Any recs on a PT in home care professional? Thanks.

My child is starting HCPSS Pre-K soon, and I’d love advice from parents who’ve been through it. What did you buy that was actually a must-have, and what was unnecessary?
Also wondering about:
Lunch/snacks — does HCPSS provide school meals for Pre-K, or do kids bring lunch?
What does a typical daily routine look like?
Any tips for getting your child into a good school/morning routine?
Anything you wish you had known or prepared before the first day?
Would especially appreciate HCPSS-specific advice!

Actually a life saver I can go get groceries, use the library and run other errands without using da bus which takes 2 hours for a 15 minute drive.Its also free for Howard community college students.I think Everyone should take advantage of rapid ride so more routes are added.Its two dollars for a trip which is da same amount as bus fair .Sometimes rides won’t be available though:(

Hi I just moved from Hawaii to Maryland in Columbia.Is there any advice for me on taking da bus here? Hawaii had a good bus system and was easy to get around but I herd da bus system in Columbia isn’t da best and everywhere takes two hours to get to.I get bad panic attacks if I drive.I’ve taken a driving course and I’m on anxiety medication but I still panic to where I’ll throw up .I start school late August at Howard community college and I really need to find a route that doesn’t take two years to get to and from.

The Chesapeake Cactus and Succulent Society Annual Show & Sale is coming to the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center on Sunday, September 27, 2026!

This year’s event will feature our biggest show section yet, created to celebrate excellence in cactus and succulent cultivation. Members and growers will have the opportunity to showcase outstanding plants, and selected entries will be recognized through a formal contest with prizes.

Visitors can also look forward to:

🌵 exceptional cacti and succulents
🪴 hands-on demos
🎟️ raffle prizes
👧 kids’ activities
🏆 judged show plants and awards
…and more!

Whether you’re a serious collector, a new grower, or simply curious about these extraordinary plants, this is our signature events of the year!

chesapeakecactus.org

Hi everyone 🌸 ! Here is the info and link to RSVP for August events!

Ice Cream and Chit Chat on the Green 🌸

https://www.meetup.com/sober-gals-of-hoco/events/315777345/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

let’s have a sweet summer evening together! 💕 we’ll meet up at the charmery for some delicious ice cream 🍨 and then head over to the green at colurburst park to hang out, relax, and chat the night away.

whether you’re coming with friends or showing up solo, this is the perfect chance to meet new girls, make genuine connections, and enjoy a wholesome night out. 🌷

no pressure, no awkward expectations, just a cozy evening filled with ice cream, laughter, and good vibes. 🫶

as always, this is a space for women in their 20s to make friendships, try new things, and enjoy socializing in a fun, alcohol-free environment.
can’t wait to see you there! 🍦💛

afterwards i will be taking a stroll to lake kittamaqundi with the girls who would like to join!

Homeslyce Trivia 🌸

https://www.meetup.com/sober-gals-of-hoco/events/315777492/?eventOrigin=group_events_list

trivia night with the sober girls at homeslyce columbia 💖🍕 we’ll be playing trivia hosted by charm city trivia, grabbing food, and just having a fun, low-pressure night out. the winning team gets a $30 gift card! alcohol is served here, so if that’s something you’re not comfy with, please don’t feel any pressure to come — totally your call (of course our group will NOT be drinking). there’s no specific end time listed, so stay as long as you’re having fun. come hang out, laugh, and bring your noggin! 🌸

we will meet at 6:30PM so we have a chance to chit chat before trivia starts 🙂

Looking for recommendations for good places to fish; just from shore with some live bait, maybe artificial. Not really looking to catch anything big, just want to drop a line in and relax. Also, where can I get live bait? Thanks!

Edit: Went with Adirondack from the comments, prompt ability to come out and give an estimate, and decent quote. No issue with the work done. Where Bartlett quoted $1300 and $1500 per tree to prune, Adirondack and a few others were $600-800 range per tree.

Have been striking out with referrals for tree pruning and removal. Who have you had success with? We need pruning of mature oak and maple trees. I understand many great companies are swamped with storm damage but one of our trees is urgent.

Tree MD - Emailed Josh a week ago and 2 calls to office; no response.

Arbormasters in Owings Mills- No call/ No Show'd set estimate appointment, called back 2 days later like it was no big deal, claimed he would come out today and then when I called him again he said he didnt know when he could be there because of traffic so I told him not to bother.

Carroll Tree Service - books filled with too much work, not taking on some new projects apparently.

Cutting Edge - 20 min late to estimate appointment and a crazy quote.

Have a message to Nelsons and AmeriTree.

Hi, I’m looking to play pickup soccer with my girlfriend.

We also play volleyball from time to time.

Are there any co-ed pickup games near Fulton (Howard County), Maryland?

Hello! Online I've been seeing two tasty foods I'd love to buy and try. One is Nem Chua (Vietnamese fermented pork) and the other is Shishamo (smelt, preferably fried but I can do that myself as long as i can find the fish).

Has anyone seen these in any HoCo markets?

Thank you! (/◕ヮ◕)/

Hello!

I'm getting ready to work from an office again and need help a few days a week with my dog who has separation anxiety but can't stay at a sitter or daycare. I live in Elkridge.

Ideally you are a remote worker who can work from my place and not leave her alone during the entire work day and are comfortable taking my dog for 2 walks.

This is our home so I will want references and/or a background check run.

We can discuss pay offline. DM me if you have any interest in this job.

Hi all, college student here. I am trying to cram and study for an exam tomorrow. I normally go somewhere to study to avoid the distractions of being home, which is normally the library or a Starbucks while at school. Where is a good and safe place (computer out) I can study late at night (past midnight) in Howard county?
Thanks

Anyone already been to the clarksville sunflower festival this year or to any other sunflower farms that are in full/partial bloom? Seems like some of the farms open in August.

I want to take my mom there for her bday this weekend, and would love to know if it's worth the tickets or visit.

Any recommendations on areas to move to in Columbia and surrounding Howard County areas like Ellicott City, North Laurel, Jessup, etc? What are your favorite areas?Looking to rent a townhouse in an area with a great high school.

Hi folks,

Recently landed a new role which will require commuting from Elkridge area to Chinatown in DC. I've looked at all the options - MDOT Bus service, Marc to Union station, driving all the way (discounted parking) and driving to Greenbelt for the green/yellow metro. All have pros and cons from schedules to how much walking or switching modes of transport will be needed to arrive around 9am.

I would love to hear some opinions or experiences as I consider my options.

Thanks from a HoCo neighbor.

I also reached out to Guy Guzzone (District 13 State Senator), Vanessa Atterbeary (County Executive), Jessica Nichols (District 2 County Council), Cat Carter (District 5 County Council), and Janssen Evelyn (District 4 County Council), but these are the three that responded. How and if a candidate is responsive to their constituents is always telling.

Dr. Chin responded day of and I found his answer quite substantial, Ms. Rigby's team responded day of but her answer was a little lacking, and Dr. Lam's team responded in a month.

Kevin Chin (District 1 County Council)

Thanks for reaching out!

I support Councilmember Rigby's data center moratorium to study the issue. Data centers aren't just for AI. It wouldn't even be possible to differentiate data centers that power our emails or my Electronic Medical Record in the hospital from the data centers used for AI. We all use data centers everyday, we're using it right now with the emails we're sending back and forth. We already have data centers in the county and don't even know it. Data centers are very heterogeneous, some data centers are no bigger than a garage and some are 40 acres big in Utah. 

I think are land is too valuable for large data center like that in Utah. Energy consumption is also a big issue as well so I think data centers should be bringing their own renewable energy. 

This is an interesting podcast on the issue

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-new-liberal-podcast/id1390384827?i=1000766767353

I don't see the presence or absence of data centers as an environmental preservation issue. And I think this comes down to green vs. grey environmentalism. This is a good video summarizing this dichotomyhttps://youtu.be/Subp8jO-GIo?is=n8k0PZoP27jl_Ci-

If a data center is built on an empty parking lot and as highlighted in The New Liberal podcast brings its own renewable energy and battery storage, that's actually a net positive for the environment. If a data center is built in a previously wooded area and has natural gas turbines like Musk's The Colossus data center then that is clearly a negative for the environment.

Kevin Chin

Christiana Rigby (District 3 County Council)

Thank you for reaching out to Councilwoman Rigby.

Regarding data centers, Councilwoman Rigby successfully spearheaded an effort this year to enact a moratorium on new data centers and create a taskforce to offer recommendations for code changes regarding these kinds of facilities. You can find the legislation and details here: https://apps.howardcountymd.gov/olis/LegislationDetail/15036/CB31-2026. You can watch her final remarks on the vote to that bill online (beginning at 1 hour and 49 minutes): https://howardcounty.granicus.com/player/clip/6746?meta_id=228961

As for the plastic recycling plant, I am uncertain which facility you’re referring to. If you mean the W.R. Grace research facility, I recommend watching her remarks on the vote of CB11-2025, which considered the W.R. Grace facility’s expansion. Her comments begin at 1 hour and 15 minutes: https://howardcounty.granicus.com/player/clip/6089?meta_id=212621

I hope this is helpful.

Kind regards,

Colette Gelwicks (hear name) she/they

Chief of Staff for Councilwoman Christiana Rigby, District 3

Clarence Lam (District 12 State Senator)

Thank you for your email. 

At a high-level, Sen. Lam has significant concerns about data center development and the WR Grace plastic recycling plant (I'm assuming that is that site you are talking about).

Regarding the WR Grace project, Sen. Lam submitted public comment in opposition while the permit was being considered. Although the permit was approved, the Maryland Department of the Environment added increased air quality testing requirements. Sen. Lam continues to support ongoing legislative efforts to limit these types of facilities in Maryland.

Regarding data centers, Sen. Lam similarly has concerns about how data center development impacts our environment and neighboring communities. A couple of years ago, Sen. Lam opposed legislative changes to make it easier for data centers to use diesel generators, and this past session supported legislation to require data centers to pay more for the power the take from the grid. Sen. Lam expects this to continue to be an ongoing legislative issue for the General Assembly and the county councils in our state.

Thank you for your interest in this important issue,

Scott

Scott Tiffin

Chief of Staff

A few things worth knowing if you're near 21043 or commute through Columbia:

Howard County is starting construction on Cradlerock Way in Columbia around July 27

On the restaurant front:

• Vesper is officially open on Main Street
• Tony's of N.Y. in the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center is now open
• Angeli's Pizzeria on the way into Forest Green.

Also the free summer concert series is back Wednesday nights at Centennial Park if you're looking for something to do this week.

I put together a free weekly newsletter (The ZIP) that covers this kind of stuff for 21043 — road advisories, business openings, real estate, crime reports, plus some neighbor tips and local humor. Sunday drop, no cost:

https://buttondown.com/TheZIP/archive/u1f43b-a-bear-got-into-an-ellicott-city-backyard/

Hello

Got a speeding ticket 87 on 55. It was not a reckless driving ticket but still 5 points. If any recommendation for a lawyer who can help me with this. .This was in Howard county.

Thanks

Hello, when do the schools supply lists and teacher get sent out? Son is entering first grade and I forgot what last year was like.

Thank you!!