Columbia

After a seven-year delay, Randallstown residents cheered Monday over an announcement that a Walmart will open on Liberty Road next year. Officials and residents have long hoped that the store — a planned $9 million, 160,000-square-foot supercenter with groceries and a pharmacy — would revitalize the aging commercial corridor, encouraging other national retailers and restaurants to set up shop in the affluent, largely black community....

Afternoon tea The Town Center Community Association offers Afternoon Tea from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 31, in the ballroom of Historic Oakland Manor, 5430 Vantage Point Road. Tea will be served with savory sandwiches, desserts and warm scones. Cost is $22 per person. Reservations are required at least two business days in advance. For more information, call 410-730-4744. Happy Birthday, Columbia The Columbia Association hosts a celebration to commemorate the 45th birthday of Columbia from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. June 23 at the Town Center Lakefront.

Scott Miller named to Who's WhoScott Miller of Re/Max Columbia has been named to Who's Who in Residential Real Estate in North America.Mr. Miller, an Ellicott City resident, is a certified real estate specialist, a graduate of the Realtors Institute and has served as a board member of the Howard County Real Estate Master's Club. Vince Montsinger has joined Revisions Design Center in Columbia as a sales manager and project consultant.Mr. Montsinger, who previously worked with Bell Atlantic, will coordinate all aspects of major design and building projects.

Word got out on area blogs over the weekend, and it's true. The Donna's on Snowden River Parkway in Columbia closed Sunday after a 10-year run. “It's been tough,” onwer Alan Hirsch said about the closing. ““It was a great experience. Our customers became our friends. We had a decent business there but just not enough for us to commit to another 10-year lease.” Hirsch said that business continues to be excellent at the Donna's locations in Charles Village and Cross Keys.

Word got out on area blogs over the weekend, and it's true. The Donna's on Snowden River Parkway in Columbia closed Sunday after a 10-year run. “It's been tough,” onwer Alan Hirsch said about the closing. ““It was a great experience. Our customers became our friends. We had a decent business there but just not enough for us to commit to another 10-year lease.” Hirsch said that business continues to be excellent at the Donna's locations in Charles Village and Cross Keys.

Tim and Sandy Gillen, of Columbia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Shannon Gillen to Tom Lipinski, son of Edith Lipinski, of Concord, Mass.; and Dr. Joseph Lipinski, also of Concord. Shannon Gillen and Tom Lipinski Tim and Sandy Gillen, of Columbia, announce the engagement of their daughter, Shannon Gillen to Tom Lipinski, son of Edith Lipinski, of Concord, Mass.; and Dr. Joseph Lipinski, also of Concord.

Tiffany Wiseman and Ali Hossein Sr. , of Columbia, announce the birth of their son, Aden Ali Hossein , on Oct. 12, 2011, at 3:44 p.m. He weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces. His brother is Ali Jr. His grandparents are Diana Wiseman, David Weaver and John Wiseman, all of Dundalk; and Diosebeth and Ahmed Hossein, of Columbia. Breana and Jarrod Montoya , of Columbia, announce the birth of their son, Roman Miguel Montoya , on Sept. 22, 2011, at 4:16 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces.

I was so glad to see Yvonne Wenger's recent article on Columbia's bike paths ("Columbia seeks to right its paths," Jan. 15). The article tells about Columbia developing a network of pathways, both on-road and off-road, interconnecting the 100 miles of existing trails for people to walk, bike or run to their destinations without their automobiles. Over 130 residents turned out last week to voice their strong support and provide feedback to Toole Design Group. Jennifer Toole, president of the Toole Group, is a nationally known traffic planner who knows how to bring folks together to make Columbia and Howard County a model of bicycle and pedestrian travel.

An article in your newspaper last week shared the anticipation of the manager of the soon-to-open Wegmans that this one store would be a "destination" drawing customers from a 25-mile radius ("Wegmans officials readying for opening in Columbia," April 19). Another article discussed Howard Hughes Corp.'s plan for additional development at The Mall in Columbia, a regional shopping center of 175-plus stores, and how this new residential and retail complex "might not be as car-friendly but more people-friendly" ("Planning Board gives approval to Warfield plans")

The CA Board's Planning and Strategy Committee, as indicated in the Master Plan, is eager to close ("repurpose" being the operative euphemism) three neighborhood village pools (Faulkner Ridge, Jeffers Hill, Talbott Springs). At the CA Master Aquatics Plan Public Meeting on Jan. 31, many residents testified that they opposed the closing of their neighborhood pools. They stated eloquently and passionately that such closings would be a great loss. And, they testified that should their pools be closed, going to the nearest alternate pool would, in many cases, require their children to cross highway 175, a most dangerous trek which these parents stated they would forbid.

A Columbia-based biotechnology company said this week it received the world's first government approval to market a stem cell drug , in Canada. Osiris Therapeutics, founded in 1992, spent 17 years developing a stem cell therapy that offers anti-inflammatory and tissue-regeneration properties. The first treatment it has received approval for this week will help treat children who've received bone marrow transplants that their bodies have rejected. The condition, known as acute graft-versus-host disease, or GvHD,  is fatal to 80 percent of the children who contract it, the company said.  C. Randal Mills, president and CEO of Osiris, said in a conference call Friday morning that the company has spent the past eight years navigating clinical trials and regulatory paperwork in a mission to be the first approved stem cell treatment in the world.  “During the past eight years, we have not wavered from that mission,” Mills said.

The master developer of Columbia's Town Center aims to begin construction by early next year on a $100 million apartment and retail complex, the area's first new housing in a decade. The Metropolitan Downtown Columbia will be a six-story, 380-unit development that the Howard Hughes Corp. plans to build in a joint venture with Kettler of McLean, Va., and Orchard Development of Ellicott City, on land next to The Mall in Columbia. Rents are expected to range from $1,600 a month for a one-bedroom apartment to $2,800 for a three-bedroom unit — making them among the highest in the region.

When Ross Kennard gets ready to go for a run in his hilly Ellicott City neighborhood, he slips on special shoes that resemble mesh gloves. Each toe has its own slot with a thin rubber underside, and the shoe's overall design offers no arch support and little padding. These "barefoot shoes" will play an integral role in the Columbia Triathlon next weekend for Kennard, 53, when he tries something new in his ninth competition. He will do both the running and biking portions of the race in the special footwear, which is akin to wearing no shoes at all. The Severna Park chiropractor is part of the minimalist running movement, whose followers seek to avoid injury by running more naturally, like the barefoot Kenyan Olympians do, he said.

These groups meet regularly. Adams, Hannah Moore Memorial Post 156, American Legion - Third Thursday, 7 p.m. VFW Post 7472, 4225 VFW Lane, Ellicott City. Keith Jones, post 156 commander, s_keith_jones@hotmail.com or 410-868-8802; John Horan, post adjutant, repairguy9052@comcast.net or 410-696-2343; or post156@yahoo.com . Central Maryland User Group for Windows - Third Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. East Columbia Branch library. 301-774-0331 or http://www.myCMUG.org . Columbia Knitting Group - Third Monday, 7 p.m. Panera Bread, 6345 Dobbin Road, Columbia.

Corporate Office Properties Trust said Monday that it had sold two office buildings and land in Rockville for about $48.7 million, part of the Columbia-based real estate investment trust's strategy of selling off non-core assets. COPT, which develops, owns and manages office buildings primarily for government agencies and contractors in the defense information sector, has sold $116.9 million worth of properties and land since the beginning of the year. Since last April, the company has been selling suburban office buildings to focus on high-security offices for defense tenants.

Howard County firefighters took 15 minutes to extinguish a fire in a garden-style apartment in Columbia on Saturday afternoon, according to authorities. The fire was reported about 12:40 p.m. in a third story apartment in the 6000 block of Majors Lane. Several occupants got out safely before firefighters arrived, a department spokesman said. No one was injured the cause of the fire remains under investigation. peter.hermann@baltsun.com Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

Way back when Columbia was just being weaned from a bottle, a woman from Seattle told me how much she hated living in the then-New Town. "I thought I was moving to a city," she complained, "but there is absolutely nothing to do here. I hate it, and I'm leaving. " I told her that was a wonderful idea. "Yes," I said, "you should be happy where you live. Otherwise life becomes rather painful and pointless, and you wind up unhappy and sad. You should leave. You need to be someplace else.

A 67-year-old woman lost control of her car Thursday morning around 10 a.m. and crashed into the brick wall of a bank. According to Howard County police, Sharon Buck's Honda Accord jumped a curb "at a very low speed" and hit the side of the Bank of America in the 6200 block of Old Dobbin Lane in Columbia. Police said that there were no injuries to Buck or anyone inside the bank. Though a county building inspector deemed that the property was safe, the bank remains closed while bank officials give their report to corporate headquarters.