Village Green/Town²

After weeks of politically-driven criticism of Calvin Ball, local residents are pushing back. Community response to those hateful, racist signs in Ellicott City has shown a repudiation of the Reopen Howard County rhetoric. Beginning Friday, a steady stream of of photographs and personal statements have been posted on social media, thanking the County Executive for his dedication and hard work in Howard County. Think about it: people who are grateful for a scientifically-driven response to a community health crisis are not going to be showing up in droves to march in favor of physical distancing. When the loudest voices are the negative ones, it’s easy to think that theirs is the prevailing point of view. The pushback on social media makes it clear that there are positive voices. A lot of them. All of this has put me in mind of a post I wrote marking one year of Dr. Ball’s term. I am running it again because this week’s events make it increasingly relevant. If Not Now, When?...

Dear friend, Dear nice, kind, funny, sweet friend.  Dear smile-at-parties friend. Dear catching-up-on-Facebook friend. Dear served-on-that-committee friend. Why are you so silent? I’ve been holding this door open for you so long. There have been times I was almost sure you were coming through. And then, nothing.  Silence. You and I, we have so much in common. Loving families, good education. A passion for things we care about. Walking through life protected by an invisible blessing that others are denied. We know it’s there. We don’t talk about it. If we veer too close, somehow the conversation melts away or stalls into silence. Can’t you hear? The screams of the murdered. The cries of children. The hopeless wail of the unjustly accused and imprisoned. The endless march of injustice: each day, each hour, each minute. It must be so much work to build a silence strong enough to block them out. Dear friend,  Dear wit...

Today my words are not important. I’m sending you over to Ubuntu Mom blog for: 9 Ways to “Do Something” To Help Fight Racism Ubuntu Mom is a resident of Columbia and a teacher. Trust me when I say that you need to hear her voice today.

Truth in advertising: I was never all that interested in science when I was in school. I loved to read, loved writing poetry. I lived for music class. In high school, theatre was my everything. I suspect it had something to do with the way it was taught, because I have come to love science so much more as an early childhood educator. Be that as it may, even though I found those classes to be passable or downright tedious as a student, I never, ever doubted the validity or importance of science. I was raised believing that those who made scientific breakthroughs that benefited humanity were a special kind of hero. I had a book I read over and over about Louis Pasteur, Alexander Fleming, Joseph Lister, Edward Jenner, and more. Although I felt no calling to be a scientist, I saw the pursuit of science as a noble calling, a social good. I am frustrated beyond measure by the current mood that encourages us to “cancel” science if the scientific evidence doesn’t say what we want to hea...

Toxic white entitlement was everywhere in the news yesterday. It was certainly front and center in Howard County as protestors turned out in Old Ellicott City without masks, and without observing physical distancing guidelines, in order to hold up signs that might as well have said, “Look at me” and “I’m special, too!” Yes, white entitlement was on display at the  so-called non-politcal protest against the County Executive’s policies for guiding our community through the Covid 19 crisis.  On a day when we saw the weaponization of a call to the police and, elsewhere, the horrors of what happen when the police show up, how eerie to see one of these Howard County protestors carrying a sign emblazoned with the words “Blue Lives Matter”.    Photo credit: Re-open Howard County What does that have to do with reopening businesses? How is that in any way non-political?  How unbelievably entitled one must feel to turn one’s back on the deaths of George Flo...

By now you have probably seen images of the ingenious inner tube tables meant to ensure physical distancing at the Fish Tales Bar & Grill in Ocean City. Even if you think it’s too soon to be pouring out to the beach and boardwalk, you can’t help but smile at the sight:  those folks grouped together like so many bumper cars at an amusement park, as they test out what may come to be the newest thing in summer fun. In Italy, a museum is set to reopen an important Raphael exhibit with special restrictions to enforce distancing in place. A guide will lead groups limited to six museum patrons through the exhibit. Elsewhere in Italy, the Florence Cathedral will be issuing visitors “social distancing necklaces”. The cathedral explained the new technology in a  video  posted on YouTube this week. Crafted by Italian company Advance Microwave Engineering , the rectangular devices can sense when they are within roughly six feet of each other. If users are too close for co...

As difficult as it has been to live within the confines of the current quarantine, the creativity that has arisen to honor and celebrate special people and occasions has been heartwarming. Birthday drive-by parades, prom photos from home, visits with neighbors from porch and sidewalk. Public health guidelines make most of our usual celebrations off limits for now. But they cannot suppress natural human joy. Today’s story comes from our Muslim neighbors at Dar Al Taqwa. When I saw it on Facebook I immediately asked to share it here.  A message from the Dar Al Taqwa Board of Directors: Greetings to our beloved community and wonderful neighbors! We at Dar Al Taqwa want to wish everyone a beautiful Memorial Day weekend and an Eid Mubarak to our Muslim friends and families! This weekend marks the first of our high holidays, Eid Al Fitr, that celebrates the culmination of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Due to the pandemic, we decided to turn COVID into a '...

Six days out of every seven volunteers show up at Columbia Community Care sites and facilitate the distribution of food, hygiene products and other necessary items to members of our community. Their work is  a lifeline. The donations are supported by individuals and groups from all over Howard County. The work of founder Erika Strauss Chavarria and her team has been featured nationally on NPR’s Hidden Brain. The economic instability underlying this desperate need during the Covid 19 crisis is provided, in part, by a lack of affordable housing. Decisions about affordable housing come from our local government. Local government is elected by us. We are responsible. It’s all connected. From “ The Difference ”: I’ve written about this before, but it has come back to the front of my mind as I watch the massive effort put forth by Erika Strauss Chavarria and her team at Columbia Community Care. Why is their work necessary? I would argue that the combination of low wages and hi...

They say that one should never discuss religion or politics. This post is about both.  Yesterday afternoon’s statements from the White House briefing room, without interpretation or analysis, are that the President declares that all churches and places of worship to be ‘essential’ and should be open.  There’s plenty to dig into here, most especially the public health ramifications of such an announcement, but also whether the President has the legal authority to make and enforce such a decree. I encourage you to do your own homework on that. What I want to say is a bit different. The fundamental flaw in the President's announcement is something more central than public health or politics or constitutional legality. It starts with the assumption that houses of worship are closed.  They aren’t. From Pastor Lura Groen of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Columbia: Worship is essential! But our building is not. Thanks be to God we can worship together online, ...

I’ve been mulling over this footnote to the story of the Board of Education candidate who withdrew from the race after numerous offensive social media posts came to light. Out of the noise and internet frenzy came a plea from the candidate’s ex-wife, saying that she was being unfairly targeted for harassment. Her family and her business were being threatened. She was fearful that she could lose her livelihood. Her children were anxious. Social media “dragging” is not for the faint of heart. It’s the mob and the pitchforks, even if you can’t see them in your front yard. There’s just one odd thing about this particular case. The person in question was one of the people who participated in the online “dragging” of me and my family when I wrote about redisctricting. And when I wrote about that experience, she commented that, unless I revealed direct examples, it meant that I was merely saying these things to be divisive. Essentially, she called me a liar. Perhaps it feels diff...

Today’s news: there are people in Howard County who feel oppressed because other people are called essential workers and they aren’t. As a reminder, essential workers include everyone involved in hospital/medical care, and the folks who make sure you are able to get food and medicine. Oh, and childcare for other essential workers. Why is it necessary to have an essential worker designation? Well, because we are fighting a disease that has no vaccine and no reliable treatment protocols. In addition, testing, contact tracing, and the availability of PPE are currently insufficient. Under present conditions, limiting who is out and about and in contact with others is the best public health strategy available. And that’s exactly what the Governor said. Right up until he didn’t. Back to Howard County. In the same vein as those who turned up in Annapolis with their matching yellow t-shirts ( Hogging the Limeligh t) now we have a local group who want to turn up in Old Ellicott City t...

If you were concerned by the racist memes that recently took center stage in the Board of  Education race, you are not alone. If you have watched with alarm as racist dog whistles evolved into overtly racist language during the Redistricting process, you are not alone.  Our teachers are watching. You may have seen friends sharing this press release this week on Facebook. On Monday, May 18, The Black Lives Matter at School 365 coalition, in partnership with the Anti-Racist Education Alliance, LLC, announced an opportunity for virtual space for Black educators to discuss how recent events have made an impact on their lives, and to discuss what steps can be taken moving forward. The Let’s Talk Event will be held on Wednesday, May 27th at 6 pm. What does this mean? First, some background. The National Education Association EdJustice site says this about Black Lives Matter at School: The goal of Black Lives Matter at School is to spark an ongoing movement of c...

Maryland makes the big time in this Newsweek article by Eddy Rodriguez from May 13th: Maryland Restaurant Owner Can’t Get Employees to Return Because They Make More in Unemployment While the story was initially run with a photograph of establishments on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, it’s actually based on interviews with the owner of Charles Village Pub & Patio in Towson.  Although I am not in the business of giving out awards, this article wins the prize for leaving the most important part out: Coronavirus. Illness, dying, and death. Risking the same for one’s family members. Why does that appear nowhere in this article?  Forget calculations of how much restaurant workers “ought” to be receiving during this crisis. This is not a story about numbers. It is a story about choice. I cannot count the times that I have seen friends and acquaintances say since March, “I am lucky enough to be able to work from home.”  I am lucky I am fortunate I feel blesse...

Have you started anything new lately? I keep reading suggestions that now is the time to take up a hobby you’ve always been interested in or learn a new language. I’ve done more crafting, but mostly I’m thrilled to be catching on housework that never seems to get fully accomplished while both of us work full time. I suppose you could say that’s something new. Around town there are a few new ventures of note. The Elevate Maryland podcast now has a weekly e-newsletter. It’s easy to subscribe. Go to their website and look for the Elevated Voices newsletter on the homepage. It’s described as, “a weekly curated list of Maryland’s best political coverage and commentary.” Podcast cohost Tom Coale used to feature a Friday Links column on his blog HoCoRising. The new Elevated Voices newsletter is very much in that vein. Over at the library, there’s a new blog called Chapter Chats.  From Christie Lassen: Chapter Chats will feature recommendations for materials in our collection...

I discovered this morning that The Wilkes School at Grace and Saint Peter’s, where I worked from 1985-2003, will close its doors forever this Spring, felled by the coronavirus pandemic, years of declining enrollment, and a massive backlog of repairs needed to shore up their aging facilities. I have mixed feelings about this, and there’s probably a blog post in it, but I’m not ready yet. I learned this news while reading an obituary in the Baltimore Sun for Downing Kay, “likely Maryland’s oldest resident.” I recognized the name immediately because the Grande Dame of Grace and Saint Peter’s School, first grade teacher Mrs. Nona Porter, used to visit her former colleague regularly and spoke fondly of her. A piece on the school’s website notes that they played Scrabble together. The obituary, written beautifully by Christina Tkacik, recognizes earlier interviews of Mrs. Kay by Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks for his podcast Roughly Speaking in 2018. Ms. Tkacik is described b...