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Just Trust Me

Thing I expected: a certain amount of inflammatory pushback in response to the CA Board’s decision to remove three board members due to ethics violations. Thing I did not expect: candidates for County Executive to jump into the fray. Dear CA Board, take note. Don’t make big decisions during election season. Needless to say, I have some opinions on this situation. They are based on my personal experience and are informed by (let me look) fifteen years observing local happenings for the blog. But I have to admit that there are other people in town who also have opinions based on personal experience and years of being hyper focused on CA. And their opinions are wildly different than mine. So why should you give any weight to what I’m about to say? I have found myself replaying the following exchange in my mind a lot this week. It’s from an episode of the BBC panel show QI: Host: The most dangerous job in terms of sport? Motorsports: motorcycling, Formula One…  Panelist: No, no no I ha...
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Entirely Local (Mostly)

This is not me (obviously) but somehow I wish it were.  Breaking news from the top of the bookcase, where I remain both elevated and emotionally involved in local affairs. It’s from a company called Generations of Furniture at The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg. I do not know how it popped up in my Facebook feed but I honestly wish I could make this my own personal slogan. So, with an effort to be elevated and emotionally involved in local affairs… The Ridgely’s Run Community Center has created an outdoor space/patio.  Did you know? The Ridgely's Run Community Association was established in 2007 by the Savage Stone Company to serve residents near the company's quarry area off US Route 1. ***** The NPHC of Howard County, Maryland is working on a new mental health initiative called “ The  Barbershop Brotherhood Series” You can find Episode 1: Brotherhood and Black Identity on YouTube. Images from NPHC of Howard County, Barbershop Brotherhood Series You can check out the...
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Maryland’s Mean Kids in the Lunchroom

  May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. There’s a celebration on May 30th at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. The Howard County Library System has curated a reading list to broaden our understanding. You can  find it here.   They have been hosting events throughout the month at various branches, as well. Meanwhile, in State Government… Republican delegates mocked colleague’s accent, implied he was a Chinese spy , also titled: Republican delegates face criticism for video mocking Chinese-born colleague , Pamela Wood, Baltimore Banner Del. Mark Fisher and Del. Brian Chisholm posted a 13-minute video on social media focused on Del. Chao Wu, a Democrat representing parts of Howard and Montgomery counties. Throughout the video, they engage in racist stereotypes and insinuate that Wu has communist sympathies. (Reminder: you can access this article for free through the Howard County Library System website.) You may remember Delegate Chao Wu from hi...
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Patience Rewarded in Stevens Forest

  “Patience. More will be revealed soon.” It sounds like something you’d get in a fortune cookie, or a cryptic reponse from a Magic Eight Ball. Instead, it was a response on a local Reddit about this photo. “Anyone have details on the empty markers in Stevens Forest?” There was the usual discussion of what it might be or what the respondents thought it should be. And then… “Patience. More will be revealed soon.” I took a screenshot. I tried to be patient. That was e…i…g…h…t days ago. Then last night I heard from Jeanne Lay, friend of the blog - - and good neighbor extraordinaire - - with the answer to the mystery. I took a bike ride this afternoon on the footpaths behind Stevens Forest pool. Check out these new signs which right now are a story walk. From the first image: Welcome to Columbia Association's new Sign Walk! There are 18 signs posted along the pathways. We will fill these signs with stories, fun facts, and other community information. The signs are dedicated to all th...
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Small Wishes Come True: Live at the Lakefront

Have you seen the photos from the opening event for the new Columbia Association performance space at the Lakefront? Or perhaps you were present for the event? You know how opening events are. Speeches, local notables, chairs lined up neatly for invited guests, celebratory signage and decoration, the photo-friendly ribbon cutting…You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. Right? But, wait. The violinist. Could it be? Yes! It was.  Marvillous Beats.   In 2020 I discovered a local performer through a tweet and wrote about him in The Beat Goes On. The video shows a young Black man playing violin near Vantage House* in Town Center, I believe. He is accompanied by a backing track. Would you call this style jazz violin? I think so. He is very, very good.  I was curious, so I looked him up. Marvillous Beats is the performance name of a Laurel-based violinist Marvill L. Martin. (He is also a composer, actor, and audio engineer, according to his website bio.)  The violinist playin...
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Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Community

It’s a cloudy day in HoCo and it’s shaping up to be mostly plant sales, yard sales, farmer’s markets, and Mother’s Day themed events. Here’s a look at a few that caught my eye.  The Market at Clarksville Commons is back, beginning at nine am. There’s an historical event in Elkridge  beginning at eleven am. “Elkridge: Crossroads of Revolution.” It’s free but you need to sign up because they are providing lunch. Click here  to learn more and to register.  Event is in Patapsco Valley State Park, Avalon Picnic Shelter 105. At Robinson Nature Center, there’s a Bookworm Bash  from 10 am to 12 pm. It's a read aloud party, and everyone is invited! Join local authors alongside Robinson Nature Center staff for this imagination-fueled adventure in our nature play space. Enjoy story times before making your own story through interactive play and crafts. The RPB Sneak Peek Weekend is a soft opening event for a new experiential art space called Resting Bitch Place: 135...
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F ³: Eating the Difference

I woke up this morning to discover that NPR making the claim: Prices are up, but Mother’s Day still means brunch , Alina Selyukh, Scott Horsley. It's the biggest day for America's restaurants, and one of the biggest for flower sales. Despite anxieties over rising gas prices, people are ready to splurge to celebrate. Really? Which people would that be? Last night as I was making up a grocery list I discovered that a tub of Kerrygold Butter, a special treat for my mother in law who loves her mashed potatoes with a dollop of good Irish butter, has reached the eye-watering price of ten ninety-nine.. I don’t know how one grocery item can break your brain but this was too much. At fourteen ounces, it isn’t even a full pound of butter. To be sure, it’s a special treat, possibly a bit of a luxury item. But ten ninety-nine for a package of soft butter? I can’t do it. I found myself facing a mental hurdle I couldn’t get over.  Of course the Irish butter is symbolic of all of the increasi...
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