The Anne Arundel County Community Clean Up program will provide AOTB with a dumpster at noon on Friday, September 5, which will be picked up the following day at 1:30 p.m.

The dumpster will be located on the beach at the intersection of Magnolia and Cohasset.

Hazardous materials/chemicals are not accepted nor are scrap automobiles. If you have any questions about what materials are approved by the county call Ms. Contee at 410-222-6100, extension 3009. Additional information is available at  recyclemoreoften.com.  

Chris Harmon--a resident of Bay Highlands--has formed the Oyster Creek Association and applied for the Marylanders Grow Oysters program with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The program is coordinating the acceptance and distribution of oysters in cages from DNR, then planting them on sanctuary reefs in order to improve water quality and restore the devastated oyster populations in the Bay and its tributaries. Over the past two years, this program has planted over 70,000 oysters in sanctuary reefs along the South River.

Bay Highlands welcomes residents of Arundel on the Bay, who have piers or access to same, and are willing to pick up and drop off oysters, to join their effort. This winter-long program requires hanging small, 8x12x18-inch, cages from piers, off the bottom and below the lowest tide waterline, in order to prevent exposure to freezing air temperatures; it also requires an occasional shaking of the cages to remove algae growth and/or sediment until drop-off in the spring.

There is no cost to participate as this is a Maryland State program. Participants usually receive four cages to hang from their piers; however, you may request fewer (or perhaps more?). Chris will receive new oyster spat sometime in mid-late September and will schedule pick-up dates at the Bay Highlands community pier on Oyster Creek, at Bay Highlands Drive and Henson Avenue.

Interested? Contact Chris at chrisryanharmon@hotmail.com or 202-489-3743.

Go ahead, Save our Bay!

Thanks to the major efforts of several of your dedicated neighbors, our new community directory is nearing completion. Not simply a rehash of the very spotty county tax roles, this AOTB-specific contact list is Google-searchable and as current as we could make it. Designed from the start as a secure and living research tool to help everyone keep in touch with everyone else, it's primarily intended to be accessed and maintained in the Members Only sector of our website by using your user name (aotbmember) and password (baygroup2010). Click here. 

We are aware that several folks have limited access to computer technology and may prefer hardcopy booklets. Since the printing and mailing costs involved can be pretty significant for our over 300 families, we wish to conserve your money (and many trees) and only print what's needed. So, if you want your own copy either mailed (if you're living elsewhere) or hand delivered locally, please let us know by contacting Sheri Reno at sherireno@verizon.net  or 410-224-5518.