The Five Hundred and Forty-Four

 

Let’s do the numbers, shall we?

In reading the Banner article about the unveiling of the COVID-19 memorial statue, I came across these numbers:

Since March 2020, Howard County has seen more than 74,000 cases of COVID-19 and 544 deaths.

The article, by Lillian Reed, seems to have more than one title. 

“Howard County unveils COVID-19 pandemic memorial”

And

“Howard County has lost 544 residents to COVID-19. A new memorial honors them.”

I don’t know why they do that. Possibly to see which title gets more engagement?

The numbers: cases of COVID-19 are at 74,000 and counting. This is an ongoing public health challenge. It is not over. 

Deaths from COVID-19 at this time stand at 544. 

Numbers are funny. People who have wanted to downplay the seriousness of COVID act like 544 is practically nothing. A small percentage. A drop in the bucket. Yet we all know that, if even one of those deaths is someone we know, the impact is staggering.

544 people.

How many people went to your high school or are employed where you work? How many people have you been genuinely friends with over a lifetime? Now take away 544. 

Gone.

There are far too many statues in this world to war and conquest. And we spend far too much time in our culture honoring people largely for their wealth and status. 

544 people lived in our community and were felled by a horrific illness. They suffered. They died. Their families and friends grieved and feared for their own vulnerability.

We know that people are far more than numbers, don’t we? It also matters who they were. And, above all else - -  above age, gender, race or ethnicity, or financial status  - -  they were our neighbors. 

Photo from HoCoGov

Artists: Jim Benedict and Lily Kuonen

“16-foot sculpture symbolizes remembrance, comfort, hope, empathy, compassion

                     and the strength of the human spirit.”

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Main Street Macabre

 

I’ve been saving this…for twenty-two days.

Hmm. What do you think?

At one point there was a doll hospital. I’ve heard it may have had haunted possibilities. It may still be there. And there’s a place called live unusually which is rather spooky-adjacent.

There are seasonal nods to all things creepy and kooky such as Trick or Treating on Main Street.

And I would be remiss to overlook Ellicott City’s Ghost Tours. 

But, a haunted doll shop? We might have one and not even know it. I mean - - would the dolls tell, necessarily? How would that work?

Does one need to provide a certificate of authenticity for a haunted doll? And what about liability? Or maybe the dolls are not for sale, and it’s a space for haunted doll events and experiences: seances, tea parties, midnight read-alouds…

I am curious. 

Scrap B’more (in Pigtown) once held a Creepy Doll Parts sale. And on my bucket list tour of the old Flier building my guide and I stumbled across two dolls that we suspected might be possessed. I wonder where they are now?

My favorite Halloween experiences lean more spoopy than scary. What about you?

Let me know. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

This Is Only A Test

When big earthquakes hit, dazed residents can often be found wandering the streets surveying the destruction. Post-quake, sometimes the street is safer than being in your own home. When little earthquakes hit, dazed Howard Countians can be found wandering social media, asking the same few questions, looking for reassurance.

What was that?

Did anyone feel that? 

I live here, what about where you are?

We just had a big THUMP. I thought my husband had dropped an amplifier upstairs.

But the first time we had an earthquake* I thought it was just the washer struggling on the last spin cycle. Then I noticed that our big bookcase was vibrating. 

I am not a good judge of small earthquakes.

Guess what? Most of us aren’t, despite the fact that some folks were online announcing that they knew earthquakes and this wasn’t an earthquake.

I’m going to look to professionals on that one. 

In any kind of emergency, or something unknown that feels like an emergency, it’s easy to take what little information we have and run straight for emotions. The facts-to-feelings ratio can get wildly skewed. I can’t ignore the fact that we are living in such a chaotic and dysfunctional time that it didn’t take much to move many of us into full-on crisis mode. 

This might explain why a lot of people forgot what dialing 911 is meant to be used for. 

These days we head to social media either to add more facts to our limited supply, or to find familiar faces to share our feelings with. That’s only human, or maybe, that’s only natural.

While watching this phenomenon last night I had the rather unserious thought that we were all quite a bit like prairie dogs sticking our heads up to assess the threat level of danger nearby. It’s not just a human thing. 

Clearly I had the ability to weigh such frivolous concepts in my mind because my experience of the earthquake was mild. I was not afraid. I might have felt quite different had I been closer.

All of this is to say that pooling personal experiences on social media is 1.a great way to get a whole lot of anecdotal information in a hurry and 2. An opportunity for human contact and reassurance. It may not be the best way to get the big picture.

If this had been an actual emergency…

Village Green/Town² Comments

*I think it was this one:

Sally Brown: Let Them Drown

Yes, I know I already wrote about this. Alas, it’s back for another season and the plot line is pathetically similar.

Recap:

Falling In, March 25, 2023

About the new Mall restrictions on teens, and reflecting on this quote from the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in. 

White Grievance HoCo Style, September 1, 2024

About the new YEP programs for youth and the disappointing (but not surprising) response from racist trolls.

Dear me. It is so terribly hard to be white. Imagine spending one’s days looking for opportunities to complain that Black people may possibly be getting something that you didn’t get. 

Guess what? They’re still doing it. Yesterday’s update on the YEP programs brought out the same old, same old. If these folks don’t see enough white faces in the pictures, they are sure someone is up to no good. 

Welcome to Howard County, where folks see racism everywhere but where it actually is - - in the mirror.

Everyone is up in arms about those young people causing trouble at the Mall or at school. “Somebody should do something!”

Well, guess what? Somebody did do something and is still doing something by responding to a community need and investing in young people.

But that’s not what they wanted, was it? They wanted something punitive, something exclusionary. Most of all they wanted a big, scary, incendiary issue to flog the County Executive with. The Black, Democratic, elected-easily-for-two-terms County Executive.

There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in. 

But these folks seem to think,

There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. Just let them drown.

They don’t want to know why they’re falling in. They just want them out of the way. 

The truth is that the reason these folks are so uncomfortable seeing so many happy and successful Black residents on the County Executive’s Facebook page is because there have never, ever been enough there before he was elected. Where were they before? They certainly belonged there. 

If previous local leaders tended to include only as many nonwhites as would not make white folks uncomfortable, that’s not representation. It’s tokenism.  (White Grievance HoCo Style)

Most of all, it reinforced the lie that a reasonable and accurate representation of people who aren’t white is something to feel uncomfortable about, even offended.

This whole situation reminds me of a verse in the Book of Matthew (wild paraphrase ahead). 

We played wedding and you wouldn’t dance, we played funeral and you wouldn’t mourn. - - Matthew 11:22

Or maybe it’s simpler than that: damned if you do, damned if you don’t. 

Today’s post is dedicated to a very good person who rolled up her sleeves on the County Executive’s page and refused to let the trolls go unanswered. Brava.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Post Script: About Sally Brown

All I want is what’s coming to me. All I want is my fair share.

The reason I keep coming back to Sally Brown year after year is this: in this moment she looks to be a harmless-looking child, but, all the while, she is spouting the demands of complete selfishness. She has no concern for anyone but herself, no awareness about how her “fair share” may far outreach what is reasonable if others are not to be left wanting. - - The Villain I Fear, December 20, 2021

Career Goals?

What did your parents want for you? What do you want for the next generation? Let’s think for a minute.

It seems to me that the push in recent years is for young people to specialize. An interest in sports turns into a commitment to a travel team. High school course loads pile high with the “right” courses for competitive college admission. College students hone in on the majors that will get you recruited by the Fortune 500 companies, or over the hurdles into law or medical school. 

And then one day none of that makes any sense. 

I am currently furloughed, i.e. am a government employee who is not working or getting paid due to a lapse in funding for the federal government. And since it is week 3, doesn't look like it is going to end any time soon, and there are talks that we may not get paid - I figured I would offer my services in the meantime. 

Here’s the kicker:

My current job that I can't work right now is an Aerospace Engineer at NASA where I design and build instrumentation for spacecraft. I am not supposed to work with any company that does work with NASA if I keep my job. 

You’ve spent I-don’t-know-how-long-preparing for a specialized career, got the job, looked forward to career advancement, job security and…

Now what?

You have no work, a diminishing sense of job security, and you are prohibited from doing the specialized work you have trained to do.

This is not a hypothetical situation. These words were written by a real person who lives in our community and I am certain that this situation is not an isolated one. 

What would you do if this happened to you? (If it has happened to you - - I’m sorry.)

The next part of his post is where I get knocked for a loop. 

I fix EVERYTHING - I have experience in most things house related including multiple kitchen and bathroom remodels (framing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, cabinetry ect.) , wood working, metal work/ welding, fix vehicles/cars/ machines, electronic repair, appliance repair, computer repair, and probably most other things you can think of.

I also get hired for all types of photography including portraits and event photography. 

In addition I was trained at Arthur Murray as a full time ballroom dance instructor and teach occasionally. My specialty is west coast swing. 

If you have any questions, want photos, my resume, or my portfolio please reach out to me! Thanks for your consideration!

Perhaps I had assumed that an Aerospace Engineer was strictly a specialist. I was wrong. Do you have such a fascinating assortment of marketable skills? Honestly, it brought a smile in the midst of such truly disheartening news.

The young man who penned this appeal may be innately curious, the kind of person who loves to get his hands into new things. Or perhaps he had parental guidance along the way, encouraging him to develop a variety of interests. But his story reminded me that putting all your eggs in one basket may not be, as they say, “career goals.”

I don’t know this fellow in real life. He does not know me. He could not possibly have known that my grandfather, out of work during the Great Depression, taught Ballroom Dancing just to get by. (He later became a Special Agent for the IRS.)

That old saw about doing a bunch of activities because college admissions offices want to see a “well- rounded applicant” misses the point, I think. Encouraging young people to engage in more than one thing because they truly enjoy it fosters self esteem, supports mental health, and one day it just might pay the rent. 

If you think you might have some work for a furloughed neighbor, reach out to me and I’ll connect you. I have a feeling that we need to be on the lookout for other neighbors who are similarly in need but may find it difficult to ask for help. 

Village Green/Town² Comments

All That and a Bag of Chips

Should you worry about your teens eating junk food? Maybe not for the reasons you think. 

Try something for me. Go to Google. Search “bag of chips.” Look the responses in the All category. Now click on the News category. 

Did what you saw look something like this?

All:

News:

Yes, a bag of chips in Baltimore County made news around the world this week. 

Baltimore County school’s AI gun detection system mistook a bag of chips for a weapon, Kristen Griffith, Baltimore Banner

After football practice Monday night, Taki Allen chatted with friends outside Kenwood High School while munching on Cool Ranch Doritos. When he finished his snack he put the bag in his pocket. Minutes later, several police officers pulled up, pointed their guns at him and yelled for him to get on the ground, he said.

“Me?” he recalled thinking. “I was confused at the time.”

He put his hands in the air while following orders. Police handcuffed him, bent him over the hood of a police car, searched him and sat him on the curb, he said.

All they found was the Doritos bag, he said.

The false alarm was triggered by Baltimore County Public Schools’ AI-powered gun-detection system, Omnilert. Spokespersons for the company and the school district said the technology was working as intended to keep students and staff safe, and that they quickly realized no one was in danger on Monday.

So how did a student eating a snack end in a police search?

Good question. Right off the bat, I can think of two answers, 

1. Companies are selling AI systems like this to schools who are desperate to improve school safety but the fact is that these systems are nowhere near evolved enough to do what the companies say they do.

2. Good old lazy racism.

Was Howard County looking at a system like this in the last year or so? Or was it discussed in the State Legislature? I’ve been digging around this morning but I’m not finding the information I’m looking for. I definitely remember this being a topic of conversation locally.

I thought it was a terrible idea then and I still do. 

One respondent on Bluesky speaks my mind:

Today in the cyberpunk dystopia. As always, USA: We could have actual effective #GunControlNow. Instead of unwarranted mass surveillance as security theater.

When you think about what’s best for your teens, you should probably worry less about junk food and more about the junk technology that puts them in harm’s way - - all while pretending it’s for their own good. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Don’t forget our local markets today in Old Ellicott City and at Clarksville Commons! The season will be over before you know it. 

F ³: Rainbows in the Dark

 

While I was going through a rough time this summer I found myself running out of ways to cope. The usual things weren’t always working. 

Lying in a hotel room in what felt like a chaotic and malevolent world, I reached out to an old friend: picture books. 

Using the Libby App, which our awesome library system makes available to us, I experimented with different ways to search children’s picture books. Yes, they really have picture books on Libby. I was surprised but very grateful.

Why didn’t I just go to the library and check things out? Well, when you are experiencing an onslaught of anxiety at two in the morning, you need a more immediate plan of action. And something about paging through story after story - - immersed in colors and images and simple plot lines - - would gradually shift my state of being. The wild electrical storm in my brain would subside. 

In the morning I’d find myself putting snippets of those magical worlds into my art journal, and even making up new ones. 

I’ll be honest, some of those days and nights were so rough that I’d even read the book descriptions and view the samples provided when the books themselves weren’t available. Even a glimpse felt restorative.

This was my lifeline. 

Eventually I discovered that YouTube often had read-alouds for books that weren’t available on Libby. And, if I felt up for a “busier” experience, old episodes of Reading Rainbow were on YouTube as well. 

If you knew where this was heading, award yourself cool points.

About three weeks ago, the Reading Rainbow reboot debuted with Mychal Threets as the host. I just read Threets described as a “social media librarian” which gave me the icks. We are not talking about some kind of overhyped internet influencer here. If you’ve followed his storyline you’ll know Threets worked in a real library before he created a social media presence. 

Social media certainly made him more well-known but the onslaught of internet “fame” triggered issues with his emotional/mental health. As a result, Threets left his library job and took a break from library advocacy.

I remember feeling sad at the time. Threets’ enthusiasm and all-around wholesome worldview had been no match for the destructive forces of social media. 

But…

It wasn’t all that long before he found a way to spread library love as he partnered with PBS Kids as a library ambassador. Saying that he’s a “social media librarian” is turning a three dimensional journey into a flat and public relations-approved cartoon image.

What we know about Mychal Threets is more than his love of libraries and joy in books. We know he is earnest, enthusiastic, ready to be surprised by new discoveries and to welcome new experiences. We also know he is open about his struggles and that he is fragile. 

Struggle and fragility are not often associated with people with important missions or those we feel we can admire or trust. We don’t allow or accept that. 

But libraries do. And books do - - and most especially picture books.

All Are Welcome, for example. 

Everyone needs places where they feel accepted. We all need to find those tiny threads that tether us to safety. For me this summer that place was in picture books.

I guess that’s why seeing Mychal Threets take on this new venture is especially meaningful to me. His participation is a very public way to validate the truth that people can struggle, be fragile, and also be incredible gifted and capable. Even if you are imperfect or not like everyone else, you can be the right person for the job and people can learn from you. 

Imagine that. 

Happy Friday. Here’s a good start for your day.

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates 

Village Green/Town² Comments

An Almost-Bucket Experience

So far I’ve started at least one Facebook thread and written two blog posts about buckets.  That’s right, buckets.* I’m a fan.  

It’s a recurring theme. 

A bell went off in my head. I remembered a time when I held forth on social media about how more food should come in buckets. If one could get a bucket of chicken or ribs, why not a bucket of samosas? Egg rolls? Burritos? Why did more foods not come by the bucket?

Apparently there was a time, all too brief,  when one could get schnitzel by the bucket at the Rathskeller in Elkridge. Alas - - no more.

I had an Almost-Bucket experience on Sunday and I got so excited I actually took photographs for you. But first, some math. 

It’s a word problem.

Mrs. Smith hears that Althea’s Almost Famous food truck is at the Oakland Mills Farmers Market. The new one specializing in Jamaican patties.

Image from Althea’s Almost Famous social media 

I must go down and see the new truck and buy a beef patty for my lunch, she thinks. 

But what about my husband? When he gets home from church he might want one. I’ll get two.

But what if I’m really hungry and eat both of them, she worries. I’ll get three. 

How many Jamaican beef patties did I ,er, Mrs. Smith get?

Four. She got four.

And they’re in this handy-dandy carrying carton.

Well, just imagine they are. They didn’t last long at my house. 

This is the closest thing I’ve seen lately to food in a bucket and, since this is my blog, I’m declaring it to be news. Althea’s Almost Famous is ready for your multiple patty orders. You will not need to juggle multiple bags. 

While she was packing up my order, Althea (or should I call her Ms. Almost-Famous?) told me about a new promotion she’s running.

Snap. Share. Sauce. Repeat! 

We’re spreading island love with Althea’s Almost Famous Jerk Sauce! 

Got one of our flavorful dishes, golden patties, or fresh Althea’s merch?

Show it off and get a FREE bottle of our Almost Famous Jerk Sauce! 

 How to Claim Your Free Sauce:

1️⃣ Snap a photo or short video of your plate, patty, or merch.

2️⃣ Post it on Instagram or Facebook.

3️⃣ Tag @AltheasAlmostFamous and use #TasteTheIsland + #AltheasAlmostFamous.

4️⃣ Show us your post on your next visit to grab your free bottle of jerk sauce!

Bonus Challenge:

Get creative in the kitchen! Use your jerk sauce in a dish, tag us, and we’ll feature your creation on our page!

Offer ends November 30th, 2025.

Truth in advertising: when I said I’d be happy to share this information on the blog, Althea gave me a bottle of the sauce. (I chose mild.)  I think you all know me well enough to know I would have done this without the gift.** And, besides, I promise to follow the directions above to make it official.

Who knows? Maybe one day those amazing patties will be available in even larger quantities.

Village Green/Town² Comments

*This long-running theme is the result of my whimsical imagination. It is not a serious demand that the universe provide me with more buckets. 

**If you have any serious concern about my accepting a bottle of sauce, I will donate it to the charity of your choice. 

For that matter - - tell me about the charity of your choice. I might write about it.

And So We RISE : HoCo PRIDE and Friends

 

Before I forget to remind you: HoCo PRIDE is this weekend! (It was rescheduled due to weather.) This year’s theme is RISE: Resist, Inspire, Support, Empower.

Howard County Pride, Sunday October 26th, 11 am - 5 pm

Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods

A grateful shout out to the good folks at HoCo PPRIDE who do the work and make this event happen. You can support their work today by participating in the restaurant fundraiser at Shake Shack.

DONATION DAY

Wednesday, October 22nd 11 am- 10pm

Mention Donation Day at the register or use promo code DONATE

on the Shack App, web, or kiosk at checkout and we'll donate 25% of your total meal purchase to

HCPSS PRIDE

MALL IN COLUMBIA

10300 Little Patuxent Parkway | Columbia, MD 21044

Also today:

PFLAG National kicks off their new initiative: Fighting For Our Pride. 

PFLAG families know this: love and liberty are inseparable. That’s why we launched Fighting for Our Pride—a nationwide campaign focused on advocacy at the state and local level, where many of the most harmful policies are being introduced and passed. This campaign equips, trains, and mobilizes families to push back against these attacks and fight for the dignity, safety, and rights our loved ones deserve. Together, we’ll work to create safe and inclusive learning environments, secure access to care and protection of privacy, and protect full recognition and dignity in public life for LGBTQ+ people.

You can be there for the announcement by registering for the Zoom event which will be tonight beginning at 8:30 pm. To learn more and to register, click here. 

Did you know that HCPSS has a resource page for LGBTQIA+ Youth? Now you do! A lot of work went into getting it there. The more people know it is available, the more folks will turn to it and/or recommend it to a friend in need. You - - yes, you! - - might connect someone to valuable resources.

Freestate Justice will be hosting a free Name Change Clinic tomorrow, October 23rd, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, at the White Marsh Library. 

Finally, congratulations to HoCo Local Chris Hefty who was honored as the 2025 Progressive Champion by the Howard Progressive Project. Hefty’s work for the local LGBTQ+ community includes: Planning, Marketing, and Events for Howard County PRIDE as well as serving as Acting Vice President on the Steering Committee of PFLAG Columbia Howard County. They also provide Marketing - Events Planning support for PFLAG and serve as a Rainbow Youth & Allies Youth Instructor.

Wow. That’s a lot. 

A great reminder that, despite the current wave of hatred and destruction, we are blessed to have people in our community who continue to lift us up. 

Village Green/Town² Community 

Clip Show

October 21st. It occurs to me that, if I did not have a blog and an easy way to search it, I don’t think I’d remember all that much about my life and times. Let’s roll the footage, shall we? 

One year ago: One Hundred Years and Other Good News Warren’s Barbershop, solar panels at the library and other good stuff around town. 

Five years ago:  Pondering the typo-plagued campaign of Kim Klacik for Congress.  The Little Things 

Ten years ago: Keep Columbia Weird , inspired by an article entitled How to Keep [Your City] Weird by Kriston Capps 

Still relevant: 

Capps makes the case that preserving a community for the benefit of those who got there first is not only exclusionary, but also ultimately destructive to the health of the community overall. It makes housing more expensive. It keeps out the kind of "immigration" that brings diversity and life. Some notable quotes:

• Picking character over people winds up hurting both.
• Affordability is critical for a city that is both weird and chill.
• Change sucks, but it’s better to live somewhere uncool than unfair.
• To protect a city's character, residents need to welcome change.

And from 2011, the first year of the blog’s existence: All Politics is Local, the story of the time that then-County Executive Ken Ulman visited our neighborhood school. 

When I look back on October 21, 2025 - - what will I remember?

Well, two things are on my mind this morning.

1. As soon as the County Executive Calvin Ball posted about National Bullying Prevention Month, the neighborhood troll made an appearance displaying textbook bullying behavior. (Insert eye roll here.)
2. Group dynamics. I’m seeing a pattern in online groups that are populated predominantly by women. It goes something like this: One day an ambitious man turns up, sets up his (metaphorical) desk/ opens an office, and decides he’ll start running the thing. Its almost as though they find a well-functioning environment that appeals to them and think, “Horrors! What this place needs is a man!”

Au contraire. In many cases male participants are welcome. But: that online group you have your eye on is not looking for A Man in Charge. If the established dynamics are collaborative - - read the room, for heaven’s sake. If you are all about asserting dominance than you can’t possibly be about whatever the mission of the group is. But you will probably do some damage while you are there.

Sigh. I wonder what I will think about this in 2026.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

Travel Advice for Out of Towners

Fun fact: since BlueSky is a relatively new social media platform it is very difficult to find information specific to Columbia or Howard County as a whole. You get the occasional reference to concerts at Merriweather or Columbia as a creation of Rouse’s idealistic vision. It just hasn’t had enough time to build up a large enough quantity of users from this area. 

After this weekend there has been a big blip in Columbia/HoCo mentions. I’ll let you figure that out on your own.

*****

I often wonder about how people see us from the outside. I remember the grief we felt as a community after the Zumiez shooting at the Mall in 2014. The resultant surge in media coverage meant that the very first thing one found when searching “Columbia” on Google were stories about that horrific event. The actual tragedy was bad enough. Having it become our “face” to the outside world was demoralizing.

Internet searches form the basis of a lot of our individual research these days. You can check out a restaurant before you go, even looking at the menu and considering your dining options. There are sites that help you compare consumer products, research locations in preparation for a move, or investigate vacation possibilities.

And then there’s this.

Image from Travel Blaze account on Pinterest 

12 Best Things to Do in Columbia Maryland 

Notice anything? Do any of those locations ring a bell to you?

Naturally I clicked on over to the linked article. I must say that I found two of the recommended “things to do” rather odd.

Image from Travel Blaze website 

Aside from the fact that the Second Chance Saloon doesn’t exist anymore, is there anything else that stands out?

It isn’t the Second Chance Saloon. It’s Second Chance in Baltimore. And it’s not a saloon, it’s a retail establishment. They describe themselves as a “Quirky secondhand shop featuring furniture, building supplies, art & gifts in warehouse–like digs.” 

A fun place to visit, absolutely. But this is a completely avoidable error. How much can “Travel Blaze” care about guiding and informing readers when they don’t even check their work?

Even more mindboggling, take a look at their photo of Blandair Park. 

Image from Travel Blaze website 

Again: this is in Baltimore. It has no connection to Blaindair Park. What the heck?

This dubious article comes from TravelBlaze, which has a website and maintains an account on Pinterest. It appears to be the work of one person, although - - are we sure it is even a person?

Image from Travel Blaze Pinterest account

Image from Travel Blaze website 

I can almost hear you rolling your eyes at this point. “It’s just content.” This person is making their money generating clicks, I guess. I wonder how much money that is, exactly?

A better question: why doesn’t it need to be accurate? I could continue at length on this train of thought but I’ll spare you. Mondays are hard enough without my starting your day with a rant.

If you wonder how the outside world sees us, maybe you also need to wonder where they’re getting their information. Sheesh.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Sunday Fun Day

I don’t know about you, but - - I’m almost always up for a Pops Concert at the Chrysalis. Especially with the Columbia Orchestra.

Columbia's first and premier orchestra returns to the Chrysalis stage on October 19 with a collection of beloved pops favorites, perfect for longtime fans of the orchestra and newcomers alike!

The evening will be complete with concessions sold by the park as well as local food trucks. 

The event is free but you must reserve your tickets so they’ll know how many people to expect and how to allocate parking. For more information and to register for tickets:

A Fall Pops Concert, October 19th, 4 - 5:30 pm. Chrysalis Amphitheater, Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods

I’ve checked the weather and the forecast looks positive. Here’s hoping it will be as lovely as yesterday.

And, don’t forget! The Sunday Farmers Market in Oakland Mills is open this morning from 9 to 1. The last date for the season is November 1st so don’t miss these last few weeks to enjoy local freshness. I’m so grateful to the loyal vendors who show up to bring us such a variety of delicious items from May to November.

Images from Farmers Market at Oakland Mills Village Center 

I just discovered that October 19th is International Gin and Tonic Day, which is rather hilarious since we’re more or less past the end of what I think of as Gin and Tonic season. (At least where we live.) Luckily there are other things to celebrate.

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Village Green/Town² Comments

The Opposite of Fascism

 

It’s six am on a Saturday morning and I should be writing my usual run-down about events around town. I can’t.  Believe me, I’ve been trying since about four am and that door is shut. 

Today is an important day in our community and across the country.

What do we believe in? What do we reject? What can we do to put our beliefs into action?

I found this brief video to be quietly truthful and terrifying.

This is Fascism, Randy Tolley on Instagram 

I have no advice today. I bring no folksy anecdote, no inspiring parable, no impassioned exhortation. 

I have only deep gratitude for the good people who are living out their goodness in thought, word, and deed. Whether it is quietly, day by day or in an unexpected burst of bravery - - that surprises even themselves - - all of it is a gift. 

My father was a deeply cynical man who didn’t think much of my earnest idealism. Yet I learned shortly before he died that he was driven all his life not just to do the expected things but to feel that he had “made a contribution” to the greater good. I thought he didn’t believe in anything, but he did: making a contribution.

He did not mean monetary contribution. He mean doing the thing that you are most uniquely driven to do that will benefit the world you are in. Doing the work. The kind of work that’s the opposite of fascism.  The way he saw it it would have been support for the common good. 

For all who do the work - - be careful, stay safe, and know how important you are.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

F ³: Trivial Hills and Pet Peeves

 

This question caused a ripple on Twitter in 2017  - - back when Twitter was Twitter. Do you remember?

What's the most unpopular benign opinion you hold? (i.e. not politically dodgy, just socially derided) - -Stephanie Boland, Prospect Mag

It even turned up in one of those compilation content pieces.

The people sharing their unpopular opinions on Twitter are the most fearless among us, Shropshire Star

The reason that I still remember is that this question was adopted by HoCoLocals Candace Dodson Reed and Tom Coale on their podcast, "Elevate Maryland." (2017-2022)

Some of their guests had a terrible time coming up with anything they’d be willing to reveal to the public. (Politicians in particular.*) Some folks just plain didn’t understand the premise. 

Here’s mine:

I don’t like chocolate and peanut butter together. A more forthright way to frame that would be “chocolate and peanut butter taste terrible together.” I’d have a hard time being that assertive. When the candy corn wars re-emerge each Fall I make a point of saying that my extreme dislike of this particular Halloween candy means that my friends can have more of it. 

I was raised to be tactful and I’m afraid of making people angry.

Anyway…I was actually thinking this morning of pet peeves. For example, I get mad every time I have to cut my finger nails using my non-dominant hand. Every time! This should not be a thing. There should be a better way. It may seem like a small thing to hold a grudge over. I maintain that it’s just the right size for a pet peeve. 

Sometimes pet peeves can change. I used to hate calling businesses to find information or resolve problems. Now I get so angry at bad websites and incompetent AI assistants that I’d give my right arm to to able to call and talk to an actual human being. I didn’t know how lucky I had it. 

It’s Friday. If you have a moment to be frivolous, send me an unpopular benign opinion and a pet peeve.

Village Green/Town² Comments 

* Then-Councilman Calvin Ball, being interviewed on Elevate Maryland - - “I’m not really big on dying on trivial hills...”

The question, “What trivial hill would you be willing to die on?”

Always Read the Fine Print

 

This morning I’m going to wade into an area where I generally express broad goals rather than getting technical or specific. Bear with me. 

You already know that I think that Howard County needs more housing, more housing at a variety of price points, and while we are at it, housing options that are accessible for those with disabilities. I’m also in favor of ADU’s (Accessory Dwelling Units.) So, when I saw an announcement from the County about ADU’s my first response was positive. “Oh good, ADU’s.” I’m here to sheepishly admit I didn’t do any further reading until yesterday.

Always read the fine print, as they say. A few things.

Here’s the announcement from the County Executive.

Here’s information about tonight’s meeting of the Planning Board which will discuss this. 

Here’s a recent article in the Baltimore Sun which I haven’t read yet because I no longer subscribe but I will try to access it through the library.

Accessory apartments are already allowed in Howard County. Residents fear a rise in density,  April Santana,  Baltimore Sun 

Well, I don’t fear a rise in density. I think that there are a lot of things that we need and want here that will only become possible through greater density. But, there is one thing about this I don’t understand.

I’ve always thought that the term Accessory Dwelling Unit applied to an owner-occupied property where the owner chose to build the ADU. You may have heard them called them Granny Flats. This proposal (called Petition No. ZRA-218 on the Planning Board website) does not require owned occupancy to build and to rent ADU’s.

I was surprised to see this. When neighboring Montgomery County examined ADU’s they chose to require owner occupancy. Why does this make a difference? Well, this means that in MoCo you can build an ADU but the owner still is in the house - - so it's like a granny flat or a place for your kids to live when starting out. The original structure remains.

In the language of the Howard County petition, whoever owns the land could, if desired, do a complete tear-down and reconfigure the parcel to include, say, a duplex and the accessory dwelling. They wouldn’t have to live there. This could be a great project for investors who have the money to make an outlay like this. Perhaps even undertaking multiple similar projects around the county. 

There’s nothing innately wrong with investors. It will change the nature of the outcome, however. Property owners would not necessarily be living in the community and/or invested in community life. More importantly, their goals would be different. The traditional model for building ADU is to provide an affordable place to live to someone who might not be able to afford one otherwise.

I could be wrong, but the business model for investors feels wholly different to me. I think the long term results of ZRA-218 as it stands could lead to higher rents which is exactly what we don’t need. 

Will this be discussed at the Planning Board meeting tonight? Probably. Can the Planning Board choose to add language (or recommend that it be added) which makes this proposal more like the one in Montgomery County?

And, the question you’ve all been waiting for: what do you think? 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

The Local Farm-to-Folk Event of the Season

Oof. Life comes at you fast. Kind of.

 

Friends, I saved a screenshot of this on August 15th so that I would absolutely, positively write about it and, boom! It’s tomorrow night. 

As Grover says at the end of that book about a monster, “Oh, I am so embarrassed.”

Still, better late than never. There’s still time to buy your tickets and/or bid on silent auction items. 

Tickets and more information.

Silent auction (deadline 10/16 at 8:15 PM)

Just FYI: 

Can't attend our event but still want to support? Choose "In Spirit" Ticket to donate the cost of an event ticket to CEI.

As a reminder, here are some words that explain what the Community Ecology Institute is all about:

We envision a world of thriving communities rooted in healthy relationships with nature. 

Our mission is to cultivate communities where people and nature thrive together. Our work focuses on tangible, community-level change at the intersection of environment, education, equity, and health.  ​

​​Our Guiding Principles are: 

• Inclusive Belonging
• Restorative Reciprocity
• Health and Wellness
• Integrity & Accountability

In a time of national crisis where there’s a dangerous shortage of all of those things, the work of CEI is all the more important.

This is not a gown-and-tuxedo event. The theme is Flannels and Florals (and Friends) and I can’t tell you how tempted I am to show up in one of those Lanz nightgowns that were oh-so-popular at Mount Holyoke back in the day. I don’t own one, of course, but it’s a lovely thought.

Have a wonderful day and spare a kind thought for high school students enduring PSAT’s today. I bet many of them would rather be thriving in nature. 

Village Green/Town² Comments 

And It All Started in Howard County

 

Here are some places I have looked for local blog topics: Facebook, BlueSky, Instagram, YouTube, Baltimore Banner, Patch, emails/newsletters from local institutions, other people’s blogs. Today I’m adding one to that list: Pinterest.

Yes, it is possible to search Columbia, Maryland on Pinterest but sorting through the results may be a lot like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s not set up for that kind of search. Today, though, I got lucky.

Art by Alyssa Kurien, property of akPrintStudios

Kurien shows a variety of Maryland themed pieces at her Etsy shop. She sells them as digital files that may be printed by the purchaser. I don’t exactly know how these particular works were created. Her instagram account shows her engaged in what I would call “real art” but that’s because I am truly lagging behind on the whole digital art thing. Perhaps you can bring me up to speed. 

According to her Facebook page Ms. Kurien’s education includes studies in Interior Design, Community Planning, and Architecture. YouTube tells me she’s also a musician.

More important to me: a basic Google search suggests that she is a graduate of Howard High School, class of 2013. I also found a few personal details which - - obviously - - I’m not going to share here. And none of this would pass muster for a journalist because it hasn’t been properly verified.

Three things I’m thinking about:

1. I’m tempted by the Columbia image with the Chrysalis in it, although I’m not sure I would have immortalized the AMC at the Mall.

2. It seems you can pursue advanced degrees towards a professional career and still engage in your passion for the arts. Funny, that.

3. As an armchair researcher I was able to find out quite a bit of information in order to write this piece. This made me stop and think. Is it too easy for folks to do a quick search and think they know everything - - even placing people in danger by confusing them for someone else? How much information supports your professional goals and when does it become too much? Can you possibly think one step ahead of the kind of people who play ‘detective’ for the thrills?

I don’t know.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that the artist in this case is guilty of over-sharing in any way. There’s no fault being handed out here.  I wrote this post to say, “Hey! Someone from Howard County is doing cool things. Check them out!” And I’d still encourage you to go take a look at her work.

Then my ‘mom vibes’ got the better of me. 

And here’s one more thing to ponder: a Baltimore author/food historian I know recently came across an AI-generated article about her research and writing. No one had reached out to her. Someone had just set AI to suck up all available references and turned it into a highly flattering piece of content. Maybe they even got paid for it. The quality of the writing was, as my mother would have said, “unadulterated crud.”

Ugh.

Anyway, I’m always up for stories about local folks doing interesting things. Keep me posted.

Village Green/Town² Comments