Given the end of 2003 and the start of a new year, we thought we would take a look back at all 750 of our categorized local web sites, and cull out the best in terms of good design, effectiveness, boldness, robustness, and general good taste. One thing we notice is that there are more professionally designed sites, which is a good thing. Professionally built Web sites are clean, well-designed, logically navigated, visually pleasing, and of course very effective in their purpose. They last longer too. These 20 local sites set the standard. We did avoid the national chains because they have overwhelming resources, and it isn't fair to compare them to the locals. Frankly, after making up the list, we think these local sites match up with the best anywhere. We hope you find our first annual list of Harford's Top 20 Web Sites both interesting and informative. Here they are, in no particular order.

Sea Kayak Chesapeake Bay. Sea kayak information, techniques, trip opportunities, trip planning, trip reports, weather, and community discussion, feedback and interactions, with a focus on the Chesapeake Bay. A work of art. If it's true, as Thomas Edison once said, that genius is 99 percent perspiration and one percent inspiration, then this site is a product of genius. There is here more genuinely useful information on kayak-ing than one would think possible. It is clearly a labor of love, dedication, discipline, and just plain hard work.

Harford Cable Network. Their goal is to bring you local programs, news and events over the Comcast and Clearview cable networks within its mission of providing public access to the county's cable systems. An economical and well-designed site, although some things make you cringe, like having four 30K-byte photos on the Highlights page. But overall, it's refreshing to see that even a bureaucracy can occasionally produce something worthy of creative excellence.

Havre de Grace, Maryland. A great design and lots of graphics and editorial content tell you all about this historic waterfront town on the upper Chesapeake Bay. We like it because the site doesn't sprawl and is well-organized, although it's starting to get away here and there. But it's mostly that home-page look. With that montage of graphics, somebody really caught the flavor of the town. It's also one of our Cool Sites.

BriteStar Inc.. Offers a complete range of direct mail and fulfillment services, including custom postcard design and mailing. Create unique oversized postcards online. The design is marked by careful restraint and functionality. Most importantly, this site wants to do business. This is an excellent example of what local ecommerce can aspire to if it tries.

Ajuga. They do design, illustration and editorial copy for web sites, brochures and corporate identity. The site is essentially unchanged over the past couple of years and getting dated. It's also a little too dark and brooding for my taste. But in terms of pure artistry and design, it is one of the best we've seen. It's also one of our Cool Sites.

Plaza Ford. All of the local auto web sites look pretty much alike these days. We think maybe it's because the manufacturers are steering them toward the same two or three national web design firms. Certainly they are professionally done. But whatever the reason, this family owned and operated dealer outside Bel Air past Benson seems to have the edge with its soft, controlled and functional design.

Harford County, Maryland. Our metaphorical hat is off to the county government for creating a well-designed web site that is also chock full of useful, although sometimes dated, information. We especially like their event calendar. And you can get copies of pending Council bills here as well, a nice public service. We visit the site periodically, and encourage you to do so too, after visiting Harford Vista!, of course.

Talegen Technologies. This local site design and hosting service has always impressed us with their technical abilities and design skills. We host some of our other web sites here, but that's not why we're listing them. We like the web site because it is uncluttered, shows attention to detail, and is easily navigated. In a word, professional.

Bleu Jay Productions. They have served the audio, video, film and Internet multimedia needs of local and national clients for over a quarter century. We like the function design of the site, but wish the home page wasn't so dark. It works, though, and has current technology behind it.

Artistic Checks. Markets personal bank checks in a broad range of designs, from traditional favorites to the more creative. This site is a lesson in how to do electronic commerce on the web. For example, there are 13 links on the home page containing the word "order", from "How to Order" to "Order Status". The home page is a visual table of contents to every product category. They accept credit cards. They reassure the buyer at every turn. Nothing is left to chance. This is likely the most profitable web site in the county. Study it, then go and do likewise.

HarfordART. This is a bimonthly web magazine serving the art community in the county, and is sponsored by and speaks for the Harford Artists Association, Inc. Included are an artists directory, individual artist web pages, free posting of art show invitations, an events calendar, opinion pieces on local art and the artist community, and more. We especially like the artists directory. This site shows a lot of work and dedication. It is the best local non-profit web site around.

The Crazy Swede. It's all about fine dining and elegant lodging in the historic city of Havre de Grace. The large number of graphics, many of them Flash, make the site slow, but if you give it time to load, this is a redesign that works. The Flash tours of the various guest suites are excellent, and the restaurant's online menu is mouth-watering. This is a strong local web site. It makes us want to give the Swede a try, and that's what a web site is supposed to do.

Bel Air Florist. A family owned full-service Teleflorist franchise, this professionally designed web site has page after page of excellent photos of floral products. Lots of products and a shopping cart feature show they want to do business online. And we like the instant look and feel of an inviting, friendly place to stop and look around. This is probably a Teleflora design, but it so well represents the local dealer that we had to include it in our list.

American Design and Build, Ltd. A full-service design and build remodeling company with over 20 years of experience in all phases of remodeling. This is a good clean brochure web site. It isn't designed to sell, but to build trust and confidence. We would certainly give them a call. Located in Bel Air.

Frederick Ward Associates. Skip home and go straight to the Company page of this architectural design and engineering firm, as we do here, to experience the clean, controlled and classy design of this local web site. It may have the best design elements in our list. One problem is that after looking through the site you still feel like you don't really know the company. But the site is too good to pass up for this one flaw.

Maryland Real Life Designs, LLC. This Abingdon firm creates customized prostheses and orthoses that are both functional and comfortable to wear. Their well-crafted web site is a reflection of the pride they take in their work. We're not sure about the moving clouds in the header, but the effect is impressive and soothing. We like the site very much, because overall it works.

Parris-Castoro Eye & Laser Center. This eye and laser specialist is a full-service vision center located in Bel Air. The web site covers all aspects of its service, with an emphasis on the qualifications of its specialists. We almost didn't pick this site, because some of the pages show design burnout - the standard header/margin plus a couple of text paragraphs. But perfection is not what we're looking for; just a commitment to fully inform visitors in a respectful manner. This site does that.

West Nottingham Academy. A college prep school dedicated to the intellectual and spiritual growth of its students, it enrolls boys and girls, including day and boarding students, in grades 6-12. It calls itself the oldest boarding school in America. The design is merely good, but the content is first-rate. This the most interesting web site in Harford County. Throughout, you can feel the commitment, the enthusiasm, and the execution of a vision. This site has soul.

Aberdeen IronBirds. This Baltimore Orioles class-A minor league affiliate web site is less restrained than others on our list, but it is chock full of information. We would not describe it as a slick design, but it is well thought out and functional. A lot of work went into it. We hate the bobbing head and the slow load, but local sports fans will find it is well worth a visit.

Piccirilli Group, Inc. A local marketing and advertising firm specializing in identity development and offering highly targeted response-driven marketing solutions. The web site is clean, uncluttered, under control, low-maintenance, but still very informative. We would opt for a few more graphics on some of the pages. An interesting aspect of the design is that every page is kept to a single screen, making it a fast load. Nice.