Howard County’s P&Z Academy Intended to Facilitate Resident Involvement
Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman and the Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) have created the first annual PlanHoward Academy, to be held this fall, providing county residents with an opportunity to learn about the planning and zoning process. The two-hour sessions will include hands-on learning exercises accompanied by concise take-home materials. Participants will learn how to access information through DPZ’s interactive map and web-based tools. Participation is free.
The first Academy will offer classes at Howard Community College on four consecutive Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. (Sept. 27 and Oct. 4, 11 and 18). Participants who attend all four classes will receive a certification of completion. This first Academy can accommodate up to 25 residents.
The goals of the PlanHoward Academy are to provide effective tools to engage in future planning efforts; to educate the public as to how growth policy is shaped, the role of the general plan, the development review process, zoning codes and more; and teach participants how to access information through DPZ’s interactive map and web-based tools.
“The PlanHoward Academy is geared for the layperson interested in land use and development decisions in Howard County. This multi-step training course will provide a unique opportunity for participants to better understand the fundamentals of planning and zoning, as well the county’s land development process,” said DPZ Director Valdis Lazdins.
To apply, go to www.howardcountymd.gov/planningacademy and click on the online application. Paper applications can be obtained at DPZ’s service counter at the George Howard Building in Ellicott City. For more information, contact Kristin O’Connor, DPZ’s division chief of Comprehensive and Community Planning, at [email protected] or 410-313-2350.
CARF International Awards Chrysalis House Highest Accreditation
Chrysalis House, a nonprofit provider of substance and mental health disorder treatment for women 18 and older in Crownsville, recently received a three-year accreditation from CARF International, an agency (originally founded as the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) that is committed to excellence in rehabilitation facilities. Chrysalis House provides a warm, nurturing environment for mothers and their children, with a 24/7 residential program and an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for women seeking ongoing outpatient treatment support.
The organization also operates Chrysalis House Healthy Start (CHHS), a statewide diagnostic and transitional program for pregnant non-violent offenders, providing comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and transitional services to prevent recidivism to multiple high-cost service systems.
The accreditation represents Chrysalis House’s commitment to strict conformance to CARF standards and a rigorous peer review process. “The preparation process for the survey was both challenging and invigorating and involved a great deal of project management and an overall team effort,” said Chris McCabe, executive director of the facility.
PowderHorn Consulting was brought on board to assist Chrysalis House in the approval process to assure provision of programs and services that are measurable, accountable and of high quality. The three-year accreditation is the highest a rehabilitation facility can earn, and is on the cutting edge of the state of Maryland’s requirement that, by July 2018, all rehabilitation facilities in the state must be CARF accredited.
Applications Being Accepted for Youth Services Commission Grants
In the City of Laurel, applications are now being accepted for Fall Youth Services Commission Grants until Oct. 31. Grants will be awarded Dec. 15. Laurel Mayor Craig Moe and the Laurel City Council created the commission to identify, monitor and evaluate youth services, programs and activities offered in Laurel and the surrounding area.
The commission will provide limited financial support to those qualifying youth organizations that are not-for-profit and serve the Laurel area communities, with at least 10% of the participants living in the city. Applications for April 2018 grants will be accepted in January and February 2018.
To apply for a grant, visit www.cityoflaurel.org. For more information, call Joanne Barr at 301-725-5300, ext. 2307.
Arundel’s Schuh Announces Transportation Reform
Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh has consolidated the county’s transportation services and planning functions into one operating unit under the Transportation Officer. Effective with the fiscal 2018 budget, the transportation operating unit will be responsible for multi-modal transportation networks while guiding the expansion of the transportation system for planning, coordination and development of mobility management strategies for the county.
“Consistent with my vision to make government more efficient, this unified effort by officials from the Department of Aging and Disabilities, and the Office of Planning and Zoning will bring greater focus and accountability as we work to improve our transportation infrastructure and transit systems,” said Schuh. “This is another demonstration of our administration making county government work better for the people.”
The consolidation will focus on the demand-response and para-transit services for older adults and individuals with disabilities, as well as transit planning and support, including grant management; contract management; and related service delivery, pedestrian and bike access, travel forecasting and the Transportation Master Plan. These functions previously were managed separately by the Department of Aging and Disabilities and the Office of Planning and Zoning, respectively.
The consolidation effort will be led by Ramond Robinson, who was appointed transportation officer in October 2016. Robinson has extensive national experience in transportation planning and services. For more information, call 410-222-7440.
HCCA to Present Local Art Collection
“Selections from The Rouse Co./The Howard Hughes Corp. Art Collection,” a special exhibit celebrating the pivotal role the arts have had in advancing the ideals of Columbia and inspiring the community, will be presented this month by the Howard County Center for the Arts (HCCA), 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City.
A reception will be held on Sept. 6, from 6:30–9 p.m., featuring discussions and presentations reflecting on art’s role throughout Columbia’s past, present and future. Former Rouse employees will serve as guest docents and share “insider” insights about the collection. Featured artists Vicki Scuri, Mary Ann Mear and Rodney Carroll will take part in informal Q&A sessions about the public art installations in Downtown Columbia, and William Cochran of Cochran Studio will talk about the transformational role of public art in cities across the country. A second reception will be held on Sept. 15, from 6–8 p.m., as part of the HCCA’s annual grant awards presentation with County Executive Allan Kittleman (who has been invited). RSVP to www.facebook.com/events/1852710555045384.
New Date: Oceania CultureFest Set for Oct. 22 at HCLS’s Miller Branch
The community is invited to participate at the Oceania CultureFest, which will celebrate the cultures of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. This free family event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 22, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., at Howard County Library System’s Miller Branch, 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City.
The event is hosted by Columbia Association (CA) and Howard County Library System (HCLS). For more information, contact Laura Smit, program manager for CA’s International Exchange and Multicultural Programs, at 410-715-3162 or [email protected].
Apple Ford Lincoln Partners With Neighbor Ride
Neighbor Ride has announced the renewal of its partnership with Apple Ford Lincoln, of Columbia. Through this partnership, Apple Ford Lincoln has sponsored the nonprofit’s signature car magnets. The magnets bearing Apple Ford Lincoln’s logo can be seen throughout the county and beyond, with 25-40 Neighbor Ride volunteers on the road each day.
Neighbor Ride is a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the health and quality of life for Howard County’s older residents by providing transportation for various personal needs. Since services were launched in November 2004, Neighbor Ride’s volunteers have provided nearly 140,000 trips for local seniors.
McCeney March Set for Sept. 23
Saturday Sept. 23, the Laurel Historical Society (LHS) will hold its second annual McCeney March through Historic Laurel. Held in memory of former LHS Board Chair and President Jim McCeney, the event will raise funds for a scholarship for students interested in history and the LHS.
The walk will start at the Society, 817 Main Street, Laurel. Pre-registration is $10 for children under 18, $20 for adults, $50 for a family registration (four persons of any age). Details and sign-up forms for the walk and for sponsorships can be found at www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org.
HCC Sets Meeting Schedule for
Fiscal 2018
The board of trustees has set the following dates for its work sessions, regular meetings and committee meetings during fiscal 2018. Meetings start at 6 p.m. in the Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall (RCF), Room 400, unless otherwise noted.
• Tuesday, Sept. 19: Work session, regular meeting
• Wednesday, Oct. 25: Work session, regular meeting
• Wednesday, Nov. 29: Work session, regular meeting
• Thursday, Dec. 14: Abbreviated meeting, followed by closed session (start time 5 p.m., and location: RCF 401)
All changes or additions to the meetings will be announced on the news page of the HCC website: www.howardcc.edu/news.
Leadership Essentials Holds Informational Events
Leadership Essentials Howard County and Leadership Essentials Baltimore County, which are six-month leadership development programs for young professionals, will hold an informational event prior to the 2018 program launch this fall. The event will take place on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., at The Ale House, 6480 Dobbin Center Way, Columbia.
Loyola University Maryland’s Sellinger School of Business and Management offers Leadership Essentials in collaboration with Leadership Howard County and the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce. The application deadline is Oct. 6 and the programs begin in December. RSVP to [email protected]; to learn more, visit http://bit.ly/1MKDsNx.
LHC Seeks Community Impact Project Proposals for LE
Does your nonprofit organization have a project or issue that it doesn’t have the time, expertise or staff to address? If so, getting involved in a Leadership Howard County’s (LHC) Community Impact Projects (CIP) may be the answer.
An information session will be held at Loyola University Maryland’s Columbia Campus from 8:30-9:30 a.m., on Wednesday, Sept. 13, for CIPs for Leadership Essentials (LE), a program of LHC. Applications are due on Oct. 9. For more information, contact Laurie Remer at [email protected].
‘The Heidi Chronicles’ Opens 25th Season at Rep Stage
Rep Stage, the professional regional theater in residence at Howard Community College (HCC), opens its 25th season with Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Heidi Chronicles,” directed by Jenna Duncan. The Tony Awards and Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy traces the coming of age of Heidi Holland, a successful art historian, as she tries to find her bearings in a rapidly-changing world.
“The Heidi Chronicles” is being presented in a limited run through Sept. 24 in the Studio Theatre of the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center (HVPA) at HCC, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. There will be post-show discussions on Sept. 10 and 22. Rep Stage also will hold a pre-show lecture prior to the 2 p.m. performance on Sept. 23. For tickets and additional information, visit www.repstage.org or call 443-518-1500.
Columbia BikeAbout Spotlights Columbia’s History on Sept. 23
Columbia Association’s (CA) annual BikeAbout will be held Saturday, Sept. 23, with riders setting off from the dock at Lake Elkhorn. The free and informative tour presents Columbia’s history and showcases the connectivity of its pathway system.
Preregistration is not required but is encouraged via ColumbiaAssociation.org/bikeabout. Columbia BikeAbout will begin at 9:30 a.m., with riders able to start up until 10 a.m. They are expected to complete the ride by 1 p.m. Following the ride, participants will have the opportunity to refuel and have fun at the Owen Brown Festival, which begins at noon.
This year’s route is 10 miles long and winds through the villages of Owen Brown, Oakland Mills and Long Reach. For more information, email [email protected] or call 410-715-6781.
Coaches Corner for Age 45-Plus Comes to Columbia
Coaches Corner, a presentation of Higher Ed–UMBC Training Center, Columbia, is set for 5–9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26.
Employers continue to scramble for seasoned, well-qualified talent for hard to fill cybersecurity, information technology and engineering positions. Job seekers, unemployed and searching while employed, age 45-plus, typically take close to a year to find suitable employment. But Turning Point Solutions is bridging the gap by hosting its fifth event.
Coaches Corner is free for professionals seeking their next career move. They are invited to register at www.eventbrite.com/e/coaches-corner-2017-dates-umbc-tickets-32382494914?aff=ehomesaved.
Apply for 2018 Rising Star Performing Arts Competition, Win $5K
The Rising Star Performing Arts competition is open to performers, including individuals and ensembles (with a maximum of four members), ages 18–35, who live, train, work or perform regularly in Howard County or have done so in the past.
Review criteria include artistic expression, technical ability and stage presence. Up to 10 selected finalists will perform at the Howard County Arts Council’s (HCAC) annual benefit gala, Celebration of the Arts in Howard County, on March 24, 2018, at Howard Community College’s Peter and Elizabeth Horowitz Visual & Performing Arts Center, Columbia.
Applications for the 2018 Rising Star Performing Arts Award are available in the Explore | Opportunities for Artists & Arts Groups section at hocoarts.org. Applications may also be requested from the HCAC at 410-313-2787 or via email at [email protected]. The early no-fee application deadline is Oct. 1. Applications submitted between Oct. 2 and the final deadline of Nov. 1 must be accompanied by a $10 application fee.
For more information and eligibility requirements, call 410-313-ARTS (2787) or visit hocoarts.org.
24 Baltimore, Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults Celebrate 10 Years
The 24 Foundation, formerly known as 24 Hours of Booty, is back for its 10th year in Maryland. During that span, 24 Baltimore has partnered with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults, donating 85 cents of every dollar raised to the organization, as well as the LIVESTRONG Foundation. 24 Baltimore’s efforts have largely impacted UCF’s programming, budget and ability to serve young adults and their loved ones that have been impacted by cancer.
Since the partnership, UCF has more than tripled its budget and the organization will reach the $20 million mark this year. Additionally, 24 Baltimore supports UCF’s scholarship program. The program awarded 21 scholarships in 2007 and now presents more than 36 annually.
This year’s 24 Baltimore event is on Saturday, Sept. 23–Sunday, Sept. 24 from 2 p.m.–2 p.m., at The Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus. For more information, visit www.24foundation.org/events/baltimore.
Meeting House Gallery Presenting Laurel Art Guild Plus One
The Meeting House Gallery is presenting Laurel Art Guild Plus One, which features work by John Cholod, Veselin Culibrk, Sally Davies, Tom Kirby, Carol Leo, Barbara Mertens, Ofelia Moore, Alice Murray, Catherine Nickle, Eve Secunda, Diane Shipley, Mary Ellen Simon, Linda Williams and Paula Darby.
These works include watercolor, oil on canvas, acrylic, pastels, color pencil and painted wood. The exhibit will run until Oct. 28. The gallery is located in The Oakland Mills Interfaith Center, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free.
ManneqART Announces 2017 Competition Winners
Howard County-based ManneqART, an international arts and education nonprofit, announced the winners of its 2017 national Sculptural Artworks Competition, including Best Overall and Best in each of four theme categories.
Fifty-four artworks were submitted this year by 48 artists from around the U.S. Until mid-November, ManneqART sculptures will be on display in multiple locations throughout the region. Awards and a live floor show of the artworks on models will be featured at the Nov. 5 ManneqART Masquerade and Annual Awards Gala at Ten Oaks Ballroom, in Clarksville.
The 2017 overall ManneqART Master Award winner is Stacy Levy, of Owings Mills, who won a $3,000 prize for her artwork entitled “Vortex Rider.”
The Theme Award winners (of $1,000 each) are as follows.
• Eco Award: “Fleur D’Art,” by Karen Brand, Halethorpe, and Gerri Hanus, Laurel
• Aviation Award: “Blue Bird of Happiness,” by Sharon Garry, Catonsville
• Ocean Award: “The Agony & the Ecxta-Sea,” by Doreen Reynolds, Highland
• Energy Award: “Spectator,” by Liz Ayerle, Philadelphia
More information about ManneqART and upcoming events is available at www.manneqart.org.
Laurel Mayor, Police Department Host Iraqi Delegation
The City of Laurel and the Laurel Police Department recently served as hosts to a delegation from Iraq touring the United States to learn about community policing. The event was part of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
The delegation’s objective during its three-week visit to the United States was to explore community policing and examine the critical role of transparency and accountability in law enforcement.
“Police departments function better when officers interact with people every day,” Mayor Craig Moe told the group. “That trust has to be there.”
Laurel Police Chief Richard McLaughlin told the visitors that community policing is paramount to successful resolutions of many community issues. “We work very had to be transparent,” he said. “It’s very important that those relationships are maintained.
The delegation members, many from Iraq’s Ministry of the Interior, were interested in learning about resources; cooperation between federal, state and local agencies; and how to get officers to buy into community policing. In the words of Cpl. Joseph Johnson, the unofficial ambassador of Laurel’s community policing effort, “Officers have to be approachable. That’s why I like patrolling on a bike or Segway, rather than encased in a steel patrol car. My message, especially to the youngsters who flag me down to talk, is there’s more to being a police officer than just arresting people.”
City Councilman Fred Smalls helped facilitate the visit, the fifth such event Laurel has hosted in the past four years. Delegations from Estonia, Egypt, Colombia and Palestine have also visited Laurel as part of the program.
Experts to Discuss Enhancing Columbia’s Older Neighborhoods
on Oct. 25
Columbia’s 50th Birthday hasn’t just been about celebrating the past, but about imagining the future as well. Columbia Association’s (CA) next Community Building Speakers Series event seeks to answer question concerning this topic.
“Enhancing Columbia’s Neighborhoods: Learning From Best Practice,” will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m., at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia.
The event will feature Paul Brophy and Mark Sissman, noted experts with deep roots in Maryland, to help frame both the challenges and the opportunities for renewing older neighborhoods. These neighborhoods still offer a good quality of life and are more affordable — but due to the community’s aging housing stock may be in danger of decline, unless steps are taken to improve investment conditions.
Brophy is a principal with Brophy & Reilly, an Ellicott City consulting firm specializing in economic development and neighborhood revitalization, Sissman is the president of Healthy Neighborhoods, a Baltimore community development nonprofit organized by financial and philanthropic institutions. Advance registration is not required but is appreciated. Register online at ColumbiaAssociation.org/speakers.
CAC Announces Howard’s 2017 Humanitarian Service Award Recipients
The Community Action Council of Howard County (CAC) has selected Sen. Guy Guzzone and Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman to receive the organization’s 2017 Humanitarian Service Award for their commitment to securing a permanent location for the Howard County Food Bank.
Guzzone and Kittleman will be recognized at the 22nd Annual Holland Award Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 19, at Turf Valley Resort, in Ellicott City. The reception will begin at 6 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The Food Bank moved into its new facility at 9385 Gerwig Lane, Suite J, Columbia, last November. The new facility is approximately 8,000 square feet — three times larger than the previous location — and gave it space to store more food, extend its operating hours and serve more families. The result has been a 22% increase in new family visits.
In CAC’s 2017 Fiscal Year, the Howard County Food Bank provided more than 650,000 pounds of food to more than 27,000 individuals.
Glaser Brings ‘Landscapes and More’ to Artists’ Gallery
In September, Artists’ Gallery will feature original watercolor paintings by local artist Bonita Glaser. The show will run until Sept. 24, with an opening reception set for Saturday, Sept. 9, from 6-8 p.m., at the Artists’ Gallery, 8197 Main Street, Ellicott City.
Glaser also will conduct a watercolor demonstration on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Gallery from 5 to 8 p.m., in participation with the Howard County Road to the Arts. The public is invited to come and see her paintings, along with the work of 24 other members of the Gallery.
“Landscape watercolor painting is both challenging and enjoyable,” said Glaser. As a plein air painter, I have no trouble finding subjects to paint in Maryland. Every vista has potential as a beautiful subject for a painting. Whether by the ocean or the mountains or in-between, I see places where I want to stop, setup my easel and begin painting. Most recently, I have found scenes just outside the door of the Artists’ Gallery.”
For more information, call 443-325-5936 and visit www.artistsgalleryec.com.