New and Different

 A few unrelated things:

This year’s new American Girl doll is named Summer McKinny and she apparently lives in Columbia, Maryland. From what I can tell there’s really nothing idiosyncratically Columbia about her. She looks to be an upper middle class white girl.  The author of Summer’s story, Clare Hutton, grew up in Columbia.

I sincerely hope that some enterprising young local doll owner runs with this and creates a social media account photographing Summer all around her hometown. I’m thinking Instagram. Just imagine: Summer at the Mall, the Lakefront, the People Tree, the fireworks, the ice rink, a concert at the Chrysalis, the farmers market…Let’s give this doll the full Columbia treatment.

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I bumped into a short video on TikTok that said, 

“This is your sign to volunteer at a bunny adoption center.”

Did you know Columbia had a bunny adoption center? I didn’t. It’s called Friends of Rabbits and was founded in 1997.  Check them out on Facebook and Instagram, too. They facilitate adoptions, provide a number of services, and even sell bunny castles made by one of their volunteers.

Does your bunny need a castle? Look no further.

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Finally, today is Small Business Saturday, also known as Shop Small Saturday. Do you have any local small businesses on your list for today? Recommendations?

Let me know.

Village Green/Town² Comments

The Elixir of Life

 

“Wine is, perhaps, the closest thing the planet has to an elixir of life.” - - Thom Elkjer

I don’t know if that’s true. But I did have an experience with wine last evening that’s definitely worth writing about.

My mother in law provided some lovely chilled white wine to go with our Thanksgiving meal for those who desired it. My daughter and her husband brought an alcohol-free red that they purchased at Hopscotch Bottle Shop which is near to where they live in Baltimore.

Daughter: Have you tasted this? You need to taste this. 

Husband: Takes a sip. Eyes widen, eyebrows go up.

Daughter: It’s salty!

Husband: No, its cherries.

Lively conversation bordering on argument ensues.

Daughter: Maybe it’s curry.

Two other guests, now curious, decide to try some. More lively conversation. Is it salt, is it cherries? Is it curry?

I should point out that daughter is a restaurant manager and son-in-law is a sommelier. This was a rather elevated conversation. It was witty, informative, fast-paced and absolutely none of it made me want to try what they were drinking. I did suggest they should host a podcast together. 

Finally, they got the bottle and read the ingredients.

NON # 7 - - Wine ALTERNATIVE

SOUR CHERRIES, COLD BREW COFFEE. GARAM MASALA, ALLSPICE. NUTMEG, PINK PEPPERCORN. MURRAY RIVER SALT. VERJUS

Oh my word. I don’t know if they would ever have guessed all those ingredients. In some ways it was like those Halloween games where one wears a blindfold and tries to guess items by feel alone.  

My son-in-law explained that this was not regular wine that had been “de-alcoholled” but rather an alternative which had been concocted to mimic the combination of flavor notes one senses when experiencing a glass of wine. It was an impromptu lesson in what goes into creating a signature wine flavor and how that is achieved.

Interestingly enough, I was never able to ascertain if any of them actually liked it. After a while that didn’t even seem to be the point.

I don’t know if Non #7 merits “elixir of life” status but as a conversation starter and a party game all rolled into one, it reigns supreme.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Small Favors

Thank goodness for small favors.

This is the time of year when advertising nudges us to make grand gestures. New cars bedecked with enormous bows. A complete kitchen renovation just in time for holiday entertaining.. A trip to Disney. A cruise. Large pieces of statement jewelry.

Yet there is something far more powerful than the big ticket items, as tempting as they may be: the small gift.

It takes a special kind of person to excel at the giving of the small gift. I spent years trying to give the most amazing, people-pleasing gifts possible. It took me a while to comprehend the sheer delight of a small gift.  It is not size alone that dictates a gift’s success - - it’s thoughtfulness, and imagination. It’s the confidence of communicating to someone that they are valuable to you without crossing the line into wanting to impress them. 

I've been thinking a lot about small gifts in the last few weeks. A friend went on vacation and brought me back a seashell. Another mailed me a care package when she heard I was sick. A visit for coffee and the gift of a blueberry biscuit restored a bit of my belief in the world during a hard week. A beloved teacher returned my email. 

Small favors. What does that expression mean, anyway? One definition I found suggests that we should 

“be thankful that something good has happened in a bad situation.”

Oh my, I have definitely been feeling the grief of being in a bad situation lately. And, without question, it is the small things that have been getting me through. It reminds me that I have the power to bring that joy to others, too. I don’t have to be a millionaire to excel at gift giving. I don’t have to wait until I can afford the perfect thing or create the perfect experience. 

Too often I live with an underlying assumption that, if you can’t be perfect, then why try? 

But we really, really need those small favors. They nourish us. They serve as signposts when the road is rough and the destination is unclear.  

There is much about the present moment that alarms me, and much about the American Thanksgiving holiday that troubles me. In the face of all that I am so very thankful for small favors and the people who have that special and very valuable knack for putting the most love in the smallest packages.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Where Are You Going?

Hey there, HoCoLocals! 

My brain is just plain broken over here this morning. That most likely because I’m obsessing over a certain local story which I feel like I should write about but feels too hot to handle all at the same time. I hate it when that happens.

Anyway, as I often do under similar circumstances, I’m going to put you to work. Here’s the topic:

What are the local places/events you’ll definitely be visiting between now and December 31st? Whether you are trying to “get things accomplished” before the New Year or celebrating annual traditions, what places are your local go-tos at this time of year? 

I feel strangely unmoored at the moment but I do know I’ll make the trip to Touchet Touché for one of their gingerbread men. The WBAL Concert for Kids is always a fun outing. We used to go to Pier One every year just to look at all the holiday “stuff” and to pick out a new ornament for the tree. Same with River Hill Garden Center. 

Maybe you have some suggestions of new places I could try.

So, where will you be headed, and why? What are the local experiences that will be filling your time as 2024 winds down?

Village Green/Town² Comments

Free Speech But Not For Thee

 

Oh, look! Here’s an upcoming seasonal festive event in Elkridge. 

Celebrate the season with us on Thursday, December 5, 2024, as we come together to decorate and light up our community trees in Elkridge! Join your neighbors and community staff for a festive evening filled with holiday cheer. At the Elkridge Fire House, decorating begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the tree lighting at 5:45 p.m. Over at the Elkridge Library, decorating starts at 6 p.m., with the tree lighting at 6:15 p.m. Decorations will be provided, so just bring your holiday spirit and loved ones to make Elkridge shine bright this season. We look forward to seeing you there! - - Howard County Executive Calvin Ball’s Facebook page 

And, just as soon as the information gets posted, the trolls move in.

They are not community trees. They are Christmas trees. Only in your world, which is a farce, is a lit tree called a community tree. Human beings, and Christians, call these Christmas trees. There is nothing political in this. You stand to gain nothing. Like you bow to your political constituency, there is no bow here. This is just residents looking to celebrate a season called CHRISTMAS!

Well this is a new reason to get offended. Still, not that new because some folks ranted about it last year, too. Their beef? That the County Executive uses the word “community” when they want him to say “Christmas.” 

I have a few questions. 

Is the County forbidding residents to use the word Christmas? To celebrate Christmas? To put up explicitly Christmas decorations? 

No.

Time after time these folks jump on this as though their free speech rights are being violated. Their tone of righteous indignation is cranked up to eleven. But no one is threatening their freedom. No one is taking anything away from them. In fact, it’s the reverse.

They are attempting to keep the County Executive from using a word they don’t like. He is the one under attack here. These trolls have made it their job to police every word and every action and they somehow justify to themselves this hateful behavior. Behavior, I might add, that would earn them censure or at least substantial blowback if they tried it at work, at home, or with friends. 

This particular poster seems to suggest that County Executive Ball is neither a human being nor a Christian because he chooses to say “Community Trees.”

Really? That’s what you want to set the world on fire about? 

Good government realizes that not all people are the same. Good public servants look for ways to make community events more inclusive or, at the very least, less exclusive. People who celebrate Christmas are certainly free to do so but they do not have the right to impose their beliefs, traditions, and celebrations on others like a steamroller or a conquering army.

That’s not joyous. It’s ugly.

Now you may harbor the personal belief that saying “community trees” is kind of silly and/or you aren’t quite sure why it’s necessary. That’s fine. On the other hand, you may be grateful that you are being invited to a community event in December that isn’t dripping with Christian symbolism because you aren’t Christian. It’s hard for those of us who have been celebrating Christmas our entire lives to fully comprehend how much our celebrations can come across as the demands of a dominant culture. 

Holiday celebrations aren’t harmless if you use them to ostracize and “other” those who don’t conform to your expectations. When you think it’s okay to go after the County Executive’s right to Free Speech - - maybe you need to sit down and rethink what exactly it is you are celebrating every December. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

The Classifieds

 

Help Wanted? Well - - something like that. Today’s post has to do with HoCo locals who are looking for something. 

First up, this request on a local foodie page. It has since disappeared but it got me thinking. 

Does anyone know where I can get a soul-food Thanksgiving meal? My friend who usually hosts an amazing friendsgiving won't be able to this year, so will have to look elsewhere.

From what I can tell, Howard County isn’t exactly teeming with soul food establishments. I certainly haven’t seen anyone advertising soul food Thanksgiving meals. Is that a missed opportunity? Certainly soul food cooking is outside of my area of expertise, so, I’m open to suggestions. What would constitute a soul food Thanksgiving meal to you? And, do you think there’s a market here for restaurants to do that? Or is this the kind of food one is expected to master at home and from scratch?

I don’t know what became of this fellow but I hope he connects with a happy and delicious Thanksgiving.

Next, yet another example of why I think the Columbia Reddit is so wholesome:

Heavy cream shortage in Columbia? I checked 3 different stores last night all of them sold out. Costco, Trader Joe's, Giant. What gives?

Big headlines on NextDoor always seem to be about suspicious neighborhood activity, odd sounds: are they gunshots?, and “should I call the police?” On the Columbia Reddit? There was a momentary heavy cream panic. 

No worries, though. Kind folks pointed out that there are certain ingredient that tend to run out as the holidays approach: cranberries, fresh sage, heavy cream…there were also recent sightings of the elusive item which hopefully will help unite our anxious local chef with what they need.

In Employment, a daughter is trying to help her dad get a job.

Hi all! If anyone in Clarksville/Howard County is looking for a Santa for Christmas parties or photo shoots, my dad is available for bookings! He's fantastic with kids and has plenty of experience in his role as "Pop Pop" to my two kids (ages 1 and 3). 

Aww…that’s sweet. There’s something so adorable about recommending one’s dad as Santa. I wonder if he has any experience coming down chimneys?

Finally, a request for employment from a familiar vendor at the Howard County Farmers’ Markets.

Images from Schmidty’s Kettle Corn social media 

My season is dying down for the year. I have been vending places on weekends.

Does anyone have any availability for part time work during the week?

I have restaurant, cashier, phone answering, caregiving experience. I've been a waiter before. So. I think I would feel right to ask here.

Either that or similar to vend fresh during the week. Like an Ace Hardware, or Home Depot.

If anyone has any suggestions for a job. Please let me know. I have references.

Daniel Schmidt has been a fixture at local farmers markets and area festivals and he’s looking for some off-season work to get him through the cold months. He’s passionate about popcorn, but, as you can see, he has a variety of other employment experience as well. 

Schmidt was featured on the Popcorn Genius podcast in June. The episode is entitled, “How Schmidty’s Kettle Corn Has Been Popping at Farmers Markets for Over a Decade.”

If you know of any opportunities you can reach out to him through his Facebook page. 

Need something local? Let me know. Maybe we can all help you find it.

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in LocalHoCo: have you ever given gifts from one of Howard County’s many food vendors? An example: Sweet Cascades Chocolatier. If you can’t wait til Christmas they even have a Thanksgiving Dinner Box. 

Let’s Go, Girls

 

I’ve been noticing several Girls’ Night Out events on local calendars recently. There was one at Ace Hardware, and there’s one coming up at Savage Mill, I believe. Main Street Ellicott City sometimes hosts Girls’ Night Out events. 

I don’t recall seeing any Boys’ Night Out events. Ever. 

Why is that? 

The truth is that if one is a girl, girlhood lasts until adolescence - - say, age thirteen - - and after that one is a woman at eighteen (or twenty one, conservatively speaking.) No one over the age of twelve is a girl. 

What is the deal, then, with the Girls’ Night Out phenomenon? Do women need to be infantilized in order to cajole them to come out and spend money? Is it a nod to suggesting that we can put down our adult cares and responsibilities and just “be girls” again?

Don't men want to put down adult cares and responsibilities, too? Then why don’t I see specially themed Boys’ Night Out events with equal frequency? Can’t you sell them things by enticing them to “be boys again”? 

I have the same feeling about “Girls’ Night” that I do about kids’ menus with cloyingly cute food items. No one feels comfortable ordering “Suzy-Woozy’s Clucker Duckers” or “Roary the Lion’s Bravo Burger.” You feel about five years old. Or worse, you feel about five years old during one of those times that you know that adults are secretly laughing at you. So then why do we go all cutesy when marketing to women? 

These are people whose discretionary income you are after. They are adults. In most cases they are earning their own money, not begging for an allowance. There was a time, of course, when husbands took a dim view of their wives working outside the home and/or having social lives apart from the family unit. An event called a Girls Night would’ve looked relatively harmless compared to pursuing employment, higher education, political organizing…

“Sure honey, you go out with the girls. I’ll babysit the kids.”

How to have a moment of independence in a life dominated by the expectations of the patriarchy? Make it look harmless. Non-threatening. Cute, and pink, and juvenile. Awash in stereotypes of femininity.

Are we still doing this? Do we have to perpetuate it? Does anybody care - - or is it just me?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Holiday-ish

 

Yesterday’s conversational snow event was a treat, at least for me. I didn’t need to be out in it and my most pressing responsibility was keeping seed in the birdfeeder. Cold birds are hungry birds. There’s no more snow in the immediate forecast and it looks like the sun might even come out a bit today if you’re thinking of getting out and about.

There’s a Thanksgiving Market at Clarksville Commons from 10 am - 2 pm.

Join us for our annual Thanksgiving Market at the Commons! Most of our regular market vendors will be on the plaza, plus some exciting newcomers. Stop by to stock up for your Thanksgiving feasting and the holidays ahead!

The Robinson Nature Center is hosting the HoCo Rec & Parks  Mistletoe at Midday Makers Market from 11:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Meet local artisans and shop their handmade and sustainable wares at tables spaced out both outside and inside Robinson Nature Center. Admission is $3 for everyone 3 years and older and free for Robinson members. Located at Robinson Nature Center. Some vendors will only accept cash, so please come prepared as there is no ATM on-site.

Our own gift shop will offer 15% off purchases for members and 10% off purchases for non-members made during the special event time.

Maryland Hardscape kicks off their 2025 Christmas Market today from 9 am -  8 pm.

MDH Christmas Market has been helping you create the Magic of the Season for over 30 years. Offering a large variety of Farm fresh trees, Wreaths, Garland, Candles, and Holiday decor for all your decorating this holiday season.

Anything else I’m missing? Let me know.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

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Today in Local HoCo: How about tickets to local seasonal performances? For example, the WBAL Concert for Kids at Oakland Mills High School on December 7th.

F ³: Competitions: Are We Winning Yet?

 

It’s Friday so I’m getting out my soapbox. You have been warned.

I’m here to lament the continued trend in entertainment to reducing everything to a competition. You might even call it Competition Creep. 

I hate competition. I find it stressful. I also realize that some folks enjoy watching it and even thrive on participating. Not me. Give me some fascinating history shows, arts programs, human interest stories and home shows that don’t take themselves too seriously. Throw in some old episodes of “Whose Line?” where the rules are made up and the points don’t matter.

If you are looking for competition, there are plenty of sporting events to follow and game shows, too. Isn’t that enough? 

Apparently not.

It seems that almost everything on television these days is framed as a competition. For those of us who remember a life before there was this thing called “Reality TV” the change is noticeable. Perhaps you’d like to see a seasonal show on the making of gingerbread houses. Too bad. You can only find something along the lines of  a “Great Gingerbread Showdown” with highly stressed competitors forced to meet unrealistic expectations under difficult conditions with the addition of artificially created drama for added “television interest.”

No thanks.

Competition has wormed its way into cooking shows, home and garden shows, musical entertainment, even shows about crafting!!! It has been used to create competitions around weight loss and courtship, for heaven’s sake. Then there are the sheer endurance competitions which harken back to Depression-era dance marathons.

Some years back there was a very sweet (dare I say, “low key”?) musical show called “Majors and Minors” aimed at teens and pre-teens. It’s the only competition-styled show that has ever gotten it right, in my opinion. It went against the mold of pitting contestants against one another and creating artificial drama. They only made one season. It seems there wasn’t interest from the folks on high in bankrolling that kind of programming.

I have another concern aside from my own natural aversion to competition entertainment. It has infected to play of children - - even very young children. A table full of preschoolers exploring play dough and various related tools used to play “bakery”, make a “meal’, or create “animals” for a zoo. Now very often they will act out reality tv contests. Roles are assigned. Someone must be the judge. Social hierarchies within the classroom are undoubtedly reinforced. There will be tears, or arguments. Some children who would thrive in purely imaginative play will feel uncomfortable or left out.

There are honestly enough natural and developmentally appropriate experiences and challenges for kids that they can enjoy and grow through without subjecting them to the limitations of competition. What’s sad is that, once inundated with the competition mindset in entertainment, they will keep reproducing it in their play. Like the cowbird egg in the nest, it crowds out everything else.

It’s not that competition is inherently wrong or should be eliminated. My point is that it doesn’t need to be in everything. It’s honestly a lazy and cheap framework that seems to stimulate a certain kind of dopamine rush. Once that response is activated and that expectation is created, many people forget that there is anything else.

A world where everything is “contestified” is a smaller and less imaginative world. It is a world where values are skewed and the innate value of each human being is irrelevant. What matters is not who you are or how you can contribute but only “if you can win.” The logical consequence of this mindset is how the media now covers presidential elections.

Think about it.

Years ago there was a push to examine the nature and amount of violence in children’s television. Studies were done. The results were alarming. Many of the shows with more gratuitous violence were changed or went away. Yet there is still enough of that violence out there to influence children’s play. Ask anyone who does playground duty. They’ll have stories for you. 

The problem with competition entertainment is that its impact is not as obvious to spot. It’s easy to recognize a cartoon-inspired melee on the playground when children are yelling “I’m Batman!” or the current favorite of the day. It’s harder to see how insidiously competion has turned the imaginative adventure of childhood into a high-stakes game show. Over and over again certain children will thrive while others will languish and that pattern will extend to classroom behavior, social interaction, and will seep, irrevocably, into self concept. 

Is “The Great Gingerbread Showdown” worth all that? 

Village Green/Town² Comments

Daily

I got up at two am this morning because I thought the clock said four am. Yes, even I think that is odd logic but sleep has been sketchy recently. You’d think that would have given me more productive writing time but…at two am one isn’t necessarily focused. 

I’ve spent the past few hours reading thoughtful and empathetic statements on Trans Day of Remembrance from local individuals, public servants, and institutions. There’s an indescribable horror in seeing those words interspersed with the hateful actions and speech of Nancy Mace and others of her ilk in Washington, DC. 

We may have successfully pushed back on attitudes like that in the hcpss school board race but I don’t think there will be much time to rest and enjoy that success. The prejudice and persecution that our LGBTQIA family, friends, and neighbors experience occurs daily. Our support for them must also be daily. 

Here’s a little something to think on today:

One of the country’s few gender-affirming thrift stores is in Baltimore, Julie Scharper, Baltimore Banner

Did you know:

While there are an increasing number of brands that sell clothing and gear designed for trans and gender-nonconforming people, their products are pricey. And the brands are almost entirely online, which means there is often no way for shoppers to try on items on before purchasing them.

Moreover, trans people often face financial hardships due to employment discrimination. More than one-third of trans people are living in poverty and nearly 1 in 5 are unemployed, according to a national survey.

There is nothing very complicated about wanting to buy affordable clothing that fits you right and to be able to use the bathroom in public settings. Turning these situations into topics of public humiliation and censure is cruel and dehumanizing.

We must not look the other way when this is happening and we can’t acquiesce, either.

 Quote from The Rev’d Rachel Ward, UCC

Controversy? Why Not?

Well!

It’s always the pieces that I work the hardest on and I put out into the world with great hopes than nobody reads. And the ones that I suspect will slip soundlessly into the night turn out to be the ones that everybody reads.

Let that be a lesson to me, I guess.

Some folks seemed to think that I wrote yesterday’s post about one particular person. Holy cow, no. It was about a pattern of behavior which has been employed by a number of people on the local scene, and, as I noted, probably elsewhere. This is not a gossip column. I am not here to churn out breathless hit pieces.

A clarification:

I mentioned my own passionate involvement in 1) covering a certain BOE race and 2) the importance of music education to make it clear that I do know what it’s like to be outspoken about issues because one cares so much about them. But that was not the point of the piece. If that was not clear I sincerely apologize.

When I wrote “It can be a very fine line between caring deeply about something and wanting to rule the world,” I probably should have written: “It can be a very fine line between caring deeply about something and coming across like someone who wants to rule the world,” because I have no way of knowing what motivates other people. I do know that how people engage can have a positive impact or make things worse. I know how their behavior affects me.

That was the point of the piece. And that’s not an attack on anyone who wants to make a difference in community life. We need people like that. I tip my hat to people who go to meetings, ask the important questions, listen to and learn from others, organize for positive change. If you are a regular reader of the blog you know that.

What I object to, and both of these points were stated by other people in the comments (and better than I could’ve done) is this: 

1)…the mentality that “I have an opinion, mine is the only opinion that matters, and if you disagree with me, not only does your opinion count for nothing, but you don't even have the right to have an opinion.”

2) We can’t turn everything into a three alarm fire.

That’s it. In retrospect I think a big chunk of this comes down to whether people understand healthy boundaries. And that I experience both of those behaviors as boundary violations, or at the very least, red flags as to whether I can find the person credible and/or trustworthy. If you like having people shout at you and taking up all the oxygen in the room then you won’t agree with my assessment.

Your mileage may vary, as the cool kids say.

Have a wonderful day. Just a thought: find a moment to really, really listen to someone today. I’ll hold myself to that as well.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

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Today in Local HoCo: I invite you to catch the excitement going on in the Village of Wilde Lake as they count down the days ‘til the opening of their new grocery store.

Self-Appointed Czars and Other Hazards

True confession: after reading the reports from Reservoir High School yesterday I actually did double check that the bottle of Barium sulfate waiting in my refrigerator would not render me radioactive. Yes, I should know better but it’s still early in the morning. 

Mysterious ‘uranium’ vial at Howard County high school prompts evacuation, Cody Boteler, The Baltimore Banner 

In case you can’t read that, the upshot is that the school took every precaution and there is no real danger. My apologies to anyone who thought they might get the rest of the week off due to hazardous materials. 

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My next topic is inspired by local goings-on but I suspect it’s more a function of human nature and can be found everywhere in one form or another. My current examples are from the world of social media. If you operate more in the real world than I do these days I think you’ll concur that it’s visible anywhere human beings assemble.

My pet peeve this morning is with people who are self-appointed czars. Sometimes they pick one topic and run with it. Or they manage to connect a bunch of things under one umbrella and grandstand about all of them. It becomes their brand. 

They are constant. They are loud. They will use any technique to grab attention. They will brook no disagreement. 

Now it’s possible that I have crossed this line myself in the past - - a particular board of education race comes to mind, and advocacy for music education - - but since I can indulge my passions on the blog I am less likely to put each individual Facebook group on blast in order to get my point across. It can be a very fine line between caring deeply about something and wanting to rule the world. 

I get that. And some days you feel as though no one will listen to you unless you shout. 

But today I am tired of contending with the self-appointed czars largely because the current state of the world is exhausting enough already. And because what they are doing actually makes solving community issues harder. There’s no nuance, no give and take, no problem solving. It’s a one-way street.

Also included in this category are the people you have never heard of who suddenly burst on the scene as experts in something and you soon realize that they are not merely concerned citizens. No, they are people with intense and focused aspirations for higher office. It doesn’t take long to realize that they are running for something. Every social media interaction becomes a place for them to whisk out their own personal soapbox and stand on it.

This behavior is not a crime. And some people are really attracted to it. I’ve seen it work over and over again. For me, personally? I would cross the road and walk on the other side of the street to get away from it. 

Engage me thoughtfully. Don’t shout at me. Present evidence without twisting it or leaving things out. Is this too much to ask?

Given the state of American politics, maybe it is.

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in Local HoCo: check out this shopping guide from Visit Howard County.

Show Your Work, HoCo

“Don’t let your mind wander. It’s far too small to be let out alone.”

This admonition, which I first spied on a bumper sticker, would be funny if it weren’t so true. People seem to feel the need to let their minds run any old place without benefit of a plan, a map, or adequate provisions.* Simply put: if you’re going to present an argument you need to be ready to prove it. Show your work.

A current example of brains that have been let out to wander is the trend to vilify the Howard County new flag initiative by stating:

• We don’t need a new flag.
• There’s nothing wrong with the old flag.
• It’s a misuse/waste of public funds
• It’s nothing but a vanity project/ego trip for the County Executive.

Okay: prove it. If you’re going to make those accusations then I want evidence. Where is it? I have yet to see one shred of evidence backing up these accusations but they sure must be fun to say because they are popping up all over the place on social media.

Have you done enough research into the history of how the present flag came about to be able to articulate what that means to us today? Can you prove that there’s nothing objectionable about the current flag? Have you delved into the topic enough to understand what other people’s objections might be? 

Oh, and the money. How much is being spent? How was it allocated? What percentage of the overall budget is it? How many flags will need to be made altogether? How does that compare with the regular reproduction of the current flags as they wear out?

And lastly, what is your evidence that the new flag initiative originated solely from the County Executive and that its intent is purely self aggrandizement? 

Go ahead. I’m waiting. 

You want to be an expert? Great - - where’s your expert knowledge? If you had any I feel you would have shared some by now.

Let’s be honest. This is what you are really saying:

• I don’t understand why we need a new flag.
• I don’t understand what’s wrong with the old flag.
• If I don’t like it it must be a misuse/waste of public funds.
• I don’t like the initiative and I don’t like Calvin Ball so it must be nothing but a vanity project/ego trip for the County Executive.

This would be honest. But it sure sounds less impressive, doesn’t it?

I’ve been trying to think of an similar example that might illuminate how limited this kind of reaction is. Let’s try this one.

Several years ago the County started creating cricket facilities for residents. Let me try applying my personal attitudes and preferences to this topic.

I think: I’m not at all sporty and no one in my family is, either.

I say: We don’t need more sports facilities.

I think: Isn’t cricket is a niche sport played only in England? Didn’t we go to a lot of trouble to separate ourselves from England?

I say:  Building cricket pitches is pandering to a small and unrepresentative fragment of the Howard County population.

I think: I don’t particularly care about sports, but I do think we need better performing arts facilities.

I say: These cricket facilities are a misuse/waste of public funds.

I think: I’m annoyed at the continued focus on sports when we could be supporting local arts programs. I want to blame someone for making a choice that I don’t like.

I say: It’s selfish, capricious, and I blame local politicians.

Please note: I don’t actually hold this point of view and it’s is based purely on personal opinion and verifiable inaccuracies but it’s likely that I might have drifted in that direction if I hadn’t researched this topic for the blog. For example, did you know:

The sport of cricket is the national summer game of England, where it has been played for hundreds of years, possibly since the 13th century. Laws to standardize the rules of play have existed since at least the mid-18th century. During England’s colonial history, cricket was exported around the world, and it is now played in more than 100 countries. It is particularly popular in the British Isles, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and the West Indies. - - from the cricket entry on Kids Brittanica

Back to the new flag designs. They were created by members of the community, not professional artists or vexillographers. You can vote on the one you like best. (You were given an opportunity to submit your own. I’m guessing you didn’t.) So you’ve had multiple ways to participate in this process. Have you? Or do you prefer standing on the streetcorner and spitting on things?

Ahem. Sorry. I can see I’m beginning to lose my temper here. 

True confession: this one is my favorite because I think it best represents where we are now: agriculture, nature, green space, housing and community-building. For some reason the placement of the bird feels a little random to me. I like the choice of green and blue for the same reason I chose it for the title art for my blog: it echoes the Columbia/Howard County street signs. 

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Go to the virtual poll and make your own choice. 

If you have opinions to share on the blog you know where to send them but be forewarned: I will ask you to show your work. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

* See also: critical thinking.

Carrying On the Work

Today I tip my hat to PATH (People Acting Together in Howard) who are hosting a Statewide Action for a Just Democracy at Wilde Lake Interfaith Center this afternoon from 3 to 5 pm. 

PATH is a multi-racial, multi-faith, non-partisan residents’ organization, rooted in local congregations and organizations. Our dues-paying member institutions include over 20,000 Howard County residents, and represent the diversity, hope, and dreams of our community.

For the full details on the event, click on this link  which includes information on how to register and how to signup for childcare during the event if you will need it. Dinner will be provided.

After what has been for many of us a disheartening and brutal outcome of this year’s election season, the thought of coming out and organizing around important issues may hold less appeal than it might otherwise. There exists (at least for me) a deep desire to grieve, stay in bed, or possibly just hide under the bed in the face of what the future may hold.

Yet the good folks from PATH will be out in force this afternoon to advocate for the top issues they have chosen to organize around: Housing, PreK Education, and Climate Change. 

PATH is a member of the Maryland Just Power Alliance, comprised of:

PATH - - People Acting Together in Howard 

ACT - - Anne Arundel Connecting Together

AIM - - Action in Montgomery 

The concept of the Just Power Alliance is described in their website as follows:

Picture it – a diverse network of strategic and skilled people from around the country, united around a single goal: to win on issues that make a real difference in the lives of everyday people. 



Welcome to The Just Power Alliance. We’re dedicated organizers, leaders and congregations fighting for social justice and creating change through bold, relational, joyful, collective action.

“…issues that make a real difference in the lives of everyday people.”

Issues like housing, early childhood education, and climate change initiatives.

Who will be at today’s event? PATH members, community members, and invited area leaders, notably:

• Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman
• Representative for Maryland Secretary of Housing Jake Day
• Howard County Executive Calvin Ball
• Senator Katie Fry Hester (D9)
• Delegate Natalie Ziegler (D9A)
• Delegate Courtney Watson (D9B)
• Delegate Jessica Feldmark (D12)
• Delegate Terri Hill (D12A)
• Delegate Pamela Guzzone (D13)
• Delegate Pamela Queen (D14)
• Delegate Linda Foley (D15)
• Delegate Vaughn Stewart (D19)
• Delegate Lorig Charkoudian (D20)
• Delegate Mary Lehman (D21)
• Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D21)
• Delegate Shaneka Henson (D30A)
• Delegate Greg Wims (D39) 

Since 2006, PATH has been making a positive impact in Howard County through building relationships and identifying and cultivating leaders within the community all while collaborating through community action. 

We win our biggest victories by listening to what is needed, finding like-minded people to work with us for change, and engaging leaders who can help us to achieve our goals.

Remember, the Maryland General Assembly 2025 session begins January 8th. Some of the most significant decisions affecting our community will be debated and decided there. PATH has worked with its members/member organizations to identify a focused set of priorities and they will be working together to communicate their vision and motivate change at the state level.

If you’re looking for an environment where you can do the most good, this might be the place. Come see what it’s all about this afternoon.

Kitchen Crusades

 

Brace yourselves. I am once again going to focus on a part of the story that is not the main point. Bear with me. 

Howard County Schools let us taste new lunch options. Here’s what we thought. Christina Tkacik, Baltimore Banner

You may be aware that HCPSS is in the process of upgrading their food offerings. The school system is partnering with the Horizon Foundation and the Healthier Choices Coalition (a local advocacy group) to bring fresher, healthier, and more diverse menu items to the school lunch program. They held a community taste test event Thursday night at Guilford Park High School. There will be another such event in Columbia in the Spring. 

Ms. Tkacik is a food reporter for the Baltimore Banner and before that she held a similar post at the Baltimore Sun. It must be quite a mental shift to taste lunchroom food when you are more used to the intricacies of fine dining. She is a good sport.

One of the things that struck me was that any changes the school system makes must conform to the fact that our kitchens are not actually set up to cook fresh food from start to finish. We can add and upgrade options for fresh raw foods such as fruits, salads, and raw vegetables. But you can just put any rosy imaginings of farm to table entrees right out of your head because even if we could procure the ingredients, we couldn’t prepare them on site.

What we have are essentially warming facilities for frozen, prepackaged products. I’m sure there’s a variety to chose from within the school lunch nutritional guidelines. But it’s still reheated commercial food. There’s a long story in the history of school lunch in the U.S. that explains how we got to where we are today. For one thing, once the Federal government stopped paying for kitchen equipment, school districts shifted to preparing food centrally and delivering it to schools to be warmed up. 

And then many simply shifted to using prepared foods. Real, fully-equipped cooking kitchens in schools are largely obsolete.

Can we hope to significantly change children’s school lunch experience if we cannot actually cook and serve fresh food for them? Is this a change which cannot be undone? Does it matter?

As an aside, I’m glad there was a mention of the whole grain pizza in the article. It may be healthier, but my pizza-loving kid was unable to get it down once they made the change and it took away one of the few things worth looking forward to. 

What’s your take on school lunch?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

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Today in Local HoCo: two local craft fairs today for your holiday shopping pleasure.

Historic Oakland Holiday Craft Market, 10 am - 3 pm

Long Reach Craft and Vendor Fair, LRHS, 10 am - 3 pm

F ³: The Mysterious Disappearance

I need your help. I’m on the trail of a mystery and the clues are few and far between. Here goes: What has happened to all the creative, high-quality children’s television programming?

With the exception of Bluey and PBS offerings, everything feels junky and ordinary to me these days. Yet when our youngest was little we had our pick of Blues Clues, Out of the Box, Bear in the Big Blue House, Wonder Pets, the Backyardigans, Jack’s Big Music Show plus excellent PBS shows like Between the Lions, Fetch!, and Postcards from Buster. 

What happened?

Now, when I was little children’s programming was still a new thing and most of it was junk. Captain Kangaroo was probably the high point of those years. If we could get UHF to come through clearly we could watch Educational Television (and eventually Sesame Street made its debut) but most of the animated shows for kids were unmitigated crud. Some that I remembered fondly do not hold up well. 

Mostly, though, you had Saturday morning cartoons and that was it. Public television eventually transformed what was available for kids and contributed to both of my children’s childhood years.

Enter cable TV, which I never had until I remarried and moved to Columbia. Suddenly there were premium channels just for kids: Playhouse Disney, Noggin, and HBO Kids. That’s where all the magical stuff was, but you had to pay extra for it. I’m probably talking the early 2000’s here. “Saturday morning cartoons” eventually dried up as special cable channels made kids programming more widely available. That is, if you could afford cable. Or the special premium “pay extra” channels.

Thank goodness PBS has stayed committed to children’s programming despite all the commercial competition. I just caught a wonderful new show yesterday called Carl the Collector. It’s the first PBS children’s program centered on an autistic character. I liked it. 

When I taught preschoolers I considered it my responsibility to keep up with the shows they were watching - - especially to find songs I could use in my teaching. These days I don’t know where I’d look for anything that would inspire me. There are about ten cable channels aimed at kids and the offerings are mostly dreck, with the exception of Bluey.

Where has all that brilliant programming gone? Why does it feel like these production companies are just phoning it in? Or am I just old and having one of those “get off my lawn” moments? 

I have another suspicion. As more and more cable channels branch out into selling premium streaming services, is that where high quality imaginative children’s programming is going? Is it there but just behind a new layer of subscription fees? Or have the powers that be just decided that the good stuff is too expensive to make and convinced themselves that churning out one lazy concept after another is good enough?

Or (horrors!) are kids spending so much time on electronic devices that high quality children’s television has ceased to be relevant or profitable? 

Help me out. If you have young children - - or know someone who does - - perhaps you can help me solve this mystery. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in Local HoCo: what are the best local places for children’s gifts? Books, toys, clothes, experiences? 

Sometimes There is Good News

 

On Saturday Columbia Community Care put out an urgent call for food and personal care items due to serious depletion of supplies at their Long Reach pantry. I wrote about it on Sunday. 

Image from Columbia Community Care Social Media

Yesterday’s pictures were astounding. This represents some of what has arrived since Saturday:

Image from Columbia Community Care Social Media

Are you connected to Columbia Community Care on Facebook? They are good folks. They remind us that we can be good folks. Right now is a remarkably good time to be reminded what community care looks like: it is powerful. 

We can be powerful in support of one another.

In that same vein, you may recall that I mentioned some examples of human kindness about a week ago.

Despite the enormity of Tuesday’s election bearing down on us, I’ve seen some lovely things unfold on social media in the last twenty four hours. Not political, but examples of genuine human kindness. They aren’t my stories to tell but I would if I had permission. We’ll see if I can swing that.

In the case of one if those stories, the Baltimore Banner got to it first and I’m happy to be able to share it with you. 

The Dish: When a Howard County mom asked for help, local restaurants offered a hand, Christina Tkacik Prudente, Baltimore Banner 

This story unfolded on the Howard County Eats Facebook page and I was lucky to watch it happen in real time. Here’s the gist of it:

So Erin went to the Howard County Eats Facebook page with her plea: “My daughter who is battling cancer really wants to experience cooking with a real chef,” she wrote in a post.

The offers from local eateries came in fast, restaurant after restaurant. Phoebe could learn to make Hawaiian food at a local poke spot, or cook at a cafe in Ellicott City, or a pizza place, or a high-end eatery in Columbia. Someone with the fire department offered to let the young girl come to the firehouse and help out the shift chef.

In a sense, it was a different kind of community care. And, yet again, the community came through. I held back on writing about it because 1) It was one family’s personal story and 2) it concerned a child. What a joy it was to see the food writer for the Banner undertake this and give it the kind of treatment that only a professional journalist can give. 

In a week where I have been feeling singularly helpless, the power of these two moments is not lost on me. 

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. - - Aesop

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in Local HoCo: Many people recommended “anything on Main Street” in Old Ellicott City for your holiday shopping. Are there any places that you would particularly recommend?

Community Starter Kit

Sometimes I save photographs for what seems like no good reason. Often it’s purely because it reminds me of something else. This one may have been a listing for materials in Facebook marketplace.

But, to me, it bore a resemblance to another photo that grabbed my attention a year or so ago. This one:

And that photo put me in mind of this.

Architect’s/Artist’s rendering of Columbia’s Lakefront Library

Columbia/HoCo’s Current Obsession, Village Green/Town², May 4, 2023

I've been pondering whether that first photo…

 …was possibly a “starter kit” for the Lakefront Library. (Think IKEA but without the Allen wrenches.) I was wrong. A press release yesterday from County Executive Calvin Ball shifted my focus. 

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball Announces Advancement of New Cultural Center in Downtown Columbia, HoCo Gov, 11/12/2024

The New Cultural Center will be an exciting epicenter for dynamic visual and performing arts, not only for Downtown Columbia but throughout our county and region. Building upon the legacy of Toby’s Dinner Theatre, this new public amenity will bring together arts, culture, education, and recreation opportunities for residents of all incomes and ages. Furthermore, the inclusion of critical workforce housing in this project will add to Downtown Columbia’s appeal as a place where people of all incomes can live, work, play, grow, and thrive. 

Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive

A new cultural center is a part of the Downtown Plan. So is a new Downtown library. Neither of these things are new ideas and there have been plenty of meetings, plans drawn up, written documentation, council hearings, you name it. Do I believe it will get community support? After what happened with the library: no. 

Please note: I am not saying that it shouldn’t happen. I’m saying that I’ve honestly become so jaded about how things are playing out with the Downtown Plan that I don’t even want to get emotionally invested in it. Already the announcement on the Howard County Government Facebook page has atttracted the usual naysayers (dare I say trolls?) decrying an arts center as a vanity project. 

Their demands? Spending is to be limited to schools, law enforcement, fire protection and infrastructure.

If this sounds familiar, it probably because it’s the same sort of mindset that motivates decisions to decimate humanities programs.(Remember that?) 

Studying topics within the humanities (this includes the arts, remember) provides us with the tools to think creatively and critically, to reason, and ask questions. Additionally, it fosters the ability to look at things from different points of view, which, in turn, develops empathy. All of these things are crucial in becoming active and informed in civic engagement. They contribute to building better informed and more consistent voters plus they are strong motivators for community engagement and volunteering. F ³: The Numbers May Shock You!, Village Green/Town² October 2024

Libraries that offer many and varied opportunities/services and arts centers that combine arts, culture, education, and recreation are valuable parts of community life.  I might even suggest that they are vital infrastructure. It’s possible I am not alone in this thinking because our community chose both of these things to be included in Columbia’s Downtown Plan. 

There are those who think that if even one developer is in a room that it contaminates the entire proceedings. I don’t think I will be changing their minds here. Still, I think it’s worthwhile to note that members of community were a part of this process, too and they wanted the library and the arts center included in the plan. And both are amenities which will be accessible to anyone, county-wide.

What was the point of making a downtown plan then if we are only going to accomplish the parts that don’t irritate anyone now? 

If we limit spending to “schools, law enforcement, fire protection and infrastructure” we may make our trolls happy. But, as a community, we will be sadder, less empowered, less engaged, and stupider.

What a thing to be clamoring for. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in Local HoCo gift giving: how about tickets to a performance by a HoCo Local performing arts group? 

From My Bag of Tricks

 

Good morning, HoCo! What’s happening? Here are a few things I have in my bag of tricks.

Thursday night, November 14th, Wilde Lake CARES is hosting an event focused on recycling.

Just a reminder of this recycling event we are hosting this Thursday night. We would love to see you there. Bring a few items that you have questions about and our expert will tell you if they can be recycled or not. Please share this event throughout the community, we hope to have a good crowd.

KNOW before you THROW HOWARD COUNTY, MD

Thu, Nov 14 at 7 PM

What's in, What's Out in Howard County Recycling?

Also on Thursday evening:

Calling ALL Creative Minds: Save the Date for #HowardCC's 6th Annual Creative Write-In! 

Unleash your imagination, mingle with fellow wordsmiths, or just soak up the creative vibe. Free pizza will be served. Registration is not required.

It looks to be free and open to the community. I’m tempted.

Have you visited Howard County’s new restaurant, Old Line Kitchen and Wine Bar? They’re located in Gateway where Aida Bistro used to be. 

Image from WBAL- TV Social Media

And there’s a new-second hand bookstore in town! 

Image from Howard County Times social media 

The Novel Refuge is located in Cherry Tree Center at 11200 Scaggsville Rd. Suite 127 in Fulton.  From their website:

The Novel Refuge, Inc. is a 501(c)3 public charity. We are a 100% volunteer-run used bookstore. Our mission is to support local refugees and asylum-seekers by selling books, games, puzzles, and other literary-related items. Through our bookstore, we promote literacy in our community and keep books in circulation and out of landfills, thus reducing waste and the environmental impact of these products. 

If you check them out, let me know. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in Local HoCo recomendations: think local when planning food for holiday events. I treated myself to a Jamaican beef patty from Althea’s last week.

While I was there I discovered she’s gearing up to do holiday catering. You can check out the catering menu at her website.