Ulman Travels to India for Economic Development Mission
Howard County Executive Ken Ulman recently embarked on an economic development mission to Bangalore, India, to begin three days of site visits and meetings in what is known as India’s “Silicon Valley.”

One of the featured meetings is with leaders from the Indian Space Research Organization Leadership Satellite Center, where Ulman will learn more about the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (MiniSAR). The MiniSAR was built in Howard County by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and funded by NASA; it will be one of two U.S. scientific instruments on board India’s first mission to the moon, the Chandrayaan-1.

In addition to meeting with targeted prospects, the objectives of the mission include promoting increased cross-investment between Howard County and India — the second fastest-growing major economy in the world — providing firsthand market information and business contacts, and developing and expanding strategic relationships with key Indian and U.S. organizations.

Ulman will also meet and tour Prism Microsystems, an integrated Information Technology solutions provider whose U.S. office is located in Columbia; Wipro Technologies, the third largest IT services company in India; U.S. Commercial Service representatives; the regional director of the National Association of Software and Services Companies; and the IT secretary for the government of Karnataka.

O’Malley Calls for Emergency Work Session, State Passes Emergency Regulations to Track Loan Servicers
Gov. Martin O’Malley recently called for an emergency work session with mortgage loan servicers to help find real solutions to the foreclosure crisis and protect middle class families from losing their homes.

“In a very real way, the financial security of our families and the strength and health of our communities depends on our ability to help preserve and sustain homeownership in our state. It is time to make the loan servicers part of the solution to protect our families,” said O’Malley.

During the work session, the governor will call for a public agreement with major servicers to set a standard for consistent, timely and sustainable loss mitigation services for Maryland homeowners.

O’Malley also announced that Maryland has adopted new emergency regulations requiring reports from mortgage loan servicers, detailing their efforts to help homeowners facing default and foreclosure. Maryland is only the second state in the nation to require this data.

Oakland Mills Project Hits Snags
Work on Meridian Square, a four-story “green” office building in the Oakland Mills Village Center in Columbia, has been delayed as some Howard County Council members push for more details on the public decision-making process and parking regulations.

Developer MetroVentures was scheduled to break ground in February on Meridian Square, a $12.8 million project that will feature a ground floor with service or retail businesses and upper floors with Class A office space. Now groundbreaking has been postponed until July, said company President Olusola Seriki.

Howard County Executive Ken Ulman would like the county to buy one of the floors of the building for $4 million. But Ulman has withdrawn his request for funding and plans to resubmit it in April as part of the fiscal 2009 capital budget, said county spokesperson Kevin Enright.

County Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, a west Columbia Democrat, said she has concerns over whether the county needs the space. “I have seen no indication the county needs the space,” she said. “I have no idea whether this is a responsible purchase.”

In addition, Councilman Greg Fox, a Fulton Republican, was searching for answers on how the developer was able to obtain exceptions to the county’s parking regulations. The parking spaces allotted in the project’s plan are 25% to 30% less than the county’s current parking regulations allow, Fox said.

Company Changes Policy, Agrees to Stop Charging Excessive Forfeiture Fees
Attorney General Douglas Gansler has announced that the state’s Consumer Protection Division has reached a settlement with Pennsylvania-based David’s Bridal Inc. The company, which operates stores in five Maryland locations including Glen Burnie, offers layaway sales of bridal gowns to consumers.

The division alleged that David’s Bridal violated the Maryland Consumer Protection Act and the Maryland Layaway Sales Act by charging consumers excessive amounts if they cancelled a layaway purchase or defaulted under a layaway agreement.

Under the settlement, David’s Bridal agreed to stop charging consumers cancellation or forfeiture fees that exceeded the limitations imposed by the Layaway Sales Act. It also agreed to pay restitution to the division equal to the amounts it charged Maryland consumers in excess of the limits contained in the Layaway Sales Act.

The division estimates the amount of the restitution that it will receive under the settlement to be more than $33,000. David’s Bridal will also pay the division $30,000 for its costs and penalties. “Businesses cannot charge consumers who cancel layaway purchases fees in excess of those permitted by law,” said Gansler. “I am pleased that consumers will be receiving refunds and that David’s Bridal has changed its practices.”

School Chief Cousin Calls State Science Test Results ‘Quite Remarkable’
Superintendent of Schools Sydney Cousin has announced that 78% of Howard County’s fifth grade students and 82.8% of eighth grade students scored at proficient or above on the first administration of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) science test administered in April 2007.

The performance of Howard County students well surpassed the state scores of 59.8% for fifth graders and 61.4% for eighth graders. Six of the county’s elementary schools and six middle schools had more than 90% of their students score at proficient or above.

“We are extremely pleased with the performance of our students on this first administration of the science MSA,” said Cousin, “and while these percentages are similar to those we see in reading and mathematics, there are several reasons why the results are quite remarkable.”

Cousin pointed out that, unlike other MSAs, the science assessment covers three years’ worth of content. The fifth grade assessment covers material from Grade 3 through Grade 5 and the eighth grade assessment covers the entire middle school science curriculum. On the other hand, the reading and mathematics assessments cover content from only one grade level.

Cousin also noted that it has taken years to reach this level of performance on the reading and mathematics MSAs. He attributed this first-round success in part to progress being made in reading and math.

Assured Decisions Awarded SPAWAR Contract
Assured Decisions, of Columbia, has been awarded a $38.5 million contract to provide engineering capability support for requirements analysis, design and development for a range of programs and projects during the critical period from system conception through system operation.

These programs include efforts in the areas of engineering and technical support services required to augment Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) programs and projects through the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego (SSC San Diego) C4ISR Programs Office in Philadelphia.

Work is expected to be performed through February 2011. This three-year contract contains two one-year options and one three-year option, which, if awarded, would bring the total cumulative value of this contract to $143,017,540.

Maryland Retains AAA Bond Rating
Maryland Treasurer Nancy Kopp has announced that all three major bond rating agencies again affirmed the state’s AAA bond rating before the sale of $400 million of General Obligation bonds.

Maryland is one of only seven states to be awarded the AAA rating, the highest possible rating, from all three major bond rating agencies: Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s. The rating means that the state can borrow money to undertake new critical building projects such as public schools, hospitals and prisons while paying relatively low interest rates and saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

Optemax Garners More Funding to Develop Optical Wireless Networking for National Defense
Optemax LLC, a Columbia-based optical wireless networking company, has received additional funding from the fiscal ’08 Defense Appropriations Bill which passed Congress and was signed into law by President Bush. This funding will help develop ultra high-speed laser communications networking products for use by the military for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance applications.

“This funding will help us in our efforts to provide our troops with tools to be better informed of enemy activities and to minimize the loss of American lives. We are proud that we are able to help our brave men and women in uniform, and we are grateful to Congressman Elijah Cummings who helped us receive this funding,” said CEO Shirley Collier.

NASA, NGC Partner to ‘Measure the Immeasurable’
The new Space Act Agreement has been signed between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Northrop Grumman Corp.’s (NGC) Electronic Systems sector. The deal calls for researchers from the two Maryland-based organizations to collaborate on the development of advanced civil radar system architectures that can be leveraged into new space-based remote sensing instruments.

These systems will help scientists measure with far greater accuracy, precision and detail such things as the three-dimensional structure of Mars and other planets and heavenly bodies, as well as cloud composition and other characteristics on Earth to better understand climate change.

Group Z Opens Headquarters at Howard’s Center for Business & Technology Development
The Center for Business and Technology Development has announced the addition of Group Z to its NeoTech Incubator as a new resident. The company made the move because the incubator “offers us the space to meet and collaborate as well as expand,” said President Anthie Zairis, adding that the Howard County operation was “the only one [in the state] that offered such comprehensive resources.”

The firm’s seven full-time employees and four subcontractors work in the field to provide IT solutions to a host of organizations, including the state of Maryland and commercial clients. It was recently awarded SBA 8(a)/SDB certification and plans to expand into the federal arena.

LMLG Announces Acquisition Strategy
Last Mile Logistics Group (LMLG) has announced its intent to acquire local providers of logistics services, focusing first on the mid-Atlantic region. LMLG has already purchased Chesapeake Logistics, a mid-Atlantic regional carrier that provides home delivery of heavy consumer goods, delivering televisions, appliances, furniture, bedding and other heavy and high-value merchandise.

“Third party logistics companies are attractive targets to invest in, and despite the cooling marketplace, logistics remains a high-growth field that performs well. Investors are realizing the benefits from logistics consolidation,” said Brian Flood, president of LMLG, adding, “The last mile sector of the [third-party logistics] industry, [which is] focused on getting products to the final destination, is highly fragmented. There are tremendous opportunities for greater market density, resource efficiencies, last mile technology applications and brand creation.”

Glen Burnie Bancorp Announces Stock Repurchase Plan
Glen Burnie Bancorp, parent company of The Bank of Glen Burnie, announced that it has authorized the company to repurchase from time to time up to $1 million of the company’s common stock.

Such purchases may be made in the open market, including through block trades, or in private transactions, at times and in amounts which management deems appropriate. The stock repurchase program can be terminated, extended or limited at any time.

Mike Livingston, president and CEO of the company, said, “At its current level, we consider Glen Burnie Bancorp’s common stock to be undervalued. The board is sensitive to this issue and we will consider repurchases of shares at appropriate intervals.”

Third Fiscal ’09 Citizens’ Budget Meeting Set for Thursday, March 6
County Executive Ken Ulman is inviting citizens to share their budget priorities at his third and final citizens’ budget meeting for the Fiscal 2009 budget cycle on Thursday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m., in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City.

Those who wish to testify at the meeting must sign up in person and do so individually. One person signing up multiple people to testify will not be permitted. Sign-up will begin at 6:30 p.m., and testimony will be heard on a first-to-sign-up, first-to-speak basis.

For those residents who would like to present their testimony via the Internet, the form is available online by clicking on a link on the home page of the county’s web site, www.howardcountymd.gov. Citizens are reminded that testimony submitted via the Internet is considered public information and, as such, is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

A sign language interpreter can be requested for the meeting. To do so, call the Department of Citizen Services, 410-313-6400 or 410-313-6401 (TTY), at least seven working days in advance of the meeting.

Government Grant-Seeking Session for Howard County Nonprofits
Government grant opportunities offer a number of important funding opportunities for Howard County’s nonprofit community. Wednesday, March 5, 2008, join Peter Brunner, Howard County Government grants coordinator, and formerly affiliated with grants.gov at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to demystify this important funding source.

The session includes resources, grant search and research tips, as well as planning strategically for grant applications, selecting the best grants, writing for your audience and tips on how to increase your application’s approval odds. Sponsored by the Association of Community Services, the event is open to all Howard County nonprofits. It will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Bridgeway Community Church, located at 9189 Red Branch Road in Columbia. The cost is $20. Call ACS at 410-715-9545 for more information or register at www.acshoco.org.

Save Maryland IT Day Set for Feb. 27
Save Maryland IT Day, a media event and lobbying day to advocate the repeal of the computer services sales tax, is set for Wednesday, Feb. 27, in Annapolis. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Maryland Inn on Church Circle in Annapolis.

A media briefing will be held with CEOs at 11 a.m. and legislators who support the repeal of the tech tax at 11:30 a.m., followed by a walk to the House and Senate office buildings to urge lawmakers to repeal the tax. The activity is being coordinated by the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. For more information or to RSVP, contact Will Burns at wburns@mdchamber.org.

UCF to Give Away 10 Pairs of Tix to Sheryl Crow Fundraiser
The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults announced that it will give away 10 pairs of tickets to Young Adult Cancer Survivors to attend UCF’s signature event with singer Sheryl Crow on March 16.

“One Night. One Fight.” will be an evening of live music and food at Pazo, a restaurant in the Fell’s Point section of Baltimore City. Crow will be joined by singer and young adult cancer survivor Christine Baze, and the Cancer Dancers, a dance troupe of young adult survivors and siblings. Visit www.ulmanfund.org/sherylcrow for more info on the giveaway.

Classifieds
Food Donations Needed
Help is needed --we are looking for non-perishable foods, deli meats, breads, etc. to help feed our volunteers who are making the Days End Farm House Rescue Legacy barn a reality. The construction is being done on weekends and we are providing meals, drink and snacks. Your donations are welcome, please contact DeEtte Gorrie Volunteer Coordinator, Days End Farm Horse Rescue at deette@defhr.org or call 301-854-5037. 

Policy Analysis Center Director
Policy Analysis Center Director for new program headquartered in Howard County, MD. Master's degree or better. Experienced in policy analysis and research, legislative process, budget development. High-level position 24 hours per week. Work independently as well as in project management. Excellent communication and presentation skills. Send resume, references, and rates to Anne Towne, Anne.Towne@acshoco.org or fax 410-715-9547.

Leadership U Class 2008 Recruitment
An information session will be held on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 7:30 p.m. at East Columbia Library. Information is also available at www.leadershiphc.org (go to the Leadership U link) Applications are posted on the website and in all high school guidance offices are due on Friday, March 14, 2008.

Can you volunteer two hours per month or more to help an older person? February 20, 2-5 p.m. Registration Required. 6 South Ritchie Highway, 410-544-4800, for more info.

First Aid for the Entrepreneur is an informative, interactive workshop presented by the Serious Business Discussion Group, an alliance of trusted professionals who specialize in helping entrepreneurs solve their most vexing business challenges. Wednesday, March 12, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Howard County Conservancy. For details and to register: www.sbdg.biz

The Business Monthly Upcoming Special Sections

March:
Focus on Media, Marketing & e-Communications
Maryland Entrepreneur Quarterly

April:
Salute to Leadership Howard County
Education & Workplace Development Update
Commercial Real Estate Update

Call The Business Monthly for article ideas and advertising opportunities, 410-740-7300.

Classifieds now available on BizWeekly. E-mail news@bizmonthly.com for details.

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