Local News, Local Lives

A moment that made me laugh but also wince this week was this story from the Baltimore Sun:

Here you see a timely news story accompanied by an extremely un-timely photo. The Columbia Association vacated its headquarters down at the Lakefront a while ago. They moved to 6310 Hillside Court in 2015.

This error is not the end of the world but it is a sign of what happens when distant corporate ownership bleeds newsrooms dry, cutting positions while underpaying and overworking those who are left. You have much less institutional knowledge while also having fewer eyes on the final product. Seeing this didn’t make me want to give up on the Baltimore Sun. It made me even more convinced that the paper deserves better ownership.

In Annapolis, employees of sister newspaper the Capital Gazette are inviting supporters to join with them in a protest to the closure of their newsroom by owners Tribune Publishing. You can learn more about the Labor Day event here. From the event page:

Tribune Publishing’s divestment in our physical community presence is a divestment in the people of Maryland. We disagree with this decision because we believe that the country needs journalists on the ground, holding institutions accountable more than ever.

If you are interested in the initiative to make the Sun a non-profit under local ownership, you can read more at Save Our Sun.

It’s not too late to participate in the annual Bridges to Housing Stability Chili Challenge, which is going virtual this year. Sign up to purchase chili meals, and/or make a donation to support their biggest fundraiser of the year. Local restaurants Tino’s Italian Bistro and newcomer The Periodic Table are partnering with Bridges to Housing Stability to help recreate this popular and tasty event in a safe, socially-distanced incarnation, with a virtual Watch Party to enjoy along with your meal. This year there’s also an online silent auction to add to the fun. Interested? Click here and order your chili!

And one more thing. Erika Strauss Chavarria, of Columbia Community Care, has posted a Labor Day weekend fundraising challenge of $5,000.00 to support CCC programs. They are on the way to meeting their goal but they could really use some community support. You can donate through the following apps:

It takes about $5,500.00 per week to make Columbia Community Care’s operations possible. I learned that and much more in Ana Faguy’s piece for the Howard County Times.

Fast-growing Columbia non-profit is on a mission of care during coronavirus

And we’ve come full circle: back to local journalism. Funny how that works.

Comments

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else. Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog