Howard County to Provide Updates on the Master Plan for Aging Population
The Howard County Department of Citizen Services recently invited the public to get involved in a series of community meetings to discuss the status of the county’s Master Plan for the Aging Population.
The 20-year Master Plan is a comprehensive planning initiative to design the types of services, programs and facilities that will be needed to address the future needs of this growing segment of the county’s population. The initiative has thus far included a community survey, a series of focus groups and input from a wide array of stakeholders.
The planning process was undertaken to guide Howard County’s short- and long-term investments in programs, services and facilities for the county’s older adult population. It has been led by the Department of Citizen Services’ Office on Aging and a consultant team led by KGRW & Associates, a Howard County-based architectural and planning firm specializing in senior facilities.
Howard’s Kittleman Names Gardner Chief of Police
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman has announced that Gary Gardner will continue to serve as chief of police. Although Gardner has served as chief since July of this year, Kittleman has now chosen him to lead the department in his new administration.
Previously, Gardner has served in almost every capacity of Howard County’s Police Department, including tenures as deputy chief for operations and commander of the criminal investigations bureau. He is a graduate of the FBI’s National Academy and earned his master’s degree from Eastern Kentucky University. He is a graduate of Leadership Howard County.
Travel & Leisure Names Annapolis Among Country’s Best College Towns
Travel & Leisure magazine named Maryland’s capital city one of “America’s Best College Towns.”
Favorable votes from participants in Travel & Leisure’s “America’s Favorite Places” reader survey helped earn Annapolis the 14th slot on a list of 22 recommended college towns. The “America’s Favorite Places” reader survey evaluated hundreds of towns for live music, pizza, dive bars, hamburgers and other offerings.
CA Pays Off Last of Senior Secured Bonds
Columbia Association (CA) has achieved a significant milestone by paying off the last Senior Secured Bonds issued between 1973 and 2001. A total of $133 million was raised during that time from the bonds — money that was the main source for CA funding and its physical amenities.
With the bond debt paid off, CA was able to take out a 15-year bank loan at a low interest rate of 3.63%, locking in the rate before it can rise. CA also has a line of credit of $25 million to access on an as-needed basis at a variable interest rate. These will help pay for CA’s capital projects, which are also funded by income from operations and the annual charge.
Enradius Digital Marketing Launches Philadelphia Office
Enradius, a Baltimore-based digital marketing company that brings the power of geo-targeted advertising and digital marketing to small- and medium-sized businesses, has announced the launch of its Philadelphia metro region operations. The new office will be headed by Jim Dolan, a multi-media strategist and manager who has led radio, digital and cable television sales operations in the mid-Atlantic region for 30 years.
Enradius provides advertising and digital marketing solutions by combining a geographical- or community-specific radius with the latest emerging advertising and marketing solutions, such as video ads, local search engine optimization, paid search marketing, social media and mobile marketing.
Howard Exec Kittleman Statement on Labor Dispute
The job action by employees of Unity Disposal and Recycling is a labor dispute involving a private company that provides contractual services to Howard County Government. This has inconvenienced County residents, which is why I strongly encourage both sides, management and labor, to work together in good faith to come to a speedy resolution of their differences.
In the meantime, Howard County Government will continue to work with Unity and its other waste haulers to ensure as little disruption as possible to the 20,000 residents serviced by this contractor. All pick-ups should occur as scheduled, with trash and food scraps receiving priority. Some collections may occur later in the day than residents are accustomed to. Residents are encouraged to leave their waste curbside. Any questions or concerns should be directed to 410-313-6444.
QAI Awarded GPO 951-M Contract by U.S. Government Printing Office
Fulton-based Quality Associates Inc. (QAI) has received a Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Under this umbrella contract, QAI will compete for individual task orders to perform services and operations for a variety of government agencies.
Specifically, QAI will offer its expertise in scanning and document conversion, electronic document management and digital asset management, equipment maintenance, and other services as indicated by individual task orders. This indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a two-year term from the date of the award, with up to three optional 12-month extension periods.
UMBC Introduces Summer Enrichment for Middle, High School Students
Starting this summer, The Shriver Center at UMBC will offer hands-on learning opportunities for middle and high school students through its new Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE). SEE provides an opportunity for the students to get a sense of the college learning experience. Participants will collaborate and learn under the direction of UMBC faculty and with the support of UMBC undergraduate students.
The experiences cover a variety of academic interests, including STEM and the arts and humanities, and program material focuses on relevant topics, ranging from cybersecurity to devised theater. View a complete list of experiences offered at http://see.umbc.edu/experiences-at-a-glance; early registration discounts are offered through Feb. 2 and can be accessed at see.umbc.edu.
Lakeside Café Now Open in Columbia
The Howard Hughes Corp. (HHC) has announced that Lakeside Café & Deli has opened its new location at 70 Corporate Center, located at 11000 Broken Land Parkway in downtown Columbia. Lakeside, a community institution, occupies 1,600 square feet of space on the building’s ground floor under a 10-year lease with HHC.
The original Lakeside Café & Deli, which was located in the American City Building, closed in December 2013 in anticipation of its move. “It has been a long process with unforeseen delays,” said Michael So, who along with his wife, Min, own Lakeside. “But now we are back in business and hope to see our old friends and customers at our new location very soon.”
U.S. News: WT&P Again Receives High Rankings
Whiteford Taylor & Preston (WT&P) has announced that the firm has again received exemplary ratings in the fifth annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of law firms. In addition to its 41 rankings in Maryland, where the firm has always been strong, 22 different practices were ranked at the national level, with 11 in Washington, D.C., and two in the firm’s new Roanoke office.
The U.S. News Best Lawyers and Best Law Firms rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.
Three Howard Properties to Receive Historic Preservation Tax Credits
State officials have announced $10 million in state tax credits that will fund nine historic restoration projects across Maryland, including three in Ellicott City.
Those properties include Carrollton Hall, for the restoration of the 1832 mansion house for use as community meeting space and museum (credit amount: $780,480; estimated project cost: $3.9 million); Taylor’s Furniture Store, for the rehabilitation of a retail and residential building for use as restaurant and office space ($150,000/$750,000); and the Doughoregan Manor Work House, for the rehabilitation of a 1760s plantation building for use as rental residential housing ($60,000/$300,000).
Turf Valley Wins Twice in Howard Magazine’s ‘Best of’ Issue
Turf Valley was voted Best Special Event Venue and Best Golf Course by the readers of Howard Magazine in the December 2014 “Best of Howard
County” issue.
In addition to the two “best of” placings, Turf Valley received honorable mention for Best Annual Festival/Event for The Preakness Celebration Hot Air Balloon Festival at Turf Valley and Best Day Spa for The Spa at Turf Valley.
Impact Wins Second Consecutive PRSA ‘Best in Maryland’ Web Award
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has given its 2014 “Best in Maryland” web site award to IMPACT Marketing & Public Relations. Also the 2013 winner, IMPACT boasts the historic achievement of back-to-back wins within the category.
IMPACT President Duane Carey accepted the award at the Best in Maryland Gala held on Dec. 4 at the Hilton Baltimore. The winning web site was www.kindermender.com for KinderMender, a walk-in pediatric clinic with locations in Columbia, Glen Burnie and Laurel.
UMD Partners With Ulman to Boost Economic Development
Through an agreement with the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, former Howard County Executive Ken Ulman has been tapped to serve as a strategist for economic development and growth at the University of Maryland (UMD) and its surrounding communities.
Ulman has formed a consulting firm, Margrave Strategies, which will provide strategic planning and visioning services to institutions and businesses throughout Maryland and the mid-Atlantic. Through this contract, the firm will be charged with enhancing UMD’s role as a catalyst for the innovation economy in the state of Maryland.
“I have often said the future of this university is tied to the future of the surrounding community, and we must make investments that spark economic development in College Park and across Maryland,” said UMD President Wallace Loh. “We are pleased Ken is bringing his expertise from smart economic growth in Howard County here to our university and community.”
Ulman will work to diversify revenue streams and foster investment by businesses, philanthropies and venture capital firms in startups, incubators and programs at the university that can create jobs and spark growth. A key piece of work will be bringing investment to the University Research Park and further developing the Route 1 corridor into a vibrant college and commercial community.
“The nearly $1 billion in private and state-supported construction expected around College Park in the next five years make the university an ideal location for innovation and economic development in Maryland,” said Peter Weiler, vice president of university relations at UMD and president, UMD College Park Foundation. “This is a great opportunity to link university inventiveness and resources with Ken Ulman’s vision for the state of Maryland.”
Correction
In the page 1 article about Marley Station in the December edition of The Business Monthly, the ownership of the mall was misidentified. The Woodmont Company does not own the mall, but it was hired by its owner, BACM 2005-3 Ritchie Hwy LLC, to manage and lease it.
Secondly, AiNet is not operating, and has not operated, a data center in the former Boscov’s department store building it owns. It could if it had the proper Internet connections in the 232,000-square-foot (not 300,000 square feet, as was stated in the article) building.