Howard Community College

Public meeting set on `Vision' paper The Columbia Association's board of directors will hold a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 to hear comments from residents on "Downtown Columbia: A Community Vision," a document released Sept. 28 by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. The document establishes a framework for the next 30 years of development in Columbia's Town Center and outlines a three-step implementation process The Columbia Association board plans to respond to the proposal and include comments from members of the community.

After nearly nine years as president of Howard Community College - a tenure marked by significant growth in student population, buildings and fundraising - Mary Ellen Duncan announced yesterday that she will step down in June. The college's board of trustees has named Kate Hetherington, an HCC administrator since 1999 and the college's executive vice president, as Duncan's successor. The board of trustees chose to forgo a nationwide search and instead focused on finding a candidate internally.

HCC Transfer Fair to be held Oct. 4 Howard Community College will hold a Transfer Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 4 in the college's Burrill Galleria, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Those who attend can speak to more than 60 college and university representatives from the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond about opportunities to transfer to their institutions. Admission is free and open to the public. Information: 410-772-4266, or www.howardcc.edu/admissions/advising/tra nsfer.

HCC commencement scheduled for Friday Howard Community College will hold commencement exercises for its 36th graduating class at 4 p.m. Friday on the campus, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Padraic M. Kennedy, former president of the Columbia Association, will give the Boyd Commencement Address. In recognition of their contributions to the HCC community and students, honorary degrees will be conferred upon Joanne T. Davis, former chairwoman of the Commission on the Future of Howard Community College; her husband, Michael W. Davis, who served on the HCC Educational Foundation's board of directors; and U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski.

Kindermusik Demo Days plans free classes at HCC The Music Institute at Howard Community College, formerly known as the Musical Arts Center, has announced that it will offer Kindermusik classes from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday as part of Kindermusik International's Demo Days, a program offering free musical instruction to children around the world. Peggy Durbin, the center's licensed Kindermusik teacher, will lead classes at the Children's Learning Center on the college's campus, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia.

Women educators' Afternoon Tea An Afternoon Tea for Women Educators, sponsored by the Women's Giving Circle of Howard County, will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville. The event, which was to have been held Feb. 13, was postponed because of inclement weather. Linda Perlstein, a journalist and author of a book based on her experiences at Wilde Lake Middle School, will speak. The topic, which is also the title of her book: Not Much Just Chillin': The Hidden Lives of Middle Schoolers.

The National Council of Instructional Administrators has awarded Howard Community College's Step UP program its 2007 Exemplary Initiative Award for student retention and success. Step UP, a mentorship program established in 2005, offers coaching, support, encouragement and listening. The program serves about 100 students each semester. Information: Sue Frankel, 410-772-4826. HCC cookbook goes on sale for $15 A cookbook featuring favorite recipes from students, staff and faculty at Howard Community College is on sale at the HCC Bookstore in the Rouse Company Foundation Student Services Hall.

African-American photo exhibit Learn about the African-Americans who settled in Howard County in the exhibit Native African American Families of Howard County, Maryland: 1875-1950, at James Clark Library, Howard Community College, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. The exhibit, which includes more than 300 photos, is based on photos and information submitted by families in the area. Library hours today are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free. Information: www.hccaacres.org. FYI Sun art critic Glenn McNatt is on assignment.

Kim, Oh join the board of HCC Educational Foundation Miji Kim and Sang W. Oh have joined the board of directors of the Howard Community College Educational Foundation. Kim is a contract specialist for Cosmopolitan Inc. in Columbia. She is president of the Clarksville Fire Department, commissioner for the Howard County Commission For Women and is a member of the Howard County Personnel Board. She has been a Howard County resident since 1974. Oh, an attorney in practice in Ellicott City, has been an assistant state's attorney, judicial clerk for Judge Dennis M. Sweeney, and executive assistant to former Howard County Executive James N. Robey.

Registration is open for classes at the Music Institute, formerly the Musical Arts Center at Howard Community College. Instruction by members of the college faculty is available for piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, orchestra, band, folk and jazz. Music therapy, songwriting, rock and jazz band, a Celtic ensemble, gumbo ensemble and ukulele orchestra are also available. Information: 410-772-4871, or www.howardcc.edu/visitors/music. School board to meet Thursday The Howard County Board of Education will hold a regularly scheduled meeting at 4 p.m. Thursday in the boardroom at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108, Ellicott City.

Coffee & Conversation The next meeting with the Howard County Board of Education, where residents can chat informally with board members, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bellows Spring Elementary School, 8125 Old Stockbridge Drive in Ellicott City. Call 410-313-6680 for more information. Donate blood A blood drive will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way in Columbia. Call 410-381-4546 for more information. Call for artists The Howard County Arts Council is accepting slides and CD submissions from visual artists for a 2011 group exhibit examining environment interference and related issues.

Howard Bank promotions Rocco Ricci and Steven Poynot have been promoted to senior vice presidents at Howard Bank. David Long has been promoted to bank officer. Howard Bank has branches in the Village of Hickory Ridge in Columbia, on Snowden River Parkway in Ellicott City, on Johns Hopkins Road in Maple Lawn and at Route 40 and Centennial Lane in Ellicott City. For information about the bank, call 410-750-0020 or go to howardbank.com. Disability issues awards ceremony The Howard County Commission on Disability Issues will hold its annual awards ceremony at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way in Columbia.

Howard County's nonprofit organizations have formed a collaborative council with county government and the Horizon Foundation to find new and creative ways to protect their services from the ravages of the recession. Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced the group's formation at a Columbia luncheon Wednesday sponsored by the Association of Community Services, an umbrella group for more than 100 local social aid groups. Called the Nonprofit Resource Development Council, the 13-member group will include representatives of the county government, ACS, the Horizon Foundation, Howard Community College, Howard County General Hospital, the Columbia Foundation and others.

Howard County residents could face a higher risk of swine flu, an immediate halt to road repaving and higher costs at Howard Community College this winter because of the loss of $8.3 million more in state funding announced last week. Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, the county health officer, said he would have to lay off up to 10 people and end some services at county clinics, such as programs for smoking cessation, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer, tuberculosis and other screenings.

After five years of contention, Howard Community College is putting Belmont, its secluded 18th-century estate in Elkridge, up for sale. The unanimous decision by the college's board of trustees comes as college leaders confront a growing demand for money to expand the main campus in Columbia. With the state cutting operating funds, tuition increases are likely even as more students seek financial aid. "There is concern this might not be the end of cuts for the year," Howard Community College President Kate Hetherington told the board of trustees at a meeting Wednesday night.

Nathan Carriere, a recent Wilde Lake High School graduate, originally wanted to go to a college that would allow him to leave home and be on his own. But he quickly realized that this freedom came with a big cost. Carriere decided to save money and ease his parents' angst. He's going to Howard Community College. "It's $8,000 for tuition at four-year colleges," said Carriere, who wants to major in premedicine. "I'm only paying $2,000 here. I'm also saving time with the commuting. It's also less stress for [my parents]

Yes, farm families need broadband too I was extremely heartened to read the article "Broadbanding together" (May 25). These types of partnerships and collaborative efforts are quite overdue when it comes to making 21st century technologies available to all. I also appreciate the urgency that our emergency response professionals bring to supporting these projects, which can help them do their job better. However, I couldn't help but take exception to the comments of Christopher Summers, who wondered aloud about the need a farmer would have for a "broadband wireless device while he's on his combine?"

Repulsed by the government's violent response to protests in his homeland of China 20 years ago, Yifei Gan knew he had to remain in the United States to pursue artistic freedom. Inspired by her widowed mother's entrepreneurial spirit, Lily Bengfort visualized succeeding in business when she came to the United States from Guyana. And, touched by a desire to help fellow Korean immigrants, Young Song rode a rusty bike to school to earn two college degrees on the path toward his goal. These three immigrants couldn't be more different, nor could they be more alike.

A select group of students at Howard Community College will be guaranteed admission and a scholarship to Dickinson College, a highly regarded liberal arts school in Pennsylvania, to earn their bachelor's degrees under a partnership to be announced by the colleges Wednesday. The deal represents a significant step beyond the standard transfer agreements that community colleges have with state universities. The HCC-Dickinson partnership will provide support and coaching so that students are academically ready, as well as financial aid so they can afford it. With the total annual costs at some private universities now exceeding $50,000, more families are looking to community colleges as affordable alternatives.

UM provost to speak Nariman Farvardin, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost of the University of Maryland, College Park, will be the featured speaker at the BWI Business Partnership's Signature Breakfast, to be held from 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Hilton Baltimore BWI Airport, 1739 W. Nursery Road, Linthicum. Registration is required by tomorrow. Partnership members can attend free or for $25, depending on membership level. Nonmembers pay $40, if space permits.