F ³: Solidarity Is Not So Simple

This week I inadvertently made someone feel terrible and I have been thinking a lot about that. It started when I posted the following:

I guess I should be grateful that Target has made it unequivocally clear that they don’t want my business anymore.

I had already been deeply disappointed by how Target folded on supporting Pride this summer and their recent disavowal of their own Diversity Equity and Inclusion initiatives was the last straw for me. I was expressing my intention to take my dollars elsewhere.

A friend of mine perceived this as public judgement of anyone who didn’t follow suit. It so happened that she had felt the same when I expressed a desire to cut back on my purchases from Amazon. 

I felt awful.

It’s okay to say “I have made a decision to boycott a business because of the following reasons.” It is never okay to say “so everyone else has to do it, too.” I hope that I have never done that but I do understand the feeling of gradually feeling piled on.When those around you are vocal about a particular issue,  it can gather enough momentum that it is easy to take it personally.

During the height of the pandemic many of us were using Instacart for grocery deliveries. Then it came out that their workplace policies were pretty terrible, their workers were ill treated, and that in some cases they didn’t truly receive their own tips. At this point a big chunk of folks I know articulated their displeasure and ceased using Instacart.

But I couldn’t. At that point my asthma had made me too ill too physically push a cart around a store plus my medications weakened my immune system. So I kept using Instacart but I felt guilty about it. For a long time I handed my Instacart person their tips in cash at the door so it couldn’t be diverted. 

All of this is to say that we do not know what other people’s circumstances are. Do you remember the big push to do away with plastic drinking straws? A great thing, yes? We all know they are bad for the environment. But then it was discovered that a whole segment of the population legitimately needed drinking straws because of disability and no one had given a thought to that. 

Oh.

I’ve been seeing a lot of references to solidarity lately but I’m not sure that we are all working from the same definition. It is too simplistic to say “There’s power in numbers, so let’s all do the same thing at the same time!” Who decides? Whose voices are amplified? 

I did a basic Google search on solidarity and I found this from St. Olaf University in Minnesota:

Acting in solidarity with others means that you will:

• give marginalized or oppressed identities the same respect and affirmation that majority identities may take for granted
• center voices of marginalized or oppressed identities in our work
• do the self work to “unlearn” your own biases
• bring humility to your interactions with others
• practice empathetic listening
• take action that amplifies the work of the community and organizers from the community

- - Academic Civil Engagement, St.Olaf University

I heard a conversation this week on public radio and a guest pointed out that many people live in food deserts and/or don’t have cars. What if a particular business, say Target, was the only place they had access to for buying groceries? I’m able to make certain choices because I have a car and I have a variety of consumer alternatives within my immediate community. That’s privilege.

True solidarity is not telling our neighbors they must do exactly what we are doing. However, it could be supporting others by using a business like Costco cooperatively and even delivering groceries to people who don’t drive. That’s a level of solidarity that I certainly did not grow up experiencing. I don’t think many white people do.

We are more likely to see our responsibility as resting in individual acts and choices. We see solidarity as the power of lots of people making those individual acts and choices. When we admire the persistence of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a lot of us don’t really understand the ongoing, organized community care that made that movement possible. Privilege makes this kind of cooperation and interdependence unnecessary. 

Not understanding that is often the downfall of well-meaning initiatives. And it creates a rift between us and those whose life experience has taught them truths we never learned in school or in life.

There are many ways to be a force for good and I am learning all the time. If I could only overcome my telephone anxiety, for example, I could be making calls to my elected officials. I am in no position to judge others.  

I’m grateful to my friend for reminding me to remember and include those who are not exactly like me.

Village Green/Town² Comments

The Lonely Lot Has A Big Day

 

It is extremely difficult right now to focus on good little stories of the local variety. Sure, our nation is being set on fire with selfishness and hatred but can I interest you in Restaurant Week or a show at Toby’s? 

It feels callous and unfeeling to act like things are normal. And I feel like such a disclaimer will be hanging over this space for quite some time. 

And yet, a large part of who we are is made up of our good little stories. They are signs of our humanity. - - jam

*****

Today at eleven am there will be an official ribbon cutting event for the new 7 - Eleven in Oakland Mills. This location consists of the usual convenience store along with gas pumps and a car wash. If the stars align and my yearly heating inspection cooperate, I will be there.

What’s the big deal about a 7-Eleven, you ask? Well, the bigger deal is probably the land it’s sitting on, which has been empty for a really long time. A hazy recollection puts it at twenty-plus years. I moved here in 1999 and I think there was still an Exxon Mobil gas station there but my husband told me it was probably the most expensive gas station in Columbia and was to be avoided. I think it closed not too long after that.*

People who know the details: feel free to fill me in. 

That site, located at the corner of Robert Oliver Place and Stevens Forest Road, is the reason that I found myself at a County Council Meeting in the George Howard Building for the very first time. Community members came out to support a proposal for a class A office building on that lot. It would have given that empty space a new purpose and it would have brought more people into our village center to patronize our businesses and, hopefully, to learn more about the goodness of Oakland Mills. After all, “We Value Connections.”

It didn’t happen. That’s a pitifully short explanation for a really complicated story and it involves creative thinking from former County Executive Ken Ulman, insurmountable glitches in financing, and a dubious County Council. Other people could tell that part of the story better. I’m telling it because it was my first experience in going to a public meeting to advocate for something on behalf of my community.

I guess you could say that put me on the road to ruin, or at least on the road to where I am today. 

That plot of land does not belong to the Village of Oakland Mills. It is privately owned. But the success or failure of every component of a Village Center has an impact on the Village as a whole. I sometimes see community groups gloating that they have torpedoed projects in their areas that they deem to be unsuitable. This concerns me because they seem to be under the impression that they will now be able to entertain better offers.

I don’t think they understand what it is like when no one wants to invest in your community at all. Businesses fail, or decide not to renew their leases. Those spaces are not filled. People start describing your community space as “sad” or “ sketchy.” Folks on the other side of town who have never even been to your neighborhood warn friends away from visiting it.

The Oakland Mills Community Association has worked with merchants and has advocated for the Village Center for as long as I can remember. This includes both professional employees, Village Board members,  and neighborhood volunteers. Embedded within every success we have are their efforts and advocacy.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention County Government here because I know they have been partners and helpful sounding boards in many Village Center issues over the years. There’s probably another blog post in that all by itself. 

Finding a way for the Village Centers in the older Columbia Villages to thrive and be commercially relevant has been an ongoing theme for years now. I honestly think we need to cheer every success. 

So, if you don’t live in Oakland Mills, maybe you can drop by soon to try out the new 7 Eleven and see for yourself what we’re like. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

*This had nothing to do with my lack on patronage. 

The Message in Black and White

 

Dear friends, I have a confession to make. 

I have a hard time reading white type on a dark background. It occurs to me that other people may be in the same boat. 

Image is a screenshot from the County Executive’s social media/Facebook account

Yesterday County Executive Calvin Ball released a statement on actions taken by the Executive Branch which will likely bring adverse effects on many Howard residents. You may already have seen it but I think it’s important to share it here, especially for those of us who would benefit from seeing it in black and white.

Here goes:

HOWARD COUNTY EXECUTIVE CALVIN BALL

RELEASES STATEMENT ON FEDERAL FUNDING FREEZE

BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Calvin Ball, County Executive

January 28th, 2025

"We are deeply concerned by President Trump and the Office of Management and Budget's directive to freeze federal funding for a broad swath of public and nonprofit organizations across the United States. Our team is continuing to evaluate the full impacts of this directive, should it be enacted, on Howard County programs, service delivery, and government operations.

These actions by the Trump Administration may jeopardize our neighbors' ability to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table, or remain employed due to a lack of transportation. An abrupt federal funding freeze will unequivocally affect workforce training initiatives and transportation options for residents to jobsites.

We also know that many of our local nonprofits rely on federal funding to administer important programs and services that support our neighbors, including Head Start and early childhood education for families. We are very disturbed to hear that funding portals have been closed for many critical nonprofit programs as this directive is evaluated and implemented.

Howard County Government anticipates that the impact of federal funding freezes or cuts in our operating and capital budget could be tens of millions of dollars. This funding supports critical infrastructure, emergency management, and public safety needs. This could include essential funding for the completion of Historic Ellicott City's North Tunnel project, which is the largest public works project in County history and will reduce the risks of flash flooding on Main Street.

Other potential impacts to infrastructure include road maintenance, bridge repairs, and water and sewer infrastructure.

In addition to capital funding impacts, Howard County relies on federal funding to support key operations of our government. This directive could impact funding for transportation efforts including public transit, affordable housing programs and homelessness services, public safety and emergency response, and workforce and job training programs, among other impacts to critical programs.

We welcome quick action by our judicial system to halt this federal directive and restore access to federal funds. The threat of losing this critical funding to these essential services is incredibly troubling and could be devastating to families and workers.

We will continue working to ensure the best outcomes so that all our residents are and feel safe, valued, and respected. We are thankful for our Congressional representatives and Governor Wes Moore's Administration for their efforts to combat this measure on behalf of all Marylanders and communities across the nation. We continue to urge President Trump and his administration to work with us to ensure the continuity of these critical services and county operations."

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball

*****

This statement shows an administration that is committed to keeping the community informed as well as to doing the work of seeing residents through what could be an extremely difficult time. It shows leadership, thoughtfulness, and empathy. There’s no dramatic ranting or false promises here. There are no attempts to diminish the truth of the situation, either. 

As you may imagine, some folks came out of the woodwork to mock the County Executive. Their comments showed neither thoughtfulness nor empathy and I am extremely glad that they are not in positions of local leadership.

Anyone who is willing to go on the record as rejoicing in others’ suffering at a time like this is not scoring points. They are telling on themselves.

Having a local leader tell you the truth when you would rather hear that “everything is going to be all right” can be an uncomfortable feeling. But it is a darn sight better than the profound dishonesty emanating from the White House and those who are proud carriers of the lies that this administration is rooted in. 

I woke up at three am feeling a sense of dread. I continue to be incredulous that there are some people in my own country who legitimately thrill to the idea of harming me, my family, my friends, and millions of perfectly wonderful people who I will never know. There’s no easy solution to that. It is clear and horrifying evidence that some people will let what is most precious about Democracy slip through their fingers if they think there’s something in it for them. And if the people they don’t like will be made to suffer. 

But, no. It is not slipping through their fingers. They are throwing it away. 

Do I want magic? Do I want miraculous intervention? You bet I do. Still, the fact the County Executive and his team are doing their jobs and making it clear that they are not done working on behalf of the community is something to be grateful for. 

Even at three in the morning.

Village Green/Town² Comments

But It’s Not Really Funny

 

One minute you’re a well meaning, aspirational planned community and the next you’re in the crosshairs of presidential retribution.

Image is a screenshot taken from a post on Bluesky .

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

01/26/25

ICYMI: President Donald J. Trump's TRUTH on Columbia Sanctions

A few nights ago The New American City found itself the topic of many a social media post when the President announced sanctions on Columbia. 

Columbia? Columbia, Maryland?

Of course he really meant “Colombia” (the country) but he didn’t take the time to check his own work and apparently no one else in the White House did, either. Yes, we have all been the victim of our own stupid-ass typos but then, we are not the President of the United States, are we?

Over on Bluesky folks had a field day with the careless error.

Guess this means that my Columbia Association dues will increase? — concerned Columbia, MD resident

Hey I work in Columbia…MD.  Call Governor Moore, we’ve been sanctioned. I wish this was funny. It’s pathetically stupid. SMH.

Did Donald Trump just announce 25% tariffs on Columbia, Maryland?

Columbia MD is now concerned… but has no coffee

I’m imagining that Columbia, MD seeking injunction in Fourth Circuit tomorrow after getting slapped with 25% tariffs by Trump 

maybe he meant Columbia MD, one of the blue state Columbias

i live in the real Columbia, in the middle of MD. wonder when the army will start the trek up 95?

Hide your coffee, Columbia 

Man oh man, people in Columbia, Maryland must be really mad right now

General Admission tickets to any show at Merriweather or Toby's dinner theater will now be $10,000.00, and Mall parking will require a credit check. (Columbia, Maryland humor)

Maybe he wants Columbia Maryland? Is he after Merriweather Post Pavilion since he already owns her Mar-a-Lago?

There were other Columbias in the mix: Columbia, South Carolina, Columbia University, and even Columbia brand outdoor clothing. Yes, it was a laugh a minute there for a while. I think people joked about it because they knew, deep down that no one they knew was going to be hurt by this error. That made it fair game. Plus, in times of extreme national stress, a lighthearted moment can be therapeutic.

But the underlying issues are not funny at all. Deportation without due process, engaging in strong arm “diplomacy” via social media, sloppy communications,  ignorant bluster and threats. None of that is funny. 

Summing up, a bit of advice from a Bluesky poster who appears to be channeling Bernie Sanders:

I’m once again asking Americans to learn the difference between Colombia and Columbia.

If the President could learn that, yeah, that would be great.

Village Green/Town² Comments

A Step in the Wrong Direction

 

I haven’t asked you to write a letter lately, so: here goes. The following is from the Anti-Racist Education Alliance:

CALL-TO-ACTION

AREA is joining the HCPSS BOE in opposing local bill Ho Co 15-25, which would impose an unfunded mandate on HCPSS to study weapons detection technology for our schools. 

If you share our objection, please send a letter to the Howard County Delegation by 6pm on Tuesday, January 28. You can reach all of them at once using this email address: hoc1@mlis.state.md.us

Below you’ll find a link to an email template but it’s not necessary to use it. 

Please share! 

Email template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qYvBCUBTukQlYOlA0sLW9wjNnCum13gXIOkFCvhs_sc/edit

Draft legislation: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/Ho.Co_.%2015-25.pdf

AREA advocacy letter

We should not be diverting valuable resources from educational programs, especially at a time when needs are so great and financial resources are so limited.  I wholeheartedly agree with Matthew Vaughn Smith, President of the Anti-Racist Education Alliance, who says: 

School money should be spent on competitive salaries for educators and wraparound services that help support our student's emotional capacity.

Not on an expensive study. Not on bogus AI tech.

AREA is encouraging community members to sign their petition and to support the Howard County Board of Education and Anti-Racist Education Alliance, Inc. by telling the Howard County Delegation to vote 'no' on local bill HoCo 15-25.

I hope you will take some time to read the advocacy letter printed above and give this issue some thought. We all want our kids to be safe in school. The last thing we want to do, though, is to throw a lot of money at something when it almost certainly won’t help and could even make things worse.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Who Tells Our Story? A Garden Can.

The report of the Public Garden Focus Group is now available.  I tip my hat to them. Creating reports like this takes a lot of effort and their work has definitely been a public service. So, check it out!

You can view the county’s press release here, and the full report is available at this link:

A Public Garden for Howard County Maryland

Here’s a write-up from the Baltimore Banner: 

Howard County’s public garden will honor its troubled past, Jess Nocera

While I’m not keen on the title of the article, I’m also aware that Nocera probably didn’t have any input in writing it, so I won’t hold it against her.  If you read the article and/or the report itself it’s clear that the plans for the public garden are meant to honor the history of the site itself: a former plantation which held and exploited enslaved people.  The title of the article makes it look as though the focus is a troubled Howard County in general. 

What can I say? Things like this bug me.

When I wrote about this in July I had high hopes for the outcome of this report as the focus group examined possibilities for a uniquely Howard County public garden.

The Longwood site has the potential to provide public spaces for aesthetic enjoyment as well as environmental education. Embedded within all those possibilities is the heavy burden of the history of the land itself as a “plantation” or forced labor camp for enslaved Africans. My highest priority for this site is that the resulting gardens place as high a value on the history as they do on the planting and maintaining of the natural environment.

Ironically, the release of the report coincides with the virulent wave of history denialism from the new administration in Washington. Do we have the commitment and courage in Howard County to stand up for our convictions and create a public garden that both inspires and educates? 

I certainly hope so. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

Risky Behavior

Earlier this week…

From the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services:

Last night, firefighters responded to the 10800 block of Timber Line Lane in Ellicott City for the report of a dog who had fallen through the ice of a frozen pond.

Firefighters were able to quickly rescue and reunite the dog with his family.

In an attempt to rescue the pet prior to our arrival, one civilian had gotten into the water. That patient was evaluated by EMS and refused transport to the hospital.

As these cold temperatures continue, this is an important reminder of just how dangerous ice can be. If you have kids at home, talk to them about ice safety.

Falling through a frozen pond, lake, or river can kill you.

Image credit: Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services

We don’t often get this kind of extended cold snap. The idea of getting on the ice doesn’t just tempt pets, either. Several days after the dog rescue, a social media post showed humans out on Lake Elkhorn. The poster expressed concern.

The responses were mixed. Some were of the “don’t be a killjoy, let kids have their fun” variety. You know the kind.

I did it when I was little and nothing happened to me.

What stunned me were the other responses. These were people who had direct knowledge of people who had lost their lives from falling through the ice. Not, “I heard” or “I read” but actual friends or family members. These were occurrences within their own lifetimes.

If you saw kids playing with matches near a row of cars or a lot of dry brush, would you intervene? Or would you think, “let them have their fun!”

What is there about going out on the ice (or swimming in quarries) that makes some people forgo good sense? A healthy respect for the dangers involved doesn’t make you a killjoy. It makes you safer. It makes you someone trustworthy in potentially life threatening situations.

And yet I wonder if some of the folks who saw no problem with kids playing on the ice might find, say, a group of Black or Brown kids walking around their neighborhood to be cause for alarm and/or intervention from the authorities. I’m making no accusations in this particular case. But my years of observing local social media posts have been very informative when it comes to what people deem risky behavior. 

Who is just having fun? Who is up to no good? Food for thought, at least for me.

It is truly unlikely that anyone reading this is legitimately an expert in determining whether local bodies of water are frozen enough to be safe for recreational use. It’s also unlikely that any of us think that even one death or catastrophic injury is okay if it means that the general public is free to “have their fun.”

How rare is it that the ponds freeze over? Rare enough that we don’t talk to our kids about the dangers? Rare enough that we ourselves forget the dangers?

Maybe.

Village Green/Town² Comments

F ³: Interesting? Quite.

 

Quite by accident a panel show from the UK turned up in my suggested Facebook videos recently. Or was it on YouTube? I can’t remember. One day I was completely ignorant and the next day I was obsessed. 

These things happen

The show, on the air since 2003, is called QI and the letters stand for Quite Interesting. IMDB describes QI as:

A comedy panel game in which being Quite Interesting is more important than being right. Sandi Toksvig is joined each week by four comedians to share anecdotes and trivia, and maybe answer some questions as well.

One thing you learn after watching a few episodes is that the first answer you think of, indeed, the one you are sure is correct, is absolutely going to be wrong. QI will teach you about things you didn’t know, challenge your assumptions, make you think, and, above all, make you laugh.

But that’s not why I wanted to write about it today.

There’s something rather subversive going on over there at QI. It’s something glaringly obvious to an American, at any rate.  Very few of the panelists are conventionally attractive. There’s a variety of body types and ages. In all of the episodes I have watched, I can only think of two panelists who’d be considered “acceptable” on American television. Even so, the woman would probably be told to lose weight. 

The longer I watch, the more that the implications of this disturb me. These quirky, funny, and smart panelists make the show the success it is and their physical appearance is completely irrelevant. It makes me realize how much innate talent is weeded out by the entertainment industry in the U.S. purely because of irrational standards of “beauty.” 

All you have to do is look around in your own life to see that the best people you know - - the kindest, bravest, smartest, most talented - - very rarely look like the people on television or in film. We’ve been put on a steady diet of prepackaged attractiveness to the point where anyone who deviates even remotely from this “norm” attracts negative scrutiny.

Those who aspire to a career in television or film must then necessarily aspire to unnatural and often artificial bodies. And think of all the young people making videos at home that are desperate attempts to look like the folks on television. Unhealthy diets. Punishing workout regimes. Tricks of the camera. Digital manipulation.

Do any of those things make you more talented? Are any of those things conducive to creating great art?

No.

But they create and reinforce a culture where all that matters is how you look and that you are fair game for criticism and abuse if you stray from “Hollywood” expectations. And they teach onlookers to devalue the beauty in the vast diversity of human beings around us. How many amazing people are discounted and rejected for factors that have nothing to do with talent?

And what does that teach us? And our children?

QI is by no means a perfect show. There may be an inordinate amount of humor surrounding male body parts and I feel like they have a bit too much fun “doing foreign accents” for laughs. It’s a product of a colonialist and class-inflexible culture and assumptions of privilege are never too far away, although they are as much the topic of ridicule as not.

Still, watching and enjoying something on television where the stars are too short, too tall, too chubby, too old, too funny looking, too plain, too skinny, too ordinary…and it doesn’t matter is nothing short of revolutionary. To be clear: there isn’t anything wrong with them. There’s something wrong with how we have been taught to “see.”

We don’t have to be like this. It could be different. 

How many potentially brilliant artists get thrown away because we demand that a career in entertainment means becoming something you are not? 

I don’t have the answer. But just contemplating it could be quite interesting.

Village Green/Town² Comments

1/20/25

 

At twelve noon I made a cup of ginger tea  

And reached out to tell my children 

How much we love them.

It was like death was hurtling towards me,

Nothing in its way. 

I saw the destruction of all that I love before my eyes.

The tea was warm. 

The day was bitter.

There was no holding back the great death, 

The waves of loss. 

Silently the minutes passed. 

When I realized the day was over 

My cup was empty.

And my heart was numb.

The great death had begun.

The messages of love are all that’s left - - 

Last minute incantations of protection.

Just wanted to let you know how much we love you 

and that we are here for you no matter what. 

Dear God, please keep them safe. 

Normal

Read this morning on Bluesky:

People complain about others’ phone use but honestly, if you’re somewhere sort of waiting, seems almost suspect to others if you’re not on a phone or talking to people. I realized that at [a conference] a couple of weeks ago. People will look at you funny if you’re not tapping away.

“Is that person sitting around, looking at others, taking in the scenery? Trying to live in the moment & take in the scenery? Ugh! Weirdo!!” - - Emily Langerholc, author: Guide to Teachable Features in Popular Music 

I had to sit with that a minute. Cell phone use has become so prevalent that a person not “killing time” on their phone sticks out. And not in a good way. 

When we talk about getting phones out of schools - - and I think we should - - we need to realize that we will then be asking young people to do something that most of us don’t do ourselves. It won’t feel “normal” to them. Are there ways that we as adults can shape our own behavior in order to make it more comfortable to be phoneless in public spaces?

What are we going to do so that young people can successfully transition away from phone dependence at school? The old “do as I say and not as I do” isn’t going to work here, at least not if we hope to bring about lasting and meaningful change.

What the original poster wrote made me think about another challenge we have in Howard County. In 2022 I wrote a piece called Making Better Choices. It begins like this:

The sight of the man troubled me, somehow. As I turned into the Walgreen’s parking lot I took a second look. No, there wasn’t anything alarming about his appearance. What was bothering me?

He was walking. He was coming from further down Twin Knolls, where there’s a funeral home, a hotel, and a variety of small offices. He was clearly headed to Walgreen’s. Why did the sight of him stand out so much to me?

Because he was walking along the grassy side of the road. There’s no sidewalk there.

I’ve had this experience more than once over the years, where merely the act of someone walking along the road made them look out of place. Sketchy, even. Did their car break down? Are they a panhandler, homeless? 

But it’s not the person who’s wrong. It’s the sidewalks that are missing.

The focus of that piece was the need to invest in the infrastructure to support easy walkability. Without it, someone choosing to walk in such a car centric community sticks out - - and not in a good way. But it’s not just about adding more sidewalks. It’s also about asking ourselves: what are we going to do in order to  successfully transition away from car dependence? 

It’s silly, of course, to say “Those young people should walk more,” if we ourselves don’t chose to walk and our community continues to make walking both difficult and inconvenient. (If not downright dangerous.) And sometimes something as simple as seeing more people out walking would us feel more comfortable about choosing to walk, too. 

The old “do as I say and not as I do” isn’t going to work here, at least not if we hope to bring about lasting and meaningful change.

To be honest, I have sometimes brought both a book and a spiral notebook and pen to doctor’s appointments in an attempt to buck the trend and still find myself sucked into my phone. If we want to help young people get free of unhealthy phone dependence and reconnect with education and relationships and all the other joys of life, what will we be doing to support that?

What if we need to make the investment in our own lives - -  to “build more sidewalks” as it were - - to facilitate engagement and being present for our kids? Getting phones out of the classroom cannot be accomplished in a vacuum. Laying it all on teachers is adding yet another burden to the already insurmountable portfolio of responsibilities that we keep piling on them.

The next time you go any place where you will be expected to wait, look around. If you were to read, or knit, or just simply sit quietly and look around, would you clearly be bucking the trend? How would that make you feel?

If we want to encourage people to buck the trend, what are we doing to make that possible?

Village Green/Town² Comments

Book It

Books in the news this week…

book_dragon_bookclub: My book will be available at the Savage Branch of the Howard County Library system! So excited! The public library has been such a constant in my life from very early on. Definitely a dream come true.  - - Kate Cole

JO Writes: Never gets old seeing your book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble. Head over to Ellicott City for signed copies!  - - Jay O’Keefe 

Bookstore in the news this week…

Shop Small in Old Ellicott City and get lost in a good book, Stevie Daniel’s, WMAR TV. Check out this article and the accompanying video feature about Ellicott City’s indie bookstore. 

Libraries on social media this week…

One thing before tomorrow:

Use your local libraries.

Get your card.

Borrow books, manga, films, audios, ebooks.

Recommend titles for purchase (usually online).

Attend promoted activities.

Fill out those "How are we doing?" questionnaires.

Tell your kids that libraries are good.

They are. - - Bailey Poletti, author, scholar

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Get the Message

 

None of us are free, performed by Solomon Burke

Well you better listen my sister's and brothers,

'cause if you do you can hear

There are voices still calling across the years.

And they're all crying across the ocean,

And they're cryin' across the land,

And they will till we all come to understand.

None of us are free.

None of us are free.

None of us are free, one of us are chained.

None of us are free.

And there are people still in darkness,

And they just can't see the light.

If you don't say it's wrong then that says it right.

We got try to feel for each other, let our brother's know that

We care.

Got to get the message, send it out loud and clear.

None of us are free.

None of us are free.

None of us are free, one of us are chained.

None of us are free.

It's a simple truth we all need, just to hear and to see.

None of us are free, one of us is chained.

None of us are free.

Now I swear your salvation isn't too hard too find,

None of us can find it on our own.

We've got to join together in spirit, heart and mind.

So that every soul who's suffering will know they're not alone.

None of us are free.

None of us are free.

None of us are free, one of us are chained.

None of us are free.

If you just look around you,

Your gonna see what I say.

Cause the world is getting smaller each passing day.

Now it's time to start making changes,

And it's time for us all to realize,

That the truth is shining real bright right before our eyes.

None of us are free.

None of us are free.

None of us are free, one of us are chained.

None of us are free.

Songwriters: Barry Mann / Brenda Russell / Cynthia Weil

*****

Writer Ally Henny gave me food for thought in this post on Facebook yesterday. It begins, 

I need people of whiteness to think really hard before y’all speak about your existential dread tomorrow (and in perpetuity, honestly). 

Please go read the whole thing. It’s not that long. The essence of it is this:

When you talk about your (very valid) concerns, take a beat to think about how your words might land for someone who doesn’t benefit from white privilege. 

Today - -  for many, many reasons - - is a good day to be mindful of that. And to stay mindful. I am honestly more fearful for those who have less privilege than I do but I can’t deny that all of this is a very different experience for those who have privilege.

Do we have the determination to resist centering ourselves? Do we have the self-discipline to lift up and really listen to the voices of those who don’t look like us, who have long been oppressed and marginalized, who stand to lose the most? Does our concept of solidarity involve building /joining movements where we are not necessarily in charge?

Today people I love become less safe. People who are in my community are more endangered. Students in our schools face greater harassment and persecution. Today is that day. It doesn’t matter whether they are a friend, a member of my family, or someone I have never met. 

None of us are free.

None of us are free.

None of us are free, one of us is chained.

None of us are free.

 Village Green/Town² Comments

Rinks and Refrigerators

Yesterday the Columbia Association posted a short video to their social media accounts and it really took me back.

Good vibes means finding your happy place, Columbia Association 

The video features CA’s President and CEO, Shawn MacInness, suited up for some ice hockey at the Columbia Association’s ice rink in Oakland Mills. Skating is, he tells us, “his happy place.” He encourages viewers to explore the many CA facilities to find their own happy place. 

I couldn’t help but think of one of my earliest blog posts about another CA President and CEO: Phil Nelson. Originally published on Columbia Patch, it was entitled “Phil Nelson Is On My Refrigerator.”

It all began with a promotional mailing featuring then President Nelson in his swimsuit, smiling from the pool at Supreme Sports Club. It was the first thing I had ever received from CA that made me feel like joining, probably because I felt as though Nelson had stepped out of his comfort zone a bit in order to make a personal connection with Columbia residents. 

That was in May of 2011 and it feels like a million years ago. If you go back and read the post you’ll see that I was a good deal more naive and idealistic than I am today. Ironically, Nelson’s contract was not renewed because he was characterized by the Board as “not being visible enough in the community.” You’ll probably recall that a more recent CA president was backed into announcing her resignation largely because some folks didn’t like how much she was visible in the community. 

This is why I wrote in my end-of-year post for 2024:

The Columbia Association has a new President and I have seen next to nothing about him online which past experience tells me is probably…a good thing? You never can tell when it comes to the CA Board, though.

And now here he is, up close and personal and impressively steady on the ice. According to this piece on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, a successful ice hockey player must have endurance and stamina, strength and power, agility and balance, flexibility, endurance and mental fortitude. If there is some kind of metaphor here about how one survives being CA President I must say that being a capable ice hockey player might be a useful skill to have.

Most folks are largely unaware of the current happenings in CA-world until somebody gets mad about something and the whole thing turns into A Crisis. At that point there will be angry social media posts, contentious meetings of the CA Board, and a sense that we are all children in the middle of a bitter custody battle.

But we are not going through that right now and I find it rather restful. Perhaps I should be paying closer attention during the more peaceful times but I have grown less idealistic than I used to be. I don’t really have a strong sense anymore that my being informed and engaged makes any difference whatsoever. I regret admitting that, but, it’s true.

For now I wish Mr. MacInnes smooth skating, and, for the rest of us, good vibes and a chance to find our happy place.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

The Magic Number

Does this number mean anything to you?

Let me give you a hint. Does that ring a bell?

This is a recent post from the Instagram account of Upcycled, a Howard County nonprofit which was founded in 2019. Waste Warriors is an educational outreach program to local students providing free workshops about the environmental effects of plastic. Their Waste to Wonder initiative, begun in 2021, turns single-use plastics into building materials.

At Upcycled, our goal is to create a more environmentally conscious community through the collection of post-consumer plastic waste and upcycling into long-term products. We give single-use plastics, ones that most traditional recycling plants cannot process, a long-term purpose by turning them into building materials. 

So, what’s the picture all about? 9,000 what?

There you have it. Since 2021, Upcycled has diverted 9,000 pounds of plastic waste which woukd have ended up at the landfill or clogging area waterways and turned it into something new and useful. They’ve worked with school children and community groups to educate and engage on the topic of the plastic waste crisis. They’ve turned trash into benches and raised garden beds for community spaces.

 

Image from Upcycled web site 

What’s next?

Continuing the Mission: Waste Warriors Expands

As we celebrate this incredible milestone, we’re also looking ahead to the next phase of our journey. We’re excited to announce that our Waste Warriors education program will continue with ten additional workshops in 2025! These workshops will empower youth and community members to understand the impact of plastic waste and learn hands-on ways to make a difference.

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about why that number - - 9,000 pounds - - is so meaningful to me. I finally realized it has something to do with what is being collected. Upcycled works with the community to collect number 2 and number 5 plastics. Each piece individually is extremely lightweight. Imagine how many of these items must be amassed to equal even ten pounds, much less 9,000. 

So, how many individual pieces of plastic waste must that be? It’s mind-boggling. It represents community effort to set aside those items, get them to Upcycled, and/or to participate in clean up events throughout Howard County. It also means all the hours spent by Upcycled volunteers in processing materials as they progresss from trash to building materials and then benches, garden beds, and more.

The success of 9,000 pounds is possible only because of the progress in creating a more environmentally conscious community.

You can learn more about Upcycled on their website, on Facebook, and on Instagram. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

Monday, Monday

This Monday is the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. It’s also the federal holiday marking Dr. King’s birthday. Many folks will have a day off from work, though not all. I think it’s important to remember that certain sections of the work force almost never get these days off, for example: retail, hospitality, health care. For those who can, the MLK birthday holiday is observed as “a day on, not a day off” by participating in activities to serve others.

A lot of people I know are making plans for Monday. I’ve been asking around. 

Glen Mar Church is again holding its day of service event.

To learn more, and to register, visit this page.

8:30 - 4:30, Glen Mar United Methodist Church, 4701 New Cut Road Ellicott City, MD 21043

8:30 AM to 12:30 PM: Morning Session

12:30 PM to 4:30 PM: Afternoon Session

8:30 AM to 4:30 PM: All-day Session

Off-site Projects (various times)

Howard Ecoworks is holding a Watershed Makeover workday and they are looking for volunteers.

UPDATE: This event has been rescheduled due to the impending storm predictions for Monday. Please check out this announcement to learn more. 

Please visit their Facebook page to learn more about Howard EcoWorks. To learn more about the event itself and to register, click here.

For those looking for fellowship and respite from the political events of the 20th, 

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Hickory Ridge will be open to the community. 

Inspired by the "can do spirit" of our county, join us for coffee, chat, and community support on Inauguration Day.

Monday, January 20, 10 am - 1 pm

Abiding Savior Lutheran Church

10689 Owen Brown Road, Columbia, MD 21044

If you like to bake, bring a treat! Otherwise, just come. The sanctuary will also be open for those who would like to pray.

Update: Thanks to longtime reader Donna for bringing the following to my attention:

MLK Day: Free Coffee, Compassion, and Community at Queen Takes Book

MLK Day is Monday and we will be open for anyone who wants to venture out in the cold. We will have free coffee, compassion, and community for those of us who need it.

We have also put together a list of suggested reading for MLK Day. Check it out on bookshop.org. 

Queen Takes Book, 6955 Oakland Mills Road, Suite E, Columbia MD 21045

The Baltimore Banner is running an article about how many Black residents in the Baltimore area may be spending Monday.  Included in the piece is Columbia’s own Herb Smith, who has plans to be out helping others.

“I’m not going to sit home and I’m definitely not going to the presidential inauguration. I’m doing what was meant to do — service,” said Smith, a Columbia resident who was an organizer for the Obama campaign. “I’m going to help people who are going to be affected by this next administration’s policies.”

I’ve been asking around to see how people I know will be spending the day on Monday. I didn’t get many answers. (This may be because people just don’t feel comfortable talking about it.) One friend will be volunteering at BARCs animals shelter. Another has plans to make a big pot of soup. In general I see choices for the day falling into several categories: to serve, to engage in self-care, and to grieve. That last response is best summed up by a post I read on Bluesky:

Where are we all meeting up to cry Monday?

How about you? Are you making plans?

Village Green/Town² Comments

Free Samples

No hope. If I went with my gut this morning I’d be calling this No Hope Thursday. I’m deep into a “what’s the point?” mindset this morning. If you know, you know. 

There are no local stories that rise above the overwhelming dread I feel about the future.

Write anyway.

There are no upcoming events that entice me to believe they are worth doing.

Write anyway.

There are no local initiatives or ideas currently under discussion that feel possible to me anymore.

Write anyway. 

Yesterday I received a box in the mail from the Penzey Spice company. It was a surprise. It contained 27 sample-sized packets of a spice blend named Resist. That’s a whole heck of a lot of resistance in one box. These days I’m not sure I’m capable of enough resistance to fill just one of those small packets.

Light a single candle? Curse the darkness? Go back to bed?

Write anyway.

Yesterday for the first time I stepped out of my comfort zone and showed up at the drop-in coloring session at the East Columbia 50+ Center. The folks at the desk were friendly and they made me my own photo ID for signing in when I visit. I spent about two hours in the company of some fun and easygoing women who made me feel welcome and filled me in on what the center is like. 

It wasn’t so much that I had a desperate urge to color but rather that I’ve been determined to try something new. Will I go back? I think I might. I get the feeling that there’s something there for me to learn or experience that’s worth exploring.

Is that…hope? Maybe the thinnest of wisps.

 A while back I saw a television program about the children’s show Bluey and how it pertains to concepts of modern day fatherhood. The prospect of trying to be the kind of engaged and playful dad that Bandit is was daunting to many of the fathers interviewed. A parenting expert pointed out something interesting. Bluey episodes are seven minutes long. Maybe you shouldn’t freak out about trying to be “that dad” 24/7. What if you committed to being that dad for a whole seven minutes?

A seven minute unit of dad-ness.

A sample sized packet of resistance.

A two hour adventure outside my comfort zone.

This week I received an invitation to have coffee with a local someone who I admire greatly and I haven’t even responded because, well, “What’s the point?” That’s a rough place to be in and I think I’m not alone in this right now. But what if that cup of coffee is every bit as much a harbinger of hope as a sample sized packet of resistance?

I don’t know. 

But, here I am. Writing anyway.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Food Chain

Have you seen this?

REAL ESTATE:

What a hedge fund’s $1 billion play has to do with downtown Columbia Lillian Reed, Baltimore Banner

Well! 

I didn’t, as they say, have this on my bingo card. But I suppose we should talk about it. The article begins like this:

The hedge fund is displeased.

Billionaire Bill Ackman of investment firm Pershing Square made that much clear in his letter Monday to Howard Hughes Holdings, the Texas-based developer that owns much of downtown Columbia.

Pershing Square owns a 38% stake in Howard Hughes and has been frustrated for months with the company’s stock price. Ackman’s letter this week put Howard Hughes’ board of directors on notice that the firm now wants to pay $1 billion to snap up more of the developer’s stock with the intent of a merger.

There’s a local conversation about this going on over on the Columbia reddit, if you are interested.

I am no expert in real estate, mergers, or hedge funds. But, like all of you, I have opinions. The Howard Hughes Corporation is far bigger than just Columbia, of course. I have a hard time seeing that bigger picture. To me, this article is primarily about my home. Tunnel vision, maybe. Understandable? I think so.

Here is my wildly simplified take on what’s at stake here: 

Columbia was created by a man, Rouse, and a company, The Rouse Company. The Rouse Company was an entity that did things. That’s what it was for. Eventually it was sold to a company that wanted to own the companies that did things (General Growth ) then spun off to a new company that wanted to own and develop the real estate holdings created by the companies that did things.

Are you still with me? 

Bill Ackman talks about wanting to use his investment capabilities to turn Howard Hughes into something like Berkshire Hathaway.  In grossly simple terms, Berkshire Hathaway is a company that amasses companies that bought companies that were originally companies that actually did something.

When I look at this it sounds a lot like what happened to the Baltimore Sun and what has happened to newspapers all over this country. I cannot name one example in which this turned out well either for the newspapers or for the communities who would be better served by high quality, professional journalism.

Or think of what has happened as private equity firms buy into health care. 

When you are a company that makes something, or does something, you are keenly aware of where your focus should be. What constitutes excellence? Making the best somethings, or doing the best job at the something you do. If you are Bill Ackman, you are so far removed from that concept that your goals are wholly disconnected from what created those companies in the first place. 

Here is the mission statement of the Howard Hughes Corporation:

At Howard Hughes, our mission is to enhance people’s lives by building inspired, award-winning communities.

Our passionate professionals are energized by the opportunity to create a sense of discovery and wonder. To bring innovative approaches and perspectives to creating new ways of enjoying life. And to create vibrant, sustainable communities that reflect the diverse interests and priorities of their neighbors and residents.

All of this to say that at Howard Hughes, we’re not just about brick and mortar; we’re about heart and soul. And the chance to enrich life’s journey, every day.

So, are Bill Ackman and his hedge fund displeased because HHC is failing to fulfill the goals in its mission statement? Heck, no. 

It’s all about the stock price. 

I personally find the disconnect horrifying. But money is money and ownership is ownership and I don’t see how we could possibly have any say here. Friends, I have never felt exactly warm and cuddly about the Howard Hughes Corporation but this feels a whole lot worse. 

What do you think?

Village Green/Town² Comments