Mills Village

Say goodbye to the weathered "space for lease" sign nailed to a piece of plywood on the former M&T Bank building in the Oakland Mills Village Center. Village officials said the brick building, which has been vacant since 2002, will soon be a coffee and doughnut shop, the newest addition to the once struggling village center. The announcement of the new business, which village officials said could open in a few months, follows news this summer that the longtime vacant property of a former Exxon station would be developed into an office complex.

The Oakland Mills Community Association will hold its International Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 at Oakland Mills Village Center. Performers will include the Kinderman, the Rhythm Drum Circle (a participatory act), the Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance, and the singing group Tres Amigos. Handmade crafts will be available for purchase and nonprofit groups will distribute information. A display of foreign cars is planned. Children's events, including pumpkin-decorating, are free.

The Kactus Boys, a bluegrass group, and Sara Beck, a former Howard County resident who is a songwriter in Nashville, Tenn., will be at One World Coffeehouse at 7 p.m. Aug. 26 at Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way. The Kactus Boys will perform songs from their newest compact disc, which will be available to purchase. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $12; $6 for students. The coffeehouse is sponsored by Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia. Information: 410-381-0097.

Exxon Mobil Corp., is in talks with a Baltimore-based real estate development firm wanting to take over an Oakland Mills Village Center property that has been vacant since the oil company closed the gas station in 1999, village officials announced last week. Metroventures/USA Inc. is considering building an office complex on the 1.7-acre property at an entrance to the village center, according to an e-mail distributed by the village. Village officials did not have any further information about the size of the complex or a timeline for construction.

The Lavenia Nesmith Quintet will be featured in an "Evening of Jazz" from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at The Other Barn in Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place. Jazz singer Lavenia Nesmith will perform with Chris Grasso on piano, Lenny Robinson on drums, Paul Carr on saxophone and Wes Biles on bass. The event, sponsored by Oakland Mills Community Association, costs $10. Light refreshments will be served. Information: Ben Hunter, 410-730-1129. Auditions tomorrow for `Nunsensations' Auditions for Nunsensations, the musical, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Drama Learning Center, 9130 Red Branch Road.

The east Columbia library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, will hold a meeting of its Parent-Child Book Club for those ages 11 to 14, with a parent, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The group will discuss Mr. Chickee's Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis. Registration is not required. The library will sponsor a "Mystery Book-Nic," a chance to enjoy a mystery and a picnic lunch for children ages 6 to 8, at noon Aug. 2. Registration is to begin July 26. Information: 410-313-7700. La Leche League to meet Tuesday The La Leche League of Columbia PM, a support group for breastfeeding mothers, will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Episcopal Church, 6800 Oakland Mills Road.

The Oakland Mills Community Association will present "Stamping with Gina," a workshop on creating greeting cards with a professional look, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. July 18 at The Other Barn in Oakland Mills Village Center, 5851 Robert Oliver Place. The cost is $10 plus a $4 materials fee. Registration is required. Information: 410-730-4610. Monopoly tourney is set for Saturday The east Columbia library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, will sponsor a Monopoly tournament for youth ages 11 to 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

The Columbia Democratic Club will hold a candidate forum at 8 p.m. July 12 at the Jeffers Hill Neighborhood Center, 6030 Tamar Drive. Candidates running for positions on the Howard County Democratic Central Committee will present their views and answer questions. Information: Gary Magnuson, 410-740-8421. Free ice cream at farm market The Howard County Farmer's Market in Oakland Mills Village Center will hold a free ice-cream day, sponsored by Columbia Bank, on July 11. The market, which is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, carries vegetables, fruits, flowers and fresh baked goods.

Bill Woodcock, chairman of the Oakland Mills Village Board, believes that the community would benefit from additional lighting, especially near Oakland Mills Village Center and the pathway leading to the U.S. 29 footbridge that connects to Town Center. "The overarching theme is that we want the lighting around the village center to be more attractive and give a perception of safety as well," Woodcock said. "We also talked about lighting the pathways because people would enjoy the pathways in the evening hours."

The bridge is sound. Its image, however, is a little shaky. In years past, the concrete footbridge that spans U.S. 29 connecting Oakland Mills and Town Center was a destination for village residents traveling to Lake Kittamaqundi and The Mall in Columbia. "That pathway was the gem in the community, and when people first moved here, they used it a lot," said Sandy Cederbaum, Oakland Mills village manager. "Now, it is not used as often." Bill Woodcock, chairman of the Oakland Mills Village Board, said: "It is underutilized, and it's something that our residents can use to get to Town Center.