Skip to main content

The One Without a Good Title


 

Absolutely could not think of a good title for this. Feel free to submit your own.

Thanks to all the folks who took the Equity Audit survey yesterday and who shared it around their social media connections. Despite my enthusiastic claim that it was “not too long” one reader found it exactly that and told them so. I commend her for her honesty and I guess I will have to add the disclaimer that your mileage may vary. I also had some feedback that the survey was not as comprehensive in its scope as it might have been, and, in retrospect, I can see that. 

If you agree give them your two cents when you take the survey. 

I saw a piece on Columbia Patch this morning about the William Donald Shafer Awards. They are soliciting nominations for this year’s awards, also known as the Helping People awards. The deadline is October 15th. From the article by Kristin Danley-Greiner:

Award recipients will be selected based on their demonstration of the following criteria:

  • Improving the community;
  • Promptly responding to a citizen problem through effective government intervention;
  • Directly aiding the most vulnerable populations; or
  • Establishing a public/private partnership to improve the lives of fellow Marylanders.
I immediately thought of several Columbia/HoCo locals who would be outstanding nominees. What do you think? Any names come to mind?

I encourage you to send in a nomination if you are so moved but I also have to admit that the directions for submitting are rather hilarious.

To submit a nomination: 

1. print out and 
2. complete this form 
3. scan and 
4. attach it as a pdf 
5. to an email and 
6. send to moprey@marylandtaxes.gov.

I think that we are particularly blessed in our community with people who step up and do this kind of work. I’d like to see at least one of them get recognized.


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: We Are Not Entitled

  A college student went missing. His family and friends were distraught. The community was encouraged to be on the lookout and spread the word.  Days passed.  They must have been agonizing days for those who cared about the missing student. Thoughts that foul play had been involved cannot have been far from their thoughts.  Then, at last, the student was found. Alive. The news was shared with the public.  So. Much. Relief. A family had been reunited with their child. Even though we know that life is complicated, I think it is okay to accept this as a happy ending and leave it at that.  But the world of social media says no. For every expression of joy at the news came questions and even judgement. It became clear to me that some folks felt entitled to an explanation. They wanted the backstory. It’s as though they felt that, by enlisting the help of the public on social media, the authorities now owed them all the details. Television dramas often weave curr...
2 comments
Read more