Interesting Tidbits

Here are a few things to consider on Saturday.

Blogger Bill Santos of Columbia Compass invited friends to join him for last night's Lakefront showing of "Frozen". It is clear that he has more friends than I had imagined. The Lakefront was packed. The MC/Projectionist said it was the largest crowd in forty years. It's good to have friends.

I might add that all his friends are enthusiastic singers.

Thursday's CA Board meeting revealed some interesting changes. The new president of CA is sitting at the table--smack dab in the middle of the table, next to the Chair. The first time I saw Phil Nelson at a Board meeting he was relegated to a little table to the side, rather like a child in a time-out chair. He eventually made it to the actual table, but somewhere in the periphery. I am intrigued to see how this central location for Mr. Matthews plays out.

Another interesting change: reporter Amanda Yeager gave us an article with facts, quotes, and numbers. Awesome.

This Thursday evening there will be a reception for the Columbia Archives exhibit "James Rouse at Leisure."

The exhibit opened on July 1 and will run through September at the Archives. A reception on July 17 at 7 p.m. will be an opportunity to visit after hours and enjoy a program highlighted by a Rouse family member recalling vacations and get-togethers. The reception will also feature some additional artifacts that will not be on display as part of the exhibit. (Columbia Archives)

I have been to several events at the archives and always enjoy the experience. It's not simply about fascinating documents, photographs, and artifacts, it's also about the interesting people you meet and get a chance to talk to. You should try to drop in Thursday if you have a chance.

I'm looking forward to another cup of coffee and a relatively slow day--what about you?

Posted with Blogsy

Comments

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...

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...

Separate and Unequal

Remember “Separate but equal”? Remember how that really meant that Black schools languished in broken-down buildings without adequate heat or toilet facilities, with cast-off, ragged learning materials, underfunded and largely ignored? The Supreme Court struck that down in 1954. The evidence was clear that separate was not equal. Plessy v Ferguson had led to - - no, endorsed - - deeply unequal schooling and opportunities. We tend to think of Brown v Board as being purely about racial integration. It was not. It was about the logical consequences of segregation. And they were not, not, not equal. The ruling in 1954 didn’t transform public education for non-whites into a land of milk and honey by any means. But it articulated some essential truths in a way that made including everyone a legal precedent which could be relied upon and built upon. It was better than what came before it but it rested upon unsteady ground. It did not necessarily change the hearts or minds ...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog