Contact MargaretArchive for the 'News' Category
VA Benefits May Expand
August 15th, 2010 Categories: News
Spouses of deceased veterans could soon become eligible for VA financing, if Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina has her way. She sponsored a bill known as The Disabled Veterans’ Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act, to extend eligibility for a VA home loan to spouses even if the veteran’s death was not directly service-related.
According to an article in the Winston-Salem Journal, Foxx’s bill has been endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans and American Legion, among other groups. This seems to me like something the National Association of REALTORS and Mortgage Banker’s Association might be able to support, as well.
The current status of the bill is that it’s been referred to Committee, so let’s hope it gets out in time for a vote this year. There just might be some potential home buyers our there who fit into this category, and the only thing keeping them out of the market is lack of financing.
Thank you, Virginia Foxx. In spite of the fact that Maryland is home to many active duty and veteran military families, it doesn’t appear that anyone from Maryland is among the 34 others in Congress who are co-sponsoring this with you.
Crofton residents who are interested in this potential expansion can follow the bill’s progress on Ms. Foxx’s website.
Originally published by Margaret Woda at MarylandRealEstateBlog.com
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Crofton Assistant Principals Promoted
July 14th, 2010 Categories: News
Three Crofton schools are losing popular assistant principals this fall.
It’s that time of year again when school systems shuffle administrators from one location to another. With nine principals retiring county-wide and some experienced Anne Arundel County principals being transferred, that means several opportunities for assistant principals to advance their careers.
Three of the new school principals will be coming from Crofton schools:
Colleen Harris, Crofton Elementary, has been named the new principal at Deale Elementary.
Lynn Birus, Crofton Woods Elementary, will become principal at Severna Park Elementary.
Sara Pickens, Nantucket Elementary, will be the new principal at Jones Elementary.
Please join me in congratulating these fine school administrators and wishing them the best in their new assignments.
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Maryland Schools Rank #1 Again
June 25th, 2010 Categories: News, Schools
Maryland’s public education system ranks first in the nation again this year.
Education Week, the College Board and Newsweek Magazine ranked Maryland #1 for the highest percentage of rigorous high schools in America based on the “Challenge Index” developed by the Washington Post.
The “America’s Top High Schools” issue of Newsweek, published last week, listed 98 Maryland high schools among its top 1,622 schools nationwide. Since Maryland has 185 public schools, this means that 53 percent of our high schools appeared on their list. (A few other states have more schools on the list, but they have far more schools overall and, therefore, a lower percentage of schools from their state.)
The Challenge Index looks at student enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate, and Cambridge courses and tests. These are considered to be indicators of good preparation for college, and many colleges and universities give credit for them.
Both high schools attended by children living in Crofton, Maryland (21114), are among the eleven (out of twelve) Anne Arundel County public schools that made the list – Arundel H.S. in Gambrills and South River H.S. in Edgewater. Nearby Bowie H.S., in Prince George’s County, also made Newsweek’s list of “America’s Top High Schools”.
RELATED LINKS:
- Nation’s Top Public School System is Maryland (2009)
- A Tour of Local Public Schools for Crofton Newbies
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Puzzled by Hilltop Plaza Renovation in Bowie MD
June 21st, 2010 Categories: News
Outback Steakhouse in Bowie is located in Hilltop Plaza, at the intersection of Defense Highway (Rt. 450) and Race Track Road. It’s the one business that keeps us going back to that shopping center as they’ve lost one tenant after another: T.J. Maxx, McDonald’s, Joanne’s Fabrics, Next Day Blinds and many other businesses we’ve supported there over the past 30+ years.
While there is a Longhorn Steakhouse and a Texas Roadhouse nearby, we tend to favor Outback because it’s a little closer to Crofton and the parking is usually good – correction, it WAS good before the renovation now underway.
We’ve watched in amazement over the past few weeks as several islands have replaced parking spaces in the previously satisfactory parking lot. Just look…
All of these islands in the photo are new… and, as I said before, they replace parking spaces at Hilltop Plaza. Half the store-fronts seem to be empty now, yet we often have to park at the other end of the lot to dine at Outback Steakhouse. Surely prospective tenants of those now empty store-fronts can see how lousy parking will be if/when they’re all occupied.
Why would any developer reduce parking capacity (at great expense) and why would any business lease space in a shopping center without adequate parking?
I can’t imagine what they’re thinking, and I’d love to post an answer if anybody has one.
We’ll probably continue to patronize Outback Steakhouse in Bowie for the next few weeks because we find the 6–oz Outback Special to be a good value at less than $10 (you can hardly cook out in your back yard for that!), and the service is usually pretty good.
When those other stores are occupied, however, we’ll probably dine elsewhere rather than deal with reduced parking capacity at Hilltop Plaza. Maybe Outback should consider relocating to Crofton or Gambrills…
Now THAT would be a good idea! I vote for the Villages at Waugh Chapel.
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Planning to Renovate Your Older Home?
May 28th, 2010 Categories: News
IF YOU LIVE IN OLD CROFTON, BELAIR AT BOWIE, FOUR SEASONS ESTATES or any other older community in the area, this is important for you to read:
A new law went into effect on April 22, 2010 that will impact any work you have done on your home, if it was built before 1978. That describes a lot of homes in the greater Crofton area.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency website, “Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.”
To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under this rule…
Beginning April 22, 2010, contractors performing renovation, repair and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in homes, child care facilities, and schools built before 1978 must be certified and must follow specific work practices to prevent lead contamination.
The fine: $32,000
According to information on the EPA website, the certification process for contractors is not expensive or complex, so there is little or no excuse for you to hire any licensed contractor without the EPA certification.
To become a certified renovator, licensed contractors must:
- Take eight hours of class, including 2 hours of hands-on training. There are eight accredited renovation training programs within 50 miles of Crofton that are listed on the EPA website.
- Complete a 2–page application.
- Pay a certification fee of $300.
Before you hire someone to rip out that old tile around your tub or knock down the wall between your kitchen and dining room, be sure to ask if they’re EPA certified to work in your pre-1978 home. If they’re not, please share this information with them and encourage them to become certified – or hire someone else who is.
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