Weekends, Moments, and Reading Comprehension

Yesterday I learned that poor reading comprehension is a serious problem in a community that prides itself on being well educated. I am not talking about folks who barely made it out of highschool, either.

Banning books means banning books.

Suggesting that a public institution that claims to be safe for everyone shouldn’t throw parties that elevate the work of someone who does actual harm both to young people and adults is not book banning.

I am just gobsmacked at how many people tried to argue this point.

I don’t expect that everything I write will meet with complete agreement. But I do object strongly when the response is to fully misrepresent what I am saying.

*****

It’s Saturday. Support your local markets.

Howard County Restaurant and Craft Beverage Weeks are underway. Make sure to try something delightfully “mid” if the spirit moves you.

The Visit Howard County website has updated their events calendar. Check it out and see what you think.

In this era of deeply unpleasant AI slop, this poster from Marketa Vacation feels like the real deal.

This reminded me of the old PBS show Ghostwriter (1982-1995) in which every home somehow had poster board and markers whenever they were needed. I reached out to Marketa via Facebook and was told this poster is handmade. Could they be pulling my leg? I hope not.

If you’re looking for some free, homegrown Columbia summer fun - - the Columbia Concert Band is playing tonight at the Lakefront. The music starts at 7:30 pm. Bring a blanket to sit on and perhaps some insect repellent if bugs find you particularly tasty.

Got HoCoLocal plans? Visit Howard County says “Every Weekend Tells a Story” and the Columbia Association says that “Summer is Measured in Moments.”

What do you think?

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents. When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday. Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018. 2018 . But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest. In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...

Columbia Chance Connection

Last night, as my husband and I were about to sit down to dinner, our front door swung open and a cheery voice announced, “I’m ba—ack!” We weren’t expecting anyone. Clearly the only people who’d walk right in to our house would be one of our offspring. I had my reading glasses on so I wasn’t seeing too clearly. It seemed too tall for our youngest, but we knew our eldest was at work. I took off my glasses to see a friendly but confused face scanning our living room. When her gaze landed on us we all had a sudden realization. We didn’t know eachother. “Oh I’m so sorry! I’m in the wrong house! My daughter just moved in and she needed hooks for the kitchen so I ran out to get them.” She waved the package. “All these houses look the same and I don’t know the neighborhood yet. I thought this was my daughter’s house.” We were all getting a bit giggly. “That’s okay. For a quick second we thought you were our daughter,” said my husband. I told her our names and said she should defin...

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