The Chonqui Family breaks ground early in 2010 for their new home! One thing to keep in mind is that the ground is frozen. We had a great time and I look forward to their new home being completed.

Planning a trip to B-more? Already live around town and want to stay in touch with all the local happenings? The new Quick Guide will have the low down for upcoming events, “world renowned” attractions (that sounds really exciting), restaurants, hotels and much more.

You can check out the Quick Guide Online or get a hard copy by snail mail (3 weeks!). So get in on it!

**** UPDATE **** Video from the Loch Raven Reservois Update at REI Timonium.

*** UPDATE *** Baltimore Sun article “Off-road bikers have rangers on watch: Riders ticketed as officials worry about erosion, runoff at Loch Raven”

** UPDATE ** Join REI, MORE and IMBA are hosting a public meeting on Monday December 14 at 7PM in the back room ( warehouse ) of REI’s Timonium store (63 W Aylesbury Rd Timonium, MD 21093).

We will be updating the public on the days events. What events? Haven’t you heard? The City has begun pushing people off the singletrack and fireroads around Loch Raven!

* UPDATE * Check out Save The Raven it’s up on the web as the official page and the Facebook group as well!

It has come to my attention that Loch Raven Reservoir Watershed has become a place where mountain bikers and trail users are being fined without reason. As a member of the Baltimore County community, former resident of Highview at the end of Pot Spring road and outdoor enthusiast I demand action be taken to stop these fines and explanation be given immediately.

As stated on the BaltimoreCountyMD.gov webpage, Loch Raven Reservoir Watershed… is a popular destination for fishing, birding, picnicking, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

There seems to be a lot of confusion and I would like to ask everyone to take action on the International Mountain Bicycling Association website, this action request:

– Immediate suspension of ticketing and fining trail users.
- Creation of a map and signage on the existing network.
- Begin treating all trail users equally and ensuring all maintained trails are open to all users.
- Implementation of a night riding program, similar to agreements the Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) has with Maryland DNR and other land mangers.
- Creation of a trail maintenance agreement between the City and trail users groups, similar to agreements MORE has with Maryland DNR and other land mangers.
- Implementation of the “annual review of mountain biking activities.” The Loch Ravenmanagement plan called for this, yet it has never been executed.

Got Mustache? Movember is for your Mo’ to raise funds for prostate cancer research and to raise awareness for men’s health. You can celebrate your ’stache with other Movember participants on Saturday November 21st.

The Schedule

Sly fox – 1-2pm (823 Fort Ave)
Lime – 2-3pm (801 E Fort Ave)
Hideaways (tentatively) – 3-4pm (1400 Key Highway)
Capt Larry’s / Rafters – 4-6pm (620 E Fort Ave)
The Reserve – 6-7pm (1542 Light St)
Don’t Know – 7-9pm (1453 Light St)

Great drink specials and door prizes!

Christopher Coffland was killed by a an IED in Afghanistan November 13, 2009, he was a Maryland resident and attended Gilman High School and Washington & Lee College.

Friend Jeff Hurley remembers “Chris was a friend to everyone! You just wanted be where he was! I’m just glad I got to know him. Chris gave you confidence,a very positive person and he will missed by many! GOD bless CHRIS and his family!”

ABC2 reports “He was a family man, a loyal friend, a football and lacrosse coach, and a university counselor. He traveled extensively, playing football in Finland and coaching football in Australia.”

My deepest sympathies to his family and friends, Chris and everyone who has made the ultimate sacrifice will always be remembered, freedom isn’t free.

The remains of Army Spc. Christopher Coffland are carried off a plane at Dover Air Force Base, Del. Coffland was killed by a bomb Nov. 13 in Afghanistan

With foreclosures and short sales on the rise buyers and agents alike are looking for a good way to put the deal together. Most of these homes whose owners have gone through financial hardship need repairs or updating. The FHA 203(k) loan allows buyers to add in the renovation cost in a single mortgage, with only a 3.5% down payment! A HUD Approved Consultant will look at the scope of the work and how much it will cost to meet the standards and review with the buyers. The flexibility to customize the home is attracting buyers to these distressed sales and as home prices continue to fall and more people get into financial woe there is a huge market for 203(k) loans with plenty of opportunities.

Baltimore County shows a significant increase in FHA 203(k) loans from 2008.

Picture by Courtney Barry (@CABarry)

Picture this, me and my bro Derek Massey (@DerekMassey) get together on Friday the 13th at noon to try a burger from one of the most talked about and anticipated burger joints that has ever started in the States let alone Maryland. As always our competitive FourSquare contest of “who can check in more places and be the mayor of any give brick and mortar” is what you see before I even make it out of my local Bank of America. Of course sometimes my iPhone gets a bit confused and decides to check me in at the Five Guys Burger and Fries in Glen Burnie followed up in under a minute by Derek “checking in” saying your at the wrong location (No, my phone just thinks I am)! Any how the day is wet and parking is slim, I make my way into the mobbed cafe with an ever so slight slick of grease on the floor I tap D on the shoulder interrupting his moment eating their peanuts.

I say to him “lets do this”, we hop in line (very fast) and order some of our personal favorites on a juicy burger I had the likeness of a Burn em Burger (= Jaelpenos, BBQ, Hot Sauce, Onions, etc…) that I tasted a while back in Georgia. A few minutes on hold and we get OUR burgers and man did they look great, the place was bumpin now and we retreated back to Derek’s table O peanuts. We both dived right in and eventually had to check each others pulses because we might have stopped breathing to inhale this delight. I mentally had to remind my self that I wanted to savor this burger “so put the damn burger down Zach”. With some great conversation and an atmosphere that is easy and light, not to mention Mcdonalds is 20ft South (Not even competition), we crushed those burgers and we both agreed that they were out of this world!

936 York Rd Towson, MD 21204-2513 – (410) 321-4963

I think everyone has to be a bit Irish, so show your Irish spirit at the Maryland Irish Festival at the Timonium Fairgrounds on Friday the 13th (November 2009), 6 to 11PM, Saturday, noon to 11PM and Sunday, noon to 6PM.

Grab your guy or gal and get to Timonium where the Guinness will be flowing and the Irish (and those not so much) can revisit and celebrate the culture and tradition. You will see dancing, traditional fare (shepherd’s pie) and vendors, sounds like a party you don’t want to miss!

Timonium Fairgrounds – 2200 York Road Timonium, MD 21093