• To provide a networking opportunity for all businesses
• To promote open communication and support to all business and community leaders
• To be a resource for information generated from County, City and State levels that have a direct Impact on our Business Community

We welcome new members Edward Dahling from AFLAC; Connie Moore from Liberty Tax Service and Mark Althoff from Maryland School for the Blind who will be hosting our September meeting.

Our Back to School $1 Movie Day and Mini Business Fair was a great success. Look in The Avenue and Times Herald for some follow up pictures. Special thanks to Cathy Kratovil, Rachael Waters, Cathy Schwaab, Kim Krimm, Barbara Nash, Gladys Bass and Shirley Bass for all their help with bagging up school supplies. Congratulations to all our door prize winners. All left over school supplies have been donated to our member schools to assist any child who may not be able to attend school fully prepared.

Our 2^nd Annual Business & Community Night is planned for Friday, September 21^st. The restaurant side is separate from the bar side and we encourage the family to attend and participate in the fun! We will once again have our Chinese Auction and we are asking our local businesses to donate an item for this event. It’s no secret that we have very limited folks to help us with any OFBPA event that we sponsor, so we’re asking you to contact us if you can donate an item for our auction. We are looking for approximately 50 auction items and 20 door prizes. Letters will be given for business purposes. Please post the flyer on the last page of this newsletter and make copies available for customer pick-up.

The business networking social begins at 5:00 pm and we encourage all business owners and staff to drop in and meet the community. A special door prize drawing will be for "business cards only". Passport Plus will be on hand and this local "entertainment book" is chocked full of great discounts- all for the local area. Cost is $20. I am working with the Allied Community Services committee and we will donate all proceeds from the sale of Passport Plus for the benefit of the Fullerton Fireworks. Jack Ryan the "Jam Man" will entertain us beginning at 9:00 PM.

Also just added to the event is our Your Neighborhood Businesses Poker Run. Event will start at Chuckle’s at 5:00 PM. A registration of $10 gets you a packet. You will be given instructions to visit five businesses on the Belair Road corridor (and yes it’s a secret). You will be given one playing card at each business. When you collect all five cards you will return to Chuckles with your "poker hand". Top prize is a $200 a Visa gift card and elimination will continue as hands are returned. No limit to the amount of times you can "run for a better hand". Poker run ends at 8:00 pm.

For all events and for membership forms visit our website at. www.ofbpa.com.or Donna at 410-665-6551.

Minutes: July 18, 2007: (to be approved at the August meeting)

Officers and Executive Board in attendance: Donna Bethke, Barbara Nash, Patty Zimmermann, Kim Durham., Cathy Kratovil & Rachael Waters.

President’s Report- Discussion on the Mc-N-Mc Recovery hearing, recap of the OFBPA Board of Directors Meeting on 7/9, SHA mini meeting, IKEA contest.

Membership Report-84 members as of 7/18//07

Minutes – approved June minutes. Motion to approve - Barbara 1^st Patty. 2^nd Approved

Treasurer’s Report-Income $420.00 Debits $740.49 Ending Balance $4,562.86 Motion to approved Rachael1^st Barbara 2^nd.Approved.

Hospitality Chair- no new updates Website: no new updates

• Correspondence: Linover & Overlea community and HARBEL newsletters.
• Back to School Movie Day- set for August 1^st at Beltway Movie 6- Mini Business Fair- need help
• Multi-vendor bingo still on hold
• Directory deadline- final pages went to press- should have for movie day
• Member Updates: Norm spoke on the hearing and corrected a lot of the mis-information that has been circulated. Norm shared conversations he had with business neighbors. Both sides presented their case, the lawyers are to submit their summarizations to the zoning commissioner by 8/21 and a decision will be made.

• Community Night set for September 21^st at Chuckles- committee to meet next week
• Next networking social- looking for place and an early October date
• Bill Spiegel called with an invitation to a cookout hosted by Joe Bartenfelder 7/22 at 6:00 pm.
• Parkville Police Station dedication on Aug 8^th at 10:00 am.
• Ice Cream by The Meadows—available for your event as well.
• Next Meeting: August 8th at 7:30 am at St. Michael’s School
• Wrap Up- Motion to Adjourn

President Donna Bethke (410) 665-6551 Vice President Pat Zimmerman (410) 444-5555

Treasurer Darlene Conner (410) 661-4412 Welcome Chair Cathy Kratovil 443-520-7179

Directory Chair Kimberly Durham (888) 887-9297 ex. 41506 Secretary vacant

Hospitality- Rachael Waters 410-882-0915 Member at Large- Barbara Nash 410-488-4800

Welcome Membership 2007

Renewal .Tech Services LLC Zach John 410-254-2222 (p)

Renewal A Natural Way to Health Frances Thomas 410-325-6677 (p)

Renewal A-1 Bill & Earl's Auto, Inc. Earl Specher, Jr. or Marty 410-668-4100 (p)

Renewal Academy Animal Hospital Vicki Marci/Dr. Fred Lewis 410-483-5162 (p)

　Our OFBPA 2007-2008 Business Directory & Community Guide IS HERE and it looks fabulous! The bulk of them are at Slavie Federal and if you contact Patty she can have them ready for you to pick up or call Kim Durham at 1-888-887-9297 x41506 to let her know how many you need. We are looking for businesses that can make them available to the community and will post those businesses on our website.

Special thanks to Phil Mahr and FATA for once again a great job on our directory. They did a wonderful job of getting all last minute members added and changes done that we submitted and had our book ready for our movie day event. Elmwood Elementary already has them to hand out to their staff and parents who visit the school.

Additional thanks go out to all our advertisers. The ads look wonderful and feel free to take enough to hand out/mail to your potential clients. We had 68 different advertisers and all the ads look great. The book is always the "same" and yet I try to make each edition a bit special. Pick up your copy to see who is featured on our picture page

(Could it be you?).

Thanks to Lori Perdue of Mystickal Voyage and Dan Leatherman of Meadows Ice Cream who hosted our meeting last month. It was our first ice cream social and we definitely want a "redo". If you have not visited The Meadows (near the Food Lion Shopping Center off Walther Blvd.) make it a "must" this summer.

Many of you are aware (and many may not be) of the hearing regarding on of our businesses on the Belair Road corridor. Norm has been to several meetings and has met many of the business members and answered all questions asked about his property and again has offered a standing open invitation to whomever wishes to visit his property. There are strong objections from Linover and Overlea community associations. We were asked to write a letter in protest, but what I found when gathering facts was a bit different that what has been presented to the community. So as a business association I tried to stay as neutral as possible (its’ not up to us to deny any business the right to expand- that’s up to Baltimore County to make sure they are in compliance with all request) However, I did talk to other business members to gather the facts and a wrote a letter in support of a business member who has not been a problem and until recently most people had no idea he was even there. The facts are:

• Mc-N-Mc Recovery has been in the community for over 6 years.
• He explained that he works with many finance companies and part of the recovery process is re-selling the cars stored after the time permitted by law. In fact he will increase his accounts if the auction is allowed. His clients are looking for a "one stop shop". Currently Mr. McCarthy needs to move those vehicles off site for the finance companies to auction.

• An asset to his business would be to add the onsite auction of the cars currently in his possession. A title company would be on site and he will be adding a website to help promote his business.

• His property is clean, fenced and gated and has 9 security cameras. In fact he said since he has been there he has cleaned up the drugs and prostitution going on behind the businesses in the late evenings. His security cameras have been an asset to surrounding businesses as they have "caught" some crimes.
• He is totally responsible and liable for all vehicles in his possession and takes his business seriously. (and it’s proven that he is not parking vehicles as stated on various lots in the community). However, Norm does have towing contracts in the community and his trucks have towed to those lots. Code Enforcement has proven and posted as public record that these vehicles do not belong to Mc-N-Mc.
• The carrier "thought to be" from Mc-N-Mc’s that is loading and unloading on Fullerton Federal Savings lot actually belongs to a leasing company next door.
• He was very honest in stating that his business does not come without some incidents, but they have been few compared to the amount of years he has been there. However, the police have been called when someone comes into his business in a threatening manner. Also the police are seen on site often as Norm has a working relationship with them and has actually been helpful in solving some crimes.
  • Approximately a year ago there were cars towed that were parking illegally on the parking lot (that is clearly posted no parking) on the corner of Marks Avenue. This did not "make nice" with many neighbors, however, Mc-N-Mc has a contract with the owner and was towing at his request. This situation has been corrected and more warning is given to violators.
• Code enforcement was called to review his parking lot material (it was reported that he does not have the correct blacktop surface). In fact, Norm has "recycled’ macadam which is actually better as it is more absorbent and more environmentally friendly than traditional blacktop and is in complete compliance.
• I’ve spoken with Patrick McDougall from Baltimore County Recreation and Parks who testified at the hearing and was quoted in the paper, and asked why Mc-N-Mc seems to bear the brunt of the parking and safety issues at the O-F- rec. He said he was asked to testify about a possible, potential addition to traffic at the corner of Marks Avenue and Fullerton Avenue if the trucks were going in and out and based on the fact that they were purchasing the property.
  • The county actually mis-represented themselves as a letter to their inquiry about purchasing the property was denied by the owner several months ago. So a child crossing is a moot point.
  • Also Recs & Parks has posted Marks Avenue with no parking stakes and ribbon. So safety is not an issue as no one should be parking on Marks Avenue anyway. And frankly with limited Rec. Council facility parking for any/all events children cross Fullerton Avenue everyday to access the fields. Only police enforcement will keep folks from parking illegally.
  • Frankly, Baltimore County did nothing when planning this center for growth or has corrected the parking problem for 50+ years. He candidly told me the only resolution is land acquisition around the center which is very limited in availability. They are open to all opportunities and I’ve given him some suggestions which he will pursue.

Hat’s off to every member and consultant of the Belair Road Streetscape Project. They have spent tireless hours on this project and have done an absolutely fabulous job on our behalf! We have been very fortunate to have these folks on our project.

The SHA Task Force met on July 25^th. The SHA reviewed all comments received from the local businesses and the community and revised the plan where it was possible and yet explained very thoroughly why a change could not be incorporated. All of these were in the essence of safety, which has been priority since we began. The task force voted unanimously on the "concept design". What this means is that the plan as laid out, can now go to the "public" for comment and approval. This meeting will be scheduled for late fall and as soon as I have the date I will send it out. I encourage that every property owner and tenant to attend. Once this has met approval the project then moves onto the design phase and more specific details of how the whole project will be completed will emerge. The SHA will notify every property owner to discuss the changes and how it will affect your property during this revitalization effort.

Do you feel the" revitalization wave?" David S. Brown started our revitalization effort long before the SHA and community plan were proposed. Obrecht-Riehl, property managers of the Belair Fowler Shopping plaza persuaded the owner to upgrade and what an attractive part of our corridor! Fullerton Federal just up the block just "refaced’ their building with a brand new look. Do you feel the wave yet? If you have not seen the presentation, I encourage you to attend the public meeting to see the new and improved Belair Road. It’s totally awesome what the engineers and landscapers have proposed! Only you can make change happen. You have to want it! Baltimore County has resources at your disposal—ask me about them! TOMORROW is here!