Water Damage Restoration in Columbia, MD

A Maryland father has enraged his neighbors by building a half-mile go-kart track for his motorsports-loving son on their 11-acre property.

Charles Siperko, CEO of KCS Roofing in Columbia, Md., began constructing the practice course for his 11-year-old on his property in the Highland Community of Howard County in August, but was quickly met with disapproval and pushback from disgruntled community members.

“My 10-year-old son eat, breathes, and sleeps motorsports. His passion holds the seeds of a future professional car-racing career, but it’s not an easy journey,” Siperko said in an Aug. 28 Change.org petition.

The now-11-year-old thrill-seeking preteen has been on the track every weekend for over a year and a half but has had to travel to Florida to practice, missing out on time with friends, family, birthday parties and other social events, the petition said.

“He misses it all for his single-minded pursuit of becoming a professional racer,” Siperko added.

Siperko claimed he invested over $100,000 into creating the practice course at home to help his son follow his dreams of racing during the warm months in Maryland.

The asphalt track features a long straightaway that edges up against a private driveway shared by two properties, along with S-turns, tight corners and a complete 360-degree circle, photos shared by Siperko and his wife, Sarah Troxel, captured.

Siperko and his family faced several legal obstacles and had construction halted by the county while building the course.

Issues arose when it was discovered that proper permits weren’t obtained through the county and the Maryland Department of the Environment.

Neighbors also raised issues with the destruction of wetland, noise, impact on property value and traffic issues on the roads in the neighborhood with complaints that the track can be seen by the public.

The property sits on a private driveway 1,000 feet off the main road, blocked by trees and brush, 23 miles north of Washington, DC, satellite images show.

Siperko claimed he didn’t know he had to obtain permits to build the course on his property, saying he was either “naively or stupidly” unaware and believed the asphalt company that said a permit wasn’t needed if the pavement wasn’t going to attach to a public road.

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The family has retroactively filed for a conditional use application, asking the county to classify the track as an “athletic facility,” and has enlisted the assistance of land attorney Sang Oh, the Baltimore Fishbowl reported.

To fight the noise complaints, Siperko said only electric motors would be used and the go-karts will only be driven during “certain reasonable times.”

“We have an 11-acre property, so I don’t see noise being an issue anyway,” he said.

Some neighbors say they weren’t concerned with the noise of the engines, but rather the effects the tires have on the surrounding area as microplastics could be shed into the wetlands, according to the outlet.

“When we moved into the home, we received a previously done environmental study that stated there were not wetlands in that field. We also had someone from MDE out for another complaint that confirmed that,” the family attested.

Advocates calling for the removal of the track attended a pre-submission community meeting on Oct. 24 to discuss the impact the private track could have on the community.

Siperko and Troxel called for assistance from the public to protect their son’s passion for the sport.

“We need your support to affirm the validity of this track and aid us in facing current disputes with some local residents. It’s not just a track, it’s a testament to a boy’s dedication and love for racing,” the petition added.

“Even if we fix any setback issues or wetlands issues, and generate less noise than a bunch of kids playing in a pool, they want the whole track ripped out simply because they don’t want to look at it or have it in ‘their neighborhood!'”

Fall colors are at peak brilliance in a dozen Maryland counties this weekend, the DNR said, with leaves just past their peak in the west.

Deb Belt, Patch Staff

|Updated Thu, Oct 24, 2024 at 6:42 pm ET

MARYLAND — Fall colors are at peak brilliance in a dozen Maryland counties this weekend — ranging from Cecil to Carroll and south to Prince George's and St. Mary's — the Department of Natural Resources said in its fall foliage report Oct. 24.

Allegany, Garrett, Washington, and Frederick counties are past the peak of fall colors, DNR staff said. The rest of the state is near the peak of the color change, so this is the weekend to get out for a hike or drive through nature.

In Western Maryland, the foliage season is coming to a close, while trees on the Eastern Shore are hitting a midpoint. Trees in Central Maryland are at peak, the DNR said.

“In Anne Arundel, the sun-splashed yellow hickory leaves are sprinkled through the forest canopy. The red black gum are prominent while sweet gum are reddening up,” said Francis Smith of the Maryland Forest Service.

“In the Hagerstown watershed forest, the sugar maple, sweet birch, and tulip poplar are positively glowing with the fine weather we’ve had,” Forester Bob Schwartz said. “These less developed areas with more extensive shallow groundwater flow seem to be avoiding the lackluster color predicted due to the drought this summer.”

Find out what's happening in Columbiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Western Region

Forest Service Manager Melissa Nash said," This will likely be my last report from Garrett County for the year as things continue to wind down and the sun begins to set on our foliage season. The oaks are putting on the final show with golden to burgundy tones. If you’re wanting to see fall foliage in Garrett County – do it soon before it’s gone!"

The USDA Forest Service says three primary factors influence autumn leaf color: leaf pigments, length of night, and weather.

Park rangers said: Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, along with the Hollofield and McKeldin areas of Patapsco Valley State Park, have hit peak foliage.

Cecil County is at peak right now, with vibrant yellows, oranges and deep reds standing out against bright blue skies.

The assistant park manager for Assateague State Park said:

While the lower Eastern Shore has been seeing a change in tree color for at least a week or two now, the trees that surround Assateague Island just recently got the message to start the show. The corridor that welcomes you to the island is displaying a variety of bold fall colors! Assateague State Park consists mainly of loblolly pines and low shrubs that do not give that fall feeling but we notice fall in other ways, whether it is the orange of the monarch butterfly, the bright yellow of the goldenrod or red-brown coats of the Assateague horses. The island has a unique and beautiful way of welcoming in the cooler temperatures and shorter days of fall!

The DNR weekly Fall Foliage Report is posted online and sent by email bulletin to subscribers.

Here are some suggested Maryland fall leaf-peeping road trips:

Columbia, Maryland was ranked first in all of the United States on conditions for women’s economic status, health, and safety, according to WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Women in 2024” report.

The personal finance website released the report Monday, along with expert commentary explaining what constituted criteria for measuring these conditions. WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. These metrics include median earnings, unemployment rate for women, quality of women’s hospitals, and access to preventative health care.

Columbia has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living) — $59,230 — which is 2.9 times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest. The poverty rate for Columbia women is 8.9%, 12^th-lowest in the country.

The report cites the healthy job market for women in Columbia and the low unemployment rate as further reasons for the city’s top ranking. Columbia’s unemployment rate for women is just over 4%, 27^th-lowest in the nation. In other cities, that rate is as high as 13%. Additionally, nearly one-quarter of businesses in Columbia are owned by women. That’s the sixth-highest percentage in the U.S.

“Living in the right city can significantly improve a woman’s economic status, health, and safety,” said Christie Matherne, WalletHub analyst. “The best cities for women offer job security and high pay, enabling women to achieve greater financial independence.”

Matherne also cited access to medical care and high-quality hospitals, both of which women in Columbia have. The city has the 10^th-best life expectancy for women at birth.

As for preventative care, nearly 85% of women in Columbia are physically active, the sixth-highest percentage in the country. The city also has the 12^th-highest share of women over 21 who have received a cervical cancer screening within the recommended time frame and the 21st-highest share who have received a mammogram in the past two years, according to the report.

“Psychologists have studied aspects of urban design that contribute to [women’s] well-being,” said Miriam Liss, Chair of the Department of Psychological Science at University of Mary Washington. “Some key principles include creating affordable housing options, developing walkable neighborhoods, encouraging community events, preserving open and green spaces, and offering a variety of transportation choices.”

There are many issues local governments should consider in planning and decision-making to ensure their cities are places in which women can live and thrive.

“For women with children, cities can help by providing support for strong schools and after-school programs, subsidizing childcare, facilitating new childcare facilities, or offering recreational opportunities for children,” said Martha C. Johnson, Associate Professor at Northeastern University. “Cities should also be attentive to the problem of domestic violence, ensuring that sufficient emergency and transitional support services are available for women, mothers, and families. Similarly, police departments may want to consider task forces on sexual and domestic violence staffed primarily by female officers.”

Johnson also recommends city governments partner with local colleges, universities, and businesses to create programs that help move into better-paying positions.

“Cities can also encourage women’s entrepreneurship by providing small business training and offering special opportunities for women-owned businesses to secure city contracts,” she said.