🍦CA might buy its HQ

Good morning, Columbia. Phish treated Sunday’s crowd at Merriweather to the longest-ever rendition of its improvisational epic, “Carini,” clocking in at 40 minutes, 35 seconds. It sounded crazy to me until I realized I have 33 songs over 10 minutes long with a combined 465 plays in my Apple Music – mostly Dave Matthews & O.A.R. live recordings.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

I sat down to write something for Pink’s. . . then I started reading through their 170 five-star reviews and found this one:

Pinks Window Services did an absolutely incredible job on my 33 windows, 3 sliding doors and 3 skylights including the screens. The windows looked so clear and amazing that you couldn’t tell the windows had screens. In fact, the dining room windows were so clear that I threw out my drapes so I can see more of the Chesapeake Bay. They are worth every penny and I plan to have them return every year in the spring. Many of my neighbors stopped by to check it out.

Imagine window cleaners so good they make you toss the drapes. If you have filthy windows, clogged gutters, a streaky roof, or anything grimy on your homes exterior, Pink’s is the crew to call

The CA Board of Directors meets Thursday at 7 PM, and it’s the last regular board meeting until September 24. The agenda is a big one:

Want to weigh in? Submit the Resident Speakout form on CA’s website by 5 PM Wednesday. You can also stream the whole thing from your couch.

While we’re talking CA: annual charge mailings are arriving now. If you’ve ever wondered what that funds, it’s the 95 miles of pathways, 3 lakes, 40 ponds, the pools and fitness clubs, and free events like Lakefront Live. The rate – 68 cents per $100 of half your state-assessed property value – hasn’t changed since 2004, and CA’s new annual report shows where every dollar goes.

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Ellicott City is a pizza town now. Tony’s of NY just cut the ribbon at the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center (10040 Baltimore National Pike).

Owner Sergio Falcone has spent nearly 40 years in kitchens across New York, Baltimore, and Italy. And the menu is like a greatest hits of Italian food: all the best pastas (lasagna, baked ziti, etc.), 24 different pizzas, and so much more. See for yourself.

Tony’s caps a busy stretch for Howard County’s restaurant map:

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Summer is going out with a bang. The Howard County Fair turns 80 (August 8–15), Merriweather barely takes a night off – “Weird Al” Yankovic, Thomas Rhett, Zac Brown Band, The Fray, and Kehlani all stop by – and the Lakefront keeps its Friday movie-and-dancing routine going right up until HCPSS starts back on August 24.

We put the whole month in one guide: the Back to School Bash with a Brooklyn brass band, Y2K Night at the Lakefront, Midnight Mini-Golf (this month’s theme: Hat & Tie), the rescheduled Caribbean American Heritage Celebration, and Toby’s trading Mean Girls for the Donna Summer musical.

Read the full August guide here.

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🐻 Bear With Us – A black bear recently spent a night lounging on Marcia Hill’s Ellicott City deck, knocking over the trash and staring back through the glass. DNR says bears are expanding east from Western Maryland – it trapped and ear-tagged an adult male roaming Patapsco Valley State Park last month. Secure your trash, maybe skip the bird feeders, and don’t try to outrun one. ($)

🗣️ Copy That – Howard County sheriff’s deputies’ body cameras now come with AI translation for residents who speak little or no English. It works like a walkie-talkie: push a button to talk, and the camera repeats the message in the preferred language. Every deputy who wears a camera gets the feature, included in the office’s existing Axon contract. County police are still evaluating it – for them, it would cost extra. The Sun has more. ($)

🌳 Common Ground – The Sisters of Bon Secours placed 32 acres of forest near Marriottsville under a conservation easement with the Howard County Conservancy – protected in perpetuity, no matter who owns the land next. ($)

🚧 Turn for the Better – Howard County DPW hosts a community meeting Thursday, July 30, 5–6:30 PM at the North Laurel Community Center on planned fixes for the Whiskey Bottom Road/US 1 intersection in Laurel: a dedicated right-turn lane, storm drainage, and a new shared-use path between US 1 and Kings Post Court. No formal presentation – just concept plans and engineers ready for your questions. Can’t make it? Call DPW at 410-313-6145.

🚴 Wheel Talk – Howard County wants residents to join its Multimodal Transportation Board, the nine-member group advising the county executive on everything from bike lanes and sidewalks to transit and Complete Streets projects. You’ll need to live in the county, bring experience or interest in at least one way of getting around, and be free the fourth Tuesday of each month at 3 PM. Apply online by Friday, July 31.

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86 🌡️ 70 | ⛈️ | 84% ☔ | 💨 S 10 mph

85 🌡️ 62 | ⛈️ | 69% ☔ | 💨 W 10 mph

79 🌡️ 61 | 🌧️ | 15% ☔ | 💨 N 7 mph

Cured 1821 | Kevin Howard | 6–10 PM
🌳🎵 Merriweather | Death Cab for Cutie | 7 PM | Tickets

Collective Encore | Shermanator | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Gene Okonski | 6–10 PM
🌳🎵 Merriweather | 311 and Dirty Heads | 5:30 PM | Tickets

Bare Bones | Honey Du | 7–10 PM
Collective Encore | Dueling Pianos Featuring The Flying Ivories | 7 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Dave Leoni | 6–10 PM
The Morgan Inn | Easy Six | 6–9 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, share it with the friend who folds every slice of pizza in half because “that’s how they eat it in New York.” It really is a better experience though.