If you have recently traveled the northern stretch of Route 32 in Howard County, you surely noticed that improvements have begun in response to the community's call for greater road safety.

Howard Blackman, creator of the Make Route 32 Safe Web site (www.makeroute32safe.com), applauds the efforts of County Executive Kenneth Ulman and Gov. Martin O'Malley in quickly implementing these changes.

For approximately the next month, drivers should expect delays as road workers mill, repave, and restripe the intersections of Route 32 and Day Road, Amberwoods Way, River Road, and the section of highway between River Road and Emory Farm Lane.

The first three areas will ultimately include dedicated left turn lanes into the neighborhoods, while the latter stretch will incorporate a center lane for turning into multiple roadways and driveways.

Most of the road work will occur between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., and digital message boards will alert motorists to the presence of flag personnel and changes in road configuration. In the coming weeks, the State Highway Administration will require that motorists exiting the Park and Ride near Interstate 70 turn right only during the evening rush hour.

Additionally, SHA has begun traffic signal studies at Day Road, Amberwoods Way and River Road, and it will conduct an access management study between November 2009 and Summer 2010. This study will analyze how to combine groups of driveways into single access points along Route 32 between I-70 in Howard County and Route 26 (Liberty Road) in Carroll County.

Community members feel grateful and relieved about the changes, which they view as long-overdue. However, Blackman emphasizes that further improvements remain essential. He encourages elected officials from both political parties to sit down together to address the next phase since he views partisanship as a barrier to continued progress.

To view the planned roadway configurations from an aerial perspective, go to www.makeroute32safe.com/Phase_1_Results.html.

Oct. 16 marked a day off for county students, but it also marked an honor for the Mt. View Middle School Advanced Orchestra. This talented group spent a portion of the day performing at the Maryland Music Educators Association Fall In-Service Conference at Howard High School.

The orchestra was invited to play several recently-published pieces during a 50-minute set designed to showcase these works. Orchestra director Andrea Aldrich feels very proud of her students' accomplishments.

Congratulations to the MVMS Advanced Orchestra on their noteworthy honor!

I have a confession to make. Until this year, my children and I never received immunization against the flu. Actually, we did try to get FluMist at the Glenwood Branch library one year, but after waiting more than an hour and seeing little progress, we left so that we could attend to another obligation.

Previously, my excuses for not immunizing my family included the facts that we know people who have suffered adverse reactions to the vaccine, that we are blessed with healthy constitutions, that it is inconvenient, that we (like most others) dislike getting poked with needles, and well, it is just the flu, right?

However, my outlook changed drastically last year when a previously healthy teenage friend of the family died from influenza. I realized then that my "mom guilt" would plague me if I did not take the necessary steps to protect my children as best as possible.

This year, I made appointments for my older two children to receive vaccinations at their pediatrician's office and expected my youngest to receive FluMist at elementary school. Unfortunately, an Oct. 6 e-mail from the school system announced the suspension of the state school FluMist program because of distribution challenges.

At that point, the county had held its drive-through clinic, and our pediatrician's office had already allocated all of its vaccine.

Although I eventually got my child into the pediatrician's office because of a last-minute cancellation, I called a bevy of local pharmacies in the interim and would like to report my findings since other parents may find themselves in a similar bind. Regrettably, I have little good news to share.

As of Oct. 13, the Wal-Mart pharmacies in Ellicott City and Eldersburg have already held their flu clinics, as have both Safeway pharmacies in Ellicott City, and the Weis pharmacy, in Woodstock. Additionally, the CVS in Ellicott City has run out of flu vaccine and does not expect more.

The Walgreen pharmacies in Clarksville (410-531-6030) and Eldersburg (410-795-2968) ran out of flu vaccine, but hoped to get more by Oct. 16. They will immunize adults only at a cost of $24.99; call in advance to check on availability or to schedule an appointment.

The Target store, in Ellicott City (410-203-1700), has run out of vaccine, but hopes to get more in November. This store will immunize individuals age 18 months and older at a cost of $24.

The Superfresh, in Ellicott City (410-480-3817), plans to hold its flu clinic Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. It will immunize adults only at a cost of $30.

The Rite Aid at 8601 Baltimore National Pike (east of Route 29) will hold its next clinic Nov. 17 from 2-6 p.m. and the Rite Aid at 9150 Baltimore National Pike (near Mars Supermarket) will hold its next clinic Nov. 19 from 2-6 p.m. These pharmacies charge $30 to immunize individuals age 3 years and older.

If you know of additional local sources for the flu shot, feel free to contact me so that I can share this information with the community.

user comments (0)