Postcards and Bagels

 

Postcards. When you go on vacation, do you send them? Do you enjoy receiving them? Has their meaning changed over the years? Now that anyone can go online and enjoy vistas from far away places, does the shiny image of the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel towel have the same impact?

I’m inclined to believe that the relationship you have with the person who sent you the card has become far more important.

Last week this postcard image popped up on BlueSky. I did not know there were Columbia postcards.

Image from BlueSky account postcardbot, this card sent by Ann from Southern, Maryland, U.S.A. on December 20, 1994.

Text on the reverse: 

Columbia, Maryland

Completed in 1967, Columbia was one of the the first of the modern planned cities. Designed by the Rouse Co., the city was termed a "garden for the growing of people." In the foreground is Lake Kittamaqundi; the background, office buildings and Columbia Mall.

Does any word there leap out at you? Read the blurb again.

“Completed.”

I’m not sure what word would have been exactly right, but “completed” is not it. I think of 1967 as much more of a birth year than a completion. We could safely say that Columbia was “something-something” in 1967 and people have pretty much been arguing about it every since.

No, that’s not right either. I’ve only been here since 1999 and I can’t possibly speak accurately about life here before that. Research, yes. Learn, yes. Speak authoritatively - - no.

I think we can safely say that 1) the New American City drew unto itself people with plenty of opinions and 2) it was not completed in 1967. This may be a question for the Columbia Maryland Archives.

What do you think? 

*****

People are buzzing online about the new bagel place on Broken Land. Have you heard? It’s called 

Über Bagels and it looks to me as though they originated in Ocean City. On Friday my husband drove me to a doctor’s appointment in Glen Burnie and I asked him if we could get some breakfast on the way home. 

“How about a bagel?” he asked me. He grabbed his phone and started looking for something.

And that’s how I ended up at Uber Bagels on their opening day, no less. I was worried that it might be too crowded. My husband talked me into it with these words:

“You might get a blog post out of it…”

It was not too crowded. The bagel was tasty. We will be back. 

Have a great Monday.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Think, Play, Tinker, Celebrate

 

Today is one of the coolest events of the year and it’s free.

Downtown Columbia Maker Faire , Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods, 12  - 4 pm.

I’m not recovered enough yet from surgery so I can’t be there but I hope you will go. If you are as intrigued as I am by this quirky and wondrous celebration of creativity, tinkering, and just plain fun - - don’t miss it! 

It’s more than just looking at things. It’s a very open-ended, hands-on experience. So, if you have kids, or you happen to be someone like me…Maker Faire is for you. And there are plenty of well-cared for trees in The Park so you will have shade if you need it. 

Tickets are free but you must pre-register so they know how many people to expect and how to manage the parking logistics.

Downtown Columbia Maker Faire Registration 

From the event page:

Maker Faire is a gathering of fascinating, curious people who enjoy learning, creating, and love sharing what they can do. From engineers to artists to scientists to crafters, Maker Faire is a venue to show off hobbies, experiments, projects, and careers.

The Inner Arbor Trust is happy to bring this fun, educational, and creative family friendly event back to Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods, right in the heart of Downtown Columbia, MD!

Join us for family friendly workshops, demonstrations, and presentations on painting, sculpting, robotics, digital art, and so much more!

Curious about what kinds of things you’ll see? 

Makers and Exhibits

I want to tell you that food and drink will be available for purchase but, as of this moment, I can’t find a link for that. Will update as soon as I nail that down. And here it is!

Last year I fell in love with this guy and started following him on Instagram. You never know who you’ll meet at the Maker Faire.

I am putting it out there to the universe that it is my wish to be at next year’s Maker Faire as an actual maker. You heard it here first. 

If you do go, and you’re the kind of person who likes to take photographs, send them my way or post them on social media so I can enjoy it vicariously.

Village Green/Town² Comments

This Is What Changed Me

 

Fear. Everyone has it. Here are my top three fears from my early childhood:

• Being forced to participate in gymnastics activities in PE class.
• Going for car rides after dark with my family.
• Old, wrinkled, dusty balloons.

My top three today look different:

• Having my Social Security cut off.
• What the future holds for my children.
• Unremediated pain or asthma

But I’m not here today to talk about what I’m afraid of. I here to talk about what I am not afraid of. 

I am not afraid of Zohran Mamdani. 

There are a lot of folks out there telling me I should be, but: I’m not. I spent some time on Thursday investigating my feelings about this and I realized I have been blessed by something that a lot of people haven’t: I have a Muslim friend. 

I’m not saying: I can’t be Islamophobic because I have a Muslim friend. That’s not a claim I could fairly make because I was raised swimming in white culture and I make mistakes all the time. I am saying that I look at this candidate for mayor, read about his proposed polices, his professional background, and not for one moment does the fact that he doesn’t look like me or share my religious beliefs evoke any fear inside of me.

The fact that I have a Muslim friend is largely due to her persistence. In general I’m a very shy and insecure person and it’s hard for me to believe someone would want to be my friend. It’s far, far easier to crawl back in one’s shell than to keep moving forward and see what happens. What if I fail somehow? What if something bad happens?

And yet, here we are. Hopefully I’m getting better at it.

When you decide you are going to keep moving forward with someone in friendship, you learn things. You learn what you agree and disagree on. You share the stories that made you who you are today. You discover the rough places where you will need to negotiate or apologize. You learn the deep joy of acceptance and support.

These days I have begun to realize that so many hateful responses to things on social media could truly be replaced with the words “I don’t understand.” Whether it’s LGBTQIA rights, social justice, fair housing, or a new community initiative, when trolls come out of the woodwork what they are are betraying more than anything else is that they don't understand.

And, somewhere along the line, they have been taught that the natural thing to do in those circumstances is this:

• I don’t understand and I am afraid.
• I don’t understand and I mock this.
• I don’t understand and I reject this.
• I don’t understand and I must destroy this.

The opportunities we have in life to move beyond that can come at school, in libraries and in neighborhoods where not everyone is like us. Have you noticed that those are the precisely the places that are under attack right now?

Any place where it is safe to say “I don’t understand” and then be welcomed to learn what you need to know to understand is a place where bridges of empathy can be built. That is why Social Emotional Learning is so important. That is why the Arts and Humanities are so important.

We all have fear. We all have things we don’t understand. It can wreck us, or it can invite us into a different place. A better place. Not perfect, and not without fear, but a place where we have more of the tools to be fully human.

What changed me? Having a friend.

******

nota bene

If anyone comes back at me after reading this to lecture me about what’s wrong with the candidate from New York I will know that they really, really didn’t understand.

Back to Work

 

Good morning, beautiful people. It has been oh, so therapeutic to talk to you about my life for the past few days. But now I think I should try to get back to work. 

****

Elections. We haz ‘em. If you haven’t noticed, the magic alarm clock that indicates the next election cycle has sounded. People are “declaring.” There’s some preliminary info on that over at The Merriweather Post Blog, along with commentary if you are interested. 

So far I’m noticing candidates for County Executive, County Council, and State Delegate. Have I missed anything?

Here’s my question. How do you feel about these upcoming local elections? What are you looking for? What issues are the most important to you? 

Are there qualities of the public servants we have now that you truly value and you’d like to see more of? Are there things you really wanted out of the last election and they didn’t materialize? 

I will make an embarrassing confession here: one of the things I dearly wanted out of the last local go-round was for the different factions of the Democratic Party to make peace and work collaboratively with each other. What can I say? I’m a sap. 

The possibility exists that they could have come together in a group hug and committed to loving one another and then gone forward to govern terribly. I’m not sure my wish was a fair or realistic one. You work with the people you have. If that doesn’t work, you try again.

Many of my friends are extremely informed about local politics but I’d like to be clear that I’m asking these questions of anyone who is reading this piece. Think about it. Ask your friends. There’s no perspective to be gained by asking the ten people I know already. 

If you don’t feel comfortable sharing your opinions publicly, feel free to message me through the blog. 

There’s only two groups I’m not particularly interested in hearing from: people who don’t live here and people who are running. Of course everyone is valuable but you aren’t my target audience for this. Bear with me.

As always, if I get enough response I will write a follow-up piece. 

Before I go, one thing: The Doubletree on Twin Knolls has great breakfast coffee. They may have to kick me out. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

The Cool Kids Redux

First things first: thank you. Thanks to everyone who reached out yesterday, who helped yesterday, who offered words of advice and encouragement. You truly helped carry me/us through. A special thank you to Howard County Constituent Services, most especially Paul Thompson, who managed to listen with empathy and make me feel as though I was the Queen of England at the same time.

There are other folks who went above and beyond but I don’t know if I have permission to name them, so: if you are reading this: thank you. I sincerely hope you know who you are. 

A special shout-out to the friend who taught me the magic words: I would like to escalate this to a manager. 

A quick update: I am eating breakfast at the Doubletree which, if you know where I live, is almost like walking down the street to stay with Grandma. We finally got authorization for emergency housing late yesterday afternoon. It turns out the delay in getting help from our insurance company was that someone at Liberty Mutual was sure we lived in Columbia, South Carolina.

At least, that’s their story and we’re not going to quibble now that we are finally getting somewhere. 

By the end of the day all of the appointments were set and dates finalized to assess damage, clear away debris, etc etc etc. Insurance seems to think it will take a week. I do not, but I have the advantage of having seen it. We shall see.

But we are safe and have somewhere to be and I am content.

Now, about the Cool Kids. The Cool Kids appeared rather regularly in the blog during its earlier years. I guess you could say they are the spectre of the popular kids in high school you can never seem to emulate successfully. Think of that, but on a local scale. 

I was forever dogged by the feeling that I was never going be one of the folks who was invited to restaurant openings, received preferential seating at public events, whose blog was mentioned in the Columbia Flier, etc, etc, whose photo was taken with the Important People. 

Over time I realized that what I was envisioning was not even really what I wanted and that the most important thing to me was for people to value my writing. The only way to achieve that was to keep writing and to push myself to get better. Period. 

Yesterday was a huge lesson for me. As the day went on I realized that every single person I reached out to made time for me right that very minute. Everyone listened, connected me with help, gave valuable advice that helped everything else in our day make more sense. 

While I wouldn’t recommend having your ceiling fall in as a way of finding out one of life’s great lessons, the fact is you don’t get to choose when they come your way. No, I won’t ever be one of the Cool Kids, but the validation I received from my community yesterday was something that mattered far, far more to me. 

It was there all along. I just didn’t see it.

The past few days have been rough. But each of them had moments of sweetness, humor, and deep gratitude. And, although he’ll probably squirm a bit to see this in print: my husband is a prince. There are times you are overwhelmed by how right a choice you made to spend your life with someone. I am blessed. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

TMI

 

 

On a painfully hot Monday afternoon Mr. Howard County Teacher lay down to take a nap after a morning of music curriculum writing. As he drifted off he thought he noticed a crack on the ceiling. When he awoke it looked as though the crack was getting bigger. That’s when he heard the crackling noises.

Alarmed, he grabbed his phone and sprang from the bed as the seam connecting the sheets of drywall opened up and pieces began to fall. He ran downstairs. His wife, Mrs. Retired Teacher, sat in the recliner recovering from recent abdominal surgery. She could tell from the look on his face that something was not good.

As he recounted the series of events they heard a heavy thump. A big chunk of their bedroom ceiling was now on their bed. 

Telephone calls were made. A report to insurance was filed. The insurance company requested more photos which is how Mr. Howard County Teacher happened to be in the bedroom when the rest of the ceiling collapsed. He escaped, as they say, with minor cuts and bruises. Everything in their bedroom was now covered in pieces of drywall and insulation.

On the advice of a family friend, who is a professional contractor, they spent the night in the first floor of their small Columbia quad plex. Mrs. Teacher lucked out and got the sofa. Mr. Teacher had a rough night in the La-z-boy recliner.

It is safe to say that:

1. There was no sign of a leak or anything leading up to this event which would have indicated a possible cause. 

2. Neither Mr. or Mrs. Teacher have undergone any kind of previous life experience that would prepare them to handle this. 

Wait, here comes:

 3. The primary bedroom is the one room in their house which is completely and thoroughly a total mess because they were planning on working on it over Mr. Teacher’s summer vacation. 

Sorry, one more thing: 

4. Mrs. Teacher has severe asthma so probably won’t be able to help in remediating the mess.

Did I mention she is also recovering from abdominal surgery?

Mr. And Mrs. Teacher are both inherently shy people who hate to trouble anyone and actively go out of their way to avoid asking for help. I suspect they may need some help this time, though they are too dazed at the moment to figure out where to start. 

*****

Dear friends, 

Yesterday was a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I fear that, for the first time ever, it will be necessary for me to say in a very public way: 

Help. We need help. 

Mr. Teacher is now asleep on the couch and doesn’t know I am writing this. So be it. I can’t help clean and I can’t lift heavy objects but I can write. 

If you have been through a similar situation and have pointers I am all ears. This is not the summer vacation that Mr. Teacher and I have been looking forward to. 

The tagline for this blog is: Where Columbia and Howard County Intersect. Yesterday my life suddenly became all about the place where our ceiling and bed intersect. It’s going to be a long, long day.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Seven Years

 

The original date on this post is June 22, 2018. I’m sure that not everything I have written has aged well. This, on the other hand, has become even more true. - - jam

*****

Proactive 

Leadership looks forward. It is proactive, not reactive.

After the hateful rhetoric of the 2016 presidential election there were some very wise people who read the signs and saw what was coming. All those hate filled rallies on the campaign trail had everything to do with demonizing brown people at the border. Any border, any brown people.

Locally in Howard County there were many who didn’t take the proposal of CB9 seriously. They accused its proponents of nothing more than petty politics. There was no danger. We were doing just fine the way we were.

I wonder if any of them knew what was coming? ICE agents searching Greyhound buses demanding papers? Children separated from parents without plans for return? Travelers refused entry because of their religion? Maybe some did, and that’s exactly what they wanted.

But I’m guessing that some just didn’t think that could happen. They didn’t connect the dots from the campaign speeches to policy after policy designed to demean, discriminate, and deny basic human rights. They shrugged if off as an over exaggeration, fear-mongering.

It wasn’t.

Around the County there are still plenty of folks who think it would be wise to tar and feather (metaphorically speaking, of course) any public servant who supported CB9. They want to use it as a way to frighten the base. And perhaps they think that there is shame merely in its failure to pass.

Over the last week I hope that at least some people have gotten the point that acknowledging the universality of basic human rights is every bit as much a local issue as a national or international one.

There is no shame in looking forward, in being proactive. The shame comes from ignoring what is right in front of you and refusing to take action. Then the only course left to you is reaction.

That’s not leadership. And that makes none of us safer. We who live in Howard County must still grapple with our responsibility in responding to over-reaching policies from the current administration that threaten the very foundation of our cherished democracy.

Think it’s just politics? Think again.

Guest Post from Jim Smith: A Farewell to Summer Lawns

Seven years ago I stumbled into an online rant which I dubbed the Great Columbia Grass-Cutting War. The problem? Someone in the village of Harper’s Choice had not mowed their lawn.

This. Means. War. Village Green/Town², May, 2018

A (long-suffering?) gentleman came forward to re-iterate the steps that Harper’s Choice was already taking to address the situation.

Do you guys think that if someone violates a covenant we can immediately sue them? These processes take time. Would you like me to go to your house, find all of the issues, and then give you 7 days to fix them all before I start fining you by the day? Probably not. That is why the process is civil. The grass sucks but it will get cut. We are on it.

And then, he shared a bit of golden information:

The new owners didn’t know their responsibility. This town is very complex. People don’t realize. The village center itself is owned by over 4 entities. This town is confusing.

I was thoroughly impressed and charmed by this fellow’s words and his overall perspective on how we can treat each other in our community. Here was someone I hoped I’d get to know better. And I have.

Over the years he has appeared on the blog several times precisely because of his well chosen words and valuable insight. I’ve come to consider him one of the people who make Columbia a better place - - more human, sometimes light-hearted, sometimes intensely truthful on hard topics.

Then, at the end of the school year, he and his family pulled up stakes and moved to Canton in Baltimore. It’s a great new adventure for them but I admit to feeling a bit bereft. 

What follows is his explanatory post for their big change. It is shared here with permission. I found ironic that grass-cutting figures somewhat prominently in the story. - - jam

*****

I remember the first time I visited Columbia back in 2001 when I was in the Army. It was a confusing maze of green, with no corporate signage, and a centralized mall that got us so lost that we almost didn’t make it back to formation at Fort Meade.

When I met Becca and we decided to start a life together in 2004, it was going to be in Columbia without question. We started in Laurel in 2005, and quickly after got an apartment in Hickory Ridge. This was where Charlie was born in 2007.

We bought the condo in Harper’s Choice later that year, and lived there until 2019. Then onto Long Reach until 2025.

Our son went to pre K at Owen Brown Interfaith Center, then Longfellow Elementary, then Harper’s Choice Middle, then Bonnie Branch Middle, and finally Howard High.

Charlie played soccer all over Howard County, got to purple belt at Wild Lake Karate, loved chess club at Longfellow, and tolerated scouts at Pack 61 and Troop 759.

I walked or ran on all of the Columbia trails. Every mile. Just since 2019 I’ve logged over 5k miles in Columbia. I have spent hundreds of hours at the Athletic Club, and the Supreme Sports Club. We loved the 20 plus pools!

I served three years on the Harper’s Choice Board of Directors. I attended countless Columbia Association meetings, and made lifelong friends in the process.

Those are the facts of our time there, but if I had to sum it up for someone moving to Columbia, I’d say it is idyllic. It has some issues like all places, but overall it’s a great town with lots of green space to raise a family.

It took me a while to make this post, and it would be fair to ask why we decided to leave. Well the short answer is walkability. Although Columbia is very walkable, it is still a car dependent suburb. I’ve also grown bitter to the enormous amount of gas, time, and energy it takes to maintain the lush green lawns of the suburbs.

Suburban life comes with a cost, and it’s not one I’m willing to pay for. I now take a bus to work, use no gas to maintain my property, and I don’t have to listen to legions of landscaping crews mowing and blowing leaves all year long. It’s a 4 minute walk to the grocery store, pharmacy, hardware store, dry cleaner, dentist, doctor, and veterinarian. I dont need a car for everyday tasks

The suburbs are not for us anymore. It was a good 45 year run, but let’s give city life a shot.

It’s odd because I know many folks fight their whole lives to escape the city and go to the suburbs. I understand the privilege we have to move to a good neighborhood in Baltimore. Many parts of the city are not like this.

Yes, city life can have its downfalls, but right now this city street is quieter than my previous cul de sac, with 9 months of constant lawn machines making ungodly noise from 7am to 7pm every day!

We’ve had many favorite places in Columbia. We will miss you.

    Photo credit: Jim Smith 

F ³: Somebody Come and Play

 

Honestly? It’s a No Blog Day. But I just couldn’t leave you hanging.

Do you know where playground animals go when they retire? Now you do.  I adored this the moment  I saw it, although I had a hard time believing it was really true.

It is. Check this out on Secret NYC. 

NYC Parks even hosted a retirement party for them.

!!!

I hope this story made you smile and that you have a great Friday. See you tomorrow.

Village Green/Town² Comments

CA: Pools, Parks, Pathways and PARTY

 “Pools, parks, pathways.” It’s a sort of colloquial shorthand for the what Columbia Association does. If you live here long enough you begin to realize that’s far too simple a definition. 

We’re entering a season where CA shines as a facilitator of all things Lakefront. Today they’ll be hosting Juneteenth festivities beginning at 2 pm. 

• Music by DJ G-Money 
• Line dancing with April "Dancing Diva" Williams  
• Performances by B. Funk Dance Company 
• Black-owned food trucks 
• Kids activities  
• Vendor village 
• Special appearance by Kyaira

I don’t know if it has been like this in years past, but Lakefest comes twenty four hours later - - probably less, if you count clean up for one event and set up for the other. Wowza. That’s a whole lot of logistics.

Lakefest used to be wholly a production of the Columbia Festival of the Arts. It now appears to be a cooperative venture between several groups, CA being a part of the mix. If you haven’t ever been, I’d recommend giving it a try. It feels good to experience Columbia as a “happening”, in full-on party mode.

Lakefest is a three-day celebration and there’s honestly so much happening that you should go to the dedicated website to get a sense of what’s on offer.

Columbia Festival of the Arts Lakefest

When attending events at the Lakefront, I always find myself weighing two things. Will it be too hot to leave the house? Will it be chucking down rain? So here’s your weather report for the next few days.

One more variable you’ll need to sort out: parking.

Directions & Parking: Free parking (including Accessible Parking) available nearby at the Wincopin Circle parking garages. Visitors can also park at the Sterrett Place surface lot located at 5575 Sterrett Place, Columbia, Maryland 21044. PLEASE DO NOT PARK AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET.

Or, if you like maps:

If you look carefully at the central area, it seems to me that the fountain is magically sprinkling the people on the grassy hill and - - possibly - -  spinning like a carousel. I think that would be fabulous.  I always did have an overactive imagination.

There are plenty of other things going on HoCoLocally this weekend, including another Juneteenth celebration on Saturday at the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center. You’ll definitely have plenty of choices.

Here it is Thursday morning and I’m already kicking off the weekend. It must be summer. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

School’s Out

 

I’ve been spending a lot more time on YouTube since I discovered how to watch it on our big flat screen television. Last night the following promo caught my eye:

The Simple Genius of the Interstate Highway System: The US’ Greatest Ever Investment

Now, I have nothing against the Interstate Highway System. But my first thought was: the greatest investment in the United States was the institution of public school systems. 

This is, of course, a rather apples to oranges comparison, since the long history of schools in this country is a story of local and state investment in education. The federal government got involved rather further down the line. But the word I was focused on was “investment.”

I truly believe that the greatest investment a nation can make is in the education of young people. Yes, the interstate high way system can get you places. In the long run, a good public school education can get you many, many more places. 

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Today is the last day of school and my heart is aching for teachers and other school support staff whose positions have been eliminated due to budget shortfalls. This obviously hurts them but it also hurts everyone who is left behind. It doesn’t feel to me as though we have created a way to give our schools the financial investment they need. 

If you don’t continue to place a priority on highways or bridges it doesn’t matter how brilliant it was to create them in the first place. You have to keep on investing in them to provide necessary improvements and repair. The same is true for our schools. 

In order to invest in the young people who are the future of our country, we must invest in their education: safe and healthy school buildings, curriculum, teachers, specialists, support staff, materials,training, transportation, food programs, leadership…

If we don’t?  Then a good K-12 education will become largely the province of the well-to-do, rather than an open door to everyone. And it is clear that there are forces in this country that would like to see that happen. They don’t believe that equal opportunity is a common good.

Dear future public servants:

I want to know how you plan to invest in our schools and the people who make them work. 

Dear parents:

Keep valuing education and keep advocating for public education. Model for your children the joy of learning in your everyday life.

Dear teachers:

I don’t believe that anyone can every truly know how much you invest of yourself, every single day, to meet the needs of your students and bring them along in their educational journey. It breaks my heart that we are in a place where we are not investing in you and your students with that kind of commitment.

You are important. Your work is important. Thank you for every day you have given to our children. Every day is an investment. The future will be filled with people you have touched, lifted up, encouraged, challenged, inspired.

Education for all is the United States’ greatest investment. Meeting that commitment is our greatest responsibility.

And now, Summer. May it bring rejuvenation and respite and a chance to have some pure, simple fun. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Booking It

This post could also be entitled: A Day Late and A Dollar Short. You’ll soon see why.

Last night at Union Jack’s: Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City, Maryland, a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars, held their monthly meeting to explore and enjoy the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Well, not just any of his works, but specifically the cases of the great detective Sherlock Holmes. 

In all my years in Howard County I had never heard of them. Have you? The Baltimore Sun had. I discovered they did a lovely write up (with photographs) in 2019. 

Watson’s Tin Box gets its name from a section of the tale, The Problem of Thor Bridge:

The group, founded by Steve Clarkson and Paul Churchill, held their first meeting in 1990. They meet monthly at Union Jack’s for dinner, presentations, discussions, and even a quiz of their vast Sherlockian knowledge. (Or would it be Holmesian?)

So, you’ve already missed this month’s gathering but do not despair. Upcoming dates are set and the topics are as follows:

• July 21, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.: "Final Problem" from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

• August 18, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.: "Empty House" from The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

• September 15, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.: "Golden Pince-Nez" from The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

*****

On June 15 the Friends and Foundation of Howard County Library System opened registration for their first ever Battle of the Books open to adults. You can read more about it here. On June 16th they announced that registration for all three dates was sold out. Wow, that was fast. They are taking names for a waitlist, so, in case you had your heart set on participating - - there may still be a chance. 

The event is a fundraiser for the library and is patterned after the well-known kids version, affectionately known around town as BOB. I have sentimental memories of former HoCoTimes journalist Sara Toth actually live-tweeting BOB back when Twitter was a legitimate social media platform and the HoCoTimes really had local journalists.

In case you’re wondering, costumes are encouraged but not required. (Group costumes figure heavily in the youth version.) 

The Caroll County Library system has held “Battle of the Books: After Hours” for the last three years and our local library has taken some pointers from them on how to structure this new event. The funds raised will support programs like author events, the summer reading program, Project Literacy graduation and next year’s youth Battle of the Books.

So, again: here’s a cool thing and, oops! You missed it. Some days are like that. It looks like the early bird gets the book.

In closing, here’s something just for fun:

Books are like eggs. Handle with care!

This post on Bluesky inspired quite a few imaginative responses:

• Books are like eggs, no use until you crack ‘em open
• Excited to see what hatches in the stacks
• I can't purchase fewer than 6 of them at a time?
• Wonderfully made and nourishing
• That reminds me, I need to start making myself some scrambled books for breakfast every morning...

How would you finish that phrase?

Village Green/Town² Comments

It’s a Mess!

  

So I’m not the only one who has housing on the brain these days. Have you seen the recent Baltimore Banner article?

Buying a house in Howard County? You may be waiting a while, Hallie Miller 

As per usual, I came away wondering if anyone local had shopped this topic to them or whether it was already on their radar. It would be hard to miss. Still, I’m a busybody that way.

I swear to you that the first time I saw this article online it was accompanied by the words “Housing in Howard County is mess.” Wait, here it is.

Rather blunt, but: I’d agree. Not everyone thinks so, of course. I don’t usually recommend reading the comments but in this instance they’re more educational than toxic. I’m not saying they’re helpful - - but certainly eye-opening. My personal favorite is the poster who blames all of Howard County’s housing woes on Baltimore because nobody wants to live there. 

By that sort of logic we could also blame ourselves for being too appealing. We should have tried harder to be awful, one thinks. Although we do seem to be engaged in an extremely drawn out strategy of not paying enough in taxes to adequately support our excellent school system. Who knows? That could start to pay off as potential buyers sense that trend. 

Ouch.

My general assessment (of the comments section) is that some folks would rather stand on their heads and turn themselves inside out rather than face inconvenient realities. 

There’s also a conversation about this article on the Columbia Reddit, if you are interested.

I have some opinions about this article but I’d rather have you all read it and see what strikes you rather than plant any ideas in your head first. There’s one particular quote that made all my hair fall out but that’s all I’m going to say about that. 

I continue to watch YouTube videos about Tiny Homes, Pocket Neighborhoods, Micro Neighborhoods, ADU’s, Co-housing, not to mention stories of people who retrofit school buses and vans as their primary residences. There’s a sort of novelty in all of this but I think the underlying message is troubling: people can’t afford adequate shelter. We’ve created a system that has guaranteed that following generations know they’ll never be able to afford a home. 

That, my friends is a mess, whether it’s here in Howard County or anywhere else around the country. In Howard County it’s our mess. Are we going to take responsibility for it?

I hear there are elections coming up in Howard County. What a great time to find out where the candidates stand on this issue.

Village Green/Town² Comments

At the Corner of Downtown

Were you at a peaceful protest yesterday? Or did you view photos of some of the many across the country? I’ve seen a number of online comments from folks who are proud that their protests were peaceful, especially right here in Howard County. 

I’m glad they were peaceful, too. The right to protest is guaranteed in the First Amendment of the Constitution. But there’s something that white people sometimes miss in these situations. This comment last night on Bluesky spells it out. 

Basically any time protests “turn violent” it’s because the cops decided to start shooting at people. I learned this during Bloomberg here in NYC and in Boston during Trump I. Delighted to see other people learning this too but sorry it’s being learned through experience.

The protests in LA are peaceful, too. But they have been met with oppressive shows of force. That’s the difference. It’s not that we in Columbia, Maryland are somehow innately better at “doing it right.” 

I’m going to go a step farther and say that protests made up largely of white people are far less likely to be met with violence by law enforcement. Our privilege allows us to express the rights guaranteed in the Constitution because we are white. Because our very whiteness signals “not dangerous” to the powers that be.

This is tough reality to swallow. We don’t want to believe it’s true. 

Another thing from Bluesky:

Where is Baltimore's African-American community in this? All I can see are mostly older White folks.

Howard County’s protest action was largely white, as well. And, to be honest, that makes sense. I feel as though the Black community put it all on the line on November 5th. They showed up to vote, to organize, to donate, to advocate. White people let them down. 

It is far more dangerous in this country for our Black friends and neighbors to exercise the same constitutional rights that we feel largely secure in. 

This is on us. 

Not because we are model protesters or have the best signs. But because white people are the ones who must take the risks now, to protect those who have done far more than their share. And because, frankly, those folks are well and truly fed up with white people not standing up and not showing up when it’s important. 

This is not to take away from the importance of what happened yesterday. It’s very important. But I hope that these experiences change how we look at news reports that seem to justify the use of force against protesters. Look at what you are being shown. Listen to what you are being told. 

Then, think very hard.

Family Guy Skin Color Chart, memed by me

If we are successful in preserving Democracy in this country I hope it is a robust and more self-aware Democracy. By that I mean one that isn’t afraid to acknowledge the shortcomings which have, ultimately, made our freedoms more brittle and easily broken. 

When it is safe for all in our communities to protest without fear we will be a stronger nation than we are today.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Your Saturday Combo Pack

 

It’s a little bit of this and that this morning.

First, don’t miss your chance to see the official debut of Althea’s newest food truck at the Oakland Mills Farmers Market tomorrow. Her Jamaican patties are exquisite. Perhaps Dad would like some?

Speaking of Dad: I was tickled to hear from a few actual dads in response to Thursday’s blog post. If any other actual dads are reading this right now, I hope your Father’s Day is just the kind of celebration you enjoy. Even if that means you are taking a nap. 

Apologies for missing their opening night, but twice today and once tomorrow, Stand Up for…Theatre presents Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at DoodleHATCH.

Tickets are 20/18 and are available at the door. (Here’s a review from Theatre Bloom.) The mission of Stand Up For…Theatre is to promote acceptance for the LGBTQIA community. Pride Month feels like a great time to see a show and support their cause. 

*****

Before I go, a few words on the significance of the day. I’ve been thinking a lot about Fuenteovejuna the play by Lope de Vega that I saw while on a choir tour to Spain in college.

Fuenteovejuna is a play by the Spanish playwright Lope de Vega, first published in Madrid in 1619. While under the command of the Order of Calatrava, a commander, Fernán Gómez de Guzmán, mistreated the villagers, who banded together and killed him. When a magistrate sent by King Ferdinand II of Aragon arrived at the village to investigate, the villagers, even under the pain of torture, responded only by saying "Fuenteovejuna did it." (Wikipedia)

“Who is responsible?”

“The town is responsible!”

Everyone in the town unites to take a stand against oppression. What would happen if we did that?

Never in my life have I been so afraid that the fate of democracy hangs in the balance. For all who are taking a stand to defend it: I thank you.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

F ³: A Really Good Stick

 

These days I am more apt to wax eloquent about A Really Good Box, but there was a time when I would have been far more fascinated by a Really Good Stick. Those were the days when we almost always played outside after school, weather permitting. Back when a stick was for digging holes or imagining sword play or magic wands. 

I remember hunting for just the right one. 

I went through a phase of wanting to “prepare” the stick by peeling off all the bark, smoothing it with rough stones, pretending I was some sort of ancient craftsman. I think I just liked twiddling and fiddling with things while I created imaginary worlds in my head. I was a dreamer more often than a running-and-climbing sort of kid. 

All of this came back to me as I listened to a recent episode of the podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders. Corrigan has been hosting an ongoing series of shows on Making, which I touched on back in March.  This one introduced me to something so wholesome and joyful that I couldn’t resist sharing it here.

On Making: Deep Dive with Boone Hogg & Logan Jugler 

Hogg and Jugler are…

…the duo behind Stick Nation - that surprisingly wholesome corner of the internet where millions of people celebrate finding and reviewing the perfect stick. What started as a silly bit on a Utah hike has become a global phenomenon that's genuinely good for your mental health. As a part of our Makers series, Boone and Logan talk about why people are drawn to something so simple and uncomplicated, how they've built such a positive community online and their dreams of taking it into the real world with festivals and conservation efforts. It's all about slowing down, noticing nature's small wonders, and finding joy in the most ordinary things.

It's simple, and playful. The requirements are few: you find A Really Good Stick, consider its best attributes, and submit it for consideration. Of course behind all that are the deeper requirements:  you need to be outside to engage. You need to have a sense of imagination and play. (And I would imagine that it’s helpful to not take yourself too seriously.)

Listening to this episode brought to mind local environmental advocate Chiara D’Amore, whose work with the Community Ecology Institute often takes the form of getting young people outside to engage with the natural world. It also reminded me that the Downtown Columbia Maker Faire is coming up at the Chrysalis on June 29th - - a chance to be immersed in a celebration of imagination, creation, and play.

Not everyone gets it. TV Personality Bill Maher went on the air to mock the entire enterprise.  “Not everything needs an Instagram,” he snarked. Imagine being presented with an opportunity - - an invitation, even!!! - - for joy and choosing to use your platform to ridicule it instead. 

The response from Stick Nation’s creators was a simple “Not cool, Bill Maher.” They also wondered aloud to their readers if they should send Maher A Really Good Stick to try and help him understand. No flame war here. It feels more like a quiet disappointment that this man hasn’t yet experienced the joy of sticks. 

We have plenty of occasions these days to be crushed. We lie awake worrying, open our eyes with dread. Opportunities and invitations that can lift us out of that fear are precious.

Got a minute? Check out the official Stick Nation account on Instagram. It’s called Official Stick Reviews.  Have a few more minutes? 

Go outside and play. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

A Sunday in June

It seems that not that long ago I was writing about A Sunday in May.  And here comes a Sunday in June.

Father’s Day Spending to Reach Record $24 Billion

In case you are wondering, it’s 34.1 billion for Mother’s Day. 

I’ve always felt that part of Mother’s Day spending rests on making up for all the drudgery that moms do that no one helps them with. It’s kind of like Teacher Appreciation Week. We know they do it, we know it isn’t fair, but we’re not stepping up to change the inherent unfairness of, it, either. 

The theme of Father’s Day seems to be more like “You’re a great guy, Dad!” Our culture doesn’t define and limit men to their procreative status. Therefore much of the traditional Father’s Day is centered around lauding Dad for his “masculine” qualities. The commercial approach leans heavily into masculine-coded activities such as golfing, car care, and backyard grill prowess. 

It’s a whole different ball game.

Anyway… I’m more interested in what HoCoLocal things we do to celebrate Father’s Day. Stores where you always find the gift that Dad would like? Restaurants? Family outings? At our house Maiwand and House of India have been favored in years past.

I laughed when I received this advert for two reasons. First, I’m imagining giving 30 % of a gift, because I’m literal that way. 30 percent of socks? A necktie? Golf accessories? 

Secondly, we absolutely are celebrating “Dad his way” this year. He wants to come home from his job as a church musician and take a nap. Period. 

Could a Mom get away with that? I wonder.

I’m feeling a sense of guilt about this but it’s honestly what he requested. So I guess we’re creating the gift that Dad deserves at 100 per cent off. 

What are your best local suggestions for that Sunday in June? If you are a dad, what are your local favorites?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Ripped from the Headlines

 

The rescue of a missing child is always a feel-good story. 

Howard County police officers find missing Dayton girl via ground, drone search, video shows, WBALTV

The Howard County Police Department began using drones in 2020.  (The following quotes are from an article by Jess Nocera in the Howard County Times.)

The Howard County, Md., Police Department has purchased three drones costing $33,800, with the procurement made possible in part by a $20,000 contribution from the Howard County Police Foundation.

Do you remember all the brouhaha about this decision?

In November, police announced the impending purchase of the drones, months after disbanding its aviation program, which ended in April 2019 due to the county’s anticipated deficit.

You may remember that I wrote about this back in 2019.

Fruit Salad, Village Green/Town², April 2019

Even though the discontinuation of the police aviation program had been advocated for by previous Republican County Executive, Allan Kittleman, critics chose to paint it as an attack on law and order by the new County Executive, who was a Democrat. The racist dog whistles and cheap and faulty arguments were burning up social media about this decision. 

Folks even went so far as to suggest that County Executive Ball discontinued the police aviation program purely to reallocate those funds for a personal security detail for himself and his family, creating a connection where none existed. Why? It was purely an attempt to make Ball appear selfish and unprincipled. It was the cause celebre amongst the trolls.

There’s always something, isn’t there?

Well, it’s 2025 and the Howard County Police Department is using drones successfully to support law enforcement operations. And it’s not just us. Many police departments across the country are doing the same. That decision back in 2019 isn’t looking so bad now, is it?

If we had all the money in the world there are some folks who’d still be clamoring for police helicopters, I suppose. I wouldn’t. I’d choose fully funded schools and the new lakefront library: community investments that would, honestly, reduce the need for police helicopters, in my opinion. 

In the meantime, I don’t expect the trolls to admit that maybe they were wrong. Do you?

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Naming Rights

A couple of years ago a perfectly innocent typo caused some unexpected merriment for me:

I will probably never live this down. Yesterday morning I posted what I thought was a perfectly normal question and I got some curiously irreverent answers.

Should I stop feeding the birds during our local beer season? I feel bad about letting the birds down. 

It honestly took me several minutes to figure out the problem. 

CORRECTION: Should I stop feeding the birds during our local BEAR season? Gotta love my witty friends, lol.

One friend pointed out, “It’s always beer season!”

All this silliness gave me an idea. I put out a call:

I’m interested in what you would call a signature, quintessential local brew if you were given the naming rights. Don’t limit yourself to Columbia, either. Any part of the county is fair game! 

I got some fabulous answers and, as far as I can tell, I never got around to sharing them here. The topic came up in my Facebook memories this morning. Honestly, my friends are truly witty and I can no longer keep these to myself. So, here goes.

HoCoLocal Brews

People Tree IPA

Kittamakumquat Sour

Rouse Stout

Whiskey Bottoms Up Lager

Ellicott Pils

Oakland Pils

In the Mills Maibock. 

Allview Estates Amber

Tot Lot Draught

Planned Community Spirits

Beery-Weather Post

Chrysalis Key Lime Summer Seasonal

Wilde Lager

Thunder Brew.

OAKland Mills Cider (fermented in Oaken Barrels)

Owen Brown Ale 

Colonel Gateway Cream Ale

Little Patuxent Sour

Lakefront Lager

Get To Know Me Elkridge Ale

Street Name Sass IPA

Mailbox Mingle Mango Wheat

And, for the pièce de resistance, here’s one you can sing!

The Malt in Columbia, 

The Malt in Columbia 

The Malt in Columbia

The Columbia Malt

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any HoCoLocal suggestions? And it doesn’t have to be limited to beer. What about handcrafted artisanal cocktails? What about mocktails and NA brews? 

I await your submissions. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

Safety News and Other Moos

 

Have you ever felt a sense of hopelessness while stuck behind a large piece of farm equipment? Impatience? Anxiety? If you have it’s because you live in a place where there is ongoing agricultural activity. Like Howard County. This video explains the challenges of moving large farm equipment and what happens when impatient drivers try to circumvent the wait.

These behemoths cannot go fast and they must use the same roads that we do. And, let’s face it, a world without farm equipment getting in our way is also a world without food. 

Yikes.

The video imtroduces a safety-inspired acronym for drivers in these situations: SAM.

Slow down. Assessment your surroundings. Move with caution.

It must be something about the way I was raised, but every time I even contemplate crossing a double yellow line on the road a little voice inside me says, “If you cross a yellow line you will die.” Apparently not everyone was raised this way.

Of course, that’s easy for me to say since these days I’m rarely on rural roads behind slow farm equipment. What do you think? How do you handle these situations?

Here’s something else agricultural that caught my eye recently:

A group called The Howard County FFA Alumni and Supporters is organizing the first inclusive dairy show, “AG for All” at the Howard County Fair on August 9th.  They’re looking for students with disabilities, ages 11-18, who have a passion for large animals. 

Participating students will learn the basics of dairy showmanship through practicing with and exhibiting dairy calves. They will be assisted by volunteers who have animal handling expertise. 

If you are interested in learning more you can contact the name listed on the poster above. Please note: the QR code has expired, so email is best. 

As for me, my sole experience with farm animals (or perhaps just the most memorable one) was the day a cow snuck up on me at the Maryland State Fair and sighed rather heavily in my ear. I screamed. Much hilarity ensured for onlookers. 

Have a wonderful Monday. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

104 Days

 

You can’t go home again but you can apparently revisit summer vacation. You know, the kind that lasts 104 days.

On Friday, June 6th, season 5 of Phineas and Ferb became available for streaming on Disney. Ten years ago I bid them farewell.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015

Hello Goodbye Summer

Last night I watched the final episode of Phineas and Ferb with my daughter. The summer we thought would never end is over. The episode, entitled "Last Day of Summer" aired, ironically, just as we are about to get out of school. Real summer beckons. But for Phineas and Ferb, the rollicking 104 day ride is over.

There was a time when we watched every episode religiously, many multiple times. We downloaded music from the show, even acted out Rollercoaster: The Musical. My daughter practically memorized the Wiki. But in recent years, as my daughter moved away from childhood, watching the show was more of an afterthought, something she did more for me than anything else.

Phineas and Ferb has been a five-year hymn of praise to ingenuity, creativity, unstructured time, and belief in the innate goodness of childhood curiosity. In an era where your child can get taken by Child Protective Services for playing outside alone for ninety minutes, Phineas and Ferb feels almost revolutionary. While they tell kids "Summer belongs to you," the reality for most kids involves a patchwork of camp-like child-care solutions arranged by overworked parents. Or staying in the house watching tv in order to be safe.

That doesn't mean that their story hasn't been valuable or worthwhile. As wacky as the adventures have been, and as much as it has poked gentle fun at 'people in charge', Phineas and Ferb has been serious food both for the imagination and the soul. I dare say that there will someday be college courses dedicated to their world, if there aren't already. Their over-arching themes:

Believe in yourself. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Have fun, enjoy your family and your friends. Rock out. Live joyfully. Sit under the shade of a tree and dream. Oh, how I will miss them.

Summer is over. Long live summer.

*****

Yes, I watched the first two episodes for old time’s sake. It wasn’t the same. Not because of anything to do with the content of the show but because my partner in crime doesn’t live here anymore. Childhood ends. Sure, Phineas and Ferb don’t look a day older. You can do that with cartoons. Real people don’t work that way.

Some things don’t change. 

The Summer reality for most kids involves a patchwork of camp-like child-care solutions arranged by overworked parents. Or staying in the house watching tv in order to be safe.

Ironically, your kid just might bump into my former kid who is working at some of those camps.

What are your kids doing this summer? Your grandkids? Your friend’s or coworker’s kids? I wonder if there’s a long term difference between the kids who experience the long-term benefits of unstructured vacation time and the resources to enjoy it and those whose every minute must be arranged in advance? 

What is your happiest memory of summer vacation as a child? What do you think kids today will remember?

Village Green/Town² Comments

P.S. According the Phineas and Ferb, the first day of school will be Friday, September 19th?