Sharpshooters Take Aim At HoCo Deer

From HoCo gov:

The Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks has announced its fall/winter schedule for managing deer through sharpshooting. This program will be held in an effort to help maintain a stable, balanced white-tailed deer population on county lands where deer browsing has been shown to reduce biodiversity.

The sharpshooting program is different from the managed hunts, which were announced in August. Specially trained and qualified personnel using highly accurate, noise-suppressed rifles, remove deer under a special permit issued by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. All the meat from this operation is donated to charitable organizations in the area. All properties will be closed to the public during the hours of operation, 3:30 p.m. to midnight, unless otherwise noted. The sites and schedule for 2009-2010 are as follows:

Alpha Ridge Landfill:
November 4 and December 9 (Dawn to 11:00 a.m.); February 9; March 15

Belmont Conference Center:
January 4, 7, 25; February 1, 17

Blandair Park:
January 18; February 11; March 11

Centennial Park:
January 11; February 4

Daniels Mill Overlook Open Space Lot:
December 21; February 22; March 8

Gray Rock Open Space Lot:
November 3 (8:30 a.m. to Noon); January 14; March 1

Hollifield Farm Open Space Lot:
December 21; February 22; March 8

Mt. Hebron Open Space Lot:
December 21; February 22; March 8

Rockburn Branch Park:
January 4, 25; February 17

Timbers at Troy Golf Course and Troy Mansion Historic Site:
January 7; February 1

Worthington Park:
January 21; February 15; March 4

Since deer population reduction programs such as the managed hunts and sharpshooting are not possible in many areas of the county, the Department of Recreation & Parks has developed a Deer Management Reference Manual to help homeowners and gardeners live in harmony with white-tailed deer. The manual, which is available in all county library branches, contains information on the use of deer repellents, fencing to protect crops and property, how to avoid deer-auto collisions, and Lyme Disease prevention. There is also information about the county’s deer management program available on the Department’s website...

The Department of Recreation & Parks and the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service can also arrange to have experts on the topic speak to homeowner associations, schools or other groups. Other Recreation & Parks’ deer management programs include an effort to reduce ticks on deer through the use of “Four-Poster” devices which deliver an approved pesticide to deer attracted to a feeder baited with corn. Developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the devices have been shown to reduce tick populations by 90% or more.

For more information on the deer management program, call the Department of Recreation & Parks at 410-313-1675.

Process. Process. Process.

We don't know about you, but reading this story in the Sun reminds us of just how sloooow the development process can be. Despite broad sentiment for revitalizing village centers, don't expect quick action on a plan for Wilde Lake:

Geoffrey Glazer, vice president for development of Kimco Realty, the firm that owns the Wilde Lake center and five others, gave village board members a letter Monday night officially starting the clock on what could be a months-long process of determining what to do with the half-empty center.

"We spend two years putting legislation together to start the process. This official letter puts the village board on notice to set up a time period to start a concept plan workshop," Glazer told four board members and about a dozen spectators. He suggested a meeting perhaps in early December, though the board later discussed scheduling the session in late November.

...The new law calls for a preliminary meeting to discuss concepts during the minimum 60-day period between the start of the process and the first public unveiling of the developer's proposal — all before any plan is submitted to the county. That interim also gives village residents time to create their own plan or list of priorities, which Wilde Lake officials are actively working on. The county council members, sitting as the county zoning board, have final say over what changes would eventually be allowed.

Glazer said he would bring planners, architects and engineers to the concept meeting, but said his team would propose nothing. His experts could explain, however, what is good or bad about various ideas, he said.

Symphony Woods And Security

The Columbia Association briefed the County Council last week on plans to turn Symphony Woods into a proper downtown park, complete with "interactive water feature," wide paths, concession stand (the C.A.fe?) and public restrooms. Woodland gardens would be planted, and the pond back behind Merriweather might be turned into an elegant setting for outdoor weddings. (Here's links to CA's summary of the plan and a Sun story).

CA said it hoped to go forward with the $5.5 million project regardless of what happens with General Growth's broader development plans, possibly starting next summer.

We also learned a thing or two about security.

For instance, one reason some people apparently don't find the current park all that inviting is that the canopy of trees is so dense that it makes the park seem dark and forbidding. So the proposal calls for thinning out some of the weaker trees to bring in more sunlight.

But shining a little light on the park is apparently the extent of safety improvements. Chick Rhodehamel, CA's vice president for open space management, said there are no plans to hire "park rangers" to patrol the woods.

It's not like safety is not an issue downtown. HoCo police currently have officers on bikes patrolling the town's pathways, and the mall has its security forces in their SUVs with lights perpetually flashing. Their presence, while reassuring, also reminds us of the reason why they are there -- as a deterrent to crime.

Would a park ranger send a different, more inviting, message to visitors of this new "walkable" downtown?

After all, in his presentation on downtown redevelopment, General Growth's Gregory Hamm said Baby Boomers place a high value on activity and safety in the suburbs. We're guessing boomers aren't the only ones.

Arundel Rolls The Dice On Slots

From WaPo:

Anne Arundel County Council Chairman Cathleen M. Vitale said Monday that she hopes to break a stalemate by the end of the year over zoning legislation needed to build Maryland's largest proposed slots casino at Arundel Mills mall.

Council member Ronald C. Dillon Jr. (R-Pasadena) and Vitale (R-Severna Park) planned to introduce competing legislation Monday night: one bill that would allow slots at the mall, and one that would allow slots at several other locations in the county south of Route 32, including at Laurel Park racetrack.

Only one qualified plan, an effort by Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. to put 4,750 slot machines at the mall, is pending before the state commission charged with picking the locations of Maryland's five slots operators.

Vitale said that she has come to think that "slots at Arundel Mills is a more difficult site than people initially thought."

David S. Cordish said he is confident that his company will secure the needed zoning, saying it "is far and away the best location for the county and state."

A bill that would have allowed zoning at the mall languished for months before the County Council earlier this year. Neither Dillon nor Vitale said they could guarantee the outcome of a December vote by the seven-member council. An unfavorable result for Cordish could prompt the state commission to reopen bidding.

-- John Wagner

Erickson Retirement Files For Bankruptcy

Bad news for the owner of retirement communities bearing the name of Maryland philanthropist John Erickson. (He started Retirement Living TV here in town).

WaPo reports that Erickson Retirement Communities has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and has agreed to be purchased by Redwood Capital Investments, an investment company controlled by Baltimore businessman Jim Davis.

Erickson is apparently another casualty of the real estate meltdown.

Erickson spokesman Mel Tansill said the bankruptcy filing in Dallas and the agreement with Redwood took place on Monday. He said Erickson, which is based in Baltimore County, must restructure its debt to complete the sale. Tansill said Erickson will also reorganize by separating its management and real estate arms. The actions require court approval. Erickson expects approval in the first quarter of 2010.

Erickson operates 19 communities with 23,000 residents in 11 states.

As the Sun's Jay Hancock reports, it's important to understand what's not being sold. Erickson-developed communities such as Oak Crest and [Catonsville's] Charlestown are non-profits that are separate from the for-profit company that is being dealt to Davis. Thus they should be relatively insulated from whatever trauma is affecting Erickson Retirement.

The WSJ said John C. Erickson, who founded the company in 1983, has held town-hall-style meetings at Erickson campuses and sent a letter last month to reassure residents that the company's financial distress won't affect their lifestyle or the safety of their deposits, which are supposed to be refundable when a resident dies or moves out of a community. In a written statement Monday, Mr. Erickson called Mr. Davis "a strong advocate for community residents" who will safeguard their financial security. The company filed for court protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Dallas, Texas.

Keeping Up With The Joneses

In his recent presentation on plans for Columbia's downtown, General Growth's Gregory F. Hamm tried to tap our economic insecurities, our worries about our carbon footprint, our anxieties that our neighbors may just be passing us by.

He urged the HoCo Council to think about the town's place in the regional competition for jobs and commerce.

A huge opportunity is coming our way as the federal government consolidates cyber security operations and other functions around Fort Meade, he said. And a host of communities are jockeying to capitalize, many laying the groundwork for Columbia-like planned communities.

Places such as Catonsville, Savage, Laurel, Odenton, Annapolis, and New Carrollton are all talking smart growth, he said.

Hamm himself is keeping a close eye on a potential rival taking shape just south, right off I-95 where the state is fast at work building a new I-95 interchange to serve the Intercounty Connector.

Konterra -- the giant Prince George's planned community that's been on the drawing boards for seemingly forever.

You get the feeling from listening to Hamm that the new interchange might be just the spark Konterra needs to get rolling once the economy picks up.

Is Columbia up to the challenge?

Downtown Columbia might have a regional shopping mall that draws 15 million visitors a year, but the office buildings surrounding the retail center are hardly market leaders and the neighborhood village centers are suffering, he said.

More importantly, the town is "lacking a place that is attractive to young people who wish to make their careers and build their careers in and around Columbia."

They are exactly the sort of "best and brightest," he said, who may soon be looking around Fort Meade for a place to settle down. And it's not just the young. Baby Boomers who once sought out the suburbs for peace and quiet now hunger for a place that is safe and active.

General Growth thinks it has a plan to change that. Others have their own ideas. No one can really say how the regional competition for development will play out because right now the economy has left everyone's plans in disarray.

But judging from the reception so far from council members, the next few months will be about exploring the possibilities.

H1N1 Vaccine Arrives in HoCo

From HoCo schools:

Dear Parent,

The Howard County Health Department (HCHD) has begun to receive doses of H1N1 vaccine – in the form of FluMist® and injectible vaccine. The HCHD receives all the vaccine for the county. As the vaccine comes in, it will be administered as soon as possible to those most vulnerable to the H1N1 flu, including children ages 6 months through 24 years old. The Health Department is working closely with the school system to administer the vaccine, free of charge, to any HCPSS student with parent permission. The vaccine is expected to be more readily available by November.

HCHD and the school system have devised a tentative schedule of H1N1 flu vaccine clinics, beginning with schools that have the highest enrollment. This schedule is posted on the school system’s website... The schedule simply lists the order in which schools will receive the vaccine and not specific dates, because we do not know how much vaccine will be available at any given time.

FluMist® will be administered to elementary students; injectible vaccine will be administered to middle and high school students. HCHD officials expect to receive more injectible vaccine than FluMist®. If or when FluMist® is no longer available, injectible vaccine will be offered to elementary students at after-school clinics, so that parents can accompany their child. Elementary school students with asthma or other chronic health problems may not be eligible to receive the FluMist®, so parents may wish to consult with their child’s physician about injectible vaccines.

It is the HCHD’s priority to vaccinate as many students as soon as possible. This may result in changes to the posted schedule. If only a small shipment of vaccine is available at a particular time, a school with a smaller enrollment may receive vaccine earlier. Conversely, students at schools that have received the seasonal FluMist® will be delayed if the 30-day waiting period between vaccines has not occurred.

Parents will receive notification and a consent form when their child’s school is next in line to receive the vaccine. A child will not receive the vaccine without a signed parental consent form.

Please note: Health officials recommend that children under 10 years old receive a second dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine, which may not be administered in schools. The HCHD hopes to provide after-school clinics for second dose administration, but this is tentative. Although a second dose is not required, it is recommended to increase immunity in younger children. Parents of children under age 10 may wish to consult with their child’s physician about getting the second dose of the H1N1 vaccine.

Look for vaccine updates from your school, through HCPSS News, and on the school system’s website. The school system will continue to provide information as soon as it becomes available. Your flexibility and cooperation are appreciated as we work to provide the vaccine to our school-aged population as quickly and efficiently as possible. Questions may be directed to the Howard County Health Department at 410-313-6503 (UPDATED).

Sincerely,


Donna Heller, RN, MHSA, CSN

HCPSS Health Services Coordinator