25 Bridges to Housing Stability
Bridges to Housing Stability began in 1990 as Congregations Concerned for the Homeless, a nonprofit formed by a group of churches concerned about a growing county problem. It now serves about 350 households a year with counseling and financial assistance to find permanent housing.
15 Brooklyn Park Senior Activity Center
The activity center started serving seniors from the basement of the Brooklyn Park Library, but in 2000, the doors of its current space, adjacent to Brooklyn Park Middle School, opened. Open Monday through Friday, there is no charge to become a member.
30 BWI Business Partnership
Established in 1985 with six charter members, the BWI Business Partnership is an organization that today comprises nearly 200 major local and regional businesses and local, state and federal government agencies. The organization endeavors to influence the region’s growth as the collective voice of the BWI area.
20 Camp Attaway
Started in 1996 by Drs. Saul Lieberman and David Cooper, Camp Attaway was designed to provide a summer camp experience for children with emotional and behavioral problems. Campers enjoy all the traditional camp activities, guided by highly trained counselors and therapeutic/educational specialists.
30 Chesapeake Telephone Systems
Dennis Nolte and his son, Jeff Nolte, who is now president of the company, started CTS in 1985 to “help apply ever-changing technology to … customers’ business communication needs.” The award-winning company is based in Millersville.
50 Chick & Ruth’s Delly
Chick & Ruth Levitt opened this Main Street, Annapolis, eatery in August 1965, and it’s now owned by their son, Ted. The menu features more than 120 sandwiches and dishes bearing the names of elected officials, past and present.
170 Clark’s Ace Hardware
Founded in 1845 by James Clark as Clark’s Farm Supplies, this seventh-generation, family-owned business is a fixture in the Ellicott City community. Originally located on Main Street, the store currently is located on Route 40 and is managed by great-grandson Andy Clark and his wife Jackie.
50 Community Action Council
CAC was organized as a Community Action Agency under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1965. It provides programs and services to low-income residents of Howard County, including homelessness prevention, emergency/supplemental food assistance, energy assistance, weatherization, Head Start, crisis intervention and a summer youth employment program.
40 Doctors Community Hospital
Since 1975, Doctors Community Hospital, in Lanham, has been committed to caring for the health of people — regardless of their ability to pay — in Prince George’s County and the region. The hospital provided $14,726,686 in charity care in fiscal year 2014 and made available numerous free wellness programs, preventative health screenings and educational opportunities.
50 Harkins Builders
Founded in 1965 by Thomas P. Harkins, the company went through multiple reorganizations before, in 2002, becoming an employee-owned company through the creation of an Employee Stock Ownership Program. It was featured on the cover of Smart CEO magazine in 2012.
25 Howard County Conservancy
The Conservancy, founded in 1990 as a private, nonprofit land trust, today has a dual mission of preserving land in Howard County and providing educational programs, which focus on local animal and plant life found in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
70 Howard County Fair
The first Howard County Fair was held at Brendel’s Manor Park on Aug. 21 and 22, 1946, growing out of the annual Farm Bureau picnic. Its first president was William S. Ledbetter. Now a week-long event featuring Home Arts competitions, barns full of animals, traditional fair food, rides and games, and a skid loader rodeo, the 2016 fair will run Aug. 6–13.
75 Howard County Library System
Recognizing the power of knowledge, a group of civic-minded women opened the first HCLS branch in Ellicott City on Oct. 11, 1940. It has expanded to six branches in 2015 and is ranked one of the best library systems in the country. In 2014, patrons visited HCLS branches 3 million times and borrowed more than 7 million items.
30 Leadership Howard County
Since 1986, more than 1,150 leaders in business, government, education and the nonprofit sector have graduated from LHC’s programs and taken their place as community leaders. Originally launched by the Howard County Chamber of Commerce, the nonprofit educates its members through classes consisting of experiential activities, forums and meetings with prominent county leaders and key decision makers, engaging them in the critical issues facing Howard County and the region.
25 Millennium Marketing Solutions
Since being founded in 1990, the primary goal of Millennium Marketing Solutions, in Annapolis Junction, has been to effectively meet the marketing needs of every client while providing superior customer service. The company provides a comprehensive spectrum of services, small or large.
35 Severn Savings Bank
Although the entity that is now Severn Savings Bank has been operating, in some form, since 1946, it only began full-time operation in Annapolis (as a building and loan) in 1980. It evolved into today’s holding company (Severn Bancorp Inc.) and retail institution in 1990, and now serves the mid-Atlantic region with a full range of savings products and as a community mortgage lender.
80 Social Security
On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt marked the signing of the Social Security Act into law with the words: “Today, a hope of many years standing is in large part fulfilled. … We have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against poverty-ridden old age.” In 2015, Social Security’s employees provide service to millions of people each day.
25 Vantage House
In 1990, Vantage House, in Columbia, opened its doors to older adults as a continuing care retirement community, providing the appropriate level of care to its residents when they need it. It features 222 independent living residences, as well as recuperative care, skilled nursing and assisted living services.
And then there’s this anniversary:
50 Howard County Schools Desegregation
The Howard County Public School System had been segregated since the building of the Ellicott City Colored School in 1888 (prior to that, there had been no schools for African-Americans). In November 1963, nine years after the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education outlawing segregation, the Howard County Board of Education put into effect a plan to desegregate schools, albeit slowly. Howard County eliminated one class of segregated students a year, taking 11 years to fully implement integrated classes.