Definitions for 500, Alex

I attended the Oakland Mills Village Board meeting on Tuesday evening because I had a question. Here is what I said:

I love living in Oakland Mills, and I am familiar with the all of the good work of those who worked on the Oakland Mills Revitalization. But recently I keep hearing the word "reinvent." I wanted to make sure I knew what that meant, so I looked it up in the dictionary.

Reinvent: To make over completely, or to change (something) so much that it appears to be entirely new.

That's a really big deal. In light of this:

1. Where can I find the working definition that the board formulated for what exactly constitutes "reinventing Oakland Mills?"

2. Also, where can I find the body of evidence you are using to justify "reinventing Oakand Mills"?

Co-chair Bill McCormack was extremely courteous to me, but he didn't seem to understand my question. He referred me to the Village website to read the minutes of the meetings that had been held so far. So I asked again,

Where can I find the working definition that the board has formulated for what exactly constitutes "reinventing Oakland Mills?"

He seemed genuinely surprised. After a moment he said (I am paraphrasing here) that Oakland Mills has some problems and we are trying to fix them.

And I said I looked forward to learning more and then I sat down.

One of my favorite quotes about language comes from Confucius.

If language is not correct then what is said is not what is meant. If what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done remains undone.

I must say that I think it is extremely dangerous for the Oakland Mills Board to be embarking on a process of "reinvention" with no stated definition or body of evidence to support their work. This is not an effective way to do business. These people are in position to make decisions that affect the entire village and influence how the rest of Columbia and Howard County sees Oakland Mills.

I do think that if one has a mission, it should stated clearly and thoroughly and shared openly for public comment. I do not think that any board has a mandate to just make it up as they go along. Remember about the road to Hell...and that's assuming one has good intentions.

I want to assume our board has good intentions. But how on earth can I tell?

Posted with Blogsy

Comments

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...

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...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog