CA Monthly February 2015 by Columbia Association

Monthly CA A PUBLICATION OF COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION

FEB 2015

Hands-on with ceramics at Columbia Art Center

3 5 6

CA Camp Registration is Now Open Starlicious Talent Show to be Held Feb. 6 CA Releases Report from Columbia Speaks, CA Listens.

Spinning the Wheel By Tripp Laino

PHOTO BY DAVID WRIGHT

had two goals walking into the Columbia Art Center’s ceramics class, Introduction to the Wheel: Learning to Love Clay; 1. Don’t make a joke about the Patrick Swayze film Ghost and 2. Get my hands into some clay. While the former proved difficult (I managed to avoid it, however), the latter was made simple thanks to Jann Tamburello, glaze technician and beginning Get a lesson wheel instructor, who on throwing had me not only handling with the pottery clay, but creating my first wheel at, pot in less than an hour youtube.com/ — a major feat given my CATVChannel art-challenged past. Tamburelllo has an easy rapport with her students, many of whom have taken classes with her before. For the new students, like me, she takes the time to explain the process of taking a lump of clay and creating a work of art. She said she took her first pottery class

Columbia Art Center's ceramics classes offer students the opportunity to craft their own creations on the pottery wheel.

Join theConversation! ColumbiaAssociation.org

•

Facebook.com/ColumbiaAssociation

•

Instagram.com/ColumbiaAssn

•

Twitter.com/ColumbiaAssn

(See Wheel, page 7)

•

YouTube.com/CATVchannel

•

Pinterest.com/ColumbiaAssn C A M O N T H LY 1

CA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015 Reginald Avery Oakland Mills 443-545-6714 Reginald.Avery@ca-board.org

Nancy McCord Wilde Lake 410-730-2309 Nancy.McCord@ca-board.org

Michael Cornell River Hill 410-531-9340 Michael.Cornell@ca-board.org

Tom O’Connor Dorsey’s Search 410-336-9269 Tom.OConnor@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

Jeanne Ketley Town Center 301-596-1097 Jeanne.Ketley@ca-board.org

Andrew Stack Owen Brown 410-381-8897 Andrew.Stack@ca-board.org

Alan Klein Harper’s Choice 410-992-3025 Alan.Klein@ca-board.org

Russell Swatek Long Reach 410-799-1497 Russell.Swatek@ca-board.org

Board Recap

t the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors meeting held Jan. 8, the CA Board revised its Policy on Minutes and Recordings to say “Minutes of the Board shall not contain comments or debate on measures, except that written comments provided to the Recording Secretary by members of the public or Directors shall be made addenda to the official copy of the minutes.” The Board also revised its policy on Recording Votes on Motions to say that the minutes “will reflect 1) all motions made and 2) the Board Members’ votes on amendments as well as final motions.” The Board sent proposed changes to CA’s charter and bylaws to the 10 Members of CA. The Members will meet to discuss and approve after a 30-day public comment period. The Jan. 22 CA Board of Directors meeting was held after CA Monthly went to press. The next scheduled Board of Directors meetings are Feb. 12 and 26. Meetings typically begin at 7:30pm and are held at CA Headquarters, 10221 Wincopin Circle. For current CA Board of Directors meeting minutes and agendas, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Agendas. Podcasts are available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Podcasts. 2 C A M O N T H LY

President’s Update

Community input helps CA prosper Dear Friends, Last year’s Columbia Speaks. CA Listens. event was a success, both with the feedback that Columbia Association (CA) received from attendees and from the opportunity that nearly 100 people had to exchange ideas among themselves. As a continuation of the outreach to CA residents that began with Columbia Speaks. CA Listens., CA is seeking resident feedback specific to CA's membership program. In the next few weeks, you will receive an email soliciting your participation in research that will be done by Club Intel and presented to CA’s Board of Directors. Please consider participating in this valuable research. There are many more ways for you to stay Milton W. Matthews informed and be involved. Each meeting of the CA Board of Directors includes time set aside for Resident Speakout, for your voices to be heard by board members and CA staff. Several advisory committees help guide CA services, amenities, initiatives and issues, assisting the CA Board of Directors and ensuring that there is a substantial level of community participation and involvement in the development of CA programs, activities and priorities. These committees include groups that focus on aquatics, health and fitness, tennis, golf, Columbia Art Center, information technology and Columbia’s watershed. The Senior Advisory Committee discusses the needs, interests and concerns of Columbia’s mature adults, while on the other end of the age spectrum are the Teen and Middle School advisory committees, through which young residents of the community organize programs and activities for themselves and their peers. CA’s citizen academy, Excite Columbia, will return March 24. Excite Columbia is a great way to get an in-depth view on how CA operates and serves the community. It is a six-week course that meets on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30pm Those who are interested can learn more at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Excite. Columbia’s annual village elections — for seats on the CA Board of Directors and on the boards of the village community associations — will be held in late April. Columbia has a history of a diverse mix of its residents being active and engaged in the community. I encourage you to continue that tradition. Sincerely, Milton W. Matthews, Columbia Association President/CEO

Columbia Association Archives Celebrates

50 Years of Columbia

he countdown to Columbia’s 50th birthday continues, and Columbia Archives continues to chronicle the major events and developments of the planning period. That includes “Columbia It Is: The Plan Revealed,” an exhibit at the Archives, the third in the “Creating Columbia: 50 Years Ago” series tracing the events leading up to Columbia’s official beginning on June 21, 1967. The exhibit is open until May. And this month there is “Creating Columbia: A Mini-Course,” held on Feb. 2, 9 and 16 from 2 to 3:30pm at Slayton House, 10400 Cross Fox Lane in the Wilde Lake Village Center. Those interested can sign up at CreatingColumbia. EventBrite.com for all three

James Rouse presents the Columbia plan to Howard County Officials on November 11, 1964. “Columbia It Is: The Plan Revealed,” an exhibit at Columbia Archives, will be open until May.

PHOTO COURTESY COLUMBIA ARCHIVE

Mondays or for individual sessions. “The mini-course makes people more familiar with the planning of Columbia by tracing what happened at this time 50 years

ago,” said Barbara Kellner, director of Columbia Archives. “It begins with the presentation of the plan for Columbia in 1964 and takes people into the work that

happened in the following six to nine months.” Columbia Archives is located in the American City Building, 10227 Wincopin Circle in downtown Columbia, and is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Through this mini course “you can learn anything you want to know about the history of Columbia,” Kellner said. “The value of that is the more you know about the history, the better you understand how the present and future interact with the past.”

Columbia Association Summer Camps Open for Registration egistration has begun for summer camps, so act fast to secure your children’s spot in one of CA’s many diverse camp offerings! Whether your child wants to spend the summer splashing through streams and learning about wildlife, creating works of art or honing their sports skills, CA has a perfect option available. Camp hours are from 8:30am to 4pm, with extended care available from 7am to 8:30am and 4pm to 6pm. Jalen Stewart, 13, has attended one of CA’s basketball camps for

three years and said he loved attending each year. “I really like the counselors and seeing my friends every year,” he said. “Coach Mark [Alexander] and the counselors make every year fun and welcoming, and each year I get better and better. I always get useful basketball tips and have fun at the same time.” Want adventure on the water? Try Sail Away, a two-week camp for students in grades six through eight that teaches sailing techniques on Sunfish and JY-15 boats, and heads to sailing

locations like Greenbrier State Park, Sandy Point and the Chesapeake Bay. Campers must pass a swim test. Looking for something new? The two-week S.T.E.A.M. camp is for grades three to fiveand features hands-on learning focusing on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. In addition, campers will attend field trips and receive swim lessons and at least two days of recreational swimming each week. Interested in trying multiple sports? The new two-week Tennis,

Golf and Swim camp is for athletes with tennis experience but looking to branch out and learn golf and spend time in the pool as well. Campers will hone their tennis skills, learn golf basics and have recreational swimming. New to camps and need more information? Attend the open houses on March 21 at Columbia Athletic Club, 5435 Beaverkill Road, from noon-3pm, or May 13 from 6-8pm at Columbia SportsPark, 5453 Harpers Farm Road or visit ColumbiaCamps.org. C A M O N T H LY 3

Columbia’s Sister Cities Exchanges Highlight

Cultural Diversity By Tripp Laino

olumbia’s Sister Cities began in 1977 with Cergy-Pontoise, France and expanded to include Tres Cantos, Spain in 1990, marking its 25th anniversary this year, and Tema, Ghana in 2014. The exchanges allow community members to interact with people from different cultures, and share cultural touchstones like food, music and more. “We are a very diverse community, and the philosophy behind the sister cities movement matches the vision of Columbia as a diverse, inclusive community,” said Laura Smit, CA’s manager of International Exchange & Multicultural Programs. One of the most popular programs with the Sister Cities is the annual high school exchange, where students spend two weeks with their host family overseas, and then their counterpart spends two weeks stateside. The deadline for applying to the 2015 high school exchange is Feb. 21. For more information, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/ TeenExchange. Greg Jordan had all four of his children participate in the high school exchange, visiting France and Spain, and the relationships lasted well beyond the five weeks of the program. After one of his daughters visited France, her counterpart was accepted to the University of Georgia, and Jordan and his family helped her acclimate to her new surroundings and 4 C A M O N T H LY

Founded 1967 Population 103,683 (2013)

Columbia, Maryland

CergyPontoise, France

Sister City since 1977 Population 198,496 (2009) 3,799.13 miles from Columbia

Tres Cantos, Spain Sister City since 2014 Population 161,612 (2013) 5,274.22 miles from Columbia

accompanied her to school. “We drove down from Maryland to Georgia as if she was our own daughter going to college,” he said. “We also stopped along the way and visited friends in Tennessee and took them boating and waterskiing.” He spoke highly of the program and the impact it had on his children, all of whom have become more adventurous travelers since participating, with some studying abroad in college as well. “This whole program just opened up the world for them,” he said. “... In a sense the world is their oyster — They really fully believe in travel and new

Sister City since 1990 Population 41,896 (2013) 3,764.16 miles from Columbia

Tema, Ghana

experiences and they’re not afraid of it.” In the past, the Sister Cities programs have included art and business exchanges for adults looking to expand their horizons, said Smit. Smit said there was significant interest amongst members of the International & Multicultural Advisory Committee in developing a cuisine exchange with France, so in 2010 the first group of Columbians traveled to France to wine and dine, and groups of French visitors have been hosted here. Since then, there have been annual Cuisine & Culture

Exchanges with Cergy-Pontoise. A Spanish cuisine and wine adventure is in the works for October 2015. “More recently, the focus had mostly been on the annual Summer High School Exchange with Spain and France,” Smit said. “When I became the manager, there hadn’t been a new adult exchange in many years.” The program is also working toward adding a fourth sister city in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Anyone interested in joining the Haiti Sister City Planning Committee, or interested in participating in Sister Cities programs can contact Smit at 410-715-3162 or Laura.Smit@

By David Greisman

halisah Omar-Johnson enjoys singing, though until last year her performances had largely only taken place in front of her classmates. Then she found out about Columbia Association’s (CA) Starlicious Talent Show. Omar-Johnson progressed through the auditions and made it to the finale. That opened up the door to more, with evenings spent belting out pop songs at the Teen Open Mic nights during CA’s Lakefront Summer Festival. The 12-year-old Kings Contrivance resident is set to perform once more in Starlicious, which returns this month. “She had done talent shows at schools, but those are people she knows. After Starlicious, she was able to go to the lakefront and she performed with no problem,” said Omar-Johnson’s mother, Takiyah Carroll. Starlicious Talent Show takes place on Friday, Feb. 6, from 6 to 9pm at Columbia Gym, located at 6151 Daylong Lane in the River Hill Village Center. Tickets are available at the door for an event that includes several special features, food and beverages, and a performance by musician/CA personal trainer Mike McKee. It is just one of the ways that CA provides an opportunity for youth to perform, including the annual Teen Idol singing competition and the summertime Open Mic nights. Brooke Berlin, an 8-year-old from River Hill, was also scheduled to

STARLICIOUS perform for a

second straight year, once again alongside a friend she’s had since preschool. They will dance and perform a cheer in a routine they choreographed. “She really loves being on stage,”

Talent Show OffersYouth a Chance to Shine said Brooke’s mother, Kathy Berlin. “This show in particular is really fun. It’s in the community, and she’s doing it with her best friend. … This year they’re still really cute, but they’re a little bit better.” Berlin and Carroll said their daughters both got a big kick out of last year’s special guest, Mrs. Maryland 2014, Columbia resident Zereana Jess-Huff. Starlicious also includes a halftime show, “Hollywood Swag Bag” giveaways, door prizes, a VIP booth, and a red carpet photo booth. Beyond that, the performers get to go on stage in front of their friends, family members and peers. “There are a lot of talented kids in Columbia,” Carroll said. “It’s a very awesome thing to put together and let them come out and share

their art.”

“There are a lot of talented kids in Columbia. It’s a very awesome thing to put together and let them come out and share their art.” Takiyah Carroll, Starlicious Talent Show contestant’s mom

C A M O N T H LY 5

You Spoke, CA Listened. CAReleases Report From

Columbia Speaks.

CA Listens. ince hosting Columbia Speaks. CA Listens. in October, Columbia Association (CA) has been compiling, reading and processing hundreds of responses to questions. Based on the responses either at the event or in the weeks that followed, CA has released a summary report outlining not only the responses to questions, but also how CA plans to address many of the questions. A full copy of the report is available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/ ColumbiaSpeaks. One of the significant improvements attendees asked for was better functionality from CA’s website, and the process to fix that has already begun, with some changes already in place including a weekly video from CA President/ CEO Milton W. Matthews and faster load times on the website. “We’re aware of some of the shortcomings of our website and are working to improve it,” said communications and marketing director Norma Heim.“We’re simplifying the site to help CA members easily find the information they’re looking for, and have put in place a way 6 C A M O N T H LY

for them to opt-in to receive information specific to their interests.” Visiting ColumbiaAssociation.org/Notify allows you to choose areas of CA you’d like to receive regular updates from. More improvements to the website will be rolled out in the coming months. October’s event had nearly 100 people participating in the interactive meeting to provide their ideas on CA’s programs and services; governance structure; and communications and community engagement efforts. The participants discussed their concerns and ideas in moderated small groups while note takers at each table documented the discussions. Matthews said he will discuss how frequently to hold future Columbia Speaks. CA Listens. events with the CA Board of Directors. He is confident the initial event will be followed by others. “We would use a similar format in the future, because it’s a great opportunity for our residents and other stakeholders in the community to interact with CA and for CA to hear from them,” Matthews said.

PHOTO BY KEITHAN SAMUELS

One of the significant improvements attendees asked for was better functionality from CA’s website.

CA PHONE NUMBERS CA Headquarters .........................................410-715-3000 CA Membership Service Center.................410-730-1801 Aquatics Office ............................................410-312-6332 Columbia Art Center....................................410-730-0075 Columbia Association Camps ....................410-715-3165 PHOTO BY DAVID WRIGHT

Columbia Athletic Club ...............................410-730-6744 Columbia Gym.............................................410-531-0800

(continued from page 1)

Ceramics students work on projects at Columbia Art Center's Introduction to the Wheel: Learning to Love Clay class.

with CA in 1995, and slowly added more duties, first volunteering to help make glazes for the pieces, then being hired on as a staff member and finally starting to teach about eight years ago. “It took a while to feel that I had enough of a background to actually teach,” she said. “It’s one thing to be able to do something, but to teach it is a whole different skill set. I really love working with clay so much, and I felt like I wanted to share that with other people to get them hooked.” The class is almost overwhelmingly genial — many students know each other, and they chat while preparing their clay, whether about what they’ve been up to since the last class, or their latest Netflix find. Many also seek out the unfamiliar faces to introduce themselves and provide a de facto welcoming committee. About 10 students were hard at work crafting their latest projects. Tiny movements of the hands make big changes to the clay spinning on the wheel — the process almost seems like magic. In just minutes, a lump of clay becomes a pot, a bowl or other work in the hands of a skilled potter like student Carol Schnell, who’s been taking classes with Tamburello for seven years.

“It’s a beginning class, but I stay because Jann is such a wonderful teacher,” she said, adding that she loves all of the staff at Columbia Art Center. “This place is wonderful — it has the best open studio around, and the staff is par excellence and always willing to share and help.” Despite the distraction of answering interview questions, Schnell easily creates several projects on the wheel in a short period of time. She said she likes the camaraderie between students and staff. “It’s fun — you’re creating something, and there’s a lot of love between staff and the people here,” she said. The ceramics class is just one of dozens of offerings for those looking to create art — Columbia Art Center has everything from drawing and painting to jewelry making and glass fusing classes for people of any age. Many classes are available as one-time or party classes, but for those seeking more intense instruction, multiple-class options are also available in a variety of media, and some even feature free workshops. Columbia Art Center also has rotating gallery exhibitions, a gallery gift shop and a variety of art and life enhancement lectures. For more information, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/ArtCenter.

Columbia Ice Rink.......................................410-730-0322

Wheel

Columbia Horse Center...............................301-776-5850

Columbia SportsPark/SkatePark................410-715-3054 Columbia Swim Center...............................410-730-7000 Columbia 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 The Racquet Club at Hobbit’s Glen ............410-715-3080 School Age Services ...................................410-715-3165 Supreme Sports Club..................................410-381-5355 Wilde Lake Tennis Club .............................410-730-3767

Sign up to receive CA urgent notifications and specify what information you want to receive at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Notify.

C A M O N T H LY 7

February Community Events Creating Columbia Mini-Course

Animal Shelter Extravaganza

Mon. Feb. 2, 9, 16 • 2pm Slayton House • 410-715-3103 or CreatingColumbia.eventbrite.com Three sessions look at the time period from November 1964 to June 1965 including the presentation of a formal Columbia plan in 1964 and the work that followed to fine-tune the plan.

Quilt Gardening Thurs. Feb. 5 • 7:30-9pm Free Gardening Seminar at Amherst House • 410-381-9600 • A quilt garden is made by using the design of one block of a quilt and planting it in flowers. Master Gardener Betsy Grater will be presenting the topic. Snacks will be served; call to register.

Professor Horn’s Puppet and Magic Show Fri. Feb. 6 • 10am Slayton House • 410-730-3987 events@wildelake.org

A Tour of the Universe Fri. Feb. 6 • 10:45am and Noon (two shows) Claret Hall • 410-531-1749 or newsletter@villageofriverhill.org See a show in the mobile planetarium, have pizza lunch, and make a craft. Advance ticket purchase required before Feb. 5.

Salon Series: Yolanda Koh, Artist and Instructor Chinese Brush Painting Mon. Feb. 9, • 7pm Columbia Art Center • 410-730-0075 ColumbiaArtCenter.org Art.Staff@ColumbiaAssociation.org Come celebrate the Chinese New Year and watch a step-by-step demonstration of the traditional Chinese brush painting of the Four Gentlemen: bamboo, orchids, plum blossoms and chrysanthemums. Yolanda will introduce the various styles of this art form through demonstration and discussion.

50+ Fun and Fulfilling: Bingo, Buffet and Beverages Fri. Feb. 13 • 6:30-8:30pm The Other Barn • 410-730-4610 events@oaklandmills.org

Family Art Frenzy: Heart-Filled Collages Sun. Feb. 15 • 1-3pm Columbia Art Center • 410-730-0075 Art.Staff@ColumbiaAssociation.org ColumbiaArtCenter.org

Ladies Movie Night Fri. Feb. 20, • 7:30-10pm The Hawthorn Center • 410-730-7327 Food, wine and a “chick flick.” $10 per person; reservations required.

Bingo Fri. Feb. 20 • 7-9pm Stonehouse • 410-730-8113 Fee for bingo cards and drinks.

Multicultural Crafts Festival Master Gardener Program “Seed to Satisfaction”

y o v r go

8 C A M O N T H LY

Fri. Feb 6 • 11am-2pm • Free Stonehouse • 410-730-8113 Come and help serve to benefit animals and the Howard County Animal Shelter. Donations for shelter appreciated.

Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn more about great events happening in Columbia!

Tue. Feb. 17 • 7-9pm • Free Stonehouse • 410-730-8113

Sat. Feb. 21 • 9-11am Claret Hall • 410-531-1749 newsletter@villageofriverhill.org Play games, make crafts, and enjoy snacks from different cultures. This free event is hosted by the River Hill Community Association’s Teen Advisory Committee.

tle ts for Lit r A ly e Liv esents: Ones Pr Nate” “Groovy 10am 7• Fri. Feb. 2 arn B r e The Oth 610 -4 0 3 -7 .org 410 klandmills a o events@