Police investigating park ‘tattooing’

Taneytown Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) Chairperson Kelly Buie stated at the April meeting of the board that an issue, which is "obviously concerning," has been discussed recently on social media – that being "tattooing" in the park.

Apparently, an individual, or individuals, have been offering to conduct tattooing in the city parks, although Lorena Vaccare, director of Taneytown Parks & Recreation (P&R), stated that she could not discuss details because the police department is conducting an ongoing investigation.

Vaccare did say, "I’m sure that that will be taken care of so that situation doesn’t happen in our parks anymore." adding, "I was very alarmed to see that (social media comments). Not only is it dangerous from a health perspective, but it’s also very creepy."

The director stated that she doesn’t want any of the children, teenagers – or anyone in the community – to be approached like that at any of our parks. "That’s just unacceptable," she said.

The city is in process of acquiring and installing lights and cameras at the skate park to capture "unwanted behavior and activity to ensure that the park stays safe."

Aside from employing equipment to monitor activity, Chairperson Buie stated, "If you see something, you have to say something. You need to contact the police," adding, "I mean, we have to stop this. It’s not one person’s job – it’s all of our jobs – to watch over the safety of our residents."

Bollinger Park Nearer to Fruition

Bollinger Park, currently in the development stages, will be designed as a nature park. Phase One features of the park include a trail that will meander through the woods and along Piney Creek and which may be used for walking, jogging, and biking, a two (2) acre pollinator garden, and a meditation garden. Phase Two features will include an observatory constructed and operated by the Westminster Astronomical Society, the observatory’s parking lot, and a connector path to the nature trail.

Site plans for Phase One of the creation of Taneytown’s Bollinger Park are currently on hold, as the project’s engineers at CDM Smith have been temporarily diverted to work on other priority projects for the city. Once the firm is freed up enough to continue engineering the park’s plans, the Preliminary Site Plan will then be sent to Carroll County Government for their various agencies and bureaus to review and approve. The site plans will also be reviewed and approved by the Taneytown Planning Commission, with opportunity for the public to comment and give their input on the various features of this nature park.

Phase One work will entail entrance to the park, the parking lot, security lighting in the parking lot, entrance signage, the nature trail, and educational and directional signage for the trail.

Taneytown Parks and Recreation Director Lorena Vaccare reported at the April meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that she has applied for a Recreational Trails Program grant of $80,000 from Maryland’s Department of Transportation and has applied for other grants as well, totaling more than $410,000. She noted that the project has $150,000 in awarded grant funding from Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Community Parks & Playgrounds Program to use toward the Phase One work. She further stated that she will continue to seek grants for this work in order to secure adequate funding for the project.

Wine, Art & Music Festival Slated

Numerous vendors and three bands have been signed up for the Taneytown Wine, Art & Music Festival, scheduled to be held June 19 at the Memorial Park.

Parks and Recreation Director Lorena Vaccare reported at the April meeting of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that license applications are still being reviewed by the Carroll County Health Department and the County Liquor Board. [These licenses have since been secured.]

As of the April 12 meeting, Vaccare said 8 food vendors, 12 artisan and craft vendors, 3 wineries, 4 breweries, 3 distilleries, and 1 meadery have signed up to participate.

"Previously" she said, "many beverage vendors were unsure about committing because of the COVID situation, but now that restrictions have lifted even more, I’m hoping they’ll be willing to commit – I’ll be hoping… to get some more (beverage vendors)."

Watch what you feed the ducks

Councilman Darryl Hale, town Council liaison to the PRAB, told the board at their April meeting that concerns had been expressed at the council meeting regarding the feeding of ducks in the park pond.

"Feeding ducks is not a good thing, because they are a wild animal," he said, adding, "Bread can make a mess of the pond… it can make the parents (adult ducks) of the babies less responsive to them."

P&R Director Vaccare pointed out that bread (which seems to be the more commonly fed food the ducks are given) can harm the ducks, because bread tends to smell when it is ingested.

She noted there are individuals who enjoy the park because they can feed the ducks, but she suggested that in-lieu of bread, people should offer the ducks grains or corn, "or something that is not bread."

Truthorfiction.com recommends feeding ducks the following: corn, peas, barley, oats, and rice. "along with other cereal grains and pulses (seeds)."