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Welcome to the Wednesday Wire. Let’s get into some news and events.
City of Westminster Police Chief Christian Price told the mayor and Common Council on Monday that officers have begun a two-week enforcement effort targeting e-bikes, scooters, and bicycles downtown — for now, it's mostly education, not tickets. That same meeting brought a new K9 team, a lot of praise for a packed A Toast to Italy / Pride Saturday, and a stopped clock tower.
Meanwhile, the Carroll County school board met today and again took Outdoor School into closed session for legal advice; that 2 p.m. session was followed by a 4 p.m. public meeting. More on that below.
And there's no shortage of things to do this week: free crafts and popsicles at Dutterer Park and Run Moore's monthly Pub Run both land on Thursday, with Touch-A-Truck at Winters Mill and a K-Pop party at the library kitchen on Saturday.
The News
🚲 Police Launch Two-Week E-Bike and Scooter Enforcement
Monday's council meeting also brought a new K9 team, praise for a packed weekend of events, and a road-striping contract.
Westminster police have begun a two-week initiative targeting e-bikes, scooters, and bicycles downtown, Chief Christian Price told the Common Council Monday. Officers are stopping riders and focusing on education over citations, handing out a pamphlet on the relevant traffic rules and reminding riders they can't use sidewalks and must travel with traffic. The July 13 council meeting also introduced a new K9 team, celebrated a busy A Toast to Italy and Pride weekend downtown, awarded a $69,329 road-striping contract, and more.
🏕️ Outdoor School Back Into Closed Session
The Carroll County school board was set to take up Outdoor School again today, Wednesday, July 15, this time as one of several matters on a closed-session agenda. Members convened in open session at 2 p.m., moved into closed session to seek legal advice, and were set to hold a public meeting at 4 p.m. at 125 North Court Street. The notice doesn't say what aspect of Outdoor School would be discussed in the closed session, and CCPS didn't elaborate. This follows June's 5-0 vote to end the program's overnight component.
For today’s 4 p.m. public meeting, nine people signed up to speak during the public comment period, many of them on Outdoor School — safety concerns, alleged misinformation, and preserving the program — alongside topics like board transparency, protecting science and social studies instruction, fiscal transparency and competitive bidding, and civics education.
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Around Town
🍴 Ferments, Tikka Masala, and K-Pop at Exploration Commons
The Exploration Commons Teaching Kitchen at 50 East Main St. runs hands-on classes and demos year-round for kids, teens, and adults, and its slate for the rest of July is full. Coming up: a Fantastic Ferments demo and an Easy Chicken Tikka Masala demo on July 20, more Kids in the Kitchen hand-pie sessions on July 22–23, and Books & Bites: Pigeon Cake on July 24. The big one is the fourth annual K-Pop Party: Boba Tea Creations on Saturday, July 18, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. — a drop-in boba bar, games, crafts, and Korean snacks. Registration is required for most classes.
🎨 Playground Pop-Up: Crafts & Popsicles — Thursday, July 16
With Bumper Boats canceled this summer over regional drought restrictions, the city's Recreation & Parks Department rolled out a free Playground Pop-Up: Crafts & Popsicles series across five parks. The next stop is Dutterer Park this Thursday, July 16, from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM. Each pop-up runs two hours with crafts and popsicles, and it's free and open to the public — an easy morning outing for families with young kids. Two dates remain after this one: July 23 at the Charles Street Tot Lot (1–3 PM) and July 30 at Tahoma Farm Park (10 AM–12 PM).
🚒 Touch-A-Truck Rolls Into Winters Mill — Saturday, July 18
Camelot West Family Services holds its annual Touch-A-Truck event this Saturday, July 18, from 11:00 AM–3:00 PM in the parking lot at Winters Mill High School (560 Gorsuch Rd.). Kids can climb aboard the trucks and get an up-close look at the equipment, with the Westminster Volunteer Fire Department back in this year's lineup. The event coincides with the nonprofit's summer "Christmas in July" fundraiser, which buys toys and stuffed animals for children in the community.
🏃 Run Moore's Monthly Pub Run — Thursday, July 16
Thursday evenings are better with a few miles and good company. Run Moore hosts its monthly Pub Run this Thursday, July 16, at 6:00 PM, meeting at Covalent Spirits. Pick the 2-mile or 4-mile loop, run at your own pace, and stick around afterward for food from Blowfish Poké & Grill and a drink with the group. According to Run Moore’s Instagram post about the pub run, you'll find longtime runners, people training for a race, folks easing back into it, and plenty who just want to get outside for a few miles. If you've been meaning to join, this is a good one to start with.
That's the midweek wrap.
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