Village Green/Town²

  Today is the final day of operation for CA’s Haven on the Lake. They wished the community farewell on their Facebook page. As we close our doors today, we want to thank you for all of your support over the years! We are honored to have been part of your wellness journey.  Thank you for sharing all of your favorite memories with us over the last few days. We hope to see everyone again soon! It occurred to me that I had been at the groundbreaking of Haven. I searched through old post to find my write up. Here it is. Thursday, July 24, 2014 Two Tales, One City (Today's post is dedicated to Dennis Lane, who should have been there.) 1.We arrived shortly before ten am on a hot and humid Wednesday morning. Real Columbia summer. As we approached the steps we were stopped by a friendly woman who welcomed us.  "Are you here for the groundbreaking?" she asked. We said we were. She introduced herself and we chatted as she showed us to the starting point for the morning's festiv...

  Note to the reader: what follows is not meant to be a serious solution to a complex issue. Nor is it meant in any way to mock anyone who is deeply committed to advocacy around this topic. It is simply a light-hearted response to the endless arguments in our community. - - jam ***** Monday I saw this information* on Facebook and I had one of those lightbulb moments you see in the old cartoons. You see here 2020 census information as regards population changes in several Maryland counties. Clearly Howard County has had the largest increase of the counties on the list. I know that this is seen to be a concern for those who are worried about the capacity of local infrastructure to support an increasing population. Quite a bit of energy is spent trying to limit new housing development with the thought that it will stem the tide of new residents. Suddenly I had a crazy idea. (Hear me out, now.) What if we’ve been going about this the completely wrong way? Perhaps what is needed is an a...

I have an early appointment this morning and for some reason the thought of it hangs heavy over any inspiration I might have to write. My first thoughts upon awakening were: “coffee!” followed by “let me close my eyes for a few minutes.” Not exactly a recipe for success. I saw a chart somewhere last night about the relative increase/decrease in population among Maryland counties. Now I can’t find it. If you know what I’m talking about, can you direct me to it? Thanks. Howard County, as we know, has experienced an increase. And the amount of housing that we have/are building does not match up with the demand. We are seeing the result of that in higher and higher housing prices.  I have a wacky idea on how to cope with this situation swirling around in my head. I promise no solutions but perhaps a smile or a raised eyebrow. I’ll spend some time on it today and get back to you tomorrow. Early appointments are for the birds.

On March 31st a reader reached out to me with the question: is this on your radar? The enclosed link took me to an announcement that the Girl Scouts of Maryland were considering the sale of Camp Ilchester. The reasoning was that they would be the best stewards of their resources by using money from the sale to support other state Girl Scout properties and programs. Almost immediately I imagined a variety of local responses: broken-hearted Girl Scouts, environmentalists concerned about the possible loss of green space, and the consternation of those who oppose an increase of new housing/development in the county. I reached out to my friend and neighborhood Girl Scout leader Jeanne Lay for some perspective. She was trying to maintain an open mind but I could tell that the prospect of losing Camp Ilchester was a significant loss.  After some conversation I had an idea. I didn’t want to throw myself into this issue without a better understanding of what Camp Ilchester really means in H...

  The tree in my neighbor's yard is now producing pink snow. My solitary yellow tulip out front is bravely making its annual appearance. Around town I see people out working on their yards: piles of garden tools, bags of mulch, collections of yard trimmings out on recycling day. It’s just the right time for some recommendations from the Howard County Library if you have children in your life. (Or if you’re like me and just adore children’s books.) This week’s Chapter Chats entitled “Spring is for Gardening”, presents nine different volumes for your reading pleasure, with descriptions to help you pick a few to check out. My two favorite gardening books for kids are golden oldies by now: Planting a Rainbow and Growing Vegetable Soup , both by Lois Ehlert. Do you read books to children in your life? Do you have any Spring favorites to recommend? The Friends and Foundation of the Howard County Library has been running a fundraiser to support the creation of a new mobile library van ...

  Perhaps this is most suitable for a Sunday. I was just startled by this post on Facebook: Please join me in praying for these Maryland representatives today. To access the page with active links to sign up for a daily reminder to pray for our public officials and/or to contact these lawmakers and let them know you are praying for them, visit here: https://www.pray1tim2.org/states/md It was accompanied by photographs of the state representatives in question. Somehow it came across to me as a collection of WANTED posters. I didn’t find it comforting or inspirational. In fact, it felt more to me like a threat. Let me clarify, I don’t think it was meant as one. Something inside of me has become more and more wary of evangelical religion to the point where I wince and pull myself back from public expressions of this kind of Christianity. Maybe from any kind of Christianity. Readers of this blog know that I go to church and struggle with and care about issues of faith. I’m not anti-rel...

  About fifteen years ago, when my mother died, I was out in Indiana talking with my sister about things that would need to be done. There was an astounding amount of unused medication in the house. My sister didn’t want to put it in the trash for fear it would get into the wrong hands. She suggested flushing it down the toilet. The more I thought about that the more I imagined that 1) it would destroy the plumbing and 2) the medication would get into the local water system.   As I returned home shortly after the memorial service I don’t know what became of all that medication. I am guessing that my sister called the home hospice organization for advice.  I now know that local organizations plan periodic drug take-back events to help people clear out unneeded medications. Today happens to be National Prescription Drug Takeback Day.   The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue. According to the 2019 National ...

  A few last-minute comments about the CA elections, which are tomorrow. First of all, if you are still able to vote in your village and haven’t yet, please vote! Different villages have different ways of voting so please check to see. By far the most exciting Columbia Village for voting is Long Reach, which allows residents to pick from in-person, by mail, or electronically.  You probably know that it pains me to say that anyone is better than Oakland Mills, but, Long Reach has bested us on this. On the other hand, we have the best plant sale . Small consolation, but, it’s something. There have been some stories swirling about on social media this week that suggest all has been revealed about where the Rouse Project money comes from. Sadly, without verifiable proof that’s all they are: just stories. And that’s too bad. By refusing to operate with transparency the Rouse Project has managed to make this year’s CA election more about themselves than the candidates.  Was tha...

  On this day in 2017, the Chrysalis made its official debut as a community space for the arts and the first component of Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. I believe it has changed our community for the better. It has certainly changed my life for the better.  The program from opening day:   It was a great honor for me to have my writing included on the program that day. But that was only the beginning of the joy I have had in the park: attending all sorts of concerts, enjoying holiday lights and decorations, exploring the Mini-Maker Faire and the Fantasywood Festival, and, best of all, leading preschool dance parties on the Chrysalis stage. After a year of quiet due to the pandemic, the park is coming back to life. This season's performance events are shaping up. I’ll have more on that in a future post. In honor of Earth Day, I want to focus on the work of the Trust as environmental stewards of the land. In this piece on the Inner Arbor Trust website, they describe Go...

  The secret to building trust in education... Relationships, relationships, and relationships. I can’t remember who said this. I found it the other day while I was scrolling through Twitter. I’m pretty sure the author is a teacher. At any rate, it’s the ideal way to begin a piece about the upcoming HoCo Rainbow Conference.  The idea for the conference was born out of conversations between a teacher and her students, and their willingness to share openly and listen to each other. Danielle DuPuis, Media Specialist at Hammond High School and advisor for the school's SAGA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance) Club, was inspired by conversations she had with club members. Some voiced concerns that teachers didn’t really understand them or that they were harassed by other students. They also expressed a desire to meet LGBTQ+ students and allies from other schools. Ms. DuPuis conceived of the HoCoRainbow Conference as a way to engage and educate within the school system as well as in the ...

To be honest, the only reason I know that it is National Volunteer Week is that I saw a mention of it on Facebook. I didn’t really even know there was a National Volunteer Week. There is . According to the webpage for the national organization: National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges, to build stronger communities and be a force that transforms the world. Each year, we shine a light on the people and causes that inspire us to serve, recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent and voice to make a difference in their communities....National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and has grown exponentially each year. Certainly there’s a whole lot of volunteering going on in Columbia/HoCo. Both Columbia Community Care and The Community Ecology Institute - Freetown Farm are powered by a committed workforce of volunteers. Over the years I have known people w...

  I’m having a day over here. What kind of day? You ask. I’m having a day where I just want to move away and live in a little beach town where I don’t know anyone and they don’t know me. I don’t want to know the local players or movers and shakers. I don’t want to be up to date on the local controversies. Most of all I don’t want to have my hopes raised because I believed in the good only to have them dashed by the powerful, the cynical, the well-heeled and well-connected.  Just for today, I’d like to resign from all that and walk on a beach somewhere far from the taunts of privilege, and racism, and smug self-righteousness. My perfect beach would have no Columbia/HoCo mansplaining, no passive-aggressive Twitter threads, no conspiracy theories.  I’ve spent the last ten years trying to educate myself on local issues and communicate through this blog the things that matter. But today, my friends, I am so done with that. At long last I’m not so sure about that investment. Wh...

  My next door neighbor’s tree is a sign of spring that brings me joy every year. As for me, I’m no gardener but I have one or two random tulips. That is, if the deer don’t behead them before I can take a picture. It seems that everywhere you go right now in Columbia/HoCo, glorious blooms abound. Where are your favorite vistas of Spring? If I were going to get in my car right now, where should I go to experience Spring in all its glory? Send me your recommendations. Of course if it’s your own backyard I promise not to drive over and show up on your doorstep. I’m really thinking of publicly viewable spots. As I recall, the Rouse brothers statue at the Lakefront is flanked by a bed of red tulips. And people are already posting with anticipation about visiting the Brighton Dam Azalea  Garden, which usually looks its best around Mother’s Day. I’m a huge fan of forsythia but it looks as though it has already had its big moment for the year and is moving on. Sigh. That particular co...

  I highly recommend this beautifully written and produced story from the BBC: Is this the new Main Street, USA? - - Eliot Stein It tells the story of Rasha Obaid and Majd AlGhatrif, the owners of Syriana in Old Ellicott City. I have been inside Syriana though I haven’t had food there. That’s something I hope to do as I return to the world post-vaccination.  There’s a letter to the editor in this week’s Columbia Flier that asks a question about hate crimes. The author supports prosecuting perpetrators of such crimes under the law, but wonders what we all could be doing to prevent these crimes from occurring. How could we be more proactive?  As I read the BBC piece about a married couple from Syria who have made a home in the United States and joyfully share their culture, I thought about how important it is to learn other people’s stories. Learning other people’s stories can prompt one to engage and enter in to relationships with those one might have avoided or ignored....

I’m going to begin by looking back a bit. I think you’ll see why. - - jam   Looking for Mr. GoodRouse (February 10, 2012) The room grew quiet. It was a depressed kind of silence, as if no one could think of anything to say that would help or make things better.  Finally, someone spoke. "The problem is that we keep hoping for the Great Good Developer who will be to us what we think that Rouse was--and it ain't gonna happen." He went on, "The County is our Government, and that's where we need to be going if we want things to change.  This kind of magical thinking isn't going to do anything." We were talking about the Bridge Columbia Project, an idea which would benefit Columbia and Howard County alike.  But we could have been talking about any significant challenge that Columbia faces today.  Insomuch as we have to work with HHC or GGP to get something accomplished, we cannot make them into something that they are not.   They are not like the God-like fo...

  Sunday evening we had a little post-vaccination get together at my house. For me, it was far more than a belated birthday celebration. It was the first time all five of us had been together in the same room for a very long time. As you might expect, it felt both slightly weird and completely normal at the same time. I ordered food from Flavors of India, using their online menu. (It will be easier than calling them on the phone, I thought.) All was going smoothly until my husband stopped by to pick it up and they had never received the order. They also pointed out that the web address I had used was not theirs. This was odd, since I had a confirmation email and had sent my husband a photo of the order in case he needed it. And he did need it, because he had to place the order and pay for it all over again. The lovely folks at Flavors of India sent him home and delivered our food to us, with complementary rice pudding for dessert. Meanwhile, I checked my bank account and the charge...

  From Twitter: If you wonder why the Maryland State legislature has been working on police reform throughout this session, this is why. If you wonder why they pressed on to override the Governor’s veto, this is why. Throughout this country policing is unequal and oversight is woefully inadequate.  This must stop. The same is true for the policing of Black and Brown students in our schools. Police look at them and treat them differently than white students, and the consequences are devastating. We didn’t have SRO’s in this country until after schools were integrated. People in power looked at the prospect of Black and Brown children coming into what had previously been all-white spaces and decided in advance that those they perceived as “different” were automatically dangerous. And needed policing. It has been a self-fulfilling prophecy from the outset. Police find what they are predisposed to see. Students’ educational experience and future prospects are diminished. White stu...

A friend reached out to me to share this quote from Tony Conti, the lawyer who represented the parents attempting to strip voting rights from the Student Member of the Board position. Tony Conti, the lawyer representing the parents...wrote in an email. “... Our only hope is that the Court of Appeals will recognize the urgency and decide the case before our children lose out on another year of education.” (“Howard County parents lose lawsuit aimed to strip student school board member’s vote” Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun ) What the heck? “Lose another year of education?”  I wonder how the teachers who have been teaching those students day after day feel when they read that. As though their hours and hours of work didn’t exist, meant nothing. Of course distance learning is not the same nor did anyone ever say it would be. It has been the best that could be done during a health crisis that has overwhelmed all parts of our society. How mindblowingly arrogant it is to say that beca...

  This week I learned of the loss of a kind and magical person who was a loyal reader of this blog. I want to devote this space to her today and share with you a glimpse of what made her so special. I first met Penny through my friend Mary Kate. (Mary Kate is very important to my story because she is the person who said to me, way back when, “You should have a blog,” before I even really knew what a blog was.) It was clear from the start that Penny was the kind of person who gave you her complete attention and made you feel valuable and cared for, even if you didn’t know her well.  Over time Penny became a reader of this blog. But she wasn’t just a passive reader; she participated. She interacted. She made the blog better by putting herself back into it. Penny responded to posts about Columbia with her perspective as a long-time Columbia resident. She was a devoted supporter of arts education. Penny offered words of encouragement when my blog posts responded to injustice or he...

A few odds and ends this morning. For those of you who might be wondering, “why picnic tables?” after the announcement of this year’s contest at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, here’s a lovely piece from the folks at the Inner Arbor Trust: Why Picnic Tables Matter Something to think about: ...these outdoor gathering spaces will continue to be critical - and we believe that this refound love of the outdoors is here to stay.  We need large, socially distanced outdoor spaces to begin to rebuild that feeling of community, that joy of being together in a common space.   A picnic in the park sounds like just the thing. Reader Katie Kirk recommended another option for my “first freedom” Saturday: Tomorrow from 10 am to 3 pm at HCC will be this year’s Howard County Greenfest. You can learn more about this year’s event here . Lastly, this week marks the four year anniversary of local podcast Elevate Maryland.   It began on the couches at Joe’s Deli (now sadly departed) with t...

  Two weeks. This Saturday marks two weeks from my second vaccination. This means I can think about leaving the house for more than doctor’s appointments or picking up curbside at Walgreens. It’s a dizzying prospect. Where shall I go? What shall I do? One possibility: This Saturday, April 10, from 10AM-2PM, Clarksville Commons is hosting the last of their winter markets.* Confirmed vendors include: Bushel and a Peck, Great Harvest Bread Co, Raw Blossom, Highland Designs, The Urban Winery, The Salvaged Stitch, Mom’s Sweet Creations, Hensing’s Hilltop Acres, Soul Cacao, Balti’Marons, and 410 To 407.  I’ve certainly missed hanging out at the Common Kitchen and grabbing a cup of coffee and a scone at Trifecto, so this is a tempting thought. I’m also wildly curious about DoodleHATCH . I should check to see if they have any availability on Saturday. I haven’t been able to see what’s up at the Long Reach Village Center so that would be a fun little adventure for long-sheltered me. I...

 From the community inspired mural at the East Columbia Branch Library to the fantastical 140 foot long “ Parade ” at DoodleHATCH, public art has been on my mind lately. I’ve noticed a few more opportunities to be a part of the local art scene that I want to share with you.  The folks at Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods are kicking off their season with a picnic table art project. From the announcement: The Trust invites individual artists, students, groups, corporations, non-profit organizations, and others to propose a design to paint onto a picnic table to be displayed in Symphony Woods during 2021.  As we emerge from the pandemic, the Trust wants to create a whimsical picnic area available for the community to enjoy.   Deadline for submissions 11:59 p.m. on April 24, 2021. Learn more here . I still remember what a great variety of creations were produced for the “Celebrating the Arts in the Park” Adirondack chair contest in 2017. Here’s an example from the P...