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. 

*****

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. 

Local HoCo: A Reader’s Request

 

I’d love to have readers’ suggestions for thrift / second-hand places in the area, especially for clothes. What options do we have besides 2nd Avenue (or whatever it’s called now?) and Goodwill? And I know about Second Chance (in Baltimore) and Belle Patri (McGaw Rd) for non-clothing. But where else?

Oh! One more idea: Highlight the neighborhood Buy Nothing / freecycle / etc. groups.

This, my friends, is a great idea for a blog post. And it wasn’t even my idea. Can you help?

Second hand/thrift places in Howard County for clothes: 2nd Avenue, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Uptown Cheapskate…what else?

For non-clothing: Belle Patri, ReStore…what else?

For books: Gramps Attic, Second Edition, The Last Word (is there still one at Savage Mill?) Novel Refuge…what else?

Send me your local recommendations and I’ll do a comprehensive listing. Some folks are squeamish about giving presents that are not “brand new” and I’ll admit that you need to know your audience. Is the recipient capable of receiving this with joy? Even among your family and immediate friend group there exist people who would be thrilled and others who might be offended.

Creative reuse is not only economically friendly. It’s also good for the planet. It make take time for attitudes to change. An organization that’s doing a lot to change attitudes is Buy Nothing.

If you haven’t connected with Buy Nothing yet:

We offer people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.

Freecycle still exists but I haven’t had any contact with them for years because I kept getting my hand slapped for inadvertently “breaking the rules.” It was too much stress. I am inherently a rule follower and living in constant fear of being excommunicated was too much for me. Your experience with Freecycle is probably dependent upon who the moderators are of your particular group. 

When I was about six my big sister gave me all of her Barbie dolls and clothes because she was headed to junior high school. I still remember the thrill when I opened that box. Have you ever received a “new to you” gift that delighted you and/or was extremely meaningful? Let me know.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Empty Shelves

 Have you seen this picture?

Columbia Community Care food pantry, Long Reach Village Center

It was making the rounds on Facebook yesterday, accompanied by these words:

This is NOT a photo of when we moved the pantry to the Long Reach location. 

THIS is a pic that I took a couple hours ago at the pantry. Every shelf is empty. We desperately need food donations! Donations of both food/supplies as well as money have dropped precipitously, unfortunately. We need all four of these shelf units completely filled every week in order for us to be able to open our three Saturday sites. It takes an enormous amount of food to serve 350 families/1500+ people every week. And what we give out usually is only enough for a couple days because we don't have more than that to share. 

PLEASE, if you are able to, please consider buying extra canned goods (beans, corn, soups, proteins) or packaged food (ramen, cereal, pasta) when you do your grocery shopping.

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!! This community is so awesome and we treasure each of you for helping us fight food insecurity right here in our county. 

Amazon Wishlist

Drop Off Locations and Link to Donate

Most needed items:

Since Wednesday I have found myself almost paralyzed when it comes to spending money. What will happen to my Social Security? Health care? Any money we have saved for retirement? I don’t know if anyone else has felt that way but I’m guessing those feelings of dread and uncertainty are out there.

The post from Columbia Community Care jolted me out of that mindset and brought me back to this very moment where neighbors are hungry and I can do something about it.

Perceptions of money are a funny thing. For the last several months I have been going to physical therapy twice a week. With my health insurance, the copay is 20 dollars. I am lucky to have that kind of coverage. Still, money is money, and I’ve made other adjustments to compensate. I don’t need that stop at Dunkin or that fun new craft item, not really. I’ll buy the less expensive birdseed for the feeder. Put off the next haircut a bit longer. 

But if you had told me a few months ago that I could afford to, say, donate 40 dollars a week to local charities, I wouldn’t have believed that. Forty dollars a week! That’s one hundred sixty dollars a month! I don’t have that kind of money!

I do, though. I’m spending it right now on physical therapy.

I love fantasizing about all the money I would give away if I won the lottery. But what about the small gifts in the here and now? Why is that such a mental hurdle for me? Why do I think I can’t afford that,or that such small gifts won’t make a difference?

I’m struggling with that right now.

 Village Green/Town² Comments 

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Today’s recommendation for Local HoCo is to shop local for Columbia Community Care. 

While you’re thinking about it, check out this local event that supports the mission of CCC: 

Holiday Bash: Bon Bon 2024.

No Place Like Home

There’s no place like home. 

There are numerous local debates raging about APFO and how building new housing fits into who we are in Howard County. This is, at least to me, an extremely complicated topic and every time I approach it I come away feeling as though I wish I were smarter. You can rest assured that I am not going to attempt to explain it to you here.

I am going to share three things that I’ve been saving for just the right moment. I think that moment is now.

The first is from the newsletter of Bridges to Housing Stability.

The Importance of Home (excerpt)

I hope you'll take some time to visit our children's art exhibit at the Howard County Library's Miller Branch, starting Nov. 5. The exhibit, part of the library's programming for Hunger and Homeless Awareness week, showcases the meaning of home for kids in our community.

The faded picture shown here was drawn by one of my daughters when she was little. It hangs on the wall of my office. I love the sentiment that "Home has love, memories, creativity, warming (I believe she meant heating), family, holidays, protection, food, cooling, children & hospitality." The library will also have some books on display as well as resources and programming from Bridges and our community partners.

I continue to see people defending strong and ever more restrictive APFO policies refer to families and children who struggle with housing insecurity in our community as being “beside the point.” Time and time again they claim that those are not the people we should we thinking about when we make the rules. Their arguments veer ever closer to saying the quiet part out loud: those people aren’t the real Howard County. In order to protect what I have it is necessary to classify those other people as irrelevant. 

Are they human? Are they valuable? No, they are in the way. And, therefore, “not our problem.”

As soon as I see someone go that route, I know immediately that they are wrong. I don’t care how many numbers you throw at me - - statistics, pie charts, scary predictions - - if this is at the root of your argument, you are wrong.

From Enterprise Community Partners:

From moving into your first apartment to welcoming a new family member, milestones are made at home.

This holiday season we are celebrating the milestones made in the 1 million homes we have created since 1982 and asking for your support to help the residents and families we serve make many more memories for years to come.

Milestones are made at home. 

Basically, my view is this: if you are fighting for a plan that focuses on reaffirming “people like you”, that’s a problem. Not everyone is like you. Even among people you see every day, people you may not know are struggling. Neighbors, coworkers. Children in your kids’ schools. We are talking about people who are already here, and/or provide valuable services in our community. 

Why do we draw these lines? 

Do you remember when any talk about alcohol and drugs was about “abuse” and criminal behavior? Then as we saw addiction happening closer to home we began relabeling it as “misuse” and caring about the human suffering because it affected people like us.

Are we only going to create comprehensive and more nuanced housing guidelines for Howard County if suffering happens to people like us? 

Recently I’ve seen people use the term “housing advocate” with the kind of venom one would normally see when saying something like “war criminal” or “child abuser.” Yet I would hazard a guess that one hundred per cent of those name-callers have a home. 

Funny, that.

Both sides appear to agree that what we have in place isn’t working. What I see housing advocates saying is that we don’t have all the right pieces combined in a way where they can possibly produce a healthy outcome. I’m not getting war criminal vibes here.

But my main point is simply this: if the only way your theories hold together is by calling some people secondary or beside the point then that’s an automatic disqualifier for me. Whatever you are selling is inherently broken.

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today in Local HoCo: Keep an eye out for the are many fall/holiday craft shows and late season farmers markets that are offering local, handmade items, food-related and otherwise. There's one today at Frank's Produce and look for The Thanksgiving Market and Holiday Market at Clarksville Commons on 11/23 and 12/14.

If your school or other community group is hosting one let me know.

F ³: God Bless You, Mr. Atwood

 

There will be no hot takes today because you most certainly have your own. There will be no inspirational words because I haven’t any. I will tell you that the only way I am getting by right now is to limit my contemptation of reality to very short moments at a time. I can’t tell you how grateful I am that the kind of people who read this are not the kind of people who would slap a laughing face emoji on it. 

What I do have for you today is a great little story. 

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Mr. Atwood was my AP US History teacher. He was a mentor, advocate and guide in turbulent adolescent years. I’ve written about him before.

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up. Are there teachers who support students by honoring both their enjoyment and risk-taking? Write them a note. Let them know how they have made a difference for your child.

My AP American History Teacher was that person for me. His contribution to the person, and teacher, I have become was so great that I made the trek to Connecticut with my husband and daughter when I heard that he was retiring. Thanks, Mr. Atwood. Your work lives on in me.

And in my students. - - Soapbox Wednesday, May 1, 2013

In the early hours of Election Day, full of hope, I sat down and wrote Mr. Atwood a letter. I had done some Internet sleuthing and thought I might have located his son. And that meant I might be able to get current contact information for his dad. 

Dear Mr. Atwood,

I’ve been meaning to write you and thank you again for everything you did for me in AP US History at Westhill High School. It’s early on Election Day and I am wide awake. Now feels like a good time.

I brought my husband and daughter to meet you right before you retired. As a teacher myself it was really important to me that you knew what a huge impact you had on me during really difficult years of my life. You truly were a lifeline. I struggled in school while being told I was too smart to be struggling.

You made me feel like I had something to offer, perfect or imperfect. 

Guess what? I was diagnosed just shy of the age of 62 with ADHD. Go figure! They didn’t think girls could have ADHD back then. They were wrong.

Thank you for believing in me and for making your classroom a place where we always felt you were genuinely happy to see us. I was Snoopy, Liz was the Little Red Haired Girl, Jenny was Lucy, and Ken was Charlie Brown. That was the year your first child was born and you had some very sleepy days in the classroom. 

Wow, we were all so young.

I never did write a musical about the Robber Barons called “Admirals and Commodores.” Sorry about that. You once said that I could write popular history. Instead I became an early childhood educator and I’ve been writing a community blog since 2012. It’s called Village Green/Town². 

I hope you are well and that our democracy holds up and - - most of all - - that you know how profoundly valuable your teaching has been. I’m sure I am not alone.

Sincerely,

Julia Jackson McCready

Westhill High School ‘77

Mount Holyoke College ’83

I reached out to the email address I had for Mr. Atwood’s son and then I waited. Evening passed, and morning came: Wednesday. As time passed I began to wonder if I had guessed wrong, followed the wrong set of clues. The news from the election grew grim. I lost any sense that I had anything to hope for.

And then the email came, confirming my guess and with it the words: he would love to hear from you. I finally had it: an address, and an open door. I called up the letter I had written and added one thing at the bottom:

*Not so optimistic about the democracy right now. Then I clicked “send.”

Evening passed, and morning came. It was Thursday. Everything about the world around me was going to hell but inside me I had one tiny spark: the hope that Mr. Atwood would get my letter and that he might write me back.

Evening came. I noticed something unexpected in my email box. It was a letter that began, 

“Dear Snoopy.”

It wouldn’t be fair to post it here because I don’t have his consent. I will share one snippet. 

Your message today meant so much to me. Especially this year when I have done so much thinking about the past and the topic of what's next.  I am happy to hear that I was helpful in your life. And you, are you counting down the years/days/minutes to retirement? The musical awaits ;-) or maybe just the music.

God bless you, Mr. Atwood. In a week of darkness you have been a great light. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

The Truck in the House

 

We all hope for unexpected news that brings happiness or at least relief. If something is going to appear out of the blue it would be helpful if it didn’t do us any harm, right?

Alas, we don’t get to pick and choose.

Did you see this? An Amazon delivery truck went through a Howard County home yesterday! (No injuries.) Today, the homeowner spoke exclusively with @wbaltv11 about the bizarre incident. Skyteam 11 captured it all from above. I have the story @ 5:00 p.m. - - Tommie Clark, WBAL

Let’s zoom in on this, shall we?

Yep, that’s definitely an Amazon truck. In the house. 

Exclusive: Clarksville homeowners 'blessed' situation isn't worse after truck crashes into home, Tommie Clark, WBAL TV

CLARKSVILLE, Md. —

An Amazon truck crashed into a Howard County house's garage on Wednesday when nobody was home. 

The photos are dated October 31st. That’s one heck of a trick or treat experience, if you ask me. 

Now here’s where the story takes a twist, in my opinion. 

The homeowners are not angry — rather, they are glad the wreck wasn't any worse.

"I'm just blessed I still have a home that exists. At worst, you know, everything collapsed, or something exploded. But I'm thankful for God's grace that the house is still standing," the homeowner said.

That’s a very gracious attitude, under the circumstances. Maybe they felt it was the right thing to say to the television folks or perhaps they are absolutely sincere. But it occurs to me that being able to say that during a time of hardship comes from having a basic safety net of financial  (and overall) stability. This is not a criticicism. It’s an acknowledgment of some basic facts about life.

An example: during the early lockdowns of the COVID pandemic my husband and I were both able to work from home. Our kid, though unhappy about it, could go to college from home. I had a bit of money set aside that I was able to use toward making charitable donations in the community. 

It was a crisis situation and fraught with anxiety but we were, at least for that time period, okay. And we knew how fortunate we were. For other folks right here in Howard County those same circumstances were devastating.

The folks in Clarksville are not jumping for joy over a truck inside their house but they are in a position to survive. In a crisis that’s a very good feeling. Not everyone is in that position. One piece of unexpected news could mean losing one’s place to live, one’s job, one’s long term health prospects, one’s civil rights. 

This isn’t just about Amazon trucks. You know that, right?

If you know that you’ll be able to survive that metaphorical truck driving into your house please refrain from telling other people that they can, too. You may have no idea what their reality looks like. 

 

Village Green/Town² Comments

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In a different kind of Local HoCo Holiday Shopping recommendation: The Light the World Giving Machine will be back at the Mall in Columbia from December 5th - 18th. 

Using a #LightTheWorld Giving Machine is as easy as buying a candy bar. Except at the Giving Machine the sweet impact can last a lifetime. 

The Giving Machine Maryland comes to The Mall in Columbia December 5-18. Plan now to visit, make a donation, and vend joy to the world! 

This year’s recipients are as follows:

• Grassroots Crisis Intervention
• Bright Minds Foundation
• The Franciscan Center of Baltimore
• Bridges to Housing Stability
• Digital Harbor Foundation
• Mentors International
• Days for Girls International