Skip to main content

Return of the Trojan Horse

She's back. I don't know who she is, but Michelle Grey is back on Clarksville Happenings trying to drum up support for a multi-million dollar sports complex in Oakland Mills.


Wait up, now.

This study is being done with the residents of Oakland Mills, to ascertain what is best for the Oakland Mills community. Could Ms. Grey possibly be soliciting people from outside the village to influence the result in some way? Is she aligned with a particular group? Since she uses to term "re-invent" it seems likely that the group is OMVB leadership.

Head. Desk.

You can bet I responded.

Hi, I live in Oakland Mills. The needs and desires of Oakland Mills residents should be the primary driving force in this study. I remember remarking here once before that the people pushing this sports facility are doing so in an attempt to displace low income and minority residents of Oakland Mills. Please, no matter how much you love sports, don't buy into this without understanding exactly what this is, the misguided attempt by some to raise their property values by pushing out others less fortunate.

I'm happy to learn (from former OMVB member Marcia White) that there's a possibility of expanding/improving the Columbia Association Ice Rink. I think that's a great idea. She states:

I'm in favor of an expanded Ice Rink because: 1) there's a need for more ice space in the region 2) there's room to expand the current ice rink without tearing down anyone's home. 

I'm also hearing that "the experts from Bolan Smart" are really good folks and looking to do the best job they can for the actual residents of Oakland Mills. So, now that I'm on summer vacation, perhaps I should come out and join in the process. If you live in Oakland Mills, you should, too. I'll bet you have some downright awesome ideas.

When I find out when the next meeting is, I'll let you know.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

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...