Are you participating in the Spring Red Ribbon Yard Sale on Saturday, May 2 from 8AM - Noon? Deadline to sign up so we can advertise your street location is 8AM on Monday, April 27. Here's how the yard sale works:  

• Please call 410-730-0770, email us, or stop by Kahler Hall to register your street for this community-wide event.
• Visit us before May 2 to get your Red Ribbon!
• Tie your Red Ribbon onto your street sign so eager buyers can find you.

Here are the streets currently registered for the yard sale. Location maps will be available on our website on April 30:

• Barrow Downs
• Fallriver Row Court
• Rondel Place
• Ridermark Row
• Cricket Hollow Court
• Lightfoot Path
• Tooks Way
• Evangeline Way

Do you have documents with sensitive information to shred or electronics you want to recycle? Join us on Saturday, May 2 from 9AM - 1PM for our Shred and eCycle Event. All the information and details for the big day are listed below.

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

It's time for the Health & Safety Fair! Join us this Saturday from 10AM - 2PM at Kahler Hall (5440 Old Tucker Row) and visit some of the 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. 

One of our primary responsibilities is to uphold the village covenants. Our covenants require approval for exterior changes, set minimum standards for maintenance and help protect the aesthetics of our community. We need YOU to do your part by:

• assessing the exterior of your home for curb appeal.
• storing bulk items and debris out of view of the street and neighboring properties.
• weeding and edging your landscape beds.
• sweeping the debris from your curbs and gutters.

The time and energy these simple activities require will give you much in return. Let's work together to keep Harper's Choice beautiful.   

We often get asked Who is responsible for maintaining the cul-de-sac islands in Columbia? Though the County owns this land, it is to be maintained by the homeowners whose properties surround the islands.  

We encourage residents to take turns mowing or have each family contribute and hire a service (or better yet, a young person in the neighborhood) to take care of the maintenance. The important thing to remember is that this is to be a shared responsibility. Please Note: No basketball or other sports equipment, permanent or temporary, may be placed on, in or around the cul-de-sac.

Want to Improve Your Cul-De-Sac Island?

Howard County residents planning to venture abroad have a new place to prepare for their travels: the post office located at 6801 Oak Lane in Columbia now offers passports, the U.S. Postal Service recently announced.

Passport service is offered Monday through Friday from 8AM - 5PM and from 8AM - 2PM on Saturdays, except for federal holidays. Both walk-ins and appointments are accepted.

The Oak Lane post office joins several locations in the county offering passport services. Other locations with passport service include Simpsonville, Fulton (on Scaggsville Road), Ellicott City (on Ellicott Center Drive), Glenwood (on Route 97) and Annapolis Junction (on Guilford Road). Several Howard County library locations also offer the service.  

For more information and passport application forms, visit usps.com/international/passports.htm.