Village Green/Town²

My daughter just asked why we say "hang up" the phone and now I feel 90. I saw this post on Twitter last night, followed by a host of responses commiserating with the writer. They referenced other obsolete phrases and experiences: "Don't touch that dial!" Busy Signals Rotary phones Roll down the window "You sound like a broken record." As the minutes are ticking away on 2015, I'm thinking about things in our community that are becoming obsolete. In his end-of-year post at The 53, Bill Woodcock states: I think the sad thing I notice this year is, how much village boards in Columbia, if not the Columbia Association itself, really don't matter. And yeah, I suppose I'll catch flak for that last sentence. But I do think our local institutions work around the Columbia power structure more than they do with it. And can you blame them? The little power structures are either filled with pockets of zealotry, or with people who stan...

I read something yesterday that made me stop and think. Leslie Kornreich, of Voices of Parents and Stakeholders in HCPSS wrote the following: This page is all about everyone having a chance to make their voice heard as we all have a stake in the decisions made by HCPSS and our Board of Education. Recently one Board member, Ann DeLacy, dismissed the concerns of what she deemed a "vocal minority". What she fails to realize is that the number of people signing this petition is a drop in the bucket compared to the number who agree with all of the issues brought forth in the petition. Working under a climate of fear and intimidation has kept teachers, staff, paraeducators, and others who work for HCPSS from signing the petition. It is more important than ever that we share this, even with HCPSS employees, so that even if they are afraid to sign, they can share it with friends and family members who can. Let's show the Board and the superintendent that we are not jus...

I've been staring at this page and throwing ideas at it and nothing will stick. I couldn't get to sleep until after one thirty, woke up at six and my thoughts are a dark swirl. I'm from Cleveland. Grew up there until we moved when I was thirteen. Raised in the beautiful old suburban area known as Cleveland Heights. At the time it was almost exclusively white. Through all my elementary years I can remember only two African American classmates. In the fifth grade when we had to do our biggest project, a report on our ethnic background and how our ancestors might have come to the U.S., the teacher told the one African American student, a girl, that since she didn't have any immigration story, she could chose any nationality she wanted for her report. I wonder if he thought this was a creative solution to an awkward dilemma. No story. No ethnic background. No country of origin. No nothing. This was some years before "Roots". It was just assumed there were no recor...

Restored by virtue of screenshots. Not pretty, I know.    

Blogger Candace Dodson Reed is back with her Most Fascinating People of Howard County, 2015 edition. You can find her at Is This Thing On? Is This Thing On ? she asks. Yes, it most definitely is. There's a crisp, off-the-cuff, no-messing-around quality to her writing that I find singularly refreshing. And if she weren't too busy living an actual life on multiple platforms--parenthood, career, community, politics, and more I'm probably forgetting--we might get to enjoy her blog more often. Take a moment to read this piece. I found that I knew some people well, others not at all. And that means I learned something. Sometimes our personal (and even shared) worlds in Howard County are quite small. Reading this bumped out my boundaries. It also reminded me that, despite my belief that I am open to all kinds of people, on most days my world is starkly, almost completely white. In the same vein, including Baltimore on this list is a brilliant reminder of all the ways we in Howard...

I happened upon a conversation on Facebook yesterday about the best place to get Chinese food on Christmas in Howard County. This is not a quest I have ever undertaken. Our family concerns usually center around what to serve as a main course now that my husband can't eat turkey. And most Facebook posts I see are traditionally Christmas ones: presents, Santa, kids, family, holiday clothes, holiday meals, and decorations. After discussing with a Jewish friend the recent proposal by hcpss to keep school open on Jewish High Holy Days I have found myself looking more carefully at what the prevailing culture presumes. We don't always remember to make room for different ways of living and worshipping. I took a minute yesterday to say to him, Thanks for tolerating the cultural and religious explosion that is Christmas with never a complaint...sometimes we get so caught up, we forget there's anything else but what we celebrate. Cheers to you and yours! So, back to Chinese food...

Dear Santa, It's been a long time since I wrote you a letter. I've been plenty busy trying to make Christmas wishes come true for my family, and that's just fine with me. But this year there are a few special things on my list. I thought maybe you could help. Here they are, in no particular order: More leaders for Oakland Mills that really love my Village for what it actually is. Champions, not critics. We have a few but they need friends. Let's face it, you probably already know where people like that live, so maybe you can tuck an inspiring note in their stockings? A positive, non-gender-specific dress code for our schools that supports students and doesn't demean them. Santa, if you happen to know those folks who enjoy body-shaming girls? Well, that's what coal is for, right? Local reporters who want to stay in Howard County for awhile. I know this is a big present, but I'm dreaming big this year. A school system that's about learning and not testing....

If you haven't seen it already, here is the Petition being circulated in regards to the Superintendent's contract renewal. It really speaks for itself. The authors of this petition don't want you to take their word for it. They have loaded it with documentation and they expect you to do the research and make up your own mind. So I encourage you to do just that. Last night I had one of those head-exploding moments made possible by email and social media, when I received a letter addressed to undisclosed recipients which began, Friends, First, Happy Holidays and thank you for attending the Education Town Hall Meeting hosted by Delegates Frank Turner and Warren Miller on December 8th. My immediate thought was that this was a follow up letter from the Howard County Delegation about the Town Hall meeting. There had been a sign-in sheet where one could give contact information. Okay, so far, so good. The letter went on to be an impassioned advocacy piece encour...

My husband has a student who he has jokingly diagnosed with "O.P.G Syndrome"--it stands for Other People's Guitars. In any gathering of guitarists he must go around and play everyone else's instrument, especially if it's one he hasn't seen before. So I'm calling today's piece "O.P.P." in his honor, that is, "Other People's Posts". HowChow is back, and we don't know for how long, so throw caution to the winds and dive in . I feel like I'm binge-reading an entire season, and it's delicious. Lisa Marini Schlossnagle and her family continue to keep us posted on their year-long voyage 'round the world. Most recent posts are here , on Bangkok and Singapore. Bill Woodcock of The 53 has done a rather thorough commentary on County Executive Alan Kittleman's first year in office. Definitely worth the read. I'll be touching on this tomorrow. Here's one of my own from last year that Facebook threw at me yesterd...

There's an excellent piece in the Howard County Times about the Rev'd Heather Kirk-Davidoff and the congregation of Lake Kittamaqundi Church. I guess you could say it falls under the category of good news for the holiday season except that, once you read the article, you'll see that this is a far broader mission than one season of the year. Entitled " Columbia church helps end homelessness one condo at a time" it outlines the evolution of the church's commitment from providing emergency winter shelter one month of the year to taking on the responsibility of proving permanent housing for a member of the Howard County community. I know Rev'd Kirk-Davidoff as a member of the Oakland Mills community, where she is a positive voice and an involved school parent. I visited her church once with my daughter. It's amazingly non-traditional in a delightfully Columbia old-school way. Her preaching is engaging and insightful. Beyond Oakland Mills, beyond her own c...

The Board of Education continues to draw big crowds this year, but I wouldn't say that's because of rave reviews and boffo performances. They played to overflow crowds this week. It's too bad they can't do charity performances because this would have gone a long way towards meeting a philanthropic goal. (Funding paraeductaors, for instance?) Here's the deal: just when you thought they couldn't offend any one else, the school system proposes taking the Jewish High Holy Days off of the school calendar as official days off from school. Lisa Philip covers it here . This was pretty much an invitation to a standing room only sort of response, with people in matching t-shirts vying for their three minutes to express concern and dismay. And they weren't all Jewish, either. In general, the Board is respectful to the overflow crowds who turn out in matching t-shirts. (Except for these folks. Wonder why?) So I am guessing that they weren't on the receiving end of ...

At least three of my friends got up early to run in organized race events. Momma was probably up early, baking up a storm for today's Brunch Event at Shepherds Life Church in Ellicott City. Perhaps you were up early, wrapping presents, doing the last bit of online shopping, doing some holiday baking, or hanging out with an early-waking child who just can't wait til Christmas. I didn't plan to be up early. But Amazon had other plans. At six something someone rang our doorbell, banged on the door, and departed, leaving two Amazon Prime packages. Good for them. I guess. Much as I love the convenience of Amazon, the resemblance to the mega-corporation Buy N Large (from the movie WALL-E) grows more striking all the time. They recently launched food delivery (from restaurants) in the Baltimore area. Is cupcake in a cup coming sooner than we think? On my agenda for the day: one holiday party, one dinner and board game night with family, teaching my daughter how to make the trad...

The little things you don't know can really bite you in the butt, as they say. In keep with the current Star Wars craze, I thought I'd share with you the story of my personal experience in seeing the original movie when it first came out. I didn't see the same movie you did. Well, I did, but my misunderstanding of one key fact changed everything for me. The alien creature who worked alongside Han Solo? I heard the name as "Julie". Yes, that's right. So I assumed that Julie was not just Solo's coworker on the Millennium Falcon, but also his love interest or common-law wife, or whatever. I'll let that sink in for a moment. Everything from that moment in the film onwards is changed by that one assumption. I read jealousy into "Julie's" looks, sounds, and actions. I read unfaithfulness and callous disregard into Han Solo's romantic flirtations with Princess Leia. How could he? What an outrageous love triangle. It really bugged me. Strang...

"Here Comes the Dread Argument of the Individual Case...Again" " Too Much " " Enough " " Good News " " Bits and Bobs" All these post have something in common: a heart. My friend Justin needed one. After a dangerously long wait, he got one. And last week my older daughter and I drove to Longwood to hear him play the organ and lead the audience in the traditional Christmas carol singalong. Heart disease takes a toll. Justin still walks with a cane due to residual balance issues. He created his own personal physical therapy to overcome nerve damage in his hand. When he swivels around on the organ bench to address the audience, or throws his legs over to hop down to take a bow, it may not have quite the fluidity that it used to. He told me he used to launch himself into the air and land with a flourish. He still wants to do that but isn't quite sure he can guarantee a perfect landing. But heart disease has done nothing to mar the music-...

Monday evening Superintendent Foose took to the podium at the Centennial High School Winter Concert to conduct Leroy Anderson's well-known seasonal favorite "Sleigh Ride". Inviting a person of note (sorry) in the community to conduct a musical ensemble has become a more or less acceptable way to connect people in power with supporting the arts. And this is how it works: everyone in the ensemble rehearses like mad beforehand. Everyone knows their parts, and exactly how it's all going to go. And above all, everything is structured to make the conductor look good. Then, when the guest raises the baton, it all looks amazingly easy. Pretty cool, huh? Those of us in the community who follow the County Schools have become familiar with a similar approach in recent years. Rather than step up to the podium, say a few words and answer questions, the Superintendent brings an entire team of people to give presentations. Often they are accompanied by impressive videos, slide-show...

Glenwood. In local news coverage and on social media, it's become synonymous with mold, illness among students and staff, lack of transparency from school system leadership. If you don't know about what's going on out there, you should . And yet. And yet there's more to Glenwood than mold, and I'm sure the folks who live out that way would love to be able to focus on the good and be known for more than living in crisis mode. So, with that in mind, here's a little sparkle of light for you this morning. Via @LoriConforti: New #RandomActsOfKindness added, which will you choose? Visit the Glenwood Branch @HoCo_Library #spreadjoy #HoCoMD Lori Conforti's Twitter page describes her as: Teens' Instructor & Research Specialist, @HoCo_Library Providing educational opportunities to students & the wider community. Libraries=Education I don't know Ms. Conforti in real life, but I enjoy following her on Twitter because the programs she's running for te...

I don't know why I was surprised. Why should I be? Amanda Yeager is leaving the Howard County Times and "Mold in Howard County" broke the story. Last Friday, Amanda informed me she has taken a position with the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, a promotion and positive career move, one that she deserves. I would like to thank Amanda for the dedication and integrity she has shown while covering this story and wish her the very best in her new position. She will be here another week and hopes to get one more story out. We shall see if her long overdue MPIAs arrive before she leaves (lol). Lisa Philip has been covering education for the last several months and will now take over for Amanda on the mold issue as well. Stop. Just stop. Can we just keep one, or possibly even two, local reporters? It's the same painful story repeating itself. They're young, over-worked, and underpaid. And then they are gone. How can we possibly have continuity and real depth in Howard ...

Morning migraine, day two. I really, really hate to take a day off but migraines and writing don't mix. For your reading pleasure: Where to shop local in HoCo from AnnieRie. " Ho Ho HoCo !" Plus her page on local businesses. Sweet article in the Sun about finding love later in life combined with a passion for collecting. Finally, what's the story with a "no turn on red" sign at the intersection of Little Patuxent Parkway and Broken Land Parkway? I hear it has been covered up by a tarp after causing some distinct difficulties with the flow of traffic. See you tomorrow, migraine-free. Here's hoping.  

A little history: back when cuts to music and art instruction were being forced on elementary schools as part of the Model School Initiative, a concerted effort was made to paint the "music moms" as selfish suburban white women who just wanted something free for their own children. A hasty alliance with the African American Community Roundtable resulted in a Board of Education meeting where the Elementary Model was painted as a brilliant move to close the achievement gap. The "music moms"? They "didn't care" about minority, at-risk, under-achieving children. They cared only about "freebies and frills" to benefit their already affluent off-spring. Never mind that this was happening while study after study showed that arts education was a significant factor in improving school success for at-risk students. Never mind that the President and Mrs. Obama were hosting the Turnaround Arts program at the White House. With absolutely no data to supp...

Rumor has it that Board Member Ann DeLacy showed up unannounced at the Oakland Mills High School PTSA meeting last night, declaring herself to be "the biggest fan of Oakland Mills High School." Really? Considering what she has been saying in public lately about the school, our neighborhood, and our students, that seems more than a bit... disingenuous . Speaking of Oakland Mills High School, I had a run in with PTACHC President Reg Avery while waiting in line to see the WBAL Concert for Kids. It was awkward. I certainly didn't expect more than a gruff hello, but instead he burst out rather loudly, "and I'm not running for Board of Ed. So you were way off. Way off!" So, you heard it here first, folks. Well, so did everyone else in the immediate vicinity. Huge thanks to everyone who read my post about supporting the OMHS musicians. Thanks to your generosity and sharing, they've raised over two thousand dollars in the last several days. It is an awesome sta...

Turbulent times. Polarizing issues. Political parties drawing loyalty lines so rigid that no discussion seems possible. Many of my friends have been lamenting this lately. How do we try to solve problems if we cannot talk to one another? Yet last night it was clear that an issue has arisen in Howard County which has garnered true bipartisan support. And that issue is our schools. As a follow up to the Howard County delegation hearing on upcoming legislation, they held a Town Hall Meeting last night on Education. The enormous room at HCC was full. The meeting was moderated by former Councilwoman Courtney Watson and former PTACHC President Christina Delmont-Small. My husband and I were tag-teaming last night, so I wasn't able to stay for the whole thing. But while I was there, I was impressed by how well organized and smoothly run it was, and how respectfully community members were treated. And what a beautiful sight it was to see the truly bipartisan nature of this initiative from ...

This past weekend the Oakland Mills High School arts community hosted a huge charitable event, WBAL's Concert for Kids. Every cent raised went to charity: both ticket sales and the sales of handmade crafts in the Holiday Shop. The radio personalities who read letters from needy families made it clear how important the work of the WBAL Kids Campaign is to children all over Maryland. They also made clear their gratitude to Philip Hale and everyone who makes this concert possible. I don't know how much was raised this year but I'm sure it will be substantial. Now here's the part that wasn't mentioned. The music department is slated to make their annual trip in April and there are fifteen students who cannot afford to attend. Just think, this school, in the heart of a not-so-affluent area, puts its heart and soul into helping others, yet not a word was spoken about the very real needs within its own membership. I'd like to share this, from the Go Fund Me page creat...

I saw this idea from Jack Thompson over at Howard Public Ed and it is just so brilliant that I have to share it with you. Mr. Thompson brought the Friends of Education Award to the attention of the group. The Friends of Education Award was established by the Board of Education to recognize individuals, businesses, or organizations making innovative or unique contributions that directly support the school system’s mission of excellence in teaching and learning. Any Howard County resident or group, organization, or business located in or serving Howard County may be nominated for the award. Then he states: What a great idea. This idea for an award is so good I would like to nominate all the good folks over at Mold in Howard County Schools - Information for Parents and all the parents, staff and students they tirelessly represent. Yes of course I will be filling out a nomination form and I would like everyone in the community to join me in nominating all these fine citizens. Oh my word...

Now that the County Council has voted to allocate $50,000.00 of the County's surplus to a study of the Oakland Mills Village Center, I guess we will be soliciting opinions from the community. You know how I feel about a multi-million dollar sports complex that displaces OM residents. It's disgraceful. But yesterday I had an experience on a Saturday morning that made me wish... I stopped by to visit my husband's high school club who were having a bake sale at Kendall Hardware. Now I am already familiar with Kendall Hardware from my years of running out that way to teach at Pointers Run. It is a true mom and pop operation with personal service and they have always had what I wanted. They truly have some of everything. And they are just so good at making space for other businesses which the community enjoys, like the Snowball stand in the summer, fresh produce, too. At Christmas time you can buy your tree there. But I had never been there on a Saturday morning before. Let...

Out of the blue, without any fanfare, came my first digital issue of the Columbia Flier. Have they been doing this all along, or was that the first? Anyway, I love it. It makes my digital subscription worth more to me, because it adds a substantial chunk of the local news I'm really looking for. A relatively new venture is the monthly newsletter from the Columbia Archives . Whether you are a long time resident, or new and wish you understood what all the fuss was about, the Columbia Archives is an invaluable resource to the community. I haven't visited them in their new home, and I should. Every time I talk to Archives Director Barbar Kellner I learn something fascinating. If you want to receive the Columbia Archives news, go here to sign up. Events for today that may be of interest: WBAL Concert for Kids at 1 pm and 7:30 pm, and their Holiday Shop from 2:00 til approximately 10:00. Stevens Forest Nursery School Kids Holiday Shopping Fair , 9 am to 2 pm. Saint Paul's Chur...

Did your mother impress upon you the importance of thank you notes? Mine sure did. And I'm here to present one that's long overdue. About a year, actually. Last December I received a gift box of cookies from Monica Rogers Williams, AKA Momma, of From Momma's Kitchen . She's a former teacher at Talbott Springs Elementary School and a resident of Oakland Mills, so I try to use my social capital to share the cookie love. So it was almost Christmas and she decided to share some back with me. Of course I immediately took a picture and then posted on Facebook: Merry Christmas to me from the amazing Momma (From Momma's Kitchen)! I went straight for the gingerbread. Thanks, Monica Rogers Williams! And on Twitter: I just had a visit from one of Santa's very special helpers. Thanks, Momma! I oohed and aahed over the packaging and the presentation. I took more pictures. And then, the holidays descended upon me, and it's all a blur. I carefully treasured and savo...

My #tbt offering today (for Throwback Thursday) is reaching way back to Giving Tuesday. I've got an amazing, local, holiday-flavored, budget-friendly way for you to give: the WBAL Concert for Kids. We went last year and were blown away by the student performances. Yes, there are professional guest artists and they are great, but it's the kids that will wow you. First, the giving. All monies raised from this concert go to the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign . Their mission: The WBAL Radio Kids Campaign seeks to promote, foster, encourage, support and sponsor various activities for the general educational, vocational, recreational, civic and social improvement and betterment of young, economically deprived boys and girls in the WBAL Radio listening area, without regard to race, creed, color, or national origin. I wrote about this concert last year . It is hard to put into words how awe-inspiring this event was. It was absolutely the best in student performance that Howard County has...