Monthl y CA JUNE 2013
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F C O L U M B I A A S S O C I AT I O N
CA Chooses Option to Finish
2 Why I Serve: An Interview with Two Newly Elected CA Board Members 3 Columbia Association Aquatics Receives 2013 Make A Splash Grant 8 Be a Part of Your Community Events
Learn more about Lake Kittamaqdundi at ColumbiaAssociation.org.
Lake Kittamaqundi Pathway get the latest
on what’s
happening at Columbia Association with
thisweek@CA
a brief weekly
By David Greisman
It’s
official: there will soon be a pathway completing the loop around Lake Kittamaqundi, bringing walkers, bicyclists and runners for two miles alongside one of Downtown
Columbia’s original gems. That distance is the option Columbia Association (CA) selected for
this oft-discussed project. CA had a feasibility study conducted by
video series.
Hanover-based BayLand Consultants & Designers, and CA then
you can watch the
presented the study’s three options in meetings earlier this year with
videos online
Town Center residents and village board members.
anytime at bit.ly/thisweekatca
“This will allow residents to get closer to Columbia’s open space, which we're very proud of,” said Dennis Mattey, CA’s director of construction. “And though this is a small piece of the revitalization of Columbia’s downtown, it will bring people to the lakefront and create
Connect
with CA! It’s easier than ever to find us. ColumbiaAssociation.org/CAToday
more of a destination.”
Lake Kittamaqundi is one of Columbia’s three man-made lakes maintained by Columbia Association
The project will supplant an undesignated dirt path that runs along part of the eastern side of the lake, a route created by people who have walked through. Completing the 2-mile loop will involve paving 1,800 linear feet of existing trail, creating 670 feet of new trail meandering between trees, 90 feet of boardwalk in a
Facebook.com/CA.ColumbiaAssociation Issuu.com/CA-ColumbiaAssociation Twitter.com/ColumbiaAssn YouTube.com/CATVchannel
flood-prone area, and 36 feet of bridge across a swale. The earliest that construction could begin is summer 2014, according to Mattey. Work would be finished after about 90 days, he said. The estimated cost of design and construction is about $513,000, according to BayLand. Maintenance costs for the project would be an estimated $2,110 a year. Both of those figures are less than the costs would have been for the other two options that the consultant suggested. C A M O N T H LY 1
An Interview with Two Newly Elected CA Board Members Nancy McCord and Russell Swatek:
Hopewell Mini-WaterPark Saturday, June 22
12-3pm
FREE EVENT
Splash Around @
kids d a y Bring the kids out for an afternoon filled with family fun! Free food, games, entertainment and activities for all ages. Don’t forget your swimsuit!
For more information, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.
Why I Serve By Aria White Connor
April, Columbia residents elected representatives to serve on the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors for 2013-2014. Three new members were elected this year, including newcomer Nancy McCord, who has lived in Columbia since 1978, and former CA Board member Russell Swatek, who has been in Columbia since 2003.
In
Why did you decide to run for a seat on the Columbia Association Board of Directors? McCord: I chose to run for CA because I felt there was a disconnect between the residents of Columbia and CA. My goal is to try to open communication between CA and the village. Columbia is our city. Jim Rouse stressed the importance of community. Swatek: In short, many of my friends and acquaintances asked me to run. We were all displeased by the lack of openness and transparency we observed, the excessive number of closed meetings being held.
What do you hope to accomplish during your term? McCord: I have met with Mike McCall and am very impressed with the
Nancy McCord Wide Lake
plans for the Inner Arbor. But CA suspended its rules to rush to vote on this plan, leaving many with a very bad taste. I hope to persuade people that the method of reaching this goal was not good but the plan itself is. So, we must move forward and embrace a vibrant new entity in our community. Swatek: I hope to bring a sense of community and inclusion back to CA governance.
Why do you think it’s important for community members to be involved with the CA Board? McCord: This is our community. Many of us moved here because of the ideas of inclusiveness and diversity. Our ideals have made this our Russell Swatek home. If we don’t get involved, we miss out on helping make this the best Long Reach place it can be. We have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to get involved. Besides, we can all make great new friends that we meet through our involvement. Swatek: The CA Board needs to personally hear what its residents want. Although CA periodically conducts surveys of its residents that yield statistically significant results regarding the residents’ wishes, the surveys’ findings are frequently discounted.
How would you suggest other community members get involved with the Columbia villages and the CA Board? McCord: I encourage people to attend the CA Board meetings every second and fourth Thursday, at 7:30pm at CA Headquarters. And go to your village board meetings. Volunteer! Find out what we do! The more you give the more you will receive in satisfaction. Swatek: First, let us hear from you. Give us your views. Let us know whether we are serving you. Secondly, please volunteer your time to participate on a board, a current project, an advisory committee or to develop a new program of your own devising. This is our town.
2 C A M O N T H LY
Columbia Association Aquatics Receives
2013 Make A Splash Grant he USA Swimming Foundation recently awarded the Aquatics Department at Columbia Association (CA) a $4,000 Make A Splash grant. Make A Splash is the national child-focused water safety initiative of the USA Swimming Foundation. The initiative aligns the nation's top learn-to-swim resources in an effort to raise awareness of water safety and provide opportunities for all children to learn to swim. CA offers access to 23 outdoor pool facilities and 4 indoor pool facilities to Columbia’s more than 100,000 residents. CA developed an incentive program for qualified students and partnered with the Howard County Public School System, and launched a program, called CA Points Program (CAP). Through this program, school employees help monitor a student’s progress, grades and behaviors, and the students are rewarded points. Through the accumulation of these points during a school year, students can earn different levels of membership to the various CA facilities. The minimum reward is access to is our 23 outdoor pools. CA’s Aquatics Department recently collaborated
T
with the CAP coordinators to enhance the program and provide an additional incentive opportunity to those students who qualify. Each student is evaluated through his or her school at the end of
By Erin McPhail
information about CA’s Aquatics department, visit ColumbiaPools.org. To learn more information about the Make A Splash program, please visit MakeaSplash.org.
the marking quarter, and the top students receive a certificate that awards them a free, six-week session of swim lessons. Ni hao 안녕하세요 With this grant, CA will now be able to educate the commuour nity about the imporBonj tance of learning to swim and pool safety lture! od & Cu you o F , n io regardless of versat nguage s of Con ou can speak a la g in learning n e v someone’s financial E o enjoy here y ls w a t o n h e Monthly w v ple ) new an e new peo on’s (CA ested in status. Together, these t ti r e ia te e c in m o s u s to Are yo s of g? Want lumbia A Wegman programs will allow CA k out Co e learnin r in c a e fé r h a o c c w to s kno e upstair , be sure pm. to provide more children es? If so held at th g in e 26 • 7-9 b , e at languag n fé u a J C , s offered d ld We guage e n es being h a with the opportunity to g L e a b u l ld g r il n w Wo the la ext café ural for ia. The n ulticult safely enjoy all of our /M g r .o Columb tion Associa lumbia aquatic amenities and the Visit Co ns.
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Lakefront Wednesday
Lunchtime Concerts Wednesdays, May 1-June 26 12-2pm •
Downtown Columbia Lakefront – FREE event Join the downtown Columbia community for free lunchtime concerts every Wednesday featuring various Baltimoreand Washington-area artists at Lake Kittamaqundi. Call 410-423-1891 for details or visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.
C A M O N T H LY 3
By Aria White Connor
Inspire
Columbia C
olumbia is a beautiful,
Columbia community members in
inspiring, fun and exciting
conversation about ways to get
questions posted by CA. Community members can also
place to live. Columbia Association
inspired and enhance the
enjoy discussions with other
(CA) wants to help make Columbia
quality of life for the people
Columbia residents by seconding
even better, and we need your
living and working in Columbia.
an idea or expanding upon an
help! CA launched a new
On the site, community
existing idea. The site will garner
community engagement website,
members submit ideas and
community members’ feedback
InspireColumbia.com, to engage
comments in response to topic
on a variety of CA topics.
HOW INSPIRECOLUMBIA.COM WORKS: 4 C A M O N T H LY
# Project
1.
A community or organization turns on a project site and determines challenges.
REWARDS
Leaderboard
As an incentive to keep
(As of May 10, 2013)
sharing and collaborating, Big thanks to our top
CA has also included
contributors so far!
a Rewards Store on
Keep the great ideas
So get involved!
InspireColumbia.com. The more you share, comment and rate, the more points you earn. Once you earn
Sign up for InspireColumbia.com
enough points, you can
and let us know what you want to see in the future for Columbia.
cash them in for rewards that range from t-shirts to pool passes
and comments coming!
All Time Active Users Name
Points
Shirlene B
306
Julia M10
192
Andrew W14
184
Jessamine D1
166
Lilah H
148
Debbie N
130
Leslie T4
116
Shari M1
100
Carole G2
100
Amber W2
90
to umbrellas.
Step-by-Step Guide to Signing Up for Inspire Columbia Visit www.InspireColumbia.com. Click the blue link in the center of the page that says “sign up with your email address.” Insert your first name, last name, email address and create a password for you to use when you visit the site later. Add in your postal code and birth year and click the blue button that says “Create Account.” You’re done! Just remember the email address and password that you used to create your account, you’ll need this information to login later.
# Topics
2.
Community leaders establish topics and ask for ideas.
# Ideas
3.
Community members add ideas, upload photos, add comments and support ideas.
# Share
4.
Everyone spreads the word online to help the project grow.
5.
#
Action Community leaders review ideas, give feedback and implement the best ideas.
C A M O N T H LY 5
Columbia’s New
Dog Park Coming Soon! J
ust in case you haven’t heard, Columbia
What is planned? There will be an area for large dogs with approximately 2 acres, and an area for the little guys with a separate gate of about 3/4 of an acre. A 5-foot fence will enclose the play areas. Additional amenities will include water stations, benches and trees.
Association (CA) is opening a dog park! The Columbia Dog Park is set to open
this summer in the Village of Harper’s Choice. Now sociable dogs and their owners can get
Dog Park Rules and Admission
together and play. Where will the Columbia Dog Park be located? Columbia Dog Park will be at Cedar Lane and Rivendell Road. The site is on the north side of Columbia SportsPark (located in the Harper’s Choice Village Center) and adjacent to Cedar Lane Park. From the Harper’s Choice Village Center: Travel north on Harpers Farm Road toward Route 108. Turn right on to Rivendell, and then turn right into the parking area. From Route 108: Travel south on Cedar Lane to
BGE’s Program can help you Cut Your Home’s Energy Use, Save Money
By Jeremy Scharfenberg
6 C A M O N T H LY
Columbia's Cutest Canine Contest Winner 2013: Munchkin
the intersection of Rivendell, and proceed straight into the parking area. You may also walk your dog to the park via Columbia’s pathways. A pathway map is found at bit.ly/CAPathwayMap.
Did you know that you can reduce your home’s energy use by as much as 20 percent? BGE’s Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program can help you cut your home’s energy consumption, while also improving its comfort, durability and safety. Rather than focusing on a single problem, such as an outdated heating and cooling system, inadequate insulation or drafty rooms, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR’s whole-house approach employs a home energy audit with diagnostic tests to pinpoint efficiency problems and recommend specific solutions. The program starts with a comprehensive Home Performance Energy Audit conducted by one of BGE’s certified participating contractors. The audit includes several advanced diagnostic tests, such as a blower door test to measure air leakage and a thermographic camera test to assess your home’s insulation levels. BGE customers pay just $100 (a $400 value) for the audit, which helps identify and prioritize opportunities to improve energy efficiency throughout your home. During the audit, the contractor will also install simple, energy-saving items in your home at no additional cost. These items may include compact fluorescent light bulbs, faucet aerators, efficient-flow showerheads, pipe insulation (installed on hot and cold pipes from your electric water heater) and electric water heater tank wrap.
Columbia Dog Park will be managed and maintained by CA’s Open Space Management Division. Details about memberships and admission will be available soon. Park policies will be similar to those at the Worthington Dog Park operated by Howard County Recreation and Parks, and can be viewed at bit.ly/hocodogpark. Please stay tuned for more information regarding specific policies and rules for Columbia Dog Park. For more information on CA’s new Columbia Dog Park, please call the Open Space Management office at 410-312-6330.
Once the audit is completed, your contractor will present a list of solutions for the problems identified. Solutions could include increasing insulation levels in a specific part of your home, or sealing air leaks to end drafts and uneven room temperatures. The contractor also might recommend replacing outdated or malfunctioning equipment, such as your heating and air conditioning system or water heater. When you decide which items make sense for your home and budget, your contractor will make the improvements and test your home to make sure it meets all of the energy performance goals. The result is a more comfortable home that uses up to 20 percent less energy and saves you money. In addition to the money saved from reduced energy use, BGE customers who make improvements through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program can receive rebates up to $3,150 for approved measures. Contact a participating contractor to schedule your Home Performance Energy Audit and get started. For more information and a list of participating contractors, visit BGESmartEnergy.com.
Columbia Association Board of Directors 2013-2014
Columbia Matters
TV Schedule The Columbia Matters TV show can be seen online, anytime at YouTube.com/CATVchannel. You can also catch the show on TV on the following channels:
Comcast Channel 96 & Verizon Channel 41 Mondays..............................................11am, 4pm and 7pm Saturdays .................................................................8:30pm
Comcast Channel 98 Mondays .............................................12pm, 4pm and 8pm Tuesdays .............................................10am, 2pm and 6pm Wednesdays .................................................12pm and 4pm Thursdays............................................10am, 2pm and 6pm Fridays ...........................................12pm, 4pm and 7:30pm Saturdays ............................................12pm, 4pm and 8pm
Comcast Channel 99 & Verizon Channel 44
Tom Coale Dorsey’s Search 443-630-0507 TCoale@gmail.com
Alex Hekimian Oakland Mills 410-730-2583 AlexHekimian@hotmail.com
Michael Cornell River Hill 410-531-9340
Nancy McCord Wilde Lake 410-730-2309 Nancy.McCord@LNF.com
MichaelCornell@comcast.net
Mondays.................................................................10:30am Tuesdays .............................................10am, 2pm and 6pm Wednesdays ...................................................8am and 7pm Thursdays.................................................................7:30am Fridays.......................................................8am and 7:30pm Saturdays ....................................................................10am Sundays .................................................................11:30pm
Important CA Phone Numbers CA Headquarters ...................................................410-715-3000 CA Membership Service Center ...........................410-715-1802 Aquatics Office .....................................................410-312-6332 Columbia Art Center .............................................410-730-0075 Columbia Athletic Club.........................................410-730-6744
Cynthia A.S.H. Coyle Harper’s Choice 410-997-7637 CashCoyle2@aol.com
Gregg Schwind Hickory Ridge 410-992-5043 Gregg.Schwind@usdoj.gov
Columbia Association Camps...............................410-715-3165 Columbia Gym .......................................................410-531-0800 Columbia Horse Center.........................................301-776-5850 Columbia Ice Rink.................................................420-730-0322 Columbia SportsPark/SkatePark..........................410-715-3054 Columbia Swim Center .........................................410-730-7000
Brian Dunn Kings Contrivance 301-473-0077 BrianJDunn@gmail.com
Andrew Stack Owen Brown 410-381-8897 Andy.OBCA@gmail.com
Columbia Teen Center ..........................................410-992-3726 Fairway Hlls Golf Club ..........................................410-730-1112 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
Russell Swatek Long Reach 410-799-1497 Swatek1@yahoo.com
Suzanne Waller Town Center 410-730-9132 SUZYQ1104@aol.com
Supreme Sports Club ............................................410-381-5355 The Raquet Club at Hobbit's Glen ........................410-715-3080 Wilde Lake Tennis Club ........................................410-730-3767 C A M O N T H LY 7
June Wear Art Exhibition Thu, Jun 6-30 • Columbia Art Center • 410-730-0075. Thu, Jun 6 • 7-9pm • Kings Contrivance Village Center 410-381-9600.
Ladies Night Out
Ice Cream Social Fri, Jun 7 • 7-8:30pm • The Hawthorn Center • 410-730-7327.
Welcome Summer with Music of Damon Foreman Fri, Jun 7 • 7-8:30pm • The Other Barn Courtyard • 410-730-4610.
Encaustics on Clay Workshop Sat, Jun 8 • 10am-2pm Columbia Art Center 410-730-0075.
River Hill Village Board Meeting Mon, Jun 10 • 7pm • Claret Hall 410-531-1749.
Lakefront Wednesdays Concert: Julie Hall Trio (Jazz) Wed, Jun 12 • 12-2pm Downtown Lakefront ColumbiaAssociation.org/ Events.
Dorsey’s Search Village Board Meeting Wed, Jun 12 • 7-8pm Linden Hall 410-730-4005.
CA Board Meeting Thu, Jun 13 • 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters 410-715-3000.
Courtyard Concert: The Bay Jazz Project Thu, Jun 13 • 6-8pm • Dorsey’s Search Village Center Courtyard 410-427-4485.
8 C A M O N T H LY
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn about more great events happening in Columbia!
Summer Lakefront Festival
Wear Art Exhibition Reception
Mon, Jun 17-Sep 14 • Nightly Downtown Columbia Lakefront ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.
Wed, Jun 19 • 5-7pm Columbia Art Center • 410-730-0075.
Long Reach Village Board Meeting Tue, Jun 18 7:30pm Stonehouse 410-730-8113.
Lakefront Wednesdays Concert: Richard Waltron Trio (Folk/ Rock) Wed, Jun 19 12-2pm Downtown Lakefront Columbia Association. org/Events.
CA Board Meeting Thu, Jun 20 • 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters • 410-715-3000.
Columbia’s 46th Birthday Celebration Fri, Jun 21 • 6-8:30pm Downtown Lakefront ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.
KidsDay Sat, Jun 22 • 12-3pm Hopewell Mini-WaterPark (Off Snowden Parkway) ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.
River Hill Health Fair Sat, Jun 22 • 11am-2pm River Hill Village Center 410-531-1749.
Lakefront Wednesdays Concert: Angela Sheik (Electro-Acoustic) Wed, Jun 26 • 12-2pm Downtown Lakefront ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.
World Languages Cafe Wed, Jun 26 • 7-9pm • Wegmans Cafe • 410-715-3162.
Afternoon Tea at Historic Oakland Thu, Jun 27 • 4:30-6pm Historic Oakland Manor 410-730-4744.
CA Board Meeting Thu, Jun 27 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters 410-715-3000.
Oakland Music Cafe: Ethan Reggia Sun, Jun 30 • 3:30-5pm Historic Oakland Manor 410-730-4744.
Save the Date: Independence Day Parade Thu, Jul 4 • 9am • Along Great Star Drive • 410-531-1749.