Village Green/Town²

Today will be the last day to grab a bite at Joe's Place Deli in Columbia. I first learned of Joe’s Place through Dave and Ilana Bittner of HoCoMoJo fame. Their business Pixel Workshop is located right next door. For a while the Elevate Maryland podcast used Joe’s Place as their interviewing home base. Over years since my family and I have visited when ever we happened to be available: in the summer or during a vacation. On most days, if they were open, we were at school. Open Monday-Friday, 8-2, they have had a loyal local following and I know they will be greatly missed. Their sandwiches are ample and sublime. Joe and his wife Tonya are warm and welcoming and the whole place has a homey, comfortable air. Every time I have gone I wished I could spend more time there. It’s just that kind of place. Joe’s Place has been a part of our community for 25 years. Known for great soups, delicious daily specials, and sandwiches with quirky and humorous names, it will be...

Beyond tired this morning. It was a lovely graduation. I’m sending you over to a blog post from the music tech company Soundtrap about an innovative after-school program in Howard County. Girls Make Beats in Maryland  , Richard McCready for Edublog at Soundtrap.com Yes, a familiar name and face here. This program is the brainchild of my husband in his continuing quest to engage “ the other 80 ” per cent in high school music programs. I  had the idea for  Girls Make Beats  when some of the girls in my classes would come back after school to work on their projects. I noticed a different dynamic amongst the girls when boys were no longer in the room dominating the conversation (as they invariably do in class).  Read the post, and listen to the composition samples, too. If you’ve ever wondered what kids are learning in music tech classes, this will give you a glimpse. Our teachers do many things for students which go well beyond their contract...

My daughter graduates from high school today. It will be my first experience with a Merriweather graduation ceremony. When I graduated from high school we sat on bleachers next to the school’s running track. The sound from the PA system bounced off of the school’s brick walls and produced an echo reminiscent of the announcer at a monster truck rally.  We didn’t think much of the ceremony. It didn’t feel like it was for us. The speaker was the newly hired local chief of police. His speech was far from inspiring. We sat and waited for it to be over. I don’t think most of us realized what profound changes we were about to face as we left our years of k-12 schooling. Naturally I have plenty of things I’d like to say concerning my daughter’s graduation. But her story is not my story to tell. I can’t convince myself that mining her life for a poignant blog post is an honorable thing to do, and so I won’t. Instead I can only speak for myself. What does this day mean to me? It ...

On May 28, 2014 I spoke at a joint meeting of the CA Board and the Inner Arbor Trust in support of what is now called Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. I brought both of my daughters for moral support, and also because I wanted them to see what community advocacy looks like. I know that the meeting was contentious because I found this observation today in my Facebook memories: You can't get up in a public meeting, say, "let's be objective" and then proceed to spew a lot of opinionated horse-twaddle. Yes, I wrote  that. And I had reasons, but I won’t name any names. On Saturday morning I sat in the cool shade of an old tree and took in the sights and sounds of FantasyWood, a three day festival in that very park we were fighting for at the meeting back in 2014. Parents walked by with strollers, teens and young adults in cosplay garb, a group of girls were picnicking on the grass nearby and celebrating a birthday party. The park was alive with music, and pl...

Recommended reading: Having a Library or Café Down the Block Could Change Your Life  - -   Daniel Cox and Ryan Streeter for The Atlantic It begins with this statement: Living close to public amenities—from parks to grocery stores—increases trust, decreases loneliness, and restores faith in local government . I’m interested in what my readers think of this concept.  I’ve been thinking a lot about walkability lately. I’ve recently found myself driving in more newly-built housing developments in Howard County and I have realized that I always feel sad for neighborhoods without sidewalks. Each house is an island, unconnected to its neighbors, marooned in a sea of McMansions. One is connected to the greater universe solely by automobile. I think it is safe to say that the people who live in such areas chose them precisely because of what they are and don’t see anything sad about them. But when you read the article in the Atlantic you can see how develop...

It finally happened. I knew it would. Deep inside I knew it was inescapable, but still I harbored the hope that it would pass me by. Yesterday my husband handed me a letter. “I don’t know if you’d be interested in this.” Nextdoor. If you don’t already know what it is, here’s a Wikipedia explanation. Here’s a really  sweet  write up from the Atlantic. It seems innocent enough on its face. When it first came out I thought it was a fascinating and helpful concept. But then actual humans starting using it. A hint to what has eventually gone wrong on Nextdoor is in this flyer itself: P.S. There are already 800 posts on Nextdoor Stevens Forest, including posts about Crime & Safety in the neighborhood. Ooh! Do I need to be worried about Crime & Safety in my neighborhood? I’d better sign up right away. Sadly, there seems to be some sort of unwritten code that makes white people in groups think it is a good idea to share posts like, “There’s a suspicious m...

In the long departed Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz, a desperate Linus digs up the neighborhood looking for his missing security blanket. That’s very much like my thought process this morning looking for a blog post topic. I have been digging a lot of holes but keep coming up empty. This is not to say that there is nothing going on around town. There is plenty that might be discussed. But there is a certain thread of possibility that I search for that tells me that this is a story I could tease out or shed light upon. Perhaps the big stories are feeling too big to me right now, and the small ones too petty. Perhaps end of the year teacher fatigue is dulling my intellectual acuity. A few things that are on my mind: The cycle whereby well funded schools in affluent areas push their students to procure the most “measurable” achievements of excellence so that enormously high real estate values are justified so that the schools will continue to be well funded. Is anyone su...

In local sports news,  Tony Incontrera resigns as head varsity boys lacrosse coach at Marriotts Ridge  , Tim Schwartz for the Baltimore Sun Question: why do we see articles such as these only about sports coaches? I don’t think I have ever seen “Susan Jones resigns as high school choral director.” For that matter, what about English, or science,  math, or languages?  Why are the comings and goings of sports coaches newsworthy and others are not?  My understanding of the school system is that your contract commits you to working for the system as a whole. You may work at one school, but can just as easily be transferred, or surplussed. You’re not exactly a free agent. Yet articles about sports coaches in the local press depict sports coaches as independent from that, somehow. Are sports coaches in a different employment category? Can they come and go as they choose? I’m curious.  For the record, I’m still curious about why it’s such a big d...

Weekend plans: Daughter going to various graduation parties Family cookout Husband going to Orioles game  And then there’s me: Arias & Ales on Friday night Fantasywood on Saturday Big guess where my plans are taking place. Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. If you haven’t firmed up your weekend plans, I hope you’ll join me. ARIAS & ALES WITH BALTIMORE CONCERT OPERA AND JAILBREAK BREWING Friday, May 24, 2019 8:00 PM     10:00 PM Chrysalis at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8:00 p.m. Join  Baltimore Concert Opera  and Jailbreak Brewing Company  for a unique music and beer pairing event on  May 24th.   This program follows on the heels of BCO's popular Thirsty Thursday shows.  Come learn about opera, drink delicious local beer, and enjoy a night under the Chrysalis.  This event is restricted to guests over the age of 21.  A...

I’m having mixed feelings about senior awards assemblies this morning. Someone posted this yesterday and it resonates with me. I attended my daughter’s Senior Awards Night last night. There was plenty to celebrate. And yet I feel uneasy about what we say to the students who are uncelebrated. If this is somehow a night for everyone, how do we acknowledge the contributions of the unsung and unnoticed? I’m not saying that everyone should get a prize. I do think that many students are fighting battles that we know nothing about: mental health, sexual identity, dysfunctional home lives, to mention a few. Many hold the community together simply by being themselves: kind, funny, accepting. How do we create a high school community where those students can feel that they have been known and loved  and honored? Where they can celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of peers because  they know that they themselves have been valued throughout their high school years? Some s...

On Saturday evening, around dinner time, my daughter and were headed to Sam’s Mart to buy a couple of lottery tickets and then meant to go from there to Mission Barbecue. We turned onto Stevens Forest Road from Whitacre and immediately had to pull over. Police cars, paramedics, and a fire truck were headed towards us and into the Sam’s Mart parking lot.   After they sped by we passed on the lottery tickets and headed to dinner. Later we read the crime report released by the Police Department on Facebook , followed by the same old, same old racist dog whistles about Oakland Mills. “That area” “Wrong element” “Loitering youths” “Turning into Baltimore” “Always had problems” Then, something interesting happened. Residents of Oakland Mills started pushing back. I started seeing things like: “I love ‘that area’” “I feel safe here” “Proud to send my kids to school in OM” “So much great going on” “amazing community building” On Saturday night the same old haters cam...

I ran across this piece over the weekend and just had to share. From Maryland Theatre Guide: News: Arts organizations announce schedule of summer events in downtown Columbia Writer Carolyn Keleman fits the maximum amount of arts info possible into this piece. If you want to know what’s happening this summer, I’d recommend starting with this article. It also has a certain kind of stylishness that made me smile. As frequent readers of the blog know, I don’t often make it out to public functions, but I did happen to be at this one, held at Cured/18th & 21st. Ms. Keleman described attendees as follows: These folks – a few artists but mostly influential politicos and business executives – were there to hear representatives from local organizations preview the upcoming summer schedule of arts and cultural events in downtown Columbia. Well, I dance with preschoolers at the Chrysalis. I guess that puts me in the artist category. I’m also one of the biggest fans of the ...

The kid (actually a legal adult, horrors!)  had a service gig at Sunrise Assisted Living in Hickory Ridge. It’s a cool thing called “Songs for Seniors” where music students share their talents with residents. I had some time to kill and the perfect plan. I’d nip over to the Hawthorn Center in Hickory Ridge where the folks at Howard County Pride were having a donut sale fundraiser. I’d get one for myself and one for my musician. Perfect. Did I GPS it? No. I thought I could get there on dead reckoning alone. I had a general idea of where I was going.  I ended up turning on a road called Jerrys Drive, thinking it would cut through to where I was going. Holy mackerel. Not only did it not cut through, it turned out to be the craziest amalgamation of housing styles and land use choices I have seen in this area to date. You start out thinking you’re in Columbia but then it’s almost immediately apparent that you are in the Land of Outparcel.  Yikes. Who knew what mys...

Here’s an interesting business approach. Local realtor leads walks in Downtown Columbia to spur interest in Columbia living. Do you love Columbia and already live here or want to?  Join me on any of the future walks through Columbia to see what makes living in Columbia so awesome! <3  Contact me today if I can help you or anyone you know...  I’m a fan of Columbia living. I clicked the link. Wait a minute. These are walks led by Ned Tillman and Barbara Kellner, put on by the Columbia Association. Our enterprising realtor will tag along and use the time to chat up potential clients. This is somewhat akin to the business I wrote about the other day who sought to link up with Wine in the Woods to get more customers.  I don’t know how I feel about this. On the one hand, it shows some creative thought and a desire to make connections. On the other hand, the thought of a realtor trying to work the crowd during a pleasure/educational walk ...

I’d like to give you a comprehensive write up of our class trip to Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County yesterday, but I can’t. The reason that I can’t is that I took a little trip of my own. I got thrown off balance by a missing piece in a set of stone steps and fell hard. Onto both knees. I spent the rest of the trip sitting on a bench with two ice packs. I had a lovely view of this fountain. While I can’t vouch for the entire Brookside Gardens experience I highly recommend this fountain. It’s lovely. I’m not writing this piece to criticize the folks at Brookside Gardens. They couldn’t have been more helpful. And our students loved the trip and the scavenger hunt prepared for them as well. I hope I will get to go back another time soon. I’m thinking this morning of how it is sometimes the little things that throw us completely off balance  and end up causing significant damage. Right now our county is awash with big issues that need resolving, So is our nation. Ma...

We interrupt the season of contentious budget battles to show you education done right. Imagine you play strings in your middle school ensemble. Now imagine this. https://twitter.com/music_hcms/status/1128395192602636288?s=21 From Harpers Choice Middle School Music: Some really amazing moments from our instrumental string concert last night. But everyone stood and cheered even cried after this performance. Thanks to Mr. McFate for coordinating such a chilling moment. Some background on the song: " Glory " is a song performed by American rapper  Common  and American singer  John Legend . It was written by John Legend, Common, and  Rhymefest .  The song was released on December 11, 2014 by  Columbia Records  as the theme song from the 2014 film  Selma , which portrays the 1965  Selma to Montgomery marches . (Wikipedia) Another snippet of the performance from someone in the audience: https://twitter.com/sapnakmd/status...

I was reminded that Wine in the Woods is coming up this weekend when I saw this advert on Twitter. I don’t know much about Idea Lab Kids beyond this ad. They look to be a franchise providing STEAM-based childcare options. Some enterprising person over there looked at Wine in the Woods and saw an opportunity: you go have fun. We’ll take care of your kids. As a lifelong teacher I look at this and see one glaring problem. Who is going to drive the children home? I know from personal experience that you never want to dismiss a child into the care of someone who has been drinking if that person is going to be driving a car. It puts the childcare provider in an excruciatingly difficult position. The safety of the child is your first priority. But the parent is the paying customer. Well, that’s easy, you say. Have a designated driver. Surely everyone does that these days, right? Do they? If you go with a group of friends, I imagine that often one person agrees in advance to b...

There’s so much news out there today that I don’t know what to do with it. So. Much. News. I need to push it all aside for a moment and focus on something else. Sunshine. We’re going to have some at some point, aren’t we? We’d better get some good weather on Thursday because I’m hoping to go to the Garden Party at the Library.  From the Garden Party Event Page: Join us to celebrate  our annual Friends & Foundation Garden Party on Thursday, May 16th from 5-7pm in the Enchanted Garden at the Miller Branch. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, desserts, wine, beer, seltzer, and iced tea from local restaurants and businesses. Bring a guest who is not already a member of Friends & Foundation and you'll receive an extra raffle ticket for our fabulous door prizes!  Not a Friend yet? Learn more about who we are and what we do here and consider joining us today! We look forward to seeing you for a gorgeous evening in the Enchanted Gard...

I just knocked over a cup of coffee with my chair and most of it landed in my shoes. How’s your Monday going so far? On a hyperlocal note, I see that the County is looking to add a bike lane in River Hill that seems to conflict with where residents have traditionally parked when there are swim meets at the nearby pool. This would appear to put two very active constituencies at odds with one another: bikers vs. swimmers. The CA neighborhood swimming leagues are a huge tradition in this town. It’s not an experience that appealed to me for my daughter but most of my friends sing its praises. I’m not sure I’d want to be the one trying to put a bike lane somewhere that might conflict with the mighty swim lobby. I’m joking, of course. There may be strong opinions here but it’s hardly front page drama. The bike folks certainly have their own fans. The bicycle master plan continues to move forward. Bikers rightly point out that recreational pathways are not the same thing as being ...

I’m experiencing some radical leftist spasms this morning pertaining to Mother’s Day, the roles of women, laws interfering with women’s bodily autonomy, and, well, you get the picture. Let’s not talk about that. ***** I want to give a shout out to the folks at HoCoMoJo who posted these words on Friday evening: After an hour of heavy rain, and most of this storm behind us, Main St has just a bit of running water on the edges. At that very moment, that is exactly what I was thinking about. How is Ellicott City? Is Main Street okay? It was good to have that reassurance. Another shoutout to Baltimore Sun journalist Libby Solomon . From fellow reporter Cody Boteler: Super proud of my friend and colleague @libsolomon for winning the best in show award recognizing her incredible work live tweeting the Ellicott City flood last year from the @MDDCPress. And, on that note: Tomorrow at 11:30 am there will be an announcement on the path being chosen to address flooding ri...

The theme of my daughter’s final high school choral concert was “How Can I keep from Singing?” Interspersed with the musical selections of the evening were students who gave brief speeches on the topic, “Why I Sing.” I wish I could share their words with you here. It struck me as particularly relevant. As the school system is challenged by limited funds and is forced to consider cuts to a variety of programs, Music Education has moved into the spotlight. You’ve probably heard by now that the Board asked the Superintendent to have staff compile a list of programs and their costs to inform their considerations. Cuts to elementary instrumental music were on that list. Of course that is of great concern to anyone who understands the value of arts education to all our students. But I think it is important to note that music hasn’t been particularly singled out here. It was one item among many that was put forward to be considered. I’m an outspoken Music Education Advocate. That’s...