Skip to main content

Attraction and Commitment

The following is my testimony at the County Council hearing on the County Executive's Budget for 2016:

I am here in support of the allocation of 1.395 million dollars in the County Executive's Budget for Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. This park is an integral part of an entire network of improvements made possible by the Downtown Plan. As we all look to support a vibrant Columbia in a successful Howard County, we need to get moving now on making the park a reality.

I read a great story in the Sun today. A family in one of the older Columbia Villages--my village, Oakland Mills--loved their neighborhood and school so much that they decided to add on to their house rather than leave to look for a bigger one somewhere else. Not only that, the owner found a way to add a home office--as a tree house. Talk about creative reuse--this is pretty amazing.

We talk a lot about how important it is to attract younger residents and young families to Columbia. But we all know real love isn't just about attraction. It's about commitment. We want Columbia to be the kind of place where people like this young family are so committed that they are willing to engage and give something of themselves in order to stay here.

Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods will be a beautiful, engaging, and inspiring community space that will benefit new residents as well as current ones. It is also an investment we need to make so people will want to invest in us.

I am a music teacher and a lifelong arts supporter. I have to admit I am disappointed that this budget does not include the full 4 million dollars requested by the Inner Arbor Trust. So many important projects in Columbia are moving towards completion and the Park will be a vital component of this successful Downtown. In these efforts, timing and momentum are crucial.

My impassioned plea for greater funding aside, I'm here tonight to urge you to approve the 1.395 million in its entirety so that the park can move forward.

 

 

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