Village Green/Town²

  While searching for local stories in my Twitter feed, I found these two stories back to back. Former Howard County public works employee awarded nearly $1 million in racial harassment trial , Penelope Blackwell, Baltimore Banner Howard County man admits threatening LGBTQ group, Maryland lawmaker in court , Pamela Wood, Baltimore Banner Yikes.  I read about  the racial harassment suit as the trial began and found myself wondering what it would have been like to be in Darrell Fletcher’s shoes. This is the situation he walked into as a new employee. In 2017, an outside investigator contracted by the Howard County Department of County Administration concluded that racial discrimination had been part of the culture of the bureau for “numerous years” after 23 people had been interviewed, the report shows. The report also described a “clique” of employees within the bureau that consisted of white males, with the exception of one Black man. They identified as the “Carroll Count...

We have a restaurant called Toastique and one called Jam. We have another, just opened, called Another Broken Egg. Why do we not have one of these in Columbia/HoCo? I really know nothing about this photo except that is clearly wasn’t taken here and that it depicts a restaurant called The Baked Potato Shop. (I’m pretty sure it’s in Edinburgh.) It’s very likely a place where one can get baked potatoes with all sorts of hearty toppings, say: baked beans and grated cheese, cheese and broccoli, chicken tikka masala, beef stew or cottage pie sorts of topping, perhaps even sausage.  Nope, scratch that. The fine print in the photo says vegetarian. (Slogan: “The Hottest Tatties in Town!”) But certainly other baked potato places in the UK serve meat options. I’m sure sausage figures in there somewhere. Making a potato the center of a meal is considered a thrifty way to fill hungry bellies and not overspend from the family budget. Perhaps potato restaurants keep their prices easy on the budg...

I had intended to write about a recent visit to a local restaurant today. I’d better save that for tomorrow. If I don’t say something about the school bus situation I will look like I spend my days with my head in the ground.  If you want news coverage, there is plenty. Our changing transportation issues have been in the Baltimore Sun/Howard County Times and the Baltimore Banner, and covered by Baltimore area television stations as well. To be blunt: yesterday was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for school bus service in Howard County, Maryland.  Yet again it seems like a good time for this James Thurber quote: One day something went wrong with the cream separator, and one of her hands came to her and said nobody on the farm could fix it. Should they send to town for a man? "No!"shouted my Aunt Kate. "I'll fix it myself!" Shouldering her way past a number of dairy workers, farm hands and members of her family, she grasped the cream separator and bega...

  I discovered a lot of things in school. I discovered that I was good at reading and writing and loved music class. I struggled in math and hated P.E. I discovered that I loved history if it had to do with how people lived - - what they ate, what they wore - - and had no interest in memorizing lists of kings or battles. I was bad at the day after day responsibilities that got you good grades, but I discovered that I was great at the last minute bursts of creativity that pulled off a major project. I was never going to be the Popular Girl but I discovered that I would usually have a friend or two. I wasn’t conscious of this, but I discovered that I did better academically (and emotionally) if I felt that the teacher liked me. Like most kids, I learned that the day in and day out of school could be wearing and even boring, but that the moments that sparked my interest opened up whole new worlds for me. To me, that last phrase defines something so important about education: the momen...

  If you lived here you’d know that the best fireworks are at the Lakefront, the best local fundraiser is the Howard County Library’s Evening in the Stacks, and the best free concerts and community events are at the Chrysalis. If you lived here your street name might be literary, or silly, or just plain weird. You could walk and bike on the pathways and swim in neighborhood pools. You’d pick up your mail at a community mailbox. If you lived here you might have gotten lost once or twice trying to find a friend’s house. You’d develop an appreciation for cul-de-sacs and be familiar with house names like Pacesetter, Banner, and Revere. If you lived here… The DC-Centric real estate show “If You Lived Here” made its debut in February of 2021. It wasn’t long before I was hooked. I’ve become a fan of the WETA show, “If You Lived Here” which highlights homes and neighborhoods in (and adjacent to) the DC area. It’s beautifully filmed and produced but still maintains a rather goofy quality of...

  There has been quite a lot of talk this summer about school bus service. Time changes in the school day have produced challenges in the school bus department. Even now there is a good deal of concern about how it’s all going to work.  This situation is largely out of our control but there is something we can do that can potentially improve the situation. I thought of it when I saw this post on Twitter the other day. "Bus drivers interviewed as part of the research said passengers saying 'good morning' or 'thank you' had a positive impact on their happiness and job satisfaction, adding that it made them feel 'respected', 'seen' and 'appreciated. Friendly greeting to the bus driver has positive impact on their happiness.  Aine Fox, Independent UK How often do you say hello to people like bus drivers? Many folks just breeze on by those who hold certain kinds of jobs without acknowledging them as human beings. They aren’t overtly rude. They just i...

  I received my first microwave when I was in my young married years. It was not long after that I discovered its limitations when I attempted to warm up a biscuit from last night’s dinner and somehow created a carbonized hockey puck. Microwaves are oh, so handy but you have to learn how they work and what they do well.  For instance, they’re not so good for toaster pastries. And, although it’s tempting, you really shouldn’t warm honey in those cute honey bear containers. Honestly, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about microwaves until this week. I was steaming some prepared Korean-style dumplings according to the package directions and the end result was…um…surprising. The brief ninety-second process had created a vacuum and nothing, but nothing, would get those two dishes apart: not brute force, nor careful prying with a knife. I tried running cold water over the bowl part, and applying a freezer cold pack to the plate part. Friends, I did not have dumplings for...

Local photographer Charles Jackson shared the following to Twitter recently and set a flood of my childhood memories in motion. The EC Pops car on the move on Main Street.   Photo credit Charles Jackson Jackson describes himself as a weekend amateur photographer. He posts quite a few nature photos of the local area to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. This particular photo stands out for me, not just because it isn’t the typical nature shot, but because of its subject: a popcorn wagon. I don’t know the origin of this story, but, all through my childhood my parents would tell anyone who asked that their goal in retirement was to own and operate a popcorn wagon. I have no idea why. I can’t imagine them doing such a thing. They must have had a transformative experience back in their courting years that had to do with a popcorn wagon. Or perhaps it seemed appealing and restful compared to the life they were leading at the time. Maybe, just maybe, it was a secret joke between the two of...

  People in suits. No, not business suits. Costume suits.  Let me try to word this better: school mascots. If your school’s mascot is, say, a panther, you will not be trotting out an actual, real-live panther at sports events and other school functions. You will have a person in a suit. Why do we do this? I suppose it started with college sports. Did those storied gridiron matches of yore produce the first costumed mascots? Or was it professional sports teams that started the trend? I don’t know. What I don’t understand is why every school from high school on down to elementary seems to require a person in a suit these days. It certainly can’t be very comfortable inside one of those big, furry costumes, especially the head component. Sometimes they can be difficult to move around in. Is it possible to professionally clean and sanitize those things? It seems to me to be a lot more trouble than it is worth. And yet costumed mascots are pretty much de rigeur for any respectable s...

  Greetings, Columbia Maryland! The Howard Hughes Corporation would like you to know it expresses itself in an artistic manner. Our commitment to the integration of art throughout our communities isn't just about the present-it's about leaving a legacy of inspiration for future generations. By adorning our spaces with captivating public art, we invest in the soul of our communities. Notice anything?  How did this get in there? The Chrysalis in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods is not a product of the Howard Hughes Corporation. Sure, it looks great for their corporate image. But isn’t this a bit like trying to take credit for someone else’s homework? And along comes the Downtown Columbia Partnership to lend credibility to the post. Three of the pictures featured here are of #DowntownColumbiaMd projects. How we appreciate this investment in #Art and in Columbia, Maryland. #BestPlaceToLive #DTCArts Aside from the general tone of obeisance to HHC - - which I personally find rat...

  The proliferation of drone photography has given us views of things we might never have seen otherwise. Here’s an overhead view taken at Centennial Lake. Photo credit dronifydmv And here’s a delicious flyover of the Chrysalis by Leighton Go Aerials. Video by Leighton Go Aerials Now let’s turn it upside down. What about lying on the ground and looking up? Here’s the ceiling at 18th and 21st (screen shot taken from a video clip.) Photo from 18th & 21st social media on Instagram Have you ever taken a picture of the ceiling? I have. Photo credit Michael McCall Can you think of some local ceilings that would be worth getting down on the ground for? On the other hand, can you recommend some drone footage of Columbia/Ho locations that gave you a whole new perspective? Sometimes looking at things from a different angle or viewpoint can radically change your perception. I’m open for suggestions. Village Green/Town² Comments

  Conjunction Junction, what’s your function? Here’s a conjunction for your Sunday morning:  but. In this tweet Meade High School ESOL program tells us that an upcoming event is in Howard County, but it will be fun. But ? What could they possibly mean?  We know what you’ve heard about Howard County, but, really: it’s possible to have fun there. Why but ? It feels like damning with faint praise. I suppose that it means to convey that the trip is a bit out of the way for Meade High School students but it will be worth it. I probably wouldn’t have written a blog post about this but … How the Baltimore region became home to cricket stars and one of the country’s largest training facilities , Anish Vasudevan, Baltimore Banner By the way, those words “Baltimore region” really mean Columbia/HoCo. Using them makes the piece suitable for the Baltimore Banner, I guess. I clicked on the article because I’ve been following the rise of cricket locally. Howard County has been buildin...

The weather report this morning suggests it will be sunny all day with a high of 81. That sounds promising for the many outdoor events taking place today. There are quite a few! I’m not sure you’d be able to do them all, especially since I very likely have missed some.  As mentioned Thursday: DoodleHATCH kicks off their two day festival today at 10 am at the Long Reach Village Center. DoodleHATCH Festival The Clarksville Commons Market runs from 10-2 with a variety of items on offer from area producers and artisans. Clarksville Commons Farmers Market Harpers Choice CARES is hosting a Yard Tour from 10 - 12 PM. Join us for Harper's Choice CARES Landscape Tours! Featuring a variety of spaces & ideas to start on sustainable landscaping.  FOR DETAILS EMAIL US: harpers.choice.cares@gmail.com Native seedling giveaways at each site, while supplies last Harpers Choice Cares Landscape Tour The Annual Main Street Music Fest in Ellicott City returns (in a new month) beginning at noon...

  Summer is officially over at my house. Teachers’ meetings begin today. Sure, the first day of school isn’t until August 28th. But it will be work, work, work from now until then to prepare.  I’m feeling a bit blue about the end of summer, as I do every year. When I was younger I thought it  was only kids who hated to see summer vacation wind down. Silly me. Summers in a teacher’s house mean more time to spend together and to catch up on all the things that fall by the wayside during the school year. Sleep. Doctor’s appointments. Home repair. Deep conversations. Fun. I’m sending out heartfelt wishes for a wonderful school year to all those teachers, admin, and staff who are  hitting their alarm clocks this morning and yawning as they pick out their clothes. I’m rooting for you. Thank you for what you do.  ***** Coming up this weekend, especially for those of you who’d like to pretend that summer is not yet over… The DoodleHATCH FESTIVAL is a smaller version of ...

  There’s a lovely fountain in the courtyard at Kings Contrivance Village Center.  And there are flowers. Lots of flowers. If I were a better photographer I’d be able to give you the feeling I had of being surrounded by a riotous explosion of flowers. I’ve been to all of the Columbia village centers at one time or another and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such horticultural enthusiasm. It is someone’s job to plan out those beds, plant them, and keep tabs on how they are coming along. I would guess that whichever company that owns the village center hires a service for that. But why? Why go to all this trouble for something which is essentially a shopping center? I’m not saying they shouldn’t. It’s beautiful. I’m simply amazed at the extravagance of it. How often have you been in a commercial public space and thought: extravagance? More often than not it’s the bare minimum. I really like this courtyard.  It’s my understanding that most, if not all, of the original village c...

I spent a lot of years playing with Legos. And Duplos. And Mega Bloks. Well, not really playing, exactly, but hanging out with preschoolers and kindergartners while they were playing. I found that if I built anything it would quickly turn into kids feeling like they needed to copy me. And it would flatten the play experience. Nowadays you can buy Lego kits to build a very specific place or thing. Those don’t really appeal to me, since I value building and block play as an open-ended activity. But a lot of people really love them. Adults dive into truly complicated Lego projects like cathedrals or space ships. Here’s a kit posted recently by a Baltimore journalist. Screenshot from Twitter My first thought was, “If they reconfigured that as a treehouse, I just might be tempted.”  If you’re looking for the moment where I meandered off the pathway of good sense, it was here: Screenshot from Twitter  This is a photo of the Paper Moon diner in Baltimore. And my brain said, “Ooh! T...