Salutations April is Earth Month and it's easy to see why this month was chosen to celebrate Mother Earth. I have made two farm visits in the past 10 days, one to Porch View Farm near Lisbon and the other to the Community Ecology Institute, a brand new venture on Harriet Tubman Lane that will be welcoming community members for all kinds of farm-related and ecology activities in the very near future. At both farms, the green was starting to show on the trees and bushes, plants were starting to push up from the beneath the ground, and at Porch View, we were treated to the sight of 1 week old lambs. As spring comes upon us and Earth Day approaches (April 20), the natural beauty of the landscape in many parts of Howard County reminds me of the importance of preserving our trees, protecting our scenic roads, and ensuring landscaped or natural vegetative buffers remain in place. We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful place. I hope we can all slow down at some point in the next three weeks and enjoy a walk in one of our Howard County parks to take advantage of our springtime weather!

Attendees at Porch View Farm for the Soil Conservation's Farm Academy

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Watch the archived Council livestream View pending legislation 2019 General Assembly Wrap-Up Condolences to family, friends, and colleagues of Michael E. Busch, the longest-serving House Speaker in the history of Maryland. Speaker Busch was present at my engagement party many years ago. Sine Die 2019:  The 2019 General Assembly came to a close on April 8. The following bills were adopted: HB428 Flood Management Grant program was sponsored by Howard County Delegate Watson and Senator Fry Hester. The bill will help flood areas such as Old Ellicott City. The following bills give Howard County Council the authority to raise fees: HB1166 Authority to Impose Fees for Use of Disposable Bags HB1409 - School Facilities Surcharge Tax Credit Help  Get help filing for County tax credits. A Maryland Access Point (MAP) counselor  will be available at the Cashier’s Office at the George Howard Building on the following dates: May 15, 9am-1pm (Korean language assistance available) July 15, 9am-1pm August 7, 8am-5pm SeeClickFix Potholes Be Gone  Got potholes and other road and infrastructure repair requests? Report the problem and track the solution through SeeClickFix . Create a login, set your location, and rest assured that the county is working on it for you.

County Council Updates The Council is working through the FY2020 Budget for all departments except Board of Education, Howard Community College, and Libraries. Those budget categories will be addressed starting April 24. A public hearing and a work session on the Capital Budget were held on April 9 and April 15, respectively. A final vote on filed bills was held on April 1. CB 11 (Scenic Roads) took up the bulk of the session with multiple amendments and amendments-to-amendments. The bill passed the Council but was vetoed by the County Executive. Read the press release  from the bill's sponsors in response to the County Executive's veto. Legislation introduced in April includes the following: CR49 - Development Rights & Responsibilities Agreement (DRRA) with Chase Land, LLC; the agreement for the site acquisition of high school #13. Read the Baltimore Sun article about this agreement here. CB14 - Requiring diaper changing stations in certain buildings. CB17 - Increasing the number of consecutive years a project must be retested under the school capacity test of APFO.  Budget Season is Here The County Executive's capital budget has been released. It can be viewed here . Countywide highlights include: Talbot Springs Elementary replacement  Bicycle pathways High School #13 Hammond High School renovation/addition Department of Corrections renovation New Public Private Partnership Courthouse District 4 highlights include: F5976 - North Columbia Fire Station W8332 Heritage Heights Water & Sewer Extensions W8304 Columbia Water Pumping Station Improvements M0539 HCC, Mathematics & Athletics Complex C0351 Harriet Tubman Remediation & Restoration C0335 Florence Bain 50+ Center improvements T7107 Downtown Columbia Patuxent Branch Trail extension L0020 New Howard County Library Central branch relocation  Give me your input on the Budget here . Ellicott City Safe & Sound Plan: Phase 2 On April 17, County Executive Dr. Calvin Ball announced Phase 2 of the Ellicott City Safe & Sound plan. Phase 2 presents five mitigation proposals to the public for their input. All five plans include some demolition of buildings on Main Street. All five proposals include retention and conveyance. The county has acquired ownership of several buildings in Old Ellicott and Valley Mede; the Caplan building is slated to be demolished in all plans. A public meeting will be held on May 2, 7pm, at Howard High School. Pre-Submission Meetings & Public Hearings 5/2 - Village of Wilde Lake, Right-of-way setback reduction for construction of parking garage. 5/8 - Columbia Community Church, parking lot expansion 5/23 - Tributaries to Little Patuxent River 1 & 2, stream restoration project 6/7 - RLJ Lodging Trust (Double Tree) Visit the county's interactive   pDox tool for more.  Nature Spotlight Robinson Nature Center is a county-owned environmental education facility occupying 18 acres in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area. The center is a LEED Platinum building with immersive nature exhibits. The center hosts 420 educational programs, birthday parties, and meetings. Trails wind through the woods and pollinator meadows as well as a nature playground. There's always something to do - click here to learn more

County Paving Schedule Winter weather is always harsh on our county roads. Here is the spring paving schedule for District 4. This schedule is weather dependent and may shift.

Keeping Up with Deb Below are some of the events and meetings I have recently attended. Let me know about your community activities so I can stop by, if my schedule allows. 03/20 - Holi Celebration, ICA 04/05 - Poetry Out Loud recognition ceremony 04/05 - Battle of the Books 04/06 - ColorFest@ the Chrysalis 04/07 - Bridges to Housing Stability Chili Cook-Off 04/08 - HC Veteran's Celebration and Resource Fair 04/09- Leadership HC HoCo Big Event 04/10 - Community Ecology Institute Tour 04/10 - Cherrybration Tree Dedication 04/11 - HC Farm Bureau Annual Legislative Dinner 4/13 - Coffee with Deb 4/13 - Korean American Senior Association's 17th anniversary 04/13 - GreenFest 04/16 - Spring 2019 Farm Academy

I'm only halfway through April and my schedule is fully in bloom. Here are some highlights from Coffee with Deb, me on a tractor at the Community Ecology Institute, Howard County Farm Bureau Legislative Dinner, Korean American Senior Association celebration, Poetry Out Loud recognition ceremony, and two Holi festivals.

Community Affairs

County offices will re-open at regular business hours on Monday, April 22. CLOSED on Friday, April 19    County Government Offices ~ 50+centers ~ Animal shelter ~ Historic sites       OPEN on Friday, April 19 Alpha Ridge Landfill ~ Courts All trash, recycling, yard trim and food scrap services ~County parks Community centers ~ Robinson Nature Center ~ Cedar Lane & Schooley Mill Activity Rooms and Meadowbrook Athletic Center (open only for scheduled programs)  RTA operates on regular weekday schedule CLOSED on Sunday, April 21  - Community centers & facilities    OPEN ON Sunday, April 21 - County parks All parking regulations and fees will be in effect Friday, but not Sunday.

Easter Bunny Pictures at Lord & Taylor April 19th & 20th, 10am to 9pm The Mall in Columbia 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia click here to reserve your spot! Make memories to cherish forever with this great family tradition. Don’t miss out on your chance to meet the Easter Bunny—reserve your place today to secure a spot and skip the line!

"Columbia's Promise" Preview Screening by Columbia Association  April 24th, 7:30pm Smith Theatre (in the Horowitz Center) Campus Drive, Columbia Be among the first to view a special documentary created by award-winning producer Ken Day of Maryland Public Television, in collaboration with community leaders and resources provided by Columbia Archives in celebration of Columbia’s first 50 years. No admission fee. Limited seating. RSVP now.

HoCoPoLitSo and HCC Present: Blackbird Poetry Festival: Poetry of Wit and Wonder April 25, 7:30pm Monteabaro Hall Horowitz Center for the Performing Arts, Columbia The Nightbird Festival features Mississippi Poet Laureate Beth Ann Fennelly whose newest book was selected as one of the ten best Southern books of 2017 by the Atlanta Journal Constitution . “Readers, you are in for a hootenanny of a wild ride. This is Fennelly at her most laid-bare, wickedly funny, and irrepressibly poetic best,” raves Kirkus Reviews . Joining Fennelly on stage will be Hanna Al-Kowsi, Maryland’s second place Poetry Out Loud winner from Marriotts Ridge High School. Click here for m ore information and tickets.

"JAZZ JAZZ JAZZ" - Keeping JAZZ Alive April 28th, 2pm - 5pm African Art Museum of MD 11711 E. Market Place, Fulton Presenting 2 Ladies of JAZZ :  Harpist Extraordinaire - Victoria Payton : JAZZ on the Harp  Vocalist - Changamirè (raised on the voices of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan) and her highly-acclaimed quintet featuring Count Basie alum: Lincoln Ross.  $25.00 per person (tickets available at the museum, online or via mail ) ; $30.00 per person at the door the date of the event.

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