Monthly CA FEB 2014
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
Fiscal Years 2015 & 2016
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TAKING A LOOK AT
2 Excite Columbia is Back 3 CA Assessments Give Income-Qualified Youth Access to CA Camps 8 Be a Part of Your Community Events
For more information about CA’s budget, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org.
CA’s Budgets By David Greisman
Columbia Association’s (CA) Board of Directors continues to discuss the draft operating budget for Fiscal Year 2015 and the conditional budget for Fiscal Year 2016.
The Community Building and Open Space Service Bureau is budgeted $13,926,000 in operating expenses. The Revitalization Service Bureau — which is responsible for construction services for major capital improvements, managing CA’s energy program and stimulating volunteerism in the community — is budgeted $1,121,000. The Assurance Service Bureau, which includes the president’s The draft FY15 operating budget anticipates total office, general counsel, internal audit, human resources, and revenue of $66,394,000, with budgeted expenses of information technology and data management, is budgeted $63,660,000. The conditional budget for FY16 anticipates $6,567,000. The Finance Service Bureau has been budgeted $68,673,000 in revenue, a 3.4 percent increase, and $65,930,000 $3,426,000. These two service bureaus’ budgets include in expenses, a 3.6 percent increase. administrative expenses in support of all of CA. “CA’s two-year budget cycle has been very effective in guiding the organization financially, while conserving the staff A total of $119,000 is budgeted for direct expenses related and community resources involved in producing a budget,” to the volunteer CA Board of Directors. And $837,000 is slated said Susan Krabbe, CA vice president and chief financial for the Communications and Community officer. “The two-year cycle works well for CA, because our Engagement Division, though its expenses operations and revenue sources are relatively consistent are included within the budgets for the The dra ft FY15 and predictable. We operate in a small geographic area other service bureaus. within a very stable community, and the organization A schedule of the CA Board’s is not involved in activities that are volatile or budget work sessions is available susceptible to wide price swings.” anticipa at ColumbiaAssociation.org. tes The budget is built on four platforms of t After the budget is approved, o t a revenue l sustainability: relational, societal, environmental and CA’s website will include of financial, according to CA President Phil Nelson. interactive features that help with bud gete The draft FY15 budget includes $38,456,000 in expense make the numbers easier to s of d operating expenses for CA’s Life Services Service understand and provide more Bureau, which has its Sports and Fitness, Community information on what CA’s budget Services, and Sales and Advertising divisions. goes toward.
operating budget
$66,394,0 00 $63,660,00 0.
C A M O N T H LY 1
CONSTRUCTION ON
Excite
Columbia Is Back This Month By Keithan Samuels
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fter a successful debut last fall, Columbia Association’s (CA) citizens academy, Excite Columbia, is back! The six-week program will be held on Tuesdays, beginning on Feb. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at CA Headquarters, located at 10221 Wincopin Circle. The academy will conclude on March 25. Excite Columbia, a product of CA’s Communications and Community Engagement team, gives the community an opportunity to learn how CA operates as an organization. Topics include a breakdown of what CA’s departments are in charge of; how CA’s annual charge is calculated and used each year; how the CA Board of Directors runs its meetings; Columbia’s open space; CA’s sports, fitness and health offerings; and its focuses on responsible watershed and energy management. “Excite Columbia provides residents with an opportunity to learn how CA serves them and is a great way for future community leaders to get involved,” said Celeste Olinger, CA’s director of Communications and Community Engagement. Said CA President Phil Nelson, “Residents are critical to planning for the future of a community. Education is a tool to generate empowered community leaders, and it is our hope that these sessions will be a catalyst to build cooperative partnerships between our residents and Columbia Association.” Excite Columbia is open to anyone 18 or older interested in learning more about CA. Registration for the program is required, as there is limited seating. For more information about Excite Columbia, email Communications@ColumbiaAssociation.org or call Keithan Samuels at 410-423-4112. To register online, visit ExciteColumbia.Event brite.com.
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HOBBIT’S GLEN GOLF CLUB CLUBHOUSE MOVING FORWARD
By Keithan Samuels
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onstruction on the new clubhouse at the Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club is in full swing. “We have begun demolition on the old clubhouse at Hobbit’s Glen. Demolition is expected to last a couple of weeks,” said Joan Lovelace, general manager of Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club and Fairway Hills Golf Club. Staff members at Hobbit’s Glen have temporarily moved into a trailer where operations — reception, the pro shop and limited food and beverage service — will be conducted until around December. The golf course practice
GET YOUR BARK ON AT
areas and driving range will remain open. Golf carts have been transferred to Columbia Association’s (CA) maintenance facility as a temporary location. In April, a turn house providing food and drink service will open. There also will be restrooms at this location. This new, modernized clubhouse will be able to
accommodate outings, golf tournaments and events of all sizes. Those who are interested in seeing the progress of the Hobbit’s Glen construction are more than welcome to stop by the facility. For more information about Hobbit’s Glen construction, please visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/ HobbitsGlen.
DOGDAY Afternoon
Saturday, May 3 11am-2pm • Hopewell Park NEW THIS YEAR: Pet Communicator Readings Bring your best four-legged friends out for an afternoon of entertainment, contests, treats and fun activities for dogs and their owners. Area pet vendors will be available to supply information on keeping your dogs happy and healthy. RAINDATE: SUNDAY, MAY 4, SAME TIME AND PLACE. For more information call 410-423-1891 or visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events. Register at CADogDay.Eventbrite.com #DogDay14
SISTER CITIES APPLICATION DEADLINE COMING UP on’t miss out on Columbia Association’s (CA) Sister Cities Summer Exchange program this year. The deadline for applications is approaching — Feb. 21. During the course of two weeks, high school students will experience cultural and linguistic activities in one of Columbia’s two sister cities: Cergy-Pontoise, France, or Tres Cantos, Spain. The French or Spanish student’s family will host the Howard County student while he or she is visiting their city. After the two-week trip in one of Columbia’s sister cities, students will host their French or Spanish colleague for another two weeks at their home. The program fee is $700 for Columbia residents and $850 for non-Columbia residents. The program fee does not include airline ticket expenses. Applicants must be high school students residing in Howard County and must have completed high school level three of French or Spanish by the end of the current academic or have the equivalent language fluency. Applications are available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/TeenExchange. For more information, email International@ColumbiaAssociation.org or call Laura Smit at 410-715-3162.
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Annual Charge Supports Sending Income-Qualified Youth to CA’s Camps
By Mary Weeks
our assessment dollars makes it possible for Columbia Association (CA) to provide many services and programs in the community. “The assessment share, through the income qualified program, is used to provide opportunities for families who otherwise may not have the means to access camps, school age services, the outdoor pools and sports and fitness facilities and programs and experience the variety of opportunities CA has to offer,” says CA’s Director of Life Services Bureau Michelle Miller. Assessment dollars supplement the cost for summer camps for those families who cannot afford it. CA’s Income-Qualified Program is available to Columbia residents who live or work full-time on CA-assessed property and whose household income is within CA’s guidelines. There were 101 families who accessed camps through CA’s Income-Qualified Program for the summer of 2013, and $105,166.13 in assessment share dollars were used. “Through the Income-Qualified Program, camp fees are subsidized 50 percent or 75 percent, depending on family income,” Miller says. “So the assessment share affords opportunities for families who are income
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Each year, CA offers summer camps to area youth whose families cannot afford it through CA’s Income-Qualified Program. qualified to participate in the wonderful camps experience.” CA’s Camps Department is now taking registrations for the 2014 camp season. Incomequalified applications and supporting documentation must be submitted with registration. To learn more about the income-qualified assistance for summer camps, call 410-715-3165 or visit ColumbiaCamps.org.
WHY
you
do
Love Columbia? WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. Join us on Facebook for an ongoing conversation. We recently asked the community about their love for Columbia. Check out some of the responses below. Janet Williams: Diversity and schools. Shirley Mohr: I love that my kids think the world is a better and more accepting place than it actually is because they grew up in this diverse and forward-thinking community. Samuel Pearson-Moore: A community that values diversity and has cul-de-sacs that my little one plays in with great neighbors. Laura Charles Moreno-Hill: I am a big city girl...moved here from Chicago. I have been successful avoiding "suburbia" until I moved to Maryland. I checked out other neighborhoods that the locals here love...but I fell in love with Columbia/Howard County. The diversity drew me and how clean and green it is. I love the support for local businesses too. I'd love to open up a boutique one day! Naomi Lilly: Its a clean tight knit community that has everything u could need in it, the schools are excellent as well as the ppl...what can I say I just love Columbia!!!! Biyanca Purfectly Impurfect Foxx: Because it has everything I need in addition to being a clean and safe city...I love Columbia.
C A M O N T H LY 3
A C In an effort to make Columbia Association’s (CA) website more unified, user-friendly and easy to navigate, we have completely renovated the ColumbiaAssociation.org website. When you visit the website, you’ll find several new features, as well as a new look.
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Launching new Website CA’s Communications and Community Engagement Division took a new approach to the redesign of the website, going to residents and members first to see what users were looking for from CA’s website. We talked to residents through InspireColumbia.com, social media channels and CA’s citizens academy, Excite Columbia. The ideas and suggestions gathered from residents and members was used to create the
new site with the features and functionality our users were loo Then we had Columbia residen out the site prior to launch to m sure we were delivering on their and needs. And now we’re unve to everyone! Check out some o cool new features on the CA we and let us know what you think Email Communications@Colum Association.org with any feedba you have about the new website
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king for. nts test make r wants eiling it of the ebsite k. mbia ack e.
I Want To…
Group Fitness Schedules: Find your class fast What’s new: Accordion layout that organizes each class and identifies the times and locations that class is offered at CA fitness facilities.
What’s new: Don’t know where to find what you’re looking for on the website? Come to the “I Want To…” section and get what you want fast. Whether you want to find a local business, contact a board member, go swimming or go roller skating, you can find a link to learn more in this section.
Calendar: Events in your neighborhood
E-Notifications: Get updates when you need them
What’s new: Events are now set up in an all-encompassing calendar. You can find your village events, CA free events and board meetings all in one place.
What’s new: You can now sign up to receive email alerts for calendar updates, inclement weather, new items and more.
If you’re only interested in certain events (ex. CA Board Meetings), you can select your favorite category for the drop-down menu to view only those events.
You no longer have to visit the website every day to check for new updates, now with a simple click, you can get an alert whenever new items are posted.
Business Directory: Find businesses in your village center What’s new: If you’ve ever wanted to find contact information for the businesses in your village center, look no further! The new business directory features listings for every business in each Columbia village center. And if you’re a new business in the area, you can also submit to be included in the directory.
C A M O N T H LY 5 C A M O N T H LY 5
CA OFFERS
Swim Lessons for Students By Erin McPhail
olumbia Association’s Aquatics Department collaborated with the CA Points Program coordinators to enhance the Points Program and provide an additional incentive opportunity to students who qualify. Each student is evaluated through their school at the end of the marking quarter, and the top students receive a certificate that acts as a scholarship, and
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awards them a free, six-week session of swim lessons. Family members who are on the same membership can register at a discounted rate of 50 percent off of the regular swim lesson prices. The CA Points Program was developed by CA as an incentive program for qualified students. CA partners with the Howard County Public School System to offer this program. Through CA Points, school employees help monitor a student’s progress,
grades and behaviors, and they are awarded points. Through the accumulation of these points, during a school year, students can earn different levels of membership to various CA facilities. The most basic level of membership they can receive is an Outdoor Pool Membership,
ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND FAMILY TIME IN NATURE By Jeremy Scharfenberg
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olumbia Association (CA) is initiating two new programs this year to help make Columbia a more sustainable community. The first is an initiative to promote residential energy efficiency, and the second is a program to promote family time in nature, leveraging CA’s open space resources. CA is partnering with the non-profit organization Civic Works to bring an energy efficiency upgrade cooperative to the community, with the goal of helping neighbors make their homes more energy efficient and comfortable in the most affordable way 6 C A M O N T H LY
possible. Retrofit Baltimore, a homeowner advocacy program of Civic Works, works to effectively facilitate Home Performance Energy Audits and the implementation of costeffective upgrade measures. The initiative leverages Baltimore Gas and Electric’s (BGE) Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® program for incentives and other services. The Columbia Families in Nature (CFIN) project will provide a fun, community-oriented opportunity for families to spend time together in nature. Offered on most Sunday afternoons, CFIN
outings will include a mix of lightly structured free play in nature and handson environmental education and conservation activities. The goal of CFIN is to help foster a greater sense of place and connection with the community; enhance environmental awareness and action; support the well-being of participants; and help strengthen family relationships. Look for more information on these exciting programs in the coming months. Learn more about CFIN at ColumbiaFamilies InNature.org and get out in Columbia’s nature!
which gives access to CA’s 23 outdoor pools. To learn more information about CA’s Aquatics Department, visit ColumbiaPools.org. For more information on the CA Points Program, please contact your school’s guidance office.
SpiritofColumbia Applications Due Next Month By Aria White Connor
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here’s still time to apply for a Maggie J. Brown Spirit of Columbia Scholarship. Each year, CA awards up to six $2,500 scholarships to
graduating high school seniors who live on CAassessed property, or have a parent who works fulltime on CA-assessed property. Applicants must have a minimum of a “C” average and have a demonstrated history of voluntary service to the Columbia community. Apply at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Scholarship by March 15. CA employees, members of the CA Board of Directors or family members of employees or board members are not eligible to receive the award. For more information, call 410-715-3161 or email SpiritofColumbia@ColumbiaAssociation.org.
Columbia Association
Board of Directors 2013-2014
Michael Cornell, River Hill 410-531-9340 MichaelCornell@comcast.net
Cynthia A.S.H. Coyle, Harper’s Choice 410-997-7637 CashCoyle2@aol.com
Brian Dunn, Kings Contrivance 301-473-0077 BrianJDunn@gmail.com
Alex Hekimian, Oakland Mills 410-730-2583 AlexHekimian@hotmail.com
Nancy McCord, Wilde Lake 410-730-2309 Nancy.McCord@LNF.com
Tom O’Connor, Dorsey’s Search 410-336-9269 TomFOC3@Verizon.net
Gregg Schwind, Hickory Ridge 410-992-5043 Gregg.Schwind@usdoj.gov
Andrew Stack, Owen Brown 410-381-8897 Andy.OBCA@gmail.com
Russell Swatek, Long Reach 410-799-1497 Swatek1@yahoo.com
Suzanne Waller, Town Center 410-730-9132 SUZYQ1104@aol.com
CABOARD RECAP At the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directors meeting held on Thursday, Jan. 9, these recommendations for action were approved: • The board approved the CA Strategic Plan. • The board approved the Lake Management Plan. • The board approved the Community Input Approach for the FY 2016 budget process. • The Strategic Implementation Committee tabled the two easement requests until the next meeting. • The Planning and Strategy Committee hosted a budget work session. • The next scheduled Board of Directors meetings will be held on Thursday, Feb. 13 and 27. • Meetings are held at CA Headquarters, which is located at 10221 Wincopin Circle, right across the street from The Mall in Columbia. • Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m.
For current CA Board of Directors meeting minutes and agendas, visit bit.ly/CABoardMeetings. Podcasts from board meetings also are available at bit.ly/CABoardPodcast.
IMPORTANT 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 Athletic Club ....................................410-730-6744 Columbia Association Camps........................410-715-3165 Columbia Gym .....................................................410-531-0800 Columbia Horse Center....................................301-776-5850 Columbia Ice Rink..............................................410-730-0322 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 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 Supreme Sports Club ........................................410-381-5355 The Racquet Club at Hobbit's Glen .............410-715-3080 Wilde Lake Tennis Club....................................410-730-3767 C A M O N T H LY 7
February
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Creating Columbia — A Mini Course
Mon, Feb 3, 10 & 17 2-3:30pm • Slayton House Registration is encouraged at CreatingColumbia.Eventbrite.com
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Valentine’s Day Arrangement
Tue, Feb 11 • 6-8pm Columbia Art Center 410-730-0075
Thu, Feb 6 • 7pm • Kahler Hall Events@HarpersChoice.org
Free Gardening Seminar — Rain Barrels, Why and How
Thu, Feb 6 • 7:30-9pm Amherst House • 410-381-9600
Thu, Feb 13 • 7pm Stonehouse • 410-730-8113
CA Board of Directors Meeting Thu, Feb 13 • 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters 410-715-3000
♥ School’s Out Lunch
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From Seeds to Satisfaction
African Origins of Nile River Valley Civilizations
Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn about more great events happening in Columbia!
Fri, Feb 14 • 12-1:30pm The Hawthorn Center 410-730-7327 Advance registration required
(For Ages 3-8)
Tue, Feb 18 • 6:30-8:30pm CA Headquarters 410-423-4112 Registration is required at ExciteColumbia.Eventbrite.com
Fri, Feb 7 • 6-9pm Columbia Gym • 410-715-3169
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Sun, Feb 9 & Thu, Feb 13 1-3pm & 5-7pm • Columbia Art Center • 410-730-0075
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Fri, Feb 21 • 7:30-9:30pm The Hawthorn Center HickoryRidgeVillage.org Advance registration required
Ladies’ Night Out Excite Columbia Citizens Academy
Starlicious Talent Show
Valentine’s Day Cupcake Decoration ♥ (For Ages 5-13)
Fri, Feb 21 • 7- 8:30pm 6800 Cradlerock Way 410-381-0202 Registration is required
Family Bingo
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E X P O
CA Board of Directors Meeting Thu, Feb 27 • 7:30 -11pm CA Headquarters 410-715-3000
SAVE THE DATE: Free Gardening Seminar — Grow it, Eat it, Spring Vegetable Gardening Thu, Mar 6 • 7:30-9pm Amherst House 410-381-9600
SAVE THE DATE: Baby Expo
Sat, Mar 8 • 10am-2pm 6800 Cradlerock Way 410-381-0202