Village Green/Town²

I didn’t write this but I wish I had: PSA for men-folk: when a woman tells you that your man-friend is an asshole, she doesn’t mean “he has strong opinions” or “he tells inappropriate jokes” she means “he displays toxic/abusive behaviors and I feel unsafe around him.” Please come up with a better response than “haha yeah he’s always been like that/that’s just the way he is.”  Now this isn’t specifically a local story. Although, if you live locally and it has happened to you, it feels quite personal. I know it does to me. I discussed this quote with my older daughter yesterday and her instant recognition of the experience was apparent. She suggested that guys won’t call out other guys for their behavior because it somehow calls their own masculinity into question. I’ve talked about toxic masculinity before. I won’t belabor the point. If my Facebook “likes” and comments are an accurate representation of my readership, my blog is read almost exclusively by w...

This week I have attended professional development in the area of Mind Brain Education. I’m completing an online course in First Aid and CPR which will be followed by in-person hands-on testing. Today brings workshops in Quaker decision making process in the morning, and Mandatory Reporting in the afternoon. How do you get ready for school? You’ll forgive me if my brain is a bit fried this morning. I’m sending you over to the Baltimore Business Journal to read about what’s happening with The Still Point at Haven on the Lake.  Downtown Columbia Spa Closes... Here’s a blog post offering  another perspective from Harry Schwarz of the HoCoMDcc blog: The partners operating Haven on the Lake are fighting in court I attended the groundbreaking event for Haven of the Lake/The Still Point. I have never actually been there since they opened. I’ve heard rumblings about the overall business model but I don’t have any first hand knowledge. Are you a member at Hav...

It took very little effort to convince my car to detour off of Route 108 and make the turn into the parking lot at Kendall’s Hardware, where the snowball stand was issuing a siren song in yesterday’s afternoon’s heat and humidity. I looked at the list of flavors but I already knew what I wanted: watermelon. I noticed another sign while I was waiting. What could this mean? Is the beloved snowball stand on the verge of changing hands? Might it close forever if they don’t find an owner? I guess we won’t know until next summer. The suspense is already killing me. The Ruby Tuesday’s in the River Hill Village Center has closed. Folks are already chatting about their personal choices for a future replacement. Some suggestions: Cava, a real authentic diner, a Chinese restaurant, an IHOP and, most mentioned, Panera. No one seems to want: a bank, a nail salon, or a pizza place. It will be interesting to see what happens with that space. What would you like to see? Back in O...

Once a year my high school had the football pep rally. My friends and I were not athletic. We were more the music and theatre geeks. We attended the pep rallies, because, they were required and we weren’t the sort who cut classes. But we endured them. They were not for us. I’m not sure what a pep rally meant to inspire school spirit would have looked like for us. Monty Python skits? At the beginning of each school year in Howard County we see social media coverage of pep rallies at every school. But not for students; they are for faculty, staff, and admin.   I have seen some skepticism and snark from those in the community finding the rah-rah atmosphere distasteful. They wonder why all this hoopla is necessary. They find it cultish. Well, there certainly is precedent in schools for pep rallies and school spirit assemblies. That culture already exists. To use it as a way to inspire school professionals at the beginning of the year is not so big a stretch. While it may seem a...

Ah...young love. The intensity which prompts one to celebrate weekiversaries and monthiversaries and recreate the circumstances of one’s first date. Do you remember? Did you ever? Today’s post is dedicated to some folks near and dear to me who still celebrate the anniversary of their first date. These are my beloved inlaws, Sam and Joan McCready, out celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of their first date. 60th. Wow. Romance is not dead, ladies and gentleman. And I get to bring you this delightful story because the celebration took place right here in Howard County, at the Iron Bridge Wine Company . From Sam: The restaurant staff were extraordinarily generous; complimentary prosecco and wonderful chocolate dessert. Another night to remember. Even better, he still remembers the particulars of the first date:  We went to see Tyrone Gutrie's production of THE BONEFIRE at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. It was the same week as we were rehearsing HAPPY AS LARR...

I’d like to take the opportunity to poke fun at myself a little morning. It has occurred to me that there’s another aspect at play here in the newly introduced plan for Main Street in Old Ellicott City. Mr. Kittleman has taken some criticism locally for being reluctant to take risks, for lacking vision. Here he is clearly doing a bold and courageous thing and folks are up in arms. It must be hard to be on the receiving end of that. “We wanted you to be bold and decisive but not like that...” To be fair, I don’t believe that there’s anything inherently nefarious about the plan. I just don’t know if it’s the best response to the situation. If you have objections to the plan, and you have enough knowledge to debate it, go ahead.  But I’ve seen people taking the leap from “I don’t like the plan” to “those who devised the plan did so for their own financial gain.” I don’t think that’s a helpful assumption. Speaking of which, I was appalled at a commenter on social media who re...

Yesterday this paragraph in a statement from the County Executive caught my eye: We are disappointed that Preservation Maryland is using this five-year plan as an opportunity to advance its own special interest agenda.   For them to use the word “scheme” in describing this plan is simply an irresponsible characterization, especially since it released the statement before it even reviewed the written plan. In my opinion, saying that Preservation Maryland has a “special interest agenda” is just about as ugly as saying the folks at MSEA are “union thugs.” Not a good way to win friends and influence people. In addition, if your plan involves the future of a location well-known for its historical significance, why wouldn’t you have involved a well-known and respected  preservation group in the process from the get-go? These are not folks who should have been waiting to read a report. They should have been actively involved in creating the report. I do find the use of “sp...

I’m headed back to my first day of meetings and my body and brain are protesting the change in my sleep schedule. All over Howard County teachers are getting into the swing of things to get ready for the school year. I am certainly not alone in trying to force myself back into the school year sleep cycle. It would be crazy for me to ignore yesterday’s press event about Old Ellicott City. It would also be crazy for me to try to pass judgment on it at this point. I have some opinions but I am far from an expert. I’m more like a semi-educated bystander. So, if I say I have misgivings I am hardly an authority figure. Heck, probably everyone has misgivings at this point. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Council Member Jon Weinstein hinted at this type of solution when he appeared on the Elevate Maryland podcast during the primary campaign. And yet it does feel like a surprise, most likely because of the lack of transparency involved. I’ll need more time to process this. We all ...

As you know, I’m very excited about the groundbreaking for the new phase of Blandair Park. That being said, does it seem odd to you that certain faces have been obliterated by the Kittleman logo in this campaign advert? A friend shared a screenshot taken from a video of the event. My teenaged daughter walked by and took a look as I was comparing the two. “Isn’t that the park you were talking about with the inclusive playground?” She took a closer look. “He covered up Calvin Ball’s face?” She was incredulous. “It’s supposed to be an inclusive park and he couldn’t include the one guy who actually lives in the neighborhood?” I told her I was going to steal her line. She knows. Here is the ad in its entirety. If his persistent appearance in my Twitter feed is any indication, Mr. Kittleman has a healthy campaign budget. And it’s impressive that they could turn a community event into an advert in less time than it takes for the dirt to dry on the shovels. There’s j...

I came across this thread by Ellicott City Pix on Twitter the other day. It just leapt off the page to me as a possible guest post for Village Green/Town² . I am sharing it here with @ECpix’s permission. Enjoy! - - jam THREAD: “Summer Project” My summer research project was to try out as many Howard County bakeries that I possibly could, as frequently as possible. As research, it was, of course, exempt from all diet restrictions. Now, the report: I find myself at Renata’s Tasty Bites @RenataAlanovic quite often, and lose all self-control when I am standing in front of the illuminated cabinets full of handmade, fresh European pastries. Love the chocolate cupcake! Snowden River Pkwy in Columbia. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had trouble finding Cake Wala @cakewalaus, but it’s right there at the corner of St. John’s Lane/Rt. 40, across from the new Sprouts in Ellicott City! Look at these beautiful cakes, and yum! Pistachio, Mango, Tira Misu, Oreo! Oh ...

I’ve written before about how much I appreciate the regular newsletters from my county council representative, Calvin Ball. The combination of frequent communication from his office plus the high level of constituent service has served to keep me engaged with the important goings-on in my community. Well, sitting in my email inbox right now is the pièce de resistance of newsletters. It is the annual, back to school edition. The Calvin Ball Bulletin, Back to School Edition All the schools. All the things you need to know in one place. And it even includes information about Howard Community College! A few things you’ll find: School supplies PTA info School closing links  BOE cluster assignments Kindergarten registration  Redistricting updates But, as they say in the infomercials, that’s not all! Wait, there’s more!  Take a look for yourself. These annual education-focused newsletters go back to 2013, lest you think this is an election-year gambit....

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I’ve long been promoting a certain idea for a local playground: musical play equipment. The idea first came to me when the Columbia Association was looking at possible plans to revitalize Symphony Woods. Facebook memories reminded me that on this date in 2011 I suggested  this  for the park that was being planned in Symphony Woods: a musical playground. I still want this! My interest in musical play equipment was sparked when my sister used a company called Freenotes Harmony Park to provide a piece for a garden in memory of our mother at a new preschool started by her church. As a musician and an early childhood teacher I loved the idea of adding a musical component to outdoor play. From that moment on I have been harping on adding pieces from Freenotes to anyone who would listen. Many’s the social media post or email from me that contained the link to Freenotes.  Last week I read the article in the Howard County Times on...

Like many privileged white Americans, I started looking at police violence against people of color only very recently, probably during the summer of Ferguson. And then came the Baltimore uprising in response to the death of Freddie Gray. Once I saw it I couldn’t unsee it. While I have never liked football, and it was easy for me to see beyond the hype, I had been raised to believe that police were good and fair and there to protect me. And to protect everyone, I thought. It has been more difficult for me to overcome that mindset and see beyond it. The story of a football player dying because of heatstroke caused by a conditioning drill is the story of a system that failed to protect its most vulnerable. The story of a man viciously beaten by a police officer while his partner failed to intervene is the same. The abuse is not in the hands of one person, but rather is perpetuated by the system as a whole. In the case of Baltimore, the locations where people live and how they ar...

From former police officer Larry Smith @kid_lawrence : Arresting addicts doesn’t help address addiction. Arresting drug dealers doesn’t either. Sending an armed cop, or several, to deal with someone having a mental health crisis isn’t an answer to anything. The cops shouldn’t be involved. Baltimore needs ACTUAL social services. It needs to address homelessness and unemployment. It needs to provide children with hope and opportunity. Or we could start small and heat and air condition the schools All of these things cost money. HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY FOR ALL THAT??  Oh.... look at this 500 million dollar police budget.  We (the USA) incarcerate people for petty nonsense. Jails are full of people who are addicted to drugs, are too poor to pay some arbitrary fine, who committed non-violent drug offenses. Oh, not to mention the scores of people wrongfully convicted or talked into a plea. People need to think outside of the box. Police departments in so man...

Apologies to my readers. I’m still working on Part Two of “It’s Broke”. Look for that tomorrow, Something to think about today: this response from writer Melinda D. Anderson: This data refutes a widespread (and ignorant) belief in schooling that Black families “don’t value education.” Instead, what most educators value (signing forms, checking homework, room parents, etc.) is not a valid measure of importance of education for Black parents & families. Black parents are out here taking their children to plays, visiting museums, going to the zoo, and engaged in all kinds of education-related activities. Yet y’all will still say “They don’t care about education” because a Black parent missed teacher conf. held during the workday. Here’s the data, a report released by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics. Here’s more about Ms. Anderson: Why am I sharing this? As we head into back to school mode, I think it’s impo...

Two separate stories are vying for attention in my brain. And it seems to me that they are the same story. Story number one: the death of a college football player from the University of Maryland and the subsequent focus on the toxic culture of football in College Park. The coach has been placed on administrative leave. A member of the training staff has been fired. Story number two: the video of a Baltimore Police Officer viciously beating a man on a Baltimore street while his partner does little to intervene. The officer was suspended with pay. (He has since resigned  and been criminally charged.) The world of football at UMD and that of policing in Baltimore are steeped in a culture of violence. The particulars are not exactly the same, but the sickness goes deep, to its core. I don’t believe, in either case, that it’s a few bad apples that ruin it for everyone else. Both are deeply and thoroughly infected by destructive attitudes. It’s not a bug in the system, a...

We couldn’t figure out what to do about dinner last night. So we fell back on our old standby: Lucky’s China Inn, located in the nearby Oakland Mills Village Center. It’s possible I was influenced in this choice by reading this comprehensive piece by The Unmanly Chef. Inside Your Local Chinese Restaurant - Hunan Legend It’s well worth the read. Do you have a favorite local Chinese restaurant? Who are they, and why do you like them? Is it proximity to your home or a particular dish they do well? It seems that, at least in Columbia, the purpose of Village Centers was to give everyone their own Chinese take out place. How does that work beyond the Columbia bubble? My apologies for over-sleeping this morning. I’ll set an alarm tomorrow!

The other day I read a comment from a man who took issue with the qualifications of a local political candidate based on her physical appearance. Are you kidding me? The candidate, already a public servant with a documented record of service, clearly had a major thing going against her here: she’s a woman. Women continue to be held to a ridiculous standard as regards physical appearance. In all cases it has nothing to do with their qualifications or ability for the task at hand. Yet time and again they are judged by how appealing they are to the male gaze, as if that is their primary reason for existing. Then there are the perennial questions about “how will you balance your career with your role as a wife and mother?” that never seem to be asked of men. These questions shift the focus from women’s ideas and goals to being forced to go on the defensive as somehow derelict in their “womanly duties.” Oh, wait! I almost forgot: “she should smile more” “she’s too directive” “diff...

The talk of the town yesterday was this photo shared by Black Flag Brewing Company. A tip of the hat to Elevate Maryland’s Tom Coale for bring it to my attention. The caption reads:  This sign was put up about the same time as we released a 13.1% beer... not saying its our fault but someone clearly didn’t share their bottle of Double Barrel Black Mage... #SharingIsCaring #LetsGoToTheMallumbia Yes, I just had to know if this was real or photoshop, so my daughter and I went down there to check. And it is the real deal. Located in a cross street to the right of the Metropolitan, the sign proudly announces, The Mallumbia in Col”. What the heck? Has it always been wrong or is this the result of a prank? It appears that the sign must be made up of three sections and they were assembled incorrectly. But why would this have escaped notice until now? I am wondering if this sign will now draw eager locals hoping to take their pictures with it for a bit of fun. Will Mallumbia...

Thursday night I went with my family to the Howard County Fair. I was extremely grateful that it wasn’t as hot as the first time I went several years ago. Maryland’s heat and humidity in August just does not agree with me. But Thursday night was manageable. My husband and I spent time looking at animals, floral displays, awards for jams and jellies, and so on. We talked to a friend from church who comes with her needlework group every year. We observed families of all sorts out for an evening of fun. We stopped to listen to a visiting brass group playing a medley from “Jersey Boys.” We feasted on food from the St. Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church booth, as recommended by blogger Annierie. I took a boatload of photos but, after much consideration, I’m going to share just one. These two, in separate pens, snuggled as close as possible and nuzzling eachother through the bars. I wonder what the fair experience is like for them? 

The last time we had WiFi at home was some time Thursday evening. Today Verizon is sending someone out and I suspect a new router is in our future. When we lost internet a few weeks ago I jumped to the conclusion that there had been a nefarious takeover of social media. This time I just felt irked.  Things I have done since our internet went haywire: washed and sundried a large quantity of stuffed plush animals that I am hoping to rehome in the near future. (Need any? Contact me.) I’ve read more of my assigned summer reading from work, but it’s slow going. I watched Coco with my family. (My husband hadn’t seen it yet.) It’s highly unlikely that we would have done that if internet had been an option.  My husband and daughter took a big bag of clothing I had decluttered from the bedroom over to Goodwill and came home with a few treasures of their own. Funny how that works. I’ve been sorting though the photos I took at the Howard County Fair Thursday night, trying to ...