Matthew Santoni, The Examiner
2007-06-27 07:00:00.0
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Harford County -

After years of focusing on political land use lobbying, Friends of Harford is seeking to boost its community outreach and spread its message to average citizens.

“We’ve largely been an activist group talking with politicians and trying to affect policy,” said Stephanie Stone, a Friends of Harford board member. “Now we’re trying to reach out to the community, to round out our image.”

Friends will host food, music, rides and presentations at Applewood Farm near the Pennsylvania line July 22, Stone said, giving people a chance to have a good time while Friends members disseminate information about the group’s mission of promoting “responsible land use, responsible government and an improved quality of life.”

The outreach event is designed to spread knowledge of the group beyond the planners and politicians who already know them, Stone said. Many current members joined Friends of Harford after being “burned” by zoning and land use issues they were directly involved in, she said.

By holding the “Friends on the Farm” day at Applewood Farm, Stone said Friends also hoped to highlight the county’s rural legacy — even as the county is growing as a bedroom community and an economic center in its own right, centered on Aberdeen Proving Ground.

But despite the predictions of as many as 6,500 new households in Harford solely as the result of growth at APG, board member Gloria Moon said the group’s aim and urgency remained the same.

“We’ve not changed one little bit. We’re dedicated to having good communities,” Moon said. “If we’re going to have growth, we want it to look good.”

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com