HoCo Opens Blandair Park Phase 6 — 2026-06-08

Tuesday morning: partly sunny, high near 83 degrees. South wind 2 to 9 mph.

Top of the brief. County Executive Calvin Ball cut the ribbon on Phase Six of Blandair Regional Park. Monday, June 8th. Also today: Ball dedicated a bocce court to Grace Kubofcik, longtime community advocate. Four HCPSS students named Presidential Scholars semifinalists. Howard County earned the top AAA credit rating from all three agencies. The county broke ground on its first Bus Rapid Transit stop. New cafe to know about in Ellicott City. Here's the brief.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball celebrated the grand opening of Phase Six of Blandair Regional Park today, the county announced in a Monday release. Blandair Regional Park is located in central Columbia and is one of the largest in the Howard County park system. Phase Six is the latest in a long-running, phased buildout of the park, which has added athletic fields, playgrounds, trails, and open space over previous phases. The release confirms the grand opening ceremony and Calvin Ball's attendance. Specific new amenities included in Phase Six are not detailed in the public-facing text we have. Today's Blandair opening is one of two ribbon cuttings the County Executive marked on Monday. Ball also dedicated a new bocce court to community advocate Grace Kubofcik, known locally as the Queen of Bocce. Both events were announced together as part of the county's Monday programming. Howard County residents near Blandair will see Phase Six open and available for use beginning this week. For the full Phase Six feature list, hours, and access points, refer to the linked Howard County Recreation and Parks announcement. We will follow up tomorrow if the county releases additional details.

Four Howard County Public School System students have been named 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program semifinalists. The four are among only thirteen students from Maryland named semifinalists in this round, according to the HCPSS announcement. HCPSS did not list the four by name in the public release. The Presidential Scholars Program recognizes high-achieving graduating seniors based on academic record, test scores, essays, and other criteria. Final selections will be announced later in the program cycle. The full release is linked in the description.

Two from county government. County Executive Calvin Ball broke ground on the county's first Bus Rapid Transit stop, capping a decade of planning. The release does not specify the corner address in plain text. The county also earned the highest AAA credit rating from all three major rating agencies. A AAA rating affects the interest rate the county pays when borrowing for capital projects, and signals strong financial management to the bond market. The rating announcement and the BRT groundbreaking are linked below in the description.

County Executive Calvin Ball dedicated a bocce court Monday to community advocate Grace Kubofcik, known locally as the Queen of Bocce. The county announced the dedication in a Monday release. Kubofcik has been a longtime community advocate in Howard County. The bocce court bearing her name is a county recognition of years of community work and her connection to the sport. The release confirms the dedication and Ball's attendance. Additional details on the court's location and hours are in the linked announcement.

The Capitoline Center has opened in Ellicott City. The county describes the new venue as a hub for arts, culture, and history. County Executive Calvin Ball attended the grand opening. The center will host exhibits and cultural programming. The grand-opening release is linked in the description. Specific opening hours and current programming are on the Howard County Recreation and Parks website.

Restaurant pick. Jumak Cafe and Bistro in Ellicott City is drawing buzz on r/HoCoFood. The Reddit thread is short on detail, so cuisine specifics and full menu are not confirmed in the post text we have. The cafe is now on the local food radar based on the thread engagement. The post is linked in the description if you want to see neighbor recommendations or add your own about what to order.

Sports beat. Howard County Recreation and Parks has opened nominations for the annual Community Sports Hall of Fame. The call recognizes individuals who have shaped Howard County sports — coaches, athletes, volunteers, and contributors. The release confirms the nomination period is now open. The nomination form and deadline are on the Howard County Recreation and Parks website, linked in the description. Residents who want to put a name forward for a coach, a teammate, or a longtime volunteer should submit through the official county form.

A local Ellicott City artist took second place in the 2026 Paint It! Ellicott City juried competition. The artist's piece depicts the historic town as seen from a hilltop. The painting is currently on display at the Capitoline Center, 8360 Court Ave in Ellicott City. The exhibit includes paintings by other artists from this year's competition. The Reddit post announcing the placement is linked below.

Coming up this week. HCPSS Connect Synergy is open for parents and current 5th through 11th grade students to view 2026-2027 course assignments through Wednesday, June 10 at 4 p.m. HCPSS is also accepting proposals for new middle and high school courses through Friday, June 26. The Howard County Department of Public Works is holding a community outreach open house on a proposed mini-roundabout at Old Columbia Road and Guilford Road. Public Works is also holding a separate community meeting on the Cedar Lane Park Stream Stabilization Project. Dates and venues for both meetings are in the linked releases.

Also today. Mt. Hebron High School won the National Personal Finance Challenge championship in Atlanta — graduating seniors Pranav Boreddy, Joseph Jeong, Daksh Mathapati, and Vishva Rao took first place. Two HCPSS students were selected for the 2026 National Youth Orchestra of the United States — Qiao Jacqi Fan, violist, from Centennial High School, and Samuel Lee, bassoonist, from Atholton High School. The Howard County Department of Finance posted updated information on resident Tax Credits — eligibility and applications are on the finance department website. The Finance Department also rolled out new Property Tax Digital Communications — sign-up for digital tax bills is on the finance site. Calvin Ball officially opened the county's first Transformational Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center earlier this month. The county announced 2026 annual July 4th Fireworks Celebration plans, including expanded ADA parking. The Howard County Board of Education adopted the FY 2027 operating and capital budgets on May 21. HCPSS profiled Tonya Grice, Black Student Achievement Program Liaison, in its Get-to-Know series. The North Laurel Community Center's long-anticipated addition is open, featuring two indoor pools.

Two ribbon-cuttings from Calvin Ball today — Phase Six of Blandair Regional Park, and a bocce court dedicated to Grace Kubofcik. Two more openings still in the news cycle: the first BRT stop, and the new Opportunity and Economic Mobility Center. The county is pushing a lot of capital projects across the finish line in the same week. Whether you live near one of them or not, that's a pace worth noticing. Watch what comes next, especially as the county's AAA credit rating gets put to work on the next round of borrowing.

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