Skip to main content

New and Improved



 

Tonight is the big Sobar New Year’s Eve event “Mask”uerade Virtual New Year’s Eve Party. I’m actually “going”, as much as any of us go anywhere these days. I was happy to learn that sponsorships for the event have covered the cost so that ALL halfway houses and sober living facilities will attend the event at no charge. It’s good to know that Sobar’s commitment to creating exciting alcohol-free events is strongly inclusive of those who may not have the ability to pay. 

Tickets are still available and musical performers include local favorite Damon Foreman.

It looks like good news for environmentalists and fans of open space: the County has purchased a parcel of land which is known as the Savage Remainder to be added to open space preserved for use by the public. As for me, I am convinced that “Savage Remainder” is the perfect name for a rock band. I hope somebody out there agrees with me. Looking forward to future concerts at Savage Park...

Hyperlocal news story: I opened my refrigerator yesterday afternoon to discover that I had not, in fact purchased pre-formed pizza crusts from Wegman’s.


This news was unfortunately competing with our other hyperlocal news story: there is now a Nando’s conveniently located next to a Guitar Center in Laurel and we already had carry-out dinner plans. Members of my Buy Nothing Group were surprised to see this offering:

Gift: emergency pizza situation! Thought I bought pre-formed crusts. Apparently not. Looks like explosion is imminent. Come take these two bags of dough, purchased yesterday, and do right by them. 

I’m happy to say that the pizza crust found a new home almost immediately. However, I may always be known in the future as “that woman who was afraid of yeast.” What can I say?  Yesterday that was just more excitement than I could handle.

If you are looking for more excitement I recommend this piece over at The Merriweather Post, where blogger Jeremy Dommu is looking forward to 2021 with determination and enthusiasm. He has invited locals to add to his list. Of course I’d add attending concerts at the Chrysalis and events like Fantasywood and the Mini Maker Faire at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. Maybe even a Chrysalis Kids Dance Party. 

If you are looking for a year-in-review piece from me, that’s up tomorrow. I, too, am looking for that piece, so we can both be surprised and delighted if it shows up. I’ll be listening to Elevate Maryland’s most recent podcast episode today for some inspiration.

A person you are going to want to know more about in the New Year is Laura Bacon, founder of The 3rd, a Howard County based 501c3 non-profit and business incubator, to support local Black women and women of color entrepreneurs. Here’s the piece in the Baltimore Sun that sparked a flurry of local Twitter activity yesterday:

Howard County’s The 3rd nonprofit

Before I go, have you signed the petition in support of establishing the Columbia Community Care Peace and Justice Center? To learn more, and to add your name go here.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
1 comment
Read more

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...
1 comment
Read more

F ³: Who Belongs at the Library?

  One of these things is not like the others One of these things doesn't belong Can you tell which thing is not like the other By the time we finish our song?* Did you guess which thing is not like the others? Did you guess which thing doesn't belong? If you guessed this thing is not like the others Then you're absolutely right.  Our library promotes equity. Our library promotes literacy for adults who have come here from many places. Our library promotes accessibility to materials and opportunities. Our library is hosting multiple Harry Potter themed events?  Tell me this isn’t so. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, has and continues to use the profits from those books to advocate for laws that diminish the rights of trans people. She has and continues to use her fame to influence public opinion to view and treat trans people negatively. In short, Ms. Rowling is using the Harry Potter book series to make transgender people around the world less safe....
1 comment
Read more