Dear Friends,

Even before the pandemic, we recognized the gap in mental health services, especially for our students and young residents. Early this year, we provided more than $2 million to support mental health services for every student in all 77 of our public schools. Today, I joined Congressman John Sarbanes and Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano to hear directly about the impact of this investment from social workers and counselors.

Through the program, 58% of students referred to SBMHS were connected with a community mental health provider and referred students attended 90% of their scheduled appointments with community providers. The program also saw positive outcomes with improved attendance, academic growth, improved social-emotional skills, and reduced discipline referrals

Our actions, at the across all levels of government, can make a difference and save lives. 

Talking About Public Safety 

Howard County is a proud home to the Safest City in America, due to our efforts to keep public safety at the forefront of all our initiatives. However, we know that one crime is one crime too many. We still have work to do. 

Join me and our public safety, school, and other officials for a Public Safety Town Hall on June 21st at 6:00 p.m. at the Savage Volunteer Fire Company to discuss our current public safety efforts. 

To ask questions in advance, please email TownHall@howardcountymd.gov. 

Standing Against Gun Violence 

Across our state and our nation, gun violence is an epidemic that threatens the livelihood of people from all walks of life. While Howard County has one of the lowest gun death rates in the state, any life lost to gun violence is one too many.

In honor of National Gun Violence Awareness day, in remembrance of the millions of lives taken or altered by gun violence, we lit he George Howard Building orange throughout the weekend. 

Hunger Awareness Day 

In Howard County, 1 in 4 residents struggle to make ends meet. Many times, they are torn between paying their rent, paying the utility bill, or putting food on their table. Far too often, they are forced to sacrifice nutritious and healthy foods just to keep a roof over their heads. Today is Hunger Awareness Day, and the perfect time to come together to raise awareness about food insecurity in our community. 

We must recommit our efforts to ensure no resident goes to sleep hungry. It is why partnerships with community organizations, such as the Community Action Council, is hard at work year round to ensure all our residents have the resources needed to live their best lives. This Hunger Awareness Day, take a moment to help our neighbors in need. Learn more about the CAC here.

Being Bold and Proud

Every resident deserves the right to not be discriminated against for who they are or who they love. We remain committed to inclusion and celebrating all of our unique differences. From hosting our very first Pride celebration with Howard County PRIDE in 2019 to all the amazing work we will continue to do, let’s work to make Howard County even more welcoming and loving. I encourage all our residents to be bold, be proud, be YOU!

Happy Pride Month!

A Celebration of Arts

In 2016, the Howard County Arts Council produced ArtReach and I am thrilled to be partnering with them to finally bring this festival back to Long Reach. At that time, retail space in the village center was only 20% occupied, office space was 15% occupied and the former Safeway was vacant. Since then, we implemented our Long Reach Rising Plan and now more than 50,000 square feet of office and retail space has been leased. Currently, retail space at the village center is 93% occupied, office space is almost 70% occupied and the former Safeway is 48% occupied.

I was so grateful to join the Arts Council to celebrate how far we’ve come at ArtReach! This event featured live music, hands-on activities, children's performances, artists' demonstrations, a photo booth, and lots more. 

Thank you to Councilman Opel Jones, Delegate Jessica Feldmark, The Howard County Arts Council, Columbia Association, Long Reach Community Association, Columbia Festival of the Arts, African Art Museum of Maryland, Roll Up N Dye, and all our partners for collaborating on this fun event.

A Savagely Good Time

I had a splendid time at Savage Fest. This event is a wonderful tradition that celebrates a vibrant community, which is why it's important that we continue to invest. 

Over the last few years, we have provided nearly $2 million for complete streets that included a mini roundabout at Foundry and Washington along with other improved safety projects, $2.2 million in improvements for Savage Park, $1.75 million for the Savage Remainder to preserve open space, nearly $2.0 million to expand existing pathway and trail systems, built an inclusive playground and supported our local Savage businesses through HoCo RISE Business Grants. 

I'm so thankful for the efforts of the Savage Community Association and all our local businesses and organizations who helped make this event a success. I look forward to another savagely amazing event in the future!

Empowering Our Girls 

Programs like Girls on the Run are so important for the physical, mental and emotional health of our girls and I was thrilled to join them for their 20th Howard County Girls on the Run 5K. To all our young girls - Remember to find your happy pace and focus on moving forward one step at a time! 

Thank you to Jessamine Duvall for her leadership, and all our coaches and volunteers who help ensure our young girls feel are healthy, supported and empowered.

Pride in OEC

Howard County is the place where we don’t just talk about diversity and inclusion, but we celebrate it. I had a great time in Historic Ellicott City today celebrating the first ever OEC Pride with friends like Flower Barn - Ellicott City, MD, E.C. Pops, Park Ridge Creamery, AxGard, Little Market Café, The Phoenix Emporium, The ClayGround Studio & Gallery, Sweet Cascades Chocolatier, Manor Hill Tavern, The Wine Bin and many others! 

Thanks to all the business owners and community leaders who played a part in putting this amazing weekend together, and a special thank you to the Ellicott City Partnership. 

The AAPI Cultural Center 

Join us on June 23rd at 6:30 p.m. at the Bain 50+ Center to learn about and discuss the future launch of Howard County's first-ever Asian-American and Pacific Islander Cultural Center. 

We want to gather feedback from residents. Please RSVP to aapiworkgroup@howardcountymd.gov if you're planning to attend.

Celebrating Our Panthers 

It’s always a pleasant time with our Running Brook Elementary PTA. I was so excited to join our Panthers for a day of games, music, fun activities and more. Thank you principal Anthony Esposito, Stephanie Martin, and our entire PTA community for hosting this wonderful event!

Increasing Diverse Contractor Involvement 

In an effort to increase our diverse contractor involvement in Howard County-wide and Downtown Columbia construction projects, we invite you to join us to learn more about opportunities with future development projects with Howard Hughes. The event will take place on June 10th at 10:00 a.m. at 6100 Merriweather Dr. 4th floor. 

To learn more and register, please click here. 

Getting Boosted

Howard County's COVID-19 cases are rising, and we're now in the HIGH community transmission level according to the CDC. What does this mean for you?

- Wear masks indoors in public

- Stay up to date with vaccines

- Get tested if you have symptoms

- If you are at high risk for severe illness, consider additional precautions

If you haven't already - be sure to make an appointment today to get boosted at vaccine.howardcountymd.gov

Pitch & Mingle 

Join our Howard County Economic Development Authority for Pitch and Mingle on June 7th from 5-8 p.m.

Five startups will have the unique opportunity to present their platform in a 4-minute pitch, followed by 4 minutes of Q&A from the panel of judges and audience. Three winners will be awarded cash prizes, including an awesome $3,000 for first place. The audience will get to award the "Crowd Favorite" prize.

Enjoy cocktails, nibbles, and networking as you support local entrepreneurs.

Register here. 

Tell HoCo 

Want a pothole fixed? A tree removed? A sidewalk in your neighborhood need repair?

We have developed an efficient and easy-to-use system to report complaints, such as these, which helps us address these issues near you. I encourage residents to download the Tell HoCo app from the Apple app store or Google play, if you haven’t already, and use it to alert us to nuisances such as fallen trees and limbs, missing street signs, potholes, stormwater and drainage issues and more. Use the red button on the app to file a new request, upload a picture, provide more details regarding your request, and our team will work diligently to help resolve your concern to the best of our abilities. 

Since its launch, Tell HoCo has received and addressed more than 62,000 issues. By working together, we can resolve the small problems before they become big ones.

Food Truck Thursdays

As the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time to gather with friends and enjoy the great tastes of Howard County at Food Truck Thursdays at the Long Reach Village Center. Come out to support our local favorites every Thursday from 5-8 p.m. 

Food trucks will come to the village center every week, with a variety of vendors to satisfy our every craving. Be sure to check it out! #longreachrising

Quality of Life

We are conducting an online survey of County residents. We want everyone to have an opportunity to share their opinions with County Government on the services we provide. This survey is one way for us to assess how we are doing and identify areas for improvement. The survey will be open until 11:59 p.m. on June 30th.

The survey is available here.

COVID-19 Update

According to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Howard County’s positivity rate today is 11.8% and our 7-day moving average case rate per 100k is 31.4. The steep increase of cases we've seen in recent weeks is related to the BA2 subvariant which is highly transmissible. However, the rate of increase has slowed. This week's data indicates new cases have plateaued and are in fact declining. Hospitalizations are expected to continue to rise and perhaps an increase in deaths as these two indicators lag case rates. 

Howard County's Community Level, according to the CDC, is HIGH. COVID-19 Community Levels are categorized as low, medium, and high based on the number of COVID-19 cases in each community and the impact of severe disease on community-based healthcare systems. COVID-19 layered prevention strategies can help limit severe disease and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. All residents should strongly consider wearing a high-quality mask indoors in public, especially those at high risk for complications from COVID. Have a plan for rapid testing if needed. There are currently 9 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and Acute Care units at Howard County General Hospital. We’ve sadly lost 352 of our residents to COVID-19 and we continue to keep their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers. 

The CDC recently authorized booster shots for kids 5-11. Anyone 5+ who completed their vaccine series in December or earlier should get boosted as soon as possible. Anyone 50+ and those who are immunocompromised, can receive a second booster. Staying up to date with vaccine continues to be the best way to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19. Howard County is a state leader with 91.6% of our residents 5+ fully vaccinated. However, 33% of our eligible residents have not yet received a first booster shot.

Find a vaccine near you, and give yourself the best protection against COVID-19 at vaccine.howardcountymd.gov

June Issue of The 50+ Connection Now Available

Our Department of Community Resources and Services’ (DCRS) Office on Aging and Independence’s (OAI) The 50+ Connection newsletter is now available online. Published monthly as a two-page insert in the Howard County Beacon, this newsletter provides valuable information regarding programs, services and events of interest to older adults. You can find the current and past issues on OAI’s “Publications & Reports” website or join OAI’s email subscriber list to receive the current issue each month straight to your inbox. Subscribe today to ensure you are among the first to hear about upcoming OAI special events and informative programs.

Elder Abuse Awareness Resource Fair Set for June 11^th, Featuring Document Shredding Event

To help raise awareness about and in alignment with Protect Week (June 13^th to June 17^th) and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (June 15^th), DCRS will host an Elder Abuse Awareness Resource Fair on Saturday, June 11^th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. outside at 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive in Columbia. In the event of inclement weather, the Fair will be held inside DCRS’ offices.

Hosted by OAI and held in collaboration with DCRS’ Office of Consumer Protection and AARP Maryland, the Fair will feature representatives from AARP Maryland, Howard County Police Department, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, CCCSMD, Age-Friendly Howard County, the Howard County Department of Social Services and other community partners, as well as giveaways and refreshments while supplies last.

In addition, the Fair will also feature a document shredding event, where attendees can shred up to two boxes of personal documents (no business documents) per vehicle on-site. Pre-registration is required to participate in the shredding event. To reserve your shredding time slot, visit https://bit.ly/HoCoShred.

To request a sign language interpreter or other accommodations to participate in the Fair, please contact Maryland Access Point one week in advance at 410-313-1234 (voice/relay). 

For more information about how you can take a stand against elder abuse in Howard County, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/eldersafety or contact Peters Omoregie 410-313-6498 (voice/relay).

You're Invited to an Age-Friendly Lunch & Learn!

I invited all to join DCRS this upcoming month for one of its upcoming Lunch & Learn events (see dates below), where participants will learn more about our Age-Friendly Howard County Action Plan. Participants will have the opportunity to learn more about what's on the horizon and how you can help make Howard County a safer and healthier place to grow old, as well as meet members of the work groups who put the Action Plan together. Registration is required to attend one of the Lunch & Learn events, where lunch will be provided; to register, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/agefriendly. 

• Monday, June 6^th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Glenwood 50+ Center, 2400 MD 97 in Cooksville
• Monday, June 13^th from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the North Laurel 50+ Center, 9411 Whiskey Bottom Road in Laurel
• Wednesday, June 29^th from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the East Columbia 50+ Center, 9900 Cradlerock Way in Columbia
• Wednesday, July 6^th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ellicott City 50+ Center, 9401 Frederick Road in Ellicott City
• Friday, July 15^th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at the Elkridge 50+ Center, 6540 Washington Boulevard in Elkridge

Office of Emergency Management

June 1^st Marks the Start of the 2022 Hurricane Season

Hurricanes are among nature's most powerful and destructive phenomenon and tomorrow, June 1^st, marks the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently announced, its Climate Prediction Center is predicting another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2022. Forecasters predict a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which six to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher) and of these, three to six major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). The increased activity anticipated this hurricane season is attributed to several climate factors, including the ongoing La Niña that is likely to persist throughout the hurricane season, warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, weaker tropical Atlantic trade winds, and an enhanced west African monsoon. The Atlantic hurricane season runs through November 30^th.

Early preparation and understanding your risk is key to being hurricane resilient and climate-ready. To make sure you, your family and home are prepared this hurricane season, in case the weather strikes, check out our Office of Emergency Management’s website to learn more about our local hazards, including hurricanes. Also, learn more about what to do before, during and after a hurricane, by visiting www.ready.gov/hurricanes for information and tips. If you do not have one already, make sure your family has a plan of what to do if disaster strikes and a disaster supply kit stocked with food, water and other supplies that will last for several days. Lastly, stay in the know by making sure "Emergency Alerts" are activated on and you’ve signed up to receive severe weather alerts to your phone.

COVID-19 Boosters Recommended for Five to 11 Year Old’s

With the CDC recommending COVID-19 vaccine boosters for kids age five to 11, HCHD is letting parents know, boosters are available at any of its Pfizer clinics. Please note, to be eligible for a booster, five or more months for the child’s initial series must have passed. If you have any questions about getting your child booster, please contact your child’s pediatrician.

The vaccine is safe and effective at preventing severe illness and death and a recent study showed that vaccinated kids were less likely to be hospitalized during the winter Omicron wave. As cases rise again, getting your child/ren vaccinated and boosted – when eligible, is the best way to protect them. If your child has not started their initial series of the vaccine or is overdue for their second shot, visit HCHD’s vaccine website to find a clinic near you. As cases rise, vaccines remain our best protection against serious illness and death.

To note, side effects from the initial series and the booster are similar: injection site pain/redness, headache, mild muscle aches and low-grade fever.

Howard County Moves to High COVID-19 Community Level Designation

According to the CDC, Howard County’s Community Level has entered into its HIGH level of COVID-19 community transmission. At this level, HCHD recommends that all individuals wear a mask indoors when in public places, regardless of your vaccination status. HCHD also recommends that you get vaccinated if you have not already done so, or if you need a booster, be sure you get boosted. Finally, if you have symptoms, please get tested to help stop the spread.

Parenting with Pride, a Lunch and Learn Event

I invite all to join our Office of Human Rights and Equity (OHRE) tomorrow, June 7^th at noon as it kicks off PRIDE Month with a virtual panel discussion with Howard County parents of LGBTQ+ children. Panelists will discuss the different approaches to parenting that prioritizes a child’s humanity and creates a safe environment for them to grow, where they feel loved and that they belong.

If you are looking to better understand the families and children of the LGBTQ+ community or desire perspective on how to parent your own LGBTQ+ child in such a way that honors their humanity, then I encourage you to join OHRE on the 7^th either via its Facebook page or the Howard County Government YouTube channel for this virtual lunch and learn event.

June’s Reading Human Rights to Feature Two Books Discussions: On Juneteenth and Tomorrow Will Be Different

Reading Human Rights is an award-winning monthly book discussion group hosted by OHRE and the Howard County Library System (HCLS) that encourages literary exploration and community dialogue around a variety of human rights concerns.

For the month of June, OHRE and HCLS will be hosting two Reading Human Rights discussions, the first on June 23^rd in honor of Juneteenth and the second on June 28^th in honor of PRIDE Month. On June 23^rd, participants will discuss Annette Gordon-Reed’s On Juneteenth, which tells the story of Juneteenth’s integral importance to American history, from its origins in Texas to the enormous hardships African-Americans have endured in the century since.

On the 28^th, participants will discuss Sarah McBride’s Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality, which chronicles McBride’s story of love and loss and a powerful entry point into the LGBTQ community’s battle for equal rights and what it means to be openly transgender.

Both discussions will take place at HCLS’ Miller branch starting at 6:30 p.m.

Pronouns & Policies: Combating LGBTQIA+ Discrimination in Employment

Join the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity in honor of Pride Month on Tuesday, June 28th at 12:00 p.m. as Administrator, Yolanda F. Sonnier moderates a virtual webinar that will educate attendees on the discrimination those in the transgender and gender non-binary communities face. More specifically, this webinar will speak to the importance of culture and policies in the workplace that protect a person’s chosen pronouns, as well as explain the ways such persons are protected when these rights are violated. Register today! 

Pronouns & Policies: Combating LGBTQIA+ Discrimination in Employment

Join the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity in honor of Pride Month on Tuesday, June 28th at 12:00 p.m. as Administrator, Yolanda F. Sonnier moderates a virtual webinar that will educate attendees on the discrimination those in the transgender and gender non-binary communities face. More specifically, this webinar will speak to the importance of culture and policies in the workplace that protect a person’s chosen pronouns, as well as explain the ways such persons are protected when these rights are violated. Register today!

HoCo By Design Readies to Launch its Third Draft Theme Chapter

As I shared back in March, as part of its process to create a new General Plan, called HoCo By Design, DPZ’s HoCo By Design project team is releasing draft HoCo By Design planning theme chapters one at a time throughout this year for community review and feedback. The policies presented in each chapter are draft statements based on data, best practices and community feedback DPZ has received to date. Feedback we receive from you, our community, will further be used by DPZ to refine the draft policies.

This month, DPZ’s project team will be releasing its third planning theme chapter – “Life Outdoors: Protecting & Preserving Our Natural Resources”. This chapter identifies opportunities to deepen Howard County’s commitment to environmental stewardship, create better compatibility between the natural and built environments, and provide needed measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation..

As part of the HoCo By Design process, DPZ will host two meetings next week to offer participants an opportunity to learn more about the Life Outdoors draft chapter. The first meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, June 8^th from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and the second meeting will be held in-person at 3430 Court House Drive in Ellicott City and virtually on Thursday, June 9^th from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. To register to participate in either meeting, please click HERE. Please note, as space is limited for the in-person meeting, registration is required by noon the day before the scheduled meeting date.

For more information on DPZ’s HoCo By Design’s Draft Chapter Release: Life Outdoors, visit www.hocobydesign.com/life-outdoors, or contact DPZ’s Community Planner’s Kate Bolinger at kbolinger@howardcountymd.gov or Sarah Latimer at slatimer@howardcountymd.gov.

Department of Public Works

Caution, WET PAINT!

Every spring and summer, as weather permits, the County's Department of Public Works (DPW) refreshes lane line marking paint to ensure that street markings are highly visible and our roadways are safe.

As DPW gets ready to launch its 2022 painting season, the department is reminding motorists to show caution and patience when they come upon a paint truck convoy driving slowly in the roadway. To avoid wet paint:

• NEVER pass the paint truck or trail vehicle;
• NEVER change lanes behind the striping truck or trail vehicles;
• DO NOT swerve back and forth to see around the paint truck or trail vehicle; and
• If parked, wait five minutes before driving on the painted areas.

If you have questions and/or for more information, please contact DPW's Bureau of Highways at 410-313-7450 or email highways@howardcountymd.gov.

Department of Public Works - Construction Report

To learn about DPW projects currently underway, click HERE. Searchable by project category and street name, from this site you’ll find additional project details, including news releases about the project. You can also contact DPW’s Customer Service Office at 410-313-3440 or email publicworks@howardcountymd.gov for further assistance.

If you have questions or are interested in finding out about a State road (numbered roadway) project in your area, visit the Maryland State Highway Administration’s (SHA) “Project Portal” website.

Keep Our Works Safe by Disposing of Flammable Items Properly

Following last month’s recycling truck fire and a roll-off dumpster fire in the County’s Alpha Ridge Landfill Scrap Metal Area just the other week, of which was likely caused by a lithium-ion battery, DPW’s Bureau of Environmental Services is reminding residents that flammable materials, including batteries, electronics, compressed gas tanks and non-empty aerosol containers require special care when recycling and disposing of them. These items should NEVER be set out for curbside trash or recycling collection. To ensure proper disposal, these items should be taken directly to the County’s Alpha Ridge Landfill in Marriottsivlle, open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. or visit the Bureau’s “Know Before You Throw” page for me information.

The Roaming Gnomes Have Returned

Recreation & Parks roaming gnomes scavenger hunt is back, with the set to being June 7^th. On the first clue will be released (the first clues will be released every Tuesday, with a second clue released on Friday) on Recreation and Parks Facebook page to help participants fine one of four gnomes. All you have to do is figure out the clue(s) to help you find the gnome, scan the QR code and then submit your entry form to be entered into a weekly prize drawing. Entries are due by the following Monday and winners will be announced on Tuesday when the new clue is released. 

Prizes will be awarded each week, with a special grand prize to be awarded to the searcher who finds all four gnomes by the end of the month. Best of all, its FREE to play. To learn more about The Roaming Gnome Scavenger Hunt, click HERE.

Summer Camps are Near!

With the end of another school year fast approaching and the start of summer vacation right around the corner, it’s almost time for summer camps! If you are still looking for a camp to keep your kiddos busy this summer, be sure to check out what our Department of Recreation & Parks has to offer. From arts to sports to dance and science, there is a camp out there to help keep your kids active, having fun and learning all summer long. To learn more, click HERE.