Village Green/Town²

This is a post that I do not want to write. This is a post that I should not have to write. I sat with this all weekend, wrestling with whether my involvement would shed any light on the darkness. When I awoke this morning, these words spurred me to action. "She existed. She mattered." So let's talk about Grace. ***** grace: simple elegance or refinement of movement. courteous goodwill. an attractively polite manner of behaving. a divinely given talent or blessing do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence. ***** Postings on Facebook alerted me to the issue. This piece  by Susan Reimer filled in the blanks. Friends directed me to the Grace McComas Memorial Webpage on Facebook. In brief--friends of Grace McComas, who committed suicide in response to horrific trauma and subsequent bullying, requested that they be permitted to wear blue ribbons at graduation to remember her. This would have been her graduation year. The principal ref...

It is Saturday. It is rainy. Get yourself out of the house and over to Oakland Mills Middle School for their Indoor Yard Sale. Entrance is free, you can browse and buy at great prices and there's even a bake sale table and coffee. It starts at 9 and runs until 12:00, so don't dilly-dally!       Posted with Blogsy

I got a lot of great feedback about Wal-mart vs. Wegmans yesterday. What I learned was: 1. Putting the two head-to-head is a rather specious comparison, and 2. Amongst my circle of Facebook friends, Wegmans is the clear winner. But, although there were some confirmed lovers of Wegmans, overall the tone was set by people who, like me, loathe Wal-mart. So that was the deciding factor for them. They mentioned poor service, poor shopping experience, objection to Wal-mart policies. So some chose Wegmans as a means of spurning Wal-mart, even though they actually preferred other groceries. (Trader Joe's, MOM's, and Center Park Giant were mentioned) Remember that this all started with information from the Village Center Market Study, which stated: People will drive 10 miles to get to a Wal-Mart versus 3-6 miles for a Wegmans. So, it is about how far you are willing to drive. Then I started to wonder. Are the people who are driving to Wal-mart the kind of folks who rely more on driving...

The following Twitter conversation was prompted by the Village Center Market Study meeting on Tuesday evening.     @iankennedy7: People will drive 10 miles to get to a Wal-Mart versus 3-6 miles for a Wegmans. My head hurts. #vcmarketstudy @AlisonDHickman: @iankennedy7 did they cover how far people will drive to avoid Wal Mart? Hypothesis is that distance would be impressive. @iankennedy7: @AlisonDHickman ha! No but that's a stat I would like to see. @macsmom: @iankennedy7 It's not the same people, for heavens sake. @iankennedy7: @macsmom well, yes and no. It's a population-level analysis, so it's kind of all of us. But, certainly, different customer bases. @macsmom: I just want to go on record that I would do without rather than go to Walmart. I wonder if people like me are included in the statistics? @urbanbushwoman9: @macsmom I'm sure you're not the only one. Could be worth blogging about. Knock it out!! @ee_Jayne: @urbanbushwoman9 @macsmom same here.   What d...

Heritage, or: My Grandmother the Birth Control Activist We called her Gaga, because one of my older sisters couldn't say Grandma. She wore very colorful suits and sparkly costume jewelry. She was a pretty terrible cook. She didn't bake cookies and she wasn't very snuggly. She was, as my mother put it, a "career woman." Here you see a mention of her passing in the newsletter of the National Council for Family Relations. Maternal Health. I grew up knowing that's where Gaga worked, but I had absolutely no idea what went on there. I only truly came to understand when she died, in 1978. I was almost twenty. The magnitude of what she had done began to hit me as I read her obituary. We had submitted one to the Cleveland Papers, along with a photo. When it showed up in the paper it had actually been augmented and the photo was one from their own files. So, what was Maternal Health? You can see a mention of my grandmother, Hazel Cornell Jackson, in the clip above from ...

The other day my Sonicare electric toothbrush slipped out of my hands while I was brushing my teeth and bounced around briefly in the sink, splattering toothpaste foam everywhere. I didn't think, "How stupid of me!" or, "I can't believe I'm such a klutz!" No, in that crazy moment when I was trying to get a grip on a wildly pulsating object with slippery hands, I thought of just two words. Mickey Gomez. You may know her as the Executive Director at the Volunteer Center Serving Howard County, a talented singer and guitarist, mom and defender of All Dogs, or as a fiercely competitive celebrity bartender. But as a frequent reader of her blog, Life and How to Live It , and as a devoted social media friend/follower, I have to come to see her in a different light. She has developed a personal brand of sorts. I guess I'd describe it like this: "Wild, spectacularly wild and unusual things happen to me." It could be a hairbrush, eye make up, kitche...

Sharing my Letter to the Editor:   Merriweather Park Will Make Columbia Fun: Celebrates Nature, Arts and Arts Education I am writing to express my support for the strong focus on arts and arts education in Merriweather Park. My husband and I are both music educators. Our one grown daughter just bought a house in Columbia, and our other daughter is a student in HCPSS. Art is central to the quality of life for people of all ages. The Inner Arbor team has created a brilliant design to encourage use of Symphony Woods, a property that has been sadly underused. I am delighted by the innovative design and creative subtlety employed by the Inner Arbor Trust as they work to bring the experience of nature and art to all Columbians, young and old. Moreover, as a parent and arts educator, I am thrilled to see long term plans in Merriweather Park to celebrate the arts and to give the arts pride of place at the center of our community. My daughter and her husband recently bought a house in Oak...

It's March, and the Spring season of musical productions at local high schools is upon us. Considering that I was raised on musical theatre, and that Margo adores musicals, it is amazing and really pretty silly that we don't go to more of them. We were so impressed with last year's production of "The Music Man" at Oakland Mills High School that we made a point of coming back this year for "Once Upon a Mattress." It was fabulously entertaining. There is one more performance at two o'clock today-- go ! I could write a pseudo-professional review here, but that would miss the point. OMHS has put together a team of teachers who know how to support the students and let their unique gifts shine. Philip Hale is working with an on-stage pit orchestra, Steven Fleming is the theatrical director, Joshua Konick of Oakland Mills Middle School is the Music Director. The orchestra ably supported the performers onstage. The dramatic direction allowed the students ...

The little girl who watched her mother pour loose change into the coin machine at the grocery store is moving into her first home today. She and her husband are now homeowners. This little girl always got her Easter dresses at the Wise Penny second-hand store run by the Junior League. She never really had an allowance. She never got to shop at the Mall just for fun. She got a full scholarship for college and rose above the craziness of joint custody and financial instability: local girl makes good. This little girl is not a little girl, but a young woman full of ability and promise. She can plan a move, cook a meal, write a blog post, mentor a teenaged sister, play the piano, and imagine worlds as yet unknown. Today she is a homeowner. And I am her mother, overwhelmed by the gratitude that her life is secure, and joyful. Last night I walked through empty rooms lit by candles and imagined the hustle and bustle of movers as the furniture arrives. And the future holds dinners, and parties...

Remember this? You didn't think it was going to be a one-time thing, did you? Well, maybe you were hoping it would just go away... This has certainly been a Higgledy-Piggledy week in the old HoCo. And not in a fun, positive, we love-to-be-crazy kind of way. Howard County and the Howard Hughes Corporation appear to be taking a page out of the U.S./Russia playbook. No, it's not war, but it doesn't feel the least bit playful, either. No sanctions have been imposed. Yet. HCPSS continues to tout World Class Education and Model Schools, while a survey of teachers shows plunging morale. Faith in the Superintendent and Board of Education has gone down as well. Not to be outdone, Rebecca Amani-Dove, speaking on behalf of the school system, doesn't seem to have much faith in parents who support Arts Education. Democratic Candidate for County Council from District 1 Wendy Jane Royalty wants everyone to know that the Primary Election is on June 24th, and to plan accordingly. A laud...

I have been poor. I have been sick with no doctor. I have been at the emergency room because there was nowhere else I could go. I have been fired from a job. I have been overwhelmed by bills. I have overdrawn a checking account. I have used a credit card to supplement an income which didn't cover my expenses. I have borrowed money from friends that I could never repay. I have washed clothes in the sink and tried to dry them by an open oven door. I have shivered under multiple blankets because a landlord wouldn't provide adequate heat. I have poured a Baggie full of change into the coin counter at the grocery in order to buy dinner for myself and my child. But when all is said and done, I was never completely out there with no one. I never would have ended up on the streets. For all the stress, terror, and helplessness I felt, if it had come to that, I could have called someone. It becomes easy for people to judge the poor when they are continually depicted as "other"....

Some times I can't think of anything to write about. Today, there is just too much. There are so many ideas competing for attention in my brain that I can't begin to sort them out or do any one of them justice. So I am just going to lay some out for you to look at this morning:   A friend who is in constant pain, who has waited far too long for a heart transplant. A boy who is bullied for carrying a My Little Pony backpack. A very public conflict between Howard County and Howard Hughes Corporation, and The future of Columbia's downtown. A school system that marginalizes supporters of Arts education. The unrelenting deluge of local political events. The puzzling capriciousness of a middle school teacher, and Bumps on the road of being the parent of an adolescent. The future of my job teaching music to special needs preschoolers. People who can look at those in poverty as "other" rather than sister or brother.   That is all for today. I'll work on honing in on ...

This morning I read this article by Sun Education Reporter Sara Toth. A lot of work went into this. She has put in a lot of time drawing information from a variety of sources. I get the feeling that all sides were given an opportunity to speak their piece, as it were. And that is balanced reporting at its best. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Sara and her work. And yet I read this article with mixed feelings. Why? I noticed whose voices were absent: teachers. I feel certain that Sara would have included them if at all possible. So it seems likely that none are willing to come forward and speak on the record. Why would that be? Teachers gave testimony about changes to the Middle School curriculum. Teachers gave testimony about changes to the school calendar. Teachers came out to support good faith negotiations with HCEA. So where were the teachers on reductions to music and arts instruction? They were there at the meeting. Their silence is telling. Rebecca Amani-Dove, of the ...

Separated in 1989, divorced in 1990, I spent what felt like an eternity between those years and finding and marrying my husband in 1999. And during those years I spent a certain amount of time searching for my ideal mate. I won't bore you with how painfully educational that was. By the time I was nearing the end of my search, although I didn't know it at the time, I had pretty much narrowed it down to one essential quality: willingness. You can find attractive people, intelligent, charming, well-mannered people with whom you share values, a sense of humor, or tastes in movies. But if that person does not possess the willingness to be in a committed relationship, it is all for naught. And by willingness I don't just mean, "yeah, that sounds good to me." I mean willing to show up and do the work. When I got the news that County Executive Ken Ulman is taking a look at the Downtown Plan as a means to improving progress for Merriweather, it reminded me of what I really...

In October of 2011, I got off the couch and walked to Walgreens. "I made some observations about the route as I walked. The most crucial: why is there no crosswalk at Sohap? In order to cross in the safest and most legal way, I would have to go away from my destination to the crosswalk at White Acre. So now I have a new goal--who do I talk to about that?" I can't remember if I talked to anyone about that, to tell you the truth. Then, at the end of an extremely trying week, the Calvin Ball Bulletin turned up in my email--the "Construction Edition". Clicking on the link , I discovered these words: A crosswalk--yay! Okay, it isn't at Sohap, but it still makes the trip to Walgreens on foot safer and more convenient. So, a huge HoCo Holler to Calvin for moving forward on this. I continue to be a grateful constituent. And yet, once we get that crosswalk... I'll have to get back off the couch again.   Posted with Blogsy

Breakfast this morning at Le Comptoir with Margo: Clear skies, sunny, a feeling that Spring is right around the corner. Margo and I paid our first visit to the new lakefront pastry café adjoining Petit Louis Bistro. Much as I bemoan being the parent of a teenager, this morning was one of those great experiences where I felt the joy of being able to go out for breakfast together, walk around the lakefront, take pictures, engage in light, careless conversation. As we sat enjoying our drinks we took in the view. There were people in it. An older gentleman and a little boy down on the dock were looking at two seagulls. A young couple in running clothes jogged by with their (very happy) dog. Margo started to laugh. "Look! They're rolling down the hill." I looked. Three children were rolling down the grassy hill in front of Clyde's. When we finished, Margo asked if we could walk around a bit. We walked down past the Tomato Palace and Clyde's, near the water. A young fam...

Crazy schedule today, so no time to ponder and muse. Here are three good things for you Friday:   You can eat pie on Pi Day with candidate Tom Coale: Plans are in the works for donuts in Oakland Mills: County Executive Ken Ulman puts forward plan to streamline Downtown Plan process to help Merriweather and support building of affordable housing.   It has been a rough week. Having three good things to think about is probably the very best way to end it.   Posted with Blogsy

You may already have read a statement from Howard County Schools which begins like this, "There have been widespread rumors over the past few weeks..." And if you did, you might be tempted to believe this is all about misguided people spreading rumors. Except for one thing. The situation we are in right now is one entirely created by the school system. How? Let's look at the Change.org Petition created by HoCo Families for Music and Arts in our School. HCPSS did not ensure: 1. That any changes to the elementary curriculum and schedule be developed with significant and meaningful contribution from teachers, administrators, and parents. 2. That any such plan developed be shared freely and openly with the public with time built into the process for discussion and parental input before being put to a vote by the Board of Education. And because they did not, the petition requests: 3. That, in order to guarantee the achievement of these goals, they shall be made verifiable thr...

One particular Dave Barry column which has stayed with me is this one in which he describes Disney's rebranding of the heroines of their classic animated movies as "Disney Princesses." Like much of his work, it is both astute and hilarious. I came away with the feeling that, through rebranding, Disney hoped to get new generations of children (read:consumers) to buy into the Disney way of life. I propose to you, with less hilarity, that the term "instrumental pull-out" needs to undergo a similar rebranding process. Not because you will be encouraged to buy products or see movies, but because 1. it in no way accurately describes what is going on, and 2. it may actually mislead or discourage the public. Let's take the word "instrumental". 1 a : serving as a crucial means, agent, or tool <was instrumental in organizing the strike> b : of, relating to, or done with an instrument or tool Well, there's nothing wrong with that. These s...

Howard County Public Schools Superintendent Renee Foose participated recently in a panel at sxswedu. I read the details here : In her talk Dr. Foose addresses the problem of various departments existing in silos, thus preventing them for working together to assess data and formulate it into something truly useful for classroom teachers. This use of the word silos has become increasingly popular to describe " information silos " in business and other large organizations. For example, Definition of 'Information Silo' An information management system that is unable to freely communicate with other information management systems. Communication within an information silo is always vertical, making it difficult or impossible for the system to work with unrelated systems. (Investipedia) It is quite true that who controls the information, and how the information moves, is critical to the success of an organization. That doesn't apply merely to Big Data. It also applies t...

"I just want my money back."   I looked up. The woman in front of me sounded tired, defeated. The manager looked confused. I looked at the gentleman waiting over to the side. He had received his carry out order and was signing his credit slip. We had all been waiting together.   "I've been waiting and waiting, and I never got my order. Now I have to go back to work. I want my money back."   It was a busy night at the little restaurant. One waitress ran between the tables, and the manager, usually at the front near the cash register, had been absent for an unusually long time. The three of us had waited. And waited. There were bags of carry out food lined up on the counter, but no one to check us out.   "You paid but you didn't get your order? You have been waiting?" The manager's eyes darted between the tired woman, and the two of us, now being asked, somehow, for corroboration.   "I ordered a cheesesteak roll. I paid for it. I never got i...

For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!' --John Greenleaf Whittier "Child," said Aslan, "did I not explain to you once before that no one is ever told what would have happened?" --C.S. Lewis     I had a brilliant idea for a blog post. It had been gathering momentum for almost a year. Over time, it seemed to be more credible and beautifully connected, like one long ball of yarn. I was more than a little pleased with myself. Today was the day I would unveil it. And yet, despite the fact that all of the pieces fit into place, I sent out a query to a friend. I think I was expecting complete vindication, a pat on the back, or even a few more bits of evidence that would help prove my point. I was wrong. No, I was pretty spectacularly wrong. Everything which I had been carefully assembling over the months was just plain not true. Well, maybe some of the bits and pieces were fact, but the conclusion I had drawn was clearly ...

Better than Friday Links , it's Saturday Linkety-Links! Well, not really making any claims of superiority, of course. I have been intrigued this week by amazing connections popping up between news stories. So much so that it brought on a case of advertisement nostalgia . So, without further introduction, stories that taste great when you link them together: Stu dy shows SAT's not helpful in predicting college success. Followed quite soon after by announcement of significant overhaul of SAT's. Frank Gehry comes out of the woodwork to denounce Inner Arbor Plan for Symphony Woods. Some members of CA Board who talk a lot like Frank Gehry want more control of Inner Arbor Board. See also local reactions . A rather lovely trio: HCPSS has Spelling Bee. Howard County Library System supports Spelling Bee. Sara Toth of the Sun live-tweets Spelling Bee. @SaraAToth: (It's like watching the Super Bowl, guys, you seriously want to watch it.) #HCLSBee A little commentary here. ...

To: Brenda J. Walker, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. bwalker@cedarshoppingcenters.com   Dear Ms. Walker, I am writing to express heartfelt thanks to you and to Cedar Properties for working with Howard County, the Village of Oakland Mills, and the owners of the Second Chance Saloon to keep this vital business alive in our community. This article by Luke Lavoie in the Baltimore Sun, "New Lease Close for Columbia's Second Chance Saloon" brought great joy to me and all of us who support this amazing mom-and-pop establishment. I was thrilled to see our community come together around this issue. The outpouring of positive energy has been inspiring. The willingness of you and your colleagues at Cedar Properties to rethink your decision and work with our community is incredibly meaningful to me. Your response to our petitions, letters, emails, and phone calls shows a commitment to be active partners in the success of our Village Center. ...

Tuesday, February 25th was a long evening for our local reporters, striving to keep us up to date on candidate filings before the deadline. On the Board of Education race, the following tweets came at the end of the evening: @SaraAToth: Will post these names again tomorrow, but in the meantime, your #HoCoMD school board contenders are ... @SaraAToth: Bess Altwerger, Corey Andrews, Tom Baek, Zaneb Beams, Olga Butler, Allen Dyer, Maureen Evans Arthurs, Sandra French, Dan Furman ... @SaraAToth: Leslie Kornreich, Christine O'Connor, Mike Smith and Cindy Vaillancourt. @SaraAToth: Whoops, so that's 13 candidates. Missed Olga Butler the first time around. She ran unsuccessfully in 2012. Wow. It took four whole tweets to make the full announcement. And that was before the "Siddiqui Switcheroo". I am excited to see the interest in the Board of Education race. And now I need to start learning about the candidates. You might assume, from both my background and blog posts, that s...

Good morning, Howard County. Here is a little light reading for you: Montgomery County Superintendent to Parents: Upcoming State Tests Useless Today I am sending my daughter to school and they will test her and her classmates for no reason at all. Today, tomorrow, and for two days next week. Why? Because the Maryland State Departent of Education put "the system" first, and not our children. Spending time on MSA's when they do not align with the current curriculum is a waste of instructional time. It is a waste of our children's time. "Too bad. That's just the way it is." We tell our daughter to take it all with a grain of salt. Don't stress. But that is what we always say about standardized testing. What do you say for extra-extra stupid and useless standardized testing? I know what you say. But I don't use that kind of language. The Hippocratic oath, revered by medical professionals, exhorts: first, do no harm. Is there an oath for the MSDE?  ...

In one of the well-known baseball strips, Charlie Brown says, "The world is filled with people who are anxious to function in an advisory capacity." I'm feeling the burden of that right now. Social media gives all of us the opportunity to function in an advisory capacity--instantly. There are friends who legitimately seek out your opinion, and then there are retailers and news outlets who ask you how you feel because your participation is money in the bank for them. Some days it is far too simple. People doling out opinions you disagree with are therefore tiring and unnecessary. Others who articulate beautifully what you yourself think are helpful and refreshing. Discussions where both parties truly listen before responding seem nonexistent. Yet this morning I asked my friends on Facebook to help me figure out the dynamics of school closure announcements and the result was wonderful. We didn't all share the same point of view. But everyone was respectful, and I was re...

I think we have all had that relationship that isn't the best. Maybe it is ho-hum, or comfortable, or steady but a little cranky. Not quite the right fit. But we keep going, putting off the break-up, because it's better than nothing. Yeah. That. I keep trying with the Oakland Mills Food Lion. I really do. I want to support our Village grocery store because I remember what it was like after the Metro closed and we didn't have one at all. And I see how folks in Wilde Lake feel at the loss of theirs, and the protracted grocery debacle in Long Reach makes me squirm. Nobody deserves that. I want that darn Food Lion to succeed. But it just keeps letting me down. Someone this week said that it is nothing more than a convenience store. I can't agree, perhaps because a convenience store to me is 7-Eleven or Royal Farms. The Food Lion is clearly more than that. But that is just about all you can say for it. More variety than a 7-Eleven, and better than nothing. My question is: ...