Village Green/Town²

Many thanks to The Frederick News-Post for keeping the public informed about this one: Budget negotiators add language to get rid of 'Beg-a-thon' I wrote about this issue last week. In a letter from Theresa Alban, President of PSSAM (Public School Superintendents' Association of Maryland) and Superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, Dr. Alban accuses the BPW committee of using the time "to advance political agendas." In light of this she suggests that the annual meetings with BPW are redundant and proposes that they be done away with. It appears that Ms. Alban has friends in high places, as her suggestion has now been inserted as "an amendment eliminating the annual 'Beg-a-thon' before the Maryland Board of Public Works next year." (From the News-Post) I'm just floored by this. While I understand that there has been, in previous administrations, some dubious treatment of superintendents during this process, I don't think this j...

I caught the tail end of a conversation on Facebook that included a tidbit that I wasn't entirely enthusiastic about. The writer said that the Tomato Palace would be closing, to be transformed into a music venue. Have any of you out there heard this? I must admit that my family prefers the Tomato Palace over Clyde's, possibly because it is more affordable. It's a more family-friendly venue, in my opinion. In addition, it has a more open feel to me. Even after the renovation, Clyde's still feels rather packed-in and scrunched up, somehow. That certainly hasn't affected its popularity, however. But we don't really go down to the Lakefront all that often. It's a special occasion thing for us. It's where you celebrate a birthday or take folks from out of town. So I don't feel any kind of outrage or betrayal at the thought of change there. A bit disappointed, maybe. It's true that Columbia doesn't have a music venue like The Hamilton or the Birch...

Never, ever take a day off. There's this thing with me and blogging. If I take even one day off, it becomes incredibly difficult to jump back on again. I don't know why it is that way. I guess that being "in the zone" is a result of keeping the daily discipline. Yesterday morning I awoke to this view. My husband treated me to a bed and breakfast getaway for my birthday. We enjoyed the hospitality of the Ship Watch Inn in Chesapeake City. Readers of this blog know that we always go to The Inn at Norwood in Sykesville, but they were booked solid. And so we had the opportunity to try something new.   Chesapeake City grew up around the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. It's really a fascinating little place and we definitely want to go back at a time where we can noodle around and visit local shops and museums. Since I spend most of my time inside the Columbia Bubble I find the contrast of places with older architectural interest to be fascinating. Plus, I've alway...

Happy Easter, happy Spring. For the first time in many years, there are no Easter baskets to make. Both of my children are traveling, each on her own adventure. If this is a foretaste of the empty nest, I don't quite know what to make of it. A co-worker said, when she she learned the age of my children, "Oh, this is such a wonderful time when you can really live through your daughters." I probably smiled to be polite but I did think it a bit odd. I love my daughters but I've never really planned on living through them. I do have a bit of a life in my own right, after all. Aren't I more than just my role as a mother? What will I do with myself when our youngest goes to college, moves out, moves away? I see the future coming and it's going to take a supreme leap of faith for me to believe that everything will be alright. How will this journey be different from others I have taken in my life? How do I prepare? As the weather begins to warm and the neighborhood i...

Anyone can write a blog. You can choose one topic, or choose all the topics. It's entirely up to you. Either readers will find you, or they won't. Believe it or not, some people write just to write and don't care if they have an audience. They just have something to say. As a blog reader in Howard County you are "spoilt for choice" as my Irish inlaws would say. Take a look at the HoCo Blogs page if you don't believe me. There's one particular blog that continues to make me scratch my head and go, "huh?" It's called Columbia and Howard County Maryland's Future. Basically, the premise of the blog is to narrate the writer's plans for redoing everything in town that he thinks needs redoing. It's kind of amazing in its hubris. In the past he has asserted that the houses where I live should be torn down simply because nobody really wants a house without a garage. On the other hand, anyone can have a blog. It's a free country. Peop...

What do you do if no one will listen to you? Where do you turn when you feel that no one will advocate on your behalf? This has been an ongoing problem for parents seeking redress for issues in the Howard County Schools: a lack of accountability. Central Office? Unresponsive. Board of Education? Not interested. County Executive? County Council? "We can't interfere."* When members of the Howard County Delegation began to show an interest, the floodgates opened and many members of the community turned out to have their say. A high point for parents concerned about the mold at Glenwood Middle School was a Board of Public Works hearing in Annapolis with the Governor, the State Comptroller, among others. While these meetings are scheduled annually to discuss school construction funds, the Governor took the opportunity to express concerns about the unhealthy conditions at the school and the lack of communication with parents. State funds helped to build that school. How is ...

Once upon a time, Board of Ed member Cynthia Vaillancourt was concerned that the Giant in Hickory Ridge was 'carding' for condom purchases and she mentioned it in passing during a dinner between Board sessions. Remember that? And her fellow Board member Ellen Giles thought that was The End of the World. Vaillancourt must be chastised. She must be censured. She must undergo remedial sexual harassment training. Ms. Giles was so adamant that she even wrote the newspaper about it. Recently Board member Ann Delacy sent out a fundraising email to over twenty-five people using their Howard County School System emails, including the Superintendent, and Ellen Giles thought that was just fine.* In fact, she thought it was just fine right up until she got a letter from State Senator Gail Bates looking into the matter as a possible ethics violation. Even then, Ms. Giles did nothing more than say she would ask the school system's ethics panel about it. That's it. Recently I have ...

Starting with the smallest: I told my daughter it was thirty degrees out and she still left the house in that thin faux-leather jacket and no hat. Slightly larger: Someone has abandoned a car with no plates in our parking lot but the police won't do anything because technically our parking lot is private property. Next step, HOA. Expanding outward: Milkweed is being released in Oakland Mills. (See why here.) Still wider: The Still Point appears to have closed its Clarksville location to consolidate with the CA Haven on the Lake operation. And bigger: Bill Woodcock has a sock puppet with a split personality and he's being a really good sport about it. Since it is someone who clearly hopes to influence the opinions of voters in the HoCoBOE race, I'm not amused. One more: Folks turned out to a County Council hearing last night to support a bicycle master plan (among other things.) Some days the news can be as small as the weather or your parking lot. But for every small stor...

My sister had a friend whose father worked for WHAM-O, the toy company famous for marketing the Hula Hoop and the Super Ball. They were developing a new product and he gave out samples to some of his daughter's friends. That's how we got to try Super Stuff. It was kind of like Silly Putty, kind of like Play Doh, but actually unlike any of those things. It was, if one can coin the term, "flubberish". You had to mix it up at home and store it in the fridge. It was hot pink, squishy, and it smelled positively vile. I don't know what was in it but I wonder now if it was truly non-toxic. So many of those "cool" toys from my childhood turned out to be suspect in the safety department.   Super Stuff is on my mind this morning as I am looking over the topic of artificial turf fields in our community. I remember when putting them in at the high schools was all the rage, and we seemed to be in a terrible rush to do so. Now I am reading much of the turf in Howard ...

I haven't talked about it that much, but for about five months there I wasn't working and I had pretty much convinced myself that I didn't ever want to go back to work again. I was enjoying being caught up with the housework (mostly), cooking dinners, packing lunches, grocery shopping, having enough time to write and keep up with social media. Much of that may sound dreary, but after years of working and trying to juggle those things I found it delightfully restful. On the other hand, I spent altogether too much time sitting in a comfy chair and not enough time interacting with real people. I may have done the couch potato thing a bit too much. Being the stay-at-home mom for the first time in my life was a wonderful experience. I probably could have done more with it--volunteer work? exercise?--but it was what it was. And what it was, was temporary. I needed to get back to work. I never really stopped looking for jobs, and one day a job turned up. Just like that. I'm fe...

Facebook memories reminded me of this March, 2013 letter by former CA Rep from Dorsey's Search Tom Coale. The paper gave the letter this heading, "T rust will work with CA, but remain independent." In his letter about the creation of the Inner Arbor Trust, Coale states: Predictably, opponents of the plan, having failed to convince the community on substance, are attempting to reverse course based on lies, scare tactics and empty critiques of process that have proven elusive to satisfaction or remedy. It is now March, 2016 and opponents of the plan are still trying to destroy it. (See " Gossip Guys ".) Of note is this sentence in CA Rep (Harper's Choice) Alan Klein's candidate statement: Returning Symphony Woods to CA control is a top priority Control, control, control. Mr. Klein and his friends appear to be engaged in a battle to the death that has little to do with representing real Columbians or advocating for Columbia's future. It's all...

A recent story you may have missed concerns whooping cranes and conservation methods. (" Patuxent refuge changes course in project to restore rare whooping cranes", Tim Prudente, Baltimore Sun) The article outlines the results of a long-term investment in specialized methods for hand-rearing the endangered bird. For 15 years, staff at the Patuxent Research Refuge near Laurel took an unusual approach to raising endangered whooping cranes: They dressed in crane costumes to teach the chicks to eat like cranes and to drink like cranes. It was elaborate theater to save a species at the brink of extinction. It didn't work. The upshot was that the cranes did not flourish as a result of this highly specialized program of care. Hundreds of cranes were lost. Despite their best and well-intentioned efforts, researchers looking honestly at the consequences of their own actions had to admit something was wrong. They are scientists, after all. The evidence of abandoned nests, unhatch...

You may have seen the news that the cast of the Broadway show Hamilton traveled to DC this week to perform for students in the White House. This tweet from Michele Norris caught my eye: Why @HamiltonMusical trip to WH was SO important. Simply put Arts Education matters. So there. She links to this Huffington Post article by Katherine Brooks, " Why The 'Hamilton' Cast's Trip To The WH Was So Important". " But the really revolutionary part of Miranda and his dapper blue suit making waves in the the White House Cabinet Room? The fact that Obama's administration was honoring the importance of the arts -- and arts education -- in such a momentous and public way. " It isn't the first time. In hosting the Turnaround Arts program, President Obama said, "The arts are central to who we are as a people, and they are central to the success of our kids. This is not an afterthought," he said. "This is not something you do because it's kin...

So Hillary Clinton is doing brilliantly in the primaries but male commentators are falling all over themselves telling her to smile . Oh. My. Word. Enough with telling women to smile. "Look pleasant. Don't shout. Don't be so abrasive. You'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Enough. Women are asked to smile because smiling makes other people comfortable. And that's what women are supposed to do, right? Make other people comfortable. Any time we are not doing that, something must be wrong. Because making other people feel good is the prime directive of the female. Don't agree? Neither do I. Anthropologists studying the evolution of the smile from primates to humans have found that a smile can have multiple meanings. In fact, a smile signals different kinds of submission. In chimpanzees there is a "fear face" which is used by the weaker chimp to signal acknowledgement of the other's dominance. And there is a "play face"...

Election Day is more than a month away but we already have such a clear front-runner that I wanted to take a moment to give her some recognition. Without a doubt, Dr. Janet Siddiqui is the overall leader in illegally-placed campaign signs. No one else even comes close. Let's give Dr. Siddiqui her due. To be a leader in illegally-placed signs takes more than just having lots of money and being extremely well-connected. It takes dedication and hard work. Above all, it takes a complete disregard of Howard County election laws. Having been on the Board of Education for as long as she has, it must be difficult to feign ignorance of the law, year after year. Political signs have to be (minimum) 15 feet from the curb and 100 feet from a corner intersection. There are also limits to the total number of square feet of signage an individual property can display. So, that whole row of signs strategically lined up across from the Board of Education building on Route 108? The majority of those ...

It feels like a good morning for extra coffee. If you are feeling the time change the way we are over at my house, you could probably use some. So here's a recent HoCo Times article by Tony Glaros which takes in some HoCo local coffee shops. Have you been to all of them? Are there some you feel should have made the list? (" Finding space in Howard County's smaller coffee shops", March 10th) I've never been to Ruthie's or Casual Gourmet. Not my neck of the woods, I guess. And I notice they didn't include Riverside, a place near to me. Although, I haven't been there for a long time. I don't really know how it's doing these days. Why not? Well, because when I go for coffee these days, I usually go to Starbucks. (Insert squeamish feeling of corporate sell-out here.) I'd much rather be supporting a local business, so why don't I? Is it because I want the reassurance that comes from the uniformity of the Starbucks brand? I know what to exp...

In the Fall of 1967 Carl Stokes was running for Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. In November, when he was elected, he was the first African-American mayor of a major U.S. city. In the suburb of Cleveland Heights, where I was in the third grade at Fairfax Elementary School, that election might as well have been a million miles away. There were no children of color in my class. I'm not sure there were any in the entire school. I grew up in an old, solid neighborhood with old trees, old slate sidewalks, and center-hall Colonial single family houses with the garage out back. Dads went to work. Moms stayed home. Children roller-skated, pulled wagons, rode bikes, played ball, drew with chalk on the driveways and turned the rope for hours of jump-rope rhymes. Down in the valley where the green grass grows, there sat Jenny as sweet as a rose, she sang, she sang, she sang so sweet, along came Johnny and kissed her on the cheek. How many kisses did he give? One, two, three, four... Something happen...

I just finished up my meds for bronchitis and influenza, and this morning I have a sore throat that feels like strep. This can only mean one thing: I'm working with kids again. Working with children, especially young ones, is definitely a challenge to the immune system. Clearly mine has gone a bit soft after some time out of the classroom. Perhaps I'm just a bit addled by illness, but I'm thinking this morning about how our Board of Education has operated in the past as though sealed off from public thought like the boy in the plastic bubble . I'm not quite sure how it got to be that way. But somehow, over time, some members of the board got the impression that they could make decisions that deeply affect the community without truly engaging with the community itself. Immunity. What happens when a governing body does not feel the stress of reducing support staff in kindergarten classrooms? What happens when they do not feel the betrayal of special education parents who...

A roundup of things to read and do. " This Is Sooooo Old " by Heather Kirk-Davidoff on "Hamilton" and modern-day political turmoil. Grounded and Rooted in Love " Seven Months, Twenty-Three Days Done " by Lisa Marini Schlossnagle about the unexpected conclusion of a round-the-world voyage. Schlossini Voyage (Then go back to the beginning and read the whole thing .) "Howard County School Board election seen as way forward" by Lisa Philip recapping Tuesday night's BOE candidate forum. Howard County Times . " Bovine Based Wisdom " by Jason Booms, and you just have to read it for yourself. I had to read it a few times for the entire meaning to sink in, and then it left me with a very good feeling. Closest thing to a gentle homily I've read recently. Spartan Considerations . Eat soup . Take the survey . And a hat tip to the old Friday Links , Tom Coale, HoCoRising . I tried to find one quintessential example but just got sucked i...

I saw a reminder yesterday from Councilwoman Jenn Terrasa to complete the County Transportation Survey. Then I received an alert from the the friendly folks at Bridge Columbia. Clearly the writing is on the wall: take the survey. The deadline is Friday, March 11th, at 5 pm. Here's the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7LGVXTF I have an extremely early appointment today, so instead of a blog post, I'm inviting you to voice your opinions about transportation priorities in HoCo. When you're done, enjoy an extra cup of coffee, talk amongst yourselves. I'll be back tomorrow. ****** P.S. I'm a big fan of Bridge Columbia.  

You may recall that in the last Board of Education race, I asked the candidates to answer the following question: Question, "What do you think the job of a Board of Education member is?" Please address the following: 1. What power does the position convey? 2. What is the best use of that power? 3. To whom is the Board of Education member responsible? One of the candidates who scored high marks on this was Bess Altwerger, who was subsequently elected to the board. Last night she posted some personal opinions on what she looks for (as an individual citizen) in a board of education candidate. They were so good that I asked to share them here. ***** Here's my personal list for supporting candidates: 1. You believe that a quality public school system is dependent upon a diverse, well-prepared, well-supported and fairly compensated teaching force. 2. You will not support public tax dollars going to private charter management companies or vouchers for private schools in our c...

Today is International Women's Day. This Thursday the Howard County Commission for Women will add the 2016 honorees to their Hall of Fame . The ceremony is Thursday evening at 7:30 pm in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building. The public is invited, and there will be a reception following. The women entering the Hall of Fame this year are: Mae Beale Mamie Perkins M. Shirlene Bauman* Frances Louise Brown* Ruth Davis Brown* This is a truly inspiring event. I went last year, but am unable to go this year due to a prior commitment. I encourage you to attend if you are able. You can follow the Howard County Commission for Women by liking their page on Facebook. This year I thought I'd observe the day by submitting my list of amazingly awesome Howard County women. No one has asked me to do this, and no one has had any input into my choices. I am purposely excluding anyone who is running for public office right this minute, because I don't want this list to be about po...

Seen this morning on Twitter: Never understood why people waste energy trying to block others happiness, when it takes less energy to find your own. -- Kwame Rose My response: I think it comes from fear. Of course, my answer wasn't the only one. #SomePeople (unknowingly?) treat happiness as #ZeroSumEquation -i.e.- if u have some, then I have less. #False. -- politicur Rose's response: I think it's knowingly in most cases. People do things out of spite, and jealousy. In truth, I think the answer is found in all three responses. Some people act out of fear, fear that they are losing something. Some people do, knowingly, act out of spite and jealousy. (Wait--doesn't jealousy take us back to fear?) I bring this up today because I witnessed a conversation on Facebook last night where it seemed that someone was making a deliberate attempt to stir up fear and discord between local Democrats and Republicans. Yes, I know there's plenty of that to go around on any given day....

Taking a sick day. I see steroids in my future. So here's a blast from the past, written in March of 2014 as the Board of Education race was was getting underway. Reading it this morning made me realize how relevant it still is today. *****   What is this race about? It is about transparency. Inclusion of stakeholders. Respect for the administrators, teaching professionals, staff, parents, and students that make up our school system. The reason we have an elected board of education is to ensure that the community's voice is heard. If our elected officials abdicate their responsibility to be fully informed and fully involved, then we have a Superintendent and Central Office Staff with absolute power. You know what they say about absolute power. Oh, I have heard the arguments about micromanaging, and I'm not buying them. The Board of Education is to direct the Superintendent, not the other way around. If you want to see micromanagement, a great place to look would be...

Something is amiss. I have a relentless tickly chest cough and the back of my neck aches. I have a feeling this is going to put a serious dent in my weekend. Before I succumb completely, a few thoughts. My daughter and I saw the musical at River Hill High School last night. I didn't take the time to count but it is amazing how many students are involved in an effort like this. It isn't merely about a few "talented" kids who get the lead roles. Mounting a school musical is a long, complex, and arduous endeavor, and it involves ensemble and bit players just as much as the "stars". And for every sight and sound onstage there are set builders, prop people, lighting and sound technicians, stage crew, orchestra pit musicians, ushers and box office staff, makeup and costume people offstage. In a school this means students learning from and working with teachers who are often donating their time in their areas of expertise. Before words like "engagement" a...

This morning in hyperlocal news: There's snow on our lawn chairs but not on the patio. We are out of bananas. The amount of snow which causes a two-hour delay is different in March than it is in December. I think my hair is thinning. In short, the only way out of bed this morning appears to have been the wrong side. Yesterday one of the candidates for the Board of Education did something which spoke volumes about what kind of a board member they would be. I'm not going to get into detail here but I will say that I hope that all the candidates truly understand that this election should not be an exercise in political "business as usual." If people get the feeling that the new candidates are no different than the old, what reason will they have to turn out and vote at all? There are some excellent people running. Take the time to check them out. Mark your calendars for the League of Women Voters event: The League of Women Voters of Howard County invit...

In the midst of a divisive and vituperative election season, I'm reminded of the saying, "Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate." My organist friend, the one with the successful heart transplant, has taken a social media break because he's so overwhelmed with the steady diet of negativity. I don't blame him. There are several stories I could be chasing down today but I find myself pushing back and wanting something different. So, here goes. This is what I love: I love hearing my teenager talk at the end of the day about how her piano teacher says she has improved so much since the start of the year. I love quizzing her for her biology test and seeing how much she's learned about the circle of life, and yes, it's more than a song. I love arriving at the HoCoBlogs party with windblown hair because my grown-up daughter is now proudly driving her first car, a convertible. (And not too cold because it has, as she says, "tushy toasters...

News out of the Columbia Association is on the budget . News from this particular tweet is that the Howard County Times is still just as nostalgic for the old CA building as most of us are. This is the current CA Headquarters:   (From Columbia Association website) I am pretty sure that when this piece first went up, the same photo of the old headquarters accompanied the story. It isn't now, so they've corrected their error. Just for fun I did a Google images search of "Columbia Association Headquarters" and the top ten results were: 1. The old HQ at Lake Kittamaqundi 2. Rouse brothers statue 3. Overhead view of the lakefront 4. The People Tree 5. New CA HQ 6. The Caterpillar, Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods 7. New CA logo 8. Artist's rendering of old Rouse Building reimagined for Whole Foods 9. New CA HQ (different from #5) 10. Overhead view of the lakefront (different from #3) Is any of this important? No, not really. ...

Last night HoCo Bloggers and their friends came out for a party at the new Nalley Fresh restaurant in Dobbin Center. It's been a while since we've all gotten together, and it almost felt like a family reunion. A big ol' HoCo Holler to Jessie Newburn for coordinating the event and to Greg Nalley and his team for hosting us. Extra cool points go to guitarist Mark Scott for his musical contributions which made this event into a celebration with personality. As to the restaurant itself, Nalley Fresh truly shone last night. They've redone the space, and it's lovely. The staff were extraordinarily helpful explaining menu choices, and the service was excellent. It's worth noting that the restaurant was open for regular business while also catering to the whims of over one hundred partying bloggers. Well done! I had a Greek Wrap with chicken and it was delicious. There are so many ways to choose what you want to eat there that I feel like you could go a million times a...