The pet overpopulation problem is huge. Loose pets that are not spayed
and neutered contribute exponentially to this problem. Intact pets are
also more likely to escape and have the urge to roam. Removing their
reproductive ability is better for their health and safety. It reduces not
only roaming and aggressive tendencies, but also their risks of cancer.
There are many low-cost options available for those that need help
spaying and neutering their pets.
If you see a loose pet, remember SAFETY FIRST! The safest course of
action is to call the local animal control, whether city or county. They
will be able to catch them, and scan for a microchip. There are many
social media pages that help reunite lost pets and owners. If you have
a pet that runs loose, keeps escaping, you are having difficulties in
providing for your pet, or wish to re-home your pet, the resources for
help are available.
* For resources and info on microchipping, spay/neuter, community pet support &
training, visit www.rocquesoliddog.com
Co-owned by Members of the robinson Family
Nestled in next to the beautiful Gunpowder
River, Gunpowder Lodge is a neighborhood
restaurant and bar like no other. Our
outstandingly unique and delicious menu
offers a variety of freshly prepared food
and refreshing drinks.
Gunpowder LodGe
410-256-2626 • [email protected]
10092 Bel Air Road • Kingsville, MD 21087
www.thegunpowderlodge.com
Local Events Calendar
Fullerton Elementary - “Spirit Nights”:
Wed 3/15 Bertucci’s White Marsh, 11am-9pm
Wed 4/05 Bill Bateman’s Rosedale, 5-9pm
Overlea Soccer
Spring registration open now - www.overleasoccer.org
Girls & Boys, U6 thru U15, season starts 4/22/17
Girls & Boys Travel Soccer-Evolution, U8 thru U15, tryouts begin in April
Holt Park & Center for the Arts
http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/recreation/
programdivision/community/overleafullerton/programsholtpark.html
3/04 Maple Sugaring 10-11:30am Free
3/11 Going Green (Hunt Leprechauns) 10-11:30am Free
3/12 Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Paint) $2
Nature World of Art: $2 Wednesdays, 6:30-7:30pm
3/01 Wind Chimes - 3/8 Medallions - 3/15 Walking Stick 3/11 Bonfire/Night Hike 5:30-8pm
Creative Clay: $10 (2-part)
3/10 & 3/24 Flower Power
Spring 2017 • www.OverleaRocks.org • Join us on Facebook too!
DON’T MISS THESE EXCITING OVERLEA EVENTS COMING IN MAY!
The 2nd Annual
Natural History Society - “Nature Connections”:
http://marylandnature.org/nature-connections/
Usually 2nd & 4th Sundays, 1-4pm Free
Open format - Come anytime between 1 and 4pm
3/12 Geology, Rocks and Fossils – bring your rock collection!
3/26 Amphibians – see real frogs and salamanders!
4/09 Spring Wildflowers – discover our native flowers
4/23 TBD
Call for ArtsFest Artists and Vendors
Overlea ArtsFest 2017 is now taking applications for vendors,
performers and juried artists. Go to www.OverleaRocks.org/ArtsFest
to submit your info. Deadline April 1st, 2017.
the Overlea Farmers Market RETURNS!
Starting Saturday, May 20th - 8 am til Noon
Natural History Society - 6908 Belair Rd.
Message to All Overlea Citizens
By Carol Stover
PLEASE SEND IN YOUR OCA DUES Have you paid your dues yet? Support your community
by sending in your membership dues! To pay by Paypal, visit www.OverleaRocks.org/OCA info tab.
OCA OFFICERS AND NEWSLETTER
INFORMATION
OCA MEMBERSHIP DUES
President: Carol Stover, 410-961-6293
[email protected]
Vice President: OPEN
Secretary: Cory Scott
[email protected]
Treasurer: Stephanie Bowen
[email protected]
Safety: Dennis Robinson, 410-426-6709
[email protected]
Design/editing courtesy of Imagine Design
[email protected]
The OCA Newsletter is published quarterly for the
Overlea Community Association
P.O. Box 18895, Raspeburg, MD 21206
Membership is active from September 2016 through August 2017.
Mail your payment with the form below to:
$10 per year for Families/$25 for Good Neighbor/$50 for Businesses
Overlea Community Association, P.O. Box 18895, Raspeburg, MD 21206
_______________________________________________________________________________
NameDate Paid
_______________________________________________________________________________
Address
_______________________________________________________________________________
Phone Email
_______________________________________________________________________________
Business Name Business Phone
Spring is on its way, and the OCA is delighted to bring our signature
events back for 2017, to make the season fun and memorable. On
Saturday May 13th, the Overlea ArtsFest returns, with dozens of
artists, performers and activities for the entire family. The very next
weekend, our Overlea Farmer’s Market is back, in time for the first
spring harvests, bringing with it the first shipment in Overlea’s new
Community Supported Agriculture program. The Natural History
Society will be the home location of both events again, in addition to
continuing their own educational “Nature Connections” series through
this year. All these great events need volunteers to help make them
happen, so please contact an OCA board member if you have some
time to give.
We continue to have challenges with car break-ins, drug dealing and
teen disturbances. As a very small community divided by a major state
road, we enjoy more than the average amount of tranquility; however,
these incidents do cause concern, and as the weather improves, they
are likely to increase. To reduce their impact, we must become more
vigilant as a community. Make it a habit to observe your surroundings
regularly, and report anything suspicious to as many relevant
organizations as you can find. Keep your cell phone with you, so you can
take photos of anyone acting illegally. Perpetrators hate to be identified,
and calling attention to them this way often causes them to move on.
Overlea’s exciting arts festival is back!
Saturday, May 13th • 10am - 6pm
Natural History Society - 6908 Belair Rd.
Neighborhood COP programs are proven to reduce illegal activity;
but our COP program is still in its infancy, and those few dedicated
volunteers need more help. Contact the OCA if you want to volunteer
a few hours a week to help maintain a watchful presence in your area.
An involved and organized community will improve and thrive -- so
if more residents begin attending the community meetings, there will
be more discussion, more ideas presented and more solid results to
enjoy. Airing out our complaints on NextDoor may be temporarily
satisfying, but it doesn’t constitute actual involvement or create any
real change. Our next community meeting is Tuesday March 14th at
7:00 pm at the Natural History Society. I’m asking you all to attend
and bring us your input on how we can improve Overlea. Let’s fill the
room, and come up with some new strategies and solutions together.
OCA MEETING SCHEDULE
NEXT COMMUNITY Meeting:
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 • 7pm
LOCATION: The Natural History Society of MD
6908 Belair Road, Baltimore, MD 21206 • Chesley Ave. & Belair Rd.
-----------------------------------------------------------
The OCA holds monthly board meetings, usually on the first Thursday
of every month. Residents and business owners are invited to attend.
Contact Carol Stover to confirm meeting time, place and date.
410-961-6293 or [email protected].
Overlea Farmers Market Returns in 2017!
Call 911
After enjoying a banner inaugural 2016 season, the Overlea Farmer’s
Market will return to the parking lot at the Natural History Society
this summer. The Market brings Overlea neighbors together every
other Saturday, from 8am to Noon, to enjoy community, sunshine,
and great local food and art. The opening date is May 20th, 2017,
and the Market will run until early October. OFM is a family-and
pet-friendly environment, with free crafts for kids! Offerings include
local, chemical-free produce, pasture-raised brown eggs, garden plants
and flowers, chocolate, Italian groceries from Frank’s Pizza & Subs,
local honey, locally-made gifts, and more! Look for details in future
newsletters, visit OverleaRocks.org, or join www.facebook.com/
OverleaFarmersMarket. See you at the Market!
By Dennis Robinson
Community Supported Agriculture in Overlea!
On the topic of calling 911, every week I receive an e-mail from someone
telling me about something they observed that was suspicious, however
they did not call 911. I do appreciate being informed about it but only
after you have called 911. When I receive such messages I immediately
forward them to the respective police commanders responsible for the
Overlea community. Their first question is, “did they call 911?” If you
are concerned about retaliation, call anonymously.
Overlea now has a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA)
opportunity! For the first time, Overlea residents can bypass the
grocery store and pay The Marsteller Market & Farm in advance for a
“share” of the coming year’s harvest.
A CSA benefits both our community and local farms. Farmers need
liquidity like any other business, and CSAs allow citizens to actively
support local farms, while getting first pick of fresh produce when the
harvest comes. The Marsteller Farm & Market, a 6-generation farm in
Freeland, MD., uses no chemicals at all, which is nearly unheard of.
CSA “shares” come in different sizes. Each contains different produce
as various plants come into season. A “Full Share” contains 6-8 items
and a “Half Share” contains 3-5 items. And when the farm has extra,
shareholders get extra! Last year’s share came with periodic free items
- sauce tomatoes, pick-your-own raspberries, extra dozens of eggs,
pasture-raised/freshly-butchered meats, to name a few.
Full CSA shares (appropriate for splitting between 2 families or for
a family of 3 or more) cost $525. Half CSA shares (appropriate for a
couple or those with small kids) cost $350. For 18 weeks starting in
June, your produce will be lovingly deposited at the Overlea Farmers
Market location.
If interested, reach out directly to Marsteller Market by email at
[email protected], or call Cathy or Jess at (717) 324-5996.
Don’t wait! Shares are first-come, first-served.
Buy one menu item
and receive a
second menu item
for half price!
Offer expires 12-31-2017
410-665-2660
4423 Kenwood Avenue • Baltimore, MD 21206
Pets on the Loose
If this message looks familiar it is because for the first time ever I am
repeating a message. This one needs to be repeated. Call 911!!!
I try to inform about crime trends, crime prevention and describe
criminal activity that has targeted our community, as well as inform
about police procedures and practices. As I review my past articles,
the consistent message I have put out is the need to call 911 when
something suspicious is observed. The other more recent message has
been to encourage all to sign up for Overlea NextDoor. If you have
internet access, the NextDoor site is the most informative and timely
source of current information related to crime, safety and security.
Please sign up now.
The call to 911 is more than a process of initiating the response of a
police officer. The 911 call centers create a data base which is used for
crime analysis. This data is used by commanders to determine the issues
that concern a community, and identify nuisance locations and people.
The data can also be used for investigative purposes. For example, if
someone called in about a suspicious person with a detailed description
and days later a violent crime occurs or is discovered, the original call
information can be used by investigators to develop a suspect and
potential witnesses, or patterns related to time and location. So please
call 911 when you observe something suspicious, sign up for NextDoor,
share NextDoor crime information with neighbors who do not have
access to the internet, turn lights on at night, and be vigilant. These
efforts have proven to keep Overlea a little safer than our adjoining
communities.
On another topic, please be sure that you have several properly working
smoke detectors in your homes. If you live in Baltimore City, you can
call 311 and they will facilitate the installation for you.
There are many dangers facing free-roaming pets. Busy roads
and cars, poisons and pesticides, fluids from cars, trash and other
dangerous inedible items. Pets can both injure, and be injured by
wildlife. Diseases can be spread by unvaccinated animals and
infected urine and feces. Loose pets can fight with each other and
be a dangerous nuisance to leashed pets. Loose pets can be stolen
for unmentionable reasons or fall victim to cruel people looking for
an easy target. There are too many dangers to fully relate in a brief
article.
In both Baltimore City and Baltimore County there is a leash law.
Many people know that this applies to dogs, but some people may
be unaware, and some may choose to ignore it. What many people
do not know is that it also applies to cats. It is illegal to allow both
dogs and cats to run loose.
So, how do you solve the problem of pets constantly escaping despite
efforts to contain them? Fencing and training. Free-run of a safe and
enclosed area is always preferable. There are ways to modify a fence
to make it escape proof, even for cats. Training, appropriate exercise
and enrichment are key to containing furry escape artists.
Make sure your pet has a flat collar and ID tag with name, address, and
phone. Cats need a breakaway safety collar with a bell. A breakaway
collar isn’t a bad idea for dogs as well, there are also dangers with
dog collars getting caught on things. A rabies tag and a city or county
license are also required by your respective jurisdiction. A microchip
is as small as a grain of rice beneath your pet’s skin and it contains a
unique code (read by a scanner) that links your pet to your contact
information. This identification cannot fall off like a collar or tag.
If someone picks up your pet, a vet or shelter will scan them for a
microchip. But, don’t forget to register it and update it if you move
or your contact information won’t be displayed. Microchipping is
inexpensive, quick to do, and can be done at your local vet’s office.
Microchips have reunited pets and owners from across the country
and after years of being missing. Keep in mind that a microchip is
not a GPS tracker, it is an alternate source of identification. For the
true escape artists there are also pet trackers you can buy.
Continued on back page
NATURE’S PANTRY
St. Michael the Archangel School
Open Enrollment - PreSchool 3 & 4,
Full Day PreK 3 through 8th grade
410-668-8797
www.StMichaelsOverlea.org
Call to schedule a private tour today!
410-665-0601
AdvantageLawnAndLandscaping.com
Grass Cutting • Spring/Fall Clean Up • Mulching
Hardscaping • Lighting • Other services offered
We could be your “one call does it all” company for your lawn!
Mention this ad and get a good neighbor discount of 20%
Restrictions apply, may not be combined with other offers
Expires 12/31/17
Natural Food • Vitamins
Bulk Foods • Gluten Free
Variety of Spices
410-882-5551
“SAM” WALTERS
7948 HARFORD ROAD • PARKVILLE, MD 21234
2017 DUMPSTER DATES
March 11 • May 6 • Aug. 12 • Nov. 4
9am - Noon or Until Full • Brook Avenue & Overlea Avenue
Dumpster is FREE for both city and county Overlea RESIDENTS.
NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE!
ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED: oil-based paints, pesticides,
herbicides, car and household batteries, drain cleaners, gasoline,
pool chemicals, tires or any other hazardous materials.
Get Connected on
Catch up on community news and join neighborhood conversations
on Overlea’s NextDoor social networking site. Click on the NextDoor
house icon shown on any page of our website, www.overlearocks.org,
or sign up at https://overleablt.nextdoor.com.
St. Michael’s Food Pantry
The St. Michael’s food pantry needs donations of non-perishable food
items, specifically canned fruit, tuna, mayo, spaghetti sauce, soup,
canned vegetables, pancake mix & syrup, boxed potatoes, coffee, tea
and hot chocolate. Donations can be taken to the main entrance on
Willow Avenue during regular business hours. Ring the bell for the
Parish Office. Call 410-665-1054 for info.
Cathy Bevins
Cathy Bevins
Councilwoman, Sixth District
Councilwoman, Sixth District
Baltimore County Council
Sixth District
7856 Belair Road
Baltimore, MD 21236
Towson Office: (410) 887-3388
Fax: (410) 887-5791
Email:[email protected]
Authorized by Friends of Cathy Bevins, W. McCollum, Treasurer