Village Green/Town²

  I’m guessing this is a man. Julia Jackson McCready if you can’t handle reading a bit of constructive criticism, maybe the web isn’t the place for you. It wasn’t criticism of me, by the way. I objected to a bit of arrogant upsmanship on the Howard County Eats page on Facebook. It all began with this post: I had the pleasure of taking product photos for Maiwand Kabob (columbia square location specifically) and I’ve been eating here consistently for years. One of the best local spots you can count on! From the kabobs, to the gyros, to the starter plates like the veggie samosa.. all the way to their desserts. Awesome ownership and reliable quality. Check it out! What followed were a collection of quite appetizing photos. (I’ll add them in here if I can get permission from the photographer.) I love Maiwand to start with, and the photos just plain made me hungry. However…Take a look at the very first comment: Food looks good. The photos were shot with too shallow DOF and highlights are...

File this under “Things I learn from the good folks at Oakland Mills Community Association” - - yesterday was National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day.  Today is National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day! Let's build stronger communities through small acts of kindness. Here are some ideas: Say "Hello" Help with yard work Give a compliment Share a treat Even small acts can go a long way! I did not know about National Do Something Good For Your Neighbor Day. Apparently it was founded in 2009 by a man named Starr Valentino from Buffalo, New York.  I don’t know if it counts, but I did participate in my Buy Nothing Groups Free Yard Sale yesterday. I brought a few books to add to the giveaway, and I picked out a few treasures for myself.  Assorted stencils/straight edges: An awesome and completely new, unused art book: And an embroidered felt Christmas ornament. If you are wondering why I need a W…I don’t. But creative reuse means I can turn it upside down and s...

  Eleven years ago I was answering questions and sharing free bottled water (and cool bracelets) at Wine in the Woods. No surprise: I was volunteering in support of the Inner Arbor Trust at a booth sharing information about the new park in town: Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. Having the booth was a smart move. What better way to spread the word about what was coming to the very place where guests were engaging in their traditional seasonal revelry? You are here in the present. This will be here in the very near future. I had some great conversations that day.  I did not drink any wine.  When I was sent to take a break I had the following exchange with a gentleman sitting at the table where I was having a quick meal. Nice man at my table: would you like some wine? Me: oh, no thanks. I don't drink in the heat. Man: ??? Only later did I realize how hilarious that was. You’re at Wine in the Woods and you don’t drink wine? But no, I don’t. Because wine in the heat give...

  This week Dr. Mehmet Oz made the public declaration that 1 in 3 Americans are “underbabied.” I have questions. Underbabied? Is that a medical term?  Isn’t his job in the field of medicine?  One in three?  Where are the scientific studies?  Where’s the data? This is all sadly connected in my mind with the emotional contortions that women are often subjected to every year on Mother’s Day. I posted this on Facebook at the end of the day on Sunday, with the words:  Having some trouble with the sentiments of the day for some reason. For years my issue with Mother’s Day stemmed from my unhappy relationship with my own mother. But now I’m just so frustrated by the horrible wave of trying to redefine woman as breeders - - praising them only for adhering to that one narrow role. And what happens to anyone who is different? It makes me sad and angry.  We don’t do this to men. We don’t define them by whether they have produced offspring. We don’t ask if they fe...

Thing I expected: a certain amount of inflammatory pushback in response to the CA Board’s decision to remove three board members due to ethics violations. Thing I did not expect: candidates for County Executive jumping into the fray. Dear CA Board, take note. Don’t make big decisions during election season. Needless to say, I have some opinions on this situation. They are based on my personal experience and are informed by (let me look) fifteen years observing local happenings for the blog. But I have to admit that there are other people in town who also have opinions based on personal experience and years of being hyper focused on CA. And their opinions are wildly different than mine. So why should you give any weight to what I’m about to say? I have found myself replaying the following exchange in my mind a lot this week. It’s from an episode of the BBC panel show QI: Host: The most dangerous job in terms of sport? Motorsports: motorcycling, Formula One…  Panelist: No, no no I ha...

This is not me (obviously) but somehow I wish it were.  Breaking news from the top of the bookcase, where I remain both elevated and emotionally involved in local affairs. It’s from a company called Generations of Furniture at The Outlet Shoppes at Gettysburg. I do not know how it popped up in my Facebook feed but I honestly wish I could make this my own personal slogan. So, with an effort to be elevated and emotionally involved in local affairs… The Ridgely’s Run Community Center has created an outdoor space/patio.  Did you know? The Ridgely's Run Community Association was established in 2007 by the Savage Stone Company to serve residents near the company's quarry area off US Route 1. ***** The NPHC of Howard County, Maryland is working on a new mental health initiative called “ The  Barbershop Brotherhood Series” You can find Episode 1: Brotherhood and Black Identity on YouTube. Images from NPHC of Howard County, Barbershop Brotherhood Series You can check out the...

  May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. There’s a celebration on May 30th at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. The Howard County Library System has curated a reading list to broaden our understanding. You can  find it here.   They have been hosting events throughout the month at various branches, as well. Meanwhile, in State Government… Republican delegates mocked colleague’s accent, implied he was a Chinese spy , also titled: Republican delegates face criticism for video mocking Chinese-born colleague , Pamela Wood, Baltimore Banner Del. Mark Fisher and Del. Brian Chisholm posted a 13-minute video on social media focused on Del. Chao Wu, a Democrat representing parts of Howard and Montgomery counties. Throughout the video, they engage in racist stereotypes and insinuate that Wu has communist sympathies. (Reminder: you can access this article for free through the Howard County Library System website.) You may remember Delegate Chao Wu from hi...

  “Patience. More will be revealed soon.” It sounds like something you’d get in a fortune cookie, or a cryptic reponse from a Magic Eight Ball. Instead, it was a response on a local Reddit about this photo. “Anyone have details on the empty markers in Stevens Forest?” There was the usual discussion of what it might be or what the respondents thought it should be. And then… “Patience. More will be revealed soon.” I took a screenshot. I tried to be patient. That was e…i…g…h…t days ago. Then last night I heard from Jeanne Lay, friend of the blog - - and good neighbor extraordinaire - - with the answer to the mystery. I took a bike ride this afternoon on the footpaths behind Stevens Forest pool. Check out these new signs which right now are a story walk. From the first image: Welcome to Columbia Association's new Sign Walk! There are 18 signs posted along the pathways. We will fill these signs with stories, fun facts, and other community information. The signs are dedicated to all th...

Have you seen the photos from the opening event for the new Columbia Association performance space at the Lakefront? Or perhaps you were present for the event? You know how opening events are. Speeches, local notables, chairs lined up neatly for invited guests, celebratory signage and decoration, the photo-friendly ribbon cutting…You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all. Right? But, wait. The violinist. Could it be? Yes! It was.  Marvillous Beats.   In 2020 I discovered a local performer through a tweet and wrote about him in The Beat Goes On. The video shows a young Black man playing violin near Vantage House* in Town Center, I believe. He is accompanied by a backing track. Would you call this style jazz violin? I think so. He is very, very good.  I was curious, so I looked him up. Marvillous Beats is the performance name of a Laurel-based violinist Marvill L. Martin. (He is also a composer, actor, and audio engineer, according to his website bio.)  The violinist playin...

It’s a cloudy day in HoCo and it’s shaping up to be mostly plant sales, yard sales, farmer’s markets, and Mother’s Day themed events. Here’s a look at a few that caught my eye.  The Market at Clarksville Commons is back, beginning at nine am. There’s an historical event in Elkridge  beginning at eleven am. “Elkridge: Crossroads of Revolution.” It’s free but you need to sign up because they are providing lunch. Click here  to learn more and to register.  Event is in Patapsco Valley State Park, Avalon Picnic Shelter 105. At Robinson Nature Center, there’s a Bookworm Bash  from 10 am to 12 pm. It's a read aloud party, and everyone is invited! Join local authors alongside Robinson Nature Center staff for this imagination-fueled adventure in our nature play space. Enjoy story times before making your own story through interactive play and crafts. The RPB Sneak Peek Weekend is a soft opening event for a new experiential art space called Resting Bitch Place: 135...

I woke up this morning to discover that NPR making the claim: Prices are up, but Mother’s Day still means brunch , Alina Selyukh, Scott Horsley. It's the biggest day for America's restaurants, and one of the biggest for flower sales. Despite anxieties over rising gas prices, people are ready to splurge to celebrate. Really? Which people would that be? Last night as I was making up a grocery list I discovered that a tub of Kerrygold Butter, a special treat for my mother in law who loves her mashed potatoes with a dollop of good Irish butter, has reached the eye-watering price of ten ninety-nine.. I don’t know how one grocery item can break your brain but this was too much. At fourteen ounces, it isn’t even a full pound of butter. To be sure, it’s a special treat, possibly a bit of a luxury item. But ten ninety-nine for a package of soft butter? I can’t do it. I found myself facing a mental hurdle I couldn’t get over.  Of course the Irish butter is symbolic of all of the increasi...

I may not be hanging around town as much as I’d like these days, but I did have lunch with a friend at the Lakeside Deli Tuesday. This afforded me the opportunity to pop into Lidl afterwards. As I navigated the distance between the two, I did a double take. The Metropolitan is no longer Metropolitan. Images from basic Google search Well, it may be “metropolitan” in the descriptive sense, but the signage tells me it’s The Westley. So does their website. When did that happen? It was still The Metropolitan in December… And then, in February… Why the new name? Also, apparently the full name is The Westley Merriweather, because of course it is.  From what I can tell the rebranding is associated with a change in management. The Metropolitan opened in 2017 under the management of a company called Kettler. It is now in the hands of Bozzuto. NEIGHBORHOOD  Life is About Exploration  Location, Community, Quality Living. It Starts Here. (At the Cheesecake Factory? Well, okay.) I’ve ...