Village Elections

As Columbia residents go to the polls Saturday to elect members to their council and village boards, a perennial issue remains: whether, after 30 years, the planned community has outgrown its unusual system of government.Columbia has never had a mayor -- nor any official -- elected by the whole community, although, with 90,000 residents, it would be Maryland's second-largest city were it to incorporate. In place of a municipal government, the community has the Columbia Association, a homeowners group that provides many services but is often asked to do more than it can."

Oakland Mills High School is the first in Howard County to meet its goal and receive Apple computers from Giant Food Stores.Last Wednesday, Ron Caudell, manager of the Oakland Mills Village Giant Food Store, and Brenda Haskell, Giant's coordinator for the Apple Computer program presented computer equipment to the students during an assembly.The juniors collected tapes worth $69,000; the sophomores collected $36,623 and the senior class turned in $30,145, as of Feb. 17.The students credit English teacher Arlene Kutz with inspiring the student body's efforts.

Two Columbia Council members supportive of Columbia Association President Deborah O. McCarty were overwhelmingly defeated in village elections yesterday, tipping the city's governing board toward her critics. In an election that generated unusual interest, one of McCarty's allies won only 14 percent of the vote; another had 26 percent. "I think the message from the community is that we'd like things to be done differently," Lanny Morrison said as he prepared to celebrate his victory over incumbent Tom Forno in the Harper's Choice race.

The Harper's Choice Community Association village election and an Earth Day Fair will be held between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday at Kahler Hall, 5440 Old Tucker Row, in the Harper's Choice Village Center. Chesapeake Solar, the Howard County Climate Change Initiative, and Columbia Wildlife and Habitat Committee will offer information on how to live a greener life. Children and adults will have an opportunity to make pine cone bird feeders and toad abodes, and plant seeds. Information: 410-730-0770.

Roy T. Lyons, who won yesterday's repeat election for Long Reach Village's Columbia Council seat by 49 votes, called his victory "the icing on the cake."It vindicates our effort," said Mr. Lyons, who protested the results of the original April 24 election, in which he appeared to be a loser by a landslide to incumbent Dr. Gail Bailey.Mr. Lyons challenged the first election after discovering that two apartment building owners had cast 276 votes -- one for each of their dwelling units -- for Dr. Bailey.

VILLAGE: DORSEY'S SEARCH Village Board (2 seats): S. Kenneth Puckett (Incumbent), 49; William Thies Jr. (I), 49VILLAGE: HARPER'S CHOICEColumbia Council: Hope Sachwald (I), 170; Laura Waters, 132Village Board (3 seats): Heather D'Amore (I), 223; James T. Edmonds, 208; Peter Weickgenannt (I), 151; Melvin Weinstein, 148VILLAGE: HICKORY RIDGEColumbia Council: Mike Rethman (I), unopposed, 167Village Board (5 seats): Miles Coffman (I), 164; Linda Hitzelberger (I), 159; Phil Berman (I), 158; Mark Nedzbala, 154 (The new board will appoint a fifth member)

At least four villages will elect new representatives Saturday to serve on the Columbia Council during the session beginning in May, ensuring a fresh cast of leaders in a 31-year-old community that many believe is at a crossroads.Although Columbia's elections aren't expected to draw big crowds, they will bring significant change: Four incumbents on the 10-member board, including Chairwoman Norma Rose and Vice Chairmen David W. Berson and Alex Hekimian, are not seeking re-election.Another two, Cecilia Januszkiewicz of Long Reach and Jean S. Friedberg Jr. of Hickory Ridge, have challengers, meaning as many as six seats could change hands.

In next month's elections in Columbia's villages, three sets of longtime activists will compete to represent their villages on the Columbia Association's board -- races that promise to be unusually active in contrast to the apathy that has characterized most of the planned communities' elections.Eight of 10 seats on the Columbia Council -- CA's board -- are open in the voting, but only five villages have contested elections. Voters in the 10 villages also will select representatives for 39 village board posts open this year -- most of which also are not contested elections.

The future development of Town Center and the need for open lines of communication between residents and the Columbia Association board are the key issues echoing from six candidates vying for three Columbia Council seats. With two incumbents not seeking re-election - Wolfger Schneider of Harper's Choice and Joshua Feldmark of Wilde Lake - the council will have at least two new faces next month. The Columbia Council seats up for re-election are in Harper's Choice, Hickory Ridge, Oakland Mills, Owen Brown, Town Center and Wilde Lake.

A Howard Circuit Court judge will consider today whether former Columbia Councilwoman Gail Bailey's claim that she was unjustly denied victory in Long Reach village's April 24 election merits a trial or dismissal.The Long Reach Community Association and the Columbia Association, defendants in the suit filed by Dr. Bailey, have asked the court for a summary judgment, a procedure for promptly disposing of actions in which facts are not in dispute.Councilman Roy T. Lyons, who defeated Dr. Bailey in a repeat council election June 5 after the Long Reach village board invalidated the first vote count, was added as a defendant after his victory.