For those who travel state Route 3 where it intersects Waugh Chapel and  John Hopkins roads, you will notice a tremendous amount of clearing in the median. The work is part of a general improvement plan to accommodate the massive amount of traffic in the area. The county is following a type of road improvement known as a Michigan U-Turn. Seems like a funny name for something happening here in Maryland, but here's the gist. The term was coined after a road plan used frequently in Michigan on multilane intersections. Here's how it works: When coming from a secondary road, drivers are directed …

Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. If I receive excellent customer service, I’m very likely to share that news with anyone who wants to listen. On the other hand, if I receive horrible customer service, you can bet I’m going to share my story with everyone I see. I tell two friends, you tell two friends, and so on, and so on. In today’s economy, store owners know how important it is to make customers happy. We live in an area inundated with choices when it comes to buying our goods and services. Personally, I would rather spend my money at an establishment that makes me feel like …

If you have school age children in the Anne Arundel County Public School system, you are no stranger to the voice that calls at 5:30 a.m. to tell you that school is delayed or closed. This is the county's Connect-Ed automated telephone notification system . Is it helpful, or a nuisance? The system, in itself, is very useful for delivering messages.  On the other hand, many complain that they don’t like being woken up that early to be told you don’t have to get up for a few more hours. So how does it work? Bob Mosier, public information officer for Anne Arundel County Schools, gave me some …

After speaking at length with Bob Mosier, public information officer with Anne Arundel County Schools, I was enlightened to hear how the process worked. In terms of an early dismissal, the county relies on the weather prediction for the day taking into account that it usually takes four hours to safely transport all 75,000 students home. It’s not always as easy as waiting until the snow starts before making a decision to close early knowing it takes a few hours to get everyone safely dismissed and home. If the weather calls for deteriorating conditions early, the school system must take into …

One reader asked the question, "Are there any plans in the future for Crofton to build another middle school? All I keep hearing about is how overcrowded Crofton Middle is. Considering, they built a new elementary school (Nantucket) which will feed into Crofton Middle; doesn't it just make sense at least, to start to think about building a new middle school?" Simply put. No. But yes, it certainly does make sense to come up with a plan for the Crofton students since our schools are overcrowded. There are schools worse off in Anne Arundel County then the ones in this community, but that doesn’t…

January 1, the day we flip the calendar for a fresh year and great intentions to start fresh in many areas of our life. Is this the year you shed those 20 pounds you have been carrying around? Perhaps starting an exercise regime is your plan along with focusing on a healthier you? Is this the year you pay off those credit cards and start establishing a heartier savings account? Maybe you want to become more organized or finally kick that smoking habit? Whatever your resolution, there are plenty of resources around town to help you with your goals. Joining a health club, losing the 20 pounds, …

Currently, the the Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis Trail (WB&A) is constructed on the old WB&A Railroad alignment, also known as a "Rail Trail." The trail begins at Rt. 450 and Rt. 704 in Lanham, MD. There are six miles complete in Prince George's County and three miles in Anne Arundel County. In order for the trails to connect, a bridge needs to be constructed over the Patuxent River. This is the segment connecting Bowie to Odenton/Piney Orchard. The land is privately owned and much opposition has been met to constructing the bridge. The private landowners fear overuse and degradation …

A Patch reader asked us what happened to the old Crofton movie theater and is wondering why we don't have one in town now. Many of you probably remember the 'Loew's 4 Theater' that used to be in the now-popular Gold's Gym building. You probably saw Star Wars, Jaws, or ET there back in the day…and they didn't take credit cards. The Crofton movie theater was a popular hang out in the late 1970's until the late 1980's. You could grab some pizza at Pappy's, check out a movie, and then head over to Foos- Fun for some game fun afterwards. The old movie theater was in big need of renovations before…

It's been many things—and depending how long you have been in the Crofton area, you may have seen them all. It started as The Pigeon House, then, it became Widow Brown's Restaurant back in the 1970s. After that, it was called The Library and then Puffin's Restaurant in the 1980s. And, until it closed it doors recently, this popular Crofton eating spot at the corner of Rt. 450 and Rt. 3 north was Jasper's Restaurant. A few months back, the doors closed, the sign came down, and they closed up shop. So the big question? Is Jasper's dead and buried? Are we getting a new restaurant? According to …

If you were out driving around in the Crofton area 2 weeks ago and saw the large beam lights in the nighttime sky, you probably wondered what was going on. All of the commotion was the grand opening of Floyd's Barber Shop in the Carver Road Plaza, located directly under Vuong's Studio and adjacent to Dickey's BBQ. Looking for a neat hair experience? You need to check this place out. Modeled after the famous "Floyd's Barber Shop" in the tiny little town of Mayberry on the Andy Griffith Show…this shop blends old school traditions with hip, new styles. The owner's vision was that this would be a…

If you have driven down Rt. 3 south recently, just past the Village of Waugh Chapel, you will notice that things look a little different. Just across from Shoreline Seafood, tree clearing and paving is taking place as a new shopping village emerges. This will be the entrance for the next phase of the "Village," appropriately called the Village South at Waugh Chapel. This project is due to be completed by summer 2012. The new Village will connect to New Market Lane, which is the road that runs in front of Bob Evans and the other restaurants, allowing for both of these complexes to be …

Driving through Crofton on Rt. 3 north, you will notice a Crofton landmark that has been a scenic landscape, a home to many waterfowl, and a dried up earthy patch at times. Lake Louise is located at the gates of Crofton, alongside of Rt. 3. It is a large, storm water retention pond that collects runoff from the neighboring community. After periods of drought, the "lake" gets nearly bone dry and is unsightly. Hundreds of ducks and geese call Lake Louise their home and can often be seen walking around the lake and close to the road. Back in the day, people used to ice skate on it in the winter…

That's an easy one! The youth group at the Community United Methodist Church (CUMC) will be selling pumpkin pies and pumpkin bread to raise money for their Youth ASP (Appalachian Service Project) trip next summer. The pies and bread are made by the youth (with adult supervision) and are sold for $8 each; the pumpkin bread is $6 a loaf. Get your orders in now for your Thanksgiving dinner. While you are enjoying your fresh pumpkin treats, you will also be helping with a much bigger project. The youth are planning a week long mission trip to rural Appalachia the week of June 24, 2011. The …