Aberdeen honors four for community contributions

Mary Paramore,
HBL Associate Editor

Four Aberdeen organizations have been honored for their contributions to the City with Economic Development, Good Neighbor, Revitalization and Community Awareness awards.

Aberdeen’s Economic Development Corporation, City Council, Mayor and the Chamber presented at the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce May 20 meeting at the Vandiver Inn in Havre de Grace.

Gary Barnoff, Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce president and a branch vice president with at Slavie Federal Savings Bank, said the award program “was established to recognize businesses in Aberdeen that do things to make Aberdeen a better place to be.”

Aberdeen’s Good Neighbor Award was presented to Key Point Health Services, a private non-profit mental healthcare agency that, in 2007, moved its headquarters from Bel Air to 135 N. Parke Street in Aberdeen. The organization expanded the site by 4,000 square feet to accommodate community outreach activities. Key Point Health Services was also recognized for offering the City use of its handicapped-accessible van to transport seniors to and from Tuesday evening concerts at Festival Park, for offering use of its facilities after the City received a last-minute request for support from 65 cross-country cyclists and for participating in a cooperative work program with Aberdeen High School.

CEO Karl Weber thanked former State Senator Art Helton for helping him secure “an unattainable building,” which facilitated the transfer of the organization’s headquarters to Aberdeen from Bel Air.

The City’s Revitalization Award was presented to Affinity Management for its renovation of the former Washington Park Apartments on Old Post Road. Barnoff described a difficult project, “one the community wanted to have something done with and couldn’t. This organization took over and did a tremendous job with such an improvement on the community.”

Kathy Carlson accepted the award on behalf of all involved in the project, including company leadership, onsite Old Post Apartments staff, lenders and the Aberdeen Police Department. Carlson described the new property as a 178-unit community with one, two and three bedroom and handicapped accessible apartments, a 3,000 sq. ft. community center, exercise programs and a library. The complex is approved for 100 percent HUD, Section 8 and tax credit programs.

The City presented its Community Awareness Award to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). The 72,500-acre Army installation’s federal employees, combined with onsite government contractors, employ more than 10,000 civilians, making APG Harford County’s largest employer.

Garrison Commander Col. Jeffery Weissman accepted the award for “all of APG, its soldiers, family members and the civilians who work there.” He said the award shows how much can be accomplished when people inside and outside of the installation’s gates work together in a coordinated way.