Ulman

When county officials sit down in the coming weeks for the spring ritual of budget reviews, it might be the last time until 2010 that the work will be done in the George Howard Building -- epicenter of county government for the past three decades. County Executive Ken Ulman's plans involve work starting as soon as possible on a long-overdue $22 million renovation of the main government office building, meaning the seat of county government would move to rented office space, perhaps as soon as August.

I agree with an earlier letter's characterization of Howard County Executive Ken Ulman as "immature. " I would like to add several other examples. One of his first actions in office was to make sure every citizen had a pretty blue wheeled recycling can so we (he) could seen at the front of the "green" movement in Maryland. However, by cancelling the too expensive business recycling program shortly after, he inadvertently admits to the folly of doing these things, especially for superficial purposes.

The 2014 governor's race came into clearer focus Wednesday as Harford County Executive David R. Craig set a date to announce his Republican candidacy and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown's campaign confirmed that Howard County Executive Ken Ulman will be his running mate in his bid for the Democratic nomination. Craig, 63, will become the first major GOP contender to enter the race when he holds a campaign event Monday. Brown, who got a jump on other Democrats when he announced his candidacy this month, plans to announce Ulman's agreement to join his ticket the same day. With the twin announcements, the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Martin O'Malley will shift into a higher gear.

Money is reputedly the mothers' milk of politics, and if that's so, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman is very well-nourished, with $573,183 in the bank, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. Trent Kittleman, his undeclared but likely Republican adversary who launched a campaign Web site this week, reported having $8,038 on hand. "I'm really pleased with the outpouring of support we've had," Ulman said Wednesday while in Annapolis, lobbying for school construction money and to prevent more budget cuts.

A sincere thank you to county executive Ken Ulman for his quick appointment of William McMahon as chief of the Howard County Police Department. In his six months as acting chief, McMahon has demonstrated excellent leadership and management skills, and a bright vision for the department. We are proud of our police department's performance over the past years and with Mr. Ulman's selection of McMahon as chief, it will continue to be source of pride for the citizens of Howard County. Larry Aaronson Columbia The writer is a charter member of the Citizens Advisory Council to the Howard county Police Department

An estimated crowd of 1,900 turned out last night for the Ulman Fund Soccer Classic at Howard High School to show their support for Doug Ulman and watch some of the East Coast's top collegiate players display their talent.Everyone went home a winner.Ulman, a former standout at Centennial and a junior-to-be at Brown University, found out he had cancer last year as a 19-year-old. Earlier this year, he and his family created The Ulman Fund of The Wellness Community-Baltimore, to offer support to young adults with cancer.

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and two other county officials are joining a small group of Indian-American business leaders for an economic development trip to India. Ulman, chief of staff Aaron Greenfield and Richard W. Story, CEO of the county's Economic Development Authority, are leaving tonight from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and are to arrive in Bangalore, India, on Sunday. They plan to meet with government officials and visit high-tech firms, some of which have offices in Howard County, before returning Feb. 28. The Economic Development Authority, which is funded by the county and private businesses, is paying for the trip.

Despite worries about tighter revenues next fiscal year, Howard County Executive Ken Ulman is pushing his environmental initiatives forward, including a solar demonstration project at the East Columbia library and the purchasing of hybrid vehicles. But expectations of less revenue growth for the fiscal year that begins July 1 will limit staffing at his proposed Office of Environmental Sustainability to one person, Ulman said, and could also curb his hopes of expanding a pilot program to boost recycling by giving residents larger, wheeled bins.

County Executive Ken Ulman is quickly putting his stamp on Howard County government, in both obvious and subtle ways. Hiring and firing top staff and new department heads attracts most of the attention, but some lesser-noted actions also can be revealing - such as his choice for an official county vehicle and placing a temporary limit on his top appointees discussing policy without prior approval. A 2007 silver Ford Escape Hybrid (gas and electric motor) with the child-booster seat in back will be Ulman's official vehicle, a symbolic fulfillment of a campaign pledge to move the county more toward environmentally friendly policies.

Another top appointed official is leaving the Ulman administration, but veteran County Solicitor Barbara Cook said she is retiring on her own terms. The job as the county's chief legal adviser is unique in that the solicitor is appointed for a four-year term by the executive and is confirmed by the County Council. With her 65th birthday fast approaching and a retired husband and five grandchildren younger than age 4 beckoning, Cook said she did not want to commit to another full term, and she could not see resigning midterm, leaving County Executive Ken Ulman in the lurch.