whatsgoingoncatonsville

2012 Relay for Life

2011-12-20T13:58:00.000-05:00

Resolve to Fight Cancer in 2012

Join your neighbors for the Relay For Life of Catonsville kick-off at 6 p.m., Tuesday, January 17, 2012, at Matthews 1600, 1600 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD.

Relay For Life is an overnight fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that supports cancer research and programs in our community. The event will be held June 9 – 10 from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. at CCBC Catonsville.

In 2011, 52 teams of 71 cancer survivors and 426 participants raised $102,511. Help us reach our goal of having 54 teams with 110 cancer survivors and 500 participants raise $120,000 in 2012.

Find out more by coming to the kick-off and by checking out the event’s website at http://www.RelayForLife.org/catonsville.

Russell Craig Witzke - Funerals And Cremations, P.A.

2011-12-07T10:59:00.003-05:00

Realizing that there is a need, in the Catonsville Area, for personalized funeral and cremation services at a reasonable cost. I have answered my calling and returned to the family business that my great-grandfather, Harry H. Witzke, Sr. founded 100 years ago.

The arrangement offices for Russell Craig Witzke- Funerals and Cremations, P.A. are located at 9 Newburg Ave. We are available 24hrs a day to assist you in your time of need. Because the Witzke Family has always believed that "A Dignified Funeral Need Not be Expensive", we offer Church Services- Graveside Services -Personalized Services- Memorial Services and Cremation Services at prices that are often less than half of what others charge.

Please call 443-830-0310 if you would like more information about the services that we offer.

www.witzkefh.com

Artist Caf� set to start brewing October 17

2011-10-21T13:53:00.000-04:00

Artist Caf� set to start brewing October 17

Public Safety Summit

2011-10-17T14:09:00.001-04:00

Public Safety Summit

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 @ 7:00 PM

Christian Temple
5820 Edmondson Avenue
Catonsville, Maryland 21228

Join your neighbors to hear the Community Outreach Officers of the Wilkens Avenue Precint describe the best ways to keep ourselves, our property and our communities safe.
· Captain John Spiroff will be available to answer questions
· Update on recent crime statistics and prevention activities
· Details on securing a FREE home security survey
· Light refreshments will be served

For additional information, contact mailto:swelch3285@aol.com or call Christian Temple at 410-747-2041

Catonsville native has escaped death twice while filming sharks

2011-07-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

Catonsville native has escaped death twice while filming sharks

Click on link above to see video and the rest of the article.

For a decade beginning in the mid-1980s, Caloyianis and Berger worked on 30 to 40 projects for National Geographic, many of them about sharks.

Caloyianis won an Emmy and an Oscar in 1998 for cinematography in the National Geographic special, "America's Endangered, Don't Say Goodbye." Other Emmys followed. He has supplied underwater video for TV commercials and movies. He and Berger were honored with a CINE Gold Award for the 2000 documentary, "Realm of the Lobster."

Closer to home, Caloyianis and Berger have volunteered their video talents to document a number ofChesapeake Bay improvement projects, including artificial reef construction and oyster habitat restoration.

"There is no other individual who has spent more time beneath the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and documented its marine life," said Martin Gary, a Department of Natural Resources biologist who learned to dive from Caloyianis. "His visuals are a powerful legacy for future generations."

Next year, Caloyianis expects to begin work on a project he's dreamed about for 20 years: A 3-D IMAX film about the Chesapeake Bay.

But for now, he hopes people reflect on the message of "Jaws Comes Home."

"Those white sharks are back, but it's tenuous. We need to learn a lot more about them. The answer is conservation," he says. "The ocean should be for everybody and everything. The sharks belong out there."

candy.thomson@baltsun.com

Update on Wata- Wing

2011-06-17T17:24:00.000-04:00

It appears as if the law has caught up with Doc Prevette!

www.oag.state.md.us/Securities/Actions/2010/WataWing_OSC_8_10.pdf

Thank you to the poster that forwarded this information...

Frederick Road Fridays

2011-06-17T17:16:00.000-04:00

Frederick Rd Fridays starts tonight !!

You Scream Ice Cream

2011-05-24T09:43:00.001-04:00

You Scream Ice Cream Is in the News Again! Click on the above link to read the article.

Shredding Day

2011-04-08T08:10:00.000-04:00

Patapsco Council #1960, Knights of Columbus will hold its next Document Destruction Day on Saturday, April 16, 2011 between the hours of noon & 2:00pm. This event will be held on the Council's parking lot located at 1010 Frederick Road in Catonsville, MD. Bring your old sensitive documents, including canceled checks, medical records, financial records and any other type of paperwork that you don't want to place in your recycle bin. At our last Shredding day, local folks brought in enough paper (over 4,000 pounds) to save 110 trees. There is no charge for this service, but any donation will be greatly appreciated. For additional information, please call 410-744-8754.

2011 Frederick Road Fridays Schedule

2011-03-29T14:37:00.003-04:00

Egges Lane at Frederick Rd.

17-Jun-11 5 Oaks

24 -Jun-11 Stone Mason

1-Jul-11 Appaloosa

8-Jul-11 Bill's Music battle of the bands winner

15-Jul-11 Jay Cleaver & the Love Leaders

22-Jul-11 Troy Hanna Band

29-Jul-11 Marquis Soul

5-Aug-11 Revolver

12-Aug-11 Against the Grain

19-Aug-11 Bills Music battle of the bands winner

26-Aug-11 The Gigs

2-Sep-11 Blue Streak

Six Mile Coffee - Open Mic Night

2011-03-09T09:23:00.003-05:00

Six Mile Coffee is hosting a Family Friendly, Open Mic Night on Thursday April 7th from 7-10PM.
Signup at 6pm. For more details stop in. For more information on the host, visit http://www.iylaimy.com/ You can email rob at rob@ilyaimy.com or call him at 301 910 2575

IRISH NIGHT PARTY

2011-02-21T08:07:00.000-05:00

Patapsco Council #1960, Knights of Columbus presents it Annual Irish Night Party featuring the band "RIGADOO" on Friday, March 11, 2011 at its Council home located at 1010 Frederick Rd., in Catonsville, MD. Dinner will be from 6:00pm until 8:00pm, with light fare until 9:00pm. The music of "RIGADOO" will be from 8:00pm until Midnight. Beverages will be available at popular prices. The cost is $6.00 per person, at the door. Reservations are recommended. Please call the Council home at 410-744-8754, or Mike Karpers @ 410-744-1472.

Real Estate Auction Tomorrow Feb. 16 2011

2011-02-15T08:19:00.004-05:00

(Click on above title link for more information and more photos)

Sale On Premises

8120 MAIN STREET

Howard County, MD 21043

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2011

AT 11:00 A.M.

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS:
8120 Main Street is situated in the heart of Ellicott City, an historic mill town along the Howard County bank of the Patapsco River. Located along the north side of Main Street, east of Columbia Pike and west of the Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station Museum, the property is attractive and highly visible. Ellicott City enjoys a colorful history, dating to the mid-1700s. Known for antique shops, galleries, boutiques and fine dining, the historic district is a popular destination for tourists as well as local residents. Main Street is bustling, yet charming, featuring a streetscape with brick sidewalks, on-street parking and nearby public parking lots.

SITE AREA:
Nearly rectangular lot fronts 26.5' along the north side of Main Street by a depth of approximately 125', comprising approximately 3,450 square feet of land. The lot is terraced in the rear and is bounded by a 4' alley.

Zoning HC - Historic Commercial

Public utilities - water, sewer, gas, electricity, telephone

IMPROVEMENTS:
Freestanding, three story stucco and masonry building, which according to public tax records was constructed in 1890 and contains 2,985 square feet of gross building area. The building may be older. The structure has a composition shingle roof, wooden double hung windows with interior storm sashes, and stone foundation. The building contains a two level store and a two level apartment, each with separate entrances, utilities and meters.

Store - 8120 Main Street
First floor front entrance with two show windows
Main level - ceramic tile floor, track lighting, showroom, storage room, utility room with sink
Second level - interior entrance and separate exterior exit, 3 carpeted rooms, half-bath

Apartment - 8122 Main Street
Living Room - carpeting, ceiling fan
Country Kitchen - oak cabinets, laminate counters, electric range/oven, refrigerator
Bedroom #1 - carpeting, double closet
Full Bath - vinyl floor, fiberglass wainscot
Laundry Room - washer and dryer
Attic level Bedroom #2 with sitting area

MechanicalSeparate gas forced air heat and central air conditioning for each unitSeparate water heatersSeparate gas and electric meters

REAL ESTATE TAXES:
2011 annual real estate taxes - $5,057.56, based on a full value tax assessment of $369,500. Note - If real property is transferred after January 1 and before the beginning of the next taxable year to a new owner, the new owner may submit a written appeal as to a value or classification on or before 60 days after the date of the transfer.

TITLE:
The property is in fee simple and is sold free and clear of liens. Deed Liber 5432, folio 684.

INSPECTION TIME:
One hour prior to time of sale.

TERMS OF SALE:
A $25,000 deposit, payable by certified check or cashier's check, will be required of the purchaser at time and place of sale. The deposit shall be increased to 10% of the purchase price within 24 hours at the Auctioneer's office. Balance to be paid in cash within 45 days. If payment of the balance does not take place within the specified time, the deposit shall be forfeited and the property may be resold at the risk and expense of the purchaser. Interest to be charged on the unpaid purchase money, at the rate of 12% per annum, from date of sale to date of settlement. All adjustments, including taxes, rents, all other public charges and assessments payable on an annual basis, and sanitary and/or metropolitan district charges, if any, to be adjusted for the current year to date of sale and assumed thereafter by the purchaser. The property will be sold in "AS IS" condition, and subject to easements, agreements, restrictions or covenants of record affecting same, if any. Purchaser assumes the risk of loss from the date of sale forward. The purchaser agrees to waive the right of inspection for lead paint, as provided under current Federal and State law. The Purchaser waives and releases the Seller, the Auctioneers, and their respective agents, successors and assigns from any and all claims the Purchaser and/or its successors and assigns may now have or may have in the future relating to the condition of the property, including but not limited to the environmental condition thereof. If the Seller is unable to convey good and marketable title, the purchaser's sole remedy in law or equity shall be limited to the refund of the deposit. Upon refund of the deposit this sale shall be null and void and of no effect, and the purchaser shall have no further claim against the Seller or Auctioneers. Recordation costs, transfer taxes and all costs incidental to settlement to be paid by the purchaser. Time is of the essence.
No buyer's premium.

SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE DINNER

2011-02-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

Patapsco Council #1960, Knights of Columbus is pleased to announce its SHROVE TUESDAY PANCAKE DINNER, to be held on Tuesday, MARCH 8, 2011 from 4:30pm until 7:30pm. The dinner will be held at its Council home, located at 1010 Frederick Road, Catonsville, MD. The menu will consist of: Pancakes, Potato Pancakes, Country Sausage, fruit toppings, whipped cream & maple syrup. Coffee, tea, juice & soft drinks will be available. Additionally, a cash bar will be available to begin your own Mardi Gras. The cost is $4.00 per person. Parents with minor children will be charged a maximum of $15.00. For reservations and additional information, please call 410-744-8754.

Trax on Wax Open Mic

2011-01-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

Check out this great video from "The Patch".
Trax on Wax is a cool place. Gary, we are glad that you opened it!

Peavey Day at Bill's Music

2011-01-17T09:37:00.000-05:00

Peavey Day at Bill's Music! Clincs, Giveaways and More!

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Location 743 Frederick Rd

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Created By Bill's Music

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More Info Come join us for a day of Peavey and 2 FREE Music Clinics! BIG Discounts on Peavey Gear, Product Demonstrations, FREE Giveaways and Peavey Representative Hank Ettel on site all day to answer all your Peavey questions. Churches, Schools and Venues, join us at 12:00 for the Live Sound Clinic. Get "Sound Advice" on how to keep your live audio system sounding it's very best. At 3:00pm will be the Peavey Vyper Amp Clinic, recently voted the "Amp of the Year". Guests will be entered to win a FREE Peavey Vypyr Amp! Call 410.747.1900 for more details

Baltimore County Restaurant Week Hopes To Draw Big Crowds « CBS Baltimore – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of Baltimore

2011-01-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

Baltimore County Restaurant Week.

Baltimore County Restaurant Week Hopes To Draw Big Crowds « CBS Baltimore – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of Baltimore

Where We Live : Old Catonsville Lovably Eccentric

2010-12-11T10:30:00.004-05:00

Where We Live
Old Catonsville: Lovably eccentric
By Laura Barnhardt Cech
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, December 10, 2010; 9:26 AM

If you live in Catonsville, you plunk your lawn chair on the main street to reserve your spot for the Fourth of July parade - weeks ahead of the big day. You are loyal to a snowball stand. And, residents say, you try never to leave.

Where We Live: Old Catonsville: Lovably eccentric
A closer look at the community

The quirks of this Baltimore County college town, including a profusion of music stores, endear it to its residents. And its location close to the Penn Line of the MARC train and Interstate 95, makes it convenient for both D.C. and Baltimore commuters.
For that reason, the community draws many couples who commute in opposite directions.
"A lot of people split the difference and end up here," said Marybeth Graf-Brohawn, an agent with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Catonsville and a longtime resident.
"It's thought of as this little place, but it has so much," Graf-Brohawn said. Within its borders, it has the flagship campus of the Community College of Baltimore County and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, where a technology incubator continues to expand. It is also home to the 110-acre retirement community of Charlestown.
There are more than a dozen neighborhoods, including Old Catonsville, an enclave with about 350 houses in the center of the unincorporated town.
In Old Catonsville, and Catonsville in general, the real estate market hasn't been as been beaten up as it has in other communities. "We dropped less and we dropped later," said Meg Christian, Graf-Brohawn's real estate partner.
There weren't as many wild escalations at the height of the market, and there aren't as many foreclosures now.
"It's fairly common for people to move street to street," Christian says. "People don't want to leave."
Dorothy Noble and her husband are among them.
The proximity to Baltimore-Washington International Marshall Airport, Baltimore and the District was ideal for her husband, Dan, a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But it also was an easy commute for Noble, an account manager for AEG Environmental in Westminster, Md.
The couple, with three sons, liked the area so much that when they outgrew their first house in Catonsville, they bought an 1890s farmhouse in Old Catonsville.
"We love it here - the quaint 1950s feel of the town," said Noble, who is president of the Old Catonsville Neighborhood Association, which covers all but a few streets in the neighborhood and oversees events including caroling and cleanup days.
Like a lot of Catonsville's neighborhoods, Old Catonsville has a mix of Victorians (several of which have been converted into apartments), Colonials, American foursquares and ranchers).
"There's an incredible range of prices and ages of houses," said Christian, a longtime resident of the area.
In Old Catonsville, for example, four homes listed for sale, ranging from a $120,000 three-bedroom, one-bathroom ranch-style home advertised as a "fixer-upper" to a $327,900 four-bedroom, 31/2-bathroom updated Colonial.
A $489,500 five-bedroom, 21/2-bathroom American foursquare was recently under contract.
The neighborhood is also home to Catonsville's two longtime snowball stands, which are separated by a 7-Eleven and an Italian deli. (You may recognize the icy treat by its other name, snow cone.) Locals are often fiercely partisan about the stands and almost always exclusively patronize one or the other.
"You can go to the ice cream shop on Frederick Road without feeling like you're betraying anyone because they have hand-dipped ice cream," rather than the soft-serve variety served up at the snowball stands, said resident Kayleen Reese, laughing.
A year ago, Reese, a teacher who lives in Catonsville's Summit Park neighborhood, and her husband, Mike,moved four blocks. The family who they bought from moved five blocks away.
The Reeses and their three children enjoy the proximity to Washington and Baltimore and being able to walk to church, school, the library, the post office, restaurants and Patapsco State Park, which is known for its trails and mountain-biking terrain.
"We have the convenience of a city but not that scale," Reese said.
Several new restaurants and coffee shops have opened in the past several years along the main street through town, Frederick Road, which also has so many music stores that Catonsville calls itself "Music City, Maryland."
On Friday nights during the summer, free concerts are held on Frederick Road. On Sundays, musicians perform at an outdoor theater on the grounds of the recently renovated high school.
Performances and fireworks are also staged at Catonsville High School on the Fourth of July. But the big draw is the town's parade.
Weeks before the holiday, residents start putting out their lawn chairs to reserve spots on Frederick Road to watch the parade of marching bands, floats, cars and local celebrities. (Every year, at least one joker puts out a lawn chair on New Year's Day.)
"Some families have been sitting in the same spot every year for decades," said Graf-Brohawn, who along with Christian places thousands of small American flags in yards around town.
"In Catonsville, the Fourth of July is a high holiday," Christian said.
Noble and her husband were initially aghast at the chairs lining Frederick Road when they first moved to Catonsville. "You think, 'Oh, that's tacky.' But after being here, you love the tradition. Now my husband is one of the first ones out there with the chairs."

Notes for Nourishment

2010-12-01T09:49:00.002-05:00

Two World Renown Musicians to perform, for the, First Time in Baltimore!

Donna Stoering is an international concert pianist and singer, Grammy Award Nominee and Founder of - Listen for Life.

Erin Nolan is an internationally known musician and founder of - Notes for Nourishment.

These will be unique and intimate performances, by, two very talented artists. The program will conclude with audience sing-alongs to Christmas Carols.

Two Shows

Thursday, December 2nd at 3pm
Our Lady of the Angels Chapel
711 Maiden Choice Lane

Thursday, December 2nd at 7pm
Little Sister's if the Poor
St. Martins Home
601 Maiden Choice Lane

FREE - but, they will be collecting donations for Little Sisters of the Poor.

For more information contact:
Amelia Arnold
410 744 9367 x166

Crabs for Christmas

2010-11-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Crabs For Christmas Concert

Featuring Baltimore's own
David DeBoy & his Holiday Hons

Rolling Road Golf Club
410-747-5194

Sunday, December 12th
Arrive: 5:30pm
Dinner: 6PM
Show Begins: 7PM

Cost:
Adults $35
Children under 12, $20
Includes Dinner

Santa Stumble

2010-11-22T16:30:00.001-05:00

Plan to attend the 2nd Annual C-Ville Santa Stumble,
Saturday, December 4, 2010.

Check-In will be held at the Sea Hut Inn,
5:00—6:00 pm

Tax deductible $20 registration fee = long sleeve tee, Santa hat and wrist band entitling partipants to discounts and specials at various businesses along Frederick Road.

An updated list and schedule will be provided at check-in the evening of the Stumble.

Proceeds benefit the Comet Park Renovation Project at Catonsville High School. Last year's Stumble was attended by 120 merrymakers raising $3,000 for the project.

Please consider bringing a couple of friends and joining us! It is a great way to kick off the holiday season! Contact Sue Plitt if you have any questions.

Open Mic Nite

2010-11-22T16:27:00.000-05:00

Open Mic Night
at
Trax on Wax

On the second & fourth Tuesday every month Trax on Wax owner Gary Gebler host a broad range of musicians for an Open Mic Night. Signup starts at around 6pm and music is from 7-10pm. Trax on Wax is located at 709 Frederick Road

410-869-8729

Store Hours:
M-F 11am - 8pm
Sat: 11am - 6PM
Sun: 12 noon -4pm

Santa House

2010-11-22T16:11:00.001-05:00

Santa's Coming To Town

This Saturday is a special day in Catonsville. Yep, you guessed it, it's the day that Santa comes to town. For 16 years, Catonsvillians have been gathering to ring in the season with the lighting of the town Christmas Tree and the welcoming of the jolly red-suited toy giver. The festivities start at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 27th. So bring out the family for a night of music, cookie and cocoa, and good friends. The evening is entirely free and it's always a hit.

Santa House Hours:

Fridays 6–8 p.m; Dec. 3, 10 & 17

Saturdays 2–4 p.m; Dec. 4, 11 & 18

Sunday, Dec. 19, 2–5 p.m.

Explore Baltimore County: Catonsville wakes up and smells the coffee

2010-11-03T09:13:00.002-04:00

Explore Baltimore County: Catonsville wakes up and smells the coffee

Downtown Catonsville woke up Friday morning to the smell and sight of thermoses full of organic coffee as Six Mile Coffee enjoyed a quiet opening at 6 a.m. at its new location at 609 Frederick Road.

Inside, a gleaming pastry case was filled with Danish pastries, cinnamon twists, Halloween-themed cupcakes and pies from Sweet, a bakery that owner Chris Sikora owns and runs in nearby Ellicott City.

The coffee shop also offers a menu of sandwiches, soups, salads and bread pizzas made in a high-speed oven.

Sikora estimated that half-dozen customers had trickled in by 9 a.m.

Sikora said the coffee shop will have its grand opening Saturday, featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Greater Catonsville Chamber of Commerce at 9 a.m.

Located in the former Chesapeake Bank building near Catonsville Elementary School, the coffee shop also includes a drive-through window for commuters.

“It’s super exciting,” said manager Michelle McClelland, who lives just inside the Baltimore City line and can walk to work.

A former Starbucks employee, McClelland moved to the area earlier this year from Lynchburg, Va.

“I much prefer the local thing,” said McClelland, who said that the products at Six Mile Coffee are economically sustainable and as “green” as possible.

“We recycle,” she said. “We do all the stuff that Starbucks doesn’t do.”

Ellicott City resident Kevin Hardy, Sikora’s pastor at Crossroads Church on Rogers Avenue in Ellicott City, stopped in to buy a cup of coffee and an apple Danish.

“I love coffee,” said Hardy, who said that with many of his parishioners living in the area, he would use the business as a meeting place in the future.

The coffee shop’s Wi-Fi makes it a convenient place to have a cup of coffee and surf the Internet, he said.

“It really looks good,” Hardy said. “I think he’s done a great job (of) really making it warm and friendly.”

Six Mile coffee will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Six Mile Coffee

2010-10-27T06:32:00.001-04:00

Java junkies have new place to fuel up
'Six Mile Coffee' stirs up competition on Frederick Road
By Alan J. McCombs and Lauren Fulbright
lfulbright@patuxent.com

It's full steam ahead for Chris Sikora as he prepares for the grand opening of Six Mile Coffee on Frederick Road on Saturday, Oct. 30. Sikora, who also owns a bakery in Ellicott City, says the new coffee shop will feature some bakery items and sandwiches, but "coffee is going to be our main business." The business has already been a regular vendor at the Catonsville Farmers Market. (Staff photo by Kitty Charlton)
Something new is brewing on Catonsville's main thoroughfare.
Six Mile Coffee is scheduled to open this week in the former Chesapeake Bank Building at 609 Frederick Road.

"We think it's a great location for a coffee shop," store owner Chris Sikora said. "It has parking. It's off the Beltway so people can pick up their coffee on their way to work."

Last week, power tools and boxes still covered the floor of the new business, which is near Catonsville Elementary School.

But Sikora said the coffee shop will be ready for its Saturday, Oct. 30 grand opening, with the possibility of a soft opening before then.

Though Six Mile Coffee will join nearby competitors such as Dunkin' Donuts and Friendly's that offer patrons a cuppa joe, Sikora is confident the business will set itself apart.

"Coffee is going to be our main business, as opposed to other places that do other things and sell coffee," he said.

While the store has yet to open, Six Mile Coffee has already been making an impression in Catonsville.

The business has been a regular at the Sunday farmers' market near Friendly's in the 700 block of Frederick Road.

At the store's tent Aug. 22, customers could buy a hot coffee for $1.50 and an iced coffee for $2.

The hot coffee appealed to one self-described coffee addict, Catherine Holden of Halethorpe.

"It's a smooth coffee, not very heavy, not bitter," said the history and social studies teacher at Franklin High School, in Reisterstown. "It's just good coffee, simple and to the point and what you need at 6 a.m."

For her friend and fellow educator at Franklin High, Lisa Siegfried, Six Mile Coffee seemed like a place she could see herself frequenting on her way to work.

"I like to patronize small businesses," she said.

Six Mile Coffee is named for the nearby marker that notes the distance on the road to the port of Baltimore.

"Plus, I figured every cute name for a coffee shop ... has already been taken," Sikora said.

The new business isn't the first for Sikora. He owns and operates Sweet, a bakery in Ellicott City, where he lives with his wife and two daughters.

After looking at the property for about a year, Sikora opted to open the coffee shop in Catonsville because of his familiarity with the town, he said.

"I've always liked Catonsville, the community spirit," he said. "People take a lot of pride in locally owned business and their town, and we wanted to be part of it."

The operating hours are planned for 6 a.m. to around 8 or 10 p.m. daily, with closing time depending on demand.

In addition to its regular blend of fair-trade and organic coffee, the coffee shop will offer a selection of bakery items like muffins, scones, pies and cakes from Sweet. There will also be a selection of sandwiches, salads and bread pizza made in a high-speed oven, Sikora said.

Inside, the store will offer free wireless Internet access that Sikora hopes will transform it into a meeting place both for area residents and college students, Sikora said.

The bank's former drive-through window will also find a new use: serving coffee-craving drivers on their morning commute, he said.