Business as usual for some with Main Street's opening [Mostly Main Street]

Main Street reopened to pedestrian and vehicular traffic on Oct. 6. All of the parking lots are open now, except lot B, right next to the Patapsco. Lot D behind the Welcome Center is open, but only accessible by Roussey Lane, off of Old Columbia Pike. Little things indicate a return to normalcy. Long-time Main Street resident John Beck reported getting mail delivery for the first time since the flood, right around the time the road reopened.A few days after the reopening, my husband Tom and I took a ride through town on our way to complete an errand. We hadn't seen the town in over six weeks and were very glad to be back. At the same time, I still think it's important to let owners get their homes and businesses back in order without interruption. We saw a few open businesses, and lots of boarded buildings, orange safety cones and workers in hard hats. There were roll-off containers at frequent intervals that we had to drive around, and we noticed that the sidewalks were occasionally blocked, to make walking a bit of a challenge. La Palapa and Pure Wine are again open for business, and easy to get to, but Cacao Lane, the Rumor Mill and the coffee shop next to the Trolley Stop are gone forever. I have heard that the Railroad Station Museum expects to continue tradition with its holiday train exhibit, but won't be building the complex LEGO world they have featured the past few years. And the Old Town Farmers Market is back in the parking lot next to the Wine Bin. All in all, an amazing comeback in a very short time, with much more to come.More to come already — HorseSpirit Arts Gallery is reopening at 8090 Main St. the last weekend in October. It is back with a vengeance, partying all weekend. It is hosting a black-tie gala on Friday night, a ribbon cutting with County Executive Kittleman on Saturday, a costume party on Saturday night and a cupcake social on Sunday. For details visit its website at www.HorseSpiritArtsGallery.com.On July 17, we celebrated Wilhelmina Oldfield's 103rd birthday, along with her many friends. Sadly, Miss Oldfield passed away on Sept. 30. She will be remembered as a great educator and advocator for several generations of Howard County students.Time is running out for you to visit the Historic Ellicott City Inc. Decorator Show House, Avoca. The event closes on Sunday, Oct. 23. The house is at 4824 Montgomery Road. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. For more information, visit www.historicec.org.The next walking tour, sponsored by the Howard County Historical Society, is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22. It leaves from Mt. Ida, near the County Courthouse, at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $5 for Society members, $10 for nonmembers. Also on Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., the Society is hosting a performance of &quot;Historically Inappropriate Comedy&quot; at the Museum at 8328 Court Ave. This show features local and regional comics &quot;with no respect for facts.&quot; Sounds fun. Tickets are $12, free for Society members with a reservation.Save the date — the Society has scheduled its 40th annual Holiday House Tour for Sunday, Dec. 11, from 1 to 6 p.m. This year's event honors the Clark family by including houses around the county with a Clark connection. Alda Hopkins Clark was founder of the Historical Society. Early bird prices end on Nov. 13. This event sold out early last year so get your ticket soon and don't miss out. For more information, or to get tickets for all of these events, visit www.hchsmd.org.

Business as usual for some with Main Street's opening [Mostly Main Street]

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