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

*****

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

*****

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 

*****

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

*****

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. 

*****

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

*****

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

For the Teachers

 

Local stories, local stories…yeah. That’s the thing, right? Put everything else out of mind. Think local. 

Think, think, think.

In local news today, teachers will have to go to work and face students whose whole worlds have just been shattered in an election they couldn’t vote in. My heart is aching for them.

Students from all manner of marginalized and vulnerable groups will be fearful or numb.  LGTBQIA students will be feeling less safe. Young women demoralized. Very young children will probably be unaware but they will certainly pick up on how the adults around them are feeling. They are like little barometers. They may not be able to articulate what is going on but they feel it, sometimes very deeply. 

Teaching is hard enough on an ordinary day. Today is beyond comprehending. 

Those who think that school is just about reading and math and that teachers should stay in their lane have probably never been in a classroom longer than occasional parent teacher nights. Schools have to deal with the real students who show up every day. You can’t just say “I’m here for the reading and math” and ignore hunger, fear, poverty, injustice, or any of the stumbling blocks that our culture puts in front of children.

How do teachers hold it all together on a day like today? How do they explain a political victory by people who reject feeding hungry school children, seek to actively persecute those who are “different”, or plan to literally round up and deport children and families? Our kids spend a big chunk of every day, five days a week, with their teachers.  There no way that this won’t impact the school environment.

To be sure, some students will be from families that are happy about the election results. Some teachers will be, too. That does not render those who are suffering invisible. That doesn’t make getting through the school day any easier. It doesn’t matter where you live in Howard County or what your school looks like. Today those schools will open their doors and teach and care for children because that’s what they have committed to do.

We expect teachers to do far too much in not enough time and for nowhere near enough compensation. And today they will be holding the world together in ways we cannot possibly imagine.  This post is dedicated to them. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

More Than You Know - - Election Day Guest Post by Cindy Vaillancourt

Cindy Vaillancourt posted the following on social media yesterday and I immediately knew I wanted to share it here. She has graciously given her permission. - - jam

*****

I hear a lot of extremely negative comments about our elected representatives at all levels.

There is no doubt there are a lot of just icky-yucky-gross, unavailable, corrupt, buffoonish, porcine, and truly dishonorable people running for office, holding office, or even retiring from office.  

I would just like to take a minute to share with my Maryland neighbors some insight I gained as a result of my activism, and service as an elected official.

With very few exceptions, the people on all levels who represent Howard County work harder than most folks know.  I could not maintain the schedules these folks keep.  I was exhausted just trying to keep up with the obligations of my office - but, without fail, wherever I went on BOE business, many other elected representatives were already there, and stayed longer.

Anyone who complains that their representative is unavailable to them is just not trying.  Before his death, you could not go to a community event without tripping over the late, great Representative Elijah E. Cummings.  You want to have a word with Ben Cardin, or John Sarbanes?  Attend any one of hundreds of meetings or events. I had a lovely conversation with Jamie Raskin not long ago - and he doesn't even represent HoCo.  Chris Van Hollen inexplicably remembered my name after I first met him. Barbara Mikulski gave me an arm squeeze and said to keep up the good work. (ok, that one may have been pretty generic ;) ).

Our state delegation is even more visible and accessible.  Speaking of tripping over people,  have you been to any event in Howard County where you did not see Howard County Executive Calvin Ball?  or Allan Kittleman when he was a councilman, state senator, or county exec? Or Ken Ulman?  Or Jim Robey?  Even now that he is retired, Frank Turner is still everywhere supporting the community.  

I guarantee if you call Vanessa Atterbeary, or Senator Guy Guzzone, or Jen Terrasa - Howard County, or Katie Hester, or Courtney Watson, or Chao Wu you will get a callback. If you grab them at an event they will listen attentively.  I am sure that is also true for Terri Hill, Jessica Feldmark, Pam Guzzone, Natalie Zeigler and Clarence Lam- though I haven't tried to call them myself.

Our local council people are easy to reach, and in spite of many interactions being quite fraught for the BOE members, most of them (sure, there are exceptions) are responsive if you reach out, write, call, or happen upon them in the community at the dozens of events they attend each month.

I don't agree with all of them.  I don't agree with everything any of them do, or positions they take.

But with few exceptions, they put in more hours than you know, take more abuse than you would believe, and (for the most part) do it graciously.

So when you go to the polls and you see a candidate, a sitting official, or a retired official --- feel free to share your priorities, ask questions, or just make eye contact and smile.

UPDATE: I forgot to add former Governor Hogan, who stood with the BOE in our fight with a previous superintendent - and who could be counted on to attend functions and mingle.... and former Governor O'Malley who visited HoCo often and freely chatted with anyone around ... and speaking of electeds to trip over ...if you haven't tripped over Wes Moore yet, you probably don't get out much.

*****

Cindy Vaillancourt served on the Howard County Board of Education from 2010 - 2018. In my opinion she “put in more hours than you know, took more abuse than you would believe, and (for the most part) did it graciously.” 

I have very strong opinions about today’s election, both national and local. It would have been easy to fill this space with words to that effect. Like many of my neighbors, friend, and family, I have fears about today and the days to come. The humanity in Ms. Vaillancourt’s words felt like the right touch in a troubled moment.

If you have other thoughts to share, let me know.

Village Green/Town² Comments

The Gift of Human Kindness

 

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 meantime, perhaps that’s a reminder that there’s never a bad time for acts of kindness, no matter how small. 

That brings me to this announcement from the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services:

Project Holiday needs your help! #HoCoAging's 50+ centers are accepting new, unwrapped items now through December 6 to add to gift bags for local older adults. For a list of suggested items or to make a monetary donation, visit www.howardcountymd.gov/projectholiday.

“…who would not otherwise receive a gift.”

Oof. That struck me. I’ve had some rough times in my life, especially during the holidays, but I’ve always been connected in some way with people who invited me to share a meal or remembered me with a gift of some kind. The need for this initiative speaks not only to poverty amongst older residents but also profound human disconnection. 

What does it mean when you have no one?

Holiday gifts cannot magically cure that but they can be a light in the darkness, as it were.

Check the bottom of this flier for gift suggestions. 

I’ve enthusiastically participated in toy drives for kids over the years and I have to admit I haven’t really noticed initiatives like this one in the past. It’s fun to buy toys, to remember your own childhood excitement. Imagining kids with toys gives us that unmistakable dopamine rush of unadulterated delight. Shopping for older people who may have no one reminds reminds us that aging comes to us all and that this could someday be us. 

This reminds me a bit of my musings that small children with special needs are often deemed adorable when the same people, grown, are considered undesirable and inconvenient.

I have found that my readers are a well informed and compassionate bunch. You may already know all this. For some reason it’s really hitting me hard this morning. 

*****

Today’s local HoCo shopping recommendation is Feet First, located in the Wilde Lake Village Center. You, or someone you know, has been spending long hours walking in the community and/or standing at the polls. A pair of truly comfortable new shoes might be a godsend. I’ve written about Feet First in the past. They’ve been in business since 1979 and are good neighbors in the community. Despite which you may think, they are not only a store for runners. 

If you haven’t been there, check them out. Maybe you will find yourself walking around the Wilde Lake Village Center afterwards with a new spring in your step.

The Land of Pleasant Living

I’ve been mulling over an article about the Board of Education race for the past few days. 

What a Howard County school board race says about the politics of education, Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner 

The piece focuses on the District 5 school board seat, where the candidates are Andrea Chamblee and Trent Kittleman. 

One section stood out.

Kittleman takes issue with accusations that she’s an extremist. As a state delegate, she said, “Primarily I was looked at as a levelheaded conservative but not as a conservative that upset everybody.”

Democrats in the State House can attest to that, she said.

Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, a Democrat, said Kittleman was always cordial and never rude when they served as delegates together.

“She was pleasant to work with but certainly had values that do not align with Democratic values for sure,” Atterbeary said.

There’s a lot going on there.

First, Kittleman seems be claiming that being pleasant is proof that she is not an extremist. Some people do make this mistake (not just in politics but in life) but it is a big one. 

How could so and so do terrible things? They are always so nice when I run into them at the grocery store!

Being nice can be purely performative. It can be effective in greasing the skids in political life. But it is not by itself an indicator of goodness, kindness, fairness, commitment to justice, or even good leadership. Niceness is a thing one can put on like makeup or an expensive suit. 

Also, it’s hard to say if Kittleman’s colleagues actually viewed her as “not a conservative that upset everybody” because in politics people are not going to say these things to your face. Or they are going to word things very carefully so as not to gum up the works.

That’s why I was surprised to see a quote from Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary. I wonder how many of those colleagues Ms. Nocera had to reach out to before she found someone willing to go on the record. And you will see she has chosen her words very carefully.

“She was pleasant to work with but certainly had values that do not align with Democratic values for sure,” Atterbeary said.

Are we grading her on pleasantness? Atterbeary appears to be saying. Okay, she’s pleasant. But can we talk about values? Because that’s what matters.

I thought a lot about how Black women in leadership roles are perpetually being labeled as “angry” and admonished to be “nicer.” And then I thought about what it would feel like to be Vanessa Atterbeary being asked to pass judgement on a well-connected white woman.

Honestly, I probably don’t fully understand what a minefield that is. 

Many of us, most especially white women, I might add, have been conditioned to believe that “niceness” is a positive indicator of goodness. Niceness is a language we have been acculturated to trust. When presented with new or uncomfortable things we so often seize on the way it was presented to us rather than do the work of wrestling with challenging ideas.

If they only hadn’t been so mean, so loud, so angry, so unpleasant…

What matters about who is going to serve on the school board is not who is cordial and never rude. Our schools need board members who are going to work to support and defend the value of public education and who will not actively work to promote policies which will hurt students and families. Someone who claims that they are not an extremist because they can “make nice” on the outside is probably someone who is hoping that you won’t check their record.

You should always check their record, no matter how nice they are.

Village Green/Town² Comments

HoCoLocal Video Vignettes

I’ve got two local videos worth watching for you this morning. They’re both engaging, brief, and informative. 

From WMAR-2 News, reported by Jonathan Hunter:

Local Historian Explains the Significance of Emancipation Day in Maryland

I’m not sure I knew that November 1st was Emancipation Day in Maryland. This piece explains how it all came about and it’s especially noteworthy since Hunter interviews HoCo’s own Marlena Jareaux to shed some light on the bare facts and put them into context. 

Do Howard County schoolchildren learn about Maryland’s Emancipation Day? I wonder.

From HoCo OHRE and be.luminus, a video about Día de los Muertos.

They explain: 

When the OHRE originally pitched this video concept to La Alianza Latina Commissioner and Luminus CEO Gabriel Moreno, we were planning on turning out a quick and humorous video about how Día de los Muertos is not a Halloween costume. Instead, Gabriel approached this theme with a deep reverence for the meaning of Día de los Muertos, not only for the Mexican diaspora, but for the Howard County community. He focused on the roots of shared community, warmth, and welcoming in Mexican culture, choosing to invite his Howard County community members into this tradition as honored guests. We are proud to stand with Commissioner Moreno in delivering this message focused on inclusion, cultural sharing, and what it truly means to be a multicultural community here in Howard County. 

Some of us know more than we used to about this annual remembrance and celebration tradition because of the movie Coco. But I think it makes a big difference to be invited in to the meaning of Día de los Muertos by a member of our own community. The collaboration between Moreno and the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity makes our understanding more personal and local.

Seen any good HoCoLocal videos lately?

Village Green/Town² Comments

*****

For your Local HoCo shopping pleasure - - don’t forget the pets! (Or your friends with pets.) One of my readers recommends Clipper’s Canine Café in Old Ellicott City. From their website:

Clipper's Canine Cafe is a family owned and operated pet boutique and natural pet food store located in the Historic district of Ellicott City, Maryland. We carry a great selection of all natural pet foods including raw food diets, supplements and gourmet bakery treats. We feature unique toys, spa products and apparel for pets. 

F ³: The Parable of the Subscription

 

And now for something completely different. It’s a point of view you probably haven’t been seeing since the Great NonEndorsement Debacle at the LA Times and Washington Post.

Tanzina Vega (Journalist/Host/Educator: Boston Globe, NYU, The New York Times, CNN, WNYC and more)

Telling subscribers not to vote with their subscriptions is wild to me. So you want them to ignore what just happened, cancel their *entire* Amazon account for you but not pull a subscription...! love journalism but this is asking a lot. People are angry that Bezos has influence.

This resentment has been boiling among news consumers for a while now. So they are taking action in the way they know how.

News consumers have choices today that they didn't have before. They can choose where to spend their money and they are doing that. That's the part of the equation folks aren't considering. They can take their $ elsewhere.

That's capitalism folks.

I don't want to see anyone lose their jobs but that's the organization’s issue to figure out, not readers. This is a Bezos problem and he doesn't seem to care.

It also assumes that subscribers haven't considered any of these issues and aren't smart enough to decide when they've had enough.

So what happens when you cancel that subscription and choose to put that money somewhere else? You will be helping to grow something better.

(Elie Mystal is Justice Correspondent: @thenation. Alfred Knobler Fellow: @typemediacenter

Author: Allow Me To Retort)

Which brings us to Baltimore. 

Baltimore Sun Axes Entire Features Department, Josh Dickey, The Wrap

In light of last Friday’s post concerning cuts to humanities programs nationwide, this action by Sun/Sinclair owner feels painfully apropos. 

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 Will Shock You, Village Green/Town² 

Removing arts and culture coverage from the Sun is more than sneering at their importance or an arrogant dig that Baltimore doesn’t have any culture worth covering. 

Until now, I had assumed that Smith’s goal was to shape the Sun into a media outlet that would appeal to low-information voters. With this week’s action it becomes apparent that it’s far more than that. He’s attempting to grow low-information voters. To create them. How do you do that? A quick and dirty way would be to take away their access to information, most especially: the tools to think creatively and critically, to reason, and ask questions.

Taking away the parts of the newspaper that remind us that Baltimore is a place worth loving and caring about, the stories that show how much Baltimore has to be proud of - - that’s a crucial strategy if you want to create a demoralized and fearful electorate.* Those are the people who will reliably support the kind of ballot initiatives that Smith has been backing to change how Baltimore governs (and taxes) itself.

This is more than distasteful. This calls for more than a wistful sigh about how far local journalism has fallen. If you don’t like what the Sun ownership is selling, you do not have to buy their product. You absolutely have the right to take your money and invest it in the local journalism you believe in. 

May I recommend Baltimore Beat. They are writing the stories that no one else is covering in Baltimore and they are empowering the writers that no one else platforms in Baltimore. What’s more, they are a true nonprofit with absolutely no paywall plus they distribute free paper copies throughout the community.

I also subscribe to the Baltimore Banner and find myself enjoying a lot of what they are doing these days. But, if you already subscribe to the Banner and want to find a place where your Baltimore Sun dollars will do the most good, it is absolutely Baltimore Beat. 

It’s your money. What do you want to grow?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

*Absolutely a page right out of the Fox News playbook.