Howard County Officials to Discuss Route 1 Revitalization and APFO on Nov. 1

(Please note that although both topics are on the same agenda, APFO addresses congestion from new housing in all of Howard County and not just the Route 1 Corridor.)

Howard County officials will be the guests at the next meeting of the Southern Howard County Civic Association (SHCCA) on November 1st at 6:30 PM in the North Laurel Community Center (NLCC).

• Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) 
• Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) Task Force 

There will be two topics:

• 7:00 PM: Route 1 Revitalization
• 7:45 PM: Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO)

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016 [add to Facebook calendar]

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: North Laurel Community Center (NLCC), 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road, Laurel, MD 20723

At this meeting Howard County will provide an overview of the review committee's recommendations for the first major changes to APFO since 1992, which govern what contributions developers must make for schools, roads, and other public infrastructure to account for the increased burdens created by growth.

The committee spent hundreds of hours over the course of 2015-2016 discussing the changes and this is your chance to understand the recommendations in a condensed form.

These recommendations are expected to form the basis for discussions between the Howard County Executive and the County Council when they consider making changes to the law over the next year.

To learn more about APFO, go to Howard County's web site at:

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/About-HoCo/County-Executive/Adequate-public-facilities-ordinance-task-force

Related Posts:

• Howard County Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) Overview (1/12/16)

Halloween Lights (Odenton, MD)

For a little Halloween fun, the 2016 Halloween Light Show will go live on Ice Crystal Court in Odenton on Friday, October 21 from 6:30 PM to 9 PM! The show should stay up through Halloween.

See the linked article about last year's show, and go to the family's Facebook page to see the rules for visitors (which essentially ask you to be courteous to the neighbors and to be safe).

This is the fifth year the family has created a light show, and they usually do one for Christmas as well.

• Odenton Man Attracts Hundreds for Annual Halloween Light Show (The Capital Gazette, 10/28/16)
• Thousands of Lights Sync to Halloween Music in Odenton (WMAR ABC2News, 10/21/15)
• Lights on Ice Crystal (Facebook)

Fall Maintenance Tips

Angie's List has a fairly comprehensive list of suggested Fall Maintenance tasks to prepare your household for the upcoming change in seasons:

1. Seal drafts and add insulation 
1. Caulk, seal, and weatherstrip
2. Measure your insulation
3. Audit energy waste
2. Service your furnace 
1. Schedule fall HVAC maintenance
2. Replace furnace filters
3. Protect your plumbing 
1. Insulate water lines
2. Drain your water heater
3. Remove and drain outside hoses
4. Check your gutters, roof, and chimney 

Halloween Block Party and Chili Cook-Off

It's time for the 2016 Autumn Walk Halloween Block Party and Chili Cook-Off on Garden Ranges! Like last year, the event will held at 9832 (Allie's house).

To sign up for the Chili Cook-Off go to the link below or send an email to Allie at amehok01@yahoo.com:

• 2016 Autumn Walk Halloween Chili Cook-Off on Sign-Up Genius (http://bit.ly/2etJlRf)

Planned events:

• Halloween Block Party - bring your treats for the trick-or-treaters
• Chili Cook-Off (both meat and vegetarian categories)
• Pumpkin Carving Contest (on Saturday @ 5pm, bring your own pumpkin)
• Adult Costume Contest
• Food and drinks - hots dogs/chips

To Enter the Chili Cook-Off:

• Send email to Allie at amehok01@yahoo.com
• Tell her how many chili entries and which categor(ies)

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Date: Mon., Oct. 31, 2016 (Halloween!)

Location: 9832 Garden Ranges

Time: 

Saturday 10/29 @ 5pm: 

• Pumpkin Carving Contest
• Bring your pumpkin to the common area behind the 9830-9838 Townhouse Row (where the picnic was)
• Pumpkins will be judged on Halloween along with the chili

Monday 10/31:

• 5:30pm: Bring your chili entries to 9832
• 6pm - 7:30pm: Chili and Pumpkin Judging Begins
• Enjoy food, fun, and fellowship
• Vote on your favorite chili (meat and vegetarian categories) and pumpkin
• Adult costumes will also be judged by the hosts Allie and Daphna
• c. 8pm: Prizes awarded for:
• Best Adult Costume
• Best Pumpkin
• Best Meat Chili
• Best Vegetarian Chili

This has been a fun tradition for both adults and kids here in Autumn Walk the last few years, and a great way to meet your neighbors!

Please join us even if you don't intend to enter one of the contests. It's just a great way to spend Halloween!

For the full set of pictures from last year:

• 2015 Autumn Walk Halloween Block Party

Autumn Walk 2016 Annual Meeting and Elections

The 2016 Autumn Walk Annual Meeting and Elections will be held on Monday, November 7th at 7 PM in the Emerson Clubhouse.

The expected agenda:

• This year there will be 1 position open on the three-member Board of Directors. For the elections to be valid, a quorum of 12 houses is needed either in attendance or by proxy.
• Your current Board is:
• Dharmesh Patel, President
• Damon Wood, Vice President
• Mike Fitzgerald, Secretary
• The Board will also be adopting the 2017 Budget at this meeting. Look for the draft budget to be mailed to you soon. Comments can be provided ahead of time or at the meeting.

Emerson Elections

The Emerson Elections will occur just one week later, on Mon., Nov. 14th.

All three resident slots on the 5-member Board are up for re-election. 

In order to provide for better continuity in the future, the terms of office will be staggered based upon the number of votes in this election. 

The candidate getting the most votes will get a 3-year term of office, the next will have 2-years, and the final director will get 1-year.

Watch for Mail

Please keep an eye on your mailbox for the candidate forms and proxy forms that are being mailed to you (separately for each HOA)!

Emerson Capital Improvements - Town Hall 10/24

Emerson will discuss the survey results and the Board's decisions for capital improvement projects at the next Emerson Town Hall Meeting on Mon., Oct. 24th at 7 PM in the Clubhouse.

As you will recall, the Board sent out a survey asking residents to provide feedback on possible improvements to Emerson facilities in order to enhance our quality of life, ranging from an expansion and renovation of the Clubhouse to an expansion of the pool.

48% of the almost 1000 households in Emerson filled out the survey, with many write-in suggestions as well.

"No Parking" Signs

The Howard County Fire Marshal is expected to install "No Parking" signs along the traffic island within the next month. This will create fire lanes to ensure that emergency vehicles can get through.

Once the signs are installed, cars can be ticketed for parking along the islands.

Howard County School Board Candidates (Wed. Oct. 19th)

(Update 11/9/16: Three newcomers were elected to the 7-member Board of Education: Kirsten Coombs, Christina Delmont-Small, and Mavis Ellis.)

As the General Election approaches, we also have an important Howard County School Board race this year.

The independent School Board directly controls $617.5M (58.8%) of Howard County's entire FY17 Operating Budget, and Howard County has set aside an $891.3M Capital Program for education.

Date: Wed., Oct.19, 2016
Time: 6pm - 9pm (Meet and Greet 6-7 pm, Forum 7-9 pm)
Location: Forest Ridge Elementary School (cafeteria), 9550 Gorman Road, Laurel, MD 20723

The Savage Community Association (SCA) and Forest Ridge Elementary PTA have partnered to bring you a forum for the upcoming Howard County Board of Education candidates prior to the election. Come meet the current BOE members and candidates on the ballot.

http://www.frespta.org/events/howard-county-board-of-education-candidate-forum/

Please Pick Up After Your Pets

Pet waste is growing a problem throughout Emerson.

There are many Dog Waste Stations installed all around Emerson that both supply bags, and have trash receptacles for depositing them after they have been used.

Please help to keep Emerson clean! Thanks all!

2016 Autumn Walk Picnic Pictures

A huge thanks goes out to the volunteers who organized the 5th Annual Autumn Walk (Garden Ranges) Picnic on Sept. 18th, often at their own expense!

There was more great food than we could eat, and we had games for the kids including the cake walk and “shaving-cream/cheese-doodle head.”

Columbia, MD #1 in 2016 Money Magazine Best Places to Live in America

Columbia, MD is #1 on Money Magazine's 2016 Best Places to Live in America list!

This is the sixth consecutive time that Columbia has been in the Top 10 of this biennial ranking, and the first time that Columbia has taken the top spot, with the publication citing good schools, a strong business climate, economic and social diversity, and relatively affordable housing for this region.

This year's rankings emphasized the economy and jobs.

Other Top 50 communities in DC-MD-NoVA were Ashburn, VA (#22) and Hunter Mill, VA (#28, incorporating parts of Reston, Herndon, Vienna, and Tysons Corner).

As you know, Emerson is on the southern boundary of Columbia and shares the same top-rated Howard County school district and library system.

Sign Up for 2016 Autumn Walk Picnic

Update 9/15/16:

Hopefully the weather will be great, but the picnic will be held come rain or shine!

In case of rain, the picnic food and activities will move into the garages at 9832 and 9834. If the weather is good, it will stay outside in the common area behind that row.

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We have more details for the 5th Annual Autumn Walk (Garden Ranges) Potluck Picnic!

Date: Sunday, Sept. 18th
Time: 3 PM - 6 PM
Location: Autumn Walk Common Area (behind the 9830-9838 Townhouse Row)

To sign up to bring a potluck dish or picnic supplies, or volunteer to help, go to SignUpGenius.com:

http://bit.ly/2cpk0fb

or send an email to autumnwalkhoa@gmail.com. Please give us a house number/name so we know who is coming!

Come out and meet your neighbors! Fun for the whole family!

• Food, fun, games, door prizes!
• Autumn Walk HOA will provide pre-made sandwiches, everything else is up to you!

The organizers decided to go with sandwiches this year, so everyone can enjoy the picnic and no one is left tending the grills.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Autumn Walk Picnic on Sunday, Sept. 18th

Update 9/15/16:

Hopefully the weather will be great, but the picnic will be held come rain or shine!

In case of rain, the picnic food and activities will move into the garages at 9832 and 9834. If the weather is good, it will stay outside in the common area behind that row.

To sign up to bring a potluck dish or picnic supplies, or volunteer to help, go to SignUpGenius.com:

http://bit.ly/2cpk0fb

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Save the date! The 2016 Autumn Walk Picnic will be on Sunday, September 18 from 3 PM - 6 PM.

• There will be a new location this year, the grassy common area between Autumn Walk and Skylark Ridge (on the north side of the street, behind the second row of houses).

• As usual the Picnic will be potluck. Stay tuned for more details about what will be provided and what will be needed, as well as activities.

The Picnic has been a great success each of the past 4 years, thanks to the efforts of our volunteers. Please tell those not on the mailing list about it, and come out to have a fun time with your neighbors!

Flamingo Friday This Week!

We've had a few Flamingo Fridays this year, and it's great to see that this wonderful tradition is enduring.

For those of you new to our neighborhood, The Flamingo signals that everyone is welcome to drop by casually and meet the neighbors. The host provides drinks, cups, napkins, etc. -- and everything else is up to you!

Please stop by, if only for a few minutes to say hi. This is one of the many things that makes Autumn Walk a special community to live in!

Date: Friday, Aug. 5th, 2016
Time: 7 PM
Location: 9868 (Dionne and Damon)

Emerson National Night Out - Food Drive for Ellicott City

Emerson's National Night Out (NNO) will still continue as scheduled tomorrow night, but appearances by Howard County police, fire, and government officials have been cancelled due to the recovery efforts from the devastating floods in Ellicott City this past weekend.

One of Emerson's residents has arranged for a Food Drive for Ellicott City in conjunction with the Howard County Food Bank and the Grassroots Center. Donations can be brought to a dedicated area at NNO.

Date: Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Time: 6 PM - 8 PM
Location: Emerson Clubhouse

1. National Night Out Events: