It’s a Pissing Match and We Won

 

Warning. I’m veering off course today for a bit of a rant. If yesterday’s post leaned cheery and aspirational, today’s will be…shall we say…edgier?

Howard County, Maryland beat out all other contenders in the inaugural Well-Wishers Won’t! campaign. The award was created to honor communities where people are: highly motivated to disbelieve positive news reports, zealously criticize the bearers of good news, and gleefully denigrate and mock fellow community members.

Based on a nationwide survey, the Well-Wishers Won’t! award is an initiative of the You Can’t Make Me foundation, founded in 1954 to seek out and destroy rose-colored glasses everywhere. The foundation’s work has largely flown under the radar until recent years when social media has provided opportunities for enormous growth.

How’d we win? I know you’re curious. Howard County received high marks in the following areas when responding to positive news in the community:

• Posting patently racist dog whistles 
• Disparaging the presenter, questioning motivation and credibility 
• Harassing positive responders 
• Spamming positive announcements with complaints not pertinent to the topic
• Staying on message to poison the well and nullify any positive outcomes 

In particular, the survey found that the motivation to fulfill the Well-Wishers Won’t! mission was consistently highest among the following groups:

• People who don’t live in the area being lauded
• The area/initiative being honored contains an uncomfortable number of non-whites
• The leader of local government is a Democrat 

Not surprisingly, the survey found that the rates of attacking good news in the community were highest when the leader of local government was a Black Democrat.

“Frankly, we weren’t suprised to see the correlation but Howard County was off the charts,” said a representative of the foundation who declined to be named. “It’s an exceptionally disciplined response to an onslaught of good news that we all know to be an insidious diversion from The Truth.”

Efforts to reach the You Can’t Make Me foundation for written documentation of The Truth have so far been unsuccessful.

Responses to Howard County’s win have been mixed. I hear that some folks in Baltimore are hopping mad.

*****

Below you will find the social media post which brought out the Well-Wishers Won’t! crowd this week. I don’t think you are required to believe or agree with everything you read on social media. Plenty of people take these kinds of awards with a grain of salt. 

I do find it concerning that we have so many locals who derive such delight in pissing on positive images of our community. All communities have challenges. An announcement like this one isn’t meant to deny that. 

If you love where you live, that’s what makes you determined to work on the challenges. It’s also why a little good news now and then is so precious. 

And, if you don’t love where you live…how is this behavior helping?

Image from hocogov social media 

Columbia has once again been named the best city to live in Maryland! Located in the heart of Howard County and home to great schools, a thriving arts and cultural scene, a plethora of pristine parks, trails and lakes, and a focus on sustainability, Columbia is a community that blends nature, culture, and innovation. 

As we continue to build a diverse and inclusive community that offers the best life to our residents and all who visit us, it is humbling to see Columbia and Howard County once again recognized for its greatness. I am so proud to be a part of a county that continues to set the highest standards for living not just in our state, but in our country.

Learn more here.

Changemaker Challenge Welcomes This Year’s Honored Guest

Drumroll, please! Tonight’s the night for the 2024 Changemaker Challenge!

The idea behind the Changemaker Challenge is simple. The United Way teams up with local philanthropic institutions in different regions to hold competitions to highlight and award social innovation ideas. In our case it’s the United Way of Central Maryland and the local partners are The Horizon Foundation, Women’s Giving Circle, and Community Foundation of Howard County.

What are social innovation ideas? I like this simple definition from the University of San Diego’s Kroc School:

The essence of social innovation is to create social change through new processes, products, services, or programs. - - What is Social Innovation?

Who are changemakers?

They’re the folks who are coming up with new ways to solve existing problems with ideas that help people. 

I feel like this combination of changemakers and social innovation has a lot of overlap with ideas in a recent post I wrote about current trends in philanthropy, notably:

I am convinced that this way of engaging is making a big impact in the community by making deeper and more lasting impressions. - - Generosity: It’s Spreading, Village Green/Town² 

Here are the finalists you’ll see tonight:

• Brightminds 
• Community Ecology Institute 
• Emmanuel Simms 
• HoCo Pride 
• Irie Cooking by Michelle 
• JustLiving Advocacy, Inc. 
• Luminus Network for New Americans 
• NonFudgery 
• Sacral Roots  
• Sobar, Inc.
• Women's Art Therapy Support Group

Tonight’s program gives them an opportunity to make their pitch, not just for the grant monies that will be awarded, but to a far more important audience: you.

Yes, you. You are the honored guest. You are their neighbor. This is their community. Big ideas are absolutely powerless sitting in a drawer or languishing on a page if nobody knows about them. That was my biggest takeaway from 2021’s Changemaker Challenge: you may begin the evening knowing about only one or two of the finalists. By the end you will have been exposed to a veritable garden of new ideas. 

One or more of them may really click with you. You may decide to get involved. What’s more, you will be able to tell other people about them in conversations you have in the community and online. If the Changemaker Challenge can get you excited about new ideas of social innovation, then you become an organic matchmaker, if you will, between those ideas and the people around you. 

I watched the last one in 2021. As I wrote back then, 

You can see them make their pitches tonight from 6-7:30. But that’s not all. Viewers will have a chance to vote on their favorite idea and the audience choice winner will receive $10,000 to help jumpstart their changemaking idea. We may have become blasé about commercially packaged television shows that encourage viewers to text in their favorites. But this event, while using a similar concept, is effectively giving participants the opportunity to fund a project that will help their own community. 

While Columbia may be the best place to live in Maryland, we still don’t have our own television station. So you’ll need to watch this on Zoom. Here is the link you need to register for the Changemaker Challenge:

Howard County 2024 - Changemaker Challenge 

This is a live program but, if it is like the one in 2021, finalists will have prepared a brief pitch video which illustrates their initiative. (True confession: I loved the videos.) There are quite a few finalists this time around and my plan is to order a pizza and make a “car bingo”* sheet to keep track of the different participants.

Something that would make me happy would be if this years’ event drew more than people who are ‘in the know’ already. I guess that’s my pitch to you. Even if you can’t commit to watching the entire thing, at least take a peek. Set a timer for fifteen minutes if you need to. 

You will learn something about your community that you did not know, and you will meet people working creatively to make things better. And that’s a win as far as I am concerned.

Village Green/Town² Comments

*Other people use spreadsheets. I make car bingo cards. They work for me.

For Teachers, the Best Gift is Solidarity

On the eve of Teacher Appreciation Week I stood behind a family in Target paying for their purchases. The dad held a handful of Target gift cards while the mom organized items in the cart as they came down the ramp. The sons were scrutinizing various packets of Pokemon cards. It took a little while to determine, with the store clerk’s help, which combination of gift cards had enough to cover the total. 

When everything was paid up the dad turned to me and apologized for the wait. 

“Oh, that’s okay. I just want to know which one of you is the teacher.”

He was clearly surprised. “Me. But how did you know?” 

I patted my chest. “Retired teacher here. Those gift cards are gold, man.” 

He smiled and they prepared to leave. As they walked away I remembered the important part.

“Thank you for teaching!” 

*****

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week in Howard County. PTAs and individual families do so much every year to express appreciation for the professionals who nurture and lift up their kids. Special food, decorations, heart-felt notes and more will be seen from school to school, expressing gratitude and good will. 

Teacher Appreciation Week comes at interesting time in the school year. The acrimonious budget battles with the Board are as over as they are going to be (for this year.) The end of the academic year is in sight. Everyone is exhausted.

What a lot of folks don’t fully understand is that the part of the budget that supports teacher compensation is separate. What is being offered to HCPSS teachers this year feels like an afterthought; negotiations are at an impasse. How can the most crucial component of what makes public education function - - teachers - - be the place where we expect to pick up the slack in a bad budget year?

Somehow it is assumed that our teachers, many of whom must work multiple jobs to make ends meet, will quietly take what feels like a slap in the face from the people who should be the most knowledgeable and appreciative of their worth. It certainly doesn’t feel like Teacher Appreciation Week.

Teacher workload keeps increasing and the teaching experience has been deeply damaged by the impact of cell phones and social media on students, as well as the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the physical and mental health of everyone. To be blunt: teaching in 2024 is a far harder job to do than it used to be, and often far less emotionally rewarding, as well. The salaries offered are not commensurate with the weight that our teachers are carrying. 

Add to that the ugly truth that teachers often cannot afford to live in the county where they teach. Their children cannot attend the Howard County Schools. Those very same schools we are so proud of and grateful for - - because of them.

Parents can be wonderful advocates and activists for education in Howard County. We write letters, show up at meetings, give testimony and hold demonstrations. For our children. For our children’s programs. For our children’s educational futures. Teachers very often show up beside us in those battles.

Now teachers need us. 

From the MSEA uniserv director serving Howard County:

Parents and advocates, next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and right now educators are not feeling very appreciated. While HoCo libraries and the Community College are (rightly) seeing 4-5% increases next year, the Board's "best" offer to their educators is 1%. While the Board and HCPSS talks about a multiyear strategy for their Zum bus contractor, they don't want a multiyear strategy for their own educators.

Here are the specifics, from HCEA, the Howard County Education Association:

After meeting with the Board's designees since November, we were informed by system leadership on May 1st that the Board of Education will not move from their initial financial offer of a step and 1% for next year. While surrounding districts rocket ahead to a starting salary of at least $60k next year, and while other county agency's are offering their employees 4-5% increases, the Board of Education's proposal would see our starting salaries fall behind neighboring counties, along with increases to class size and caseloads, layoffs, reductions of course offerings, cuts to custodial and building maintenance, and more. 

What did our union offer? Our last offer to them was a 3-year agreement very similar to the one in Baltimore County. That would have allowed the Board to make no changes to their budget for compensation in Year 1 in exchange for increases in Years 2 and 3. They rejected that reasonable offer, even though the Blueprint will be providing over 30m in new revenues from the State in both FY26 and FY27.

The board is making multi-year agreements with Zum, but it won't make a multiyear investment in its own educators. We need 4 members of this Board to stand up and do the right thing and agree to a multi-year contract with educators, and we need you on May 9th at the Board of Education to show the board how appreciated Educators feel.

This recent article in the Banner relates the concerns of County Council members as to why the school system did not include adequate funding for teacher’s salaries in their budget request. It’s a good question.

Howard County Council members push school officials to keep pay competitive, Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner

I see more and more teachers leaving the profession every year. These are really good teachers: experienced, dedicated, caring. Nationwide, the numbers show fewer young people are choosing education as their primary course of study. I wonder sometimes if people think there is a magic teacher machine that is going to crank out new ones to fill the gap.

Teachers, like any other human being in this world, need to be appreciated. The special efforts of school families this week with be received with sincere gratitude. By the same token, teachers need to be fairly compensated for their work, which is considerable.*

They’re asking that we add something to our good wishes this year: solidarity. How powerful it would be if we, as a community, could show up for our teachers the way they are always showing up for us.

What you can do: HCEA is inviting community members to turn out for this Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, May 9th.

Why: to show solidarity with teachers in their efforts to negotiate fair and adequate compensation. 

When: The meeting is at four pm. You can start arriving from 3:30 onwards. 

Can’t be there? A letter to the board of education helps, too. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

*My husband is a teacher in the county schools. He had no part in the writing of this piece.

A Woman Alone, Plus: Cheers!

 

Yesterday, late morning, I mentioned to my husband that I was really craving blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He heard me. He took in what I said, but not what I meant. I realized this when he left to visit his favorite guitar store and I was still home craving blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs. 

Yes, my brain had been operating on that old playbook where the woman says, “Gee, wouldn’t ______ be great?” and then the man says, “Well, why don’t we go out for a late breakfast?” or whatever she has hinted at. It is 2024 and we are all far too enlightened for such shenanigans. Aren’t we?

In my husband’s defense, I have rarely asked to go out to eat since March of 2021 and perhaps he has forgotten what it sounds like.

Back to breakfast. I pondered the possibility of taking myself out to breakfast. I could bring a book, or my journal, or my iPad to keep me company. But one thing was nagging me about the logistics of this plan. I decided to put it to the folks in the Howard County Eats Facebook group.

Do First Watch and/or Bob Evans seat single diners? I’m craving blueberry pancakes but my husband just left for a trip to his beloved guitar store, lol.

I received quite a bit of moral support. I’d say most were puzzled by my question. 

“Of course they would, why wouldn’t they?” was the general tone. 

I realized that I was harboring a very last-century fear about not wanting to be A Woman Alone in a restaurant. I would have thought that I had progressed beyond such notions, probably passed on to me by my mother. She was also the person who told me that, as a woman, I would never see the underside of a dinner check.

She was wrong.

The bonus of my interaction on Facebook was a variety of suggestions where one might get good blueberry pancakes in Howard County. In addition to my two, First Watch and Bob Evans, readers recommended:

• Silver Diner
• The Trolley Stop
• Jam Eateries
• Daniels in Elkridge (with a shoutout to Trueth bacon)
• Another Broken Egg, also in Elkridge 
• EC Diner

I also learned that the Silver Diner has a counter if I’d be more comfortable choosing that as a single diner, and that First Watch has a “Community Table.” 

First Watch also has a 'community table'. There are 6 or so seats and you can sit there anytime there is an open seat, no waiting. We've done this when the wait was long and it was fun. We chatted with the others at the table and had a nice breakfast.

One reader offered up an article on the joys of dining alone.

The glories of dining out alone , Allissa Wilkinson, Vox

I studied the Facebook thread. I thought about it. And then I texted my husband and asked if he’d take me out to dinner somewhere I could get blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs. 

And he said, “Sure!” And he did. Pictured: breakfast for dinner at Bob Evans at Lark Brown.

Not pictured: the vintage banjo my husband brought home from Atomic Music, inexplicably made by the Bacon* banjo company. 

I’m sure I’ll eventually remember how to get out there and be an independent woman. But, on a cold, wet, gray day in May it was a treat to end the day over warm and simple food with someone who’d probably do anything for me - - except read my mind, that is.

Today marks my thirteenth blogiversary. Cheers! Thanks for reading.

Village Green/Town² Comments

*Bacon & Day, actually. But - - seriously - - bacon? 

Go Fourth and Frolic

There’s all sorts of cool stuff scheduled around town today. The weather has made no promises to cooperate, however. Still, it’s not worth cancelling your day altogether.

A very good reminder from a faithful reader:

If you see this soon enough you can join the Baltimore Oriole walk in Wilde Lake, from 8 to 10 am.

Wilde Lake CARES is a busy bunch. Here’s the event link with details. 

When I say there’s a whole bunch of activities on the books, I am not kidding. Just take a look.*

• Car show, motorcycle ride, home brew, and baby wearing. 
• Broadway musical, music of Broadway. 
• Sheep and wool, Star Wars, Savage Geeks. 
• Plants, plants, plants and a Farmer’s Market.

If I tried a little harder I could have turned that into a song, I think.

I never seem to manage to notice Columbia Pro Cantare concerts until it’s too late so I’m going to give this one an extra boost. Also, I’m a sucker for this era of old-school Broadway show tunes. 

Columbia Pro Cantare, “Broadway!” Jim Rouse Theatre, 8 PM 

I’m intrigued by the event at Savage Mill today and tomorrow. 

Savage Geek Fest: a two-day board game, STEM, and all things Geek convention 

Listing of planned activities  include STEM panels, author panels, Gaming Panels and much more.

FYI: this is a ticketed event. You will need to purchase an entry badge to participate.

Finally, not an event per se, but today is the opening day of the season for Jenny’s Market in West Friendship.

Spring has officially sprung! You may need to bring an umbrella.

Update: Here’s one that’s indoors. Faithful Quilters 2024 Quilt Show,  “Rhapsody of Color” , First Presbyterian Church of Howard County.

Village Green/Town² Comments

*Details for all of these events can be found in the Facebook Events section under Local and/or This Week.

F ³: They Knew the Drill

 

From kindergarten onward, they knew the drill. They did as they were told. At the signal - - instantly silent. Brains scrambled with fear, bodies submitting to the well-practiced ritual. 

• Lights off
• Doors locked
• Windows covered 
• Hiding places secured
• Complete silence

None of these things brought about the magic that they desperately craved. If only I am good, they thought, I will be safe. There will be no more shootings. I won’t have nightmares. Mommy won’t cry when she watches the news.

In school they learned that hurting people was wrong and that when a bigger person targets a smaller one it is called bullying. Stronger forces oppressing weaker ones was to be censured, not admired. Standing up to protect others is good.

But what they learned most of all were the incantations pronounced by a series of adults from year to year:

You may begin. Turn the page. Put your pencil down.  Put your head on your desk. This is a lockdown.

They did as they were told. They never stopped being afraid. Or maybe they just became numb.

In the Spring of 2024 they did what ‘grown-up’ children are supposed to do. They remembered the lessons of childhood. 

Hurting people is wrong. When a bigger person targets a smaller one it is called bullying. Stronger forces dominating weaker ones are to be censured, not admired. Standing up to protect others is good.

In colleges across the country those very same children are picking up their heads, putting down their pencils and standing up for something they believe in.

But - - they are not doing as they were told.

For this their own schools have turned against them. Places of learning have opened their doors to militarized police units in order to suppress them. They have been beaten and arrested along with professors who came to bear witness. These young people have spent all of their lives training to avoid school shootings because adults - - who had the power to do so - - would not enact laws to protect them. Into this moment college administrators have invited the big guns.

It turns out that, of all the lessons they learned in school, only one applies: you must do as you are told. You must do as you’re told even though you know 1. it doesn’t make you safer and 2. it will not make the world a better place. 

Those truths, now so evident, are irrelevant. You must do as you are told because, if you do not, all of the most obscene and violent punishments will be rained down upon you and it will be deemed to be all your fault. 

Maybe these children, who are children no longer, once believed this was a simple rule and easy to obey. Now they have learned the secret behind the rule: when stronger forces can easily oppress weaker ones, they can just as easily lie and say you broke the rule even when you did not.

Who will oppose* them? The punishment will be the same.

When you punish students for their love & compassion you teach them how powerful compassion truly is. You admit to them that you govern on a premise that cannot withstand love. Love prevails. We're witnessing the soul growth of a generation. They deserve our care & respect. 

- - Alexis Pauline Gumbs, American writer, independent scholar, poet, activist and educator

Village Green/Town² Comments 

*Black Americans know this and have known this through multiple generations. 

”If the police will do it to them, they will do it to you.” - - DeRay McKesson, American Civil Rights Advocate 

Typical Weirdness

I’m taking a break from the intensity of the past few days to present an assortment of the kind of local weirdness you may have come to expect on these pages. I need a breather. 

First off: why had I not known this fun fact? There’s a HoCo connection to The Exorcist?

Does anyone find it ominous that it closed just one year after the film’s release? Hmm…

Truth in advertising: I have never seen The Exorcist. When it came out I was teen living in Stamford, Connecticut and the big talk was that star Linda Blair hailed from one town over in Westport. 

At any rate I’d love to learn more about this local connection to a well-known film.

*****

Popular Columbia restaurant The Food Market has announced their upcoming venture: Vacation: Columbia and Chill. I don’t recommend Googling that unless you are prepared to be given all the information on Vacation: Colombia and Chile.

Image from The Food Market social media

It looks to be an outdoor venue. I’m all for that. Will it be seasonal, then? The words “Vacation and Chill” bring to mind hanging out by the pool or under big umbrellas at the beach. Will there be caramel popcorn? Will you be able to stroll in wearing your still-wet swim suit and flip flops? I wonder. 

*****

If you are following Howard County Budget Season then you’ve been trying to keep up with all of the official announcements. This is the time of year when the County Executive makes his pitch to the community in support of items in his county budget proposal. It’s all a part of a larger process of course. The community is invited to give input. The County Council must vote.

Me? I wanted to know about all the signs. Here’s a screenshot. You know, those signs.

Image from Howard County Government social media

For about a month or so every spring, Howard County seems to be running a foam core production business. The visual aids which flank the County Executive and other local notables are of excellent quality, visually appealing, and informative. They help support the announcements by organizing/making sense of the information that goes into each budget proposal.

Some folks around town grumble every year about whether we have the money for various new initiatives. Me? I want to know about all those signs. I reached out to Safa Hira, Director of Communications for the County Executive.

Not crucial, but I’m curious: what happens to all these signs? I’m guess they’re printed on foam core. You all must make a ton of these over the course of the year.

Ms. Hira responded:

There’s various things that happen to them. Sometimes, organizations like to keep these boards and they’ll display them during events throughout the year, in their offices, etc. We normally keep these boards for at least two years (because we reuse them quite a bit), whether it’s at like fairs, public forums, etc. and then we recycle when done. I hope that helps answer your question.

I’m glad to know they are more than single-use items. I’ve been lying awake at night imagining creative reuse like new school construction and affordable housing.

*****

Have a wonderful Thursday. I’m hoping to make it over to the event at the new East Columbia 50+ Center this afternoon.

This week: Early Voting - - Thursday May 2nd to Thursday May 9th, 2024, from 7am-8 pm daily. 

Soon: Saturday Market at Clarksville Commons, May 4th from 10 am - 2 pm.

Down the Road Apiece: Old Ellicott City Pride Festival, June 1st, 1 pm - 8 pm.

Banner Takes a Swing at Book Ban Issue, Misses

 

The numbers tell me that the blog went up late yesterday and a lot of you missed it. It’s about the Board of Education race and how the winners will be in a position either: to support intellectual freedom and inclusion or: to weaken and damage it.

Assertive me : go read it now.

Polite me: I hope you’ll find some time to catch up on it this morning.

Free People Read Freely, Village Green/Town², April 30, 2024

The Baltimore Banner took a swing at addressing what they call the “book ban debates” but in my opinion the article missed some important information.

Where Howard County school board candidates stand on book ban debates, Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner

The article lists the following candidates as having stated they are against book bans:

Pravin Ponnuri (District 1)

Meg Ricks (District 1)

Hiruy Hadgu (District 4)

Julie Kaplan (District 4)

Jen Mallo, current school board chair (District 4)

Catherine Carter (District 5)

Andrea Chamblee (District 5)

I’d advise community members to look beyond this list. Why? 

Well, at a recent candidate forum at Dar Al-Taqwa Islamic Center, Pravin Ponnuri’s responses were problematic at best. Also, a reminder that he was one of the four candidates who originally chose not to answer the CARY survey, which contains clear questions about the inclusion of LGBTQIA appropriate materials. 

After some community pushback, Ponnuri completed the survey, using the following statement as a basis for most of his answers:

Sexual preference, just like religious or political preferences, is a personal decision that has no impact on education and does not belong in the school system. Let the school system be about education.

1. The use of the words “sexual preference” is inherently incorrect and seeing it here is alarming. The correct term is sexual orientation. Not knowing (or caring) enough to use correct terminology shows either ignorance or disrespect. Not a good look for anyone aspiring to the Board of Education.

2. If we are to take Ponnuri at his word, not only would he support excluding LGBTQIA materials from schools but he would also insist on removing all library books and curriculum materials which included heterosexual relationships and marriage. Oh my goodness. He is going to be a busy, busy man.

“Does not belong.” What do those words mean to you?

I’m not at all convinced that Ponnuri would take a stand to support school libraries and librarians were he given the opportunity to serve on the school board. Based on his own words, I don’t think he’s convinced, either.

I’m also concerned that candidate Julie Kaplan has accepted campaign contributions from former BOE candidate Tudy Adler, one of the founders of Howard County Moms4Liberty. If Kaplan is, as the Banner article suggests she is, opposed to book bans, she would have immediately returned the money and publicly repudiated the M4L connection. 

In addition, Ms. Kaplan’s answers on the CARY survey lean heavily on arguments of “parental concern” and “parents’ rights”, well-known to M4L supporters. If you take M4L-tainted money and you use M4L coded language, then your claim that you are opposed to book bans deserves some extra scrutiny. The Banner doesn’t do that here.

These are examples of what was missed in the Banner article. There may be more I am not aware of. In addition, I’m extremely concerned by candidates who are being overly careful not to say anything that might give away their position. If they won’t tell you the truth in plain language before the election, that’s a clear indicator of how they’ll act if elected.

While I’m glad that the Banner thinks that the issue of book bans in Howard County schools is worth covering, I’m deeply disappointed that this particular article does not give an accurate representation of the facts and may very likely mislead voters.

Oh, and before you go: did you read yesterday’s post?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Free People Read Freely

 Looks cute.

It’s deadly serious. Take a look. 

How LGBTQ Voices are Being Erased in Classrooms, Leslie Rafei, ACLU

How LGBTQIA+ Book Bans Impact Kids and Teens, JoAnn Yao, WNDB

The Impact of Book Bans on LGBTQ Students, Sarah Zhang, Institute for Youth in Policy

When you vote in our upcoming local elections you can do something tangible to ensure that school environments are truly conducive to learning: safe, accepting, and fully prepared to meet student needs.

The responsibility of schools to support all students clearly includes LGBTQ+ students. In fulfilling that responsibility, school must have the freedom to choose materials that are appropriate to meet a variety of student needs. There’s nothing radical about this. 

People who support intellectual freedom in schools, especially in school libraries, are not “radicals.” 

I don’t know if I can make this any plainer: if you live in Howard County the ability of your local schools to fulfill their educational mission is under attack.

Targeting books for removal from school libraries (yes, that is book banning) comes most often at the expense of LGBTQ students. We are encouraged to believe that suppressing such educational materials is an affirmation of overall community values.

It’s not.

While public support for key LGBTQ rights has been steadily increasing - 79% of Americans support laws protecting LGBTQ individuals from discrimination and nearly 70% support same-sex marriage, as found in a 2022 survey - the corresponding growth in anti-LGBTQ bills reflects not general public opinion, but raised levels of lobbying from groups such as MFL, as introduced earlier.  - - Sarah Zhang, The Impact of Book Bans on LGBTQ Students

It is suggested that the mere presence of certain books in school libraries - - the simple availability of them - -  constitutes active harm to students. Of course there is no evidence whatsoever that this is the case. In addition, these conversations rarely address the harm done when suppressing materials relevant to LGTBQ students.

Toni Moore, a high school librarian in Kentucky, said that if teens are struggling with their identity and place in the world, seeing a book about someone like them challenged or outright banned can be very harmful.

“It takes these kids and amplifies every bad feeling they’ve had about their self-worth and how they fit into society,” Moore said. “I think it has a very negative effect on them.”

Amie Jones is the UK-based founder of Kind Kids Book Club, and she said that book bans are also an insult to teens’ intelligence, as it assumes that they can’t make informed, conscientious decisions on their own about what books they want to read. Jones said that the book bans restrict empathy when it comes to how teens think about others, and attack their own views of themselves. - - JoAn Yao, How LGBTQIA+ Book Bans Impact Kids and Teens

Evidence from around the country shows us that the people who get excited about removing books from school libraries are rarely content to stop at that. They’re also taking away access to bathrooms, to sports participation, and the expression of student voice. This is a mindset which easily moves from targeting books with LGBTQIA characters to ones telling the truth about American History, the Civil Rights movement (and even the Holocaust) like an uncontrollable Roomba of school censorship.

Their words and actions stand in opposition to intellectual freedom and democratic principles. Imagine what must motivate people to paint libraries and librarians as figures of malevolence and abuse. 

This is a hunger to control* that cannot be appeased.

Yesterday Board of Education incumbent Jen Mallo posted a statement on this topic on social media. Here’s the essence of it. I’d recommend you read the whole thing if you have time. 

There are a number of qualifications for serving on the school board. This is certainly not the only thing that community members are considering right now. But it should be the most basic and essential qualification. If you cannot trust a candidate on this, then they will in no way be trustworthy on anything else.

Choose carefully. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

*I found the following sentence to be worthy of consideration. Yao’s piece is based on a book ban policy passed in the Central Bucks School District (CBSD), located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Does this sound familiar to you?

It may be important to note that these conservative groups gained prominence during the pandemic in fighting against COVID-19 restrictions; as general interest in the pandemic waned, these organizations shifted focus towards supporting policies such as the pride flag ban and now the book ban.

The Future Can Come at You Fast

 

Trying something new this morning: 

• this week 
• soon 
• down the road apiece

This week: the Howard County Office of Aging and Independence is hosting a showcase event at the new East Columbia 50+ Center this Thursday, May 2nd, from 2-6 pm.

Join the Howard County Office on Aging and Independence on May 2 at the East Columbia 50+ Center from 2 to 6 p.m. Learn about healthy aging programs and services, connect with neighbors, enjoy fitness demos, crafts, speakers, giveaways and more.

This might be a great introduction to the new space for those of us who couldn’t find parking on the day of their grand opening. In fact, they’ve arranged a shuttle service for this Thursday. Smart thinking. You can learn more about the event (including details about how the shuttle will work) at the following link.

OAI: Creating Community, Cultivating Connections 

One question I’d love to ask is how the 50+ Centers see themselves serving 50+ residents who are still working. It’s entirely possible to be over fifty and have at M-F, 9-5 job. What kinds of programs are in place for them? This is not intended to be a criticism. I honestly don’t know. I do think it’s fair to ask how residents who will be at work this Thursday afternoon would be able to access a similar experience.

I’ll keep you posted.

Soon: Mother’s Day. Well, yes and no. This is not about any specific event, but rather a response to a post I saw from local business Clark’s Ace Hardware in Ellicott City.

Why not surprise mom with something practical this Mother's Day? A colorful Yeti or Stanley tumbler, cooler, or bag could be the perfect gift for the adventurous, outdoorsy mom or the one who simply loves to enjoy her favorite beverages in style!

It occurred to me that you could create an entire party game based on the beginning of that sentence.

Why not surprise mom with…?

I used a random noun generator and so far it has recommended an orange, gold, an assistant, stone, and a university. Results may vary. 

I was not expecting “practical” but maybe that’s the surprise part.

Hot tip: why not surprise Mom by asking her what she’d like for Mother’s Day and then doing it? For many mothers, that might be a welcome surprise.

Down the road apiece: Save the date for the Community Ecology Institute’s Harvest Gala.

If the name Community Ecology Institute doesn’t ring a bell, think: Freetown Farm, the Green Farmacy Garden, Community of Families in Nature, Roots & Wings, Green Seeds Internships, Nourishing Gardens, Make & Repair, and Agroecology in Action. The most visual mental image many of us have for CEI is Freetown Farm, but the range and depth of their year-round programming is astounding. 

This is absolutely a major fundraising event and as such it may not be doable for everyone. That’s okay. There are many small ways to be involved and to support the mission of CEI all throughout the year. But, if you’re the kind of person who can swing a big ticket* event once in a while, put this on your calendar now. 

Better yet, buy your ticket now. I love that they offer the option of buying a ticket “in spirit” to support the event even if you are not able to attend. (Or maybe you just don’t enjoy large events.)

Whatever you do, don’t circle October 17th and then pencil in something cryptic like, “maybe?”

Ask me how I know. 

Send me your top three if you have any: this week, soon, down the road apiece. Perhaps the calendar challenged among us (like me) will be inspired. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

*Don’t laugh. For some of us, one hundred dollars still constitutes a big purchase.

Words and Music

To play, or not to play. That is the question.

I showed up at Jazz in the Woods at around 12:30 yesterday, and planted my green (Chrysalis rental) chair up towards the front.

Image from Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods social media 

I was in time to hear the end of the Mount Hebron Jazz Band’s set. Wilde Lake would be up next. The weather was cool and overcast.

In a literal sense, the high school musicians had come to play. Music, that is. It’s interesting that the expression “they came to play” means something more akin to competitive athletes taking the field.

“come to play”

American English, informal:

to be disposed to play or participate in a manner reflecting a determination to win or succeed

But this wasn’t a competition. It was more of a musical love-fest to high school jazz bands. The MHHS musicians finished their set and the Wilde Lake group began to set up. It began to rain. Not heavily, but steadily.

That was when I noticed that many of the adults around me had pulled out ponchos, rain slickers, rain hats. Some even had little roofs built onto their lawn chairs. 

Ahhh…band parents. If you are one of this group of hardy music supporters then you have learned to come prepared for the weather. Even if your kid specializes in jazz, they probably have played a good number of football games in the pep band. Weather is unpredictable. Band parents organize everything, turn out for everything, endure everything. I was never a band parent but my respect for them runs deep.

When I described these folks to my husband later, I said, “they don’t play.” He looked puzzled. “What do you mean, “‘They don’t play’?”

Hmm.

“they don’t play”  

I couldn’t find an internet-approved definition but I’m guessing this has its roots in AAVE, meaning:

taking things seriously, not inclined to fool around

Of course they don’t play, my husband may be thinking. They’re the band parents, not the band! 

Oh, how I love language and all its nuances, not to mention vocal inflection/tone of voice and how it impacts the meaning of the words that are spoken. I hope these examples clear things up:

The high school jazz bands came to play in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods yesterday. 

The high school jazz bands came to play in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods yesterday. 

The band parents show support for student musicians but they don’t play. 

Those band parents - - wowza! - - they don’t play.

What really matters is that these high school students made music, enjoyed themselves, and shared their gifts with the community. Yes, they played. And sang, too. Here’s a brief clip courtesy of IAT:

Wilde Lake High School Jazz Band and Vocalist, “Misty”

One of the things I look forward to every year at the Chrysalis is seeing children dancing on the lawn. This year I caught a new sight that made sitting in the Spring rain worthwhile: two teens dancing under a shared umbrella. 

I didn’t photograph them, obviously, but - - just for a moment- - close your eyes and imagine how lovely that must be.

There’s another concert today in The Park, and the weather is looking good. Schedule your own personal play date on the lawn. 

Saturday Sampler

 

Are you ready for some weekend fun? Here goes:

The OMCA annual plant sale in Oakland Mills is this morning from 9 am to 11 am at The Other Barn.

HC Drug Free’s Medication & Sharps Disposal is from 10 am to 2 pm at the Wilde Lake Village Center.

Jazz in the Woods at the Chrysalis, 11 am -  6 pm at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. 

Little Portion Farm is holding a plant sale from 9 am - 2 pm,  12290 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City

Wilde Lake CARES will be doing cleanup at the Snowy Owl Adopt-a-Spot location from 9 - 11 am.

 Coffee Run & Fun  from 2 - 4 pm at The First Presbyterian Church of Howard County.

This one merits some explanation:  

For the 15th year in a row, we will be holding a fundraiser for the Coffee Microgrants Project, inviting everyone to participate in an afternoon of games, fun, and fellowship - including a chance to try your hand at pickle ball right inside the church!  The event will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Howard County on April 27, 2024, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to participate in games, food, and fellowship.

All proceeds from this event go to fund coffee plants, fertilizer, and other essentials that enable members of the Union Boca Costa Maya Quiche Presbytery in Guatemala to cultivate coffee on small plots of land that they own - building assets and creating life-changing economic opportunities in a remote part of Guatemala.

The NAACP of Howard County’s annual Freedom Fund luncheon will be from 1 - 3 pm at the Hotel at Arundel Preserve. 

Clark’s Ace Hardware will be sharing its excitement about the upcoming grilling season at their Columbia location from 11 am - 2 pm.

Book signing event at Second Edition Books on Dobbin Road from 3 - 5 pm with Dana Klosner, author of Beatlemania Lives On: Superfans of the 21st Century.

Of course these are not all the HoCoLocal events happening today, but more of a sampling. If you have one you’d like me to share, let me know. 

And here’s one now, courtesy of Phillip Dodge, Downtown Columbia Partnership:

Rock for a Reason, Color Burst Park, 5:30 - 8:30 pm. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

F ³: Jim Rouse Speaks

 

Who has the correct ideology to invoke the name of Rouse?

Honestly, I would like to be done with this practice now and forever. I have decided to create a new term for this: “Rouse-signalling”.

My objection is to anyone trotting out Jim Rouse’s name when it serves them - - especially when they want to win something - - as though it’s a celebrity endorsement. 

I do wonder every so often what Rouse would think of various goings-on today. Of course, if it were possible, it would be fascinating to get his take on the here and now.  - - from “The R Word”, Village Green/Town², 8/16/2022

Yesterday these words came back to me as Jim Rouse himself turned up in my inbox and spoke to me. And now he’s going to speak to you.

Jim Rouse Speaks

If you’re an expert in all things Rouse, and you are thinking, “I’ve never heard that audio clip before,” you’re right. It came to me through the technical expertise of long-time Columbian Dave Bittner. Mr. Bittner had noted my frustration earlier in the day with someone who was disparaging a new rental housing community in Wilde Lake by intoning the old local curse.

Rouse is turning over in his grave.

Bittner’s note to me began like this:

Like many who consider Columbia our “home town,” I grow weary of people breathlessly invoking the ghost of Jim Rouse any time anything the least bit controversial is proposed for our community. 

“What would Jim Rouse do?!?”

“Jim Rouse is turning in his grave…”

So, for fun, I asked Chat GPT to imagine, based on its knowledge of Jim, how he might react to current events. 

User:

Are you familiar with James Rouse, developer of Columbia, Maryland?

This was fascinating. Also a little creepy. In all the time I’ve lamented locals dragging poor Mr. Rouse from the grave I’ve never once contemplated the possibility of Artificial Intelligence. And now here it was knocking at my door.

Let me outline the process Bittner used. First, he established that Chat GPT knew enough about Rouse to imagine how he might react to current events. Next, he asked it to turn that knowledge into an editorial describing his point of view on the development of Columbia since his death. Then…insert drumroll here…

Now rewrite it as if James Rouse were presenting his thoughts to an audience of Columbia, Maryland residents.

And it did. It’s uncanny. Here is the opening paragraph of “ChatGPT: James Rouse's Reflections on Columbia, Maryland: A Visionary's Address.” 

My dear friends and residents of Columbia,

As I stand before you today, in spirit and legacy, I am overwhelmed with a profound sense of pride and a slight touch of concern. When we embarked on this grand adventure to create not just a city but a community, our aspirations were as lofty as the ideals we cherished—social equity, environmental stewardship, and a genuine integration of life's facets. Columbia was to be a testament to what could be achieved when we dared to imagine a different kind of urban living, one that nurtured the human spirit and embraced diversity in its warmest embrace.

It’s six paragraphs of an AI-generated Rouse giving a gentle yet astute piece of his mind and I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. Here’s the last paragraph.

The journey of Columbia is an ongoing tale of ambition, community, and hope. It is a story that each of you is writing every day through your actions, your beliefs, and your visions for the future. I stand with you, in spirit, cheering you on, as you carry forward the legacy of our shared dream. Together, we have built more than a city; we have cultivated a garden for the human spirit to thrive. Let us continue to nurture this garden, for ourselves and for the generations to come.

With all my heart and hope,

James Rouse

And now for the sprinkling of magic. Bittner explains: 

So, to continue this little technological magic trick, I ran one of Jim’s speeches through a voice cloning system, and fed that the last paragraph of the speech I had ChatGPT generate. The results are not perfect, but it’s spookily good with no tweaking or adjustments. There are systems out there that are capable of much more accurate renditions than this one. This one was free.

That’s what we heard above. Remember?

Jim Rouse Speaks

Today is Rouse’s birthday. (Facebook reminded me.) This image was posted by Barbara Kellner, then the Columbia Archives Director, on the centenerary of Rouse’s birth in 2014.

Who speaks for Jim Rouse today? It’s hard to say. As AI-generated words, images, and sounds wash into our world faster than we can process their value or veracity, will bad actors ever attempt to harness Rouse’s sometimes ‘saintly’ public image for influence or profit? Perhaps I’m a bit cynical after (checks notes) a mere 25 years in the New American City. Haven’t people been doing that all along without benefit of AI?

One thing I noticed both in Mr. Bittner’s notes and in his careful process was a complete lack of cynicism. He shared what he had learned without any dictates of how it should be received or interpreted.

I find it insightful and amusing, but above all a gentle reminder of the kind spirit of Jim. As a kid growing up in Columbia I was lucky enough to have met him several times, and he always left a positive impression. 

My guess is that some will find this exercise creepy, weird, or even downright distasteful. And that’s fine. Those folks aren’t wrong. 

Many thanks to Mr. Bittner for reaching out and for allowing me to share his work. 

Who speaks for Jim Rouse today?

Village Green/Town² Comments

*****

Forgive me, I didn’t have a brief bio of Mr. Bittner at the ready, so I have lifted this directly from LinkedIn.  - - jam

Dave Bittner is Producer and host of The CyberWire Podcast, the top-ranking daily cybersecurity podcast in the world according to iTunes. 

Over twenty years experience in digital media, video and television production and interactive technology. Developed award winning interactive training programs for a variety of industries, and produced countless corporate, industrial and broadcast programs as co-owner of Pixel Workshop. 

A skilled public speaker, voice-over artist, emcee, actor and singer. 

Specialties: video production, editing, camera, director of photography, voice over, creative services, public speaking, writing, Steadicam®, podcasting, social media, marketing, motion graphics, music, theater.