Join our Books to Big Screen Readers' Club as we discuss The Martian by Andy Weir. Set for its movie debut starring Matt Damon on October 2, this book tells the tale of a man named Mark Watney who is one of the first people to walk on Mars. Will he also be the first person to die on Mars? This is sure to be a book full of mystery and action! We can't wait to discuss it with you!

Do you have trash or treasure in your home? Join us for an Appraisal Roadshow! We will have a gemologist and a generalist appraiser from Paradigm Experts on hand on Monday, October 19 at 7:30pm. to offer appraisals of up to two items per person. Items to consider bringing include  jewelry, silver, coins, time pieces, furniture, glass, porcelain, paintings, bronze, toys, documents, and any other items (except stamps). For each item, the entire audience will learn what it is, what it's worth, and what they can do with it. You do not need to bring an item to come and enjoy the show.

• General Admission Tickets are $19 for appraisal of up to two items plus light refreshments.
• Spectator Tickets are $7 to watch the "show" and enjoy light refreshments.

Doors open at 7pm. Please arrive in plenty of time to check in and be seated by 7:30pm. The show will begin promptly and items can not be added to the show once it has begun. ALL items will be appraised either during the allotted show time or after the session. Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance through this link or in person at Kahler Hall to have your item(s) appraised.

The Covenant Advisor for Harper's Choice is here to help residents in many ways; from navigating the submission process for approval of in-home businesses and submitting plans to make exterior changes to their homes, to completing a compliance inspection for the sale of one's home. She also works with residents to address reported violations of the Harper's Choice Village Covenants. In some cases however, we have to refer residents to the County Government, the Police Department or the Columbia Association.

Here are some useful numbers to assist you:

 

PETS: Contact Howard County Animal Control at 410-313-2780 if you have concerns about a neighbor's pet or stray animals.

 

VEHICLES: Harper's Choice Covenants and Guidelines state that all cars must be legally tagged and operable. The Village staff has no jurisdiction over vehicles parked on county streets. If there is a problem with a vehicle parked on the street, call the Howard County Police non-emergency number at 410-313-2200.

 

RENTERS: Howard County Rental Housing handles licensing and enforcement for rental property. They can be reached at 410-313-2455.

 

OPEN SPACE: Residents who have questions or concerns about Columbia Association  open space or have observed persons dump yard waste in open space should call Open Space Management at 410-312-6330.  

 

PROPERTY COMPLAINTS: Anonymous complaints are accepted. The Covenant Advisor will make a site visit to verify the reported violation. We work with the resident to resolve the violation and may seek the remedy of the courts if we cannot get voluntary cooperation. That said, we cannot resolve communication problems between neighbors or get in the middle of property line disputes. The appropriate place to direct calls of this nature is the Mediation and Conflict Resolution Center, housed at the Community College. You can email them at [email protected] or call them at 443-518-1888.

Don't be caught off guard by your insurance coverage the next time a severe storm hits. September is National Preparedness Month and all Marylanders should read their insurance policies carefully to determine what their policies cover and do not cover.

 

In addition to carefully reviewing your insurance policies, some other ways to prepare for disaster include:  

The Maryland Insurance Administration is a state agency that offers guides and general information about insurance coverage at community outreach events and online. Your insurance agent or insurance company can help to explain specifically what is covered by your policy and what is not.

 

For more information and videos on how to prepare for a disaster, visit the Maryland Insurance Administration's website, www.insurance.maryland.gov. Look for the link to Insurance Preparedness for Natural Disasters under the Hot Topics section located in the right hand column. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MDInsuranceAdmin or follow us on Twitter at @MD_Insurance.

Swansfield