Harford Magazine – Baltimore Sun https://www.baltimoresun.com Baltimore Sun: Your source for Baltimore breaking news, sports, business, entertainment, weather and traffic Thu, 15 May 2025 11:16:48 +0000 en-US hourly 30 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 https://www.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/baltimore-sun-favicon.png?w=32 Harford Magazine – Baltimore Sun https://www.baltimoresun.com 32 32 208788401 Nash & Smashed hot-chicken chain coming to Columbia and Abingdon https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/05/14/nash-smashed-hot-chicken-chain-coming-to-columbia-and-abingdon/ Wed, 14 May 2025 20:45:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11443690 Nash & Smashed, a restaurant chain offering Nashville hot chicken, is expanding in Maryland and will soon open a Columbia location.

The company just opened its first Baltimore spot, in Federal Hill. It’s also planning restaurants in Harford County’s Abingdon area and Prince George’s County.

The chain restaurant just signed a lease for the Marlow building in the Merriweather District, according to a spokesperson for Howard Hughes Holdings, Inc.

Nash & Smashed owner M.N. Abassi said in a statement: “The Merriweather District project is a dynamic development that will serve as a cornerstone for our continued growth. We’re proud to join such great co-tenants and even more excited to serve the Columbia community.”

The restaurant chain, which recently rebranded from Nash & Smash, focuses on Nashville hot chicken, smashed burgers and mocktails.

The company said they did not have an exact location yet in Abingdon.

Have a news tip? Contact Bryna Zumer at bzumer@baltsun.com, or on X as @brynazumer . 

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11443690 2025-05-14T16:45:00+00:00 2025-05-15T07:16:48+00:00
Some in Latino community heartbroken, tense amid Rachel Morin murder trial https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/04/04/latino-community-heartbroken-tense-as-rachel-morin-murder-trial-looms/ Fri, 04 Apr 2025 20:13:46 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11246953 Janet Arce was living in Harford County when Bel Air resident Rachel Morin was ambushed, raped and killed after heading out for a walk on the Ma & Pa Trail in August 2023.

It took authorities 10 months to find and capture their main suspect, Victor Hernandez Martinez of El Salvador, who authorities said was in the country illegally. He was arrested in Oklahoma and extradited to Maryland, where he faces trial on murder charges in Harford County Circuit Court. Opening statements were heard Friday, and the trial continues Monday.

The county’s Latino community was as grief-stricken and as fearful as everyone else in the wake of the crime, says Arce, a Puerto Rican native who has spent 30 years supporting Spanish-speaking immigrants in Maryland. And with the high-profile proceeding underway, they’re feeling tense, worried the spotlight will reflect on them.

“People are following this trial very closely,” she says. “People are hurt. She was a young mom of five children. It’s just heartbreaking. Everyone agrees that if you come to this country and commit a crime, you deserve to pay the penalty.

“At the same time, it’s like — how can I say it? — people look at us like we’re [all] criminals or gang members. That is not the case. We also feel the pain, and we think, ‘Wow,’ this makes us all look bad.”

The killing of Morin is far from the only violent crime committed by individuals in the country illegally that has grabbed headlines and left American families shattered. Nor is it the first to be seized on by politicians who favor stricter immigration polices.

The fatal shooting of California woman Kate Steinle by a Mexican national in 2015 sparked fierce criticism and debate over San Francisco’s sanctuary city policy, which bars local officials from questioning a resident’s immigration status. Donald Trump was one of several Republican presidential candidates who made the case an issue in 2016.

Two years later, University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts was killed by an undocumented immigrant while jogging. A Venezuelan national who was in the country illegally was convicted in November of killing 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley in Athens, Georgia, in February of last year. And two others from Venezuela are facing capital murder charges in the rape and killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas last June.

Trump made those and other cases cornerstones of his argument for stiffer immigration policies on the campaign trail last year, and the message resonated: Most voters listed concerns about immigration as one of their two top concerns. the Pew Research Center found that 56% of registered voters favored mass deportations of immigrants who are living in the country illegally.

Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, arrives in Maryland. He is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in Rachel Morin's death on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)
Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, arrives in Maryland. He is charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in Rachel Morin's death on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail in Bel Air. (Jerry Jackson/Staff)

The Trump administration has followed through. A White House spokesman announced this week that it had deported more than 100,000 immigrants in the country illegally since January.

The 45th and now 47th president made Morin’s case a prominent part of the argument. He invited Morin’s brother, Michael, to speak at the Republican National Convention in June, where he blamed Harris-Biden administration policies for her death, and Morin’s mother, Patti, has appeared with Trump several times to back his administration’s hard-line policies.

The American Immigration Council and other critics point to numerous studies that show immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are statistically less likely to commit violent crimes in the United States than native-born Americans, and many have accused the President and GOP of exploiting tragedies to paint immigrants in the worst possible light.

Sheri Hoidra makes no such accusation, but she does fear that politicians can and will use a case like Morin’s to work up support for ill-advised immigration legislation

A immigration attorney with a roster of clients in Harford County, Hoidra says the times are so sensitive that few in her field, let alone Maryland immigrants, are willing to talk about their views on issues that affect their communities. The sentiment among her clients is overwhelming that the crimes against Morin were shocking and heartbreaking and that they want justice to be done, she said, but most are also wary of being viewed as suspect simply because they’re Latino.

And as an attorney, Hoidra is worried that conservative lawmakers will use the understandably powerful emotions around the Morin case to gin up support for bills she says would violate the rights of both documented and undocumented immigrants, the vast majority of whom are productive, law-abiding members of their communities.

Hoidra, currently the chair of the immigration law section of the Maryland State Bar Association, has appeared in Annapolis to oppose two bills before the General Assembly that would alter the legal framework local and federal law enforcement have been using to deal with suspected illegal immigrants in the state since 2021.

Patty Morin and her family lead a prayer walk to honor her daughter Rachel on the one year mark since her murder on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail last Aug.. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Patty Morin and her family lead a prayer walk to honor her daughter Rachel on the one year mark since her murder on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail last August (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)

The Dignity Not Detention Act, passed that year, barred Maryland and its local jurisdictions from entering into agreements with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for immigration detention, essentially barring the state from participating in federal detention programs. It also prohibited state and local actors from inquiring about an individual’s immigration status.

Hoidra has testified against both House Bill 85, sponsored by State Delegate Nino Mangione, a Baltimore County Republican, which would remove many of those restrictions on local agents, and House Bill 1188, which would compel further cooperation by local law enforcement with ICE opposes

 

“I think the community is concerned because [politicians] are using the name of an individual who was, obviously, horrifically killed,” says Hoidra, a U.S. citizen who emigrated from Iran.

“The accused person was undocumented, sure. But to use that fact to say ‘we’re going to have Maryland police act as ICE agents and give them the right to ask questions about immigration status,’ that scares people,” she said. “Among other things, it will keep people from feeling OK about reporting crimes to police. It has a significant ripple effect through the whole community.”

One local cleric who works closely with immigrants says virtually everyone in the Spanish-speaking community hopes that anyone who commits the kind of crime Morin’s assailant did are dealt with severely — even more so, perhaps, if they’re Latino.

“With all the controversy over immigration, and given all the executive orders [Trump] has been signing, there’s a clear line among our people that if you’re a criminal, you have to be out of here,” says Bishop Angel Nuñez, longtime pastor of the Bilingual Christian Church of Baltimore. “And if he’s found guilty, he should not be sent back to his home country so he could just come back here and do the same thing again.

“He belongs in jail,” says Nuñez, who also serves as vice president of the National Hispanic Pastors Alliance, a consortium of more than 800 churches in the U.S. “Those are the kind of thoughts people have.”

Rachel Morin's mother Patricia, right, and sister Rebekah, center, walk to Harford County Circuit Court to attend trial in Rachel's murder. Patricia Morin's lawyer, Randolph Rice, accompanies them at left. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Rachel Morin's mother Patricia, right, and sister Rebekah, center, walk to Harford County Circuit Court to attend trial in Rachel's murder. Patricia Morin's lawyer, Randolph Rice, accompanies them at left. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

Closer to the trial venue, meanwhile, Pablo Hernandez says Latinos will be keeping a close eye on the proceedings.

Hernandez, a U.S. military veteran who volunteers at a Spanish-speaking church in Edgewood, reiterates that most in the community fear that too many are associating the person who killed Morin with a broader Latino community that has had a presence in the county dating to the 1980s and that is as horrified by his actions as anyone.

“People speak about the crime — how bad, how violent it was, and especially about the repercussions to the children of the murdered young lady. They’re also speaking about how even though we don’t live in the city, we’re not immune from crime, how even the places we thought of as safe aren’t safe any more. We have to remain vigilant,” he says.

Have a news tip? Contact Jonathan M. Pitts at jonpitts@baltsun.com.

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11246953 2025-04-04T16:13:46+00:00 2025-04-05T11:05:33+00:00
Here are the winners of the Best of Harford County Readers’ Choice poll 2024 https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/02/25/heres-the-winners-of-the-best-of-harford-county-readers-choice-poll-2024/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:00:33 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=11170622 Your votes are in! See how readers voted in the Best of Harford County Readers’ Choice poll.

Health & Wellness

ADDICTION COUNSELING: ASHLEY ADDICTION TREATMENT

Honorable mentions

Klein Family Center

Char Hope Foundation

Gorham

ALTERNATE WELLNESS CENTER: SALT WORKS SPA

Honorable mentions

Jeremy Betkey Massage Therapy

Namaste My Day

Lavish Salon & Spa

Best of Harford County. AUDIOLOGIST: BAY AREA AUDIOLOGY. (Courtesy)
Best of Harford County. AUDIOLOGIST: BAY AREA AUDIOLOGY. (Courtesy)

AUDIOLOGIST: BAY AREA AUDIOLOGY

424 Barnes St., Suite 102, Bel Air

410-941-3826

belairhearingaids.com

Dr. Trisha A. Bents Muth (Au.D., CCC-A) has a passion for helping patients better their lives by improving their hearing. “My job is a real joy, as I get to improve the quality of life for my patients, as well as their families and loved ones. If someone is suffering from hearing loss, my approach is, ‘Let’s make it better.’”

Dr. Muth notes that most patients experience hearing loss over several years and do not take action until the onset of symptoms. “It’s an intimate issue; people don’t want to talk about it. I call it a silent disability, as you cannot really see that anything is wrong,” she says.

Untreated hearing loss can lead to an increased risk of dementia, she notes. “Also, it affects your social and emotional health and can cause depression due to isolation. We pride ourselves on evidence-based best practices to provide the best outcomes.”

In addition to treating older adults, Dr. Muth also performs pediatric hearing evaluations.

“People with hearing loss don’t know what they are missing until they get a hearing aid. Suddenly, they have better conversations with loved ones and feel more confident,” she says.

Honorable mention

Hearing Associates Inc Harmony Hearing

CHIROPRACTOR: OPTIMAL SPINE CHIROPRACTIC

Honorable mentions

Dr. Poane

Ultimate Health Dr. Rob Reier

DAY SPA: SALT WORKS SPA

Honorable mentions

Aruba Sun and Spa

Lavish Salon & Spa

Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa

DENTAL PRACTICE: RIVER DENTAL

Honorable mentions

Laurel Bush Family Dentistry

Smile Partners

Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry

DISPENSARY: RISE

Honorable mention

Four Green Fields

EYE CARE (TIE): WILMER EYE INSTITUTE (BEL AIR)

EYE CARE (TIE): MYEYEDR.

Honorable mentions

Seidenberg Protzko Eye Associates

Advanced Eye Care

Holloway Eye Care

MEDISPA: ALLURE AESTHETICS OF BEL AIR

Honorable mentions

Chesapeake Skin Solutions

Lavish Salon & Spa

ProMD Health Bel Air

OB/GYN: SUSQUEHANNA OBGYN

Honorable mention

Upper Chesapeake Women’s Health

ORTHODONTIST: BEL AIR ORTHODONTICS

Honorable mentions

Amanda Gallagher Orthodontics

Smile Partners

Isaacs, Nawy, Stern & Isaacs Orthodontics

ORTHOPEDIC: TOWSON ORTHOPAEDIC (BEL AIR)

Honorable mentions

Dr. Sean Curtin

Susquehanna Orthopedic Associates

Best of Harford County. Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry (By photographers, Robin Sommer and Bill Rettberg of MidAtlantic Photographic LLC)
Best of Harford County. Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry (By photographers, Robin Sommer and Bill Rettberg of MidAtlantic Photographic LLC)

PEDIATRIC DENTIST: GROWING SMILES PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

Bel Air Office

2012 S. Tollgate Road, Suite 212

410-569-6700

White Marsh Office

11570 Crossroads Circle, Suite 116

410-697-9000

growingsmiles.com

If you ask most kids to list their favorite activities, heading to the dentist may not top the list. However, many parents have shared that their kids actually look forward to going to Growing Smiles pediatric dentistry, thanks to the fun and welcoming staff.

“We are uber-focused on providing a positive experience in a fun, caring environment. We love telling jokes. Above all else, we love smiles – those of our patients, parents and ourselves,” says Diana Capobianco, D.D.S., who started Growing Smiles over 20 years ago. “It started with just me in one location. Now we have grown to include four doctors, two locations, and 40 staff members.”

Growing Smiles is a pediatric dental office that treats patients from infancy through their teenage years, including those with special needs. “We provide all basic dental services, such as cleaning, fluoride, restorations, but we also provide services that are unique to children,” Dr. Capobianco explains. She and her staff volunteer by providing dental health screenings and education in the community.

Honorable mentions

Bel Air Pediatric Dentistry

Joseph LaPonzina Orthodontics

Chesapeake Pediatric

PEDIATRIC PRACTICE: PEDIATRIC PARTNERS

Honorable mentions

Bright Oaks Pediatric Center

Forest Hill Pediatrics

Bel Air Pediatric Dentistry

PHARMACY: CVS-TARGET (MARKET-PLACE)

Honorable mentions

Klein’s Shoprite

White Ford Pharmacy

Wegmans

PHYSICAL THERAPIST: AGAPE PHYSICAL THERAPY

Honorable mentions

McLaughlin Physical Therapy

Medstar Physical Therapy

Pivot Physical Therapy

URGENT CARE: PATIENT FIRST (ABERDEEN)

Honorable mentions

Express Care

University of Maryland Urgent Care (Fallston)

Klein Family Center

Home

ELECTRICIAN: MATTINGLY ELECTRIC

Honorable mentions

DeLuca Electric

A&J Electric

JPS Electric

FLOORING AND CARPETING: TOP NOTCH FLOORING AMERICA

Honorable mentions

Bel Air Carpet

K.C. Flooring

Adams Flooring & Handyman Services

GARDEN CENTER/NURSERY: THE MILL OF BEL AIR

Honorable mentions 

Griers Nursery & Greenhouses

Kroh’s Nursery

Fritz Farm & Nursery

HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTOR: TAR HEEL CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Honorable mentions

Ward Home Improvements at the Ward Design Studio

Kris Konstruction

RR Projects & Design

Best of Harford County. HOMEBUILDER: BOB WARD TRADEMARK HOMES. (Courtesy)
Best of Harford County. HOMEBUILDER: BOB WARD TRADEMARK HOMES. (Courtesy)

HOMEBUILDER: BOB WARD TRADEMARK HOMES

200 Man O’War Place, Havre de Grace

443-804-9616

trademarkcustomhomes.com

While some homebuilders are focused on hitting sales goals and expanding into multiple markets, Clark Turner of Bob Ward Trademark Homes makes it clear that his focus is on the charming Chesapeake Bay town of Havre de Grace. “In our model home at Bulle Rock, all of our employees – many of whom live in Havre de Grace – are onsite,” Turner says. “By deliberately focusing on one area, we can deliver unparalleled customer service because we are onsite every day.”

Turner notes that 95% of their clients are empty nesters looking for their forever home.

Sales Manager JoAnna West notes that no two homes are designed the same at Bulle Rock. “Clark is our in-house home designer, and he will sit with the customer and sketch out a design based on their lifestyle and taste at no charge. That kind of attention to detail cannot be duplicated with a computer design program,” she says.

West adds that the company’s homes include standard high-end features and finishes that are considered upgrades by other builders, and aging in place features are also included.

Honorable mentions

Pinnacle Design and Development

Huskin Builders

Viking Construction

HOUSECLEANING SERVICE: CORNERSTONE CLEANING

Honorable mentions

Housekeeping By Susan

Two Arrows Cleaning Services

The Clean Castle

HVAC: SM MECHANICAL

Honorable mentions 

Excel HVAC Services

First Response Heating & Cooling

Ground Loop Heating and Air Conditioning

INTERIOR DESIGNER/DECORATOR: HOME WITH HEATHER, HEATHER KROUT

Honorable mentions

Monica Burk – Trellis Designs

Wendy Miller – Wendmill Designs

Juniper Interiors

LANDSCAPER: LAWNSCAPE INC.

Honorable mentions

Turf Connection Inc.

Akehurst Landscape Service

Chesapeake Landscapes

MORTGAGE COMPANY: THE RICCITELLI TEAM – CROSS COUNTRY MORTGAGE

Honorable mentions

Freedom Federal Credit Union

Har-co Credit Union APGFCU

PLUMBER: AMP PLUMBING & HEATING

Honorable mentions

PlumbCrazy

Mike’s Plumbing And Heating Services

NAM Plumbing

Best of Harford County. ROOFING: HARFORD ROOFING & EXTERIORS. (Courtesy)
Best of Harford County. ROOFING: HARFORD ROOFING & EXTERIORS. (Courtesy)

ROOFING: HARFORD ROOFING & EXTERIORS

407 Congress Ave., Havre de Grace

443-331-4916

harfordexteriors.com

Shawn Whalen began working in the home remodeling business when he was 17 years old, carrying shingles and picking up nails on roofing jobs. More than 20 years later, he and his wife, Meagan, are owners of Harford Roofing & Exteriors and are dedicated to addressing pain points they have seen in their industry.

“Lack of communication and over-pricing are the two areas customers get frustrated about in this industry. If anything, I over-communicate,” he laughs. “I’ll text you to say we are five minutes away and take the time to explain every detail about how a new roof will be installed and detail each dollar of the price,” Shawn says.

In addition to roofing, the company also works on siding, windows, doors and gutters, and services Harford, Baltimore and Cecil Counties.

“We use 3-D modeling to show customers exactly what their home will look like when we are done,” says Shawn, who urges homeowners not to wait until a leak to have their roof inspected. “Regular roof maintenance is very important.”

Honorable mentions

Tar Heel Construction Group

Polk Contracting

Premier Roofing

WASTE/RECYCLING COMPANY: BARTENFELDER SANITATION SERVICES

Honorable mentions

Harford County Trash Services

Humpty Dumpsters

Maryland Pickers Junk Removal

Out & about

ANNUAL FESTIVAL/EVENT: CHESAPEAKE SHAMROCK 5K

Honorable mentions

Bel Air Festival of the Arts

Harford County Wine Festival

St. Margaret Fall Festival

ART STUDIO/GALLERY: AMAZING GLAZE

Honorable mentions 

Made Me Mine

Harford Artists Gallery

Gallery 220

BREWERY: HOPKINS FARM BREWERY

Honorable mentions

Independent Brewing Co.

Slate Farm Brewery

Double Groove Brewing Co.

CHARITY/NONPROFIT: CHESAPEAKE BAY ASSOCIATION 

Honorable mentions

Humane Society of Harford County

The Hero Rescue

Harford County Public Library Foundation

KIDS ACTIVITY: HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Honorable mentions

Jurassic Golf and Arcade

Young Chefs Academy

The Arena Club

MUSEUM: STEPPINGSTONE FARM MUSEUM

Honorable mentions

Havre de Grace Decoy Museum

Havre de Grace Maritime Museum

Harford Historical Society

PARK: ANNIE’S PLAYGROUND

Honorable mentions

Rocks State Park

Susquehanna State Park

Eden Mill

PRIVATE SCHOOL: THE JOHN CARROLL SCHOOL

Honorable mentions 

St. Margaret School

The Highlands School

Harford Christian School

PUBLIC SCHOOL: HARFORD TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL

Honorable mentions

Bel Air High School

North Harford High School

Red Pump Elementary

RAINY-DAY ACTIVITY: JURASSIC GOLF AND ARCADE

Honorable mentions

Amazing Glaze

Made Me Mine

The State Theatre of Havre De Grace

SPECIAL EVENTS VENUE: ROCKFIELD MANOR

Honorable mentions

Hopkins Family Brewery

Ladew Topiary Gardens

The Liriodendron Mansion

THEATER COMPANY: THE STATE THEATRE OF HAVRE DE GRACE

Honorable mentions

Tidewater Players

Starlight Theatricals

Abingdon Community Theater

WINERY: HARFORD VINEYARD & WINERY

Honorable mentions

Fiore Winery

Mount Felix Vineyard & Winery

Personal services

ACCOUNTANT: FRANK HAJEK & ASSOCIATES

Honorable mentions

DeCapite & DeCapite

Weyrich, Cronin & Sorra

DiNatalie Accounting and Tax Services

AUTO REPAIR: BEDELL AUTOMOTIVE

Honorable mentions

Forest Hill Automotive

Rt Auto Works

Harford Tire

BANK/CREDIT UNION: APGFCU

Honorable mentions

Har-co Credit Union

Freedom Federal Credit Union

Jarrettsville Federal

BARBERSHOP: OLD LINE BARBERS

Honorable mentions

Work of Art Barbershop

Whiteford Barbershop

Box Hill Barbers

CHILD CARE: FALLSTON CHILD CARE CENTER

Honorable mentions

The Arena Club

The Goddard School of Forest Hill

Kiddie Academy Abingdon

DOG TRAINER: SITS MEANS SIT DOG TRAINING

Honorable mentions

Blue Line K-9

Polite Pooches Positive Dog Training

Best Friends Fur Ever

DOGGIE DAYCARE: BEST FRIENDS FUR EVER

Honorable mentions

Country Comfort Kennels & Camp for Pets

Jarrettsville Vet

Luna’s House

DRY CLEANER: ZIPS

Honorable mentions

Kroh’s Cleaners

Sue’s Alterations

FINANCIAL ADVISER: HARFORD FINANCIAL GROUP

Honorable mentions

Crescendo Financial Group

The Kelly Group

Akers Financial Group

FLORIST: RICHARDSON’S FLORIST, GIFTS & FLOWER DELIVERY

Honorable mentions

Electric Daisy

Dee’s Flowers

Petals ‘n Posies at Jonathans

HAIR SALON: LAVISH SALON & SPA

Honorable mentions

Bella Vita Salon

Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa

Coco Leigh Hair Boutique

INSURANCE COMPANY: GERETY INSURANCE

Honorable mentions

AAG Insurance Enterprises

State Farm Insurance

Palumbo Insurance Associates

PET GROOMER: HOME SWEET HOME DOG GROOMING

Honorable mentions

Katiedidit Grooming

Canine Couture

Grooming by Dennis

Best of Harford County. REAL ESTATE AGENT: DANIEL MCGHEE, VICTORY TEAM. (Courtesy)
Best of Harford County. REAL ESTATE AGENT: DANIEL MCGHEE, VICTORY TEAM. (Courtesy)

REAL ESTATE AGENT: DANIEL MCGHEE, VICTORY TEAM

1316 E. Churchville Road, Bel Air

833-888-1754

victoryteamsells.com

Long before he embarked on a successful career in real estate, Daniel McGhee had always focused on giving back, whether it was helping feed the homeless or taking mission trips to Costa Rica. He has taken this altruistic outlook to his real estate practice as leader of The Victory Team.

“Last year I took 700 needy children Christmas shopping. I believe giving back is so important,” McGhee shares.

McGhee and The Victory Team focus on providing luxury services at affordable prices to help homeowners and home buyers achieve their dreams. “We have lower fees and commission rates, as we want to treat real estate differently with a focus on service, not sales.”

McGhee says that his main goal is to go above and beyond to deliver for his clients and continuously checks in with clients even after the sale is complete to make sure that they are happy in their new homes.

“Clients are not just numbers to me. Buying or selling a home is the biggest transaction in your life, and I am honored that they have entrusted me,” he says.

Honorable mentions

Laura Snyder Premier Realty

Lee Tessier Team of eXp Realty

Streett Hopkins Real Estate

SENIOR CARE: KATHERINE’S KEEPERS

Honorable mentions

Visiting Angels

Lorien of Bel Air

Bel Air Assisted Living

TATTOO PARLOR: FLESH TATTOO CO.

Honorable mentions

Dark Arts Tattoo Studio

Athens Tattoo Co.

Chop Shop Tattoo Co.

TRAVEL AGENCY: BRENDA TACKETT – MARVELOUS MOUSE TRAVELS

Honorable mentions

Travelworks International

Vickie Roden, Utmost Travel by Cruise Planners

Jenn Greene, Journeys with Jenn

VETERINARIAN: CHADWELL ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Honorable mentions

Homeward Bound Veterinary Services

Greenbrier Veterinary Clinic

Jarrettsville Veterinary Center

Personalities

ACTIVIST: FRANK NEIGHOFF

Honorable mentions

Dan McGhee

Randy Geyer

Terence O. Hanley

CLERGYPERSON: FATHER KEVIN – ST MARGARET’S

Honorable mentions

Pastor Ben Cachiaras, Mountain Christian Church

Rabbi Kushi Schusterman, Hartford Chabad

Pastor Kirk Bolen, Mountain Branch

ELECTED OFFICIAL: SHERIFF JEFF GAHLER

Honorable mentions

Bob Cassilly, Harford County Executive

Tony “G” Giangiordano, councilmember

Rep. Andy Harris

PERSONAL TRAINER: TIM CAIN, THE ARENA CLUB

Honorable mentions

Heather Rockhill, Snap Fitness Cameron Ridgell,

Game Changers Fitness

Cary Barrett, Kore Bootcamp

POLICE OFFICER: SHERIFF JEFF GAHLER

Honorable mentions

Jerry Eaton, HCSO

Rick Krause, Bel Air Keith Jackson, HCSO

PRINCIPAL: RANDY GEYER, HARFORD ACADEMY

Honorable mentions

Anna Shanahan, St. Margaret School

Brad Spence, Havre de Grace Middle/High

Rob DeLeva, Bel Air High School

Recreation

DANCE LESSONS: RAGE BOX

Honorable mentions

Supernova Dance Company

Dance Conservatory of Maryland

Dance With Me School of Dance

GOLF COURSE: MOUNTAIN BRANCH GOLF CLUB

Honorable mentions

Geneva Farm Golf Course

Bulle Rock Golf Course

Winters Run Golf Club

GYM/FITNESS CENTER: THE ARENA CLUB

Honorable mentions

Coppermine

Game Changers Fitness

The Ward Y in Abingdon

MARTIAL ARTS CLASSES: U.S.TAEKWONDO ACADEMY

Honorable mentions

Empire Dojo

Method MMA

MUSIC LESSONS: MUSIC LAND

Honorable mentions

Stone House Jam Academy

Do-Re-Wee Music Academy

Bel Air Arts Academy

SWIM CLUB: THE ARENA CLUB

Honorable mentions

Fallston Swim Club

North Harford Swim Club

Coppermine

YOGA CLASSES: YOGA CENTRIC

Honorable mentions

The Arena Club

Love Evolution Yoga

Kore Barre & Yoga

Shopping

ANTIQUES: BELLE PATRI

Honorable mentions

JoRetro

Antique Mall, Havre de Grace

Tommy’s on Main

BRIDAL SHOP: K&B BRIDALS

Honorable mention

Edel’s Bridal Boutique

CAR DEALERSHIP: JONES JUNCTION

Honorable mentions

Bob Bell

Adams Chevrolet

Keene Dodge

CLOTHING BOUTIQUE: BRAY & EM

Honorable mentions

Apricot Lane

Stalefish Board Co.

Boutique 44

CONSIGNMENT SHOP/RESALE SHOP: TABITHA’S HOUSE

Honorable mentions

Habitat Restore

The Mannequin On Main

The Shabby Button

Best of Harford County. FURNITURE STORE: JARRETTSVILLE FURNITURE. (Courtesy)
Best of Harford County. FURNITURE STORE: JARRETTSVILLE FURNITURE. (Courtesy)

FURNITURE STORE: JARRETTSVILLE FURNITURE

3743 Federal Hill Road, Jarrettsville

Jarrettsville Furniture of Bel Air

570 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air

Bel Air Town Center

jarrettsvillefurniture.com

When it comes to furniture, you want choices. Step into the Jarrettsville or Bel Air showrooms for Jarrettsville Furniture, and you’ll find endless choices for couches, end tables, chairs, lamps and more.

“With national chains, they only sell their own brands. We are a local, independent and family-owned business, and we carry over 50 brands, including 14 Amish vendors. We can order from all over the world to accommodate budgets from high-end to more affordable,” says Angie Stiars, President of Jarrettsville Furniture. Stiars is the co-owner of Jarrettsville Furniture along with her husband, James Stiars, and brother-in-law, Frank Avena.

Stiars explains that when customers visit either location – the Bel Air store opened in November – a member of the staff can give them a tour and then allow customers to browse on their own. “We don’t like to be invasive. As a family-owned business, we are here every day, and customers can ask anyone for help,” she says.

In addition to furniture, Stiars says that they have the largest mattress department of any store in Maryland. “We also have in-house designers who can assist with furniture selection and placement by coming to your home.”

Honorable mentions

Belle Patri

The Painted Mill

Restore Aberdeen

GIFT SHOP: THE NEST ON MAIN

Honorable mentions

Log Cabin Candy

Blue Heron Gifts

Schoolhouse Fallston

JEWELER: SAXON’S DIAMOND CENTER

Honorable mentions

F & L Jewelers

Moon & Sea Creations

AW Art & Design

LIQUOR STORE: BEL AIR LIQUORS

Honorable mentions

Ronnie’s Beverage

Friendship Wine & Liquor

Beards Hill Liquors

Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions (listed alphabetically) were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online in October, November and December. The results are generated solely by readers’ votes. The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed.

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11170622 2025-02-25T06:00:33+00:00 2025-02-25T13:37:47+00:00
Vote now for Best of Harford Readers’ Choice Poll 2025 | CONTEST https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/11/11/vote-best-of-harford-2025-contest/ Mon, 11 Nov 2024 14:00:12 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10986700 Voting is now open for the Best of Harford Readers’ Choice Poll.

Contest voting ends Nov. 27 at 5 p.m.

Results will be revealed in The Baltimore Sun.

Don’t see the ballot? Access the form here.

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10986700 2024-11-11T09:00:12+00:00 2024-11-06T12:22:00+00:00
Here are the winners of Harford’s Best Restaurants 2024 https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/11/10/winners-harfords-best-restaurants-2024/ Sun, 10 Nov 2024 11:00:36 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10963277 Looking for a date night spot or a neighborhood hang for the game? The Baltimore Sun has you covered.

More than 51,700 ballots were cast in 43 categories during this year’s contest — demonstrating that Harford County is a dining destination.

Based on reader votes, here are the 2024 Best Restaurants of Harford County winners and honorable mentions:

Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online from July to September. The results are generated solely by readers’ votes. The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed. 

Ambience: One Eleven Main

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Mucho Gusto
Bacco Italian + Wine Bar

Asian: Chopstix

Honorable mentions:

Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
Lemon and Ginger
Fuji Sushi

Newberry Cafe and Bakery's butter cream treat. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Newberry Cafe and Bakery's butter cream treat. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

Bakery: Newberry Cafe

Honorable mentions:

Flavor Cupcakery & Bake Shop
Woodlea Bakery
Yia Yia’s Bakery

Bar food: Das Bierhalle 

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub
Looney’s

Barbecue: Mission BBQ

Honorable mentions:

Old Line Grill
Fast Eddies
Chaps Pit Beef

Bartender: Kari Burns, Das Bierhalle 

Honorable mentions:

Tracy McCoy-Soper, Abbey Burger
Patrick Lynch, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Sloane Dela Cruz, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

There are 3 sizes of giant pretzels on the menu at Das Bierhalle on Main Street in Bel Air, which was named best restaurant in Harford County for bar food, beer list, happy hour. This is the smallest one. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)
There are 3 sizes of giant pretzels on the menu at Das Bierhalle on Main Street in Bel Air, which was named best restaurant in Harford County for bar food, beer list, happy hour. This is the smallest one. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Beer list: Das Bierhalle 

119 S. Main St., Bel Air. 443-819-3617. dasbierhallemd.com

Sauerkraut balls, 10 kinds of sausage and a giant 2-pound pretzel that could serve as a frisbee, if not so tasty. Such is the spread at Das Bierhalle, the German-American fusion eatery in Bel Air which opened in 2023. Kin of the Parkville sports bar with the same name, it doesn’t claim to serve purely German fare (hence, the Buffalo Chicken Schnitzel, Old Bay sausage and BEER-ia Tacos).  Instead, it aims to please a multitude of palates with enough Old World entries to justify its name.

“We offer something for everybody,” said Shelby Stange, co-owner and manager. Though the slogan here is “Every day is Octoberfest,” non-Teutonic events pop up — everything from Taylor Swift album release parties to breakfast with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, for the kids.

Four bars and 29 TVs greet patrons, who raise their steins filled with suds from one of 30 tap lines. Or choose from the more than 100 beers in cans and bottles, half of them imports (favorites are Spaten and Warsteiner, from Germany). Every day boasts happy hours, with prices shaved on beers and crushes. Good service is a given, say customers, who voted Kari Burns and Doug Hitchcock as Best Bartender and Server, respectively.

Honorable mentions:

Independent Brewery Co.
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Hopkins Farm Brewery

Breakfast/brunch: Sunny Day Cafe

Honorable mentions:

Bagel Works
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Das Bierhalle

Brewery: Independent Brewing

Honorable mentions:

Hopkins Farm Brewery
Slate Farm Brewery
Double Groove Brewing Co.

Burger: Abbey Burger

Honorable mentions:

Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Das Bierhalle

The Local is voted ÒBest New RestaurantÓ in readerÕs choice poll.
Chef Zack Trabbold will open a third location of his farm-to-table restaurant, The Local.
Kenneth K. Lam/Baltimore Sun
Chef Zack Trabbold will open a third location of his farm-to-table restaurant, The Local.

Chef: Zack Trabbold, The Local

Honorable mentions:

Juan Portillo, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Brian Boessel, One Eleven Main
Steve Braun, Sean Bolan’s

Cocktail: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar and The Local (tie)

Honorable mentions:

Mucho Gusto
One Eleven Main

Sterling Froberg, a barista at Coffee Coffee, uses a tamper to compress espresso grounds for a latte. Coffee Coffee, at the Festival Shopping Center in Bel Air, has been named Harford County's best coffee shop.
A barista at Coffee Coffee, uses a tamper to compress espresso grounds for a latte. Coffee Coffee, at the Festival Shopping Center in Bel Air, has been named Harford County’s best coffee shop.(Amy Davis/Staff)

Coffee: Coffee Coffee

Honorable mentions:

Concord Point Coffee
Dunkin Donuts
CoffeeBar (tie)
Wawa (tie)

Crab cake: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

Honorable mentions:

Box Hill Pizzeria & Crab Cakes
Conrad’s Crabs
Water Street Seafood

The Baja Chicken Wrap, a popular item at Vagabond Sandwich Co., which has been named the Best deli in Harford County. (Amy Davis/Staff)
The Baja Chicken Wrap, a popular item at Vagabond Sandwich Co., which has been named the Best deli in Harford County. (Amy Davis/Staff)

 

 

Deli: Vagabond Sandwich Co.

Honorable mentions:

Savona – Fine Italian Foods and Wine
Sam’s Deli
Jarrettville Creamery and Deli

Dessert: Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:

Flavor Cupcakery & Bake Shop
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Jarrettsville Creamery

Fine dining: One Eleven Main

Honorable mentions:

The Local
Pairings Bistro
Bacco Italian + Wine Bar

Frozen treats: Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:

Jarrettsville Creamery
Bomboy’s Homemade Ice Cream
Arctic Circle

Happy hour: Das Bierhalle

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Looney’s Pub
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub

Healthful menu: Healthy Vibes

Honorable mentions:

HoneyGrow
Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
Saladworks

Italian: Bacco Italian + Wine Bar

Honorable mentions:

Enotria Restaurant
Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Olive Tree

Late-night dining: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Looney’s Pub
Das Bierhalle
MaGerks Pub & Grill

Latin: La Tolteca

Honorable mentions:

Mucho Gusto
Plaza Mexico
Sol Oaxaca Cocina Moderna

Live entertainment: Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:

Independent Brewing Co.
Hopkins Farm Brewery
Fallston Barrel House

Lunch menu: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

Honorable mentions:

Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Das Bierhalle
The Hickory Lodge

Yellowfin tuna sashimi, seared rare with house-made lime jalapeno sauce over spicy cabbage. This is a Harford magazine feature on Latitude Seafood Co. in Bel Air. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Yellowfin tuna sashimi, seared rare with house-made lime jalapeno sauce over spicy cabbage. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

New restaurant: Latitude Seafood Co.

Honorable mentions:

Sol Oaxaca
The Grazing Room at Boards by Dana
Akira Ramen & Izakaya

Outdoor dining: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Tidewater Grille
The Island at Flying Point Marina
Das Bierhalle

Left to right: Greek salad with chicken, Chicken and shrimp a la Pappas, Markos grilled octopus, Crab cake platter at Pappas restaurant and sports bar, which was named best eatery in Harford County. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)
Left to right: Greek salad with chicken, Chicken and shrimp a la Pappas, Markos grilled octopus, Crab cake platter at Pappas restaurant and sports bar, which was named best eatery in Harford County. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Overall: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar

1225 E. Churchville Road, Bel Air. 410-420-5218. pappasbelair.com

Pappas serves so much crab that it’s a wonder diners don’t leave the place scuttling sideways. Thirty-one dishes on the menu feature crab, the staple at the family’s four area restaurants.

“We go through 1,500 pounds of crab meat a week here,” said Tim Miller, managing partner at the Bel Air venue, which opened in 2023. The 8-ounce crab cakes, made of colossal and jumbo lump meat, comprise 60% of the business and follow a secret recipe created more than half a century ago.

On occasion, said Miller, male customers pull him aside and say. “These crab cakes are better than my wife’s, but don’t tell her.”

Seafood powers the menu, from grilled octopus and orange roughy to specials like Chilean sea bass, served over sweet potato puree and topped with spinach and a mandarin orange sauce. Steaks, burgers and pastas have devotees, too.

“The only thing we don’t serve is pizza,” said Miller.

The outdoor patio, open year-round, is a favorite with patrons, and those with the late-night hungries are seated ’til midnight. As the holidays near, there’s a run on Pappas’ hand-carved turkey dinners, with walnut cornbread dressing. What, no crabmeat stuffing?

“If that’s what you want, we’ll work something up for you,” Miller said. “Our kitchen guys are pretty flexible.”

Honorable mentions:

Das Bierhalle
Mucho Gusto
The Local

Pizza: Love Crust Pizza

Honorable mentions:

Bacco Pizzeria
Buontempo Brothers Pizza
Italian Sensation

Place to take out-of-towners: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Independent Brewing Co.
Das Bierhalle
Double Groove Brewing Co.

Place to take the kids: Broom’s Bloom Dairy

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Conrad’s Crabs

Seafood: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Conrad’s Seafood Restaurants-Markets
Richard’s Fish & Crabs-The Seafood Stop
Water Street Seafood

Server: Doug Hitchcock, Das Bierhalle 

Honorable mentions:

Molly Patrick, Das Bierhalle
Jeremy Markel, Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Regan Reisinger, Fallston Barrel House

Service: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Das Bierhalle
Double Groove Brewing Co.
The Local

Sports bar: Looney’s Pub

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Das Bierhalle
Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub

Steak: Texas Roadhouse

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
One Eleven Main
The Local

Steamed crabs: Conrad’s Crabs

Honorable mentions:

Richard’s Fish & Crabs-The Seafood Stop
Madonna Seafood
Water Street Seafood

Takeout: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Vagabond Sandwich Co.
Box Hill Pizzareia
Tutto Fresco

Value: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Das Bierhalle
Mamie’s Cafe
La Tolteca

Vegetarian options: Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar 

Honorable mentions:

Uncle’s Hawaiian Grindz
Fuji Sushi
Indian Garden

View: Tidewater Grille

Honorable mentions:

Mountain Branch
Broom’s Bloom Dairy
The Promenade Grille

Wine list: The Vineyard Wine Bar

Honorable mentions:

Pappas Restaurant & Sports Bar
Bacco Italian + Wine Bar
Pairings Bistro

Honorable mentions

Black-owned restaurant: Maison Intimate Catering

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10963277 2024-11-10T06:00:36+00:00 2024-11-11T15:50:55+00:00
Best of Harford Readers’ Choice Poll 2025 | CONTEST https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/10/10/best-of-harford-readers-choice-poll-2025/ Thu, 10 Oct 2024 13:00:45 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10789653 Nominations are now open for the Best of Harford Readers’ Choice Poll.

Nominations close Oct. 24 at 5 p.m.

Contest voting starts Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. and ends Nov. 27 at 5 p.m.

Results will be revealed in The Baltimore Sun.

Don’t see the ballot? Access the form here.

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10789653 2024-10-10T09:00:45+00:00 2024-11-06T15:12:49+00:00
Three things: Paula Etting, Bel Air mayor https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/08/17/three-things-paula-etting-bel-air-mayor/ Sat, 17 Aug 2024 11:00:10 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10159756 As a student at The John Carroll School, Paula Etting disdained public office.

“I was the class nerd, the girl with brown hair and glasses who always had her homework done,” she said. Who’d have thought the quiet, bookish Etting, valedictorian of the Class of 1977, would wind up as mayor of Harford County’s bustling hub?

“I want to have a say in where Bel Air is going,” said the onetime attorney and current town commissioner. “As it grows and changes, we need to respect and honor our past and keep the town family-friendly.”

Etting, 65, attended The Johns Hopkins University before earning a post-graduate degree at the University of Maryland School of Law. She worked 27 years in the Harford County Law Department before turning to politics in 2021.

Here are three things you may not know about Etting:

She’s an able do-it-yourselfer.

“I am handy. I can install faucets and shower heads, scrape wallpaper and change toilet flappers and the lock on the front door. I put up our mailbox. My husband doesn’t like to do that stuff, but it gives me a nice feeling of accomplishment. I mean, when you cook a great meal, all that’s left are the dirty dishes — but change a shower head, and it’ll be there for years.”

Sewing keeps the mayor humming.

“I like making something out of a flat piece of fabric; it uses another side of my brain. I made my own clothes when I was pregnant, and now, I’m the go-to for our grandchildren whenever a stuffed animal loses an arm. They say, ‘This is broken and needs to go to NaNa’s.’

“The sound of a sewing machine is so relaxing. I made Halloween costumes for our kids, from Batman to a medieval princess. Our son liked his dinosaur costume so much that, at five [years old], he’d come home and put it on and sit there, reading a book.”

Her diplomas did her parents proud.

“I was the first in my family to graduate from college. Neither of my parents had that opportunity — my dad was one of eight Irish kids and had to leave school to work — but they valued education. In eighth grade, my father bought me a Texas instrument calculator for $150, a lot of money then. But he knew I’d need it for high school.

“An uncle said that I’d never finish college, that I’d get my ‘Mrs. degree’ instead; that was the opinion of people in his generation. But I was internally driven, and my parents fed on that.”

Three things you may not know about Bel Air Mayor Paula Etting for Harford Magazine. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
Three things you may not know about Bel Air Mayor Paula Etting for Harford Magazine. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)
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10159756 2024-08-17T07:00:10+00:00 2024-08-13T11:16:18+00:00
Fabulous in fall: Must-have decor and accessories from Harford stores https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/08/16/fabulous-in-fall-must-have-decor-and-accessories-from-harford-stores/ Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:30:42 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10152690  

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Reversible crossbody tote bag by Ilse Jacobsen, $114 at Boutique 44, 140A N. Bond Street, Bel Air. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Reversible crossbody tote bag by Ilse Jacobsen, $114

Boutique 44, 140A N. Bond St., Bel Air

This braided soft faux-leather bag offers double styling options as it is reversible.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Laser-engraved charcuterie board, $20, made by local artist Kimi Ferro, at Bay Breeze Soap & Gifts, 463 Franklin Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Laser-engraved charcuterie board, $20

Bay Breeze Soap & Gifts, 463 Franklin St., Havre de Grace

Made by local artist Kimi Ferro and perfect for making party platters.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Have fun with friends and the Pub Quiz game, $24.95 at Glyph, 212 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Pub Quiz game, $24.95

Glyph, 212 N. Washington St., Havre de Grace

Gather your friends around a bonfire for a night of fun and laughs.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Small Swiss butter board, $20.95, and mouse cheese spreader, $8.95 at Glyph, 212 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Small Swiss butter board, $20.95, and mouse cheese spreader, $8.95

Glyph, 212 N. Washington St., Havre de Grace

A perfect late-night snack pairing. Just add a glass of wine.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Lather up with Pirate soap, $7, made locally by Bay Breeze Soap & Gifts, 463 Franklin Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Pirate Soap, $7

Bay Breeze Soap & Gifts, 463 Franklin St., Havre de Grace

Locally made and scented for the season.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Favorite pups adorn a porcelain mug by Rifle Paper, $21.95, at Glyph, 212 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Porcelain mug by Rifle Paper, $21.95

Glyph, 212 N. Washington St., Havre de Grace

The dog days of summer might be over but embrace pumpkin spice latte season.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. A 48 color pencil set, $14.99, is perfect for back to school. At Glyph, 212 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

48-color pencil set, $14.99

Glyph, 212 N. Washington Street, Havre de Grace.

Find your inner artist and sketch your surroundings.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Casual style for fall: Kara frayed hem denim jacket KUT from the Kloth, $89.95; collared silky sleeveless blouse, $44.95 by Naked Zebra; gold filled link necklace, $34.95 at Boutique 44, 140A N. Bond Street, Bel Air. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Kara frayed hem denim jacket KUT from the Kloth, $89.95; collared silky sleeveless blouse, $44.95 by Naked Zebra; gold filled link necklace, $34.95

Boutique 44, 140A N. Bond St., Bel Air

Everyone should have these fall fashion staples.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Locally made wood slice ornament, $25, at Bay Breeze Soap & Gifts, 463 Franklin Street, Havre de Grace. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Wood slice ornament, $25

Bay Breeze Soap & Gifts, 463 Franklin St., Havre de Grace

Stocking-stuffer alert. It’s never too early.

Harford Magazine Shopping Bag items. Katia carved wooden earrings, $24.95 at Boutique 44, 140A N. Bond Street, Bel Air. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Staff)

Katia carved wooden earrings, $24.95

Boutique 44, 140A N. Bond St., Bel Air

These lightweight, geometric earrings will compliment any sweater or jacket.

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10152690 2024-08-16T07:30:42+00:00 2024-08-13T11:20:14+00:00
Author (and Stephen King collaborator) Richard Chizmar writes horror novels that celebrate life https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/08/16/author-and-stephen-king-collaborator-richard-chizmar-writes-horror-novels-that-celebrate-life/ Fri, 16 Aug 2024 11:00:43 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10151800 When Richard Chizmar was 10 years old, he wrote a story about a snowman who couldn’t melt. The thermometer climbed, and the sun blazed, but the snowman remained standing, watching his once hard-packed buddies dissolve into slush.

“He was so lonely,” Chizmar recalled and grinned. “I always saw the world differently than the other people around me. Even then, I was exploring the dark side.”

Now, the Bel Air resident is an acclaimed author who has penned six novels including four bestsellers. Two were co-written with horror icon Stephen King, who praises Chizmar’s “really interesting, innovative ideas.”

Chizmar has co-authored screenplays for the big and small screen, including one episode of Showtime’s “Masters of Horror” anthology series, and two episodes of NBC’s “Fear Itself.”

What’s more, the horror magazine-turned-publishing company founded by Chizmar when he was a senior at the University of Maryland is thriving. Cemetery Dance Publications, now in its 36th year, has published a roster of A-list authors from Ray Bradbury to William Peter Blatty of “The Exorcist” fame.

Even Chizmar’s personal life is rosy.

Richard Chizmar is a Harford County horror author and the founder of Cemetery Dance Publications who has co-authored at least one novel with Stephen King, who is a fan of his. Photo of Gwendy's Final Task a book co-authored by King and Chizmar. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Richard Chizmar is a Harford County horror author and the founder of Cemetery Dance Publications who has co-authored at least one novel with Stephen King, who is a fan of his. Photo of Gwendy's Final Task a book co-authored by King and Chizmar. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

He’s still married to Kara, the green-eyed girl he fell in love with as a kid. His seventh novel, “Memorials,” will be published in October, one month after the couple’s eldest son, Billy, releases his debut novel, “Them.” The second and youngest son in the family, Noah, is a star lacrosse player at the University of Virginia, where he has displayed a toughness on the field that has been praised by Sports Illustrated.

So life for the 58-year-old Chizmar is looking pretty, well, sunny.

“When my friends finally started reading my work, they’re like, ‘Rich, where does this all this solemn stuff come from?'” he recalled.

“A bookseller in New Hampshire who got an advance copy of my new novel, “Memorials,” messaged me yesterday and said, ‘I’ve had nightmares two nights in a row. You’re going to mess people up.'”

An expression of pure joy crossed Chizmar’s face.

“I just loved that,” he said. “I told her, ‘I can do no better, unless I can make people cry.'”

He knows that an awful lot of people crave being scared out of their wits, though exactly how that mechanism works remains mysterious. What is it about feeling bad that makes some people feel so good?

Behavioral scientist Haiyang Yang, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University’s Carey Business School, speculated in a university blog post last fall that fans of horror and suspense are unusually self-assured. People who flock to scary movies are confident they can overcome the obstacles fate throws in their paths, he wrote — a description that fits Chizmar like the cover of a book.

“When we first began publishing the magazine, I would go out to the newspaper box in front of my apartment building at 1 a.m.,” Chizmar said.

“I knew that by that time, no one was going to buy what was left. I would plunk a quarter into the box and take out all the newspapers and use them to pack up the books. We shipped them in boxes we found in dumpsters. I remember thinking, ‘Can you imagine being successful enough to buy boxes to pack your products in?'”

Stephen King. (Shane Leonard/Simon & Schuster/TNS)
Stephen King. (Shane Leonard/Simon & Schuster/TNS)

Chizmar and King have known each other professionally since 1989. At the time, King had been famous for nearly two decades, and when he sent Chizmar a signed promotional blurb for the fledgling “Cemetery Dance” magazine, it pretty much guaranteed that the new publisher could continue paying his bills for at least the next few months.

Over time, and after thousands of text exchanges and good-natured jibes about the rising and falling fortunes of the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox, King became familiar with the younger man’s fiction. And when he found himself facing writer’s block, he turned to Chizmar for help.

The result was “Gwendy’s Button Box,” the first novel of a trilogy. The first and last books were written jointly by the two authors, while the second was penned by Chizmar alone.

“Rich basically bailed me out,” King said.

“He has a good feel for suburban life, for middle-class Baltimore and its backyard barbecues and the room in the basement where the kids hang out. I would call what he does ‘middle-class fantasy horror make-believe, with a kind of ‘Twilight Zone’ feel.'”

Even when Chizmar was growing up in Harford County, the youngest of five children of an airman who worked on the Aberdeen Proving Ground and an Ecuadorian homemaker, he was possessed of a keen sense that the best moments in life are fleeting.

He remembers one time in particular when that revelation struck him hard.

“I was about 14,” he recalled. “We had been sledding, but all my friends had gone home. It was dusk and the snow was falling and the lights were glowing. I could see my house off in the distance. I thought, ‘Nothing is ever going to be the same after this. We’re all growing up. People are going to leave, and some of us are never coming back.'”

That’s the moment that made Chizmar a writer.

Richard Chizmar is a Harford County horror author and the founder of Cemetery Dance Publications who has co-authored at least one novel with Stephen King, who is a fan of his. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Richard Chizmar is a Harford County horror author and the founder of Cemetery Dance Publications who has co-authored at least one novel with Stephen King, who is a fan of his. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

“I am the one who is cursed and blessed to remember everything,” he said. “It helps to put it down on paper. I became a writer to help people make sense of the world.”

Perhaps. But it also seems likely that Chizmar became a horror writer because he likes to surprise people and make them laugh. His acute sense of life’s darker moments is paired with an equally well-developed mischievous streak.

A case in point are his two cinema-verite books, “Chasing the Boogeyman” and “Becoming the Boogeyman,” in which Chizmar goes to great lengths to trick his readers into thinking they’re reading a memoir instead of a novel.

The books are narrated by a young man named Richard Chizmar who moved back home with his parents to save money for his upcoming wedding — all details pulled from the author’s life. The books mix historic events, including a real-life criminal known in the 1980s as the Phantom Fondler, with a made-up serial killer.

The novel even includes black-and-white photos purporting to show the “killer” being handcuffed by police officers. In reality, the murderer and cops were costumed actors, and Chizmar took the photos himself.

“I’m just a big kid,” he admitted.

That turned out to be a very good thing. The author’s innate playfulness has helped him cope with occasional but genuine hardships, including his encounter at age 29 with a real-lifeserial killer: testicular cancer.

“After I was diagnosed, I had two operations,” Chizmar said. “And then my doctors declared me clear. They said there was a 99% chance the cancer would never come back.”

But six months later, Chizmar went to the emergency room after he found himself once again in great pain.

“My poor doctor had to tell me the cancer had spread to both lungs, my liver, my stomach and my lymph nodes,” he said. “I was given a 50% chance of survival.”

And still, the snowman refused to melt.

“I said, ‘If anyone can beat this, it will be me,” Chizmar recalled. “I told my doctors, ‘Tell me what to do, and I will do it better than any patient you have ever had.'”

As he had vowed that he would, Chizmar recovered fully. But even as he and Kara rejoiced, they were hit with another setback.

“After 12 weeks of chemotherapy, the doctors told us that so much poison was being shot into my body that we would not be able to have children the natural way,” he said.”But five years later, there came Billy. And four years after that, there came Noah. I wake up grateful every day.”

More than most of us, Chizmar knows how easily human existence can be snuffed out. But instead of frightening him, he views that painful reality as a cause for celebration.

“Life is fragile, but I’m an optimist,” he said, and then segued into a related thought:

“People tell me that the good thing about my stories is that they always contain a ray of hope.”

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Latitude Seafood Co.: From Virginia to Maryland with a love for crabcakes https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/08/15/latitude-seafood-co-from-virginia-to-maryland-with-a-love-for-crabcakes/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:00:20 +0000 https://www.baltimoresun.com/?p=10152642 Latitude Seafood Company sets itself apart with large portions, original cocktails and thoughtfully crafted recipes. When the small chain sought to expand beyond its Virginia roots, Bel Air emerged as a convenient yet challenging choice.

“I always wanted to compete with the best crabcakes in the world,” said Kevin Grubbs, owner and operator of Latitude Seafood Co.

The first location opened in Midlothian, Virginia, in 2015, followed by a second in Stony Point, Virginia, in 2018. With the success of these initial ventures, Grubbs and his partners began exploring new opportunities. Grubbs has a personal connection to the area, having visited family in Baltimore, and one of the co-owners, Vishal Patel, lives near Bel Air.

Before opening the Bel Air location last spring, the owners revisited their crabcake recipe to ensure it met the high standards of Marylanders. Grubbs personally tested dozens of recipes to perfect the dish.

Latitude Seafood Co. in Bel Air. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Latitude Seafood Co. in Bel Air. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

“That’s the best part of the job,” said Grubbs of the countless crabcakes he tried during the process of perfecting theirs.

Located in the Festival at Bel Air shopping plaza, the restaurant offers an ambience that feels worlds away from the outlet mall. Large windows allow natural light to flood the space, giving Latitude Seafood Co. a bright and spacious atmosphere.

Ingredients are a top priority for Grubbs and his team. The crabcakes are made entirely from jumbo lump crab, and all recipes are crafted from scratch.

“We’re not just putting steamed seafood on a plate,” said Grubbs. “We offer unique dishes that you’re not going to find at a normal place.”

Latitude Seafood Co. is “True Blue Certified,” meaning the Maryland Department of Agriculture has verified that they only serve local blue crabs.

“Because of the temperatures of the water, they store more fat in them, and that’s where you get that yellow mustard inside the meat,” Grubbs explained. “You’re not going to find that in any other crab meat.”

The menu at Latitude Seafood Co. is designed to cater to all tastes. The seafood pasta is loaded with shrimp, scallops, lump crab, with a light basil lemon cream. For those who prefer other options, the restaurant offers creative chicken dishes and high-quality steaks. Daily specials provide innovative choices for regular patrons, ensuring there’s always something new to try. To finish an evening at Latitude Seafood Co., the ample dessert menu features everything from ice cream sandwiches to crème brûlée.

Jumbo dry scallops, pan-seared with lemon butter, served with two scratch sides. This is a Harford magazine feature on Latitude Seafood Co. in Bel Air. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)
Jumbo dry scallops, pan-seared with lemon butter, served with two scratch sides. This is a Harford magazine feature on Latitude Seafood Co. in Bel Air. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

Latitude Seafood Co.

5 Bel Air South Pkwy., Suite 1559, Bel Air. 443-402-1926. latitudeseafoodco.com

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