Skip to main content

Firsts

I've never been so close to an election before. I have never known so many people personally who were running for public office. It has been educational and exhilarating. And, at times, stressful. As much as I have been inspired and hopeful, I have also been indignant. What some people do when they want to win makes you question the whole process.

I'm thrilled for Tom Coale. It's difficult to find any other words. Running for the right reasons, doing it the right way, he made small-minded attempts to derail his candidacy shrink down to nothingness. How? 1) Just by being himself. 2) Empowering others to get involved.

I'd like to see a whole lot more of that in politics.

I'm excited to see that candidates for Board Of Education whom I supported will be advancing to the November election. In particular, it is lovely to see Cindy Vaillancourt as the top vote-getter. Ms. Vaillancourt has continually showed respect for parents and the community in the educational process, supported music and arts education, and was willing to be an independent voice when others on the board made it uncomfortable for her. Let's all make sure she has more responsive board members to work with in November. There is a lot more work to be done on that front, but this is an excellent start.

I'm happy for friends Abby Hendrix, Marcia White, and Candace Dodson-Reed who did so well in the race for Democratic Central Committee. They certainly worked for it! I'm looking forward to seeing what their presence means to the work of the Central Committee. It can only be good.

I have to admit that I am sad about Wendy Jane Royalty's loss in the County Council primary race. I truly identify with her message, her goals, her way of working with others. She ran because she truly wants to do good for people. I also know what it is like to lose an election. That makes it hurt more, I guess. I do know that someone as gifted as Wendy won't be down for long.

If you voted, thank you. If you didn't, you have some time now to get ready for November so that you can make informed choices.

You do know this is only the beginning, right?

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more