Village Green/Town²

Looking ahead to the weekend: Oakland Mills High School is having their annual Craft Fair on Saturday from 10-3. This is always a great event with a wide variety of vendors, items in many price ranges, and refreshments available for purchase as well. And while I’m not ready to think of the holidays yet, I’d highly recommend you snap up some tickets to the WBAL Concert for Kids, hosted every year by OMHS.  After all the crafty goodness make sure to head over the the Columbia Association’s Party in the Park. What’s a “Party in the Park”? Enjoy good food, drinks, and live music alongside your friends and neighbors, warmed by fire pits and surrounded by scenic Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods.  Columbia Association’s Party in the Park will take place at the Chrysalis on Saturday, November 2 from 3-7pm. Join us for some of our region’s favorite food trucks, plus both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages available for purchase, fire pits, lawn game...

One of the earliest posts, from way back in 2011, was about a challenge I set for myself. In Walking the Walk  I revealed that, although I had advocated for the building of the Oakland Mills Walgreen’s by touting its easy availability on foot, I hadn’t actually ever walked there. So, I did. On a crisp, clear morning on the 31st of October I laced up my shoes, zipped up my jacket, and put down my fear. (Starting Time) Home:  9:36 Sohap: 9:43 Walgreen's:  9:49 (Returning) Walgreen's 10:04 Sohap:  10:10 Home:  10:16 I realized yesterday that I have another challenge looming. During the time that the Oakland Mills Dunkin’ Donuts business was in the works (and that was a really long time) I told people that I had decided that I would only get a donut there if I walked both ways. You know, as a way to “justify” the extra calories. Well, I’ve been to the new Dunkin’ about four times so far. The number of times I have walked? Zero. It’s time for a little...

My life took a little detour recently when I unaccountably got into the T-shirt business. This shirt: It’s a message I believe in. And it’s timeless. Long after this season of acrimony is over in Columba/HoCo, this shirt and its sentiment will still be relevant. I will never be embarrassed to wear this shirt. I will never look at it, languishing in a dresser drawer, and feel embarrassed. After I broke the news that I was going to have the shirts made, I was approached by two locals with offers to assist with the financial outlay. In both cases I refused. I was lucky I was able to front the money myself. (Well, it was only 27 shirts.) It was very important to me that I not be beholden to anyone for putting these shirts out into the world. And with all the crazy controversies out there, I didn’t want this to turn into one of them. This was a simple transaction. I ordered the shirts. People paid me back, no profit was made. Twenty-seven t-shirts in a sea of hundred...

When I think of Ellicott City, two competing images come to mind. One is of Main Street, Old Ellicott City. The other is of Route 40, a thoroughfare of a gazillion shopping centers. It seems an odd composition to me. How did Ellicott City come to have such a split personality? If you live in Ellicott City, what do you see as the “center of town”? Is it Main Street, or is it a spot on Route 40 where you frequently shop or eat out? Or is it someplace else entirely? Since much of Columbia was built in a particular time period, it’s pretty easy to see what the Center of Town was meant to be. We’re a very young place. We’re only now experiencing a significant second wave of growth, of the sort that may shift how we see ourselves. In comparison, Ellicott City has years and years of history behind it. Sifting through the layers of growth, of generational changes and suburban sprawl is a task worthy of county planners, I guess. Or the historical society. Here’s my question: does it...

It’s raining and raining and the sky is dark. I try to keep my eyes open but sleep is far more enticing. It doesn’t feel like the day has begun. I keep waiting for more light. A few light-filled moments this week: Lunch with a dear friend at Indigo. A chance meeting at Röggenart that produced some great conversation. A neighborhood Halloween party that was welcoming and fun for kids and adults. Cupcakes and champagne and a bit of splurge shopping at a friend’s house. Folks who were quick to offer kind words when I was at a low ebb. It hasn’t exactly been a light-filled week here in Columbia/HoCo. I won’t spell it out but you probably know what I mean. And today marks the one year anniversary of the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. That’s a lot of darkness for one day to bear. Light a candle today. Either a real one or by shedding some light for someone else. I wouldn’t have gotten through the week without people who did that for me.

For sale in Columbia, Maryland, a 1982 Airstream. From the advert: Truly a joy to drive. It turns lots of heads and is definitely an attention getter. People everywhere, from gas stations to campgrounds, stop and want to learn about it. My parents had a fascination with what they called “mobile homes” and what are now called RVs. Many a Sunday afternoon drive ended at some lot, touring Winnebagos. It was a dream of theirs that was never fulfilled, like my father’s goal to own a home with a sunken bathtub, or their joint desire to retire to one of those little red popcorn wagons. Airstreams are known as having a sleek and stylish presence in the world of RVs. This particular one looks to have been around the block quite a bit. Is there a Fixer Upper show for RVs? What kind of mileage does a 1982 vehicle get? What kind of mileage can any RV get? Not too great, I would think. An aside: did you know that Columbia has a designated RV storage facility? They do . It’...

In our family it is generally my husband who gets the mail. It’s an activity he is highly motivated to do. When my daughter was younger she enjoyed going through the mail and sorting it: this is for Mom, this is for Dad, this goes in the recycling, and so on. Every so often she would get something herself. But usually she just kept the fun catalogues to browse through. We live in Columbia, so we have those shared mailboxes. I’ve read that they were done this way to encourage interactions between neighbors. Alternatively, I’ve read that’s just a coverup, that it was just easier/cheaper to do it that way. Here’s the thing: I’ve now lived here twenty years and I’m not sure I’ve ever even bumped into a neighbor while getting the mail. Have you? Of course, as I have already said, it’s my husband who does most of the mail getting, so perhaps I should really ask him. I just wonder how useful the shared mailbox concept is in fostering conversation. Probably the most interaction between...

I stop on the way to work every day to pick up a large iced coffee. Just cream. No sugar. The gentlemen at the Dunkin Donuts often see me coming before I’m completely in the door and start making it for me. Early morning Dunkin is a mix of adults getting breakfast sandwiches and high school students getting beverages enhanced by caramel. On Fridays there appears to be some kind of student meeting in the back; maybe it is a study group. Occasionally you will see a few people sitting in the booths up front. But mostly it is a quick in-and-out trade at that hour. About the booths. I remember when they were installed and how nice they looked. Then I watched over time how they were vandalized by customers. It made me sad to see slits in the vinyl, stuffing pulled out.  Those things don’t happen by themselves. Why do that? Would you go in someone’s home and rip up their furniture? So I was excited when they were replaced recently. All is shiny and new again. But how long will i...

I stumbled upon this tweet the other day. I’m always excited when I find anyone on Twitter talking about Columbia. There not a lot of that kind of conversation. We may think we’re a really big deal but searches on Twitter say otherwise. Of course there are daily job postings and real estate listings but - - actual conversations about Columbia? - - not so much. So, here goes: I’m fine with the upgrade to merriweather, expanding the mall over time. Maybe some more stuff by the lake. But all the high density housing is insane. They want to create a utopia where ppl live work and play in downtown Columbia.  Nobody does that. Hmm. Wasn’t Columbia always supposed to be some kind of utopia where you could live, work, and play? Is the difference now that the focus is on a “downtown”? Or is the objection to the concept that anyone would live, work, and play in the same location? Not sure. I’m pretty sure that upgrades to Merriweather, expanding the Mall, more stuff by the lake...

I showed up a bit after 5:30. I hadn’t been expecting the traffic situation on Route 32. The main room at Jailbreak Brewery was already well more than half-filled and abuzz with conversation. I was there for Ignite HoCo 5, an event sponsored by the local Chapter of Conscious Capitalism. Conscious Capitalism of Central Maryland describes itself:  C3MD is a purpose-driven business community that promotes the power of capitalism to create positive change, do good, and elevate humanity. We inspire and equip individuals and organizations to embrace and implement conscious business principles through educational programs, practical tools, and strategic partnerships. Ignite is a particular sort of public speaking concept. Each speaker is allotted five minutes and must use twenty slides to convey a topic about which they are passionate. They seem to be quite successful locally, since this is the fifth one and they already have a date for next year’s event on the books. ...

I’ve been listening to Council member Opel Jones on the most recent episode of Elevate Maryland, and his discussion of certain council bills raised a question in my mind. What happens when a meeting is over? Do they all go out to a nearby all night restaurant to debrief? (I doubt it.) Do they each go off separately to their own individual homes and speak no more until their next meeting? (I doubt that, too.)  So how do they communicate with one another about what went right and went wrong? If you are amongst the cognoscenti, bear with me here. Not all of us understand the inner workings of the County Council. And I often see people making uncharitable remarks about how the Council operates that make me suspect they don’t really understand, either. What happens after all the testimony is heard, the agenda is followed, and the votes are taken? I would imagine that it’s just as important as what we see in the meetings. And I guess I’ll have to do some research and get back...

This one is not so local but it’s definitely personal. I just spied a familiar face peering out from the Baltimore Sun. And then I winced, because I realized it was an obituary . Joseph Libercci: Longtime owner of Park Avenue Pharmacy known as ‘Dr. Joe’ and for kindnesses to Bolton Hill Community I lived in Bolton Hill when I first came to Baltimore in the mid-80’s, first as a young married person and then as a newly divorced mother of a very young child. The Park Avenue Pharmacy was the center of Bolton Hill, and Joe was the brain and the heart that kept it going. He knew everyone. He would sometimes allow you to put much needed medications “on account” when you were waiting for payday to roll around. The tiny store had everything from medicine to snacks, greeting cards, school supplies, art supplies, beer and wine, magazines, even a bit of hardware supplies. I never had a cross word from anyone who worked in that store. And I got plenty of good advice from Joe over the year...

The past few nights have been skimpy in the sleep department. It caught up with me this morning. My apologies. I used to set my clock by HoCoRising so I try to maintain a general consistency in posting times. The sky is a beautiful fall blue, it is sunny, and, however low the temperature got last night, it did not kill our late-planted wildflowers. I’m in my favorite chair eating left over Indian food from the House of India for a late breakfast/early lunch. A few things on my mind: This article  by Jess Nocera for the Columbia Flier: Columbia political cartoonist’s book ‘JUST US!’ Showcases a black perspective on current events. It is a wonderful look at a fascinating local resident, Walt Carr, and his life's work as a political cartoonist focused on the American black experience.  St. John Baptist Church, on 9055 Tamar Drive in Columbia, is hosting a book signing at 10 am on October 23rd if you are interested in purchasing a copy and meeting the man himself. ...

I belong to an online parents group for the college my daughter attends. It has been very helpful as we lived through the beginning of the year jitters. It’s been a godsend for sharing information and getting advice. And yet. Yesterday a parent bemoaned: I don’t understand the grading system! The school maintains a system whereby parents may have access to the students’ academic work if the student allows them to. I can’t even remember if we asked our daughter to do this, and we certainly haven’t felt the desire to follow along from home. We hope she does well, and sometimes I worry how she will handle academics along with all the other enormous changes in her life. But check up on her work? No. Isn’t this the part where they fly the nest? Isn’t this the time when we let them? Parenting in 2019 is clearly different than back when I went to college. I don’t know whether to feel confident in our choice to allow our daughter to be independent or feel guilty that I’m an irres...

Elijah Cummings has died and the world will bend a little less towards justice without him. He was a warrior for justice. He didn’t merely push back against what was wrong, he proclaimed the truth boldly. There aren’t a lot of people who can do that with such authority. Representative Cummings walked the walk. He was more than entitled to talk the talk. I’m too stunned to say much this morning. Even though I knew he had not been well, I still feel such a sense of loss. Elijah Cummings spoke at the kickoff to the Columbia 50th Birthday celebration at the Mall. His speech about Rouse’s revolutionary vision was a keen contrast to the prepared remarks of other local dignitaries. I soon found out why. I contacted his office to get a copy of his speech. After some back and forth, a staff member admitted that, although his office prepared speeches for him, he never followed them. He spoke from his heart, from his own life experiences, and he spoke to the issues he knew people need...

It wasn’t that long ago that my husband refused to go out to dinner on Friday nights in Columbia. It didn’t matter where you went, there would be a wait. And no one took reservations. In recent years the number of restaurants entering the local scene has exploded. My husband has stopped begging off Friday night meals out. And the restaurants keep coming. Howard Hughes recently announced a future Busboys and Poets, followed by word of GrillMarx and three other new establishments. I have moved from celebrating a decent choice on a Friday night to worrying whether Columbia can support this many restaurants. Columbia had one French restaurant, Petit Louis opened and basically put it out of business. And then even Petit Louis didn’t make it. Margin of profit in the restaurant industry is very thin. One addition to the local food scene I’m not worried about is HoCoNomNom , a blog about local restaurants. ... this is not a review site. What I mean by that is that my goal is to prov...

About a month ago a lowly cricket made news at the George Howard building for making its presence known in a very vocal way during a legislative hearing. Coincidentally, I had cricket on my mind at the very same time, having recently heard a piece on WAMU about the opening of a new cricket ground in Montgomery County. Not the same kind of cricket, I know. But bear with me. Cricket Is Growing In Popularity In Montgomery County. Now, There’s A New Field For People To Play - - Dominique Maria Bonessi, WAMU Ms. Bonessi interviews Bijal Shah, the co-founder of the Maryland Premier Cricket League. Shah says he remembers going to a Rockville permit office and asking to file a permit for a field to play cricket. He says the woman at the office thought he was talking about an insect. Cricket - - the sport - - is not very high on the radar of most Americans. It’s generally assumed to be something “very British” and impossibly esoteric, You might be surprised to learn that it actua...

I have reached the time in my life when some of my women friends are becoming grandmothers. I find it odd that our culture seems to look on this as a life achievement when, in fact, there is absolutely no personal effort involved. Other people do all the work. It is not a goal one can work toward, now, is it? Yesterday I heard a piece on the TED Radio Hour on WAMU which gave me a completely new take on the status of being a grandmother. Entitled “How Can a Team of Grandmothers Make Therapy Accessible to All?” it tells the story of a mental health initiative in Zimbabwe. Mental health professionals are in extremely short supply.  Dr. Dixon Chibanda, one of only fifteen psychiatrists in the country, created a new and rather unexpected model for bringing mental health care right to where people needed it most. So in very simple terms, the Friendship Bench is really - literally a bench which is used to create space for healing. So I work with grandmothers - community grandmo...

My apologies. For some reason my body is craving sleep more than blogging this morning. One local story that interests me is this one  by Baltimore Sun’s Christina Tkacic: The Rathskeller to bring German food and drinks to Elkridge’s historic Main Street We’re used to seeing articles almost daily about Ellicott City’s Historic Main Street. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one referencing Elkridge in this way. Is this just another way that Elkridge generally “don’t get no respect” in Howard County? Is the goal to make Main Street Elkridge a destination in the way that Ellicott City is? Is there a well-defined “Old Elkridge”? Years ago I wrote a piece in which I expressed the desire to be given a tour of Elkridge by a knowledgeable local. It still hasn’t happened, but maybe someday.

Sometimes you just have a hankering for a turkey club sandwich. Not just any old turkey sandwich, mind you, but the real deal: an old school, impossibly tall edifice of goodness. Frilled toothpicks required. It’s probably one of those nostalgic cravings from the days of my youth. Last night was that night, and I was on a quest for the best. I remembered that they had a decent turkey club at the Cheesecake Factory, but I wasn’t particularly in a mood to deal with the Mall on a Friday night. My other thought? The Double T Dinner on Route 40 in Ellicott City. So off we went. I was not disappointed. It was the best of its kind: the bread perfectly toasted with just enough mayo. Real roasted turkey, not deli meat. Generous amounts of bacon, perfectly crispy. The right balance of lettuce and tomato. Even the frilled toothpicks were on point. Oh, my friends, it is a blessing to find joy on a Friday night after a long and weary week in something as humble as a sandwich. We all ...

I  saw this sentence in an inspirational meme this morning: In six months time you can either be in the same place or a better place. Where are we going to be in six months, Columbia/HoCo? A friend of mine shared with me that she is trying to imagine a time on the other side of the redistricting decision. I admitted I had a hard time doing that. I would imagine that many folks are so consumed by what’s happening right now that they would find it hard to envision something beyond  it. We are not going to be in this place forever. This issue isn’t going to be the only issue forever. What are we doing to make sure that in six months we are in a better place, and not the same place? I’m going to spend some time this weekend trying to picture what March, 2020 could look like if we were in a better place.

The Sunday at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, the return of Mini Maker Fair e promises to be even more amazing than last year’s event. What’s a Maker Faire? Here are a few glimpses I caught of last year. (Taken with permission.)  From the event page  : Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning and who love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue for these "makers" to show hobbies, experiments, and projects.  It is called it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth - a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness. Glimpse the future and get inspired! Its important to register for tickets so that the nice folks at IAT can assign you a place to park and make sure they will be adequately prepared for the number of people who want to come. It’s free to the public, just let them know you’re coming. I really wish there had be...

I can’t get this Tweet out of my mind. @katstaley Be especially kind to your LGBT students this week.  School can seem pretty pointless when your humanity is up for debate in your nation's highest court This didn’t originate in Howard County but the sentiment is just as applicable here. Our students are watching. Our LGBT students are getting up, going to school, doing their homework, and wondering what kind of future they will be allowed to have. An older  article  from Smithsonian has been making the rounds again on social media, reminding us that “Simply Having a Gay Straight Alliance Reduces Suicide Risk for All Students”. When the difference between having a space for acceptance and support or not can truly be a matter of life and death, you can imagine what watching this Supreme Court Case unfold is doing to our young people. Howard County has come a long way in recent years in acknowledging and responding to LGBTQ citizens. So has the Howard Coun...

A bit of good news for your Tuesday morning. You may know Wendy Binder as a former owner of a much-loved Columbia business, but you may not know that she is a Program Director of STEM Professional Learning in the NSTA Integrated Programs division. The National Science Teaching Association recently released this video. Ms. Binder shared it on Facebook, saying: I have been so proud to work with STEM educators across the world in my work at NSTA . Today we launched this video and I am so happy to share it. Here we have a local connection, support for teachers and learning, respect for science - - I’d say that’s a pretty good way to start your day.