Village Green/Town²

The long-awaited report from Lisa Kershner, the Maryland public access ombudsman, was released yesterday.  It confirms an entrenched pattern of non-compliance from HCPSS Central Office in response to Public Information Act requests. While the majority of requests were handled properly, it is clear from the report that, in certain areas, the school system response was wholly inadequate. Basically, if the subject of the request was something that the school system didn't want to tell, their response was, "Don't ask." Notable examples include requests focused on the now-infamous 'disappearing' Special Education report, information pertaining to mold at Glenwood Middle School, and emails and school records requested by the mother of the late Grace McComas. The ombudsman notes the importance of adhering to the law in all requests with the same responsiveness and even-handedness. Clearly that was not happening here. I can say "clearly" with a good dea...

Political hack: A politician who belongs to a small clique that controls a political party for private rather than public ends, (Vocabulary.com) A negative term ascribed to a person who is part of the political party apparatus, but whose intentions are more aligned with victory than personal conviction. (Wikipedia) I'm pondering the meaning of the term political hack this morning as I read Fatimah Waseem's article in the Howard County Times. Entitled, "Howard County Council seeks 'sanctuary' status ahead of Trump presidency" it outlines the goals of the proposal and gets reactions from key leaders in the community. This comment from Councilman Greg Fox leapt off the page: "Regardless of the bill's intent, Calvin Ball is showing a very poor pattern of behavior and that he is nothing more than a partisan political hack," Fox said . Good grief, Mr. Fox. Did you leave your Civility in your other pants? It must be quite a...

It was thirty years ago today. I'm having a bit of difficulty wrapping my brain around that. Thirty years ago my older daughter came into this world, and I became a mother. Her father and I rented an apartment in Bolton Hill. She was delivered at Mercy Hospital. She's a Baltimore girl, born and raised: trips to the Walters, visiting Santa at the Inner Harbor, walking everywhere or taking the bus. Fully and thoroughly educated in Baltimore: Bolton Hill Nursery Grace and Saint Peter's School Bryn Mawr  Baltimore School for the Arts John Hopkins Unuversity She loves the city life, loves arts and culture and easy walkability. She loves old architecture, symphony concerts and street festivals. Artscape and Pride are a part of her formative years. Today, on her thirtieth birthday, I marvel at the fact that she has cast her lot with us in Columbia. She and her husband own one of those classic Pacesetters in Oakland Mills and they are continually tweaking it. Well, p...

I'm thinking of having a party. The guest list is pretty big. Quite a few notables. It should be quite the affair. So far, I've got: County Executive Allan Kittleman Council Members Calvin Ball and Jon Weinstein Delegate Frank Turner Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary Board of Education Members Bess Altwerger, Kirsten Coombs, Christina Delmont-Small, Mavis Ellis, Cynthia Vaillancourt HCEA President Paul Lemle, and various members of HCEA An assortment of teachers and paraeducators President of SECAC Barb Krupiarz Lisa Markovitz of The People's Voice Blogger Bill Woodcock Former BOE candidate Corey Andrews If you don't see your name on this list, don't feel bad. This is a list of the folks who have been insulted, smeared, baited, and generally defamed in the Comments section of the Howard County Times and Baltimore Sun lately. That would include me, obviously, since I'm the one throwing the party. One or two toxic trolls, or possibly one with multiple ac...

Spotted yesterday in the parking lot of the Columbia Target: - couple walking towards the entrance, the gentleman carrying a life-size Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy. At least, I'm assuming it was a toy. What else could it be? A towel rack? A clothes valet? A home security system? Anyway, as my husband and I watched the couple traipse across the parking lot, we began to imagine various scenarios for why the couple happened to be there the day after Christmas. He: Why do I have to carry this thing? She: Because it was your idea. And because I'm looking for the receipt. Or, She: I told you not to buy that thing. He: Well, who knew she'd get six of them? Or, She: Well, I thought you'd like it. He: I do like it, honey. It's just that it...scares the dog. Who knows? There are a million stories in the return line on the day after Christmas. This is just one of them. Some exciting news in the Village of Oakland Mills: the Second Chance Saloon announces:...

While looking for local stories this morning I came across this tweet from a teen in Howard County: New year, bigger guns @ Howard County, Maryland  It was accompanied by a photo of three young people posing with guns on the steps to a backyard deck. Maybe high school, maybe college aged. I'm not using the photo, although it's easily available on twitter, because these folks may be underage and I just feel squeamish about giving out identifying information. But this "look at us with our cool guns" photo disturbs me. Show me your Christmas outfits, your new puppy, your tech toys, your Christmas tree or your holiday celebrations. I'm cool with that. I'm not cool with the concept that in the new year we'll be needing bigger guns. To the contrary I think we need focus on better communication and fewer guns. I don't know whether posting a photo like this gets you lots of "likes" on Instagram. I don't know if it's necessarily a ha...

Theres a tradition at my daughter's high school that the music department puts on an assembly the day before Winter Break. It includes vocal ensembles, band, strings, percussion, guitar/ukulele ensemble, and dancers. It's a chance for the performers to share what they love with their peers. And it's a light hearted and laid back moment for kids who are normally lugging overloaded backpacks and cramming for AP courses. It's just fun. The assembly concludes with one of those old-school production numbers, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." The band is onstage, fronted by dancers. More dancers go out into the audience, to the left of the stage are the choirs, to the right, a full complement of ukuleles. It's a big, showy, kitschy affair. Decidedly uncool. But wonderful, too. The school posted a video of this. I am including a link here . Along with singing, dancing, playing, and general high school goofiness, this video contains a message. ...

Yesterday, on the last day of school before the Winter break, a high school student in Howard County was threatened and harassed for being Jewish. Yet again our schools cease to be a safe place for learning and growing and become the site of danger and humiliation. These are not merely the warning signs of bad things to come. These are, in themselves, the bad things.  At this time of year when people of many faiths are lighting candles and looking for the light, we are seeing examples of profound darkness amongst our children.  John Krownapple, HCPSS Director of Cultural Proficiency, has been working in our high schools this fall as a part of an initiative to amplify student voice. As he mentions in this tweet: Students who believe their voice matters are 7x more likely to be academically motivated. Let's take action on what we're hearing from them. Well, what are we hearing from them? Well, here is some of what Mr. Krownapple has been hearing: Winter break reflect...

Sanctuary. Have you ever needed it? Have you ever known that experience? I haven't. And because of that, I almost didn't write about this today (White privilege. Gotta love it.) Last night County Council members Jen Terrasa and Calvin Ball prefiled legislation to make Howard County a sanctuary county. "AN ACT providing that certain individuals shall take, or refrain from taking, specified actions with respect to the immigration status of specified individuals; prohibiting certain discrimination based on citizenship status; requiring that certain information related to citizenship status be kept confidential; providing a procedure whenever specified provisions may be preempted by other law; requiring specified officials to take actions under certain circumstances; and generally relating to human rights in Howard County." What does that mean? It means honoring rights that I take for granted. It means caring about the well-being of all in Howard County and not...

Here's a new twist on a familiar carol! On the first day of Christmas, the slumlords gave to me…a house that was very slummy. On the second day of Christmas, the slumlords gave to me…two violations and a house that was very slummy. On the third day of Christmas, the slumlords gave to me…three faulty outlets, two violations, and a house that was very slummy. On the fourth day of Christmas, the slumlords gave to me…four holes in the roof, three faulty outlets, two violations, and a house that was very slummy. On the fifth day of Christmas, the slumlords gave to me…FIVE LEAD PAINT LAWSUITS…four holes in the roof, three faulty outlets, two violations, and a house that was very slummy. On the sixth day of Christmas the slumlords gave to me…six mice and roaches…and FIVE LEAD PAINT LAWSUITS…four holes in the roof, three faulty outlets, two violations, and a house that was very slummy. On the seventh day of Christmas, the slumlords gave to me, seven rats a-running, six mice...

Yesterday afternoon I followed a hashtag on Twitter that made me squirm. And I don't regret it. "So where are you *from*?" —Ancient White Proverb "No, I mean where are you *REALLY* from?" -- Ancient White Proverb "You know, you're real pretty for a..." —Ancient White Proverb "Oh, I don't think of YOU that way, you're different." —Ancient White Proverb "It's not racist if it's a POSITIVE stereotype..." —Ancient White Proverb Go take a look for yourself. If you are white you will either be squirming like I was or perhaps you'll feel defensive and under attack. If you're a person of color you'll be nodding your head, I would think. Now I haven't actually said any of these things but in a sense I have been all these things because I have been a white person in a culture set up for white people that assumes whiteness is the norm. My world view has been set up with all its pla...

I'm following an online discussion about the value of "vo-tech". Much of the conversation is about how not everyone was meant to go to college, and that we are short-changing students by not giving them more options. I agree. However, I also think that all children benefit from hands-on learning. I want a variety of hands on educational experiences available for kids at all academic levels. We often cut off bright kids from experiential learning because we assume they are just great big brains that are carried from class to class by subservient bodies.  Can you tell I care about this? I'm sharing the following post, written by my husband, HCPSS teacher Richard McCready, about the why and how of hands-on learning. It was written in 2011 for his blog, mustechalley.  Making Sawdust The best creativity lesson I ever had was from a wood shop teacher! I was lucky enough to spend six years teaching in the next classroom to this amazing educator, and I am eternall...

I've never been to Luna Bella in the Hickory Ridge Village Center. And now comes word that they are closing. Their final day will be December 31st, so I don't have much time left. The owners published a letter to the community on their Facebook business page yesterday. You can read it here . I've heard many people lament the loss of mom and pop businesses in Columbia. What is going on right now in Hickory Ridge appears to be a case in point. A well-loved and successful local business feels marginalized and set up to fail by the large corporation that owns the Village Center. I know that  we faced a similar struggle when Cedar Properties decided that The Second Chance Saloon wasn't a valuable tenant and decided not to renew their lease. Business is business. It's nothing personal. You just don't understand. Yes, I understand that Columbia is changing and that the business world changes. But I would argue that it is personal. Places like Luna Bella or the...

My favorite pieces on the news are often the human interest ones. Despite my seeming obsession with local current events, I'll always jump at the chance to read, hear, or watch stories that give me a window into real people and their passions and concerns. I was never any good at memorizing dates and battles in history class. I wanted to know what people ate, what they wore, why they did what they did. Here's a piece that's right up my alley. Plus, it has seasonal relevance. Bowleys Quarters Santa goes from 'bah, humbug' to 'ho, ho, ho' Written by Marge Neal, of the East County Times, it's a delicious dive into how one woman's love of all things Christmas morphed into a two-person mission of goodwill that brought her once-dubious husband into the mix. Marge treats her subjects with respect and affection. She has clearly been given the space to give this story more than just a shiny top-coat, and it shows. Probably my favorite anecdote in the...

I always thought that the reason we don't get to keep our reporters very long at the Howard County Times was because they are are overworked, underpaid, and the stories are rather provincial and unexciting. This week I saw something which is probably a bigger motivator to jump ship than any of that. This week the Baltimore Sun editorial board published a piece which reads more like a paid advertisement for Superintendent Renee Foose than an editorial. In "What's Wrong With Howard?" not only do they put forward numerous factual inaccuracies throughout, they also essentially throw the reporters and editorial board of the Howard County Times under the bus. This response from Howard County parent Chris Krupiarz spells it out nicely: I am contacting you in your role as the Editor of the Sun's Editorial page regarding today's opinion piece on Howard County.  You should be aware of a few facts regarding Dr. Renee Foose's performance and the Howard County ...

If you are like me you have made a dent in your holiday shopping but you still have a few things to get. There are are people on your list for whom a special item is necessary, and you haven't found it yet. I have some recommendations today. The following four women are local entrepreneurs who have something special to offer. Kristen Carrasco-- Kikiverde Handmade . Kristen is an artist/artisan and sometime blogger from Laurel. Her specialties are jewelry, beautifully designed prints of inspirational quotes, and her amazing signature Christmas ornaments. (We own one.) Kirsten is also an avid gardener and photographer.  Take a look at the link above which will take you to her Etsy shop. Her attention to detail and use of color is exceptional. There's something about her work that makes you feel rested and refreshed.  Susan Coghlan-- Posh Mama Said So Susan and I know each other from our days working for the Howard County Public Schools. From Columbia, Susan has started h...

I am grateful, I am so everlastingly grateful for the WAMU pledge drive. For every minute it goes on, I do not have to hear the news. I do not want to hear the news. I do not want to hear of the horrific conditions in Aleppo. I do not want to hear how waters are being polluted by breaches in pipelines. I don't  not want to hear how the governor will put money toward private school vouchers when he has declined to fully fund public schools. And I really, really do not want to hear about the daily crazy-making antics of the President Elect, and how our election was very likely manipulated by a foreign power. What a blessed relief to hear about coffee mugs and tote bags from familiar voices. Those same voices used to communicate better news in better times. We've been through a lot together. Maybe if they keep talking about reporting with accuracy and passion, this crazy new world will melt away. The pledge drive is a fantasy world where the news doesn't exist. You c...

A local high school student group is having a fundraiser. Are they selling citrus fruit? Candy bars? Spirit Wear? No. They are selling survival kits. Mid-term survival kits. Now, there's nothing wrong with this venture except that the idea that you need a survival kit to get through midterms is truly one that belongs in college, not in high school. I don't begrudge the student organization an opportunity to raise funds. I don't think there's anything wrong with parents wanting to do something nice for their kids. But I do think there is something inherently wrong with a school system culture that says that the way to prepare students for the next step is to make them do the next step before they are ready. Pushing high school students beyond reasonable expectations just because "it's going to be like that in college" is unhelpful at best and harmful at worst. The same holds true for making Kindergarten more like First Grade in order to "get the...

Really, really sick. Working with preschoolers is not for sissies.

Sick day over here, complete with antibiotics. I'm running this piece from four years ago today because it feels relevant all over again. What do you think? There's No Place Like HoCo WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2012 There's No Place like HoCo Ah, the Holidays! Such a grand time of celebration, sharing, wonder and delight!  If only it didn't come accompanied by that experience that most of us dread. Togetherness. Don't protest about how love of neighbor is at the heart of the season. You know what I mean.  If you have ever been to the Mall any time after Thanksgiving, you have most certainly found your love of fellow creature sorely tested.  Then there are "get-togethers."  I practically shudder typing the word. Whether they are for work, school, church, or professional or social organization, we will find ourselves spending more time with some folks than we really want to. Scary, creepy peo...

CA rep from River Hill, Dr. Chao Wu, reports that the Bell Tower is coming back to the Lakefront in time for the Columbia 50th Birthday celebration. I've lived here since 1999 and I have no memory of seeing it in real life, but I have read many laments from residents who miss it. I am guessing that this news should be cause for celebration. Although I read somewhere that the location will be different and some folks are not happy about that. This is Columbia, after all. If there is to be change there will be people lining up to protest. See also: Dr. Wu's meeting write-up for complaints about the noise at Merriweather.  CA is selling commemorative bricks again and I am very tempted to purchase one for the blog. On the other hand, I am a bit superstitious. What if the act of purchasing the brick killed my desire to write? That would be awkward. A bit of fun: the River Hill Choral concert concluded with the debut of its newest ensemble: the River Hill Chorale. Chorale reh...

I've been mulling over this week's Board of Education swearing in of new members, subsequent election of new officers, and all that followed. Two moments stuck out to me. They are an indication of the the leadership style we can expect from Board Chair Cindy Vaillancourt. The first moment occurred when Superintendent Foose suggested that the Board might not be able to take a partular action in question and suggested that the first step was to consult legal counsel. Ms. Vaillancourt calmly stated that no, they wouldn't be needing to do that, and any subsequent questions could be ironed out in the next day's closed meeting. It was such a simple moment that one might have missed it. Ms. Vaillancourt listened to the Superintendent, considered her request, and then she said no. And in that exchange, the Howard County Board of Education ceased to serve at the pleasure of the Superintendent. Of course, by statute it's always been in writing that the Superintendent is u...