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HAVRE DE GRACE - The City of Havre de Grace is inviting residents to a public hearing to share their ideas and suggestions for the redevelopment of the Harford Memorial Hospital site.

Harford Memorial holds a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. The property, originally a 21-room Queen Anne-style mansion designed by renowned Baltimore architect George A. Frederick in 1891, was sold to a group of citizens aiming to establish a hospital in 1911. The Havre de Grace Hospital was inaugurated on January 1, 1912, with the admission of a farm accident victim, according to Historic Havre de Grace.

In 1942, ground was broken for a new building, which was later renamed Harford Memorial Hospital. The original Baker mansion was demolished in 1951, and the hospital underwent further expansions in the late 1960s and early 1980s.

In 2013, the hospital merged with the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and Upper Chesapeake Health to become the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health, later known as the University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital.

According to University of Maryland Harford Memorial Hospital, the building has "outlived its useful life."

"Renovation of the facility is not cost-effective and the nine acre site in downtown Havre de Grace is surrounded by existing developed parcels, limiting a practical opportunity for renovation or expansion," the medical centers wrote in 2019.

The hospital is scheduled to cease operations by spring 2024, as confirmed by a University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health representative.

The closure is due to the completion of a new bed tower at the Bel Air campus, along with the opening of a new medical center in Aberdeen and an ambulatory surgery center in Bel Air.

The redevelopment of UM Harford Memorial Hospital, especially given its crucial location at the intersection of Union Avenue and Revolution Street, has been a primary concern for the residents of Old Town.

The Envision Havre de Grace project identified redeveloping the hospital as vital for defining the character of Union Avenue.

The public comment session will occur at the Opera House, 121 N. Union Avenue, on Thursday, July 27, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. Written public comments may be sent to Havre de Grace Director of Planning Tim Bourcier at [email protected]

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The meeting will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person. To access the live stream, visit the City of Havre de Grace website at www.havredegracemd.com and click the live stream video icon.

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HAVRE DE GRACE - At a Havre de Grace City Council meeting on June 20, Patrick Saipol, director of capital projects, presented the progress of the long-anticipated yet controversial downtown restoration plan.

The restoration project, initiated about 18 months ago, aims to revamp the downtown infrastructure, "which includes our water, our sewer, our storm drains, our sidewalks, our lighting, and our trees," Saipol explained during his presentation. The ambitious endeavor is possible thanks to the funding secured through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Saipol noted the project's complexity, indicating the city has established milestones for management and re-evaluation. According to Saipol, the expected schedule for the completed and remaining phases of the project are:

Saipol shared that the city hopes to start construction in the fall of 2023. He also shared the project's values, which were established during the months-long design charette process.

Despite the project's lofty goals, residents continued to express concerns over parking availability at the meeting. Initial mock-ups by Toole Design, the company overseeing the project, indicate that out of the existing 188 parking spaces downtown, 117 will be preserved. Responding to the concern, the company noted over 270 public parking spaces are within a two-minute walk, and more than 1,000 spaces are within a five to seven-minute walk of the downtown area.

Local business owner Jolene Forrester voiced her worries about the possible parking loss during construction and nighttime safety for those who have to walk farther to their cars.

Another resident, Kerry Parsons, expressed concern about the potential difficulties for the visually impaired and other disabled citizens navigating the new downtown area.

"[impared residents] don't want to walk at night when it's to where they live," Parsons told the council. "I really think that North Washington going down through the plaza and then on to Saint John would be really nice if we could keep that cohesive."

Council President Jim Ringsaker suggested solutions to address these issues, including enforcing a three-hour parking limit and possibly employing parking enforcement officers. He also emphasized the need for civil discourse, citing several unsavory emails his office has received over the past several weeks.

"I didn't respond because I have seen the vitriol in some of the emails and some of the responses in the Facebook pages and the way that some people have acted, and I refuse to engage," Ringsaker said. "You can reach out to us cordially and nicely, and we will respond."

The project, described by Saipol as "the largest overall public event in this city's history," has involved the local community extensively. Over 40 hours of charrettes, or collaborative sessions, have been held where residents could share ideas and provide feedback.

"The purpose of this project is to create open, walkable, accessible, and shared-use spaces to include wider sidewalks, a healthy and consistent tree canopy, curbless streets, linear parks, and a small plaza," Saipol said, summarizing the project's overarching goal.

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Despite the challenges and concerns, the director of capital projects reassured the public that the project represents the consensus of the community meetings and will continue as planned.

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HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — It's an exciting day in the home of 79-year-old Betty Curry Phipps. She is about to give away her 550th wreath to a man named Melvin Mahan.

Mahan calls himself a "duck whisperer" and his new wreath reflects that. There is a duck decoy in the middle, surrounded by fake foliage typically found by a pond or lake, like cattails.

"I'm honored, this means a lot," he said when Phipps handed him the wreath. "This is my third [wreath], I got one duck and a Christmas wreath."

It's not unusual for people who receive a wreath by Phipps to have more than one. For the last couple of years, she has been making wreaths and giving them away for free through one of the Buy Nothing groups in Havre de Grace.

"My motto is making Havre de Grace even more beautiful, one wreath at a time," she said.

Phipps has been making wreaths for decades and says she use to sell them at local arts and crafts shows. Through the Buy Nothing group, she'll give away anywhere from 5 to 10 wreaths a week.

"When I gift the wreaths, the expression on the people’s faces it just melts my heart."

Owning a "Betty wreath" is like being part of a special club, even the mayor of Havre de Grace has one. Anna Rogers, creator of the Havre de Grace Buy Nothing group, also has a couple of wreaths. The one that means the most to her is one Phipps made to represent her family's two religions.

"I just wanted a Hanukkah-Christmas wreath so badly and I was looking online there was nothing. And I said wait a second, Mrs. Betty could make this for me!"

And the gifting goes both ways. People will drop off bags full of materials for Phipps to use in her next creations.

"I’m so blessed for all these people on our group who keep me going and we can make Havre de Grace beautiful," she said.

Back in 2010, Phipps was diagnosed with stage 4 COPD. It makes it difficult for her to get around, much less leave the house. She loves meeting and talking to the people who come to her home to collect their wreath.

"This wreath-making keeps me active and my doctor told me he said I don’t know what you’re doing but keep doing it," she said.

And Rogers said that is the mission of the Buy Nothing group, to bring a community together.

"People who have lived here all their lives like Mrs. Betty are meeting people for the first time that they’ve never met and people who are new don’t feel so isolated. They feel like they are part of something and we all care about each other."

For more information on how to start a Buy Nothing project in your community, click here.

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November 15, 2023

The award includes funding from the Inflation Reduction Act

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) announced $2,505,500 for critical infrastructure improvements to the City of Havre de Grace in Harford County. The federal funding, provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) National Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) grant program, will support efforts to strengthen resiliency and reduce flood risk in the community while protecting endangered, threatened, and declining species in the Chesapeake Bay. These improvements are critical to the preservation and protection of this waterfront community, and were made possible in part by the senators’ work to pass the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Flooding and shoreline erosion threaten our waterfront communities, our Bay economy, and the renowned charm of towns like Havre de Grace. That’s why we fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, and invest in boosting our infrastructure resiliency. This federal funding will help improve the safety of Havre de Grace’s homes and businesses while protecting our treasured Chesapeake Bay,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“In Maryland, our wetlands are some of our best defenses against rising sea levels and storm surge. Preparing our coastal communities for the impacts of climate change and strengthening coastal habitats can and should go hand in hand,” said Senator Cardin. “This grant, awarded from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s National Coastal Resilience Fund, understands that. Strengthening Maryland’s coastal resiliency is more important than ever as we continue facing the impacts of climate change.”

The City of Havre de Grace faces threats from rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and changing rainfall patterns. Senators Van Hollen and Cardin have long fought for efforts to strengthen Maryland’s coastal resiliency which also advance Chesapeake Bay restoration. In addition to the $2.6 billion the senators secured in the Inflation Reduction Act to support coastal resiliency across the country, the senators also secured historic investments through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act totaling $238 million targeting the Chesapeake Bay region, including $40 million for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Stewardship Fund.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a government non-profit dedicated to sustaining, restoring and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats for current and future generations. NFWF advances its mission through public and private partnerships that invest financial and intellectual resources into science-based programs to address conservation priorities and achieve measurable outcomes, including initiatives like the National Coastal Resilience Fund. The NCRF invests in conservation projects that restore or expand natural features such as coastal marshes and wetlands that minimize the impacts of storms, sea level rise and other coastal hazards on nearby communities.

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HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. —

A Havre de Grace couple strives to raise awareness for Down syndrome by creating a space where everyone is included, accepted and celebrated.

Tuesday is World Down Syndrome Day, a time to raise global awareness and advocate for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with the condition.

"Isaac's aNORAble Home" on Franklin Street is purposefully decked out in blue and yellow because everything about the house -- including its colors -- has a special meaning.

"Those are the colors of Down syndrome," said Kimberly Waszkiewicz, co-owner of Isaac's aNORAble Home. "Isaac's aNORAble Home is a place dedicated to our children, Isaac and Nora, and the disability community."

Isaac's aNORAble Home is down the street from the doctor's office where they found out their daughter, Nora, would come into this world with Down syndrome.

"We realized at that very moment we have to advocate for her and a community. We had no idea it would gift us with so much more meaning," Waszkiewicz said.

Seven years later, they've found meaning in opening Isaac's aNORAble Home. They bought the home in summer 2022, renovated it and turned it into an Airbnb and art gallery filled with paintings and photos created by people with disabilities.

"The art is not just about what you see, but there's just so much more that goes beyond it, and it's the person that created that art needs to be celebrated just for being who they are," Waszkiewicz said.

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"Isaac’s aNORAble Home" on Franklin Street is purposefully decked out in blue and yellow because everything about the house -- including its colors -- has a special meaning.

The Waszkiewiczes hold art events at the Harford Center and the Arc of Northern Chesapeake Region, where people with disabilities can paint freely.

The money from their Airbnb guests helps fund those events. But welcoming guests for stays is not just about the money, it's about expanding their minds and teaching them about life for people with disabilities through pictures books, art and personal messages.

"We hope that people who are not personally connected to life with disability can come here and leave and have a better understanding when they come across somebody who does," Waszkiewicz said.

So, the blue-and-yellow house is so much more than what meets the eye. It's a symbol of acceptance, expression and the hope of a more inclusive world for Nora and everyone else pictured on the walls.

"That's the world we celebrate. (It's) a world where people with disabilities are living in it in a meaningful way," Waszkiewicz said.

The next step is to raise money for a ramp to make sure this home is accessible for everyone. To donate and help Isaac's aNORAble Home, visit the following website.