🍦 Sho Nuf's last Thanksgiving?

Good morning, Columbia. Although it may be America’s most hated candy (not my opinion – there are real surveys), candy corn is the best-selling Halloween candy in Maryland. So if you’re giving it out this year, don’t let anyone make you feel bad. Everyone else is, too, whether they admit it or not.

In today’s Columbia Scoop:

Let’s get to it.

— Michelle Sinclair

Owners Chris and Tanya Bohrer told the Baltimore Business Journal they don’t know if they’ll raise turkeys after this season. Greenebaum Enterprises, the developer behind Maple Lawn, bought the 110-acre farm on Scaggsville Road in 2020 for $7 million. The Bohrers have leased it back ever since. But the Bohrers say Greenebaum hasn’t offered them a lease for next year.

That’s because Greenebaum wants to fold the farm into Maple Lawn and build 513 apartments and townhomes. A county hearing examiner recommended the rezoning on October 7. The Zoning Board still has to vote, and a neighbor filed an objection over the weekend about crowded schools and traffic on Route 216.

“When we stop doing Thanksgiving – and it’s not an if, it’s a when – it is going to be tough for us,” Chris Bohrer told the BBJ.

You can’t buy a turkey at the farm this year. But Sho Nuf birds are sold at Boarman’s in Highland, David’s Natural Market in Gambrills, and MOM’s Organic Market. The farm expects to sell about 10,000 of them, half of what it sold at its peak.

And in case you were wondering, turkey tastes better when it’s local (and when it’s properly salted – not brined! – a day or two before the big day).

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There’s a 101-acre lot for sale off Route 216 in North Laurel. It comes with a soon-to-be-defunct milk plant.

The Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative is closing its Maola plant on Leishear Road, about a mile west of I-95. The plant has been there for decades, and its 72 workers will lose their jobs when it shuts down for good by December 31. The co-op hired a broker to sell the land, and offers were due October 15. No buyer has been announced yet.

So what could go there? Almost anything. The land’s zoned for light industry, offices, stores, and homes, with a mixed-use overlay on top. If a buyer goes the mixed-use route, county rules say at least 35% has to stay open space, and homes top out around 300. Apartments are on the table too, because the biggest parcel is 77 acres.

There’s a catch for anyone who wants to build homes. They’d need the county’s Planning Board and Zoning Board to sign off first, with a public hearing at each step. That’s when neighbors get their say. The last time the co-op sold land here, in 2018, the 121 acres next door became 394 homes.

🗳️ What would you build here? Vote below. Got a better idea? Hit reply and tell us. We’ll share the results Thursday.

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🎈 = family-friendly events

🎶 Summer - The Donna Summer Musical – Toby’s Dinner Theatre brings the story of the Queen of Disco to life with a buffet and a show.

🏌️ 9-Hole Scramble – A friendly golf scramble at Waverly Woods with prizes, a hot dog, and a drink ticket. Single golfers welcome.

🍽️ Food Truck Wednesdays in the Merriweather District – It’s the final week of the season. Grab lunch from rotating food trucks at Merriweather Row Plaza.

🌳 Community Tree Planting – Plant native trees and pull invasives at Waiting Spring pond. All equipment provided.

🎃 Pop Culture and Popcorn Trivia Event – Halloween trivia on horror films, gothic lit, and Howard County history at the Museum of Howard County History, with prizes and specialty popcorn.

🎈🐮 Laurel Farmer’s Market – The last market of the season, with local produce and artisan goods.

🎈🎃 Spook-tacular at Color Burst Park – Howard Hughes’ 6th annual Halloween bash has a trick-or-treat trail, a pumpkin patch, a costume contest, and live music.

🎃 Haunted Hallways (14-17 yrs) – A spooky night out for teens who are too old to trick-or-treat (but not too old for candy).

🎈🎶 The Wizard and the Wolf: A Halloween Family Concert – The Columbia Orchestra plays music from Harry Potter and Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. Costumes encouraged.

🎈🎃 Halloween at the Museums – Stop by Ellicott City’s museums for Halloween goodies before trick-or-treating on Main Street.

🎈⛸️ Halloween Skates at Columbia Ice Rink – Skate in costume and get free popcorn. There’s a teen skate Friday night, a family skate and a late-night skate Saturday, and a post-Halloween skate Sunday.

🍺 Halloween: Farm Open (Dress up for a Discount)! – Manor Hill Brewing gives 15% off to anyone in costume, plus a barrel-aged stout release and pizza on site.

🎈🏈 Ravens Watch Party at the Lakefront – Catch Ravens vs. Bills on the big screen at the Columbia Lakefront Stage. Kickoff is at 1 PM, so bring a chair or blanket and get there early.

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🏊 Lane Change – Swim parents asked the Columbia Association board last Thursday to study a new indoor aquatic center. Why? The Clippers swim team says it turns away about 100 kids a year for lack of pool space. CA gave it the old we’ll-take-that-under-advisement and said it’ll get added to the long-term capital plan. CA staff said that could mean a higher annual charge. Watch the meeting here.

🛑 Stop Sign Up – Brightfield Road in Ellicott City could get speed humps, and its intersection with Old Montgomery Road could become an all-way stop. Right now, it’s a one-way stop. The county also wants marked crosswalks there, near the new community garden. There’s a drop-in open house Thursday from 5 to 6:30 PM at the Elkridge library. Staff will have the plans out and answers to all of your questions. About this. Don’t ask them if a hot dog is a sandwich. Details here.

🚁 Second Flight – Remember the Fourth of July drone show the FAA grounded? Back in July, we told you it would fly later this summer. Close enough. It’s Saturday, November 7, at the Columbia Lakefront. Sky Elements, the America’s Got Talent finalists booked for the July show, will put 800 drones in the sky around 7 PM. Food trucks open at 4:30 and Liquid A plays at 5:30. Details here.

🍎 Baby Steps – Lightbridge Academy has broken ground on its Columbia daycare at 10260 Old Columbia Road. When it opens, it’ll take kids from infants through pre-K. The contractor said the 12,606-square-foot center will have playgrounds, a bike track, and a water play area. Where can I sign up? Lightbridge says it’s opening soon. So if you’re on a daycare waitlist (basically every parent these days), follow this page for enrollment news.

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Crisp fall weather calls for a day outside. Maryland’s Best Helmets & Harvest pairs local trails with farms, wineries and more through November 15. The free pass features stops like the BWI Trail, LEO Annapolis and other locations across the state. Check in at each stop to earn free prizes!

68 🌡️ 47 | ☀️ | 3% ☔ | 💨 NE 6 mph

66 🌡️ 48 | ⛅ | 2% ☔ | 💨 E 5 mph

71 🌡️ 50 | ☀️ | 0% ☔ | 💨 SW 6 mph

Cured 1821 | Noah Dion | 6–10 PM

Cured 1821 | Bronson Hoover | 6 PM

Cured 1821 | Gene Okonski | 6–10 PM
The Morgan Inn | Double H Duo | 6–9 PM

Thanks for reading Columbia Scoop today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who just cleaned their dishwasher and can’t stop telling you that you should probably clean yours too. It’s me. I’m someone. Your dishwasher is probably gross.