Relive The Best Moments Of 2019

From new Pasadena businesses to the academic and athletic accomplishments of Pasadena’s youth, 2019 had plenty of great moments. This is some of the news that stood out during the last year.

WINTER

While the federal government was in the midst of the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history, the newly elected Anne Arundel County leadership was hard at work on another issue: immigration. County Executive Steuart Pittman held two town hall meetings in January to solicit input from citizens after he suspended the 287(g) immigration screening program.

Bill Martin, acting superintendent for the Department of Detention Facilities, was happy to see the program end.

“We have now returned to what has been successful for 14 years, the criminal alien program, and the work is again being done by the right people: federal ICE agents,” Martin said.

Pasadena’s track and field athletes made their presence felt at the Anne Arundel County indoor championships on January 22. Christal Pommels (55-meter dash in 7.49 seconds) and Josh Krcik (55 hurdles in 8.24 seconds) both claimed county titles for Northeast, and the Northeast girls had the winning 4x200 relay team of Somorha Smith, Kamryn Johnson, Kiersten Lamke and Pommells.

The Chesapeake Cougars cheerleading team scored a 126.2 out of 130 to beat 20 teams for the state crown at Harford Community College on February 13. Chesapeake swept the county, region and state championships in both the fall and winter seasons during the 2018-2019 school year.

Also during the winter, 10-year-old Lake Shore Elementary student Daniel Cox was one of 12 kids selected to film a Chick-fil-A kids correspondent public service announcement that aired on Fox45.

Along with all the personal achievements, two special displays of empathy occurred in the face of crisis.

Nick Curran administered CRP to Charlie Harrison, who was suffering from cardiac arrest on February 5. Curran and several other good Samaritans saved Harrison’s life.

In the wake of an assault and robbery in February, 95-year-old Edna Holsey, owner of The Brass Rail Pub, showed resiliency by returning to her workplace for a 96th birthday celebration in March. Pasadena residents were there to welcome her back and show their love.

SPRING

For roughly eight weeks, from March 4 through the end of April, volunteer firefighter Duane McKee rented a mobile coffee truck to partially fund Second Alarm Brewhouse, a nonprofit coffee shop designed to raise awareness about the volunteer fire service.

“I’m a lieutenant next door in the firehouse, so I was looking for a way to bring the community together, not have this as a bar but have it open during the day for the community and at the same time create some awareness for the volunteer fire service in our county because we are dying,” McKee said.

Elsewhere in Pasadena, Glenda Blessing was welcomed as the new principal at George Fox Middle School, and the Northeast High culinary team won a competition at the ProStart Student Invitational at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor on March 12.

Two hometown talents had big accomplishments in the spring of 2019. Jamie Auld starred in the documentary “Madonna and the Breakfast Club,” which came out March 12. Nilah Magruder’s first installment of the “Marvel Rising” miniseries was released March 27.

Christal Pommells captured individual county crowns in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes during the county championship meet on May 8. She helped Northeast’s 4x100 team to first place as well. Northeast’s Josh Krcik was county champion in the 300-meter hurdles.

On April 26, Chesapeake High School’s Evolve a cappella group competed at the International Championship for High School A Cappella Finals. The singers finished in fourth place overall and earned Best Choreography.

The Chesapeake Cougars softball team earned a convincing 5-0 win against the Linganore Lancers in the 3A state semifinals on May 21 at Bachman Sports Complex to advance to the state championship game at the University of Maryland on May 25. The final yielded a 2-0 loss to the reigning state champion Huntingtown Hurricanes, but Chesapeake players enjoyed a proud season, going 20-4.

Several business owners were proud of their new locations in Pasadena. Everhart Veterinary Rehabilitation, The Anne Arundel Home Services Company, and Chelsea Michele Hair Studios all came to the area.

Richard Watts was named the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Volunteer of the Year for his 14 years of service at Pasadena Elementary School.

The Fiscal Year 2020 budget passed 4-3 along party lines on June 14, with Democrats approving a $1.7 billion spending plan almost identical to the one County Executive Steuart Pittman proposed on May 1. The budget pushed the property tax rate from 90.2 cents per $100 of assessed value to 93.5 cents per $100 of assessed value. County residents now pay 2.81% in income taxes instead of 2.5%.

“My colleagues have mentioned this budget is transforming the county, and yes, it’s transforming the county, a county that has spent two decades underfunding itself, and we can no longer wait for someone else to rescue us,” said Councilwoman Allison Pickard from District 2. “It’s time. It’s time we take care of ourselves and invest in our children, in our public safety, in our communities.”

SUMMER

On July 3, the Anne Arundel County Department of Health issued a health advisory that warned people to avoid any direct contact with the water at Lake Waterford because of a blue-green algae bloom. More than three months later, the advisory was lifted.

Longtime Annapolis resident Steve Kaii-Ziegler started his new position as the county’s director of the Office of Planning and Zoning on July 31.

“A major goal of mine is to determine what we protect versus what we allow and be respectful of the laws to achieve the best balanced position for county land use,” he said.

The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) announced in late August that one of three potential sites for a new Chesapeake Bay bridge crossing runs between Pasadena, Rock Hall (Kent County) and Centreville (Queen Anne’s County), much to the chagrin of Pasadena residents.

Pasadena resident Aaron Jezierski, though, had much to celebrate. In the span of a month, his Haulin N Ballin boat was involved in three astonishing wins: a first-place 465.5-pound blue marlin in the White Marlin Open, a state-record 74.5-pound mahi-mahi in the Poor Girls tournament and a first-place 630-pound blue marlin in the MidAtlantic Tournament, all in Ocean City.

John Yore, who spent seven years as the principal at Meade High School in Fort Meade, was appointed to the same position at Chesapeake High School over the summer. He replaced Stephen Gorski, who is now an assistant principal at South River High School.

FALL

After Lauer’s reached 45 years of serving Pasadena, sisters Bernie Snoops and Babbie Poyer announced in September that they were selling both Lauer’s locations. The Chesterfield store is now Green Valley Marketplace. The Riviera Beach store is a Geresbeck’s. Both stores are family owned.

New businesses also came to the 316,753-square-foot Pasadena Crossroads shopping center at the intersection of Ritchie Highway and Jumpers Hole Road. Gone are Kmart, Babies R Us, Shoppers Food, and Rugged Warehouse. In their place will be Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Sprouts Farmers Market, and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse.

Pasadena welcomed two other new businesses in the fall: Let’s Grow and Schaner Insurance Agency.

One business many people did not want in Pasadena was a Starbucks, but most of the opposition was to the location, not the business. Insite Real Estate Investment Properties has met the zoning requirements to build a Starbucks at 4314 Mountain Road, across from the Lakeshore Crossroads shopping center that has a Giant, 1978 Pizza and other shops.

“They have a right to build on the property, but the entrance is on a residential street, Temple Road,” Fran Burton Zimmerman said. “There are no sidewalks, and we have traffic-calming barriers that are useless.”

In one of the most stacked Anne Arundel fields in recent memory and perhaps ever, the Cougars outperformed everyone to win their 18th county championship in cheerleading at Severna Park High School on October 23. Chesapeake’s routine earned a score of 128.1 out of 130, the highest score by any team in the state this season. The Cougars, whose 18 titles began with the fall county championship in 2008, have won three straight fall county championships and six straight county championships, including winter seasons, dating back to the 2016-2017 winter season.

Kayla Alexander’s 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter on November 1 propelled Northeast to a 9-7 win over Chesapeake in 43rd edition of the Dena Bowl, which came as both the Eagles and Cougars were in a fight for playoff positioning in the 3A South. Both teams made it to the opening round of the playoffs, where their seasons came to an end.

The Chesapeake High marching band participated in three competitions within the Maryland Marching Band Association 1A class and was undefeated within the circuit, making them state champions.

Chesapeake girls soccer enjoyed a successful season, making to the state semifinals. Northeast volleyball reached the state quarterfinals.

While young athletes had much to celebrate, some Pasadena residents were in mourning. Elmer Banister, known to most as “Mr.Fudd” of Fudd’s Rabbit Hole, passed away on November 17 due to complications after suffering a stroke in October.

Pasadena received good news before the start of the new year, as the community learned that cell service will be improved with the addition of new towers in the Lake Shore area.