🍦Overnight lane closures hit I-95

Good morning, Columbia. Public service announcement for anyone whose pool bag hasn’t left the trunk since July: Your time is running out. Some Columbia Association pools already closed for the season. If yours is still open, remember that membership isn’t going to swim itself.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Summer still has a couple of weeks left in it, but the school calendar doesn’t care. HCPSS opens for K-12 students on Monday, August 24, and pre-K/RECC students start Thursday, August 27.

The chore to knock out today is Family File. Every parent/guardian has to verify emergency contacts, health information, and arrival/dismissal plans for each child, every single year. Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy with your own credentials (not your kid’s), select Online Registration/Family File, then Family File Verification. Two things worth catching while you’re in there: Label your phone number as mobile or you won’t get the closing and emergency texts, and there are new race identification options this year at the state’s request.

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Yes, it’s hot outside, but (hopefully) not for much longer. And when the weather finally cools down, you might be ready to take up a new fitness hobby like running. Especially if you signed up for a fall race with naïve optimism earlier this year. Don’t worry, there’s still time to train.

So, you’ve laced up your shoes, charged your Garmin watch, and now it’s just a matter of where you go. Here are some of our favorite running spots in or near Columbia. And hey, even if you’re an experienced runner, it’s never a bad idea to have a change of scene.

🏃‍♂️ Lake Elkhorn Loop – always a great choice. This loop takes you for 2 miles around Lake Elkhorn. It’s paved and relatively flat, but still scenic enough that you can feel like you’re getting away from the world.

🏃‍♂️ Patuxent Branch Trail – best for a longer distance. This 4.3-mile multi-use trail connects Lake Elkhorn to Savage Park (though the bypass is currently closed a little under a half-mile from Elkhorn until early September). Like the Lake Elkhorn Loop, it’s flat and scenic. Some of the pavement is broken up with stretches of packed gravel.

🏃‍♂️ Lake Kittamaqundi – for when you want balance. This easy loop around Lake Kittamaqundi in downtown Columbia will still expose you to the beauty of nature while giving you easy access to the downtown commercial scene (if you want a bite after your run).

🏃‍♂️ Wilde Lake Park – when you want something short. This trail around the manmade Wilde Lake is only 1.3 miles, so it’s easy if you want to track your miles while running loops.

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🎈🐮 Pop-Up Farmer’s Market - Stoecker Farms brings local organic produce to the Ascend One Building parking lot.

📚 Summer Book Conversation + Happy Hour with Local Author, Yolanda Fraction - A relaxed evening at Busboys and Poets discussing Joyful Workplaces, and how we might make work more joyful. 5:30–7:30 PM.

🎈 Tiny Town Hall - Columbia Association invites children entering 3rd–5th grade to share their ideas about their community. Pizza and snacks included.

🍽️ Food Truck Wednesdays in the Merriweather District - Rotating food trucks offer international flavors and savory sweets, perfect for a midweek lunch, 11 AM–2 PM. EC Diner and Tasty Empanadas roll in this week.

🎶 Local Artist Spotlight - Tony Sciuto, known for his work with Little River Band and Player, brings an evening of songs and stories from the road. Starts at 7:30 PM.

🎨 Peacock Bowl Workshop - Learn a peacock painting technique on sturdy stoneware bowls. Choose from serving or dessert sizes; ready in 14 days.

🎨 Nature in Two Voices: Chris Rapa and Jing-Jy Chen - Two artists explore nature through delicate watercolor on rice paper and bold oversized floral paintings at Artists Gallery.

🎈👕 Pass the Pants: A KIDS Clothing Swap - A free kids clothing swap at Manor Hill Brewing where families can sip, swap, and shop. 5–8 PM.

🎈 Teen Night - A glow-themed teen party at the CA Lakefront with DJ, LED mini-golf, air hockey, and food trucks. Registration required for free activities.

🩰 Dancin’ Under the People Tree - All-ages dance fitness session led by high-energy instructors under the People Tree sculpture.

🎶 Friday Music: The Different Sisters Band - The Different Sisters Band plays classic rock, R&B, and jazz standards at Clarksville Commons. Bring a blanket and enjoy.

🎈⛳ Midnight Mini-Golf - A 21+ night of mini-golf under the stars at Columbia SportsPark. Theme: Hat & Tie. Food truck and adult beverages.

🎬 Movie Night - Hoppers - An outdoor screening of “Hoppers” (PG) at the Downtown Columbia Lakefront. Bring a blanket and enjoy a girl-becomes-robotic-beaver story. Showtime = 8 PM.

🎶 Summer Concert - Air Force Blue Aces - A free concert featuring the Air Force Blue Aces playing Top 40 hits from folk to rock and R&B. Indoors at Glen Mar Church.

🎶 Summer Sounds Concert Series - Strykers Posse Reggae Band performs at Harper’s Choice Village Center for a free summer evening of live music from 5:30–8:30 PM.

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🍜 New restaurants, retail spaces coming soon – We’ll see some new faces along Baltimore National Pike as the Midas Auto Shop has been sold and the property will be redeveloped with space for about five new businesses. The new owners are in discussions with potential tenants, including restaurants and retail businesses. As for Midas, it’ll relocate to a brand-new space at the back of the property.

🌳 Got enough trees? The HoCo Recreation and Parks’ annual Tree Giveaway is giving away 6,000 native trees for county residents. You can pick up to two trees to plant on your property, but set an alarm because the trees are released in three batches and go quickly. For a list of available trees, instructions, and more, click here.

🛣️ HoCo bridges get makeovers – Expect some delays and lane closures as the State Highway Administration resurfaces four bridges on northbound I-95. Construction is planned 9 PM-5 AM and started on Monday, with a completion date set for October. This is in addition to the Freetown and Quarterstaff Roads intersection project, set to wrap up this month.

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89 🌡️ 69 | ⛈️ | 70% ☔ | 💨 NW 7 mph

87 🌡️ 69 | ⛈️ | 55% ☔ | 💨 W 6 mph

88 🌡️ 67 | ⛈️ | 18% ☔ | 💨 W 10 mph

🌳🎵= Outdoor concert

Cured 1821 | Chordy | 6–10 PM

Collective Encore | Local Artist Spotlight: Tony Sciuto | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Bob Butta | 6–10 PM
Judge Bench Pub | Irish Music on the 2nd Floor | 7–9 PM

Bare Bones | Kirk & Devin | 7–10 PM
Collective Encore | Trial By Fire: Tribute to Journey | 7:30 PM | Tickets
Cured 1821 | Joe DeCara | 6–10 PM
🌳🎵 Merriweather | Thomas Rhett with Kashus Culpepper & Emily Ann Roberts | 7:30 PM | Tickets
The Morgan Inn | Kylar Ray | 6–9 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who has a green tint to their hair from chlorine.