Can you believe it is already time for our annual Spring Red Ribbon Yard Sale? This year, we're making a bigger day out of it by including a Shred and eCycle event.  

 

All the information and details for the big day are listed below.

 

SHRED/eCYCLE: 9AM-1PM at the parking lot between Kahler Hall and the Bain Center. Limit 3 small bags/boxes per person for the Shred Truck. eCycle guidelines are listed below. Minimal fees required for some items.

 

FREE: Computers, Laptops/Notebooks, Keyboards/Mice/Cables, Monitors, Printers, Scanners, Cell & Regular Phones, Fax & Answering Machines, VCR, Cable Boxes, Stereo Equipment, Battery Back-ups (non-alkaline), TV (less than 26" - 1st one free)

 

FEE-BASED: TV 26" - 40" ($15), TV larger than 40" ($25), Console TV ($35)

 

NOT ACCEPTED: Microwaves, Refrigerators, Washers/Dryers, Toasters, Dishwashers, Household Appliances

 

Plans are underway for a fun and exciting Health & Safety Fair for the Harper's Choice Community! We're working with local organizations and businesses that encourage and promote health, wellness and safety for our neighbors of all ages. We will have Child ID services through Howard Lodge No. 101, Bike Safety Checks courtesy of Princeton Sports, a Bike Rodeo and representatives from a variety of agencies that provide free services to our community. 

 

Mark your calendars and plan to attend our Health & Safety Fair on Saturday, April 25 from 10AM-2PM at Kahler Hall (5440 Old Tucker Row, Columbia, MD 21044).

 

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has published a comprehensive Native Plant guide for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. With lots of photos and specifics, this is a great resource to use as we strive to help improve the health of our watershed.   

 

"You can't do that in Columbia"...we have all heard that refrain, but did you know that environmentally friendly changes can be made to your home?  Do you want rain barrels, solar panels, a compost bin or a pervious driveway surface?  It IS possible when you work with your Village Architectural Committee and covenant advisor to develop a plan that will benefit you and your neighbors. Though not all lots are conducive to all types of changes, with appropriate placement and proper screening, many changes that were once thought to be a no-go in Columbia are often a GO-GO.

The Annual Searching For Spring Egg Hunt, co-sponsored by the Villages of Columbia, will be held on Saturday, April 11 from 10AM-11:30AM at the Columbia Sports Park in the Harper's Choice Village Center located at 5453 Harper's Farm Road.  No admittance permitted after 10:45AM .

• 10AM Crafts and Balloons 
• 10:45AM Egg Hunt (While supplies last! Please bring your own basket!)
• 11AM Entertainment with Turner, Dean of Magic

This event is especially planned for children ages 2-8. Tickets are required for this FREE event. They are available at Kahler Hall and all village community centers while supplies last. Tickets are for Columbia lien-paying residents only.  

Howard County Police Department and HC Drug Free are teaming up to hold the next Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 11, 10AM - 2PM. at nine locations throughout the county. The police department also is announcing the installation of three permanent disposal boxes at the two district police stations and a community center in Cooksville.

Drug Take Back events, like the one on April 11, allow residents to dispose of unwanted or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications safely and anonymously. The new permanent boxes will be fixtures maintained by the police department that will allow residents to drop off unwanted medications 365 days a year.

Studies show that two-thirds of teens who abuse prescription drugs are getting them from cabinets in the home. This program offers the community an environmentally safe option to reduce the abuse and misuse of medication.

Harper's Choice residents can drop off their unwanted or expired medications at the Harper's Choice Community Policing Office, 5485 Harper's Farm Road, Columbia 21044.

After April 11, the new permanent drop-off boxes will be maintained by Howard County Police at the Northern District, Southern District and Gary Arthur Community Center locations. One of the three boxes was donated by CVS Pharmacy through the company's "Medication Disposal for Safer Communities  Program" to help remove unwanted, unused or expired medications from the community in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Tickets are on sale now for Columbia Festival of the Arts' 2015 Spring Festival (4/16 - 4/19), featuring an array of free and ticketed events including theatre and concert performances, readings, and visual arts activities.

 

The Festival season kicks off with benefit event SPARK! Highlights include indie orchestra Portland Cello Project, New York sensation The Skivvies, and Ethiopian-American novelist and MacArthur Foundation 'Genius Grant' recipient Dinaw Mengestu.

 

The American Routes 2015 Spring Festival runs April 16 through 19, and is a weekend full of intimate chamber performances in venues throughout greater Columbia. From full theatrical productions in Oliver's Carriage House, a stone and timber structure built in the 1830's, to performances by renowned musicians, the artists of the American Routes Festival are at the intersection of American traditions and the ever-evolving American journey.

 

"As a newcomer to Howard County, I have been thinking a lot about how we all got here and where our adventures have taken us," says Todd Olson, Executive Director of the multi-disciplinary arts festival now in its 28th season. "Our Spring Festival is quintessentially American yet completely informed by Global personalities and works."

 

For a complete 2015 Spring Festival Schedule, please visit www.columbiafestival.org.