Growth in Urbana, putting stress on schools, businesses and other resources

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By Amy Madert Urbana Maryland, a suburb in Frederick County, had a population of only 622 people in 2001. In 2015 that number increased to 11,154 people. The speed in which the population is growing impacts every aspect of a community – the people, the businesses and the resources. “We are building in the areas that people want to live in,” Denise Jacoby, Executive Officer at the Frederick County Building Industry Association (FCBIA), said. “These areas tend to be favorable by large populations, which lead to more development. The Villages of Urbana was first established in 1999. It has quickly become one of the most populated, desired and changed areas in Frederick. The plan for the community aimed to recreate a classic small town feel and way of living. Today the town of Urbana community plan includes five schools and a sixth set to open in the 2017-2018 school year, two parks and a third in development, a handful of amenities including a library, swimming...
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Maryland Youth Ranch gets revision, aims to help youth struggling with drug abuse

Maryland Youth Ranch gets revision, aims to help youth struggling with drug abuse

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By Breann Harwood  The Maryland Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, located in Urbana, once served as a place where young boys could come to receive group home services. It provided guidance, support, and ultimately, life changing programs. “The Ranch showed me a different side of life,” Cedric Spencer said. “It wasn’t all peachy, but it helped me to get my head on straight. I had guidance and I liked that I always had a roof over my head, food to eat, and they got me back in school. I lived there for nine months and at the end it showed me I didn’t want to live the lifestyle I was living before.” The Ranch thrived for 41 years as a foster care placement for homeless, at-risk, and troubled children in the Maryland area. However, due to a lack of boys being referred to the Ranch because they were placed in foster homes instead of group homes, Board members decided that it was no longer feasible...
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Two new elementary schools will open overcrowded

Two new elementary schools will open overcrowded

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By John Curran Frederick County Public Schools are building two new schools to alleviate overcrowding, however, these schools will be overcrowded when they open. Frederick County has approved the funding needed to build two new elementary schools in the county, Sugarloaf Elementary and Butterfly Ridge Elementary. Theresa Alban, superintendent of Frederick County Pubic Schools, said that when both schools open in fall 2018 they will be at maximum capacity. “We are trying to stay ahead and build schools before developments are complete by having the planning and zoning commission alert us when permits are pulled for construction,” Alban said. “It’s not always possible because we are playing catch up and many of our current schools need to be renovated.” The reason many schools aren’t being built is because of the number of existing schools that need to be renovated in the county. The county has many schools that are over 30 years old and are experiencing a high number of service repairs. Money is not...
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Suicide Rates Are Growing With Frederick’s Population and Public Funding Can’t Keep Up

by Elizabeth Atwood Comment Closed
By Logan Samuels The Frederick County Board of Health and Mental Hygiene wants to focus on treatment and research for specific health issues, but budgeting for the public health system prevents this. Frederick County Health Officer Dr. Barabara Brookmyer explained that a hot topic issue in Frederick is the suicide rate. For the last 12 years, Frederick County has had a higher suicide death rate than the state. Henry Westray, Jr., the former chair of the Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention, said that Governor Martin O’Malley established an executive order to focus on suicide awareness and prevention as a severe health issue in 2009. For three years, the Governor’s Commission on Suicide actively fought to establish services, hotlines, plans, support groups, and advocacy groups for at-risk groups. There are various Maryland based foundations and groups that focus on suicide prevention and intervention like the Mental Health Association of Maryland, the National Alliance on Mental Illness: Maryland and the American Foundation for Suicide: Maryland. O’Malley planned to...
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New Bill to Keep Maryland Roads Safer

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By Stacey Axler A bill which increases the penalties for drivers who are convicted repeat offenders of driving under the influence of drugs and/ or alcohol reached the House and the Senate in the Maryland General Assembly and received unanimous support from both chambers. Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith sponsors the Impaired Driving- Repeat Offender- Penalties Bill, titled HB 0957 in the House.  “Delegate Valentino-Smith, as the lead sponsor of the bill, naturally sees it as having a positive effect on the societal scourge of drunk and drugged driving,” Legislative Director for Delegate Valentino- Smith Scott Schuette said. (more…)...
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Maryland Education Act Has Potential to Rock the College Boat

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
A bill under review in the House of Representatives would allow recent high school graduates, no more than two years post-graduation, the opportunity to attend Maryland community colleges for free. If passed in both the House and Senate, the Maryland Education Act of 2014 is designed to give high school graduates greater access to higher education. Students would have to pursue an Associate’s Degree and apply for federal and state aid but all remaining fees: tuition, lab fees, registrations would be covered under the bill. If enacted, the community colleges would receive funds from the Education Trust Fund, the money being made from the recent gambling establishments put in Maryland set aside for state educational use. Delegate Nathan Haynes, democrat and Baltimore City representative, is the primary supporter of the bill and believes strongly in increased access to higher education for young Americans. (more…)...
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Funds for Community Colleges depend on the “C”

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
By Samantha Helmold Delegates introduce a bill to get community colleges to start thinking about having to pay for students who don’t receive a “C” grade or better in developmental education courses. This bill required that local community colleges, including Baltimore City Community College, to receive only half of the State funding through their funding formulas for the contact hours of students who do not receive a grade of “C” or better in the developmental education courses. Developmental education courses are defined as a noncredit course that must be completed successfully before or concurrent with a student enrolling in a credit-bearing course. (more…)...
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Tensions Flare at Board of Aldermen Meeting

by CMA 303 Comment Closed
Community members involved with the Fort Detrick Restoration Advisory Board, known as the Fort Detrick RAB, discussed their mounting ecological concerns due to what they claim stem from government negligence at a Frederick, Md. Board of Alderman meeting Thursday evening. Two supporters of the Fort Detrick RAB, Jennifer Haan and George Rudy, addressed the Board of Alderman during the meeting to discuss, according to Haan, the “imminent ecological danger that will affect the Frederick community.” “The City government is simply not doing enough to address problems that Fort Detrick wants to help solve,” Rudy, a pending Fort Detrick RAB member and Downtown Frederick resident, said.  “[The government] hasn’t done [it’s] job.” (more…)...
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