Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Next Emerson HOA Board Meeting Moved to June 1st

The next Emerson HOA Board of Directors Meeting, originally scheduled for May 27th, has been moved to June 1st (Monday of the following week):

Date: Mon., June 1, 2015
Time: 7 PM
Location: Emerson Clubhouse


Sunday, May 24, 2015

Local History: By Any Other Name

Have you ever wondered where the names of the communities and streets in our region came from? Here's a partial list:


  • Emerson: named after Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American essayist and poet who led the 19th Century Transcendentalist movement. Names of streets and neighborhoods in Emerson are derived from his works.
  • Atholton High School: named for Athol Manor, the historic home in nearby Martin Road Park built by the Reverend James McGill who was granted the land parcel "Athol" in 1732 to establish a new Church of England in Maryland. He supposedly named the granite building after his boyhood home in Scotland.
    • Freetown Road: the road where Atholton High School sits is named after Freetown, established in 1845 by 17 freed slaves from Athol on 150 acres of land from the estate.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Water, Water Everywhere

When we all moved into Autumn Walk a few years ago Howard County had been under water restriction constraints for several summers in a row, with severe curbs on outdoor watering and car washing through 2012.

But the area wasn't suffering from drought, so why were we under restrictions?

It was a function of how we get our water: most of the public water in Howard County comes from the Baltimore system, and the supply lines were being upgraded or repaired during that period.

Howard County's Water Supply
Most of the heavily-populated, eastern third of Howard County (which includes Columbia, Ellicott City, Elkridge, Jessup, Savage, and our own North Laurel) gets its public water supply from Baltimore City through large water mains.

From the 2013 Howard County Water Quality Report (PDF)

Friday, May 15, 2015

Autumn Walk HOA Elections on June 15th

The next Autumn Walk HOA Elections will be on Monday, June 15th at 7 PM in the Emerson Clubhouse.



One position with a 3-year term is open on the Autumn Walk HOA Board of Directors. Nominations are due by Monday, June 1st by submitting the form you will receive in the mail.

You can also download the nomination form here: 2015 Nomination Form

Autumn Walk HOA Elections

Date: Monday, June 15, 2015
Time: 7 PM
Location: Emerson Clubhouse


Here is the announcement you will receive in the mail within a few days:

May 14, 2015                                          Re: Request for Board Members

Dear Autumn Walk Homeowner:

The Annual Meeting of the Members is scheduled for Monday, June 15, 2015.  More information about the meeting will be mailed to you in the coming weeks. 

An election will be held for those interested in filling a seat on the Board of Directors. We are currently looking for community members interested in serving. No experience is necessary to be on the Board -- just an interest in your community and a few hours of your time.

At this time the Board consists of three (3) members. Currently there is one (1) position up for re-election. 

If you are interested in running for the Board, please fill out the form below and on the other side and return it in time for management to receive it by Monday, June 1, 2015.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Montpelier Mansion (Laurel, MD) Photo Album

The historic 1785 Montpelier Mansion in Laurel, MD of Major Thomas and Anne Ridgely Snowden is only about 10 miles away from Emerson, and was one of the large plantations that once occupied this part of Maryland. But the real wealth of the property came from mining for iron ore and rock.

Over the years the mansion has had many famous visitors, including George and Martha Washington, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Today the home has been preserved as a museum.

The property also hosts the Montepelier Arts Center, with both artists-in-residence and a regular schedule of performances.

Montpelier Mansion

Dinosaur Park (Laurel, MD)

Did you know that many of the dinosaur fossils discovered in the US east of the Mississippi were found in Maryland?

A tiny park in Laurel called "Dinosaur Park" commemorates the first fossil finds in the 1850's but is also an active 41-acre paleontological site, open on Saturday mornings twice a month for fossil searches.



Dinosaur Alley
"Dinosaur Alley" is a region filled with dinosaur and plant fossils that roughly corresponds to the Route 1 corridor in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia.

During the final dinosaur era, the Cretaceous period roughly 145M to 66M years ago, Maryland was a flat coastal plain with winding rivers, comparable to southern Louisiana today.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Emerson Pool Party RSVPs due Wed. 5/13

RSVPs for the 2015 Emerson Pool Party are due this Wednesday, May 13th. Send a response to the Emerson Community Manager with your name, property address, and the number of adults and the number of children attending.

If you miss this deadline you will have to wait until 2:30 PM for admission on the day of the event!


Date: Saturday, June 13, 2015
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Location: Clubhouse Parking Lot

RSVPs due Wednesday, May 13, otherwise you will have to wait till 2:30 PM for admission on the day of the event


The announcement from Emerson:

Community Pool Party

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Lost Ark Distilling to Open in Howard County This Fall

Lost Ark Distilling has announced plans to open the first craft distillery in Howard County by September 2015. They recently signed a lease on space in the same office park as Jailbreak Brewing on Route 1.


The owners were making home-brew beer but decided when they began exploring business opportunities that the craft beer market has become too crowded (though Jailbreak Brewing seems to be thriving!).

Production is expected to include 2500-3000 cases of rum and whiskey, with tastings later in the year.

About Lost Ark

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Springtime in Emerson

It's been a gorgeous Spring and a few weeks ago many of the trees were in full flower, especially the cherry trees and dogwoods.

Here's a photo album from throughout the Emerson community. The order is slightly random, but maybe you can guess where each photo was taken!