Emerson Now Has a Facebook Page

Emerson also now has a Facebook Page!

Please "Like" the page to keep up-to-date on events in Emerson, and also to ask and answer questions of your neighbors.

And please also tell all of your friends who live in Emerson to Like the page as well. It will help us build out this great community we live in!

• Emerson Community Home Owners Association on Facebook

Thanksgiving Week Trash Schedule + Yard Trim

Please remember that due to the holiday, recycling collection will be on a "slide" schedule this week.

• Trash collection will be on Tuesday as normal (11/24). 
• Friday's recyclable collection will slide to Saturday (11/28). 

Trash and recycling containers should not be placed on the curb prior to 6 PM the night before a collection date.

Last week Autumn Walk's landscaping contract made a pass through the neighborhood with blowers and a mulching mower for the leaves that have fallen.

Also, when trimming your own bushes, please note that Howard County has changed its policy for yard trim and will no longer allow plastic bags to be used. Our street's transition date is January 1, 2016.

• Howard County Plastic Bag Transition for Yard Trim

Going forward yard trim should be placed in paper bags or bundled with twine.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Santa Heim, Merrieland (aka Savage, MD)

(Note: Savage will hold its annual Historic 1869 Bollman Bridge Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at 5:30 PM, followed by the Tree Lighting at Baldwin Hall near Savage Mill.)

It's an odd part of local history that when the fabric mills at Savage Mill closed down at the end of World War II, the town of Savage, MD briefly became a year-round Christmas Village that produced as much as one-third of all of the handblown Christmas ornaments sold in the US, including ornaments on the National Christmas Tree in 1948.

And, in a bit of self-referential promotional hype, the new proprietor Harry Heim declared that the town would be Santa's home south of the Mason-Dixon Line, or "Santa Heim".

Savage Mill
For almost a century and a half the rushing water from the Little Patuxent River coursing through a 30-foot water wheel powered fabric looms at Savage Mill, creating the factory town of Savage that supplied workers to the mills.

Minutes: Autumn Walk HOA Annual Meeting 11/9/15 - Draft

Autumn Walk HOA held its budget meeting in the Emerson Clubhouse on Monday, November 9, 2015.

Topics Discussed:

• Current Financial Status
• FY16 Budget
• New landscaping contract 
• Monument Sign
• Reserve Study
• Maintenance issues
• Some houses need to take remedial action
• Parking issues
• Fire Marshall is going to declare new firelane 
• Miscellaneous
• Solar Panels
• Snow removal
• SHCCA

Details:

The Flamingos of Autumn Walk (Saturday)

Bindu and Dharmesh have invited everyone over for what may be the last Flamingo Friday, er, Saturday,  of the season!

Date: Saturday, November 14, 2015
Time: 7 PM-ish
Location: At the Flamingo (9811)

In addition, Bindu encourages everyone to come and bid a fond farewell to Chinar and Vaibhav as they get ready for their next adventure.

Related:

• Flamingo Fridays!

Notes: Howard County Executive Alan Kittleman Talks About Redevelopment

Howard County Executive Alan Kittleman was the featured guest at the November 3, 2015 meeting of the Southern Howard County Civic Association (SHCCA) meeting in the North Laurel Community Center (NLCC).

The meeting was an open forum for the approximately 50 members of the community in attendance to ask questions of Mr. Kittleman and express their concerns.

The main topics centered around redevelopment in the southeast corner of the County, the current review of the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) developer fees, and how new budget constraints will affect Howard County's ability to address the lack of a long-promised swimming pool at NLCC.

Next:

• Tuesday, December 1, 2015 @ 6:30 PM: SHCCA Meeting, Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning (DPZ) Director Valdis Lazdins 
• TBD in 2016: Town Hall with Howard County Executive Alan Kittleman in North Laurel/Savage

Redevelopment in Savage/North Laurel

Mr. Kittleman expressed concern that too much commercial zoning had been changed to residential zoning along the Route 1 corridor, which he feels should be one of the economic engines of the County.

He cautioned it is the Howard County Council that controls zoning and not the Executive, and that furthermore there are a number of residential projects already in the pipeline, but stated he would like to see more commercial office and manufacturing development along Route 1.

Another complication is that Route 1 requires coordination with Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties, as well as the Maryland State Highway Department and Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT).

Mr. Kittleman was also asked about specific issues:

CANCELLED: 2015 Lisbon (MD) Old-Fashioned Christmas Horse Parade

Update: This year's Lisbon Christmas Horse Parade in Lisbon, MD originally scheduled for Saturday, December 12, 2015, has been cancelled due to insurmountable logistical problems from the rapid growth of the parade. The organizers expect to bring the horses back in 2016.

Instead, there will be an alternate parade on December 12th of decorated tractors and farm equipment to continue the original goal of raising funds for local food banks.

The original post for those who were interested in the event:

Over 500 decorated horses, ponies, donkeys and mules are expected Tractors and farm equipment that have been decorated for the holidays will be featured in this annual Christmas Parade in Western Howard County.

The parade is free to spectators, and entry fees from the riders benefit Howard and Carroll County Food Banks and the Lisbon Volunteer Fire Department (40/40/20 split).

Tips from the organizers:

Laurel Featured in Washington Post "Cheap Eats"

Several Laurel restaurants were featured in a preliminary article by the Washington Post's primary food critic, Tim Carman, as he began researching a "Cheap Eats" series for the Washington, DC area.

Mentioned in the article were:

• Curry Leaf (Indian, 13919 Baltimore Ave., 301-497-2017)
• More Than Java Cafe (Coffee & Sandwiches, 358 Main St., 301-490-3200) - owned by an Emerson resident
• Olive on Main (Greek and American, 504 Main St., 240-280-8560)
• Pasta Plus (Italian, 209 Gorman Ave., 301-498-5100))
• Sapphire Restaurant and Lounge (Thai-Indian, 13308 Laurel Bowie Rd., 301-490-0555)
• Sarita's Chicken and Grill (Peruvian, 15101 Baltimore Ave., 240-264-6313)
• Tampico Grill (Mexican, 42 Washington Blvd., 301-490-5200)

Article:

• The Hunt for the D.C. Area’s Best Cheap-Eats Hotbeds: Laurel (The Washington Post, 10/28/15)

(Thanks go out to Daphna for the link!)

2015 Autumn Walk Halloween Block Party

Thanks to hosts Allie and Daphna and everyone who made chili for the contest, dressed up in costumes, brought supplies and food, or who simply stopped by to say hello -- the 2015 Autumn Walk Halloween Block Party was another great success!

There were a dozen terrific chili entries, and Bindu's "B" Chili took the prize in the vegetarian category while Kelli S.'s recipe (#7) was the voters' choice among the meat entries.

The Smith Family took home the prize in the costume contest, dressed as a full set of Power Rangers!

Many dozens of children and adults stopped by from throughout Autumn Walk and Emerson to sample the food, vote for their favorite chili, and get some treats on a crisp Fall day.

Once again all of you have created a fun event and shown what a friendly, hospitable neighborhood we have!

More pictures are below (go to Facebook for the full set):