Bike to Work Day cancelled for Friday

Bike to Work Day - Columbia MD Bike To Work Day, Sponsored by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council Friday, May 16, 2014 from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM (EDT) Columbia, MD

Ticket Information

TYPE	END			QUANTITY
B2WD Participant	May 14, 2014	Free		1                         2                         3                         4                         5                         6                         7                         8                         9                         10                         11                         12                         13                         14                         15                         16                         17                         18                         19                         20                         21                         22                         23                         24                         25                         26                         27                         28                         29                         30

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Event Details

Join us for the Bike to Work Day Rally at the Columbia Mall!

Ride your bike to work on Friday, May 16th and stop by for some great Bike To Work Day gear, on-the-go snacks, and a chance to win prizes. 

Visit www.Bike2WorkCentralMD.com for great tips on choosing a route, outfitting yourself for safety, bike maintenance and more! 

Potential Routes to/from Columbia Mall Bike to Work Day Rally 

These bike routes have been recommended by a fellow Bike to Work Day participant. All routes begin/end at the Columbia Mall Bike to Work Day rally. 

• APL - Route 1 via Sanner Rd or APL - Route 2 
• Ascend Building 
• Athletic Club
• Clarksville
• Columbia Gateway
• Columbia Gym
• Elkridge Industrial
• Ellicott City
• Kings Contrivance
• South Police Station - Route 1 or Route 2 
• Supreme Court 
• UMBC 

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Loss of "civility" in the District 9B House of Delegates race

      In Howard County we are defined by our trademark "Choose Civility" bumper stickers.  Compared to the political games played at the State and National level we have always seemed to hold our elections in a civil manner.  We always have quality candidates running for office in Howard County.  This pattern unfortunately has not been followed in the District 9B House of Delegates race for the Democratic nomination.  I have always avoided blogging on local politics as there are other bloggers who follow the political scene here more than I do but this time I am making an exception.
      Rich Corkran has put out political flyers that make out his opponent, Tom Coale, to be a Tea Party ally.  The fact that Tom has recently switched from being a Republican to a Democrat hardly means that he has anything in common with the Tea Party.  I have known Tom as a fellow blogger and advocate for the homeless and children in foster care in Howard County.  The number of charitable causes with which Tom has been involved are too numerous to mention.  As a Republican or a Democrat Tom is the type of elected official that would make Howard County a better place to live.  To be smeared by an opponent in this manner is something that just doesn't play well in Howard County.

P.S.
   The Marshmallow Man captures this issue in more detail.

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Help for those "aging in place" in Columbia

    I have blogged on a regular basis about the aging of our planned community. By "aging" I mean both our residents and our residences. The baby boomers who moved into Columbia in its early years into their brand new homes to raise their young families are now retiring and planning on continuing to make Columbia their home. In recognition of this reality the Columbia Association and the Howard County Government have teamed up to provide some support to Columbia seniors who need to stay in their homes. I wanted to pass along some information which I recently received on this program:

CA, Howard County Government funding home repairs to help those in-need age in place

   Since 2005, Columbia Association (CA) and the Howard County Office on Aging have partnered to help older adults age in place, providing financial assistance to qualified CA homeowners who cannot otherwise pay for accessibility or repair expenses for their homes. These repairs help eliminate health, safety and property maintenance deficiencies and ensure compliance with codes and standards, increasing the supply of safe, affordable and accessible housing in Howard County.
Among the repairs considered health and safety related are:
Home accessibility, including access ramps, doorway widening and visual alert signalers
Grab bar installation
Water and sewer connections
Plumbing repairs or replacement
Central heating or air conditioning system repairs or replacement
Home insulation
Roof repairs
Electrical system repairs
Hot water heater repairs or replacement
Repairs or replacement of stoves, refrigerators, smoke detectors or security devices. 

Repairs that this program does not cover include the initial installation of an air conditioning system (unless medically necessary); installation or repair of window air conditioners or similar removable devices; repairs or renovations to areas not used as main living areas; tree removal or landscaping work; washers/dryers.

The program is for homeowners who are at least 62 years of age, or who reside with a person who is at least 62; and for homeowners of any age with a disability, or who reside with a person of any age with a disability as defined by Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. The applicant must own and occupy the dwelling in Howard County to be repaired, and the annual gross family income cannot exceed the low- to moderate-income limits established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Approvals are done on a need basis, with priority given to those with lower income status. Services are subject to the availability of funds, with grant amounts not exceeding $5,000 — except for in cases of emergency repair expenses for conditions determined to be a threat to the health and safety of the homeowner or the public.

Apply by calling the Office on Aging’s Maryland Access Point at 410-313-5980 (or Relay 711 for the deaf and hard of hearing) about the repairs and modifications needed. Staff will then contact you to discuss your needs and explore your options and resources. Application packets are mailed out based upon preliminary eligibility. Once applications are completed and returned, staff will call to arrange a site visit that will determine the extent of the repairs and provide recommendations and resources. Applications will then be reviewed for eligibility, and those who qualify for assistance will work with staff to choose a contractor and oversee the contract agreement. Contractors are paid through the county once work is done and inspected.

Applications are maintained for a one-year period, after which time those applicants that were not assisted must reapply.
P.S.

     For those of us who have been fans of the Cobert Report on Comedy Central the moving of Stephen Colbert  to CBS was sad.  But I have learned that his replacement is my favorite reporter on the Daily Show, Larry Wilmore!

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Grotto's Pizza opens in Maryland!

     For those of us who remember summers at Rehoboth Beach or Dewey Beach having Grotto's Pizza was a fond memory of those beach weeks.  Tasting the Grotto's Pizza always makes me think of sand, the Boardwalk, salt water and suntan lotion.  For the past few years I have been buying Grotto's cheese and sauce at the Grotto's in Seaford, Delaware just to be able to have their pizza taste at home.

    Now with the first Maryland Grotto's opening 19 miles away in Gambrill's, off Route 3, at the Waugh Chapel Shopping Center this week it will be easier to enjoy Grotto's pizza year around.  This is only the first of other locations in our area that will open in the future.

    Visiting Grotto's last night I found the place large enough to hold 350 patrons in its sports themed restaurant.  You could tell it was their first week with the 30 minute wait for pizza and the wait staff being unsure of their tasks.  But the pizza was the usual great pizza.  I had a pizza called the Grand Fiesta made with grilled chicken, tomato, roasted corn, red pepper, onion and pepperjack cheese topped with chipotle sauce.  I had never had the pizza but it is worth a try.
     If Grotto's ever opened in Columbia I know I would gain 20 pounds!  You can have your Ledo's I will take Grotto's any day.

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Cycle2Health kicks off second season

    Yesterday saw a large turnout of senior riders at the opening ride of the second season of the Office on Aging sponsored Cycle2Health program.  According to the Office on Aging website Cycle2Health Howard County " is a non-competitive, peer-led, bicycling club for adults of all ages and riding abilities, coordinated by the Health & Wellness Division of the Howard County Office on Aging." 

   Summer like temperatures brought out over 60 riders, many new participants, for this year's first ride from the East Columbia Senior Center.  A "new riders" group is an effort this year to make bike riders comfortable riding again after not bike riding for many years.  Instructional clinics will be part of the new riders effort.  

   Rides will be scheduled for each Thursday through this Fall weather permitting.  Each week there will be  is a short ride of 10-15 miles and a longer ride of 20+ miles.  Yesterday's long ride turned around at Savage Mill.  This year the group is looking to try rides on some of the "rails to trails" paths in the Baltimore/Washington area. There is a $10 registration fee to participate in the program and you can register online at this link.

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