I now have a piece of Ellicott City history.
Phoenix Upper Main owner Mark Hemmis rescued bricks from the old Phoenix Emporium building on Lower Main Street. He sells them for $40 and donates all proceeds to local charities. Mark rescued 300 bricks from a dining room wall that collapsed in the 2018 flood. He stored them in a friend’s yard for four years before cleaning them with a pressure washer and adding a commemorative plaque to each one. Even without the bricks, he’ll never forget what Main Street was like back then. It’s nice to have these memories. If you’d like a brick of your own, visit https://phoenix-upper-main.square.site/.
I was intrigued when I heard about an interesting activity at Centennial Park, hosted by the Howard County Recreation & Parks Department. There will be “Night Bite” fishing on Centennial Lake on July 12th and 26th from 6pm until midnight. Anglers will gather at the Centennial Park South Boat Launch. Cost is $5 per person. To register, visit www.tinyurl.com/hcrpnitebitefishing.
The next “Lunch Date with History” event will be held July 12 at the Howard County History Museum, 8328 Court Ave. The featured speaker will be Tiffany Fisk, history and cultural resources manager for the county’s Parks and Recreation Department. She will speak about the county’s historic preservation efforts at noon. The event is free, but registration is required. Call 410-480-3250.
It’s prime tomato season, so my husband, Tom, recently went to Breezy Willow Farm Country Market on the corner of Frederick Road and St. John’s Lane to buy two tomatoes, corn, and a zucchini. On his way out, he spotted box “number two” of tomatoes that he tries to get every summer. Tom carried the big box of joy into the house, and the rest of the day’s plans were suddenly put on hold. It took him three days to work through all the tomato sauce he made from that box. So while you may be dreaming of fresh tomatoes in the winter, you can actually enjoy the unmatched taste of locally grown, farmed tomato sauce all year round. Highly recommended.
There’s one more reason to visit Ellicott City’s Historic District this summer: the OEC Summer Bucks program is back. Pick up a voucher at the county Welcome Center, 8267 Main St., to redeem at participating Main Street businesses this summer. County Mayor Calvin Ball and the Ellicott City Partnership are sponsoring the effort. Only 2,000 $10 vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please send information about people and events in Ellicott City at least two weeks in advance to janetkusterer21042@gmail.com.
