The Month that Contains Multitudes

It’s October already. Fall is definitely making an appearance around town, and turning that page over on the calendar brings reminders of what’s to come. Halloween, for instance, Yom Kippur, and Indigenous Peoples Day. Since October is LGTBQ History Month, we’ll have a chance to participate in Howard County’s Pride celebration. I learned from the Library newsletter that it’s also Global Diversity Awareness Month.

But wait, there’s more.

It’s Walktober! Did you know walking is Maryland’s state exercise? Community members are encouraged to get out and walk during the month of October. I definitely need to do more of that. If you scroll down on the Walktober page you’ll see various walking events you can join in throughout the month. (Please note: the dates listed above appear to be incorrect.)

If you’re not feeling adventurous, or if you need something else to do once you get home, never fear. It’s also:

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church is participating in Socktober by collecting new socks for men, women, and children in local county shelters. This announcement from the Hickory Ridge Community Association lets you know that you can drop off those new socks at the Hawthorn Center as well. The Socktober initiative is bigger than Columbia/HoCo. Learn how it started at the Socktober website.

Once I started in on this rhyming thing I found it all too easy to keep going. What about:

Bachtober

Balktober

Bocktober

Crocktober

Chalktober

Doctober

Docktober

Flocktober

Groktober

Hocktober

Hawktober

Jocktober

Locktober

Lochtober

Mocktober

(K)nocktober

Rocktober

Shocktober

Smocktober

Squawktober

TikToktober?

Talktober

Voxtober?

There’s almost a possibility for every day of the month. See one you like? It could be the next big thing - - run with it!

Or walk. It is Walktober, after all.

Comments

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...

What Kids Are Thinking

It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed. Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings. And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog