Village Green/Town²

What with the interesting political hocus pocus going on in Annapolis this week, I thought it was significant that this post came up in my memories for today on Facebook. The Craziness Continues At the heart of that post: I'm of the opinion that these meetings allow for greater transparency and accountability. In Howard County the community struggle with our school system over these issues has taken on almost epic proportions. Citizens continue to testify in Annapolis in favor of a bill to ensure meaningful compliance with MPIA requests, yet legislators in Annapolis don't think our Superintendent should need to articulate capital budget priorities in an open meeting.  For heaven's sake, right now Howard County is practically the definition of why these meetings need to be open. We have students and staff who have suffered long term health problems due to mold issues in their schools. All the while those in power denied there was any problem at all and there was ...

If yesterday’s blog post proved anything whatsoever, it would be that Dave Yungmann has plenty of women friends who are willing to give him testimonials. That’s great. It’s good to have friends, and it looks like he has some of the best. Things that these testimonials focus on: Dave Yungmann is a great guy. I don’t dispute that. My blog post wasn’t about that at all. Dave Yungmann did a lot during the BOE campaign that you don’t know about . I don’t dispute that either. That’s just how people write campaign literature. It’s no big deal . Hmm. He would   never erase women. He’s not like that. Well... Here’s the deal. As a writer, albeit an amateur, I naturally focus on how people use words. So my blog post was an analysis of how Mr. Yungmann was telling his story to the public. In a political campaign, once you put stuff out there, the public will read it and give feedback. That’s how it works.   And there’s nothing innately unfair about commentary on politi...

Into every successful movement, spearheaded and supported largely by women, will come one man who will take credit for the whole thing. I was noodling around on Facebook, looking at candidate pages,when I took a look at the page of David Yungmann. Yungmann, a Republican, is running for County Council in District 5. My eye caught this sentence: David became a leader in the movement for new school system leadership, successfully electing a new Board of Education and installing a new Superintendent. Wait, what? I rubbed my eyes. I shook my head. I read it again. David became a leader in the movement for new school system leadership, successfully electing a new Board of Education and installing a new Superintendent. While I was aware that Mr. Yungmann supported the campaigns of two of the BOE challengers, I had no idea he was responsible for both the new board and the new superintendent. That’s pretty impressive. In fact, it’s a such preposterous claim that I clicked on the p...

All text printed in italics is from this article in the HoCo Times by Kate Magill: Howard County looks to add door locks, 4 officers to bolster school security  Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman announced Tuesday that he is committing $1.1 million in his upcoming budgets for school security initiatives, including more door locks at high schools and additional police officers for middle schools. AltonSterling Three new school resource officers, and a supervisor, would join the three officers assigned to serve six middle schools: Mayfield Woods, Patuxent Valley, Wilde Lake, Harper's Choice, Lake Elkhorn and Oakland Mills. Stephon Clark Until the additional school resource officers arrive, Gardner said the department will mandate all patrol officers to add public and private schools in their beats to their regular patrol rounds. Tamir Rice  “So the role here is for our road officers, in their beats, to make at least one check per day of going in, checking ...

I was there on Sunday when the store employee held up his phone to play bagpipe music and tell people to bring their purchases to the cashiers up front. He had been doing that every Sunday at that time for many years, but this particular time it was different. “Please bring your purchases to the front to pay. Thank you so much, and have a good evening. And a happy life.” The customers laughed a bit, then applauded. On a Sunday, March 25th, Daedalus Books and Music Outlet Store closed its doors for the last time. There will be no more browsing, no more discovering new music heard while shopping, no more great finds which snatch gift-giving victory from the jaws of defeat. The new owners will continue an online presence from their headquarters in Ohio but our hometown store will be no more. We all know that, in the age of Amazon, bookstores are a dying breed. Yet somehow I thought that our little funky, off-beat local place would last forever. As a teacher I found books to use in...

I had a conversation the other evening about development in Howard County. I confessed that I have found myself to be conflicted on this issue. In fact, I have shied away from writing about it in the recent past because I have felt that my stance of conflict was of no use to anyone. I thought that, after doing my homework, I should be able to choose one side or the other. I haven’t. If you’ve ever wondered why I didn’t weigh in on APFO, this is why. Or make a definitive statement about the Columbia TIF. On the one hand, I know what communities look like when businesses feels that they are no longer commercially viable. Developers are no longer motivated to engage. It can be a vicious cycle. A lack of willingness to invest can be the kiss of death. And I know that we need a push for affordable housing and decent “starter” housing. We need to make that a priority. On the other hand, I do see quite clearly the overcrowding in schools that continued development has brought to our...

Boy, that Kindness Rocks craze sure went south in a hurry, didn’t it? Pennsylvania school wants to arm students with rocks to protect them against active shooters It wasn't that long ago that we were encouraging young people to use their creative impulses to decorate rocks, add inspiring and welcoming words to them, and hide them for others to find. Create, hide, find, hide again, share again. Spread a positive message. Bring joy through the unexpected discovery of something beautiful. And now comes the suggestion to turn those rocks into weapons. How low have we sunk in this country that adults charged with protecting children are willing to look anywhere rather than at the true solutions to a problem and, instead, give their vulnerable charges a bucket of rocks ? This is not a solution, it is an abdication. Rocks (and sticks) figure prominently in many childhood stories.  Rocks are everywhere, they are free; one can use them in many different ways.  Sticks a...

Easter is coming and some of you will be making Easter baskets. If Easter is not your holiday, you may have an occasion to celebrate the coming of Spring, or a birthday, or even a wedding. A gift basket could be just the thing. I have an idea. What if you filled your basket with items from Mom and Pop businesses in Howard County? Here are a few ideas: Try some delicious sweets and treats From Momma’s Kitchen.   The selection of flavors is amazing and her presentation is always over the top gorgeous. Head over to the Breezy Willow Country Farm Store and noodle around to find just the right things to tuck in your basket. They have some wonderful handmade soaps that would bring some delightful Springtime fragrance to your gift. A jar or two of Neat Nick Preserves  would easily fit in a basket. Perhaps you could tuck in a fresh baked loaf of bread from River House Pizza ? I made my first visit to Su Casa in Ellicott City on Thursday evening. I always thought that ...

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to be surrounded by snow, slush, and cold weather on my birthday. Here in Columbia, Maryland, it’s a bit of a surprise. No matter. It’s my birthday and the weather won’t get in the way of my celebration. I’m going to indulge myself by doling out a bit of birthday wisdom today. Humor me, will you? Probably the most important thing I have learned in recent years is how important it is to find friends who challenge your thinking. If I have done anything that will contribute to a slowdown in the aging of my brain, this is it. In light of that, here’s the person who has done the most to transform my views on race and how that affects all of us in Columbia/Howard County. In case you don’t know, this is Candace Dodson Reed, co-host of the podcast Elevate Maryland and a part of the HoCo Forward slate for Democratic Central Committee. I was fortunate enough to bump into her last night at a local event (more on that ...

There’s a nascent political page bubbling up on Facebook and I don’t like it. It’s called HoCo Truths . Whoever runs the page has chosen to remain anonymous and when you click on the “About” button, there’s a big fat zero. There’s only a few “Likes” so far. I don’t know how long it has been in existence. Here’s what I don’t like. Whoever is behind this page is interestested in promoting the idea that Governor Hogan and County Executive Kittleman have “dangerous” views. Their track records are dangerous. If they are re-elected there will be danger in our futures. Now, I find much to disagree with when it comes to the Governor and the CE. But it’s important to articulate why different candidates represent a better vision. Engage and motivate people to support the values they believe in. Support the best candidates. Something about this just feels like someone lurking in the shadows of a dark alley, whispering “psst!” to passers-by. It’s creepy. It also appears to be in the same vein...

It wasn’t that many years ago when I took on the role of trying to get people stirred up about the board of education race in Howard County. I must say it took a while for that excitement to truly take hold, but when it did—well, the change was substantial. This time around I have noted how different the playing field has become. There are now a variety of online forums discussing local school system issues. Former BOE candidate Corey Andrews  has created a questionnaire for candidates. Blogger Jason Booms has been writing about the responses. Scott Ewart  has been keeping track of candidate announcements and is providing a space for the questionnaires to be “housed” online. Thanks, guys . I’m still working my way through the questionnaires. I’m dealing with my disappointment that I won’t be able to vote for incumbents Cindy Vaillancourt and Bess Altwerger. While I don’t feel that the BOE race is any less important this time around, it is true that I don’t feel the sam...

Happy first day of Spring. How about that snow forecast, eh? In honor of the changing of the seasons, here’s a little public health announcement: wash your hands. No, it’s not a hocolocal story. It’s universal. Take it from an early childhood teacher: you need to start them young. Children are natural germ spreaders. You don’t really want me to go into detail. Washing ones hands is such a basic contribution we can all make to public health. You’d be amazed at how lackadaisical many folks are about it. It’s not a very “sexy” cause in the grand scheme of things, but it should be. Visiting a pregnant friend?      Wash your hands. Meeting a new baby?      Wash your hands. Walking in the door at the end of the day?      Wash your hands. Leaving your volunteer shift at the preschool?      Wash your hands. Why yes, I do have a sick teenager at my house right now, and I’m desperately hoping to remain well. Why do you a...

Over the weekend news broke that a substitute teacher used by the Howard County Schools had been charged with child sexual abuse for an incident in Montgomery County. Interim Superintendent Michael Martirano sent out a letter to parents on Saturday covering the situation in general terms. If you want to know specifics I suggest you follow the PTA Council of Howard County on Facebook .  PTACHC President Vicky Cutroneo was been providing the most through, up-to-date information available on this horrific situation throughout the weekend. Some folks think that the PTA is “merely” about bake sales or booster groups, after-prom parties and teacher luncheons.   The PTA Council in Howard County addresses those issues and so much more. They maintain an informational website as a resource but have recently entered the social media world by keeping members up to date on Facebook. Want to stay in the loop on Howard County Schools? I’d recommend adding PTACHC to your social media ...

Eight o’clock on a Sunday morning. It’s quiet at the Snowden Starbucks, and I pick a seat with the scenic view of the bowling alley. I have reached the point that my glasses don’t afford me a clear view of overhead order boards. I reach into my memory and come up blank. I try to appear knowingly ironic as I order a “middle-sized” caramel macchiato. I’m slipping from middle age to late middle age. I’m wondering if all the people I saw at the Wilde Lake Starbucks used to come here on a Sunday morning. The music on the sound system leans acoustic but not too mournful. Introspective with slight hint of perkiness. Audible wallpaper.  There will be no Village Election in Oakland Mills this year. No one is running. Well, that’s not quite true.   Six candidates  are running for seven open seats on the Oakland Mills Board.   One candidate  is running for the one open Columbia Council Representative seat.  This is a *non-contested race for both the village...

They seem to be reaching critical mass over here... The top ten things that bug me, in no particular order: 1. Houses with the garage placed in the front as a focal point. Howard County has a lot of these! 2. People who snicker while other folks give testimony at public hearings. 3. Chess-shaming in reference to UMBC ‘s basketball win. “I thought they only had a chess team, ha ha.” 4. Outright meanness in social media groups. See also: telling the admin what to do. 5. People who think that abortion is the protesting equivalent of school gun violence. 6. How long Spring is taking to arrive this year. How tenaciously Winter is holding on. 7. The American way of celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day. 8. The fake School Superintendent account on twitter. Completely self indulgent and not remotely enlightening or amusing. 9. The way the local press chews up and grinds down journalistic talent. 10. People who will support you privately but not in public. There you have it,...

What could you do with $5,000.00? The folks at Stevens Forest Elementary School have plenty of ideas of how to spread that money around to support their Title 1 school community. Right now they are within striking distance of third place in the contest, which would win them $5,000.00. Contest details are here: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1108194615743&ca=729854a2-4470-4a46-97bf-362da81a90ac Here’s the deal. Today is the last day, so just go and vote once. That’s all you need to do, and then share this post to your friends so they can vote before today’s five pm deadline . Vote here .

Columbia ranks as twelfth happiest city in the U.S. Yay? Readers of this blog know that I take most ranking announcements with a grain of salt. This one just floors me. How do you quantify happiness? Who gets to choose? The article in the Baltimore Business Journal mentions some of the factors that were taken into account. I notice that an active arts scene didn’t make the list. Hmm. What would be on your top ten list of what makes you happy in a community? What’s your number one? Be serious, or be silly. But, tell me: what makes for happiness in a hometown? Add your comments here: https://www.facebook.com/VillageGreenTownSquared/?ref=bookmarks

Whether we “allow” students to walk out or not, let’s face the fact that they have a reason to protest. Every student who walks into a school has a reason to fear gun violence within those walls. We can only say “it’s never happened here” right up until it does. We didn’t expect that horrific incident at the Columbia Mall, now did we? It happens. It has happened. It is happening. It will happen, even here, if we don’t make a substantive change in how we deal with guns in our culture. Students know this. They have no motivation to say, “well, on the other hand” or “let’s not go overboard” or any of those mealy-mouthed, whataboutism claims. Children lie dead in school classrooms. Classmates bleed out, ripped apart by by bullets from assault weapons. Students throughout the nation train and rehearse active shooter drills. This is not education. This is the antithesis of the learning and growth that School is supposed to represent. Measures that turn our schools into prisons may be r...

I’m a bit late in getting to this srticle in the Howard County Times: 16 candidates vie for Howard County Council seats (Kate Magill) Dated March 5th, this piece does a good job at sorting out who everybody is and what they are running for. It’s Howard County. You can’t tell the players without a score card. And in this case it’s more than merely a score card, since some candidates come with complex backstories that take three entire paragraphs to sort out. Ms Magill does an excellent job articulating Janet Siddiqui’s complicated candidacy. But then, at the end of the article, something odd happens. Suddenly it turns into an interview with outgoing council member Greg Fox. What the heck? In a piece that is 16 paragraphs long, Mr. Fox warrants 4 of them. That’s fully 25 per cent. Whether one is a fan of Mr. Fox or not, what is the rationale for allowing him to have the last word on the council race in the article? Is it perhaps because he is the only one of the current council ...

I have nothing but loathing for the time change this morning. On the other hand, I’m more grateful than ever for that first cup of coffee. This weekend I was sad to see a valuable member of an online group state that she was leaving because of ill-treatment. Others chimed in, lamenting the toxic environment. I have to say that I don’t think this group is a hotbed of toxicity, but, like any online group, sometimes things go awry. Why can’t we get this right? We deplore online bullying by teens. And yet we, as adults, right here in Howard County, struggle to keep a Facebook group free from negative personal comments. How can we be good examples for our children if we don’t practice online civility ourselves? Some people fault admin/moderators for not dealing with outliers more aggressively. While I agree that the role of moderator is a valuable one in steering an online community, it isn’t their job to be everyone’s police officer. It’s rather like blaming the teacher for one’s own...

Savvy HoCo residents have been following the case of a former school Superintendent in Baltimore County. Dallas Dance, who recently entered a guilty plea to perjury charges , came perilously close to being the Superintendent of our school system. In what might be the weirdest and most incestuous search process ever, HoCo and BaltCo used the same search company and came down to the same two top candidates: Dallas Dance and Renee Foose. Some day there may be a made-for-tv movie about this, folks. It’s that weird. Lauded columnist Dan Rodricks has written a piece about Dance. It’s good copy but it completely misses the point. In “Dallas Dance and the failure to learn” Rodricks is left scratching his head at the “smart guys in fine suits” make stupid (criminal) mistakes when there are so many famous examples that might warn them that it is sure to end badly. First of all, why use the term “smart guys in fine suits” when you’re going to launch into the malfeasance of former Mayor of ...

Today Elkridge is getting a brand new library. But they won’t be getting a new high school. When the BOE voted 4-3 to choose the Mission Road site for the 13th high school in the system, a lot of hopes were dashed in Elkridge. I feel for them. Evidence suggests that Elkridge has been at the end of the line for many things in Howard County. And Elkridge residents are mighty tired of this. I know that these decisions are complicated. I know that there are good reasons on either side. I also know that there is a long-standing feeling that Elkridge “don’t get no respect ” in Howard County and that this is just one more decision among many that stings.

I’ve been following the goings on in Annapolis during this years legislative session. Have you? The women’s caucus released a report detailing a culture of harassment and describing examples of outright abuse. Then, stunningly, Del. Kathleen M. Dumais released an open letter to the press, signed by the women of the legislature: objecting to press accounts where the legislature has been portrayed as "'a frat house' and a den of iniquity. The letter says such portrayals are "unfair and inaccurate ." (from Bryan Sears, Maryland Daily Record) This letter did not go over well with members of the women’s caucus. “I have a lot of feelings about that letter — like furious and betrayed,” said the staffer who asked not be identified for fear of retaliation. I cannot for the life of me understand why women were not supporting women here. What on earth was Delegate Dumais thinking? It seems that she and a few others who had input into the letter were worried that p...

Hey there, local candidates! What are you running for? Maybe it’s: Columbia village board Columbia Association Board Board of Education County Council County Executive House of Delegates State Senate Have you created a social media account for your campaign? Are you on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? Are you using social media in a one-way fashion, to push out information? Or will you be interacting with the public through your social media accounts? Yes? No? Maybe? Why or why not? Hey there, local voters! How important is a candidate’s social media presence to you? Do you prefer meet and greets? Candidate forums? Someone who knocks on your own front door? What do you expect from a candidate’s social media account? What makes it useful/not useful for you in making your voting decisions? The rise of social media has transformed our election processes both nationally and locally. Now we have professionals who will sell you their services to create and shape your social medi...

I hit snooze this morning because my sleepy brain was sure we would have a delay. We don’t. In lieu of a well thought out blog post, I offer this article about a new law in Canton, Ohio. It claims to be addressing a problem. But is it? What gets addressed, and what gets left out? Canton City Council Passes a Scaled-Back Shopping Cart Law Confession: I read this article several times assuming it dealt with the Canton in Baltimore City. Maybe I didn’t hit snooze enough this morning.

One of the hardest things about being committed  to transparency and responsiveness is when you have to share bad new. Really bad news. From Board Chair Cindy Vaillancourt: We adopted a heartbreaking budget this evening.  We raised class sizes for all grades except kindergarten.  We suspended all elementary school foreign language.  We reduced the increases in special ed.  We reduced building maintenance.  We reduced our capital budget request.   We did not include furloughs.  We restored playground monitors.  We added 66 special education staff (educators and para-educators).  We committed to funding the full 85% of the health insurance premiums. But this is only the request.  If the county does not fully fund it, there will need to be more cuts.   We need the community to contact the County Exec and the County Council to let them all know how they feel about fully funding education. If we are to provide the level ...

I travel Route 108 through Clarksville quite a bit these days. And I have noticed something recently that makes me wonder. Now that the Clarksville Commons project is up and running, suddenly the adjacent Wendy’s looks seedy and out of place. The colors look wrong. The size seems out of scale. Has anyone else noticed that? Or is it just me? Long ago an electrical fire in a old dishwasher meant my mother was in the position to choose both a new sink and dishwasher. Once they were installed, the rest of the kitchen looked dreadful. In the end that one dishwasher ended up being the cause of a compete kitchen remodel. Funny how that works. I thought of that when I looked at the Wendy’s. It hasn’t changed. But the location around it has been transformed rather dramatically . Does it matter? Does the Wendy’s meet a community need and is it doing the kind of business that makes it financially viable? That’s probably more to the point than whether I think it looks out of place. Surroun...

Yesterday I met up with a friend at the new Wilde Lake Starbucks. It was my first visit since they opened. The location was a convenient midpoint between our two houses and besides: I was curious. I know that many of you can recite the list of former occupants of this space with the confidence of Sunday school scholars reeling off the books of the Bible. I can’t. My memory goes back as far as the KFC. It wasn’t a particularly large KFC, as I recall. I remember having dinner there once with my daughter after a summer camp show at Slayton House. I think we were the only customers. I had a bit of a Doctor Who moment when I walked in to the Wilde Lake Starbucks. It’s enormous. It may be the largest Starbucks I have ever been to. It’s definitely “bigger on the inside.” The traffic flow was slightly counter-intuitive for me (you go right and move left) but the service was friendly and competent. At ten am on a Saturday morning, the place was hopping. The parking lot, shared with David’s ...

I confess to having an ongoing interest ( obsession ?) with the former Columbia Flier building on Little Patuxent Parkway. It is, to me, an iconic Columbia building and the site of much of the New American City’s history. Although I have been told that the location is worth more if the building itself is torn down, I wish this did not have to be. Therefore, I continue to follow the ongoing saga of what will become of “The Flier Building”. From the most recent legislative bulletin from my Council member Calvin Ball, comes this tidbit listed under Tabled Legislation: CR104-2016 Introduced by: The Chairperson at the request of the County Executive A RESOLUTION pursuant to Section 4.201 of the Howard County Code, authorizing the County Executive's sale of certain real property known as the "Flier Building" owned by Howard County, Maryland, ...

I got so caught up in the “will they/won’t they”close schools drama that I temporarily forgot I had a blog post to write. Oops. News highlights for your Friday: The Howard County Library System has a new Director , Tonya Kennon. Howard Hughes Corporation and the Howard County Arts Council have announced the Merriweather District Artist in Residence Program  The Howard County School System will raise class sizes as a way to address budget shortfalls.  The percentage of the Howard budget which is dedicated to Education has fallen from 58 per cent to 52 per cent. Children’s musical group Milkshake will be performing at the Chrysalis this season. Bloggers Jason Booms and Scott Ewart are having way too much fun anazlying and informing about the upcoming local elections. Lupa, the Roman-inspired restaurant which replaces Petit Louis Bistro Downtown at the Lakefront, has opened. The space formerly occupied by Comptoir will sell gelato! Decisions on Hickory Ridge...

It’s taking me a while to process the news that BOE member Cindy Vaillancourt will not be running for re-election. While I understand why she would choose not to run, the effect of losing her knowledge and ability on the board will be huge. I will very likely have more to say on this subject. In the meantime, this post from December, 2016 will serve to remind my readers how much has happened on Ms. Vaillancourt’s watch. In the Moment (December 10, 2016) 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...