🍦Hickory Ridge Road fix planned for 2028

Good morning, Columbia. An Idaho man named David Rush set a Guinness World Record by catching 20 paper airplanes in his mouth in one minute. Somewhere out there is a third-grade teacher who always told him off for paper airplanes in class and is now wondering if she held back greatness.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

If you’ve ever biked from Hickory Ridge to Merriweather, you know the stretch I’m talking about. It’s Hickory Ridge Road between Martin Road and Broken Land Parkway, where bikes get squeezed between a right-turn lane and through traffic. The county has a fix. And it wants your opinion on a second, bigger one.

The Hickory Ridge Road plan adds short path connections from both intersections to the Columbia Association path that runs through the woods behind Sebring. Both intersections also get new crosswalks with walk signals. The county says the concept design is done, and construction is expected in 2028.

The second project is a two-mile path along Cedar Lane, from Owen Brown Road down past MD 32 to Creekside Road. It’s a study for now. There’s no money for design or construction, and no start date.

The county showed three Cedar Lane concepts at last week’s open house. According to The Merriweather Post, all three add a 10-foot path. Two of them take away a southbound lane to make room. The third keeps both lanes and builds the path beside the road instead, into the grass and the wooded lots on the east side.

📝 Got an opinion? The county’s survey is open until Friday, October 30. You can see all three Cedar Lane concepts in the meeting materials.

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2nd Swing Golf is growing. The used-club shop on McGaw Court leased another 8,802 square feet next door, which makes the store about 60% bigger.

Most of the new space will be filled by six new Tour Van fitting bays. The store currently has three Tour Van bays and seven standard bays. Both use TrackMan technology, but Tour Van bays provide additional info like impact location, in/out path, angle of attack, and a whole bunch of other stuff that will reveal how bad my swing really is.

🏆 Bigger is better – Store staff say every one of the six new bays is bigger than the biggest existing bays, and all that new space is going to feel “luxurious.”

The company expects this new space to be operational by the end of the month. And it’s hiring 10 new folks to staff it, bringing the total team to 55.

This store (which opened in April 2019) is 2nd Swing’s only one in Maryland and just one of seven nationwide.

🏌️‍♀️ What’s this? – 2nd Swing is widely regarded as the place to buy used golf clubs. Which is awesome because golf’s expensive. You can also trade in your old clubs, which they’ll happily sell to someone else.

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🍽️ BINGO Night at The Common Kitchen – A casual bingo night set in a food hall, with international eats from local vendors, friendly competition, and prizes.

🍽️ Kids Eat Free Wednesdays at The Common Kitchen – A Wednesday family dinner option at a food hall with international vendors: kids eat free with a $15 purchase at any stand.

🐮 Food Truck Wednesdays in the Merriweather District – Weekly rotating food trucks at Merriweather Row Plaza from June to October. A rotating lineup of international flavors for a midweek lunch.

🎶 The Glen Winters Project - The Roots Album Release – Classic and progressive rock get a live album-release showcase, with Glen Winters and his band mixing originals with songs from Boz Scaggs, Deep Purple, and more.

🎈🐣 Mornings at the Farm: A Story & Farm-Interactive Play Time for Littles – A biweekly farm morning for toddlers and caregivers, with storytime, sensory play, movement, and real farm animal encounters.

🍺 Trivia Night at The Common Kitchen – A weekly trivia night inside a food hall, with international dishes nearby and gift-certificate prizes for the top teams.

🕯️ A History of Maryland Witches at the Museum – A presentation on Maryland’s witchcraft history, from 1600s accusations to present-day lore, at the haunted Museum of Howard County History.

🎨 Faithful Circle Quilters Guild Chesapeake Bay Blues Quilt Show – A quilt show in Columbia with over 300 quilts, demonstrations, vendors, and a raffle. Runs through Saturday.

🕯️ Domestic Violence Awareness Month Candlelight Vigil 2026 – A candlelight vigil honoring victims of domestic violence and supporting survivors, held during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

🎈🎃 Trick or Treat Turf Valley Towne Square – A Halloween trick-or-treating stroll through participating stores and restaurants. Come in costume and collect treats while supplies last.

🎈🎃 Halloween-Themed Pet Portraits – Free pet portraits Friday, 10–11 AM, at the Ellicott City 50+ Center. Call 410-313-1400 to book.

🎈🎃 Haunted Trail at Hobbit’s Glen – A self-guided haunted trail with glowing lights, spooky sounds, and festive decorations. Complimentary treats include candy, hot cocoa, cider, and pumpkin painting.

🎈🎃 The Haunted Experience (7 yrs +) – A walk-through haunted experience designed for ages 7 and up, with spooky scenes and scares at a park setting.

🍽️ Marketplace Fall Edition – Indoor fall marketplace with local vendors offering handmade goods, seasonal decor, and gifts in a cozy shopping setting.

🎨 Celebration of the Arts in Howard County – An evening celebrating local arts with a culinary reception, art auction, and rising star performances.

🎈🎃 Trunk or Treat – A free trunk-or-treat with Halloween-themed physical challenges, obstacle courses, snowball fights, and games for kids. Families can also RSVP to decorate a vehicle and hand out treats.

🍺 Wanderland Festival - Symphony Woods Park – A festival at Symphony Woods Park featuring Maryland beer, wine, spirits, cider, food, makers, and outdoor activities.

🎈🎃 Floating Pumpkin Patch (3-11 yrs) – A Halloween twist on pumpkin picking, where kids ages 3 to 11 can grab pumpkins floating in a pool at a county park.

📚 Frightreads Book Festival 2026 – A family-friendly book festival in West Friendship celebrating horror, science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers with authors, artists, and creators.

🎃 The Haunted Experience (7 yrs +) – A walk-through haunted experience designed for ages 7 and up, with spooky scenes and scares at a park setting.

🎈🧱 Downtown Columbia Maker Faire – A family-friendly maker faire showcasing local invention, creativity, and DIY culture through workshops, demonstrations, and presentations on art, robotics, and more.

🏃 2026 Savage 7K Run/1 Mile Historic Walk – A 7K run and 1-mile historic walk supporting restoration of a local landmark, with music and homemade treats after.

🎈⛸️ Halloween Ice Skate – A Halloween public skate with costumes, spooky music, candy giveaways, and free popcorn for skaters in costume.

🎈🎃 Happy Haunted Hayride (2-7 yrs) – A gentle hayride designed for younger children ages 2 to 7, offering a daytime Halloween experience with fun, not fright.

🎈🎃 Trunk or Treat – An annual trunk-or-treat for kids 12 and under, featuring decorated trunks, candy, s’mores, and Halloween fun in a church parking lot.

🎶 Candlelight: Halloween Classics | Baltimore – A candlelit string quartet performance of Halloween classics, from ‘Thriller’ to ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,' in an intimate setting.

🎈🎃 Halloween Tricks, Treats and Trees (All Ages) – A Halloween-themed nature event combining treats, tree exploration, and seasonal fun for all ages at a county park.

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🧾 Credit Where It’s Due – County Executive Calvin Ball signed two new property tax credits into law last week. Retired police officers, firefighters, EMTs, dispatchers, and other eligible retirees from Howard County public safety agencies qualify for up to $2,500 off their county property tax bill. The county says 128 people qualify. Day care centers get a bigger credit too: up to $5,000, or $10,000 for centers with 25+ employees, starting July 2027. Details here.

🛑 Hump Day – Speed humps could be coming to Stonecutter Road. The county wants to add them along with a raised crosswalk and bump-outs to slow drivers down. It also plans to narrow Hayshed Lane. There’s an open house Wednesday, October 28, from 5 to 6:30 PM at 9830 Patuxent Woods Drive. Can’t make it? The plans go online after the meeting, and you can email comments to [email protected] until November 12.

🏫 Board Meeting – The Planning Board meets Thursday at 7 PM, and the school system’s construction wish list is on the agenda. The school system wants $12 million in fiscal 2028 to start a $20.7 million roof and exterior overhaul at Long Reach High. The board will also hear about Selby Estates, a plan for 14 homes on a 60-acre farm off Route 32 in West Friendship. Agenda here; register for virtual testimony by Wednesday at 7 PM.

💐 Flower Power – Have you been to Vivi’s Flower Market yet? The shop on Route 1 in Jessup is the second store for owner Cecilia Cortez, a self-taught florist who lives in Howard County. She started out making balloon arrangements. Now her specialty is ramos buchones, AKA overstuffed bouquets that are huge in Latin America (pun intended). It’s open Monday through Saturday at 8610 Washington Boulevard.

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68 🌡️ 44 | ☀️ | 0% ☔ | 💨 N 12 mph

64 🌡️ 42 | ☀️ | 1% ☔ | 💨 N 8 mph

66 🌡️ 45 | ☀️ | 0% ☔ | 💨 N 10 mph

Cured 1821 | Dave Leoni | 6–10 PM

The Collective Encore | The Glen Winters Project – The Roots Album Release | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Donald Wolcott | 6–10 PM

The Collective Encore | Dueling Pianos featuring The Flying Ivories | 7 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Bob Butta | 6–10 PM
The Morgan Inn | Garrett Mabe | 6–9 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who still has a DVD from Redbox that they never returned.