Monthl y CA AUG 2012
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
T H I S M O N T H O N C A’s TELEVISION SHOW
On August’s TV show, learn about CA’s Before and After School Care programs, get information about the Columbia Community Exchange, learn more about CA’s Community Health and Sustainability Division and
2 Why I Serve: An Interview With Village Board Member Kecia Rome 3 Paddle Boats Are Back at Lake Kittamaqundi 8 Be a Part of Your Community Events
The Economic Impact of
Learn more about CA at ColumbiaAssociation.org.
Columbia Association
By David Greisman
When it comes to defining just what makes Columbia — and, by extension, Howard
County — such a good place to live, it’s not just the camps, gyms and lakes, plus the
get details about preventing
pathways, ponds, pools and programs. It’s also the thriving economy.
heat-related illnesses.
The Columbia Association (CA) plays a large role in the economy, both directly and indirectly, with its employees (up to 1,600 of them at the seasonal peak) spending their money locally and statewide. Columbia has become an attractive place to learn, live, work, play and age — in large part because of what CA began to create more than 45 years ago and has continued to sustain and improve ever since. That’s according to Howard S. Kohn, president of The Chesapeake Group Inc., which recently completed a CAcommissioned study of CA’s economic impact. CA employees residing in Columbia have an annual economic impact of nearly $9.7 million, Kohn said. Those residing in Howard County, including Columbia, have an impact of more than $15.5 million. And those residing outside of the county have an impact of more than $13.6 million, for a total impact statewide of more than $29 million.
Watch Columbia Matters online anytime at
ColumbiaMatters.org and YouTube.com/CATVchannel.
Connect with CA!
It’s easier than ever to find us. Facebook.com/CA.ColumbiaAssociation Issuu.com/CA-ColumbiaAssociation Twitter.com/Columbia_Events YouTube.com/CATVchannel
CA also affects property values, Kohn said, noting that he compared home values in Columbia to those in other locations in Howard County — places that also have quality schools and a strategic location. Being in Columbia, he determined, adds a minimum of 3.9 percent more to the average sale price of a home, or about $12,340. Based on the average sale price in 2011 of more than $316,000, the minimum impact CA has on housing values in total in Columbia is more than $328.5 million. There’s another $664 million impact on commercial properties, Kohn said, and $47.5 million on industrial property. “You are a very big business, and you have a tremendous impact as a result of that,” he said. “If you weren’t intrinsically linked to Columbia and said you wanted to move…you’d be getting offers all over the place.” C A M O N T H LY 1
Why I Serve:
An Interview With Owen Brown Village Board Member Kecia Rome By David Greisman
ecia Rome had been a Columbia resident for less than a year when she joined the Owen Brown Village Board in 2010. Rome, 32, is now the vice chairwoman and is entering her third year on the board. She and her husband, Roger Rome Jr., have a son and a daughter.
K
You had barely arrived in Columbia when you joined the Owen Brown
What issues do you feel are important for Owen Brown? “What’s dear to my heart is Lake Elkhorn. I think it’s a beautiful place to go. It has a sense
Village Board. What motivated you to serve? “I’ve always been interested in serving. I worked in Columbia; I met my husband in
of community; it just fosters that inclusion you so often need. You know the people on your
Columbia, and he was raised in Owen Brown, two streets from where we live now. I’ve
street, but how often do you meet different people from Owen Brown or Columbia and just
always had a sense of what Columbia does and what made Columbia
find out who they are? I think we need to get through the dredging
so great. I had an inside scoop of how Columbia functioned, so once
process so we can get more people back there. I’d like to see that
we moved here, I was equipped to jump in.”
project come to fruition, and I believe it will in the near future.”
What do you get out of being on the village board?
And what issues are important to Columbia?
“Where much is given, much is required. People have always given
“I think it’s good for us to look at all ages and all stages of people’s
back and dedicated themselves to their community to make it better
lives and make sure we have something targeted for them. I think we
and better and better. It’s fulfilling to be the advocate for residents
do a great job with youth, infants, teenagers and seniors. We need to
and really be engaged and have a sense of pride in caring about
keep that the focus. It’s important, because everyone has needs,
where you live and making it better. We just celebrated 45 years of
wants and desires. I think it’s good to address what we can in order
Columbia. I think it’s our duty to make the next 45 years as good,
to make Columbia a great place to live, work and play. Everybody has
if not better, than the previous 45 years. You can only do that if you Owen Brown Village Board Member Kecia Rome
serve, if you volunteer and just are actively engaged.”
a voice, and we need to hear that voice and listen and react as appropriate, because they’re members of the community.”
Learn about Columbia Association with CA At A Glance As I’m sure many of you know, it’s assessments
year, our plans for the upcoming year, CA’s budget,
time in Columbia. Each year, when property
the Columbia village community associations, the
owners receive their Columbia Association (CA)
CA annual charge and more. In addition to this
assessment
some
piece being mailed to all property owners on CA-
information about the Columbia Association and
assessed land, we’ll also have copies of CA At A
what people get for their investment when they
Glance available in the Membership Service Center, at the village community association buildings and online (issuu.com/ca-columbiaassociation/docs/ ataglance-fy13). Get more information about the Columbia Association annual charge at WhyIPayCA.org.
invoice,
we
also
include
pay that annual charge. This year, we’ve changed things up a bit and created a new publication called CA At A Glance. This 12-page document includes information about CA, our accomplishments during the past fiscal 2 C A M O N T H LY
Paddle Boats Are Back at Lake Kittamaqundi By Mark Scott
T
he aroma of funnel cakes filled the evening air at
One person per boat must be at least 18 years old, and
the lakefront celebration of Columbia’s 45th
all paddle boat riders must be at least a year old. Plan
birthday in June. And if that wasn’t enough to
an evening out on the lake while summer’s still here!
attract people to the lakefront celebration, there was
Call 301-370-5105 for more information.
another alluring attraction: paddle boats! They’re back, and with plenty of time for their use during the many gorgeous summer nights at Lake Kittamaqundi. Take a visit to the booth across from Clyde’s and you’ll discover that just $15 gets you a sparkle-blue paddle boat for a half hour. These traditional paddle boats seat up to four people — two pedalers and two riders. Once the supplied life vest is on, you can get the voyage under way. The front two passengers can pedal while the two in the back do the really hard job of working the smartphones to get some happy pictures, post ‘em and capture another happy memory! Lakefront paddle boats can be rented during the following times: • Monday-Friday from 4-8:30 p.m.
CA Annual Charge Keeping Columbia Cool by the Pool By Anita Baxter Last month was unbelievably hot here in Maryland, and temperatures pushed the triple digits on more than one occasion. This is a time when having access to a cool, crisp and clean swimming pool is most welcome. Part of the fee that Columbia residents pay annually enables them to receive discounted admission and membership to the 23 Columbia Association (CA) outdoor pools. This is just one of the many ways that the CA annual charge is used to benefit Columbia and its residents. The assessment fee that property owners on CA-assessed land pay each year was part of the initial planning of Columbia. The goal was for Columbia to be a self-sustaining city; maintaining the community centers, walking and biking pathways, open spaces and ecological beauty of Columbia. For more information on the Columbia Association annual charge, visit WhyIPayCA.org. You can also watch an informational video on the annual charge at bit.ly/caannualcharge.
• Saturday and Sunday from noon-8:30 p.m.
Día de la Familia
Saturday, September 29 • 3-6pm • Columbia SportsPark • FREE! Come celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at this year’s Dia de la Familia event. The event will feature Latin music, salsa dancing, Zumba®, food, games, crafts, a moon bounce, mini golf, batting cages and more! Call 410-715-3162 for more information. C A M O N T H LY 3
nn u f o f k i ds 4 C A M O N T H LY 4 C A M O N T H LY
n r s
there’s lots of ways for kids to have fun at Columbia Association! fFyi fun good About School Age Services
• Program provides kids with Zumba®, Recess & Results® and art classes taught by Columbia Art Center staff.
facts
• Middle school children in the program have 4-H and weekly trips to the Youth & Teen Center @ The Barn. • All programs are licensed and all staff are individually licensed. • Kids in the program enjoy daily arts and craft projects, such as puppets and holiday decorations. • During November, “Litter to Glitter” Month, kids turn recycled materials into craft projects (e.g. piggy banks, pillows, handbags) that are sold and the money is donated to the local charity FISH of Howard County, Inc., which provides emergency food and financial support to Howard County residents in need. More than $2,000 was donated in 2011.
things toknow
• CA’s School Age Services (SAS) are offered at 19 elementary schools, 3 middle schools • 800 children in the SAS AM Program (7-9AM) • 1,200 children in the SAS PM Program (3-6PM) • 2,000 snacks served every day at SAS Programs
School’s Out Programs • 200 SAS children are taken on field trips on days when schools are closed.
• The spring project, “10 Cents for the Environment,” raised enough money to adopt a giraffe at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
• Activities have included laser tag, museums, boat trips (ride the ducks), Port Discovery, Maryland Science Center and the Robinson Nature Center.
• The Cat in the Hat visited the programs in April for Dr. Seuss Day.
• 60 children participate in School’s Out days at the three KidSpace programs at CA fitness facilities.
Learn more about School Age Services at bit.ly/SchoolAgeServices.
• As part of the programs, kids enjoy swimming, bowling and skating.
✿
KidSpace!
Stay connected with KidSpace at Facebook.com/CA.KidSpace!
10,000 children participate in KidSpace each month. KidSpace classes include Zumba®, Recess & Results®, Mommy and Me, ballet, hip hop, boot camp and more. • The average cost for a child to attend KidSpace for two hours a day, seven days a week is 29 cents an hour. • “Magic Shows” is the most popular party at Columbia Gym. • Kids can also cook their own birthday cake with a Columbia Athletic Club cooking party. • Supreme Sports Club has an iDance machine and each evening scores of preteens are dancing in the court. • Toddlers love the Gerstung climbing equipment and Supreme Sports Club’s rock climbing wall is a favorite of the preteens. • Supreme Sports Club’s KidSpace has an annual Ladies Nite. Last year’s event featured 25 vendors, 200 women, food and wine. • •
TM
C A M O N T H LY 5 C A M O N T H LY 5
Columbia Matters
NIGHT! Presented by Columbia Association’s KidSpace! FREE EVENT • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Wins Again! T
H AT ’ S R I G H T, T H E R U M O R S A R E T R U E —
“Columbia
August 18
By Erin McPhail
Matters” has done it again! The Columbia
Association’s (CA) monthly television program has won two
bronze Telly Awards in this year’s competition. Telly Awards are the highest
Saturday,
AUGUST18 • 4:30-6:30PM kids
just for activities include: moonbounce face painting KidSpace activities variety of vendors with family-oriented items and more!
Columbia Athletic Club
Send your kids back-to-school in style! Join Columbia Association’s KidSpace for a free, funfilled event for the whole family. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CA.KidSpace for more details. Columbia Athletic Club • 5435 Beaverkill Rd • Columbia, 21044 • 410-730-6744
awards honoring the best in film and video productions; web commercials; and local, regional and cable TV commercials and programs. The two bronze awards were for the May 2011 episode in the “Information” category and the September 2011 episode in the “Entertainment” category. This makes a lifetime total of 15 awards for “Columbia Matters.” Fourteen of those awards were received under The 31st Annual
the direction of producer Mary Weeks. As a lifelong resident of Columbia, Weeks has one main goal: to let Columbia residents know how wonderful Columbia and the entire Howard County region are, as well as show what CA has to offer to the community,
through
the
WINNER
“Columbia
Matters” program. “The show is a team effort. I get a tremendous amount of support from
BikeAb ut Saturday, September 15, 9:30-10:30am (staggered start)
Downtown Columbia Lakefront Enjoy a self-paced ride on Columbia’s pathways and streets as you learn more about Columbia’s history.
CA team members throughout the organization,” Weeks says. “I work with extremely talented people. The production crew, Digital Cave Media, is very professional and creative. The show hosts are just as passionate about the community as I am. I would like to give a special thanks to the original show producer, Garret Tache, and the first host, Barbara Kellner, director of the Columbia Archives, for setting up a solid foundation for the show.” “Columbia
Matters”
ColumbiaMatters.org,
is on
a CA’s
30-minute YouTube
show channel
that
plays
on
(YouTube.com/
CATVChannel), on local public access channels through Comcast and Verizon cable providers and at all three of CA’s fitness facilities.
Registration:
ColumbiaArchives.org, or 410-715-6781.
“Columbia Matters” is a service CA offers to residents,” Weeks states. “Columbia is a special place, and I am proud to work for an organization whose mission is to enhance the quality of life for people living or working in the area.”
6 C A M O N T H LY
Enjoy the
End of Summer at the Lakefront By Aria White
T
he annual Summer Lakefront Festival is continuing this month with movies and concerts every evening at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront.
Concerts will be held at the lakefront on Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through August 19. Movies will be shown every Monday and Friday through August 24 and then on Fridays and Saturdays
Shadows, True Grit and Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. All movies start at dusk,
from August 25-September 15.
around 8:30pm, at the Lake Kittamaqundi lakefront in Downtown Columbia.
Some of the movies being featured this month include The Artist, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of
Learn
more
about
the
Summer
Lakefront
Festival
at
LakefrontFestival.com.
CA Strives to Be Inclusive: A Closer Look at CA’s Income-Qualified Programs By Keithan Samuels
he Columbia Association (CA) is committed to ensuring access to services and facilities that meet the diverse needs of individuals and groups in the community. In fact, CA offers incomequalified programs that are available to Columbia residents to help them obtain access to CA facilities and programs. Check out CA’s programs below. • Income-Qualified Discounts: Reduced rates for facility memberships and program fees for School Age Services and camps are available for residents who live or work full-time on CA-assessed property and whose household income is within the Columbia Association’s income guidelines. • Earn-A-Membership Program: The Earn-A-Membership program provides the opportunity for residents to earn a membership by volunteering at CA and CA-managed facilities. There are two existing
T
Announcing the New CA Today Blog
programs: one for adults/families and one for teens ages 14-18. • Operation Homefront Heroes: A free Package Plan membership is awarded to the dependents of CA residents who are currently deployed in support of combat missions as designated on official orders and whose dependents (spouse and/or children under the age of 23) remain in Columbia. • Emergency Assistance: Assistance is provided to a resident or family that resides on CA-assessed property that is faced with a disastrous circumstance and/ or a financial situation that does not permit full payment for Columbia Association child care programs and/or facility memberships. For more information about CA’s income-qualified programs, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/income-qualified or contact the Community Services Department at 410-715-3161.
ost of you are well aware that the Columbia Association (CA) is super busy with its facilities, programs and services that it provides to Columbia residents. But have you ever wondered if there was a way to stay more connected and informed about the goings on at CA? CA is proud to announce the launch of its new blog, CA Today, your connection to the Columbia Association. The blog was created by CA to communicate and
M
connect with Columbia residents and CA facility users. CA Today will inform the community about the news, programs, initiatives, activities and services provided by the Columbia Association. And blog posts will not only include CA news, but also occasionally touch on Columbia-wide news and news about Columbia’s villages. Please check out CA’s new b log at ColumbiaAssociation.org/CAToday. C A M O N T H LY 7
August
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learn about more great events happening in Columbia!
Summer Lakefront Festival
KidSpace Back to School Night
Now through Sat, September 15 Nightly • Downtown Columbia Lakefront • 410-715-3161 or LakefrontFestival.com.
Sat, August 18 • 4:30-6:30pm Columbia Athletic Club 410-730-6744 or Facebook.com/CA.KidSpace.
Movie Night
Movie Night
Sat, August 4 • 6-9pm Supreme Sports Club’s KidSpace 410-381-7559.
Sat, August 18 • 6-9pm Columbia Gym’s KidSpace 410-531-8984.
National Night Out Celebration Tue, August 7 • 6pm The Village Plaza in Harper’s Choice 410-730-0770 or HCEvents@ColumbiaVillages.org.
Final Summer Lakefront Festival Concert: Old Man Brown Sun, August 19 • 6:30-8:30pm Downtown Columbia Lakefront LakefrontFestival.com.
FREE Trivia Night International Book Club: “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese
Fri, August 24 • 7-9pm • Historic Oakland Manor • 410-730-4744 or TCVillage@ColumbiaVillages.org.
Wed, August 8 • 7:30-9pm CA Headquarters ColumbiaAssociation.org/ SisterCities.
Girls’ Night Out: China Plate Pendants and Earrings with Tara Bell
CA Board Meeting Thu, August 9 • 7:30-11pm CA Headquarters For updated dates and times, please visit ColumbiaAssociation.org
Child and Parent and/or Grandparent Tea Sat, August 11 • 12-1:30pm Historic Oakland Manor 410-730-4744 or TCVillage@ColumbiaVillages.org.
Movie Night Sat, August 11 • 6-9pm • Columbia Athletic Club’s KidSpace 410-730-6755.
Fashion Sewing Class (For Ages 13-17) with Mattie Hayes Mon, August 13-Fri, August 17 9:30am-12:30pm Columbia Art Center 410-730-0075 or Art.Staff@ ColumbiaAssociation.com.
8 C A M O N T H LY
Fri, August 24 • 6:30-8:30pm Columbia Art Center 410-730-0075 or Art.Staff@ColumbiaAssociation.com.
Martha Cargo Concert: Crazy Eights Sun, August 26 • 5-7pm • The Other Barn • 410-730-1129 or OMCommunityOrganizer@Columbia Villages.org.
Save the Date: BikeAbout Sat, September 15 • 9:30am Downtown Columbia Lakefront 410-715-6781 or Columbia.Archives@Columbia Association.org.
Save the Date: Reptile Wonders Sun, September 23 • 3pm Owen Brown Community Center 410-381-0202 or OBEvents@ColumbiaVillages.org.