Live from the Lunchroom

 

The sky is gentle now after last night’s violent storms. The weather forecast looks questionable, though.  If you want to be out and about today the morning looks better than later on. But, you never know. 

*****

Last night I attended my husband’s Guitarpalooza Concert at the high school where he teaches. It was abruptly canceled two weeks ago when Spring storms knocked the power out. Undeterred, they somehow managed to get another date to rock out one last time, even though it meant they had to set up in the cafeteria.

I’m not going to do a concert rundown and I’m not going to do my usual plea for arts education. You already know how I feel. What I came away with last night was something bigger than that:

Everyone should get to experience the joy of watching someone they care about doing something that they love. 

I sat in a school cafeteria with a decent crowd of other local folks who probably feel the same way. When you love someone you connect and believe with them in a way that may take you to places you might not ordinarily go. (A room full of adolescents with amplifiers, for instance.) Sure, it makes them feel wonderful to look and see that you are supporting them. But, if you are very lucky, it does something to you.

It changes you. You realize that you are there, not just for your kid or friend or significant other, but for everyone engaged in whatever special thing it is. And you care about the outcome and whatever may come next. You share in their joy. 

We all become better humans when we have that experience. It’s not just about “my kid” or “my neighborhood” or “what I am entitled to.” We realize we can want good things for an area larger than our own personal sphere.

But we have to want to do that. We have to be open to doing that. We have to be open to sharing the joy of others.

I made my way home through driving rain last night with one thought in my mind: no one should hold elected office if they don’t understand and experience this. Everyone who is involved in setting budgets and making laws should operate with this as their guiding principle.

So much of what is going on in Washington right now shows a complete absence of this. It is soulless and selfish. It eggs on the public to exercise their worst selves: you don't have to care and you don’t have to share. 

If we know how it feels to watch someone we care about do something that they love then we should want that for everyone. We should understand the deep value of that to the quality of life and we should foster it and protect it. 

Imagine how much could be accomplished with that as a guiding principle. In fact, it has accomplished much in the past. It can be done again. 

But we have to want to do that. We have to be open to doing that. We have to be open to sharing the joy of others.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

F ³: AI and the Rape of the Golden Goose

 

I read this on Bluesky the other day:

Nick Clegg: Artists' demands over copyright are unworkable:

The former Meta executive claims that a law requiring tech companies to ask permission to train Al on copyrighted work would 'kill' the Industry 

My response: What is it about consent that these guys don’t understand?

Here’s the article.

Nick Clegg: Artists’ demands over copyright are unworkable, Lucy Bannerman, The Times

What do artists think?

Leading figures across the creative industries, including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, have urged the government not to "give our work away" at the behest of big tech, warning that the plans risk destroying the livelihoods of 2.5 million people who work in the UK's creative sector.

PRS for MUSIC, representing artists and copyright law in the UK, released the following statement:

Our response to Nick Clegg's recent comments about copyright and Al.

The idea that respecting copyright would 'kill' Al shows a lack of understanding of how the creative industries actually work and thrive.

Digital licensing frameworks already exist and function at scale.

It is not only possible but essential to build a commercial market that respects copyright and protects human creativity.

Don't let Al steal our music.

I’ve seen suggestions that AI will “democratize creativity” by allowing anyone to do it. In fact it is demanding artistic theft in order to provide people with a product that removes the essential experience of creation and all its accompanying joys. Reducing “artistic expression” to scrapings (and scrapings of scrapings) will not lead to great art but to derivative mediocrity and eventually to replicative failure.*

In the process it will bankrupt actual artists and make it impossible to create more of the real stuff which the AI industrial machine longs to scrape.

Today is National Creativity Day, founded in 2018 by Hal Croasmun of ScreenwritingU to “celebrate the imaginative spirits everywhere and to encourage them to keep creating.”

The irony is not lost on me.

So let’s close with a plea from an actual creator who goes by kitsuneart on Bluesky. If you click the link below you will see a gorgeous image that supports their statement. (I didn’t want to reproduce it here without consent.)

Support Human Artists

Share their work, drop them a kind word, tip their ko-fis, join their patreons...it matters more than you think.

We have to show up for each other while we still can. We have to uplift each other.

Happy National Creativity Day.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

*fading? failure? Vague Star Trek Next Generation memory here.

Pockets and People

I am shocked - - shocked, I tell you - - that exactly ten years ago today I wrote about high school graduations and full spectrum housing.

Graduations and Life, Village Green/Town² May 29, 2015

A brief synopsis: not everyone graduating from high school goes on to college. People who don’t go to college deserve to have places to live in our community, too.

Wednesday night there was a protest in support of full-spectrum housing in Columbia. Excellent coverage by Amanda Yeager and Jon Sham can be found here. Why do we need full-spectrum housing? Well, simply put, because we have full-spectrum people. Not everyone goes to college. Not everyone can afford to, and college isn't the right choice for everyone.

Update from the year 2025: people who have gone to college can’t afford to live here now, either.

I’ve been on a kick recently of watching videos on YouTube about a concept called Pocket Neighborhoods.  

Pocket neighborhoods are clustered groups of neighboring houses or apartments gathered around a shared open space — a garden courtyard, a pedestrian street, a series of joined backyards, or a reclaimed alley — all of which have a clear sense of territory and shared stewardship. They can be in urban, suburban or rural areas.

These are settings where nearby neighbors can easily know one another, where empty nesters and single householders with far-flung families can find friendship or a helping hand nearby, and where children can have shirttail aunties and uncles just beyond their front gate.

Pocket Neighborhoods can be designed and built as a single, from-scratch project. Or they can be created by adding ADUs to larger plots of land already in use, for example. I’ve also heard Pocket Neighborhoods described as infill housing, if that helps. Here’s the thing: yes, it’s about density, but it’s density not simply to address the housing shortage. It’s also about a very well-thought out mindset to create spaces for active community and interdependence.

I live in a neighborhood of quadplexes and we have shared mailboxes. Our green space is shared green space but there is no sense of deliberate community space. It is possible to live here and never meet your neighbors. I’m sure some folks are fine with that. If Rouse thought that community mailboxes were enough to build community, well…at least in 2025 they are not.

A lot of you are land use geeks. I am not. I’m guessing that Howard County zoning isn’t conducive to Pocket Neighborhoods, ADU’s, or Tiny Home communities, for that matter. Our discussions about housing seem to circle around the argument that if we build more housing the schools will blow up.

End of discussion. 

I’m so tired of that. I’m not saying that any one kind of housing is The Answer but I would love to see us get more fun and creative about how we address housing needs. 

Before you say, “But you don’t know anything about anything!” in regards to housing I’d like to invite you to share your vision instead. You’ve listened to me. It’s only fair if I hear you out.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Today’s Baltimore Sun: Light for Whom?

 

Okay, I live in Columbia, but this framing makes me want to punch the Baltimore Sun in the nose.

To raise a family in Maryland, skip Baltimore and head to Columbia, WalletHub says

I vented my ire on Bluesky last night:

An exercise in self-hatred? It’s just gross.

A newspaper is supposed to operate with a kind of journalistic detachment. Still, I think that embedded in the basic commitment to report the news should be a deep love of the community you serve. I don’t mean an infatuation that clouds your judgement. I mean the kind of love that sees and acknowledges the truth, cheers successes, acknowledges failures, and continues, day after day, to write about the significant stories that matter to residents.

What made me angry about these words?

To raise a family in Maryland, skip Baltimore and head to Columbia, WalletHub says

To me they symbolize the sad truth that the Baltimore Sun is owned and operated by people who have a deep-seated contempt for Baltimore. It was completely unnecessary to use this framing in order to report this story. Honestly, I’m not completely sure it was necessary to report on the WalletHub results at all. 

It’s not significant information that helps inform the people of Baltimore about who they are and where they live. It is, apparently, a delicious opportunity for Sun ownership/management to take a swipe at Baltimore. I was wrong to suggest that it’s an exercise in self-hatred, because the mindset that produces this kind of framing doesn’t have legitimate Baltimore roots. It reads more like a sneer from the suburbs.

Here’s another one that irked me.

Downtown Baltimore needs to be a little fun | EDITORIAL

Can you pick up in the subtext?

Baltimore needs to be a little fun: for white people.

Look at the photograph. To be clear: there’s nothing wrong with the people in this photograph or the activity depicted. But using it was a choice.

Baltimore is a majority Black city that is home to numerous events and attractions which are bringing in guests from other places. And those events and attractions bring in Black visitors who participate, enjoy themselves, and spend money. But it is oh, so clear that those are not the “guests” that this piece is talking about. 

This kind of attitude does not originate with the Sun so I will not lay the blame entirely at their doorstep. Far too many plans have been made for Baltimore that were based on the premise that what Baltimore needs is to attract and entertain white people rather than to make it a liveable place for the people who live there already. 

Considering these particular examples makes me wonder which is worse: losing a hometown newspaper altogether or having one that exudes a slow, slow drip of contempt. 

If you are looking for a Baltimore media outlet that embodies the commitment to report the news centered in a deep love of the community, may I once again recommend Baltimore Beat. Again, I don’t mean an infatuation that clouds judgement. I mean the kind of love that sees and acknowledges the truth, cheers successes, acknowledges failures, and continues, day after day, to write about the significant stories that matter to residents.

I’m not quite sure what the Baltimore Sun is doing. It’s certainly not Light for All. More like throwing shade.

*****

Postscript: there are two major things wrong with my post today that I intend to rectify.

1. I have not read either piece because I no longer have a subscription and will need to take the extra step to access them through the HCLS website. Honestly they both really annoyed me enough that I didn’t initially want to bother.

2. I haven’t credited the writers or photographers, which is a rarity for me. I will do so later today.

Signs of Life

 

It began with a mistake, of sorts. A friend and I were going to meet at Queen Takes Book for some bookstore noodling around, then pop across the parking lot for lunch at Bon Fresco. But we had not reckoned with the possibility that Bon Fresco might be closed for Memorial Day. 

It was.

We discussed nearby options but wondered if they, too, might be closed. Then, opportunity presented itself. We just sat down.

Image from Instagram, Morgan @anaveragereader

I have wondered in the past why there were tables and chairs in front of a bookstore. They don’t serve food or drink, so - - why do that?

It turns out that on a lovely day in May when you have goofed on your lunch plans you can sit down with a friend and catch up on everything. Bliss.

So many places go to extreme lengths to remove anything that might encourage “loitering” these days. It’s quite a different feeling when you enter a space which is saying, quite deliberately, “you are welcome.”

***** 

My route home took me past the Stevens Forest pool: a wildly popular choice, from the looks of the overflow parking situation. The same was true of Laura’s Place playground at Blandair. It gave me a good feeling to see that very simple act of being outside, playing, enjoying the weather. These may be things that people in our community have always done but right now they feel especially beautiful.

*****

After dinner, while it was still light, I opened the front door to bring in a package and heard a sound I hadn’t heard in a while. Then a flurry of activity in the common area in front of our house revealed the source: it was children, playing. 

As I turned to go back in the house the breeze brought a scent that stopped me for a second. Of course: backyard barbecue. 

These may be things that people in our community have always done but right now they feel like essential signs of life.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Time Will Not Dim…Will It?

 

Time will not dim the glory of their deeds. 

Images from Baltimore's Memorial Stadium Documentary, The Fleer Sticker Project

Every Memorial Day I think of this enormous inscription, meant to stand forever. 

From Memorial Stadium - - Time will not dim the glory of their deeds, Byron Bennett:

The stadium was dedicated “As a memorial to all who so valiantly fought and served in the World Wars with eternal gratitude to those who made the ultimate supreme sacrifice to preserve equality and freedom throughout the world.  Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.” The last line is a quote from General John J. Pershing, who was the first chairperson of the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Meant to stand forever. Demolished in 2001.

I wrote the other day about how my parents’ experiences living through World War II cast a long shadow over their children. My own experiences growing up during the Vietnam War were a bleak counterpoint to stories of WWII bravery and patriotism. Because of this juxtaposition, Memorial Day is always a troubling day for me. I hold in my head and heart two opposing thoughts:

1. Deep gratitude for those who were willing to give their lives to protect and sustain democratic ideals and freedom.

2. A sense of grief and guilt that any culture anywhere sacrifices its young because it cannot figure out how to resolve disputes any other way. 

We are grateful. We are blessed. We are guilty. 

On May 23rd Former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund(LDF) Sherrilyn Ifill delivered the keynote address at the University of Maryland School of Law hooding ceremony. 

Ifill encouraged graduates at this fraught time in our country's history to view the moment as an opportunity. "Nothing you do in the service of democracy is wasted," she said, urging the assemblage to view themselves "not as bystanders but as founders and framers of the America your children will inherit."

Her words both touch me and wound me as I contemplate Memorial Day today. If we are to ask members of our communities to fight and die in the service of democracy, what are we doing to make sure that their deaths will not be in vain? What is our service to democracy?

What in this world could be more useless and tragic than sacrificing your life for an ideal which has been hollowed-out, debased, and sold off for parts? If we do nothing in the face of the current attacks of democracy then we dishonor the memory of all the fallen and the futures of those who are yet to serve.

Nothing you do in the service of democracy is wasted…[you must see yourselves]…not as bystanders but as founders and framers of the America your children will inherit.

Time, alas, may dim our memories of “the glory of their deeds.” Our lives, though, can brighten and rekindle the love for what is worth saving.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

From the Ashes

I told myself all week that I would write about this today. And now today has come and I have just about lost the will to make it happen. Will anyone read it? Will anyone care?

*****

The Nottoway Plantation burned down on Thursday, May 15th. Had you heard?

A plantation on fire may feel like justice. But echoes of slavery haunt Baltimore, too Leslie Gray Streeter, Baltimore Banner

Nottoway Plantation persisted into this century by erasing what it really was: a forced labor camp of the enslaved. They sold themselves as a romantic wedding venue with picturesque views. The audacity of that floors me.

A while ago I saved this exchange on Twitter which illustrates the historical disconnect which allows this sort of travesty to continue. The first response comes from someone who objects to the comparison of places like Auchwitz with American enslaved labor plantations.

I don't think that's the same thing to be honest. The site here is kept as it is as a reminder and a solemn place of reflection. Places that were plantations are completely changed and designed for weddings. You don't have to co-opt other places to make a point.

Here’s the response from A. Adar Ayira, a Baltimore leadership professional in the field of racial justice.

That plantations are not kept as places of reflection re U.S. crimes against Black humanity says EVERYTHING. Many of us with ancestors enslaved in those places know them to be solemn places of reflection. We also know what it means that white society — to their shame —does not.

That’s exactly what I’m sensing in this paragraph from Streeter’s piece about Nottoway:

The reason it’s so easy to have a wedding at a plantation rather than, say, a Nazi concentration camp, is that Americans have not reconciled with “the true, full history of African Americans’ journey to and in this country,” Terri Lee Freeman, president of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture, wrote in a statement.

We have not reconciled. Not just in Louisiana, and not just in Baltimore, but here in Howard County where I snapped this photo at the Harriet Tubman School and Cultural Center.

 

It reads:

Many of the early settlers established plantations after being granted land by the proprietors of Maryland. These plantations were located throughout the Upper Arundel region stretching from Elk Ridge to the Patuxent River and utilized enslaved African labor from the late 1600s until 1864 when slavery was abolished in the state of Maryland. Then, in 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

a. Doughoregan Manor 1717

b. Folly Quarter/Carrollton Hall 1730/1832

c. Oakland Manor/Font Hill Manor 1700s

d. White Hall/Hickory Ridge 1749

e. Howard Lodge 1750

f. Waverly 1756

g. Ellerslie 1763

h. Cherry Grove 1766

i. Round About Hills/Peacefields Plantation 1773

j. Longwood Plantation 1780

k. Walnut Grove Plantation 1780

I. Duvall's Range 1795

m. Hammond's Inheritance 1810

n. Montrose/Huntington Farms 1844

o. Oakdale 1838

As long as we make it possible to sidestep truth and reconciliation then we make it possible to hold weddings on the sites of stolen lives: torture, rape, and murder. 

It’s a prison. A private jail. A forced labor camp. Here is where generations of human beings were held against their will. It doesn’t matter how carefully it is preserved or how beautifully it’s decorated. It’s a living monument that our country was founded on the worst kind of injustice. See how pretty it is…the house of horrors. Honoring History

In the days since the fire at Nottoway I’ve seen some online accounts bemoaning the “loss of history” when the plantation house was reduced to ashes. I strongly disagree. The only reason Nottoway existed was because of their systematic suppression of history.

Perhaps what went up in smoke in May 15th were the lies. And wouldn’t that be a relief?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Summer's On Its Way

 

The DoodleHATCH Festival is back for three days at the Long Reach Village Center!

There will be live entertainment, a variety of vendors, and all of the quirky and fanciful fun that DoodleHATCH has become known for. Tickets are available for purchase at their website.

I didn’t think anything could be more over the top than mermaids and unicorns, but…I was wrong. May I present: Tomatothon at Freetown Farm. Even if you don’t care for tomatoes, click on the link. It will make you smile. Their commitment to the bit is outstanding.

So, check out the Plant Sale at Freetown Farm from 9 - 1 today. Maybe they’ll talk you into some tomatoes. 

Today’s the Grand Opening of the Old Ellicott City Farmers Market in Tiber Park from 9 - 1. 

And, if you are planning a visit to OEC this weekend, don’t forget about the option to take the Trolley. Learn more here.

Of course, Columbia Association Pools open this weekend but it may be a tad chilly for that first dip of the season. Here’s everything you need to know if you’ll be heading to the CA Pools this summer: 

Your Guide to CA’s 2025 Pool Season

The Clarksville Commons Saturday Market is on from 9 am - 1 pm. Check out this week’s vendors on the Clarksville Commons Facebook page.

Last Saturday I enjoyed a walk around the market, enjoyed my breakfast at a little table in the shade, watched kids playing in the grass, and listened to the dreamy song stylings of Calvin Thomas. It was a great way to start my day. I may do it again this week but I need to lay off the pecan sticky buns. 

There’s so much going on around town this weekend. But you don’t have to take my word for it. If you haven’t already made your plans take a look at the usual places: Events on Facebook (Choose Local and This Week) or take a look at the activity calendar at Visit Howard County and the listings at the Howard Courier. 

If you are one of those people who makes the traditional trek to the beach on Memorial Day weekend: have fun! And maybe wear a sweater. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

F ³: Timeline Cleanse

 

Just when you feel that everything pouring out of your social media faucet is TOO MUCH, there may come a moment of blissful reset

It is the Timeline Cleanse. I went on Bluesky this morning with the intent of deliberately seeking them out. Some examples of what people share: pets, nature - - both flora and fauna, cute babies, musical performances of all sorts, funny signs, works of art. And whatever this is:

https://bsky.app/profile/johnnybarbu.bsky.social/post/3lprdcfrgds2m

I tried to find a backstory for this but only came up with this sentence: 

“Clown drummer rocks it with balls!”

No, really, watch it. It’s not what you think.

You probably won’t be surprised that We Rate Dogs posts come up frequently in a Timeline Cleanse. Also shots from backyard camera bird feeders. Today I found dogs, cats, goldfish, lizards, baby deer, baby squirrels, bounty from a Spring Farmers’ Market, a garden in bloom, a pet bird playing with a new toy, art from a museum visit, a joke, a cactus making a rude gesture, and a symphony orchestra in Madrid playing the Flintstones theme. 

I’ve always imagined that “Timeline Cleanse” may have its roots in the term palate cleanser - - a dish in a long and fancy meal that is meant to refresh the taste buds.  According to Know Your Memes, 

Timeline Cleanse is a frequently used caption for social media posts that showcase positive, cute or wholesome photographs, usually of animals, celebrities or people smiling.

The first known use was on Twitter.

On December 5th, 2014, Twitter user @RedSaid posted an series of images of a man with his two daughters. They captioned the tweet, "Necessary timeline cleanse, Because: beautiful. @_BlackFathers: 😍😍❤" (shown below, right). This is the earliest known usage of the "timeline cleanse" as it is most commonly used.

I didn’t see many celebrities in today’s search. Just one, I think.

What’s important about a Timeline Cleanse is not simply what it is. It’s what it does. It makes you smile. It makes you stop doomscrolling. It evokes joy, a laugh, a brief but desperately necessary moment that is not suffering, not anger, not despair. It reminds you that whoever posted this thing is human, and you are human, too and that we are connected in that moment. 

We hope for the good, together. We are not alone in the void. We still, despite everything, wish good for eachother and are still nurturing that basic human need to share joy.

Send me your favorite Timeline Cleanse examples in the comments. We’ll all benefit from taking a breath and enjoying a moment of respite and reset. Here’s one from me to start us off, some nature fun from my birdfeeder. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

What We Fear

 

So, let’s start with these words from yesterday:

A reminder: I am not a journalist. This is not breaking news. I did not see it with my own eyes. So, is it irresponsible to share it here? I am uncertain. I will be working today to try to find out more.

Well, I did find out more and I posted it widely:

I am relieved to share that what a variety of residents saw last night was, in fact, something very different .

(Something about their clothing and flags and the environment of fear we are living in makes this sadly understandable .)

“A witness chased them down &  it was a group of Quakers marching (sic) to a rally in DC. They gave him this pamphlet. “

Of all the things one could see in Howard County, Maryland that are unequivocally not dangerous, it would have to be Quakers walking for peace and justice. I taught at a Quaker school for several years and came away with deep respect for their thoughtfulness and conviction.

Here is more information about their march, shared by one of my former colleagues:

Quakers march 300 miles to protest Trump’s immigration crackdown , Associated Press, from The Guardian

Max Goodman, left, and Ross Brubeck walk on a New Jersey trail, as part of a Quaker march from NYC to Washington to protest Trump's crackdown on immigrants. Photograph: Luis Andres Henao/AP 

Here’s a question I have been asked by several people since yesterday and it’s the same one I’ve been asking myself: How could people mistake Quakers for Nazis?

I don’t know. 

Should this be a lesson to me, personally, not to click publish on something I don’t have all the information on? While I can’t promise a strict adherence to the boundaries of professional journalism that’s not license to be an idiot if I can possibly avoid it. If we were living in normal times I don’t think I would have published yesterday’s piece so quickly. 

But we are not living in normal times. 

People are being disappeared daily and ripped away from their families by masked, unidentifiable strong men and removed to places unknown and with no access to due process. These are human beings who are our neighbors and their lives are being upended in a split second. The rule of law, as it applies to the vulnerable, is dissolving.

In that context, it was hard to me to see word of these local sightings and not feel that they might be signs of danger.

I wanted to get more information because I thought that would be better than little, isolated pockets of fear. I hoped to find verifiable facts that would shed light on what happened. I didn’t want there to be Nazis in Howard County. (But I didn’t want be someone who would look the other way if they were here.)

The people who were alarmed by seeing marchers in their community were sincere in their concern. I wouldn’t have shared what they said if I didn’t believe that. 

It’s also true that they didn’t see what they thought they saw, and that those who participating in the walk are good people who mean absolutely no harm to anyone.

As I lay awake last night, troubled by the day’s events, I thought of my parents. They lived through the Great Depression and World War Two and those events shaped their entire lives. They cast a long shadow on their children. Yesterday was a reminder to me of how much I carry that, even today. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

Scenes from the Nazi Bar and Other Tales

Have you ever read The Nazi Bar story? It goes like this:

I was at a shitty crustpunk bar once getting an after-work beer. One of those shitholes where the bartenders clearly hate you. So the bartender and I were ignoring one another when someone sits next to me and he immediately says, "no. get out."

And the dude next to me says, "hey i'm not doing anything, i'm a paying customer." and the bartender reaches under the counter for a bat or something and says, "out. now." and the dude leaves, kind of yelling. And he was dressed in a punk uniform, I noticed

Anyway, I asked what that was about and the bartender was like, "you didn't see his vest but it was all nazi shit. Iron crosses and stuff. You get to recognize them." 

And i was like, oh ok and he continues.

"you have to nip it in the bud immediately. These guys come in and it's always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don't want to cause a scene. And then they become a regular and after awhile they bring a friend. And that dude is cool too."

And then THEY bring friends and the friends bring friends and they stop being cool and then you realize, oh shit, this is a Nazi bar now. And it's too late because they're entrenched and if you try to kick them out, they cause a PROBLEM. So you have to shut them down.

And i was like, 'oh damn.' and he said "yeah, you have to ignore their reasonable arguments because their end goal is to be terrible, awful people."

And then he went back to ignoring me. But I haven't forgotten that at all.

- - Michael B. Tager (The bar was Sidebar in Baltimore.)

I share this today because of this:

Wow...Anyone else see a group of about 30 Nazi members marching on Ten Oaks? They made their way to our street on Haviland Mill and who knows where they'll end up.

And this:

My sister in rural Howard County MD just had ~30 flag-carrying, uniform-wearing Nazis march past her house on a country road. I have no idea what they were doing or where they were going, but it was pretty upsetting.

Both were posted on social media last night. One on Facebook, one on Bluesky. (The one on Facebook was subsequently deleted, possibly by admin.)

A reminder: I am not a journalist. This is not breaking news. I did not see it with my own eyes. So, is it irresponsible to share it here? I am uncertain. I will be working today to try to find out more.

Here’s the thing: with all of the hatred and downright violence toward “the other” being promoted in Washington these days, would it surprise you to learn that Nazis were marching in Howard County? Going one step further: would it surprise you that they’ve been here all along just waiting for permission to come out in the open?

Yeah. That. 

It seems as though every day we need to decide whether we are going to be the Nazi bar. Because there’s no “agree to disagree” with these folks. 

Their end goal is to be terrible, awful people.

When I know more I will let you know.

UPDATE: 

1. I have now verified that it was called into the police by eyewitnesses but that officers responding didn‘t find anything when they arrived. So it was reported through official channels but as of yet can’t be corroborated.

2. I am thrilled to share that what a variety of residents saw last night was, in fact, something very different .

(Something about the clothing and flags and the environment of fear we are living in makes this sadly understandable .)

“A witness chased them down & finally It was a group of Quakers marching to a rally in DC. They gave him this pamphlet. “

Thank goodness!

Village Green/Town² Comments

Meetings: Who Needs ‘Em?

This is not breaking news. More like five days ago. You may already have seen it.

Task Force to Help Guide Columbia’s Future Growth , Kristin Danley-Greiner, Columbia Patch

The County announcement and further information is here.

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the formation of a New Town Task Force, a collaborative effort bringing together community members, industry professionals, and planning experts to recommend zoning updates in Columbia New Town. The executive order signed today establishes a 20-member committee to craft recommendations for future zoning and development.

- - from Howard County Government Facebook page

The officially nameless, faceless folks at HoCo APFO have already found the time to cast aspersions on this announcement and whatever work is accomplished going forward. I guess it’s a time saving measure on their part. They are planning ahead to discredit the results.

But this post isn’t about the topic that the task force members will be addressing. It’s about task forces. And committees. And commissions. And one more thing - - the thing that strikes terror into my heart - - going to meetings.

I can’t be the only relatively engaged person in our community that dreads going to meetings. When I looked at this announcement this morning I thought of all the people who aren’t available to serve on committees but probably have a good deal to offer. For instance:

• People with young children
• People who work in the gig economy 
• People who care for the elderly or disabled 
• People who are elderly or disabled 
• People taking night classes
• People who would rather have dental work than go to meetings!!!

It’s okay to laugh. I know that last one is kind of ridiculous. 

Community members who are willing and able to give their time to serve in this capacity are very much needed and I am grateful for them. But, in addition to being selected for having specific knowledge/life experience, it’s also true that an unspoken qualification is that they must be good at/willing to go to meetings. Multiple meetings. Sometimes long meetings.

No, I haven’t given a whole lot of thought as to how else this could be accomplished. We’ve always done it this way, as they say. Well, that’s not true. There were plenty of times that the white men in charge just made the decisions and that was it. But now, at least in Howard County, we have a number of ways to get community input and I appreciate that.

On the other hand, there are some people who absolutely love going to meetings and have all the time in the world. They are willing to to sit there as long as it takes to have their say and get their way. In my opinion you do not want too many of them in one group. There is such a thing as being too good at going to meetings.

So, here’s my question: if we look at the list of people who can’t/aren’t serving on these committees, does it make a difference that they are not in the room? Is the end result altered by their absence? Are we perceptive enough to even recognize that?

What do you think?

Village Green/Town² Comments

 

Is This Heaven?

Is this Heaven?

No, it’s Wilde Lake.

Watch the video and you’ll understand. The musical scores sets the mood. 

10323 Wilde Lake Terrace, Columbia

Coldwell Banker Realty, Jay Hierholzer, Agent 

 

This is the Tidesfall community of Wilde Lake and these homes are waterfront homes. I never would have known about them were it not for a casual comment from a friend years ago. We were having a rather dreamy conversation full of hypotheticals, such as: if you could live anywhere in Columbia - - if money were no object - - where would you live?

Right away she mentioned these homes on Wilde Lake Terrace. I had never seen or even heard of them. It wasn’t that long afterwards that I had the opportunity to see one in the Columbia Home Tour. I understood immediately what the appeal was. I don’t think there’s anything else like these houses anywhere in Columbia, or even in Howard County, for that matter. 

McMansions can’t compete if this is what you are craving.

The architect is Hugh Newell Jacobsen and the homes were built in somewhere in the 1969 - 1971 range. This particular home has been updated to be the home of millionaires and, despite the uncertain economy, I think it may find a buyer instantaneously. People watch and wait for these homes. We’ll see what comes

next.

What I thought about most when I viewed this video was what these homes represented when they were first built. They must have evoked a wonderful feeling of the beginning of things. A new experience in community living was taking flight. New ideas were being tried out rather than just being discussed or discarded. The air was full of possibilities.

I’m not saying that I’d want to go back in time but I wouldn’t mind breathing that air for a moment to experience that exhilaration. 

How about you?

Village Green/Town² Comments

Unexpected Sports Post

• Chips/crisps
• Paper towels/kitchen roll
• Fries/chips
• Trash can/wheelie bin
• Apartment/flat

I’ve become a fan of the YouTube sensation Laurence Brown and his popular “Lost in the Pond” series which takes a humorous look at how Americans and Brits are both different and similar. As I already have a bit of that going on in my own home, his observations didn’t come as a surprise to me. They are a lot of fun, though. 

This is why I wasn’t a bit surprised to learn that a former River Hill High School soccer star is playing professional football in England. Because, as you probably already know, what we call soccer in the U.S. is called football across the pond.

Donovan Pines, born in Clarksville, graduated from RHHS and went on to play for Maryland before leaving school to go pro with DC United. From there he went to the Barnsley Football Club in South Yorkshire. Pines even has his own Wikipedia entry, which details his career moves far better than I can. 

I would not know any of this had I not seen the following on Bluesky:

Barnsley will have a USA international in their squad tonight - Donovan Pines from Clarksville, MD.

Bonus information: while Pines was matriculating at the University of Maryland, his father, Dr. Daryll J. Pines, was appointed the President of UMD. I wonder how dad felt about his son leaving without a degree? 

Another question: does this mean that Pines, Sr, will get to meet Kermit the Frog??? 

Returning to Lost in the Pond, I wonder if Laurence Brown would be interested in interviewing a Clarksville transplant about what it’s like to become acclimated/acclimatized to South Yorkshire? 

Hmm…

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Pick and Choose and a Little News

 

It’s going to be a bit of a hodgepodge here today. Hopefully you’ll find something that you like.

A big day for old school Columbia traditions: Wine in the Woods kicks off at eleven am today and tomorrow in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. A few things:

• You know the ground is going to be wet after last night’s deluge. Plan accordingly.
• Those amazing pervious pathways that will keep you from sinking into the mire? A gift to all of us from the good folks of the Inner Arbor Trust.
• HoCo’s very own Sobar will be on-site serving non-alcoholic wines and other beverages. And thank goodness for that.

The County Executive announced the introduction of the Old Ellicott City Weekend Trolley service and folks on Reddit are making sport of it because it doesn’t look like an authentic trolley. Sigh. Interestingly enough, I’m not sure that those armchair wits understood who benefits from this service the most: older visitors and those with mobility issues. So maybe it’s not about providing an historically accurate trolley experience but instead removing barriers to access for folks who might not ordinarily be able to visit Old Ellicott City. And shop there. And eat there. Just a thought.

A brief reminder that today is also the day for Skeletons in the Park: A Goth Picnic from 12 - 6 pm at the Patapsco Valley State Park, Hollowfield Area. So, if you see any dramatically dressed drivers headed in that direction, do not be alarmed. If you are one of those drivers, have fun.

If you are still looking for things to do there are a ton of options. Check out Events on Facebook (Choose Local and This Week) or take a look at the activity calendar at Visit Howard County and the listings at the Howard Courier. 

I may very well mosey out to the Farmers Market at Clarksville Commons in search of the sticky buns of song and story. However, it’s probably wise to note that a lot of River Hill/Clarksville lost power last night (including my husband’s annual Guitarpalooza concert) so it’s possible that not all brick and mortar merchants out that way will be open for business. Check before you go. 

Thanks for all of the lovely comments on yesterday’s blog post. It was a fun one to write and reminded me how important it is to get out there and live life and have new adventures.

Have a great Saturday.

Village Green/Town² Comments

F ³: Mom Gets Out

 The menu.

The Playbill. (Cocktail menu, too)

The view.

The story:

When you don’t get out much, a visit to a restaurant is a big deal. Having the opportunity to experience a fine dining establishment like Monarque in Baltimore is all of that, exponentially enhanced. 

Now, Monarque is not exactly a daytime place. Known for cabaret - - and even burlesque - - Monarque gleams by night. Photos show a place of glamour that hovers precariously near what my mother might have called a den of iniquity. That is, if a den of iniquity had a fabulous bar and an exquisite menu. 

Yet on Sunday for brunch it was positively bright and airy and the ambiance was easy and comfortable. This is a place that can somehow turn itself around to become a place you can take your mother. And that was a good thing, since it was Mother’s Day.

The service was gracious - - not overly stuffy or self-important. Every person we came in contact with gave us their best. From the moment we entered the restaurant until we departed we were made to feel valued and at home. 

The music was straight out of the American songbook. The vocalist and pianist were perfection.

There’s no way I can give justice to the food and drink and no, I didn’t photograph any of it because I was too busy living in the moment. Here’s a quick rundown:

He: some kind of gorgeous mocktail with fresh ginger, She: Bombay Saphire Gin and Tonic

He: French Onion Soup, She: Shrimp Cocktail

He: Steak and Eggs with Mushrooms, She: French Toast stuffed with Italian meringue and bathed in strawberries 

Every sip, every bite tasted of pure, fresh ingredients, culinary creativity, and careful execution. I was legitimately teary. Perhaps, when one has such an experience so rarely, it is all the more precious.

I have learned that in fine dining establishments (what I would call “fancy restaurants”) it is not unusual for the actual manager to stop by every table to connect with guests and make sure everything is to their liking. I don’t know if it is usual for the guests to ask for a photo with the manager and it certainly isn’t a thing I would do under ordinary circumstances. But this was not an ordinary day.

So here we are, at Monarque Baltimore, posing with the General Manager. Who is our daughter. 

As we drove home I thought of Emily’s poignant question in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town.

Does anyone ever realize life while they live it...every, every minute?

On Sunday we did. And I am very, very grateful.

Village Green/Town² Comments

CEI Plants a Seed. You Can Grow.

I don’t usually tell you what to do (quite so bluntly) but: here goes:

If you are on Facebook, follow Community Ecology Institute and CEI Nourishing Gardens.  On Instagram? Try following CFIN: Community Families in Nature, and The Community Ecology Institute.

Why? Well, because they’re an amazing local nonprofit, to start with. And their social media is appealing and informative. But, more than anything else, including them in your feed is probably one of the best things you can do for your mental health right now. 

You don’t need to download an app. It’s not a paid subscription service. No salesman will call.

Even if nothing else in the world feels right, these folks will bring fresh air and growing things into your social media feed. Really. 

• Living, growing things 
• Love of nature
• People working together
• Multigenerational learning
• Community
• Children welcomed and nurtured
• Gardens that feed hungry people

If you let CEI into your consciousness you will have daily reminders that somewhere, quite close by, something good and real and bountiful is happening. Some days just a glimpse of a plant or a fascinating insect or a group of young students exploring the natural environment has kept me from sinking into a nameless gloom.

As time goes on you’ll realize there’s one more thing embedded in each post: opportunity. Invitation. Possibility. Okay, maybe that’s three things.

There are so many ways to engage with what The Community Ecology Institute is doing here in Howard County. I want to highlight one today, but I hope that you will go to their website and learn more about their programs.

Community of Families in Nature  opens registration for their Summer and Fall sessions tomorrow, May 15th. The Family Nature Club is really at the heart of what CEI was even before it was called CEI. Founder Chiara D’Amoré created Columbia Families in Nature in 2014 to:

…foster greater connection with nature and the community; increase environmental awareness and action; support the well-being of participants; and help strengthen family relationships.

After more than ten years this mission continues. You and your family are invited.

Here’s a quick preview, learn more here. 

CFIN Family Nature Club; select Sundays (about 2 per month) 2:00-4:00 PM

Each season, open to up to 30 families with children of all ages; activities geared primarily towards kids ages 5 through 10 and their grownups;  children of all ages are welcome though and we will do our best to prepare age appropriate accommodations and modifications for activities – as we like to say, there’s something for everyone in nature! 

I’ve been thinking a lot about how many things our kids participate in are based on performance, talent, prowess, even competition. In recent years I’ve seen some young people come to rely on social media and the Internet as the place that doesn’t ask that of them. It’s a place where they feel they can decompress and be themselves. 

Does this mean that we have forgotten how important it is to create and nurture such places in real life? How many things do we participate in with our kids that require only that we be ourselves and are open to discovery?

For that matter, what impact would that have on our own mental and physical well being as adults? 

Curious about Family Nature Clubs? Start here. 

Image from ceicfin social media 

Everybody Talks About It

 

Have you seen this recent announcement from Howard County Government?

VOLUNTARY WATER RESTRICTION: Effective immediately, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) has issued a voluntary water restriction for public water customers in the surrounding area, including Howard County. Due to the ongoing lack of rain and overall below-average annual rainfall, Carroll County’s Liberty Reservoir, one of our region’s main drinking water sources, has dropped to its lowest point in nearly two decades.

To read the announcement in its entirety, click here. 

One of the first comments I read responding to this was along the lines of, “That’s ridiculous! How can there be a drought? It’s raining!”

Oh, my. Surely that person is some relation to the fellow who claimed that there was no such thing as global warming because he had recently been able to make a snowball.

I thought of this last evening when I saw reports of dangerous flooding in Allegany County. Who knows what our commenter would think of that?

To be honest, I also thought about retired Superintendent of Schools Michael Martirano. You may have seen the news that he has been chosen to be the new Superintendent in Allegany County. His term doesn’t begin until July 1st, but I’m sure he was watching these events unfold with great concern.

Flooding forces evacuations at Allegany County Schools; 200 rescued by boat, Katie Bourque, ABC7-WJLA

If we think it was a challenge to implement a new bus system, that’s nothing to taking a new job knowing it may entail evacuations by boat. Onward to new challenges, eh?

An aside: this particular article inadvertently makes it clear that Larry Hogan is still pretending to be the Governor and that this news outlet was willing to give him the space to do that. 

A shoutout to the teachers, and all other school staff, who were keeping those students safe under extraordinary circumstances yesterday. Just add that to the list of things we expect teachers to do for our children while being underpaid, overworked, and under-resourced. 

If you have noticed Howard County teachers out in force lately to advocate for improved education funding in the budget, you might want to give a thought to exactly who it is who shelters your child in an active shooter situation or when the waters are rising around them.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Rainy Days and Tuesday

 Two things that are equally true: 

1. My husband hates to take the recycling down to the street when it’s raining. 
2. Wet cardboard can’t be recycled. (It gums up the works.)

We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but what do May showers bring? A lowered chance of wildfires, I suppose, a temporary decrease in pollen levels, and a chance to push back at the current drought situation. All good, I suppose - - unless you had been hoping to spend time outside. 

However, look at the bright side: my husband will be thrilled not to take all of our accumulated cardboard down to the curb this morning.

But here’s a bonus question: let’s say you have some cardboard that got wet before it even made it to recycling day. Is it now rendered unrecyclable forever or can it be thoroughly dried out and then it’s good to go?

I need to know, folks. These things bother me.

*****

Last summer I put out a request for the best things local things to do/places to go when it rains. Alas, this was not a topic that sparked any meaningful discussion. As it’s a weekday, most adults will be at work and kids with be at school. So most of us don’t need to be making alternative plans. 

But what if you have preschoolers?

You won’t be surprised that my first recommendation will always be a visit to your local library. They have areas designed with kids in mind and programs tailored to their needs. And it is FREE. Still, there are days when the littles need to move and make some noise. 

Parents of young children undoubtedly know every single playground and every commercial indoor play place in the country and possibly beyond. Still, here’s a relatively new one: Play Place Museum on Stanford Boulevard. Have you been there?

Play Place Museum is a part of a chain with locations in Texas, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington.  (Wow.) Admission is $17.50 per child. They offer a prepared enironment of themed interactive play areas for self -directed play. They also have add-on craft experiences.

Yes, you need to sign a waiver as part of registration, just like Jump Zone. Yes, they also do birthday parties.

It strikes me that this place might be a quieter alternative to places like Hyper Kidz but, on a rainy day, all bets are off. DoodleHATCH would be a great (and more cost-effective) alternative but they’re only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

There’s an indoor play area at the Mall in Columbia (free) and a Children’s Playseum (not free.)

Honestly, one of the most fun things you can do indoors on a rainy day involves having a lot of cardboard boxes on hand and a willingness to let your kids exercise their imaginations to their hearts’ content. If you decide to go that route, let me know.

I’ve got boxes.

Village Green/Town² Comments