by Joseph R. Hughes

The reconnected Manor House committee, comprised of volunteers from ECM 1 and ECM 2 residents, has done it again. On Friday March 10, the first Winter Pot Luck Party was held in the Great Room. The ornate space was decorated in Kelly green and sprinkled with shamrocks and lucky charms - stealthy carried in the night before by leprechauns. With Saint Patrick’s Day only a week away, the embellished theme touched off a celebrated time.

For the community’s second event of the year, precluded by a Super Bowl party in February, the pot luck event was attended by more than thirty party-goers who brought home-prepared meals, pizzas, and irresistible desserts. Sodas, and dinnerware were provided by the Manor House.

New and long-time residents came to enjoy an evening of dining, live piano music, and neighborly camaraderie and repartee. Expressive comments came from so many. New ECM residents Barbara and her daughter Heidi relaxed in the piano lounge while requesting Frank Sinatra songs. Barbara commented to the piano player, and, this demure writer, “Heidi and I are having a great time, please play New York, New York and My Way.” Requests filled! Alan, a resident of Canterbury Road, who normally works Friday nights missed several events last year. Not this time. He took off work for the party. He wasn’t disappointed. Alan partied like it was 1999 - saying, “when is the next party?”

​Chaired by Laura, a manor house resident, thanks go to all committee volunteers for their input to the success of another grand English Country Manor event.

Make plans to join-in the fun and community spirit for all events in 2023.

By Joseph R. Hughes

Ring out the old, Ring in the new, a phrase mostly said on New Year’s Eve, still rings true here in Bel Air. After much scuttlebutt, questions, and concerns about the closing of the Bel Air Athletic Club – resolution has come about. The 110,000 square foot facility has been purchased by Coppermine, Maryland’s largest destination for youth sports, active-lifestyle adults, and families. Serving over 25,000 families, Coppermine, founded in 2011, says it will invest $4,000,000 in the new club over the next two years.

According to a website statement, Alex Jacobs, Coppermine executive said, “we will bring excellent programming and customer service to keep that sense of belonging and family at the BAAC.  It will take about ninety days to paint, install new lighting and bring in new equipment.” While visiting the site, officials said they were  “inspired to buy the property by a 93-year-old member they met in the parking lot who expressed how much the club meant to her.”

​Coppermine will offer zero initiation fees, two months free, and no price increase for two years. The company promises to provide best-in-class services to the Bel Air community.

After more than 40 years, the Bel Air Athletic Club, a community fixture, closed February 16. The announcement in mid-January, sent waves of surprise throughout the town of Bel Air, no more so than English Country Manor. Our two-phased community has lost a close neighbor. The news was sudden and immediately concerning. Speculation and questions swarmed. What are the plans for the building? Will it be purchased to re-fit for apartments? What happens to the 3,000 members who got the message from the club?  With the recent announcement of the Coppermine takeover, resolution has passed muster for our home turf.

As one door closes, another one opens. So long to the Bel Air Athletic Club. Thanks for the memories. Good luck to Coppermine Health & Fitness. Welcome to the community.

by Joseph R. Hughes

During a sermon at Plymouth Church in 1865, Pastor E.P. Powell said, “Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest people; but be careful that you do not take the day and leave out the gratitude.” Here in English Country Manor and across this great country, gratitude for our collective heritage and lineage of immigrants, should not be left out. So many of us from Churchill Road to Canterbury Road to Thames Way and Squire Lane and Yorkshire Way, and around the Clock Tower to Chaucer Lane can trace our roots to the succession of immigrants who came to this country through the port of Baltimore.

Germans formed the largest immigration group to land in Baltimore, followed by the Irish. Immigrants from Poland, Italy, Greece and elsewhere entered the United States through Baltimore.

A partnership in 1867 between the B&O Railroad and the North German Lloyd Steamship Company set sailings direct from German ports to Baltimore. The agreement initiated the construction of two new terminals for steamship lines and railroads on Locust Point. It allowed passengers to buy a single ticket in Europe that would carry them across the Atlantic and then west by train to points west including Chicago and St. Louis.

Many stayed in Baltimore to form working-class neighborhoods in Locust Point, Canton, Fells Point, Little Italy, and communities throughout the Baltimore region including Harford County.

The flag flying above Fort McHenry was the first snapshot of America for approximately 2 million people, as they sailed through Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

By 1873, immigrants disembarked in Baltimore at a rate of 18,000 per year. Passenger arrivals peaked to 40,000 newcomers annually in 1907, when 60 overloaded steamers docked on Locust Point. Baltimore was listed the No.  2 port of entry in the United States for immigrants after Ellis Island in New York.

The swell of European settlers to America lasted until the outset of World War I, when the era of mass immigration ended. In July 1914, the last steamship bearing immigrants arrived at Locust Point.

Let’s give thanks to our ancestors who boarded ships, huddled together clinging to the bags, bundles and boxes that comprised their worldly possessions. Soon-to-be Americans named Schaefer, Schmidt, Weimer, Kelly, Murphy, Nowak, Dabrowski, Sorentino, Mosca and Basso landed here with a dream and rekindled spirit.

by Joseph R. Hughes

​The acclaimed nineteenth century American poet Henry W. Longfellow said, “The present is the blocks with which we build.” Forthwith, at Harford Mall, building blocks are being stacked, cemented, and put in place for a new shopping space called The Shops at Harford Mall.

Folks in Bel Air gazed at this location with interest in February and March when the Sears building was demolished, and tons of debris hauled away to clear the land for this new project. The shops are slated to open the first or second quarter 2024. Jeff Garrison, principal developer for SJC Ventures, LLC, said, “We are excited to work on The Shops at Harford Mall and have had very strong interest from the marketplace. We look forward to bringing top retailers and dining to the center and offering residents and visitors a best-in-class grocery anchored plaza that is a highly energized space in this location.”

Plans show The Shops will consist of three major buildings – one with a grocery store and two others for retail. According to the Bel Air Planning Commission, Amazon Fresh grocery has signed a lease to the largest building, spanning more than 43,000 square feet. Shoppers will have the option to use Dash Cart which operates sensor fusion in the shopping cart to scan products, exit through the Dash Cart lanes and billed by email to credit card on file with Amazon. The other option will be through traditional check-out. 

CEO Candice McElyea, of One Eight Oh public relations, said several retailers have signed on for space, yet are not ready to announce. They will include however specialty boutiques and health and wellness companies. A Mediterranean grill has been submitted, said Rowan Glidden, Bel Air planning commissioner. “They’re proposing a drive-thru for pickup only of online orders,” he said in May. 

When SJC Ventures shared their plans to put in a new complex where the old Sears was torn down, town officials specified as part of the project that a public art amenity would be required. The Bel Air Planning Commission requires a public art amenity or $10,000 donation to the arts - the project on the 4.4-acre lot is greater than 10,000 square feet. 

The developers shared a vision for a sculpture of horses in a nod to the history of the site where the Mall sits. From 1878 to 1965, the land off Tollgate Road operated as the Bel Air Racetrack. The racetrack was one of the first formal racecourses in Maryland, surpassed only by Pimlico Racetrack which opened in 1870. The proposed sculpture consists of five attached horses made from steel and finished in a bronze color. 

​The Bel Air Cultural Arts Commission has unanimously approved the proposed art amenity submitted by SJC Ventures.