CA Monthly February 2015

By Tripp Laino

I had two goals walking into theColumbia Art Center’s ceramics class,Introduction to the Wheel: Learning to Love Clay; 1. Don’t make a joke

about the Patrick Swayze film Ghost and 2. Get my hands into some clay.

While the former proved difficult (I managed to avoid it, however), the latter was made simplethanks to JannTamburello, glazetechnician and beginningwheel instructor, whohad me not only handlingclay, but creating my firstpot in less than an hour— a major feat given myart-challenged past.

Tamburelllo has an easy rapport with herstudents, many of whom have taken classeswith her before. For the new students, like me, she takes the time to explain theprocess of taking a lump of clay andcreating a work of art.

She said she took her first pottery class

CA Camp Registrationis Now Open

Starlicious Talent Showto be Held Feb. 6

CA Releases Reportfrom Columbia Speaks,CA Listens.

CA MON TH LY 1

MonthlyA PUBLICATION OF COLUMBIA ASSOCIATION FEB2015

ColumbiaAssociation.org • Facebook.com/ColumbiaAssociation • Instagram.com/ColumbiaAssn • Twitter.com/ColumbiaAssn • YouTube.com/CATVchannel • Pinterest.com/ColumbiaAssnJoin theConversation!

56CA 3

(See Wheel, page 7)

Hands-on with ceramics at Columbia Art Center

Spinning theWheel

PHOTO BY DAVID WRIGHT

Columbia Art Center's ceramics classes offer students the opportunity to craft their own creations on the pottery wheel.

Get a lesson on throwing with the potterywheel at,youtube.com/CATVChannel

2 CA MON TH LY

Dear Friends,Last year’s Columbia Speaks. CA Listens. event

was a success, both with the feedback thatColumbia Association (CA) received fromattendees and from the opportunity that nearly 100people had to exchange ideas among themselves.

As a continuation of the outreach to CA residentsthat began with Columbia Speaks. CA Listens., CAis seeking resident feedback specific to CA'smembership program. In the next few weeks, youwill receive an email soliciting your participation inresearch that will be done by Club Intel andpresented to CA’s Board of Directors. Pleaseconsider participating in this valuable research.

There are many more ways for you to stayinformed and be involved.

Each meeting of the CA Board of Directorsincludes time set aside for Resident Speakout, for your voices to be heard by boardmembers and CA staff.

Several advisory committees help guide CA services, amenities, initiatives andissues, assisting the CA Board of Directors and ensuring that there is a substantiallevel of community participation and involvement in the development of CAprograms, activities and priorities. These committees include groups that focus onaquatics, health and fitness, tennis, golf, Columbia Art Center, informationtechnology and Columbia’s watershed.

The Senior Advisory Committee discusses the needs, interests and concerns ofColumbia’s mature adults, while on the other end of the age spectrum are theTeen and Middle School advisory committees, through which young residents ofthe community organize programs and activities for themselves and their peers.

CA’s citizen academy, Excite Columbia, will return March 24. Excite Columbiais a great way to get an in-depth view on how CA operates and serves thecommunity. It is a six-week course that meets on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30pm

Those who are interested can learn more at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Excite.Columbia’s annual village elections — for seats on the CA Board of Directors and

on the boards of the village community associations — will be held in late April. Columbia has a history of a diverse mix of its residents being active and engaged

in the community. I encourage you to continue that tradition.

Sincerely,Milton W. Matthews, Columbia Association President/CEO

CA BOARD OF DIRECTORS2014-2015

Milton W. Matthews

Community inputhelps CA prosper

President’sUpdateReginald AveryOakland [email protected]

Michael CornellRiver [email protected]

Brian DunnKings [email protected]

Jeanne KetleyTown [email protected]

Alan KleinHarper’s [email protected]

Nancy McCordWilde [email protected]

Tom O’ConnorDorsey’s [email protected]

Gregg SchwindHickory [email protected]

Andrew StackOwen [email protected]

Russell SwatekLong [email protected]

At the Columbia Association (CA) Board of Directorsmeeting held Jan. 8, the CA Board revised its Policyon Minutes and Recordings to say “Minutes of theBoard shall not contain comments or debate on

measures, except that written comments provided to theRecording Secretary by members of the public or Directorsshall be made addenda to the official copy of the minutes.” TheBoard also revised its policy on Recording Votes on Motions tosay that the minutes “will reflect 1) all motions made and 2) theBoard Members’ votes on amendments as well as final motions.”

The Board sent proposed changes to CA’s charter and bylawsto the 10 Members of CA. The Members will meet to discussand approve after a 30-day public comment period.

The Jan. 22 CA Board of Directors meeting was held after CAMonthly went to press.

The next scheduled Board of Directors meetings are Feb. 12and 26. Meetings typically begin at 7:30pm and are held at CA Headquarters, 10221 Wincopin Circle.

For current CA Board of Directors meeting minutes andagendas, visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Agendas. Podcasts are available at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Podcasts.

BoardRecapCA

T he countdown toColumbia’s 50th birthdaycontinues, and ColumbiaArchives continues to

chronicle the major events anddevelopments of the planning period.

That includes “Columbia It Is:The Plan Revealed,” an exhibit atthe Archives, the third in the“Creating Columbia: 50 YearsAgo” series tracing the eventsleading up to Columbia’s officialbeginning on June 21, 1967. Theexhibit is open until May.

And this month there is “CreatingColumbia: A Mini-Course,” held on Feb. 2, 9 and 16 from 2 to3:30pm at Slayton House, 10400Cross Fox Lane in the Wilde LakeVillage Center. Those interested can sign up at CreatingColumbia.EventBrite.com for all three

Mondays or for individual sessions.“The mini-course makes people

more familiar with the planning ofColumbia by tracing whathappened at this time 50 years

ago,” said Barbara Kellner, directorof Columbia Archives. “It beginswith the presentation of the planfor Columbia in 1964 and takespeople into the work that

happened in the following six tonine months.”

Columbia Archives is located in the American City Building,10227 Wincopin Circle indowntown Columbia, and is openMonday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Through this mini course “youcan learn anything you want toknow about the history ofColumbia,” Kellner said. “The value of that is the more you knowabout the history, the better youunderstand how the present andfuture interact with the past.”

CA MON TH LY 3

Columbia Association Summer Camps Open for Registration

Columbia Association Archives Celebrates

Registration has begun forsummer camps, so actfast to secure yourchildren’s spot in one of

CA’s many diverse camp offerings! Whether your child wants to

spend the summer splashingthrough streams and learningabout wildlife, creating works of artor honing their sports skills, CA hasa perfect option available. Camphours are from 8:30am to 4pm,with extended care available from7am to 8:30am and 4pm to 6pm.

Jalen Stewart, 13, has attendedone of CA’s basketball camps for

three years and said he lovedattending each year.

“I really like the counselors andseeing my friends every year,” hesaid. “Coach Mark [Alexander]and the counselors make every yearfun and welcoming, and each yearI get better and better. I always getuseful basketball tips and have funat the same time.”

Want adventure on the water?Try Sail Away, a two-week campfor students in grades six througheight that teaches sailingtechniques on Sunfish and JY-15boats, and heads to sailing

locations like Greenbrier StatePark, Sandy Point and theChesapeake Bay. Campers mustpass a swim test.

Looking for something new?The two-week S.T.E.A.M. camp isfor grades three to fiveand featureshands-on learning focusing onscience, technology, engineering,arts and mathematics. In addition,campers will attend field trips andreceive swim lessons and at leasttwo days of recreational swimmingeach week.

Interested in trying multiplesports? The new two-week Tennis,

Golf and Swim camp is for athleteswith tennis experience but lookingto branch out and learn golf andspend time in the pool as well.Campers will hone their tennisskills, learn golf basics and haverecreational swimming.

New to camps and need moreinformation? Attend the openhouses on March 21 at ColumbiaAthletic Club, 5435 BeaverkillRoad, from noon-3pm, or May 13 from 6-8pm at Columbia SportsPark, 5453Harpers Farm Road or visitColumbiaCamps.org.

James Rouse presents the Columbia plan to Howard County Officials on November11, 1964. “Columbia It Is: The PlanRevealed,” an exhibit at ColumbiaArchives, will be open until May.

PHOTO COURTESY COLUMBIA ARCHIVE

50 Years of Columbia

4 CA MON TH LY

Columbia’s Sister Citiesbegan in 1977 withCergy-Pontoise, Franceand expanded to include

Tres Cantos, Spain in 1990,marking its 25th anniversary thisyear, and Tema, Ghana in 2014.

The exchanges allow communitymembers to interact with peoplefrom different cultures, and sharecultural touchstones like food,music and more.

“We are a very diverse community,and the philosophy behind the sistercities movement matches the visionof Columbia as a diverse, inclusivecommunity,” said Laura Smit, CA’smanager of International Exchange& Multicultural Programs.

One of the most popularprograms with the Sister Cities is theannual high school exchange, wherestudents spend two weeks with theirhost family overseas, and then theircounterpart spends two weeksstateside. The deadline for applyingto the 2015 high school exchange isFeb. 21. For more information, visitColumbiaAssociation.org/TeenExchange.

Greg Jordan had all four of hischildren participate in the highschool exchange, visiting Franceand Spain, and the relationshipslasted well beyond the five weeks ofthe program. After one of hisdaughters visited France, hercounterpart was accepted to theUniversity of Georgia, and Jordanand his family helped her acclimateto her new surroundings and

accompanied her to school.“We drove down from Maryland

to Georgia as if she was our owndaughter going to college,” he said.“We also stopped along the way andvisited friends in Tennessee and tookthem boating and waterskiing.”

He spoke highly of the programand the impact it had on hischildren, all of whom have becomemore adventurous travelers sinceparticipating, with some studyingabroad in college as well.

“This whole program justopened up the world for them,” hesaid. “... In a sense the world istheir oyster — They really fullybelieve in travel and new

experiences and they’re not afraidof it.”

In the past, the Sister Citiesprograms have included art and business exchanges for adults looking to expand theirhorizons, said Smit.

Smit said there was significantinterest amongst members of theInternational & MulticulturalAdvisory Committee in developinga cuisine exchange with France, soin 2010 the first group ofColumbians traveled to France towine and dine, and groups ofFrench visitors have been hostedhere. Since then, there have beenannual Cuisine & Culture

Exchanges with Cergy-Pontoise. ASpanish cuisine and wine adventureis in the works for October 2015.

“More recently, the focus hadmostly been on the annual SummerHigh School Exchange with Spainand France,” Smit said. “When Ibecame the manager, there hadn’tbeen a new adult exchange in many years.”

The program is also workingtoward adding a fourth sister city in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Anyoneinterested in joining the Haiti SisterCity Planning Committee, orinterested in participating in SisterCities programs can contact Smit at410-715-3162 or Laura.Smit@

Columbia’s Sister Cities Exchanges Highlight

Sister City since 1977Population 198,496 (2009)3,799.13 miles from Columbia

Founded 1967Population

103,683 (2013)

Sister City since 2014Population 161,612 (2013)

5,274.22 miles from Columbia

Sister City since 1990Population 41,896 (2013)3,764.16 miles from Columbia

Columbia,Maryland Cergy-

Pontoise,France

Tres Cantos,Spain

Tema,Ghana

Cultural DiversityBy Tripp Laino

By David Greisman

CA MON TH LY 5

K halisah Omar-Johnsonenjoys singing, thoughuntil last year herperformances had largely

only taken place in front of herclassmates. Then she found out aboutColumbia Association’s (CA)Starlicious Talent Show.

Omar-Johnson progressed throughthe auditions and made it to the finale.That opened up the door to more,with evenings spent belting out popsongs at the Teen Open Mic nightsduring CA’s Lakefront SummerFestival. The 12-year-old KingsContrivance resident is set to performonce more in Starlicious, whichreturns this month.

“She had done talent shows atschools, but those are people sheknows. After Starlicious, she was able to go to the lakefront and sheperformed with no problem,” said Omar-Johnson’s mother,Takiyah Carroll.

Starlicious TalentShow takes place onFriday, Feb. 6, from 6 to 9pm at ColumbiaGym, located at 6151Daylong Lane in theRiver Hill VillageCenter. Tickets areavailable at the door for anevent that includes severalspecial features, food and beverages,and a performance by musician/CApersonal trainer Mike McKee.

It is just one of the ways that CAprovides an opportunity for youth toperform, including the annual TeenIdol singing competition and thesummertime Open Mic nights.

Brooke Berlin, an 8-year-old fromRiver Hill, was also scheduled to

performfor a

second straight year, once againalongside a friend she’s had since preschool. They will danceand perform a cheer in a routine they choreographed.

“She really loves being on stage,”

said Brooke’s mother, Kathy Berlin.“This show in particular is really fun. It’s in the community, andshe’s doing it with her bestfriend. … This year they’restill really cute, but they’re alittle bit better.”Berlin and Carroll said their

daughters both got a big kickout of last year’s special guest,

Mrs. Maryland 2014, Columbiaresident Zereana Jess-Huff.Starlicious also includes a halftime

show, “Hollywood Swag Bag”giveaways, door prizes, a VIP booth,and a red carpet photo booth.Beyond that, the performers get togo on stage in front of their friends,family members and peers.

“There are a lot of talented kids in Columbia,” Carroll said. “It’s a very awesome thing to put togetherand let them come out and share

their art.”

“There are a lot of talented kids in Columbia. It’s a very awesomething to puttogether and let them comeout and share their art.”Takiyah Carroll, Starlicious Talent Showcontestant’s mom

STAR-LICIOUS

Talent Show OffersYouth a Chance to Shine

6 CA MON TH LY

ColumbiaSpeaks.CA Listens.

PHOTO BY KEITHAN SAMUELS

CAReleases Report From

You Spoke,CA Listened.

One of the significant improvementsattendees asked for was betterfunctionality from CA’s website.

Since hosting Columbia Speaks. CAListens. in October, ColumbiaAssociation (CA) has been compiling,reading and processing hundreds

of responses to questions.Based on the responses either at the event or in

the weeks that followed, CA has released asummary report outlining not only the responsesto questions, but also how CA plans to addressmany of the questions. A full copy of the report isavailable at ColumbiaAssociation.org/ColumbiaSpeaks.

One of the significant improvements attendeesasked for was better functionality from CA’swebsite, and the process to fix that has alreadybegun, with some changes already in placeincluding a weekly video from CA President/CEO Milton W. Matthews and faster load times on the website.

“We’re aware of some of the shortcomings ofour website and are working to improve it,” saidcommunications and marketing director NormaHeim.“We’re simplifying the site to help CAmembers easily find the information they’relooking for, and have put in place a way

for them to opt-in to receive information specificto their interests.”

Visiting ColumbiaAssociation.org/Notifyallows you to choose areas of CA you’d like to receive regular updates from. Moreimprovements to the website will be rolled out in the coming months.

October’s event had nearly 100 peopleparticipating in the interactive meeting to providetheir ideas on CA’s programs and services;governance structure; and communications andcommunity engagement efforts.

The participants discussed their concerns and ideas in moderated small groups while notetakers at each table documented the discussions.

Matthews said he will discuss how frequently to hold future Columbia Speaks. CA Listens. eventswith the CA Board of Directors. He is confident the initial event will be followed by others.

“We would use a similar format in the future,because it’s a great opportunity for our residentsand other stakeholders in the community tointeract with CA and for CA to hear from them,” Matthews said.

CA MON TH LY 7

CA Headquarters .........................................410-715-3000

CA Membership Service Center .................410-730-1801

Aquatics Office ............................................410-312-6332

Columbia Art Center....................................410-730-0075

Columbia Association Camps ....................410-715-3165

Columbia Athletic Club ...............................410-730-6744

Columbia Gym.............................................410-531-0800

Columbia Horse Center...............................301-776-5850

Columbia Ice Rink.......................................410-730-0322

Columbia SportsPark/SkatePark................410-715-3054

Columbia Swim Center ...............................410-730-7000

Columbia Teen Center ................................410-992-3726

Fairway Hills Golf Club ...............................410-730-1112

Haven on the Lake ......................................410-715-3020

Hobbit’s Glen Golf Club...............................410-730-5980

Inclement Weather Hotline ........................410-715-3154

Indoor Tennis, Columbia Athletic Club........410-720-0149

Owen Brown Tennis Bubble........................410-381-7255

The Racquet Club at Hobbit’s Glen ............410-715-3080

School Age Services ...................................410-715-3165

Supreme Sports Club ..................................410-381-5355

Wilde Lake Tennis Club .............................410-730-3767

CA PHONE NUMBERS

with CA in 1995, and slowly addedmore duties, first volunteering to helpmake glazes for the pieces, then beinghired on as a staff member and finallystarting to teach about eight years ago.

“It took a while to feel that I hadenough of a background to actuallyteach,” she said. “It’s one thing to beable to do something, but to teach it is awhole different skill set. I really loveworking with clay so much, and I felt likeI wanted to share that with other peopleto get them hooked.”

The class is almost overwhelminglygenial — many students know eachother, and they chat while preparingtheir clay, whether about what they’vebeen up to since the last class, or theirlatest Netflix find. Many also seek outthe unfamiliar faces to introducethemselves and provide a de factowelcoming committee.

About 10 students were hard at workcrafting their latest projects. Tinymovements of the hands make bigchanges to the clay spinning on thewheel — the process almost seems likemagic. In just minutes, a lump of claybecomes a pot, a bowl or other work inthe hands of a skilled potter like studentCarol Schnell, who’s been taking classeswith Tamburello for seven years.

“It’s a beginning class, but I staybecause Jann is such a wonderfulteacher,” she said, adding that she lovesall of the staff at Columbia Art Center.“This place is wonderful — it has thebest open studio around, and the staff ispar excellence and always willing to shareand help.”

Despite the distraction of answeringinterview questions, Schnell easily createsseveral projects on the wheel in a shortperiod of time. She said she likes thecamaraderie between students and staff.

“It’s fun — you’re creating something,and there’s a lot of love between staff andthe people here,” she said.

The ceramics class is just one of dozensof offerings for those looking to createart — Columbia Art Center haseverything from drawing and painting tojewelry making and glass fusing classesfor people of any age. Many classes areavailable as one-time or party classes, butfor those seeking more intenseinstruction, multiple-class options arealso available in a variety of media, andsome even feature free workshops.

Columbia Art Center also has rotatinggallery exhibitions, a gallery gift shop and a variety of art and life enhancementlectures. For more information, visitColumbiaAssociation.org/ArtCenter.

Wheel(continued from page 1)

PHOTO BY DAVID WRIGHT

Ceramics students work on projects at Columbia Art Center's Introduction to the Wheel: Learning to Love Clay class.

Sign up to receive CA urgent notificationsand specify what information you want toreceive at ColumbiaAssociation.org/Notify.*

8 CA MON TH LY8 CA MON TH LY

FebruaryCommunity Events Visit ColumbiaAssociation.org/Events to learnmore about great events happening in Columbia!

Creating ColumbiaMini-CourseMon. Feb. 2, 9, 16 • 2pmSlayton House • 410-715-3103 orCreatingColumbia.eventbrite.comThree sessions look at the time periodfrom November 1964 to June 1965including the presentation of a formalColumbia plan in 1964 and the work thatfollowed to fine-tune the plan.

Quilt GardeningThurs. Feb. 5 • 7:30-9pmFree Gardening Seminar at AmherstHouse • 410-381-9600 • A quilt garden is made by using the design of one blockof a quilt and planting it in flowers.Master Gardener Betsy Grater will bepresenting the topic. Snacks will beserved; call to register.

Professor Horn’s Puppet and Magic ShowFri. Feb. 6 • 10amSlayton House • [email protected]

A Tour of the UniverseFri. Feb. 6 • 10:45am and Noon (two shows)Claret Hall • 410-531-1749 [email protected] a show in the mobileplanetarium, have pizza lunch,and make a craft. Advanceticket purchase required before Feb. 5.

Animal Shelter ExtravaganzaFri. Feb 6 • 11am-2pm • Free Stonehouse • 410-730-8113Come and help serve to benefit animalsand the Howard County Animal Shelter.Donations for shelter appreciated.

Salon Series: Yolanda Koh,Artist and InstructorChinese Brush PaintingMon. Feb. 9, • 7pmColumbia Art Center • 410-730-0075ColumbiaArtCenter.orgArt.Staff@ColumbiaAssociation.org Come celebrate the Chinese New Yearand watch a step-by-step demonstrationof the traditional Chinese brush paintingof the Four Gentlemen: bamboo, orchids,plum blossoms and chrysanthemums.Yolanda will introduce the various stylesof this art form through demonstrationand discussion.

50+ Fun and Fulfilling:Bingo, Buffet and BeveragesFri. Feb. 13 • 6:30-8:30pmThe Other Barn • [email protected]

Family Art Frenzy:Heart-Filled CollagesSun. Feb. 15 • 1-3pmColumbia Art Center • 410-730-0075Art.Staff@ColumbiaAssociation.orgColumbiaArtCenter.org

Master Gardener Program“Seed to Satisfaction”Tue. Feb. 17 • 7-9pm • FreeStonehouse • 410-730-8113

Ladies Movie NightFri. Feb. 20, • 7:30-10pmThe Hawthorn Center • 410-730-7327Food, wine and a “chick flick.” $10 per person; reservations required.

Bingo Fri. Feb. 20 • 7-9pmStonehouse • 410-730-8113Fee for bingo cards and drinks.

Multicultural Crafts FestivalSat. Feb. 21 • 9-11amClaret Hall • [email protected] Play games, make crafts, and enjoysnacks from different cultures. This free event is hosted by the River Hill Community Association’s Teen Advisory Committee.

Lively Arts for Littl

e

Ones Presents:

“Groovy Nate”

Fri. Feb. 27 • 10am

The Other Barn

410-730-4610

[email protected]

g

gro yov **

CA Monthly February 2015

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