center's flagship restaurant/pub. Other businesses include an Italian restaurant/pizzeria called Trattoria E Pizzeria de Enrico, a Chinese restaurant named Best Hunan, a Subway restaurant, a sushi restaurant named Sushi Nari, a Rita's Italian Water Ice, King's Contrivance Liquor and Smoke Shop, a CVS Pharmacy, a jewelry store, an M&T Bank, a UPS Store, Glamour Salon, a barber, a shoemaker, a dry cleaner, a formal wear shop, office space, medical offices, an orthodontist office, an insurance agency, a McDonald's, and a gas station. The Village Center opened on June 14, 1986. It was originally anchored by Valu Food, a local supermarket chain. After Valu Food went out of business, a Safeway opened in the Village Center in late 1999. The Safeway store and a nearby Friendly's Restaurant were demolished in 2006 to make way for a new Harris Teeter supermarket. The new Harris Teeter, the second in Maryland, opened in May 2008. In November 2011, the Corner Stable replaced Michael's Pub as the flagship restaurant in the village center. Michael's Pub, which had been located in the center since 1986, was unable to stay in business after it spent $200,000 to construct an enclosed and separately ventilated smoking area in its bar that complied with existing law, only to have Howard County thereafter prohibit smoking anywhere in bars. Amherst House, the location of the Kings Contrivance Community Association, is also in the village center. This building, named after Emily Dickinson's hometown in Massachusetts, also serves as a rental hall for community events, parties, and meetings. Parks and Recreation Each of the three neighborhoods of Kings Contrivance has a community swimming pool operated by the Columbia Association. Various scenic trails weave within and around the neighborhoods of Kings Contrivance, providing access to Columbia's extensive bike/hiking trail system and County parks. These trails include The Patuxent Branch Trail, which runs along the Little Patuxent River, connecting Huntington and Magill's Common to Lake Elkhorn. Along the Middle Patuxent River, the Dickinson neighborhood includes extensive paths that are located within the Gorman Stream Valley Natural Resource Area. Recreational parks located in and near Kings Contrivance include Gorman Park, Huntington Neighborhood Park, and Savage Park, all of which are maintained by Howard County Recreation and Parks. Education The public schools serving the village are: Elementary Schools Atholton Elementary School Bollman Bridge Elementary Forest Ridge Elementary Guilford Elementary Hammond Elementary Middle Schools Patuxent Valley Middle Hammond Middle