LaVale Civic Improvement Association, Inc.

LCIA Executive Team Members, 2026 - Photo taken by: Cathy Chapman

Dear Neighbor,

Thank you for visiting the home page of the LaVale Civic Improvement Association. The purpose of this site is to assist in informing and uniting all LaVale residents. Here, you'll find community links, discussion boards, local information, and current activities.

Any and all comments are welcome.

All residents of LaVale are members of the LaVale Civic Improvement Association. Your ideas, talents, and participation will help to Build a Better Life in LaVale.

News / Announcements

Upcoming Meeting – July 28^th

* * * For the Residents and Property Owners of LaVale, MD * * *

The LaVale Civic Improvement Association (LCIA), in conjunction with the Braddock Run Watershed Association, will hold a general business and planning meeting on Tuesday July 28^th, at 5:30 PM, in meeting room "B" of the LaVale Library, 815 National Highway.

** Please note the time change. Due to a recent change in library hours, LCIA's meetings will begin one hour earlier, at 5:30 PM, going forward. **

Dr. Jesse Ketterman, from the University of Maryland Extension office, will be our guest speaker.

Dr. Ketterman joined the University of Maryland Extension Office in 2016. His professional emphasis is Consumer Science Educator, specializing in Financial and Health Insurance Literacy. We invite you to join us for an extremely fascinating presentation in which Dr. Ketterman will address these critical consumer services, offer vital information, and answer key questions.

There will also be a review of completed and ongoing projects and, as always, we welcome your comments and ideas to improve our LaVale community!

If you have any questions, or for more information about the two organizations, please call 301-697-1141 or email lcia21502@gmail.com.

All residents and property owners of LaVale are members of the LaVale Civic Improvement Association, so if you're out and about Tuesday evening please stop by.

July 28, 2026 General Membership Monthly Meeting Informational Flyer

Thank You to All Supporters of LCIA's 80th Anniversary Celebration!

New Photo Albums Have Been Added!

Click to View

Community Engagement Highlights for 2025

Projects and Activities in 2024

Notes of Appreciation

Letter of Appreciation from Allegany County Library System 'Summer With Our Library' Program

July 23, 2024 Letter of Appreciation from Allegany County Library Board of Trustees

August 10, 2024 Letter of Appreciation from Allegany High School Softball Team

LaVale Volunteers Pay Tribute to Tina Midgarden
Oct. 26, 2023

LCIA Executive Committee Members, March 2023 - Photo By Antoinette Royster

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Tina Jo Midgarden on Monday, Oct. 9, at the age of 73. Tina was born in Cumberland on Dec. 27, 1949, to the late James E. Midgarden and Helen M. Midgarden. She was the oldest of their five children. After graduating from Olympus High School, she attended the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she earned her degree in elementary education in 1971.

Upon moving from Salt Lake City to LaVale, Tina worked at and helped to open the JoAnn Fabrics store in LaVale Plaza. She also began teaching at various schools in our Appalachia Mountains region. Tina and Paul "Pete" Rose focused on her love of handmade crafts, and they opened the Magnolia Rustique Craft Shop in Cumberland.

In January and September 1996, Tina started attending meetings about the damaging floods that were happening in LaVale. By 2005, the Braddock Run Watershed Association had formed, with Tina as a charter member. After her retirement in 2015 from Hunter Douglas, Tina also began attending the meetings of the LaVale Civic Improvement Association prior to the two organizations merging their meetings. Then, in 2019, she along with several other volunteers accepted a position on the civic association board to provide leadership and rejuvenate the association as other long-serving officers retired. Tina served as secretary from May 2019 and remained an active member of both associations until her death.

Always a willing volunteer, Tina took part in work groups helping to clean up the LaVale parks, sweep the sidewalks, weed the gardens and pick up litter along the LaVale streetscape. Her creativity with handcrafts for holidays was superb. Not only were her decorations amazing in her office while working at Hunter Douglas, but her home as well. Halloween was Tina's favorite holiday. For many years, with the help of her loving son – Daniel Rose – she would always set up a complex "haunted porch" to delight the neighborhood trick-or-treaters at her home in LaVale.

Tina loved and cared very much about LaVale. It was her fond wish that more residents, especially the young families, would willingly take part in the future of LaVale to continue to move the community in a strong positive direction. We've lost a great friend and champion of LaVale. Thank you, Tina, for your dedication, hard work and caring. Rest in peace!

LaVale Civic Improvement Association

Web Site Overview
For a short introduction to the LaVale Civic Association follow the *About* link on the left. *Projects* leads to links for Accomplishments, Ongoing Responsibilities, and Current Activities . A quick view of meeting places and dates can be found through the *Calendar.* Please, feel free to use the *Contact* page to make comments or suggestions. The *Links* page is intended to be a comprehensive resource listing all LaVale organizations. The *Solutions* page is intended to assist us in identifying persistent problems and possible solutions. The *Images* page is intended to display the beauty of our community. Captions still need to be written and any assistance would be appreciated. To subscribe to our mailing list, email lcia21502@gmail.com with the word Subscribe in the subject area Cordially, The LaVale Civic Improvement Association

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