More Howard County Facilities, Services Available July 6

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — Beginning July 6, additional Howard County parks and rec facilities and amenities will reopen. County Executive Calvin Ball said staff have been diligently discovering ways to assist families and residents as they head back to work and to their offices, but need activities and child care in order to do so.

“Our recreation and parks staff have been working around the clock to review safety guidelines, implement new procedures and offer as many amenities that are safe to resume," he said in a statement.

Community center gymnasiums and exercise rooms will be open; however, hours will be limited to evenings and weekends as the five facilities will be used for camps and childcare during the weekdays. Hours, safety guidelines, sign-ups and the number of people able to access each facility will be restricted. Guidelines on each center’s use will be posted on each center’s web page prior to July 6. Also, the pool at the Roger Carter Community Center will reopen on July 6 but with restrictions and limited hours. Information regarding lap swim, time limits, safety protocols and hours of operation will be posted on Roger Carter Community Center’s website before July 6.

· Roger Carter Community Center

· North Laurel Community Center

· Gary J. Arthur Community Center

· Meadowbrook Athletic Center

· Robinson Nature Center

Indoor facilities and museums may have altered hours, so be sure to check online at www.howardcountymd.gov/rap ahead of visits. Starting July 11, the Patapsco Female Institute and the Firehouse Museum will be open Saturday and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. each day. Set to open July 8, the Baltimore & Ohio Ellicott City Station Museum will be open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fridays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Howard County Recreation & Parks indoor camps will start on July 6; however, not all indoor camps will be offered due to the inability to use public school buildings and new safety guidelines that include smaller groups and physical distancing. As recreation and parks works through safety protocols with its staff, camps that are running under coronavirus safety recommendations will be listed on the recreation and parks’ website. Outdoor camps are set to begin June 29.

"This is uncharted territory for our camp programmers. We are able to convert an outdoor running camp into a safe, outdoor camp much more quickly than an indoor basketball camp,” stated recreation and parks director Raul Delerme. “I understand that parents are looking for safe activities and childcare options, so I would ask those interested in our programs and classes to check our website every few days to see what indoor and outdoor camps have been added to our camps spreadsheet.”

Full details on reopenings and schedule adjustments can be found on the recreation and parks web page at www.howardcountymd.gov/rap.