Village Green/Town²

I have long indulged myself in fantasy concepts for local landmarks. Some examples: redoing the Columbia Flier building as an HGTV-esque Extreme Home and living there, redeveloping the Wilde Lake Village Center as “children's bithday party central” complete with bouncy castles,, transforming the Wilde Lake Village Center into a History of Columbia theme park…well, you get the idea. I just like brainstorming and sometimes my ideas lean a little on the wacky side. That’s why I immediately recognized a kindred spirit in the writer of this tweet: Move the Bowie Baysox to Howard County and introduce the world to the Columbia Crabs. Replace the dumbest parts of the Mall with a stadium. Who says no? They could keep like half the dang mall. Well! That’s certainly an idea I had never thought of. I’m not particularly a sports fan, though I wouldn’t want to prevent others from enjoying them. In contemplating this suggestion I had two questions: What would that do to traffic? What exactly are...

Yes, I overslept, but I can’t let the day go by without telling you about this cool new way to celebrate the Fourth of July in Columbia. Just another reason I love Oakland Mills. Now that we have that upgraded bridge across Route 29 we want to share it with everybody! In order to keep all those bikes safe they are recruiting volunteers to staff the bike corral. This post from the Horizon Foundation explains more: The bike corral is being organized by volunteers from Oakland Mills and Wilde Lake with funding and support from the Oakland Mills Village Board, Town Center Village Board, Columbia Association, Howard County, Bike Hoco, and the Horizon Foundation. That’s an impressive amount of collaboration! I can see why the Horizon Foundation is supporting this: biking is good for your physical health, and using bikes instead of cars will cut down on fuel burned and spewed out in car exhaust. Good for people, good for the environment. If you’ve ever tried to get home from the Lakefront a...

  An update on the county’s HoCo By Design process came my way via this thread on Twitter by local blogger Frank Hecker . It starts here . A tip of the hat to Hecker for breaking down this information into easily manageable chunks.  A reminder for those not in the loop on this. HoCo By Design is described by the county as follows: Once each decade, Howard County updates its general plan, a long-range, visionary document that guides land use, growth and development decisions. From now through the end of 2021, the county’s Department of Planning and Zoning is leading a community outreach effort to create a new general plan, called HoCo By Design. County officials want to hear from every voice to create one vision for the new general plan. Back to the Twitter thread. I found this part the most interesting: the proposal that Columbia Gateway be an area for future residential development. I’m not over there all that often but I certainly have imagined it as another Columbia Villa...

I was startled to find this in my Facebook feed this morning. What do you mean, “no memories today?” How is that possible? I’m torn between thinking there is a glitch in the FB system or that somebody woke up this morning and just didn’t feel like doing it. I know that feeling.  At any rate, at least I have another place to go to check on my memories. And, oddly enough, about six years ago, I was writing about Facebook Memories.    TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2015 The Opposite of Memories Facebook has the nifty little feature that tells you each day if you have "memories" from that particular day. I find it both fun and informative to take a look back. I can see what life events I was going through, my commentary on local happenings, and hints at the evolution of my daughter's childhood. Many themes that run throughout my posts remain the same today: family life, my teaching, the local blogging scene, my village of Oakland Mills, Columbia "politics", Howard County governm...

I’ve been watching a program on PBS called The Mysteries of Mental Illness.  It’s fascinating. One of the issues addressed in last night’s episode was what they called “the bright white line” that seems to run between issues that are labeled as physical health, and those labeled as mental health, especially when it comes to coverage by insurance.  Most people seeking mental health treatment soon discover that the coverage they have, if any, is dismally inadequate. In addition, the availability of in-patient treatment options continues to be far lower than the actual need. That’s certainly true in Maryland, which is why I was happy to read about the new Sheppard Pratt center opening in Elkridge. Amid high demand for psychiatric care services in Maryland, Sheppard Pratt opens new, specialized treatment facility  Hallie Miller, Baltimore Sun I found this quote from the President and CEO of the Sheppard Pratt Health System enlightening: “We’ve definitely seen an increase in t...

Last night the Board of Education voted to approve the new MOU with the Howard County Police Department. SRO’s will continue to be present in Howard County Schools. The vote was as follows: In favor: Chao Wu Jennifer Mallo Vicky Cutroneo Christina Delmont-Small Yun Lu, Ph.D. Opposed: Jolene Mosley Antonia Watts Zachary F. Koung, Student Member of the Board Every single vote in favor is deeply disappointing to me. One in particular galls me. That’s all I’ll have to say about that right now. I can’t tell you the intent of the people who originated the practice of school policing, because I don’t know. But at this point, with years of data for us to analyze, it doesn’t matter whether they had good intentions or not. What matters are the results. School policing does not make schools safer. Having officers in schools has not provided significant protection in the case of school shootings. Black and Brown students, as well as students in special education programs, are consist...

My alarm goes off every morning at five am. I get up, get my coffee, and write. Some days it doesn’t take. I drink my coffee, scan social media for local stories, and doze off.  Today was one of those days. Looking on the bright side, at least this week’s Columbia Flier was in my inbox when I awoke. For some reason it consistently shows up later than the other local papers. I can’t figure out why this is. Surely it is ready to go long before any of us wake up. It’s a mystery. A highlight in this week’s local events is the opening of the new Bauder Education Center in Long Reach. The center will provide more spaces for young children in the county’s Head Start program, operated by the Community Action Council. Early childhood experiences are a huge influence over future social-emotional and academic success. High quality childcare programs are crucial. And everywhere that families are struggling financially, it is important that those programs are also affordable. If they are not, t...

Today is one of those days where I feel as though I could write one sentence apiece about a number of subjects. Not exactly a blog but there you are. Let’s do it. There are too many people running for Governor (even more than the last time I mentioned this) and STILL none of them are women. Ugh. Former Board of Education member Brian Meshkin is in trouble with the law and I am not surprised. I went to Boarman’s for the first time and had the great experience everyone told me I would. Also, I think everyone should have to wash their hands before entering a store but then I am a preschool teacher. Althea’s Almost Famous food truck will be at the Oakland Mills Village Center tomorrow from 12-6. I am reading rave reviews in the Howard County Eats Facebook group.  Apparently Friday will be the last day for Howard County Times reporter Ana Faguy. As always, I wish our local journalists well as they depart but I continue to have serious concerns about the future of local news coverage. Th...

  Meanwhile, back at the Lakefront… A year ago I wrote this post about the closing of Clyde’s  and the Soundry. The Way We Were This year the County is bringing back the traditional July 4th fireworks and festivities at the Lakefront. That’s a big step back to the way we were. Something new to the celebration will be an opportunity to support the Inner Arbor Trust and free arts programming for the community while enjoying prime seating at the fireworks. You can take a look at details for this event here . Last year I wrote wistfully about an experience I’d never had: I always wanted to be amongst the celebratory diners who enjoyed lobster and corn on the cob down at the Lakefront on the Fourth of July, surrounded by the famous patchwork quilt of families attending the fireworks. Alas, it was not to be. If you ever got to do that, I’d love to know what it was like.  This is the same space that will be used for the arts fundraiser. The menu will be more down to earth (burg...

  Last week I had a bit of an adventure. Of course this is one of those “I took a wrong turn in Columbia” stories. I was coming home from picking up an item from my Buy Nothing group and found myself in unfamiliar territory. It was a cul de sac but without any houses around it. A dead end, I suppose, and I was about to turn around when I saw this guy. He was so friendly that, when I rolled down my window to get a better picture, he just about climbed in my car. It was one of the many times in my life that I lamented being allergic to dogs. Those eyes! That sweet nose! That goofy tongue! I went home and posted it on social media. So did someone else. This fellow was making the rounds! Later I read that he had been taken to Animal Control.  Then yesterday someone posted this: Same dog? And, if so, why is this poor guy still on the loose with no collar? Also, what about the dog that was taken to Animal Control? I’m hoping that someone reading this will recognize this dog. I’d lov...

At nine am yesterday I was up, dressed, and waiting in line. If you are wondering what could get me (and my daughter) out of the house first thing on a Saturday the answer is simple: doughnuts. Blondie’s Doughnuts is a Baltimore-based, Black-owned business that brings freshly-made deliciousness to locations throughout the area by way of an adorable retro-style camper. It’s a Serro Scotty Sportsman, a name that would have mean nothing to me before I started watching Flippin’ RVs on GAC. I’ve been seeing raves for Blondie’s all over Facebook. Somehow word of her delicious brioche doughnuts even reached my daughter, who travels in completely different social media circles. When I told her there would be a pop-up event in Columbia, starting at nine am on a Saturday morning, she was up and ready to go. We were there at nine on the dot and there was already a line forming. The line moved at a reasonable pace and the service was pleasant and helpful. The variety of doughnuts, sweet rolls, an...

  Almost as soon as I wrote this wishful vignette for my April first blog post, I realized how truly “not the news” it was. “ Not the News ”, April 1, 2021 County Executive Calvin Ball announces the repurposing of the Wilkins Rogers Mill in Oella as a huge, mixed-use project which will combine housing at a variety of price points, a grocery with pharmacy, an urgent care facility, and an elementary, middle, and high school. The surrounding parking lots will be replaced with playgrounds, playing fields, pervious pavement parking, and generous tree-planting. Local advocacy groups will be meeting to find something to object to. The problem, of course, is that the building is actually located in Baltimore County. Oops. I got a bit carried away there. Setting aside that painful lack of knowledge on my part, let’s take a look at the real news about the Wilkins Rogers Mill. Developer seeking to restore Oella flour mill into 190-unit apartment complex with retail on ground floor ,  Cam...

  Dear Mike and Laura, You are surely grown by now and very likely not even a couple anymore, but: there you are. Immortalized by an act of youthful romance. I wonder what the day was like when you carved your declaration into this tree in Symphony Woods. Or perhaps it was at night, under cover of darkness. Maybe it was marked by a moonlit kiss. I’ve lived in Columbia 22 years now and I’ve never laid eyes on this tree before. That’s because I’ve never been in this part of the woods before. I’ve had no reason to.  Last night - - an indescribably perfect June evening - - this part of the woods was alive. Eric Byrd was at the keyboard, playing Gershwin and Ellington and singing the kind of jazz standards that just plain make me happy. Drinks were available, food too. People were spread out under the trees in their folding lawn chairs. Children, comfy on blankets, played at the feet of their parents. Small groups, maybe families or groups of friends, were seated at the newly-decor...

  “If we all have been socialized to have certain biases and prejudices, then we are capable of enacting those biases in our words and actions.” - Kevin Nadal, Psychology Professor It’s as simple as that.  While this quote comes from an article about microaggressions experienced by LGTBQ+ individuals, it is equally relevant when considering the treatment of Black and Brown people in our country and in our community. I’ve been thinking a lot about this quote this week. There are so many people in Columbia/HoCo who deny that these biases and prejudices are at play even as the evidence surrounds them. The recent videos of Ocean City Police using tasers on young people for vaping on the boardwalk constitute something significantly greater than microaggression, however. This is physical assault for an act that clearly does not warrant such a response. Sadly the video is both horrifying yet not surprising: of course the young people were Black. Had they been white, that would have ...

  The last day of school. The official beginning of summer. Pools will be open this year. There will be concerts and fireworks, family vacations. It seems as though we are speeding forward to regain something we have lost. After so many months where nothing felt normal, this summer beckons to us with the promise of normal life.  But let’s stop for a moment. It’s the last day of school. A moment worth thinking about.  Teachers have somehow held it together during the most challenging time in their careers. I don’t think we will ever truly understand how difficult it has been for them. They were asked to extend grace and patience to students and families, but often that same grace and patience was not extended to them. Their own health concerns were not respected. Work expectations were impossible to fulfill. Criticism came loud and clear on social media. They say that the loudest voices aren’t the only voices but it can be hard to distinguish positive messages when the din...

  Yesterday’s sermon at church centered around gardening symbolism and one part of it really struck me. Our pastor described two kinds of gardeners: one that plannned everything out carefully and neatly, and the other that just threw everything out there and hoped for the best. This second method she called “chaos gardening.” That would be me. I’m continually amazed by things that turn up that I don’t even remember planting. This little guy, for instance: As an example of this kind of gardening Rev’d Groen described a plant that turned up in her yard which sprang up to impressive heights almost overnight. Her neighbors took a dim view of this thing. She herself had no problem with it as it even gave her a bit of shade on her front porch. As she described it a light dawned for me. I knew that plant. Yup, we had one a few summers back that threatened to take over our back patio. At the time my friends informed me that it was pokeweed. Harmless, it would produce purple berries that th...

Recent blog posts have produced some interesting feedback. Here’s a sampling: A Teachable Moment: Apparently asking people to come back to a playground later if all the parking spaces are full is highly offensive. So far it has mostly been men who are offended. And - - oh my! - - they are quite an authoritative bunch. I’d like to remind readers that the post was intended as food for thought, not a demand, and that my blog very likely has no influence over Howard County policy.  Small Town Feelings  My comparison of Columbia, Maryand to Wetumpka, Alabama, inspired by a show on HGTV, ended up being more of a learning experience for me than for readers. Not only is Columbia’s population far more than ten times the size of Wetumpka, it looks like many if not all of Columbia’s villages have larger populations. Thanks to Jeremy Dommu of The Merriweather Post for pointing me towards this report from the Columbia Association. I expect to return to this topic in a future post, once I...

  I was driving to a doctor’s appointment Wednesday when I noticed what appeared to me to be a relatively new broken yellow line. (I don’t get out much; it may have been there several years for all I know.) While it’s true that we see broken yellow lines all the time, this one caught my eye. It was on the sidewalk. Hmm, let me review what a broken yellow line means: A broken yellow centerline means that a driver may cross the centerline to pass another vehicle on the left as long as there is no oncoming traffic. Drivers should never cross a solid yellow centerline in order to pass. What does it mean on the sidewalk? Is it to keep pedestrians traveling in opposite directions from hogging too much of the sidewalk? Is it there to permit pedestrians to pass one another on the sidewalk? (Perhaps there are speedy walkers in that neighborhood.) Does it have something to do with bicycles? The only bicycles I’m used to seeing on sidewalks are ones with kids on them. Is this a way to help pe...

When I first moved to Columbia I got lost almost every time I left the house. I wrote detailed directions on how to get to the Long Reach Safeway and the Owen Brown Giant. In fact, my husband broke down and bought me my first cell phone after I ended up at a pay telephone at a convenience store near Long Gate, unable to find my way home. When I traveled to as many as nineteen elementary schools, teaching Music and Movement to preschoolers in the RECC Program, I printed out directions from Yahoo and kept them in a folder in my car. I discovered how dependent I was on them when one day I needed to travel between two schools that I had never before taught on the same day. It was a test as to whether I could find something by dead reckoning, and it was a rather hairy experience. But I made it. Over time I have become acclimated to Columbia’s quirky layout. More or less. GPS makes everything easier, so it’s hard to tell. And boy, has cataract surgery made reading address numbers a breeze!...

  The recent decision by Governor Larry Hogan to discontinue the federal subsidies for unemployment related to COVID is yet another example that A) he truly does not understand people who are not like him, and B) he considers his responsibility is to govern for “people like us.” I remember once defining the word “ignorance” for my young daughter as follows: Ignorance is when you don’t know and you don’t care. That would be Governor Hogan.  Of course there exists the possibility that he does know but doesn’t care, which would be malice. Yes, I had a child-sized definition for that, too: Malice is when you mean to be mean. Today’s post is inspired by this piece by Crystal Peters at Maryland Matters. (It’s a guest post.) Opinion: Governor’s Decision on Unemployment Benefits Hurts Women, Children, and People of Color Take the time to read it if you can. It raises some important issues about about who exactly is relying on those benefits and what will happen when they are discontin...

Well there certainly are a lot of people running for Governor. Democrats, that is. With Wes Moore joining the race yesterday it looks like this: Rushern L. Baker III Jon Baron Peter Franchot  Doug Gansler Ashwani Jain John B. King Wes Moore Mike Rosenbaum You may be noticing something about this list. I do. There’s no women. I find this incredibly frustrating. It seems that in Maryland there’s a distinct lack of willingness on the part of the fellas to set their ambitions aside and get behind a woman. This is true not only at the gubernatorial level. Back in 2017 I wrote about how women are marginalized in Howard County local affairs: ...and yet all women have experienced this treatment. One is rendered invisible. A woman might be thought of as good conversation, great to bounce around ideas with, and just the right person to host an at-home candidate event. But would that favor be returned? (“ A Report from the Front ”, June 7, 2017) Do men think it is “unmanly” to support a woman...

Last night I watched the final episode in a special HGTV series called “Home Town Takeover.” In it, the small, spunky, but struggling small town of Wetumpka, Alabama receives a makeover courtesy of renovation experts Ben and Erin Napier. (An impressive array of additional Discovery Channel notables assist.)   Throughout the series I kept feeling as though something was missing. Last night I realized what it was: complaining. Controversy. How could one town undergo so much change with nary a peep from the naysayers? Here in Columbia such a scenario would be impossible. We can’t even redo a Village Center without protests, committees, and mediation. Oh, and don’t forget meetings. Numerous meetings, contentious meetings, interminable meetings. Of course none of that kind of behavior would make for the kind of television that HGTV is after. And I suspect that plenty of legal documents were signed to make sure that Wetumpkians behaved themselves and were suitably grateful. At least in p...

  Some thoughts today about parking. I’m thrilled that the new Play for All Playground at Blandair is bringing people to my side of town from all over Columbia/HoCo. I don’t think that Play for All means that we all have to be there at the same time, though. As I opined last week: When I encouraged you all to visit the new playground at Blandair I didn’t mean you should all come on the same day. Really. We drove by there yesterday and it was wildly overcrowded. Not only was every parking space filled, but people were parked on the shoulder on both sides. I don’t mean to promote exclusivity but I do think there’s a limit of how many children can play on a playground successfully.  Of course it’s new and that adds to its appeal. But maybe they should prohibit that “creative overflow parking” in order to keep the playground experience safe. In the meantime if you have special needs children and/or children with sensory issues, you’ll definitely want to choose off hours to avoid ...

  I slept very late this morning, which was delightful. But let me tell you some good things about yesterday: The River Hill High School graduation went without a hitch and my husband got to celebrate with his students and school community. He followed this up by going to the ballgame and the Orioles won. I don’t know how I can top that. I did manage a bit of venturing out myself, taking a bag of old jeans to the denim recycling drive at Mom’s Organic Market.   I will have to go back soon because they have totally redone that store since the last time I was there and it is gorgeous. (Yes, that shopping center counts as being “on the other side of town” for me.)  But my real reason for being there was to have my first “noodling around” adventure at the Dollar Tree, post-vaccination. I honestly don’t spend a ton of money there. Well, I guess that’s the point. Let me rephrase that. I don’t usually buy a ton of items there. I just enjoy doing what my mother called “noodl...