Tourism Council

The Tourism Council of Carroll County and the Harlem Wizards are partners again for a benefit basketball game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Western Maryland College. This is the third year the council has been host to a benefit starring the Wizards. The game pits the Wizards, including former NBA and college players, against a team of local personalities. Coming back as on-court jester again this year is crowd favorite James "Speedy" Williams, who keeps the game moving and the opponents on their toes with his chatter and slapstick.

The old dictum that politics makes for strange bedfellows was rarely clearer than in the vote among Howard County's state delegates approving the Ulman administration's bill boosting local hotel room taxes from 5 percent to 7 percent. Allied in opposition were the delegation's most liberal member, Democratic Del. Elizabeth Bobo, and Republicans Dels. Gail H. Bates and Warren E. Miller, the two most conservative. Their reasons for opposing the measure were different, but led them to the same position.

Warning that Maryland is losing untold numbers of potential visitors to other states spending far more to attract them, a statewide tourism group yesterday proposed doubling funding for marketing.The Maryland Tourism Council -- a coalition of local tourism agencies, hotels, attractions and restaurants -- wants the state to raise annual marketing spending from $3 million to $6 million beginning in July of next year.That would bring the budget for the state Office of Tourism Development to about $11.6 million, with the entire increase going toward luring visitors.

Howard County's General Assembly delegation narrowly approved an increase in the local hotel room tax from 5 percent to 7 percent Wednesday. If the new rate is approved by the full General Assembly, Howard's tax would equal Anne Arundel's and be lower than Baltimore County and Baltimore City's. It would be higher than Carroll County's rate; Harford County has no hotel tax. The county's three senators split 2-1 in favor while the eight delegates voted 5-3 to approve the bill from County Executive Ken Ulman, but not before amending it to codify where the new revenue would go. All three Howard Republicans opposed the final bill, arguing that taxes should not go up, even though the hotel and tourism industry and the county Chamber of Commerce support the measure.

For more than a decade, Howard County Tourism Council has held its annual fund-raiser with the anticipation that its only benefit would be to give its budget a boost. But this year's gala holds more significance. Since Sept. 11, the county has experienced a decrease in tourism of about 10 percent to 15 percent. The Tourism Council hopes its budget - kept steady with grants from the county and state - will get a significant increase from this week's fund-raiser to help promote Howard tourism.

The county Tourism Council wants to put Howard in Pennsylvania.Howard who?Yes."Howard Who?" -- the tourism council's new ad campaign -- sounds a little like an Abbott and Costello routine.It works like this: The tourism council would place an ad in a Philadelphia publication that reads, "Howard Who?" in large type."To Find Out About Howard, Call 1-800-288-TRIP," the ad would read.Local merchants could share the publicity by paying $150 or more to have their logos on coupon-like ads boxed beneath the "Howard Who?"

Founded a decade ago with seed money from local business people, the Howard County Tourism Council never faced high expectations. Council officials could always point to their relatively meager five-figure budget and claim the funds weren't there to give county tourism the boost it needed.They can't make that claim any more, not since the county enacted a 5 percent hotel-motel tax that has helped quadruple the council's coffers, from $54,000 last year to $217,000 this year."With this budget, we really have to show results," says Tourism Council President Margaret Smith, acknowledging the pressure to perform.

Columbia Foundation board of directors members chosen Larry Fiorino, founder and chief executive officer of the technology company G1440 Inc., has been elected to the board of directors of the Columbia Foundation. Also elected were attorney Meg Moon; Susan Patrick, co-owner and executive vice president of Patrick Communications LLC; Dr. Jerry Seals; Gary Rosenbaum, owner and president of Party! Party! Party!; and Brian Walter, senior vice president for commercial lending at Allfirst Bank.

The Maryland Governor's Tourism Industry Conference will meet Oct. 22 through 24 at the Best Western Invitation Inn/Comfort Inn in Edgewood.Those attending the conference, which is expected to attract about 250 people, will discuss ways to use computer technology to promote tourist attractions and events throughout the state.This is the 15th year for the annual conference. It is sponsored by the Maryland Tourism Council Inc., a trade association, and the Maryland Office of Tourism Development.

The past year has been tough for businesses nationally, and Howard County businesses have struggled, too, yet they have managed to make some gains, according to reports from the major business pulse-keepers in the county. The county's Economic Development Authority and Tourism Council delivered annual reports to stockholders and board members last week, painting a picture for county businesses of brighter skies ahead. Tourism officials said that by focusing on visitors who live nearby to support hometown tourism, their office has laid the groundwork for a better year that is already beginning.

Howard County's state legislators are struggling to decide if the county's hotel room tax should rise to 7 percent from 5 percent, even though hotel owners are supporting the idea as a way to raise money for tourism and business promotion. If approved by the county's eight delegates and three state senators — and later by the full General Assembly — the higher rate would match Anne Arundel County's levy and still be lower than hotel taxes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, though higher than in Carroll and Harford counties.

Some restaurants open more loudly than others. The opening in Towson of 7 West Bistro Grille (7 W. Chesapeake Ave., 410-337-9378, 7westbistro.com) has been one of the quietest I can remember - not that it's not doing well. One of the three 7 West partners, Boyko Tachov, says the Towson community has been responding very encouragingly to 7 West's concept, which I would call "the Nice Place": a moderately priced, locally owned, handsomely decorated restaurant that is as welcoming to families as it is to couples.

When the disco music came on at the wedding of Damon Foreman's daughter last weekend, he and his wife, Mary Ellen Baker, busted out some slick dance moves that had the other guests applauding. Mo and Barbara Dutterer of Columbia spent their eight-hour drive on Memorial Day weekend listening to Amii Stewart's "Knock on Wood" and planning out a swing dance routine. And recently, Michael and Karen Schonfeld of Ellicott City hit the dance floor at a club in Las Vegas, showing off their swing dance combinations.

Tourism council to update visitor's guide to county The Tourism Council of Carroll County Inc. is preparing to publish the second edition of its visitor's guide, Destination Carroll County, this fall. The guide is produced by the nonprofit council as a service to the Carroll County Office of Tourism, which uses the booklet in its promotion and advertising of the county. This magazine-style publication features maps and information on the towns, the Civil War, historic sites, attractions, parks, lodging, restaurants and shopping.

Howard County Tourism Inc.'s visitor information center has been on the back of the post office building in historic Ellicott City for almost a decade. But it took new paint, shutters, flags and signs to get many county residents to notice it for the first time. "Since [the redecoration] happened, a number of people have said ` ... I never knew you were here,'" said Ed Lilley, visitor center manager. In fact, the office saw a 50 percent increase in customers from 2003 to 2004, said Executive Director Rachelina Bonacci.

Howard County Tourism Inc.'s visitor information center has been on the back of the post office building in historic Ellicott City for almost a decade. But it took new paint, shutters, flags and signs to get many county residents to notice it for the first time. "Since [the redecoration] happened, a number of people have said ` ... I never knew you were here,' " said Ed Lilley, visitor center manager. In fact, the office saw a 50 percent increase in customers between 2003 and this year, said Executive Director Rachelina Bonacci.

The former assistant to the Howard County Tourism Council's executive director admitted this week she forged more than $11,000 in council checks -- writing them out to herself and then cashing them.Shannon Shirley pleaded guilty in Howard County Circuit Court Monday to uttering a false document. Court records say she fraudulently signed the names of the council treasurer and president on the checks.She was given an 18-month suspended sentence and five years' probation and was ordered to repay the stolen funds.

Gallitano, Rifkin, Willis join board of hospital foundation David J. Gallitano, Alan M. Rifkin and Dr. Eugene Willis have joined Howard Hospital Foundation's board of trustees for an initial one-year term. Gallitano is president and chief executive officer of APW Ltd. and is vice chairman of the Howard County General Hospital board of trustees. Rifkin is the managing partner of the law firm, Rifkin, Livingston, Levitan & Silver, and he served as first counsel to former Gov. William Donald Schaefer.

Sue Taylor's family of five was supposed be flying to the Bahamas today, but she didn't see the point -- what with Hurricane Frances whirling in from the other direction. So the Taylors are staying put in Harford County for the Labor Day weekend. No swimming with the dolphins. No tanning on resort lounge chairs. No Caribbean celebration for 16-year-old Whitney, who had turned down a big birthday party in July in favor of a big vacation now. "Who wants to go to a tropical island with rough conditions and high winds?"