BY: MARISSA YELENIK

Capital News Service

ANNAPOLIS – Top state officials have approved a $3.4 million bond to revamp affordable housing in Columbia while maintaining their commitment to sustainability and clean energy.

The project targets Maryland citizens in Columbia who make between 30% and 60% of the area’s median income, with a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units in the apartment complex, said Gov. Wes Moore.

“This is really revolutionary work that’s already showing significant impacts for a lot of families,” Moore said. “We are working this, united, to address an issue that we know is a very real issue for a lot of families and a lot of communities all throughout the state.”

The project will demolish the existing 62-unit housing in Waverly Winds, replacing it with a new 68-unit apartment complex for rent, according to Board of Public Works documents. The board gave its approval at its meeting on Wednesday.

The community, located in Howard County, serves to provide affordable housing to underserved communities that have fewer housing opportunities. 

As of 2018, Howard County had the highest cost of living index, as well as the second-highest median sale price of a home, according to the Maryland Department of Commerce. State officials are working to combat these high numbers with expanded access to and support for affordable housing.

“[It is] based totally on considerations of merit and need, and they are being distributed equally across communities all across the state,” said Moore. “It’s a very targeted program about the families that we’re hoping to build for and that we’re hoping to serve. And it’s going to do a great deal to be able to address the affordability challenges that we know a lot of families continue to face.”

Maryland has spent over $132 million in state bonds to expand access to affordable housing in the state, said Moore, creating almost 4,000 units of affordable housing since his inauguration as governor in January 2023. 

Moore has worked to improve affordable housing in Maryland in response to the 96,000 unit housing shortage in the state. He has signed multiple bills into law that worked to reduce the instability of prices, increase the affordability of units and improve renters rights.

State funding for the Waverly Winds project makes up one of 13 funding sources, amounting to $31.4 million in total, according to Board of Public Works documents. 

The project intends to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the new apartment building, as well as save energy and promote water conservation. It will use energy-efficient materials, stay in compliance with energy guidelines, restrict the use of certain chemicals and install solar panels to be used in addition to common area electricity.

“It includes a number of sustainability measures that would align with the state’s commitment for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Moore, “Continuing to show that … we do have an ability to be aggressive when it comes to adding additional housing options, and that does not mean compromising a larger idea that the state needs to move forward and make sure that you have a cleaner and greater state as well.”

When Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, joined by newly-sworn-in Gov. Wes Moore, unveiled grand and visually dramatic plans for a new Lakefront Library in Columbia in March 2023, the project was hailed as a “renaissance” for Howard County.

Eighteen months later, the fate of the concept is uncertain. Ball has elevated a more modest and affordable alternative at a different location that his office says is a result of a listening process and community survey.

But library system leaders are pushing back, continuing to rally support for the lakefront plan. For now, it appears that no single concept has the support of a majority of the Howard County Council, which approves spending through its annual budget process.

Ball’s office says that “no final decisions have been made” on where to build a new Downtown Columbia library, but confirmed that the lakefront is not the sole choice.

“Following community engagement earlier this year, we are currently evaluating two options of either (1) renovating and expanding the Central Branch Library at the existing library site or (2) locating the library at the lakefront location,” wrote Safa Hira, Director of Communications for Howard County Government. “We remain focused on reaching consensus with the Library System, the Howard County Council, and the parties to the Downtown (development rights agreement) before determining a path forward.”

That consensus has not been easy to come by. Members of the Library Board of Trustees, who are appointed by the Howard County Executive, continue to strongly advocate for the lakefront site. They say that the county executive’s office has moved forward with planning studies for rebuilding at the site of the existing central branch library – less than a half-mile away – without fully including them, and indicated that Ball had been ready recently to announce that the rebuild alternative was the best path forward.

“As we continue to have many questions, we respectfully request that no public announcement is made until we have met to work through the remaining issues,” board chair Liz Banach wrote to Ball in late September. “A rush to announce the site would be premature and unnecessarily throw the community into turmoil.”

How and why did a signature project announced with such fanfare come close to unraveling? The answer lies in part in its proposed costs and a lack of full support among elected leaders in Howard County.

While land for the project at the edge of Lake Kittamaqundi would be donated by the Howard Hughes Corp., Columbia’s master developer and an originator of the lakefront library proposal, the $144 million price tag would be paid by taxpayers. Under the original proposal, Howard Hughes would also manage the construction of a design by Heatherwick Studio. [Baltimore Fishbowl co-owner Ken Ulman runs a consulting firm, Margrave Strategies, that has advised Howard Hughes on the project.]

“The county doesn’t have $144 million to build a library on the lakefront,” County Councilwoman Deb Jung, whose district includes the library site, said in an interview. Jung did not participate in the March 2023 announcment.

That concern was apparent just weeks after the unveiling, when the council reviewed the county executive’s budget and balked at giving it full approval.

Competing surveys

The project did not make it in full into the next year’s budget. The council and executive agreed to a pause to gather community input, and to use $10 million in state grants for planning and design over the next year.

“This funding will allow the county to continue work on the design for the lakefront library project, and engage in discussions with the Howard County Library System, the county council, county residents and all external stakeholders to determine the potential changes that may be made to the project,” Mark Miller, then a spokesman for the County Executive’s Office, told Fishbowl at the time.

Since then, there have been competing studies and surveys – coming from both the county executive’s office and the library system. And they don’t point in the same direction.

Last year, the library board retained Due East Parnters to run engagement sessions and a survey for the lakefront process as well as the current strategic plan, supplementing earlier work by Group 4 Architecture (G4) to update a facilities master plan. Due East Partners and local ganizations gathered opinions from more than 3,000 people.

The county executive enlisted a design consultant, Arcadis, to hold community engagement sessions and survey residents on their thoughts regarding where the new Central Branch should be located.

Results of Ball’s survey ran three pages long, with 1,740 respondents: 1,500 who completed the online survey and 240 who attended in-person and virtual community engagement sessions. Respondents were asked to rank in order of preference five choices for location of a new central library location. Nearly twice as many respondents ranked the existing central library location as their first choice (683) than the Lakefront location (355).

The Library Board of Trustees’ survey results ran 43 pages and cited 3,167 participants in their 2023 survey, and later said that between 2019 and 2023, they and their survey partners have engaged more than 7,000 people. The library board didn’t ask about locations – instead they sought opinions on services provided by a “dream library” and how the library system can “address educational, economic, health and other inequities that limit or harm people’s lives.”

Documents show that only $75 million is now earmarked for a new Downtown Columbia Central Branch library, and it is unclear how and where a housing component would be included as part of the project.

Eariler this year, a group of former members of the Library Board of Trustees penned a letter to the county executive to register their dismay, and to express support for the lakefront plan. Signed by Richard Alexander, Arvell Greenwood, David H. Barrett, and Kenneth M. Jennings, the letter wondered what happened to their “great expectations” after the splashy March 2023 announcement.

“Our library system has a history of excellence and has been regularly recognized nationally for our outstanding initiatives, programs, and early adoption of resource technology and other supports,” they wrote. “The current Central Library does not meet the standards we set. The new Lakefront Library is the answer to our high hopes.”

As Ball inched closer to announcing a rebuild at the existing site this fall, Banach, the chair, wrote to the county executive to also express the board’s concerns.  

The letter expressed skepticism that the $75 million allotted for the project would be enough to “support the relocation of the library during construction, demolition of the existing structure, construction of the new library, and 280 parking spaces.”

Other concerns involved insufficient funding for the increase in staffing required, furnishings, and resources to build a larger library on the current site; lack of space to increase parking; and availability of outdoor space for events and other activities.

A lack of transparency?

Contending that the board’s survey better addressed the needs of the community, and that the board has been “working in good faith with the County to identify an appropriate site for this new building,” Banach wrote that the board “continues to support the Lakefront Library as originally planned.”

Banach also objected to what she called a lack of transparency and communication from the county executive.

“[W]e understand that your office has completed early modeling on the existing site. If site massing, modeling, concepts, or other such information exists, the Board respectfully requests it be shared with Library leadership for the Board’s consideration,” Banach wrote. “As this project moves forward, it is imperative that we convey accurate information to library stakeholders and taxpayers.”

She reiterated the critical role the library board of trustees plays in choosing the location and approving the erection of library buildings, citing their authority while ceding it is “subject to the approval of the county governing body.” Banach again requested the board be included in communications and decisions regarding library building projects.

In a follow up letter dated Sept. 30, 2024, Banach thanked Ball for sending documents and materials, but reiterated the board’s questions about financial and other inconsistencies in Ball’s materials. She again requested “massings, modelings, concepts, and/or renderings to help us understand this new proposal and how the proposed expanded library would fit on the parcel.”

No Council concensus

The Howard County Council still does not have a clear majority of members supporting the Lakefront Library plan as originally proposed, and even those supporting it in the beginning acknowledge the need for further research and the potential need to scale back for budgetary reasons.

Council members Christiana Rigby and Opel Jones are still optimistic about the likelihood it will come to fruition, albeit with potential modifications.

“I’m absolutely supportive of moving it forward, because the facilities plan for the library system has, the need has been demonstrated for a long time, and it’s been part of the downtown plan,” Rigby said in an interview. “So now I think it’s time to move it into reality and create the amenity.”

Rigby agrees that the cost of a proposed garage that is part of the lakefront project is problematic and does not want taxpayers to pay for it. She sees potential for creative solutions, like using other nearby parking, or shared parking agreements. 

“I think most people understand the vision and the economic opportunity that would come from the lakefront library, and there’s the question of, how do you get all your ducks in a row?” Rigby said.

Jones supports the Lakefront Library project moving forward as originally proposed. He acknowledges the possibility it may not come to fruition as originally planned but noted that scenario is very common in projects.

“You have a blueprint,” Jones told Fishbowl. “You have a plan. And then once you get into the nitty gritty of it, and you have your subject matter experts really, really dig down deep on the granular level, maybe you have to scale back on this. So maybe you have to scale back on that.”

Jones said he believes Ball is doing his due diligence to make sure the best tax-payer-funded product is built.

Neither council members Liz Walsh nor David Yungmann responded to Fishbowl’s requests for comment.

Tonya Aikens, Howard County Library System’s president and CEO told Fishbowl in an email that she continues to support the Lakefront Library plans as a worthwhile investment.

“We firmly believe that the best public spaces in our county should be for the community,” Aikens wrote. “The proposed Lakefront Library would not only attract people of all ages but also be an economic driver. As noted in an economic impact report created by the Sage Policy Group, founded and led by highly regarded economist Anirban Basu, ‘…libraries typically generate a return on investment between 400-500 percent on each dollar of taxpayer money invested.’ We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a library of the future that will draw people from across Howard County, the region, and our state.”

Banach expressed optimism in a statement to Fishbowl, pledging to work towards a solution that serves all.

“Libraries are places for people to learn, connect, and grow,” Banach wrote. “The Howard County Library System Board of Trustees remains committed to working with the County Executive and County Council to build the best library for our community that focuses not only on the needs and aspirations of today’s residents but also the next generation.”

Columbia, Maryland was ranked first in all of the United States on conditions for women’s economic status, health, and safety, according to WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Women in 2024” report.

The personal finance website released the report Monday, along with expert commentary explaining what constituted criteria for measuring these conditions. WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. These metrics include median earnings, unemployment rate for women, quality of women’s hospitals, and access to preventative health care.

Columbia has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living) — $59,230 — which is 2.9 times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest. The poverty rate for Columbia women is 8.9%, 12^th-lowest in the country.

The report cites the healthy job market for women in Columbia and the low unemployment rate as further reasons for the city’s top ranking. Columbia’s unemployment rate for women is just over 4%, 27^th-lowest in the nation. In other cities, that rate is as high as 13%. Additionally, nearly one-quarter of businesses in Columbia are owned by women. That’s the sixth-highest percentage in the U.S.

“Living in the right city can significantly improve a woman’s economic status, health, and safety,” said Christie Matherne, WalletHub analyst. “The best cities for women offer job security and high pay, enabling women to achieve greater financial independence.”

Matherne also cited access to medical care and high-quality hospitals, both of which women in Columbia have. The city has the 10^th-best life expectancy for women at birth.

As for preventative care, nearly 85% of women in Columbia are physically active, the sixth-highest percentage in the country. The city also has the 12^th-highest share of women over 21 who have received a cervical cancer screening within the recommended time frame and the 21st-highest share who have received a mammogram in the past two years, according to the report.

“Psychologists have studied aspects of urban design that contribute to [women’s] well-being,” said Miriam Liss, Chair of the Department of Psychological Science at University of Mary Washington. “Some key principles include creating affordable housing options, developing walkable neighborhoods, encouraging community events, preserving open and green spaces, and offering a variety of transportation choices.”

There are many issues local governments should consider in planning and decision-making to ensure their cities are places in which women can live and thrive.

“For women with children, cities can help by providing support for strong schools and after-school programs, subsidizing childcare, facilitating new childcare facilities, or offering recreational opportunities for children,” said Martha C. Johnson, Associate Professor at Northeastern University. “Cities should also be attentive to the problem of domestic violence, ensuring that sufficient emergency and transitional support services are available for women, mothers, and families. Similarly, police departments may want to consider task forces on sexual and domestic violence staffed primarily by female officers.”

Johnson also recommends city governments partner with local colleges, universities, and businesses to create programs that help move into better-paying positions.

“Cities can also encourage women’s entrepreneurship by providing small business training and offering special opportunities for women-owned businesses to secure city contracts,” she said.

When winter leaves the trees barren behind René Maldonado’s Howard County home, he can see the W.R. Grace & Co. headquarters 190 yards away.

That close proximity concerns Maldonado and many of his neighbors, who worry the chemical company’s plans for a pilot plastics recycling plant at the Columbia facility could harm local air quality and pose other environmental and health-related risks. The closest residents are 80 yards away.

Maldonado, who retired from a 30-year career as a chemist after developing multiple sclerosis, now lives in Cedar Creek, the neighborhood directly west of the Grace headquarters. He worries emissions could further harm his health.

“One reason I moved here is because of the environment,” he said. “I like it here. It’s nice. But I didn’t expect to have a chemical plant next door like this.”

Residents in neighborhoods around the facility have formed a group called “Stop the Grace Plastic Burning Project” in an effort to halt the company’s plans. Earlier this month, the group protested outside of the company’s headquarters.

W.R. Grace maintains that residents misunderstand their plans, which the company emphasizes do not involve the burning of plastics.

“Let us be clear: we are not burning plastic, we are not manufacturing microplastics or producing PFAS or ‘forever chemicals,’” W.R. Grace officials said in a statement to Baltimore Fishbowl. “Moreover, Grace does not manufacture plastics at all. Assertions that we are doing any of these things are false and misinformed.”

Instead, Grace says it will be researching ways to reduce plastic waste by converting “well-controlled plastic samples sourced from manufacturers and established recycling facilities” into new products.

“Grace scientists have developed a new plastic recycling solution that has the potential to reduce emissions, save energy and lower costs compared to other options,” the company explained in its statement.

But neighbors are not convinced.

Maldonado said the climate-conscious messaging that Grace espouses is just “greenwashing,” and he said the company’s plans could actually harm the environment and local residents.

“They try to find some environmental excuse to do it, but at the end of the day they cause more harm to the environment in the process,” he said. “They are creating chemicals that are going to be bad for the environment, hydrocarbons that will be burned as fuel.”

The plant’s processes and communities’ concerns

Grace’s permit application describes the catalytic cracking process in which the pilot plant will recycle 1 kilogram of plastics per hour.

“Plastic feedstock and catalyst will be fed to a Reaction System,” the application outlines. “The reactor will vent product vapor to a Product Recovery System, where condensable vapor will be removed and sent to storage as the liquid product. Liquid product will be stored temporarily in drum before sending to a 3rd party environmental facility for treatment. Non-condensable vapor from the product recovery system will go to an electric flameless thermal oxidizer. The thermal oxidizer has a stack that vents to the atmosphere.”

The application continues, “Spent catalyst [catalyst with coke on it] will be transferred with catalyst circulation to the Regeneration System, where excess hot air [1350 degrees Fahrenheit] will completely oxidize the coke. Regenerated catalyst will be circulated back into the Reaction System. The Regeneration System has a stack that vents to atmosphere.” (Editor’s note: “Coke” refers to a carbon-rich deposit that is a byproduct of the catalytic cracking process.)

In a news release, Stop the Grace Plastic Burning Project argues that Grace’s application for an air permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment “fails to disclose the full range of potential emissions and what to expect when the polymer feedstock or the process conditions are changed.”

The company disputes this.

“The gas product will go through a Flameless Thermal Oxidizer, a highly efficient emission control device that is designed to reduce emissions by over 99.9999%,” Grace officials said.

They added, “We have carefully followed the proper permitting process with MDE, disclosed the worst case potential emissions levels and everything required by law, participated in a public hearing and answered questions from MDE during extended public comment periods.”

Neighborhoods around the Grace facility house many families with children, older adults, and people with health complications, who would be more vulnerable to pollutants, said Lisa Krausz, co-chair of the Stop the Grace Plastic Burning Project and a resident of River Hill Village, which sits to the west of Cedar Creek. Krausz facilitates the advocacy group with co-chair Lily Weiss-Lora, a 20-year resident of River Hill.

Krausz said Grace’s plans for the pilot plant run counter to the surrounding communities’ values.

“People come to Howard County because of the excellent school systems,” she said, noting the many young children who live in these neighborhoods.

She added, “Columbia is known for its open green spaces, for wanting to promote the growth of its residents. This is a contradiction to what Howard County and Columbia stand for.”

Still, Grace officials said many of their own employees live in the neighborhoods around the Columbia facility, and that the company has a vested interest in maintaining safety standards.

“Grace is committed to being a responsible business, a good neighbor and a safe workplace for our 600 on-site employees – 400 of whom are Howard County residents and many of whom live in the neighborhoods adjacent to our headquarters,” officials said.

They added, “We appreciate the work MDE is doing to evaluate the air permit application on its scientific merits, as this solution has the potential to help solve an important problem. Like our neighbors in Howard County, Grace leaders and our thousands of employees share a sincere desire to live and work in safe and healthy environments.”

The pilot plant would measure 24 feet high, 32 feet long, and 12 feet wide–approximately the size of a one-car garage​–and would be housed inside an existing building at the company’s Columbia campus, located at 7500 Grace Drive, company officials said.

The plant will operate 16 hours per day, five days a week, 50 weeks out of the year, according to the permit application.

Grace was unable to say at this time when the plant would be constructed, when it would begin operation, and how long the pilot period would run.

“MDE is still evaluating the permit,” company officials said.

That undefined pilot period is concerning, Krausz said.

“There’s been no stamp put on when it would end or if it could become a bigger project,” she said.

Grace’s record

Members of the Stop the Grace Burning Project are concerned that Grace’s record does not bode well for the possibility of contamination and chemical spills. They also worry that conditions at the plant, including the storage of liquid products in drums on site until they are sent to a 3rd party, could increase risks for fires and explosions.

The group points to previous controversies centering Grace: for example, the company faced thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits that led to Grace’s 2001 bankruptcy, including asbestos contamination in Montana. The company no longer makes asbestos-related products.

In the 1980s, Grace was the defendant in groundwater contamination lawsuits in Massachusetts. Those lawsuits inspired the 1995 book “A Civil Action,” and the 1998 movie of the same name starring John Travolta.

Most recently, in May 2023, a vacuum truck leaked 50-75 gallons of nitric acid at Grace’s facility in Hawkins Point, a largely industrial part of Baltimore. No injuries and no off-site impact occurred in that incident.

Columbia neighbors worry that if something similar to the 2023 incident were to happen near their residential neighborhoods, the outcome could be far worse.

“Imagine that accident happening here,” said Maldonado, the Cedar Creek resident. “It’s a different story because we are just 70 meters away from this unit.”

He added, “You have children playing around. You’re going to have adults walking their dogs…. They’re not doing this in an industrial park where there’s no neighbors. They’re doing this next to our houses.”

Jake Burdett is the co-chair of Our Revolution Howard County, a local chapter of the progressive group Our Revolution Maryland, which has been working with the Stop the Grace Burning Project group.

Although Burdett lives in Dorsey’s Search, about seven miles away from the Grace headquarters, he said he is concerned about the pilot plant’s impact on communities closer to the facility.

“Even if things go as planned, these risks exist…. I can’t blame the community at Cedar Creek and River Hill for not wanting to be the guinea pigs, especially considering W.R. Grace’s track record,” he said.

Grace officials stand firm that they are following all safety requirements for the pilot plant in Columbia.

“This is baseless and stated without evidence,” company officials told Baltimore Fishbowl regarding the protest group’s concerns. “We follow industry and regulatory requirements for safety and work closely with the Howard County Fire Department as a responsible business practice.”

They added, “This project has safety interlocks built in and cannot be compared to accidents that occurred at manufacturing plants that are 300,000x bigger.”

‘Community was scrambling’

Residents are also frustrated because they feel they were not given enough notice about the project.

On Sept. 21, 2023, W.R. Grace submitted their permit application for the project. A public hearing was held April 29, 2024.

But members of the Stop the Grace Burning Project group say most neighbors did not hear about the project until after the public hearing, and many still were not aware of it until weeks or even days before the most recent public comment period ended Aug. 29, 2024.

“There were no attempts to notify residents in these communities…. The community was scrambling to get organized and to notify people,” said Krausz, the River Hill resident.

Burdett said W.R. Grace and the Maryland Department of the Environment “followed the bare minimum legal requirements” to give notice to residents, including publicizing the project online and in a local newspaper and informing local elected officials. But he argues individual households should have also been notified via mail or fliers posted to doors of residences.

“In my opinion, the community members got very lucky in that the right people happened to hear about it,” Burdett said, and that those community members spread the word.

If residents were more widely aware of the project, Burdett said, they might have doubled the number of public comments.

“While it’s great that we were able to mobilize over 200 public comments before that Aug. 29 deadline, had notice been given in a more adequate way and transparent way, that number could easily have been 400 public comments,” he said.

“If we were to have a public hearing today, I’ll have 20 or 30 more questions to ask, because I learned a lot about what they’re after. But at the time, we were in the dark,” Maldonado said.

Stop the Grace Burning Project members said they requested for the Maryland Department of the Environment to extend the public comment period beyond Aug. 29, but that MDE denied their request because it had already been extended two times.

While members of the group contend the public comment period was extended only once, MDE spokesperson Jay Apperson told Baltimore Fishbowl that it had in fact been extended twice.

“Statute requires 30 days from the publication date of the first notice or 5 days after the hearing whichever is later,” Apperson said. “However, we gave the public even more time – 30 days from the hearing date (April 29) to May 29, but we immediately received a request for a one time 60 day extension as allowed by statute and extended it to July 29. We then received a request for another 30 days extension which we granted (above and beyond statute) to August 29.”

Although the final extended public comment deadline has passed, community members plan to continue to speak out against the project. They also hope an investigation by the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning could uncover zoning violations for the project.

Maldonado wants Grace to look elsewhere to establish their pilot plant.

“I don’t understand why Grace would take such a risk,” he said. “They have plants everywhere. Why would they choose this environment, knowing the reality of accidents?”

Krausz, too, hopes the company will reconsider.

“What makes them feel so confident that there aren’t going to be problems here?” she said. “They really don’t know that…. Why would you do that in a facility like this, right next to communities?”

Chamber Music Maryland (formerly known as Candlelight Concert Society) will kick off its 52^nd concert season Oct. 5 with the world-renowned Academy of the St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble.

ASMF Chamber Ensemble, direct from London, will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Horowitz Smith Theater at Howard Community College. The ensemble draws upon principal players from the acclaimed Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra, founded by Sir Neville Marriner in 1958. Its current artistic director is violinist and conductor Joshua Bell.

The ensemble has released over 30 CDs through recording contracts with multiple labels. They’ve toured throughout Europe and North America extensively under the direction of violinist Tomo Keller.

This will be the debut performance at Chamber Music Maryland for the ASMF Chamber Ensemble. Their concert will showcase “contrasting string works written by two composers whose lives were profoundly shaped by the wars and terror of the 20th century, Dmitri Shostakovich and Erwin Schulhoff,” according to the press release. The ensemble will also perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet for Strings, composed when Mendelssohn was just 16 years old.

Adding to the evening’s music performance, WBJC-FM’s popular radio host Jonathan Palevsky will provide spoken notes throughout the concert.

Tickets for this event are $45 per adult. With the purchase of each adult ticket, an accompanying child up to the age of 17 will receive a ticket free of charge. Student tickets are $10, and for groups of 10 or more, tickets are $35 per person.

The concert takes place on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at the Smith Theater at Howard County Community College, located at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the concert, click this link.

Most people are connected to someone whose life was lost to drug overdose. A local veteran and social entrepreneur is partnering with Howard County for International Overdose Awareness Day to spotlight this far too common loss.

The VA Way’s Dub Grass International Overdose Awareness Day Event on Saturday, August 31, 2024, will bring a fusion of music and awareness around the impact of overdosing. The communities in Columbia, Maryland will join those around the world to remember those who have died or suffered permanent injury due to drug overdose.

International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is observed annually and seeks to spread understanding of overdose, eradicate the stigma that often accompanies drug-related deaths, and spur change that can reduce harms associated with drug use.

The VA Way is partnering with Sun Rider 9 Productions for the event to feature performances by The Dirty Grass Players with Yellow Dubmarine, Caleb Stine, Jim Kelly, and a drum circle led by Katy Gaughan. There will be a fusion of reggae and bluegrass music, surrounded by a unifying theme of mental health enlightenment and community support connected to the global movement for understanding, compassion, and change.

“Dub Grass is about more than just the music,” said John Way, visionary founder of The VA Way and event organizer. “It’s about coming together as a community to make a difference. Every jam, every beat, every note—it all helps a mind in need.”

Local organizations will be on hand to support those struggling with mental health issues, and attendees will have access to overdoes prevention resources, mental health support, and community solidarity, all coalescing under the theme “Together We Can.”

“I believe that together we can do more to end overdose in our communities. We’re losing too many friends and family members, and we need creative ways to reach people,” Way said.

In the United States, more than 107,500 people died from overdosing in 2023 — the second consecutive year with more than 100,000 overdose deaths. 2022 had 111,000 deaths from overdoses. The majority were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Maryland had 2,573 deaths from drug overdose in 2022.

“By coming together to remember those we’ve lost, we’re making a powerful statement that more needs to be done to end overdose in our community,” said John Barth, President of Sun Rider 9 Productions.

The VA Way is led by Army veterans and social entrepreneurs Way and Gary Canteen, a 24-year Army Veteran and The VA Way’s co-founder and vice president. Since 2014, the organization has combined the power of music and improving access to mental health education and resources to improve the lives of veterans and those in the music industry. Way is also a co-founder of the Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival taking place at Sandy Point State Park on Sept. 21 and 22, 2024.

“We encourage members of the community with lived experience to join us and stand in solidarity with those affected by overdose,” Canteen said.

Dub Grass International Overdose Awareness Day Event takes place on Saturday, August 31, 2024 from 5 pm – 11 pm at Reckless Shepherd Brewing, located at 8895 McGaw Road, Columbia, MD. After 8 pm, the event is for those 21 and over.

Tickets are $15.

A new community for adults with disabilities, families, and older adults is coming to Columbia.

Patuxent Commons will be a new 76-unit affordable apartment community for adults with disabilities, older adults, and families at 6441 Freetown Road in Columbia.

Construction is set to begin this month on the new housing development, which was announced Tuesday through a partnership among Mission First Housing Group, Howard County Housing Commission, and the Autism Society of Maryland.

The community will focus on using housing as a springboard to maximize individual potential and facilitate community integration for people regardless of age, abilities, or income. The development is viewed as an innovative solution to the housing crisis facing adults with disabilities, which can be adapted elsewhere in Maryland and even serve as a model for developments throughout the United States.

“Mission First is pleased to be a key partner in this project. We are grateful to Howard County leadership for their ongoing commitment to this project,” said Thomas A.K. Queenan, Chief Executive Officer and President of Mission First. “Along with our community and service partners, we have been planning for this project for many years, and I am so happy this vision is finally becoming a reality, addressing critical housing needs in Howard County.”

Autism Society of Maryland (AUSOM) developed the concept for Patuxent Commons to help address the housing instability faced by low-income adults with disabilities. Another primary goal was to increase and enhance their social connectedness through community engagement.

“With Patuxent Commons now under construction, adults with disabilities in Howard County are one step closer to having access to much-needed inclusive, affordable housing,” said Melissa Rosenberg, Executive Director of AUSOM. “We appreciate Mission First’s determined efforts to advance the project and the steadfast commitment of the Howard County government to its development.”

The site for Patuxent Commons is across the street from Hickory Ridge Village Center, which is considered an ideal location for its residents because of the center’s shopping, employment, recreation, and transit opportunities. The project also includes more than 8,000 square feet of community meeting space to be used for programming for the residents and members of the larger community.

The $44 million funding for Patuxent Commons is coming from the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development grant funding, Tax Exempt Bonds issued by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, Community Development Administration, along with Rental Housing Works subordinate debt, an FHA loan through Capital One with 221d4 mortgage insurance, JP Morgan Chase as the bond buyer, and Enterprise as the tax credit investor. Mission First raised additional grant funds for the project through federal, state, and private sources, including The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony is being planned for September 2024, with completion of the project expected in early 2026.

The annual Sad Summer Festival will illuminate The Chrysalis at Merriweather Park on Aug. 9 with rock music from independent artists and emo fun for all ages. 

The festival is celebrating its 5-year anniversary after originally launching in 2019, following the loss of the Vans Warped Tour.

Festival founders Mayday Parade and The Maine, along with bands The Wonder Years, We The Kings, Real Friends, Knuckle Puck, The Summer Set, Hot Milk, Diva Bleach, Daisy Grenade and Like Roses, will enchant the audience with their tunes. 

“For most of my adult life, I’ve associated the summer with music festivals. Their open air venues, the mix of tour bus exhaust and heat radiating off asphalt, and of course, hearing my favorite music at twilight, lit by the flicker of fireflies — Sad Summer epitomizes this experience,” said Alex Garcia of Mayday Parade. “It also serves as a unifying force in our music scene, a place for every emo kid to gather around, connect with fellow fans, and truly be themselves.”

The festival’s attendance has nearly doubled in the last four years and was listed as one of the top grossing tours of 2021, according to Pollstar. 

The festival also prides itself on its commitment to non profit partnerships and providing education and resources for attendees. It is partnered with HeadCount, Reverb and Calling All Crows. 

Tickets are available at Sad Summer Fest.com.

Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken opened its first Maryland location on June 3 in Columbia at 7090A Deepage Drive.

Nabil Asad is the franchisee for this new location and also operates Crimson Coward Nashville Hot Chicken restaurants in Woodbridge and Stafford, Va.

Read more at The Business Monthly.

The Chamber Music Maryland (formerly known as the Candlelight Concert Society) has announced its lineup for the 2024-2025 season. Many of the artists will be making their debuts at Chamber Music Maryland (CMM) this year.

Several performances will feature composers playing their own pieces. Another event has the Chamber Music Maryland’s first vocal ensemble performing at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Ellicott City.

Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh and Grammy Award-nominated pianist and composer Vijay Iyer will team up for a performance as well.

Meanwhile, in another event, percussionist Michael Yeung will give a free-to-attend show. Yeung won the 2023 Young Concert Artist International Auditions for its third annual Free-For-All concert.

Other shows will showcase a string quartet next to a solo clarinetist, and a wind quartet.

“This first season as Chamber Music Maryland is set to be our most significant yet,” said Bryan Young, president of the organization, in a statement.

“Chamber Music Maryland represents well what we’re doing: music played by small ensembles, from a soloist to a chamber orchestra,” said Irina Kaplan Lande, artistic director, in a statement. “We present chamber music of all kinds, from very early Renaissance to Baroque to contemporary crossovers.”

A few examples of the season’s performances include Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble opening the season in its CMM debut, with Shostakovich and Mendelssohn on the program.

The Italian Saxophone Quartet is a regular performer with CMM, and April 2025’s performance will feature the music of Handel, Barber, Gershwin, and a tribute to Luciano Pavarotti entitled “A Night at the Opera.”

Nicolas Altstaedt (cello) will perform with Fazil Say (piano/composer) in February 2025, with the program including a sonata written by Say, and music of Britten, Barber, and Brahms.

Early Bird tickets are on sale until June 20, at this link, or by calling 410-997-2324. Subscription packages can be purchased for eight-, six-, and four-concert combinations.

Ticket Pricing/Subscription Prices

Before June 20: $288 (8 concerts), $216 (6 concerts), $144 (4 concerts)
After June 20: $306 (8 concerts), $230 (6 concerts), $153 (4 concerts)

Accessible seating can be reserved online.

To purchase tickets by phone, call 410-997-2324.

All concerts will take place at Howard Community College (HCC)’s Horowitz Smith Theatre unless otherwise noted. The theater is located at 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD.

Andy Stack will be a record-holder for a long time. After serving 44 years on either the Owen Brown Village Board or the Columbia Association Board, he’s the longest-serving board member of any village in Columbia. Now he’s ready to hand the baton to the next generation.

He actually got his board start in Oakland Mills, not Owen Brown. “I moved to Columbia in 1977 and rented an apartment across from the Oakland Mills Village Center,” he said. “I volunteered at the Other Barn — the Oakland Mills community center.”

There, he got to know the members of the Oakland Mills Village Board and, in 1978, ran for a board post himself after most of the board decided to step down to pursue other activities. “I enjoyed being on the Oakland Mills Village Board,” he said. “In 1980, I purchased a duplex in Owen Brown and, since I enjoyed being on the Oakland Mills Village Board, I ran for the Owen Brown Village Board and was elected.” 

All these years, he has been inspired by Jim Rouse’s vision for Columbia, and he has wanted to be a part of making the vision happen.

Read more at The Business Monthly.

Columbia Association (CA) has chosen Shawn MacInnes as their new President/CEO after a months-long search. MacInnes will take over the role beginning June 17.

MacInnes will take the reins from  Dennis Mattey, who has been acting as Interim President/CEO for more than a year after the controversial departure of Lakey Boyd as CA President/CEO in January 2023.

“The Board of Directors welcomes Mr. MacInnes to Columbia and looks forward to working with him in service to the community,” said Eric Greenberg, CA Board Chair, in a statement. “The Board also thanks Dennis Mattey for stepping up and serving as Interim President/CEO over the past year.” 

MacInnes has held a number of high-level leadership positions in municipal governments in Maryland and Massachusetts. His education background is in civil engineering and business administration and raises money every year for cancer research.

“I look forward to bringing my collaborative approach and passion for community service to Columbia to continue the mission of James Rouse and the entire Columbia community,” MacInnes said in a statement.

“We’re excited for Mr. MacInnes to join CA’s long-standing tradition of excellence and service,” said Monica McMellon-Ajayi, CA’s Director of Human Resources, Equity and Inclusion, in a statement. “We are confident that his experience and perspective will provide a meaningful path forward for CA. We also appreciate the time and effort of all of those involved in the process to ensure that CA remains a valued partner, employer and leader in this community.”

CA’s Board of Directors chose TransPro Executive Placement to aid in the search for candidates for the President/CEO position. They also consulted the Senior Leadership Team. Selecting and interviewing finalists in March, the CA Board of Directors decided on MacInnes in April.

Lakey Boyd held her position as CA President/CEO for less than 18 months of what was supposed to be a four-year tenure, resigning after months of acrimony and disputes with members of the Board of Directors. Boyd held she was being micromanaged while some members of the Board questioned her decision-making.

Boyd had many supporters, some on the Board and many among the community members. The organization and its operations are a bit of a morass for those not steeped in local Columbia politics. Boyd was making changes to attempt to reflect the diversity of Columbia residents and help navigate the city out of the pandemic economically, in addition to dealing with legal challenges facing some prominent organizations and spaces under her purview.

She challenged the Board when rumors circulated about her being removed from her position, asking them to clarify her job status. In response, the Board issued a list of demands that Boyd said, “renders me ineffective in being able to carry out my duties as President/CEO as they are detailed in my contract.”

When the Board ruled that she did not have the right to appeal her annual evaluation of her performance, which she said contained inaccuracies and no action items for improvement, she announced her resignation two months later in January 2023.

“I have concluded that I have no other choice but to ask the CA Board to transition me out of the Columbia Association,” she said.

The Candlelight Concert Society will conclude its 51^st season on Mother’s Day, May 12 at 4 p.m. with Grammy-winning ensemble Imani Winds. The concert will take place at the Smith Theater at Howard County Community College.

The Washington Post has praised the group as “exhilarating” and the Philadelphia Inquirer lauded them for their “”technical ease, extravagant gestures, intense sound production, and the daring expressive liberties that come only after musicians have developed a sixth sense of ensemble bonding.”

The wind quintet has several Grammy nominations and a Grammy award. They blend sounds of the past with innovative contemporary additions, and their music crosses the boundaries set by genre.

Imani Winds is known for its “dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors, inspiring audiences of all ages and backgrounds,” reads the press release announcing the concert. The quintet’s music goes beyond traditional chamber music. They play commissioned pieces that reflect current societal issues and historical events. The group is dedicated to creating socially conscious music.

In the upcoming Mother’s Day concert, Imani Winds will present “De Memorias: A Latin Perspective.” It’s comprised of a wide array of Latin American music, from jazz to tango, showcasing their musical versatility and commitment to musical diversity.

The Washington Post said of the musicians in the quintet, “Each member — flutist Brandon Patrick George, oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz (a Washington native), clarinetist Mark Dover, French hornist Jeff Scott and bassoonist Monica Ellis — is a virtuoso. But with their dazzling ensemble playing and easy engagement with the audience, the whole is vastly more than the sum of its parts.”

The Candlelight Concert Society is based in Columbia, Maryland, and has presented world-class chamber music with guest artists from around the world since 1972. Its annual chamber music series is nationally recognized, and the society’s outreach programs spark interest in children to explore the performing arts, in addition to providing performances for Howard County residents unable to attend in a formal concert setting.

The Imani Winds Mother’s Day concert is an all-ages performance.

Tickets for the event cost $45 per adult. With the purchase of one adult ticket, an accompanying child up to age 17 will receive a ticket free of charge. Student tickets cost $10, and tickets for groups of 10 or more are $35 per person. To purchase tickets, please click this link.

For the first time in three decades, Maryland Wineries Association will not be part of Howard County’s Wine in the Woods event, after failed contract negotiations between the county and the association led to the end of their 29-year partnership.

Already, several of the state’s wineries have pulled out of the event in solidarity with the trade association.

Wine in the Woods, which showcases wineries from across Maryland, will take place May 18-19 in Symphony Woods in Columbia.

Howard County reached out to MWA in February to inform them that the association would not be a partner for the 2024 event, according to a message the MWA sent to its members on Tuesday.

The MWA is a trade association representing over 80 wineries in the state. Its mission is “to develop and expand the grape and wine industry in Maryland – through education and promotion,” according to its website.

The MWA sent a letter to County Executive Calvin Ball and the director of Recreation & Parks in Howard County, asking if the two sides could work together toward an agreement for Wine in the Woods. 

At the county’s request, the MWA provided a proposal for the event. However, negotiations broke down, and the county’s final offer “fell substantially below the revenue sharing expectations of our previous agreements,” the letter stated.

Anna Hunter, public information and marketing director at Howard County Recreation and Parks, said the entity MWA used to support the event was transferring to a new company, called Cultivate and Craft. Department of Recreation and Parks staff met with the MWA and Cultivate and Craft on Feb. 1.

“Due to our contractual obligations, we have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure that County costs are directly for the procurement of goods and services that the County requires. The support services that DRP needs for Wine in the Woods has evolved over the years. While some of those services are still needed, the value of those services [were] not mutually agreed upon between MWA and DRP,” Hunter said in a statement.

But Janna Howley, the MWA’s executive director, said the change in companies does not affect how the business is run in a significant way. A lot of tasks from Grow and Fortified, the company that shut down, are very similar to what Cultivate and Craft does, according to Howley.

Howley said Howard County is the only group that has had an issue with the company switching from Grow and Fortified to Cultivate and Craft; the MWA has worked with other groups on events, and Howley said no one else has raised the issue.

The relationship between Howard County and the MWA ended on March 11 after the association’s board voted on the issue, according to Hunter’s statement.

“We valued MWA’s involvement in Wine in the Woods in the past, and are disappointed that the two parties were not able to agree to mutually beneficial terms after several rounds of negotiation,” the statement from Hunter read.

Ticket prices for last year’s Wine in the Woods went for anywhere from $30 to $80, according to Visit Howard County’s website. This year, tickets are going for between $30 and $85.

Two of the largest wineries in the state have already backed out: Boordy Vineyards in Hydes, and Linganore Winecellars in Mt. Airy. 

Eric Aellen, Vice President of Linganore Winecellars, said the larger vineyards and wineries in the state are backing out to make a statement, but he doesn’t fault others for opting to remain part of the event. Aellen understands the financial impact Wine in the Woods has on some of the smaller vineyards.

Aellen said Howard County reached out to Linganore Winecellars about a month ago to see if it was participating in Wine in the Woods. Aellen assumed Linganore Winecellars’ name was already on the list because of its association with the MWA, not realizing the partnership had ended.

“Their plan was to cut the [MWA] out and just have the wineries show up,” Aellen said. “So it was kind of an odd conversation. Like, of course we’re going, we’re already signed up. And then, a couple of weeks later, we find out that they decided to part ways with the Maryland Wine Association. We were definitely taken aback by that.”

Linganore Winecellars, which has participated in Wine in the Woods since the beginning of MWA’s partnership with the county, announced on Tuesday it would not be participating in the event. The business went further to say a portion of the proceeds on wine purchases on May 18-19 will be donated to the MWA.

The Facebook post garnered 678 reactions, 176 comments and 143 shares at time of publication. 

“I stand with Linganore and other wineries too!!! Shame on Hoco,” Amy Merritt commented under the post.

Tanya Ryan suggested the MWA should have a Wine Trail during Wine in the Woods for businesses opting to not participate in the event.

“Could get those of us who prefer not to partake in [Wine in the Woods] incentive to visit all the other wineries,” Ryan wrote. “Either way, I stand with you and Elk Run!”

Elk Run, a vineyard in Mt. Airy, announced Tuesday that it, too, had withdrawn from the event.

“After several months of negotiations, it became clear that Howard County was no longer interested in continuing its partnership with the Maryland Wineries Association (MWA) to promote, organize and run the festival,” Elk Run stated in a Facebook post announcing the decision.

Howley is aware that different vineyards and wineries have pulled out of Wine in the Woods, but says that it is up to each individual business what they want to do. The MWA has not asked anyone to boycott the event.

“We support all of our members,” Howley said. “So if a member chose to participate in the event still, we are completely fine with that. Every winery has to make its own individual business decisions.”

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported Eric Aellen’s name as Tom Aellen. The article has been updated.

Blueridge Restaurant Group announced Wednesday that three of its restaurants will be rebranded.

Both Stanford Grill locations in Columbia and Rockville and Stanford Kitchen in Owings Mills will transition to “Glenwood’s” in the next few months.

The change comes as Blueridge looks to expand geographically. The company currently operates seven restaurants and plans to increase that number to 20 in the next several years, according to a press release. 

“Expansion will initially focus on nearby states with the ultimate goal of developing a nationwide presence,” the press release stated.

The name “Glenwood’s” represents where Blueridge started: Howard County. Glenwood is a town in western Howard County.

Despite the name and brand change, the essence of the restaurants, as well as the menus, will still remain what they are now.

“While the announcement of this new name brings excitement for our Company’s future, we will stay true to the principles that have established us as one of the most popular dining destinations in our area,” Managing Member David Jones said in the release. “These principles are what made us who we are, and we will remain committed to them, regardless of our name.” 

Blueridge, which brings in over $40 million in annual revenue, will make “significant capital investments” in its restaurants this year. The investment will allow Blueridge, which was founded in 2002 and opened its first restaurant in 2006, to “enhance and maintain both the operational and physical standard of its existing locations.”

In addition to the Stanford (soon to be Glenwood’s) restaurants, Blueridge also operates four Copper Canyon Grills in Hanover, Gaithersburg, Glenarden, and Silver Spring.