Minorities fuel growth in region: Blacks, Hispanics driving demographic shift in area counties.

Byline: Kelly Brewington and Madison Park

Aug. 9--For years, minority population increases have transformed Baltimore's inner suburbs. Now, that growth is reaching into such extended areas as Harford County, diversifying a relatively homogeneous jurisdiction.

Between 2000 and 2006, Harford County's minority population increased quickly while the rate of growth of its white population slowed, according to data released today by the U.S. Census. The trend is true for the entire Baltimore region, whose growth is being fueled by minorities.

In Harford County, the black population rose by 9,261, nearly 43 percent, while the white population increased just 5 percent, by 9,905.

Driving that change are people such as Kenneth Telsee Sr., who retired from the Army in 2004 knowing exactly where he wanted his family to live -- Aberdeen.

Telsee first came to Harford County in 1991 when he was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

"The location was great in a sense that we could drive two to four hours to get to major cities,"…