Television, School Days, Restaurants, and Santa

So, did you watch? 

In case you haven’t - - and you still mean to - - I won’t go into any detail here just yet. I will say that I thought the episode was beautifully done and, honestly, I have no serious complaints. Local realtor Peter Boscas did a beautiful job. There was one thing that was included that I wasn’t expecting and which I was delighted to see. And there was one aspect of Columbia that was completely omitted and I can’t figure out why. 

Feel free to chime in over in the comment section on Facebook. But I have a feeling that I’m way more interested in this show than my readers are. 

*****

By now everyone has probably heard that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Martinaro will be retiring as of January 10, 2024.  There was a time when this sort of announcement would have been a big deal on this blog. I find myself strangely reticent to have any opinion whatsoever. This is largely because I don’t know enough to have an educated opinion. 

I would like to point out that, for some, ignorance has not been a deterrent when holding forth on this particular topic. Am I surprised? No.

What I do know is that the Board has a tough job to find an acting superintendent on such short notice. Beyond that, finding superintendents has become a more difficult task of late. The national pool seems to be shrinking. I don’t know how appealing this job is going to be to the best candidates because of our recent track record with redistricting, animosity during the worst parts of the pandemic, our struggles to keep up with capital improvements, this year’s bus service changes, and the like. In addition, the added stressor of groups like Moms4Liberty makes superintendent positions even less desirable.

Don’t get me wrong. I think we have a wonderful school system. I can be grateful for all the things they do while also understanding the big issues that face us. How will we make ourselves attractive to the kind of candidate we want and need as a leader? 

*****

A couple of small stories to finish off. 

Someone on the Columbia MD Reddit is looking for places that serve excellent chili dogs in Columbia/HoCo and it’s not looking good. Out of all the suggestions made, the only one in Howard County at all is at Jailbreak and the poster hadn’t actually tried it. Fuddruckers had Chili Dogs that were passable, and Hard Times Cafe had better ones as I recall. Both restaurants are no longer with us. Any suggestions?

“He’s making a list and checking it twice,” but the Man in Red has a problem. He needs a chair for his annual visit to Oakland Mills High School for the WBAL Concert for Kids on December 1st. Something like this:

If you have one you’d like to share, reach out to the OMHS Fine Arts Boosters here. I’m rather concerned about what happened to the chair Santa has been using for the last seventeen-ish years. If someone walked off with it, they’re definitely going to be on The Naughty List in perpetuity.   

While you’re thinking about it, don’t forget to buy your tickets for the concert itself. Learn more here. 

WBAL Concert for Kids