Skip to main content

Ask Jamie

As a relatively new subscriber to Baltimore Sun's daily digital edition, I have found a nostalgic pleasure in reading the advice column, "Ask Amy". Yes, I orginally subscribed in order to get unrestricted access to the Howard County news online, but I'm still trying to take advantage of the daily Sun as well.

Ongoing stories in Baltimore include school budget deficits, concern about crime, fluctuating opinions about the mayor, development deals that may be too sweet, neighborhoods which are pockets of long-entrenched poverty. And then there's sports, weather, the comics and Ask Amy.

Advice columns used to be quite popular in newspapers. Long before national syndication was a thing, local newspapers engaged readers by encouraging them to send in their questions on personal problems and etiquette. I found a reference that dates back to 1798, in England. Advice columnists then were known as "agony aunts" or "agony uncles" 'if male. (Useful trivia.)

Of course this got me thinking what kind of questions a truly local Columbia/Howard County advice columnist would receive. So, in a spirit of fun, I am launching "Ask Jamie"--a whimsical look at hyperlocal questions and predicaments. Today's letter comes from "Young Professional".

Dear Jamie,

My husband and I have recently purchased a home in Columbia, Maryland. We got a really good deal, love the neighborhood and the larger community. But one thing really ticks us off. Why does some Village Association get to tell us what color to paint our house? It's our house!

--Young Professional

I'm interested to see how Jamie will answer this one. Just because those of us who have lived in Columbia a long time understand how these things work, we can't assume newcomers just automatically gain understanding once they pick up the keys to their houses. Should Jamie find a diplomatic way of defending the status quo? Should he encourage these new residents to get involved to change the system?

These questions and more will be answered in our next edition of "Ask Jamie". Submit your questions for Jamie in the comments below.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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

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...
1 comment
Read more