitted free. For tickets, call 443-412-2112. For reasonable disability accommodations, contact Disability Support Services at 443-412-2402.

The faculty exhibit will remain on display in the Chesapeake Gallery through Feb. 18.

Learn how to use library’s business resources Feb. 19

The Harford County Public Library has significant resources to help aspiring and small business owners. Unfortunately, the very people who could use these resources most don’t know how to access them.

To help business owners and entrepreneurs learn about these resources, library staff will host a workshop Thursday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m. at the Fallston Branch, 1461 Fallston Road. Registration is required, but the seminar is free. Call 410-638-3003 to register and for more information.

Desegregation author to address Harford Co. Historical Society Feb. 22

Patrick Spicer, general counsel to the Harford County Board of Education and author of two Historical Society of Harford County bulletins on desegregation of Harford County’s schools, will be speaker at the Winter Dessert Meeting of the historical society.

Spicer wrote Decade of Delay: The Desegregation of Harford County Public Schools, Parts 1 and 2. The bulletins discuss, as will Spicer in his presentation, the nature of Harford County’s race relations in the 1950s and 1960s. Spicer will also talk about the nature of his interest and the extent of his research on the subject.

The meeting is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at the Society’s headquarters at 143 N. Main St. in Bel Air. Tickets are $8. Copies of the bulletins will be offered sale.

A ‘Wine time’ to be had by all Feb. 22

The Alumni and Friends Association of Harford Community College is partnering with Ronnie’s Fine Wine and Spirits to host Wine Expo 2009, Sunday, Feb. 22, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. at the College’s Susquehanna Center. Proceeds will benefit the association’s scholarship fund.

Last year’s event sold out, with more than 600 people attending. Organizers urge wine enthusiasts and people who want to know more about selecting, pricing, serving and pairing wines to purchase tickets now. In advance, tickets are $40 and can be purchased through the HCC Ticket Office at 443-412-2211 or through Ronnie’s Fine Wine and Spirits at 410-879-7964.

Attendees must be age 21 or older. Organizers also plan a silent auction.

Feb. 27 is deadline for citizen police academy applications

The Harford County Sheriff’s Office again is offering county residents the chance to attend its citizen’s police academy, which was developed 16 years ago to better inform and educate the public about how the county law enforcement agency works.

The 15-week program will meet every Wednesday evening from March 4 through June 11. It is open to Harford County residents 18 or older. Community groups, businesses and elected officials may nominate people to participate in the academy.

Weekly classroom instruction will provide overviews of many aspects of the Sheriff’s Office’s operations, including patrol services, community policing, criminal investigation, the K-9 unit and crisis negotiation, Deputies will provide information on topics such as personal safety, drug identification and gangs. There also will be field trips to the Harford County Detention Center, the Emergency Operations Center, Harford County Circuit Court and the Broad Creek firearms range.

Attendees will have the chance to use the agency’s video firearms training system. It allows students to experience scenarios, including those requiring life and death decisions, in realistic settings.

Feb. 27 is the closing date for applications. (See accompanying form.)

April 17 fund raiser offers sponsors Community Investment Tax Credits

The Harford Family House (HFH) is hosting its 11th annual Spring Fling fund raiser, this year a Bull & Shrimp Roast at Jarrettsville Gardens, Friday, April 17.

The news right now, however, is that sponsors who contribute more than $500 are eligible for Community Investment Tax Credits. The organization also seeks auction and door prize donations.

HFH is a transitional shelter and program for homeless families with children. As a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible. Event details will be announced in this space in March. To learn more about sponsorship, contact Joyce Duffy at 410-273-6700.