Columbia Association Newsletter - June 2013

MonthlyA PUBLICATION OF COLUMBIA ASSOCIATIONCAJUNE 2013

CA MON TH LY 1

ColumbiaAssociation.org/CAToday

Facebook.com/CA.ColumbiaAssociation

Issuu.com/CA-ColumbiaAssociation

Twitter.com/ColumbiaAssn

YouTube.com/CATVchannel

ConnectwithCA!It’s easier than ever to find us.

Columbia Association with

get the latest

anytime at bit.ly/thisweekatca

you can watch thevideos online

a brief weeklyvideo series.

on what’shappening at

thisweek@CA

Learn more about Lake Kittamaqdundi atColumbiaAssociation.org.

2 Why I Serve: An Interviewwith Two Newly ElectedCA Board Members

3 Columbia AssociationAquatics Receives 2013Make A Splash Grant

8 Be a Part of YourCommunity Events

By David Greisman

It’sofficial: there will soon be a pathway com -

pleting the loop around Lake Kittama qun di,

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

Hanover-based BayLand Consultants & Designers, and CA then

presented the study’s three options in meetings earlier this year with

Town Center residents and village board members.

“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

more of a destination.”

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

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.

CA Chooses Option to FinishLake Kittamaqundi Pathway

Lake Kittamaqundiis one of Columbia’s three man-made lakes maintained by Columbia Association

An Interview with Two Newly Elected CA BoardMembers Nancy McCord and Russell Swatek:

2 CA MON TH LY

Why did you decide to run for a seat on theColumbia Association Board of Directors?McCord: I chose to run for CA because I felt there was a disconnectbetween the residents of Columbia and CA. My goal is to try to opencommunication 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 torun. We were all displeased by the lack of openness and transparencywe 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 theplans for the Inner Arbor. But CA suspended its rules to rush to vote onthis plan, leaving many with a very bad taste. I hope to persuade peoplethat 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 ourcommunity. Swatek: I hope to bring a sense of community and inclusion back toCA governance.

Why do you think it’s important for communitymembers to be involved with the CA Board?McCord: This is our community. Many of us moved here because ofthe ideas of inclusiveness and diversity. Our ideals have made this ourhome. If we don’t get involved, we miss out on helping make this the bestplace it can be. We have a responsibility to our children andgrandchildren to get involved. Besides, we can all make great newfriends that we meet through our involvement. Swatek: The CA Board needs to personally hear what its residents want. Although CA periodicallyconducts 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 withthe 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 wedo! 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 advisorycommittee or to develop a new program of your own devising. This is our town.

Why I ServeSaturday, June 22

12-3pm

HopewellMini-WaterPark

FREEEVENT

InApril, Columbia residents elected representatives toserve 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.

Russell SwatekLong Reach

Nancy McCordWide Lake

a yd

kids@

SplashAround

Bring the kids outfor an afternoon

filled with family fun!Free food, games, entertainment

and activities for all ages.Don’t forget your swimsuit!

For more information, visitColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

By Aria White Connor

Columbia Association Aquatics Receives

2013 Make A Splash Grant

CA MON TH LY 3

By Erin McPhail

Wednesdays, May 1-June 26 • 12-2pmDowntown Columbia Lakefront – FREE event

Join the downtown Columbia community for free lunchtime concerts every Wednesday featuring various Baltimore- and Washington-area artists at Lake Kittamaqundi. Call 410-423-1891 for details or visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

The USA Swimming Foundation recentlyawarded the Aquatics Department atColumbia 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-swimresources in an effort to raise awareness of watersafety and provide opportunities for all children tolearn to swim.CA offers access to 23 outdoor pool facilities and

4 indoor pool facilities to Columbia’s more than100,000 residents. CA developed an incentiveprogram for qualified students and partnered withthe Howard County Public School System, andlaunched a program, called CA Points Program(CAP). Through this program, school employeeshelp monitor a student’s progress, grades andbehaviors, and the students are rewarded points.Through the accumulation of these points during aschool year, students can earn different levels ofmembership to the various CA facilities. Theminimum reward is access to is our 23 outdoor pools.CA’s Aquatics Department recently collaborated

with the CAP coordinators to enhance the programand provide an additional incentive opportunity tothose students who qualify. Each student isevaluated through his or her school at the end ofthe marking quarter, and the top studentsreceive a certificate that awardsthem a free, six-weekses sion of swim lessons.

With this grant, CAwill now be able toeducate the com mu -nity about the im por -tance of learning toswim and pool safetyregardless ofsomeone’s financialstatus. Together, theseprograms will allow CAto provide more childrenwith the opportu ni ty tosafely enjoy all of ouraquatic amenities and thebenefits of learning how toswim. To learn more

Lakefront WednesdayLunchtime Concerts

안녕하세요 Ni hao

Hello

Bonjour

Hola

Are you interested i

n an event where y

ou can speak a lang

uage you

know or are learnin

g? Want to meet ne

w people who also

enjoy learning

languages? If so, b

e sure to check ou

t Columbia Associ

ation’s (CA) new

World Languages C

afé, being held at th

e upstairs café in W

egmans of

Columbia. The next

café will be held We

d, June 26 • 7-9pm.

Visit ColumbiaAssoci

ation.org/Multicul

tural for the languages being offered at

upcoming sessions.

worldlanguagescafé

Monthly Evenings o

f Conversation, Foo

d & Culture!


information about CA’s Aquatics department, visitColumbiaPools.org. To learn more informationabout the Make A Splash program, please visitMakeaSplash.org.

4 CA MON TH LY

HOW INSPIRECOLUMBIA.COMWORKS:

ColumbiaInspire


Columbia is a beautiful,

inspiring, fun and exciting

place to live. Columbia Association

(CA) wants to help make Columbia

even better, and we need your

help! CA launched a new

community engagement website,

InspireColumbia.com, to engage

Columbia community members in

conversation about ways to get

inspired and enhance the

quality of life for the people

living and working in Columbia.

On the site, community

members submit ideas and

comments in response to topic

questions posted by CA.

Community members can also

enjoy discussions with other

Columbia residents by seconding

an idea or expanding upon an

existing idea. The site will garner

community members’ feedback

on a variety of CA topics.

#1. ProjectA community ororganization turns ona project site anddetermines challenges.

#3. IdeasCommunity membersadd ideas, uploadphotos, add commentsand support ideas.

#4.ShareEveryone spreads theword online to help theproject grow.

#5. ActionCommunity leaders reviewideas, give feedback andimplement the best ideas.

CA MON TH LY 5

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

All Time Active UsersName Points

Leaderboard(As of May 10, 2013)

Big thanks to our top

contributors so far!

Keep the great ideas

and comments coming!

REWARDSAs an incentive to keep

sharing and collaborating,

CA has also included

a Rewards Store on

InspireColumbia.com. The

more you share, comment

and rate, the more points

you earn. Once you earn

enough points, you can

cash them in for rewards

that range from t-shirts

to pool passes

to umbrellas.

So get involved!Sign up for InspireColumbia.com

and let us know what youwant to see in the

future for Columbia.

#2.TopicsCommunity leadersestablish topics and askfor ideas.

Step-by-Step Guide to SigningUp for InspireColumbiaVisit 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 visitthe 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.

6 CA MON TH LY

BGE’s Programcan help you Cut Your Home’s

Energy Use,Save Money

Dog Park Coming Soon!Columbia’s New

By Jeremy Scharfenberg

Did you know that you can reduce your home’s energy use by as much as20 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 anoutdated heating and cooling system, inadequate insulation or drafty rooms,Home Performance with ENERGY STAR’s whole-house approach employsa home energy audit with diagnostic tests to pinpoint efficiency problemsand recommend specific solutions.

The program starts with a comprehensive Home Performance Energy Audit

conducted by one of BGE’s certified participating contractors. The auditincludes several advanced diagnostic tests, such as a blower door test tomeasure air leakage and a thermographic camera test to assess your home’sinsulation levels. BGE customers pay just $100 (a $400 value) for the audit,which helps identify and prioritize opportunities to improve energy efficiencythroughout 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 pipesfrom your electric water heater) and electric water heater tank wrap.

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 replacingoutdated or malfunctioning equipment, such as your heating and airconditioning system or water heater. When you decide which items makesense for your home and budget, your contractor will make theimprovements and test your home to make sure it meets all of the energyperformance goals. The result isa more comfortable home thatuses up to 20 percent lessenergy and saves you money.In addition to the money

saved from reduced energy use, BGE customers who make improvementsthrough the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program can receiverebates 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.

ust in case you haven’t heard, Columbia

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

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 ofColumbia SportsPark (located in the Harper’s ChoiceVillage 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 intothe parking area.From Route 108: Travel south on Cedar Lane to

What is planned?There will be an area for large dogs with

approximately 2 acres, and an area for the little guyswith a separate gate of about 3/4 of an acre. A 5-footfence will enclose the play areas. Additional amenitieswill include water stations, benches and trees.

Dog Park Rules and AdmissionColumbia Dog Park will be managed and

maintained by CA’s Open Space ManagementDivision. Details about memberships and admissionwill be available soon. Park policies will be similar tothose at the Worthington Dog Park operated byHoward County Recreation and Parks, and can beviewed at bit.ly/hocodogpark. Please stay tuned formore information regarding specific policies and rulesfor Columbia Dog Park.For more information on CA’s new Columbia Dog

Park, please call the Open Space Management office at410-312-6330.

the intersection of Rivendell, and proceed straight intothe parking area.You may also walk your dog to the park via

Columbia’s pathways. A pathway map is found atbit.ly/CAPathwayMap.

J

Columbia's Cutest Canine Contest Winner 2013: Munchkin

CA MON TH LY 7

Important CA Phone NumbersCA Headquarters ...................................................410-715-3000

CA Membership Service Center ...........................410-715-1802Aquatics Office .....................................................410-312-6332Columbia Art Center .............................................410-730-0075Columbia Athletic Club.........................................410-730-6744Columbia Association Camps...............................410-715-3165Columbia Gym .......................................................410-531-0800Columbia Horse Center.........................................301-776-5850Columbia Ice Rink.................................................420-730-0322Columbia SportsPark/SkatePark..........................410-715-3054Columbia Swim Center .........................................410-730-7000Columbia Teen Center ..........................................410-992-3726Fairway Hlls Golf Club ..........................................410-730-1112Hobbit's Glen Golf Club.........................................410-730-5980Inclement Weather Hotline ..................................410-715-3154Indoor Tennis, Columbia Athletic Club................410-720-0149Owen Brown Tennis Bubble ..................................410-381-7255Supreme Sports Club ............................................410-381-5355The Raquet Club at Hobbit's Glen ........................410-715-3080Wilde Lake Tennis Club ........................................410-730-3767

Brian DunnKings [email protected]

Michael CornellRiver [email protected]

Cynthia A.S.H. CoyleHarper’s [email protected]

Alex HekimianOakland [email protected]

Gregg SchwindHickory [email protected]

Andrew StackOwen [email protected]

Suzanne WallerTown [email protected]

Russell SwatekLong [email protected]

Columbia Matters

TV ScheduleColumbia AssociationBoard ofDirectors2013-2014

The Columbia Matters TV show can be seen online,anytime at YouTube.com/CATVchannel. You can alsocatch the show on TV on the following channels:Comcast Channel 96 & Verizon Channel 41Mondays..............................................11am, 4pm and 7pmSaturdays .................................................................8:30pmComcast Channel 98Mondays .............................................12pm, 4pm and 8pmTuesdays .............................................10am, 2pm and 6pmWednesdays .................................................12pm and 4pmThursdays............................................10am, 2pm and 6pmFridays ...........................................12pm, 4pm and 7:30pmSaturdays ............................................12pm, 4pm and 8pmComcast Channel 99 & Verizon Channel 44Mondays.................................................................10:30amTuesdays .............................................10am, 2pm and 6pmWednesdays ...................................................8am and 7pmThursdays.................................................................7:30amFridays.......................................................8am and 7:30pmSaturdays ....................................................................10amSundays .................................................................11:30pm

Tom CoaleDorsey’s [email protected]

Nancy McCordWilde [email protected]

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

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Wear Art Exhibition Thu, Jun 6-30 • Columbia ArtCenter • 410-730-0075.

Ladies Night Out Thu, Jun 6 • 7-9pm • KingsContrivance Village Center410-381-9600.

Ice Cream Social Fri, Jun 7 • 7-8:30pm • TheHawthorn Center • 410-730-7327.

Welcome Summer withMusic of Damon ForemanFri, Jun 7 • 7-8:30pm • The OtherBarn Courtyard • 410-730-4610.

Encaustics on ClayWorkshopSat, Jun 8 • 10am-2pm Columbia Art Center410-730-0075.

River Hill Village Board MeetingMon, Jun 10 • 7pm • Claret Hall �410-531-1749.

Lakefront WednesdaysConcert: Julie Hall Trio(Jazz)Wed, Jun 12 • 12-2pmDowntown LakefrontColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

Dorsey’s SearchVillage BoardMeetingWed, Jun 12 • 7-8pmLinden Hall410-730-4005.

CA Board Meeting Thu, Jun 13 • 7:30-11pmCA Headquarters410-715-3000.

Courtyard Concert: The Bay Jazz ProjectThu, Jun 13 • 6-8pm • Dorsey’sSearch Village Center Courtyard410-427-4485.

Summer LakefrontFestivalMon, Jun 17-Sep 14 • NightlyDowntown Columbia Lakefront

Wear Art ExhibitionReceptionWed, Jun 19 • 5-7pm ColumbiaArt Center • 410-730-0075.

LakefrontWednesdays

Concert:RichardWaltron Trio(Folk/ Rock)Wed, Jun 1912-2pmDowntownLakefront

CA Board MeetingThu, Jun 20 • 7:30-11pmCA Headquarters • 410-715-3000.

Columbia’s 46th BirthdayCelebrationFri, Jun 21 • 6-8:30pmDowntown Lakefront ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

KidsDaySat, Jun 22 • 12-3pmHopewell Mini-WaterPark (Off Snowden Parkway)ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

River Hill Health Fair Sat, Jun 22 • 11am-2pmRiver Hill Village Center410-531-1749.

Lakefront WednesdaysConcert: Angela Sheik(Electro-Acoustic)Wed, Jun 26 • 12-2pmDowntown Lakefront ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

World Languages CafeWed, Jun 26 • 7-9pm • WegmansCafe • 410-715-3162.

Afternoon Tea at Historic Oakland

Thu, Jun 27 • 4:30-6pmHistoric Oakland Manor410-730-4744.

CA BoardMeetingThu, Jun 27 7:30-11pmCA Headquarters

410-715-3000.

Oakland MusicCafe: Ethan Reggia

Sun, Jun 30 • 3:30-5pmHistoric Oakland Manor

410-730-4744.

Save the Date:Independence Day ParadeThu, Jul 4 • 9am • Along GreatStar Drive • 410-531-1749.

8 CA MON TH LY

Long Reach Village Board MeetingTue, Jun 187:30pmStonehouse410-730-8113.

ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events.

Columbia Association Newsletter - June 2013

Documents

Transcript of Columbia Association Newsletter - June 2013