Early Voting in Primary Elections Starts April 14

Early voting locations can be found on the web page of Howard County's Board of Elections.

You can vote at any early voting location in the county where you live from Thursday, April 14, 2016 through Thursday, April 21, 2016 from 10 am until 8 pm.

Any registered voter can vote in the non-partisan School Board elections. To vote in the Presidential Primaries, you must be a registered member of that party.

The schedule for the 2016 Election Cycle:

Primary Election:

• Early Voting: Thursday, April 14, 2016 through Thursday, April 21, 2016 from 10 am until 8 pm. 
• Primaries Election Day: Tuesday, April 26, 2016 from 7 am to 8 pm

General Election:

• Early Voting: Thursday, October 27, 2016 through Thursday, November 3, 2016 from 8 am until 8 pm.
• 2016 Presidential Election Day: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 from 7 am to 8 pm

Autumn Walk Spring Clean Up Has Begun!

The weather may have transitioned directly from Winter to Summer, but the Autumn Walk Spring Clean-Up under our landscaping contract began today!

The first stage focused on trimming the Common Area bushes, and then re-edging all of the mulched beds, including in front of private homes.

The final step will add weed control to the flower beds, and then a new layer of mulch.

As a reminder, replacing mulch which has washed away the rest of the year is the homeowner's responsibility for the private flower beds in front of your home. The re-mulching only occurs under the HOA contract once per year in the Spring.

Also, trimming of the shrubs in your private flower beds, and weeding as well, is also the homeowner's responsibility.

Howard County Board of Education Candidates in North Laurel on April 5th

Come meet the candidates!

It may surprise you to learn that because school systems in Maryland are set up to be largely independent, the School Boards have direct authority over the schools, not the elected County Government officials.

On Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 6:30 PM, the Southern Howard County Civic Association (SHCCA) will bring together the candidates for the upcoming Howard County Board of Education elections in an open forum at North Laurel Community Center (NLCC).

There are eleven candidates for the three openings for 4-year terms on the Board that are up for re-election in the 2016 cycle. The Howard County Board of Education has 7 full Members plus a Student Member (who can vote on all matters except the budget, personnel, or other restricted topics).

The primary election will be held on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Because the School Board is non-partisan, any registered voter can vote in the primary.

Voters will be asked to select 3 candidates, with the top 6 advancing to the general election on November 8, 2016.

Daylight Savings Time: Sunday, March 13th

Don't forget to "Spring Forward" this weekend!

Daylight Savings Time

Date: Sunday, March 13, 2016
What to Do: Set your clocks forward one hour at 2 AM (unless you want to be late)!

Emerson February 2016 Town Hall Notes

Howard County's Chief of the Traffic Engineering Division was the special guest at Emerson's February 2016 Town Hall on February 22, 2016, attended by approximately 30 residents.

This division, within the Department of Public Works, is responsible for engineering traffic solutions (to include signals and traffic calming) as well as for operational functions such as snow removal on public streets.

 The topics covered that evening:

• Parking problems within Emerson
• Snow removal
• Traffic and speeding issues

The highlights were: