Carillon Bells Return to Columbia With Bell Tree at Lake Kittamaqundi
The carillon bells are once again ringing every 15 minutes in downtown Columbia from a structure informally known as the Bell Tree. The pier at Lake Kittamaqundi was long home to a flag tower that was installed at the time of Columbia’s founding in 1967; the bells were added as a gift from the Rouse Co. in 1977 in celebration of the community’s 10th birthday.
The tower was removed in early 2010 for safety reasons. The wooden structure had deteriorated from exposure to the elements; Columbia Association (CA) has stored the bells since that time.
This spring, CA installed the Bell Tree, an 18-foot metal structure that is meant to be an interim home for the bells until a more permanent place for them is found, completing the approximately $165,000 project to coincide with the celebration of Columbia’s 50th Birthday. A special ceremony celebrating the bells and the 50th anniversary of Columbia’s “People Tree” will be held on Wednesday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront.
Arundel’s Chan to Temporarily
Run State DHMH
Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Jinlene Chan is serving, on a temporary basis, as the acting deputy secretary for Public Health Services at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). Former Health Officer Fran Philips has agreed to serve the Anne Arundel County Department of Health in an acting capacity until Chan returns.
State Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Secretary Dennis Schrader requested that the current deputy secretary for Public Health Services, Dr. Howard Haft, lead the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange until a search for a permanent executive director could be completed. She was appointed health officer by the county executive in 2014 and has worked with the Department of Health since 2006.
LHC Calling for Community
Impact Projects
Leadership Howard County (LHC) is looking to assist nonprofits or government entities in their quests to find solutions to identified organizational challenges or issues. Small project teams of class participants work to conduct research, create a plan or propose a creative, sustainable solution to an identified problem.
Learn more by attending an information session at Loyola University Maryland’s Columbia campus on June 15, at 8:30 a.m., or June 19, at 4 p.m.; the application deadline is July 10. For more information or to RSVP, contact Laurie Remer at 410-730-4474, ext.111, or [email protected].
Traffic Relief, Parking Enforcement Initiative Set Near Sandy Point
Anne Arundel County’s police department is responding to community concerns regarding traffic and parking issues that arise as a result of overcapacity at Sandy Point State Park. The issues on the arterial roads off College Parkway were first brought to the attention of county government by Councilman Michael Peroutka, who held a series of meetings with the leadership of the Broadneck Council of Communities.
As part of the initiative, Police Chief Tim Altomare has directed his officers to enforce aggressively parking and traffic regulations in the communities around Sandy Point. Any individual parked in prohibited areas will be given a warning and then towed if s/he does not immediately vacate the area. Any resident encountering a vehicle parking illegally has been asked to call 410-222-6145, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department will dispatch personnel to handle the situation.
County police also will help direct traffic moving into the park, helping reduce bottlenecks and ease congestion along the arterial roads.
Maryland Nonprofits, Maryland DOC Partner to Operate Nonprofit Development Center
Maryland Nonprofits has been selected through a competitive bid award by the Maryland Department of Commerce to operate the Nonprofit Development Center, a program that will serve qualifying startup and emerging nonprofits.
The center will provide training and professional development opportunities, and online learning community and consulting services, at no cost to participating organizations. Nonprofits can receive assistance in areas including nonprofit development; strategic planning; fundraising; personnel management; nonprofit legal requirements; accounting; public policy advocacy; marketing and public relations; leadership development and succession planning; and diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Nonprofit organizations can learn how to raise more money, build their boards of directors and manage their finances with one-stop shopping,” said Heather Iliff, president and CEO of Maryland Nonprofits.
To be eligible for services under this grant, a Maryland-based nonprofit must have received 501(c)3, (c)4 or (c)6 federal tax-exempt status, be less than 10 years old and have an operating budget under $750,000. All qualifying nonprofits that are accepted to the program will have access to Maryland Nonprofits’ extensive list of member benefits at no cost.
Architectural Awards Program Recognizes Local Roofing Company
The James Myers Co., of Beltsville, is among 10 construction firms to receive special recognition during the New York-based Copper Development Association’s (CDA) North American Copper in Architecture awards program in April. Focused on projects highlighting architectural copper and copper alloys in new construction, restoration and ornamental applications, the awards program also showcases projects that highlight craftsmanship, attention to detail and architectural vision.
To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the NACIA awards, the CDA sought the public’s help in selecting the 10 top copper building projects from the past decade. Public voting ranked Myers’s 2013 project to restore the roof of the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts among those top projects from a field of 129 past award winners.
Howard County’s Cycle2Health Kicks Off Fifth Season
The Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services has kicked off the fifth season of the county’s bicycling initiative for older adults, Cycle2Health Howard County (C2H).
Coordinated by the Department’s Office on Aging and Independence, C2H debuted in May 2013 as the first non-competitive, peer-led bicycling club developed for older adults in Howard County to feature weekday rides during daytime hours.
Rides vary in length and difficulty and depart from various locations throughout Maryland. Adults of all ages and riding abilities are welcome to participate; last year, more than 120 individuals participated in C2H, averaging 15 cyclists per ride. For more information or to register, call Jeanne DeCray at 410-313-6535 (voice/relay) or visit www.howardcountymd.gov/C2H.
Dobbin Road Paving
Project Underway
A Howard County construction project to mill and repave Dobbin Road between Route 175 and Snowden River Parkway in Columbia is underway. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by late June.
Milling and paving operations will take place Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Flagging operations and signs will be in place to direct traffic as needed during construction hours. For questions or concerns about Capital Project H-2014, contact Lisa Brightwell at 410-313-3440 or email [email protected].
Women’s Giving Circle Receives
$20K for JA
The Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County received a $20,000 donation from husband-and-wife Columbia residents Bob and Bach Jeffrey to support Junior Achievement of Central Maryland’s (JA) Rising Women program, which connects high school girls with mentors who help them with entrepreneurship projects.
This year’s three Rising Women cohorts celebrated their work with a year-end expo and competition last month. The program is accepting applications for new participants this summer for the 2017–18 school year. For more information, visit jamaryland.org/programs/rising-women.
CA Awards Scholarships to Community Service-Minded Students
Columbia Association (CA) has recognized the recipients of the Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia Scholarship Award, a $2,500 scholarship awarded to six graduating high school seniors who have shown extraordinary dedication to performing community service.
They are Jacob Lampf, Atholton High School, an intern with the Howard County Executive Office; Kaitlin Landfried, Hammond High School, a graduate of the Leadership U Howard County program; Cire Nicholson, Oakland Mills High School, who volunteered with Allied Soccer, a varsity sport for teens with disabilities; Olatokunbo Olaniyan, Glenelg Country School, who created a nonprofit organization, Hope for Sickle Cell; Aaron Park, Long Reach High School, who applied his passion for plants and horticulture by helping his community garden association; and Jennifer Zhang, River Hill High School, who has served since her freshman year on the River Hill Teen Advisory Committee.
Robinson Nature Center Recertified as Maryland Green Center
Howard County’s Department of Recreation & Parks announced that the Robinson Nature Center has been recertified as a Maryland Green Center by the Maryland Association of Environmental & Outdoor Educators (MAEOE). The recertification was announced at MAEOE’s annual Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.
This distinction recognizes and honors a facility’s efforts in implementation of environmental education, best management practices and community engagement. Initially certified in 2013, the Robinson Nature Center is one of only two Maryland Green Centers in Howard County. There are 41 Green Centers in Maryland.
The recertification process requires centers to provide documentation and evidence of work completed during a four-year period that shows assistance to local schools becoming Green Schools; environmental education-based professional development for teachers; and the center being a model of sustainable practices for schools and the community.
AACPS Honors AACC for Partnership
Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) received a top honor at the recent Excellence in Education banquet, which was presented by Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and the Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce.
AACC’s Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Institute in the School of Business and Law was recognized as Business Partner of the Year for a business with more than 50 employees. The Homeland Security Signature Program at Meade High School, which nominated AACC, offers high school students thematic courses and co-curricular, workforce-relevant experiences.
The 31st annual Excellence in Education banquet honored local businesses that have forged critical partnerships with schools across the county, directly benefitting AACPS’s 81,000 students. At this event, nominees for the 2017 AACPS Teacher of the Year and Independent School Teacher of the Year also were recognized.
Howard County, Eagle Scout Open Solar System Walk at Alpha Ridge
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman joined Department of Recreation & Parks (HCRP) Director John Byrd, Boy Scout Colin Brinster and Howard Astronomical League (HAL) Events & Outreach Coordinator and Howard County Recreation & Parks Advisory Board Chair Joel Goodman for a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of a Solar System Walk through Alpha Ridge Park.
The brainchild of Brinster, the new Solar System Walk at Alpha Ridge Park offers visitors the opportunity to take a stroll through a scale model of our solar system. The 0.4-mile Solar System Walk loop represents more than three billion miles: it begins with the Sun, leads visitors through the planets in the solar system and ends with Pluto, a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt. The walk begins and ends near the observatory.
As his Eagle Scout project, Brinster oversaw the project from start to finish. The print and installation costs were funded by HAL, HCRP and the Friends of Max Cowan Fund. To learn more, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/alpharidgepark.
Special Olympics Howard County Honors Student Volunteers With Scholarships
In recognition of their volunteer service, four students have been selected to receive scholarships from Special Olympics Howard County (SOHO). These scholarships are funded by endowments created by the generosity of three families.
Atholton High School graduate Elizabeth Jordan was selected as this year’s Jackie Burk Memorial Scholarship recipient, and received a $1,500 award. She has been a volunteer for four years in basketball, serving as an on-court mentor who plays with the athletes; two Allan Homes Scholarships were awarded to Marriotts Ridge High School twin brothers Matthew and Spencer Leins, and each received $750. Both have volunteered as coaches with the swimming program for the past four years; and The Kathy Lindner Memorial Scholarship, valued at $500, was awarded to Rylie Chambers of Howard High School. For the past three years, she has served as a soccer coach, earning her certification last year. She has also volunteered with basketball.
For more information on volunteering with SOHO or donating to the scholarship fund, call 410-740-0500.
HCGH Honors Heroes in Health Care
Howard County General Hospital (HCGH) will hold Heroes in Health Care, an evening celebrating the hospital’s lifesaving staff, on Friday, June 16. The fundraising event will honor HCGH cardiologists Drs. Michael Silverman and Feroz Padder and their team for saving Marriottsville resident Beverly Nees’s life when she experienced a heart attack last summer at the hospital.
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a VIP reception, followed by a welcome reception at 6 p.m., program and dinner at 7 p.m., with live music by The Klassix at 7:45 p.m. The event will take place at the Universities Space Research Association, located at 7178 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia. Tickets cost $125 and all proceeds benefit Howard County General Hospital. They can be purchased online at hcgh.org/heroes. For more information, contact Emily Shreve at 410-720-8706 or [email protected].
Linwood Center to Hold Unveiling Reception With Yumi Hogan
Linwood Center will hold an unveiling reception and plaque dedication on June 12 in honor of its new sister school relationship with the Daniel School, of South Korea. To mark this new relationship, the schools received a donation of matching sculptures, called “Hyunsu’s Butterfly,” made by artists Thomas Clement and Wonsook Kim.
The new relationship between the schools was facilitated by Maryland’s First Lady Yumi Hogan in coordination with Secretary Carol Beatty from the Maryland Department of Disabilities. Hogan and Beatty felt that Linwood School would be the perfect fit for this new partnership, since the Linwood Center provides comprehensive programs and services for children and adults with autism and related developmental disabilities.
The sculpture and garden plaque will be dedicated on June 12 at 10:30 a.m. at Linwood Center, located at 3421 Martha Bush Drive, Ellicott City. For further information, contact Peyton Plummer at [email protected] or 410-465-1352.
MakingChange Wins Financial Education Award
MakingChange is the winner of the Outstanding Organization Award, presented by the Maryland CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Campaign, Maryland Council of Economic Education and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
The Financial Education and Capability Awards are intended to highlight the dedication and success of public school teachers, community champions and outstanding organizations who deliver financial education.
MakingChange had a record year in fiscal 2016, attracting more people than ever before to its group seminars, which served more than 700 people, with approximately 100 clients receiving personal financial coaching. MakingChange also prepared free tax returns for 453 people. MakingChange programs are offered in schools, human service agencies, businesses and elsewhere as requested. For information, visit makingchangecenter.org.
Keller Williams Participates in Annual R.E.D. Day
In early May, more than 100 real estate agents from Keller Williams Realty Center, in Columbia, donated their time to work on renovating six homes owned by Bridges to Housing Stability, an organization that aims to provide paths to self-sufficiency, as well as prevent homelessness. The real estate agents and their affiliates made repairs, painted and landscaped for the Columbia-based nonprofit.
This community service project was part of Keller Williams Realty’s annual Day of Service, known as R.E.D. Day (Renovate, Energize, Donate), where volunteers in every company market in the country offer their time and expertise toward a worthy cause of their choosing. The agents pictured are making the “V” sign in honor of the Columbia office’s CFO, Vince Scott, who passed away several weeks before the event.
Local Rotaries Raise $30K-Plus for Summer Program
The seven rotary clubs of Howard County have worked together to raise $30,700 — marking the second consecutive year the group effort has raised more than $30,000 — that will be used toward the Summer Enrichment Program of Howard County.
The boost in the bottom line will enable the program to reach more children and to operate for longer hours. It has only been in recent years that all seven of the local rotary clubs have joined forces, which has enabled the group to raise more money.