Monthly CA A PUBLICATION OF COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION
New hours!
OCT 2015
As of November 1, 2015 CA’s Customer and Member Service Center will be open Monday through Friday, 9am-6pm and Saturday, 9am-4pm.
Clothing Drive to Return T
By David Greisman
PHOTO BY KEITHAN SAMUELS
A woman and child survey the selection of clothes at Columbia Association’s Youth and Teen Center annual clothing drive held this past January in Oakland Mills. Families could choose from more than 20,000 donated items.
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o you, it may just be a winter coat you don’t often wear or a piece of clothing that no longer fits. But to community members in need, those individual donations add up. That was the case this past January at CA’s Youth and Teen Center in Oakland Mills, where members of more than 1,000 families arrived over the course of two days to choose from among more than 20,000 items. “It warmed my heart to see the generosity of our community,” said Rene Buckmon, CA’s director of youth and teen programs. “We’re very thankful, and so were those who were helped. But there are still many who need assistance.” That’s why this fall will bring the seventh year for the clothing drive, which is organized by the Youth
YouTube.com/CATVchannel
(See Drive, page 5)
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Pinterest.com/ColumbiaAssn C A M O N T H LY 1
CA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2015-2016
Letter from Harper’s Choice
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Community Spirit of Harper’s Choice and Columbia
Reginald Avery, Oakland Mills 443-545-6714 Reginald.Avery@ca-board.org
Alan Klein, Harper’s Choice 410-992-3025 Alan.Klein@ca-board.org
Dick Boulton, Dorsey’s Search 410-884-2964 Dick.Boulton@ca-board.org
Nancy McCord, Wilde Lake 410-730-2309 Nancy.McCord@ca-board.org
Brian Dunn, Kings Contrivance 301-473-0077 Brian.Dunn@ca-board.org
Gregg Schwind, Hickory Ridge 443-831-8847 Gregg.Schwind@ca-board.org
Janet Evans, Long Reach 724-516-0550 Janet.Evans@ca-board.org
Andrew Stack, Owen Brown 410-381-8897 Andrew.Stack@ca-board.org
Jeanne Ketley, Town Center 301-596-1097 Jeanne.Ketley@ca-board.org
Chao Wu, River Hill 240-481-9637 Chao.Wu@ca-board.org
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hen I moved to Harper’s Choice in 2004, I was drawn by many of the same things that attracted so many others to Columbia — traits and features with which I’d become familiar after my family moved to Howard County in 1972. There was a sense of community, of partnership and collaboration as everything was continuing to come together at that time. There were the vision and values ingrained in a place where people truly could grow, a place explicitly designed Alan Klein Village of Harper’s Choice to be economically, racially, and religiously inclusive. Columbia Council We almost always drove into town via Harpers Farm Representative Road, and I knew even then that if I moved to Columbia it should be in Hobbit’s Glen, a beautiful neighborhood of custom-designed and custombuilt homes. I’ve been quite fortunate to have that dream fulfilled. I like that the Hobbit’s Glen Pool is as small and tucked away as it is. But as a parent, grandparent, and former educator, I also like going to the pool at Swansfield MiniWaterPark, one of Columbia Association’s two Mini-WaterParks, for the energy of kids. The pool in Longfellow gives the village three of CA’s 23 outdoor pools. Harper’s Choice is the second-oldest village in Columbia, established in 1968. The village center, a fundamental founding principle of Columbia, has been fortunate to re-emerge and thrive again. CA’s amenities in the village, like the pools, serve the greater community. Where once Columbia had a BMX bike course now sits Columbia SportsPark, with its batting cages, minigolf, and SkatePark attracting families and hosting parties and corporate outings. Columbia Athletic Club is one of CA’s three fitness clubs and includes some of CA’s nine indoor tennis courts. Columbia DogPark, opened by popular demand in May 2014, is the first dog park in Columbia and was only the second at the time in Howard County. Earlier this year, CA completed the new clubhouse and turnhouse at Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club. Presently, we are working to ensure that the experience at the new Hobbit’s Glen clubhouse and turnhouse meets the expectations of our patrons and the standards that CA has set for our members. Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks operates Cedar Lane Park in Harper’s Choice. I enjoy the way it is designed, from the fields for organized sports to the somewhat hidden tennis courts. It can be approached from multiple directions, with a beautiful wooded area separating the sections. Those are among the features that CA and the county provide in Harper’s Choice, but there’s also a gem that comes from the village’s residents itself: the Longfellow Neighborhood Parade on the 4th of July, which just finished its 45th year and includes a traditional softball game afterward between the Hesperus Wrecks and the Eliots Oak Nuts. There’s nothing ostentatious about the festivities. It’s just something people there made and have cared enough about to keep going. That, to me, is yet another example of our community’s spirit. Thank You, Alan Klein
Columbia Community Exchange Time Bank is a program offered by CA to help facilitate neighbors helping one another through a mutual exchange of services.
Time Banking
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By Tripp Laino
eed a little help around the house? Have skills to offer a neighbor? Then you’re the perfect candidate for Columbia Community Exchange (CCE) Time Bank. “Time banking values the time spent together rather than the specific skill exchanged,” said Patricia Dugan, manager of the Columbia Community Exchange. “People offer and request services ranging from rides to the airport to genealogy lessons.” CCE is a program offered by CA to help facilitate neighbors helping one another through a mutual exchange of services. Membership is free and follows a simple formula: one hour of helping a member earns a Time Dollar, which can be spent on an hour of help from another member. Dugan said skills and talents of all types can be put to use in the program. “Do what you love!” she said.
Offering a way to lend a hand and get help “During new member orientation, we brainstorm together to help people identify their talents. Do you love to bake cookies, talk on the phone, work in the yard, make kombucha or help with math homework? Perhaps you can provide social companionship by making friendly telephone calls, or work from home doing data entry.” Dugan said some of the most common requests are for transportation and help around the house or in the yard, but that education, like teaching someone how to use their new tablet or phone, is another oft-requested item. Sandra Holt is an attorney by trade but has also picked up a bevy of home repair skills from owning and doing maintenance on a couple of rental properties. She started
time banking by offering simple electrical work but has branched out into other household help as well — installing light fixtures, addressing malfunctioning outlets, installing doorknobs and mowing lawns as well. She’s received help in several ways, most recently with mulching her flower beds, which she said was a huge job requiring about five hours of help from two people. Holt said she helps someone via time banking about once per week, finding various tasks to complete through the website. “I just feel like I am more part of the community; I get to meet people I might see later,” she said. “I get to help people with things they don’t necessarily know how to do. I also like to teach them how to do it so next time they can
do it on their own.” Elaine Ritchey found time banking through an introductory tea held at Columbia Art Center and focuses most of her efforts on helping others with their gardens. While she has strong gardening skills, Ritchey said her computer skills are a little lacking. So when she gets help, it’s usually with her computer. But she’s also done more than trade skills through time banking — she’s also met some friends through their similar interests. “There are a couple of other people in time bank who share my love of gardening,” she said. “I’ve found some friends with the same interests, whether it’s gardening or cats — fellow animal lovers — we like to have a tea once in awhile or just catch up when the different functions happen.” For information about CCE, email CommunityExchange@ ColumbiaAssociation.org or call 410-884-6121. C A M O N T H LY 3
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Volunteer Center Serving Howard County
Connecting Residents to Opportunities By Tripp Laino
s a volunteer, it can be a challenge to find the right opportunity — the perfect place for your skills to be most effective. For Howard County residents, that task is much easier thanks to the Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, which connects community members with registered organizations like the Community Action Council who recruit volunteers to meet their mission. Pam Simonson, the center’s executive director, said the center has more than 290 registered local nonprofits and governmental organizations seeking volunteers to meet community needs, and also offers volunteer management support to registered organizations through networking and training events to encourage and enhance the effective use of volunteers. “As a volunteer connector, the center promotes volunteer opportunities and projects through community events and regional activities,” she said. “Whether its Day to Serve, Spotlight on the Military or Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, the center invites and supports organizations in their recruitment needs.” Day to Serve runs through Oct. 10, uniting people of all faiths, races, cultures and backgrounds with the shared goal of helping those in need and improving the community. For more information about the Volunteer Center and upcoming initiatives, visit VolunteerHoward.org. Additionally, the center also offers 4 C A M O N T H LY
PHOTO BY BRITTANY BUDDEN
monthly Volunteering Made Easy sessions, a one-hour training session for community members to learn how to identify volunteer opportunities that they will find rewarding and highlighting organizations with specific needs. One of the organizations the center has recently served is Community Action Council of Howard County, which manages the Howard County Food Bank, among other programs. Dorcas Martinez, volunteer coordinator for the council, said Simonson and other staff members have been a valuable tool, both in seeking volunteers and in how to more effectively use volunteer help when it’s available. “They’ve been a tremendous help in my transition to be a volunteer coordinator,” she said. “They’re a wealth of knowledge
on volunteers and volunteering.” Martinez said Simonson visited the food bank to present information about the center’s resources and helped her plan strategies for recruiting volunteers via their platform. The Center promotes these opportunities on its website, VolunteerHoward.org, and through social media to help create relationships between those who wish to serve and those in need of service, allowing both sides to ask questions about volunteer opportunities. In addition to recruitment, limited time projects — such as food collection, card creation or learning AED-CPR — needs for on-going volunteers like committee and board members are presented in partnership with participating organizations. Another significant facet of the
A volunteer makes a card at Columbia Art Center, which hosted a card project in conjunction with the Howard County Office on Aging for Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2015.
center is the annual “Guide to Giving,” which has been published since 2003 as a way of highlighting areas of need during the holidays, when volunteers are often in abundance. It also advocates responsible giving and the need for donating locally. Though the annual guide opportunities change each year, past requests have included assisting at holiday parties for seniors and people with disabilities; making blankets for those in shelters and hospitals; collecting, sorting and processing donations of food; clothing and gift cards; and assisting at local animal shelters.
“It kind of put things into perspective … I saw what happens in our community and how much one person can make a difference as part of a team.” CA’s Teen Advisory Committee Chairman Kevin Baker
Drive (from page 1)
and Teen Center and CA’s Teen Outreach Committee. Donations will be accepted throughout October and November. Collection boxes are stationed at all 10 village community association buildings; Columbia Art Center (located at 6100 Foreland Garth in the Long Reach Village Center); the Youth and Teen Center at The Barn (located at 5853 Robert Oliver Place in the Oakland Mills Village Center); and Eggspectation restaurant (6010 University Blvd., Ellicott City). Those donating can bring in new and gently used clothes, shoes and accessories, including but not limited to ties, belts, hosiery, hats, gloves, pocketbooks and jewelry. Also important are coats and socks, children’s clothes, and career clothes for both men and women. The distribution days will be Saturday, Jan. 16 from 9am-2pm, and Sunday, Jan. 17 from 11am2:30pm. Evelyn Handy was among those who came in January. The Owen Brown resident and longtime Columbian has more than a dozen grandchildren, many of whom she was able to help with clothing, accessories and jewelry donated by others. “It was just a blessing,” Handy said. “It’s not that they wouldn’t have had clothes, but these clothes were something extra that they
might not have been able to get. The money saved on a pair of jeans can be used to purchase food.” These donations, then, have both the tangible benefit of what they provide and an intangible benefit of what they mean. At the time when Malaika Tyler went to the clothing drive’s distribution days several years ago, she was a single mother with three sons who was paying for rent and utilities, all while trying to feed and clothe her rapidly-growing boys. The help she received also meant some relief. “It made a difference,” Tyler
said. “It helped me to still be able to give them what they needed.” Tyler’s oldest son was involved in the Youth and Teen Center committee that created the clothing drive. To this day, the drive is a fantastic volunteer opportunity for students in Howard County. It came from them, and it continues with them. Each year, all of the finalists in CA’s annual Hear My Voice Columbia Teen Idol Competition decorate the donation boxes and then drop them off. And the clothing drive is one of the signature events for CA’s Teen Advisory Committee, which
organizes activities and community service projects. Its chairman, Kevin Baker, recalled that he previously never thought about the idea of people in and around Howard County not having enough clothing to wear. Then he volunteered and witnessed what their efforts meant, with so many giving so that so many others could receive. “It kind of put things into perspective,” Baker said. “I saw what happens in our community and how much one person can make a difference as part of a team.”
PHOTO BY KEITHAN SAMUELS
People donating can bring in new and gently used clothes, shoes and accessories. Also important are coats and socks, children’s clothes, and career clothes for both men and women. The distribution days will be in January.
C A M O N T H LY 5
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Wibit Opening Bash
Ghana Fest
ace your friends and try not to fall in as you climb, bounce and crawl on our new obstacle course! As you may have heard, SplashDown is under construction and will not be reopening this winter season. There will still be fun at Columbia Swim Center with amazing inflatable, wet, and wacky new water features. CA is inviting you to try WibitTM for free on Sun., Oct. 4, 12-5pm at the opening bash, featuring giveaways, games, prizes and more!
The event is open to all. Regular hours for WibitTM will then be Saturdays from 1-6pm and Sundays from 12-5pm. Admission prices are: free to Package Plan Plus members, $3 for Package Plan or Facility Only membership types, $7 to residents with an active Columbia Card, or $10 for non-members. All participants must be able to swim one length of the pool in a strong, freestyle stroke. Find out more about WibitTM at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Wibit.
Returns The Columbia and Howard County community is invited to enjoy an afternoon of Ghanaian music, dance performances, drumming and displays on Sun., Nov. 8 3-5:30pm at Slayton House, Wilde Lake Village Center, 10400 Cross Fox Lane. Refreshments will be available, and African dress is encouraged! Ghana Fest 2 is presented by CA’s Tema Sister City Committee. For more information, please call 410-715-3162 or email International@Columbia Association.org.
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CA invites you to try Wibit,TM an inflatable, obstacle course on Sun., Oct. 4 from noon to 5pm.
CA Now Offers Open Space Commuity Resource Specialist Columbia Association now has a community resource specialist available on a regular basis in park areas, including Lake Elkhorn, Lake Kittamaqundi and Wilde Lake, as well as other open space areas such as Jackson Pond. The specialist will answer questions that residents may have, provide information about upcoming events like the community walks, and create awareness of CA regulations, such as those regarding boating and fishing.
Open House for New CA Headquarters Come check out our new headquarters!
Sat, Oct 24 • 11am - 3pm Featuring tours, light refreshments and giveaways.
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CA
Board Recap
t the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors meeting held Sept. 10, CA’s Board approved CA’s IRS Forms 990 and 990T for FY15, and directed staff to revise a draft of CA’s Sponsorship Policy. Additionally, CA’s Board heard a presentation from Club Intel regarding the results of its study about CA membership and pricing. The next scheduled Board of Directors meetings are Oct. 8 and 22. Meetings typically begin at 7:30pm and are held at CA Headquarters, 6310 Hillside Ct., Suite 100. For current CA Board of Directors meeting minutes and agendas, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Agendas. Podcasts from board meetings are available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Podcasts.
CA PHONE NUMBERS CA Headquarters .........................................410-715-3000 Customer and Member Service Center .....410-730-1801 Aquatics Office ............................................410-312-6332 Columbia Art Center....................................410-730-0075 Columbia Association Camps ....................410-715-3165 Columbia Athletic Club ...............................410-730-6744 Columbia Gym.............................................410-531-0800 Columbia Horse Center...............................301-776-5850
CA’s Community Building Speakers Series Returns
Columbia Ice Rink.......................................410-730-0322
The next featured guest in CA’s Community Building Speakers Series is Don Elliott, a nationally recognized zoning and planning expert who is the author of “A Better Way to Zone” and co-author of an American Planning Association book called “The Rules That Shape Urban Form.” CA and the Howard County Government are pleased to present Elliott at “Best Zoning Practices for Large Planned Communities.” The event will be held on Wed., Oct. 28, beginning at 7pm at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane in the Wilde Lake Village Center. It is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required via ZoningSpeakerSeries.EventBrite.com.
Columbia Swim Center...............................410-730-7000
Columbia SportsPark/SkatePark................410-715-3054
Columbia Youth and Teen Center...............410-992-3726 Fairway Hills Golf Club...............................410-730-1112 Haven on the Lake ......................................410-715-3020 Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club...............................410-730-5980 Inclement Weather Hotline ........................410-715-3154 Indoor Tennis, Columbia Athletic Club........410-720-0149 Owen Brown Tennis Bubble........................410-381-7255
Tennis Award Nomination CA is proud to be nominated for the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) “Member Organization of the Year” award. The winning organization will be chosen from among the USTA’s 17 sections nationwide and recognized in March 2016. The award is given to the organization that best exemplifies service to the community, service to its members through junior and adult programs and service to the game of tennis. Learn about CA’s tennis programs at ColumbiaAssociation.org/tennis.
The Racquet Club at Hobbit’s Glen ............410-715-3080 School Age Services ...................................410-715-3164 Supreme Sports Club..................................410-381-5355 Wilde Lake Tennis Club .............................410-730-3767
C A M O N T H LY 7
October Community Events Oakland Mills Fall Festival
Within Reach Festival
Pumpkin Painting and Pizza
Fri. Oct. 9 • 10am $5 for ages 2 and older. The Other Barn • Brigitta Warren — events@oaklandmills.org/ oaklandmills.org
Sat. Oct. 17 • 4-10pm Featuring live music, celebrity chefs including Spike Mendelsohn, wine tastings and a beer garden. Downtown Columbia Lakefront, American City Building parking lot
Thu. Oct. 22 • 5:30-7pm $5 for residents outside of Owen Brown. Owen Brown Community Center 410-381-0202 • Meghan Pierce — events@owenbrownvillage.org
Hands-Only CPR
Red Ribbon Yard Sale
Shred and eCycle Event
Sat. Oct. 3 • 10-11am Instructors from Howard County Fire and Rescue will teach how to perform hands-only CPR and operate an AED. Free. Must register in advance. The Hawthorn Center • 6175 Sunny Spring • 410-730-7327 info@hickoryridgevillage.org
Sat. Oct. 10 • 8am-noon Look for the red ribbons on the street signs in Hickory Ridge. Check hickoryridgevillage.org for a complete list of participating streets. • 410-730-7327 For more information, please contact info@hickoryridgevillage.org
Sat. Oct. 17 • 9am-1pm Shred up to three bags of papers. Recycle your electronics. • Free to Hickory Ridge residents; $3 for nonresidents. • The Hawthorn Center parking lot • 410-730-7327 For more information please contact info@hickoryridgevillage.org
Sat. Oct. 3 • 11am-4pm Free; held rain or shine. Oakland Mills Village Center lot, The Other Barn • Brigitta Warren — events@oaklandmills.org/ oaklandmills.org
Lively Arts for Little Ones Presents: Silly Goose and Val
Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn more about great events happening in Columbia!
Fri Oct. 23 • 4:30pm Puppet show and Trick or Treating in the Village Center. Slayton House 10400 Cross Fox Lane • 410-730-3987 Carol Hobelmann — events@wildelake.org
Wilde Halloween
Western Europe Culture Fest Sun Oct. 4 • 1:30-4:30pm Free music, dance, displays and food! Howard County Library System, Miller Branch • 410-313-1950 Laura Smit — 410-715-3162 International@ColumbiaAssociation.org
Books to Big Screen Reader’s Club: The Martian Wed. Oct. 7 • 6:30-8pm Join us as we discuss The Martian by Andy Weir, the tale of a man who may or may not be the first human to die on Mars. Free to participate; books must be purchased or borrowed by participants. Kahler Hall • 5440 Old Tucker Row events@harperschoice.org
BINGO at Stonehouse Fri, Oct. 9 • 7pm Enjoy a fun night of bingo with your family and neighbors. Play a variety of games with many chances to win prizes! Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required, just show up ready to play! $1 and $5 disposable bingo cards. Daubers and drinks for sale! Stonehouse • 8775 Cloudleap Court 410-730-8113 • Tina Addo — events@longreach.org
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Swing Dance Classes Nov. 3 • 7pm Held every Tuesday in November. $10 per person for the four-week class. Owen Brown Community Center 410-381-0202 • Meghan Pierce — events@owenbrownvillage.org
Family Night Bingo Fri. Nov. 6 • 7:30-9pm Join us for a fun family evening! $1and $5 bingo cards, soft drinks are 75 cents, snacks are free. The Hawthorn Center info@hickoryridgevillage.org 410-730-7327