Hickory Ridge

Village residents who live near a 264-unit housing development proposed for the edge of west Columbia are fighting the project, which they say will bring too much traffic to the area and force the cutting of many trees surrounding the site. But the Riverdale development, a project of Dale Thompson Builders Inc. that is slated for a 30-acre site at Cedar Lane and Route 32 near the Middle Patuxent River, is so far along in the process that substantial changes are unlikely. "It's too late in the game for them to be challenging the zoning," said Marsha McLaughlin, director of the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning.

Five of the seven Columbia Council seats to be filled in elections this weekend are being contested, with issues ranging from village revitalization and downtown development to the handling of contract negotiations with the association's president. Incumbents are facing challengers in Dorsey's Search, Hickory Ridge, Oakland Mills and Wilde Lake and two newcomers are vying in Kings Contrivance. Running unopposed are incumbent Henry F. Dagenais in Long Reach and newcomer Michael Cornell in River Hill, where incumbent Patrick von Schlag is not seeking re-election.

The recent closings of High's convenience stores in Hickory Ridge and Owen Brown have left village officials and residents wondering what will replace them.Representatives at High's Baltimore office could not be reached for comment, and village officials said they don't have any information about possible new tenants."We've had people asking why the High's left [Jan. 4] and what might go there. We have not heard anything," said Ottilie Grim, Owen Brown village covenant adviser.Donna Mueller, a leasing representative of Hickory Plaza Associates, believes that a Starbucks-type store may lease the space left Jan. 25 by the High's in Hickory Ridge Plaza.

The blotter is a sampling of crimes in Howard County compiled from police reports.East ColumbiaWatchlight Court: 9000 block, Owen Brown. A thief entered a house between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. Thursday through a sliding door and stole a 27-inch television.Old Columbia Road: 10200 block, Kings Contrivance. A thief broke a glass front door at 12: 30 a.m. Thursday, set off a business alarm and stole unknown items.Benson Drive: 8300 block, Owen Brown. An intruder entered a business at 5 a.m. Thursday, pried open the portable automated teller machine and stole an unknown amount of cash.

Hawthorn Pond, where neighbors lounging on hammock-strung decks can fish and take pictures of heron and geese in a good year, is full of lore, if not water.There is the story of a woman who, fearing a 12-year-old carp would suffocate in the ankle-high waters, captured the fish and kept it in her bathtub. And what was a palm-sized snapping turtle nursed by Tamarind Association President Allan Blondell and his son is reputed to be the 2-foot-wide submariner that attacks ducks.Residents around the pond, who have spent their time and money keeping water in the public pond for most of the decade, are telling the Columbia Association it is "a feature we don't want to see dry out and be destroyed," Blondell said.

With Christmas right around the corner and holiday celebrations in full swing, Columbia residents are probably looking for something a little different on the party scene.Tomorrow's holiday get-together at the Riverside Roastery & Espresso coffee cafe in Hickory Ridge Plaza will be just that: a Christmas party done beatnik-style. Ten or more local high school students will read aloud their original writings and poetry.Someone will tinkle out a tune on the piano, and the readings promise to be personal and heartfelt.

The crime report is a sampling of crimes in Howard County compiled from police reports.East ColumbiaGuilford Road: 8800 block. Two men were changing a flat tire in front of Hammond High School at midnight yesterday when two men approached them, displayed a handgun and demanded one of the men's cell phone and wallet. The robbers then searched the car but did not take anything from it.Stevens Forest Road: 5600 block, Oakland Mills. Someone entered a residence through the front door between 8 p.m. Monday and 1 a.m. yesterday, scattered food throughout the kitchen, ransacked the bedroom and destroyed furniture.

ON SUNDAY, nearly 400 people came to Patrick's Hair Design on Red Branch Road for the third Cuts Against Cancer, a fund-raiser for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center. Eleven salons -- six of them from east Columbia -- volunteered to provide haircuts, manicures and massages to benefit the cancer center.A one-stop shop for cancer patients, their families and caregivers, the center is housed in a neat one-story brick building on Cedar Lane, near Hickory Ridge Road. Its rooms are painted in soothing colors and filled with comfortable furnishings.

ROMANCE IS on the minds of west Columbians.If you're wondering how to spend Valentine's Day with the one you love, you may be inspired by some of our neighbors' romantic memories.Jessica Reisboard, Alvin and Doris Gregory and August Falck -- residents of Harmony Hall, a retirement Community in Hickory Ridge -- were reminiscing in the parlor last week."My husband was a very romantic guy. We were married at the height of the Depression, when $5 was like $50 today," Reisboard recalled.On Valentine's Day the year they were married, Reisboard's husband, Bernard, came home with a bouquet of flowers.

Police Blotter is a sampling of crimes in Howard County.Elkridge-Ellicott CityEllicott City: A gunman entered Wendy's restaurant in the 9100 block of Old Annapolis Road on Monday and demanded that the manager open the safe. After putting an undetermined amount of money in a a duffel bag, the robber left through a back door.Elkridge: A 32-year-old man in the 6400 block of Loudon Ave. threatened to kill himself Monday and refused to leave for three hours. Negotiators were called to the scene, and the man eventually was taken to Howard County General Hospital.

Critics of a proposed 260 town-home development in Columbia's Hickory Ridge may get a second shot at scaling back the project, thanks to developer Dale Thompson's financial woes. Creditors have obtained court judgments against Thompson, a builder for 22 years, and his various companies for more than $25 million in defaulted loans, and a sale of the 30-acre Riverdale site at Route 32 and Cedar Lane could result, a lawyer for one of the creditors said. The Baltimore Sun reported last week that the well-regarded builder of upscale Howard County homes appears to be out of business.

The next important election in Howard County is less than a month away, though no public offices are at stake. The members of the Columbia Association board of directors may not draw salaries, but they, along with incoming CA President Phil Nelson, could play a vital role in plans to remake central Columbia and its aging village centers. Each of the 10 villages has one seat on the board, and half could elect new board members when the two days of voting end April 25. Three villages - Owen Brown, Town Center and Harper's Choice - have no board contest this spring, while incumbents in Oakland Mills and River Hill are running unopposed.

Hartgen heads restaurant association Paul Hartgen has joined the Restaurant Association of Maryland as president and chief executive officer. He held the same posts with the Nevada Restaurant Association and the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association, and he held a variety of managerial positions with Ashworth by the Sea Hotel in Hampton, N.H. He is past president of the International Society of Restaurant Association Executives and an...

The Harper's Choice Community Association will sponsor a "Gang Awareness-Crime Prevention Seminar" at 7:30 p.m. April 14 at Kahler Hall, 5440 Old Tucker Row, in the Harper's Choice Village Center. Representatives from the Howard County Police Department's Community Resource Office will speak. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. Information: 410-730-0770. County singer to perform Saturday Howard County singer-songwriter Iris Ann Hirsch will perform "Baby Boomer Memories: Original and Classic Folk/Rock of the '50s, '60s, '70s and More" from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday March 29 at Mad City Coffee, 10801 Hickory Ridge Road.

Village residents who live near a 264-unit housing development proposed for the edge of west Columbia are fighting the project, which they say will bring too much traffic to the area and force the cutting of many trees surrounding the site. But the Riverdale development, a project of Dale Thompson Builders Inc. that is slated for a 30-acre site at Cedar Lane and Route 32 near the Middle Patuxent River, is so far along in the process that substantial changes are unlikely. "It's too late in the game for them to be challenging the zoning," said Marsha McLaughlin, director of the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning.

A new study that maps out traffic growth for downtown Columbia during the next three decades is flawed and may need to be re-examined because it doesn't consider the number of people traveling into Town Center in the future, some residents say. Audience members both praised and challenged the assumptions and provisions of that study Thursday night at the second of six forums to discuss Town Center's future. "Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision," was released by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman last month.

The Town Center Community Association is seeking craft vendors for its juried Holiday Craft Fair, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 17 at Historic Oakland, 5430 Vantage Point Road. The 19th-century restored house provides a picturesque setting for the event. Those interested should contact Patricia Loeber, 410-730-4744. Jazz group opens Oakland series The Oakland Night Music Series, sponsored by the Town Center Community Association, will open its third season with a concert by the Columbia Jazz Project from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 5 in the ballroom at Historic Oakland.

Five of the seven Columbia Council seats to be filled in elections this weekend are being contested, with issues ranging from village revitalization and downtown development to the handling of contract negotiations with the association's president. Incumbents are facing challengers in Dorsey's Search, Hickory Ridge, Oakland Mills and Wilde Lake and two newcomers are vying in Kings Contrivance. Running unopposed are incumbent Henry F. Dagenais in Long Reach and newcomer Michael Cornell in River Hill, where incumbent Patrick von Schlag is not seeking re-election.

Howard Bank names Blyther and Green Frances R. Blyther of Columbia has been named assistant manager of the Maple Lawn branch office of Howard Bank. Shelley Nicole Green of Columbia has been named assistant manager of the bank's Hickory Ridge branch office. In addition to its Maple Lawn and Hickory Ridge branches, Howard Bank has a branch office at Snowden river Parkway. The bank expects to break ground this year on its first branch on U.S. 40, near Centennial Lane. Slade accepts partnership offering Harry Slade, an Edward Jones investment representative in Ellicott City, has accepted a limited partnership offering in the Jones Financial Co., the holding company for the St. Louis-based financial services firm.

James Loeffler will present "What's in a Name? The Prime Minister, the Professor, and the Debate Over Israel's Name," a talk based on an exchange of letters between David Ben-Gurion and Professor Simon Rawidowicz on the naming of the Jewish state after its founding in 1948. The talk, sponsored by Columbia Jewish Congregation, will be held from 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. today at Oakland Mills High School. Information: 410-730-6044. Learn to make hand-made cards "Stamping with Gina," a workshop on using stamping techniques to create hand-made cards with a professional look, will be offered from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at The Other Barn in Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place.