Village Green/Town²

  Yes, I remember the celebrations for the Bicentennial. I was in high school. Yes, it felt so much better than what we are experiencing today. I’ve seen a lot of such sentiment online recently. But what I don’t remember from 1976 were all the things that I didn’t see. I was a white teenager in an upper-middle class community. I attended an integrated high school that had been integrated through busing and, in four years, there were only two Black students in my “academic” classes.  We were in the same building but were still in many ways completely separated. I knew about the Civil Rights Movement and believed in equal rights for everyone but had precious little opportunity to interact with people who didn’t look like me or live like me. I knew that some people were probably racists but had no understanding of continuing racist systems - - how racism was deeply embedded into the law, and financial systems, and even in schools.  I was raised by nice white liberals to be ...

  Columbia has pools, parks, and pathways. We have concerts at the lakefront. We have a mall instead of a Main Street, community mailboxes, villages and village centers, interfaith centers, creative street signs and cul de sacs. But… We do not have these. Roundabout dogs. A roundabout dog (Swedish: rondellhund) is a form of street installation and public phenomenon that began in Sweden in autumn of 2006, when anonymous people began placing homemade dog sculptures in the center of roundabouts. I am not kidding. It is definitely a thing. Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself. Here are just a few I found during a search on Google images. This is not a contest or some sort of community sponsored activity. Roundabout dogs occurred spontaneously and appear at the whim of the public. No rules, requirements, or specifications. I’m not sure Columbia could handle anything as Free Form as that. Baltimore has its Salt Boxes.   We’re not even allowed to decorate fire hydrants. St...

  Meanwhile, back in the Adult Zone… Cured/18th & 21st is marketing a new Adult Happy Meal special. What makes it “Adult”? A Vodka Martini.  I myself do not need a Vodka Martini in order to be an adult but perhaps a Happy Meal does. I wonder if the folks with the Golden Arches have any proprietary trademark over that term? For another take on being an adult here’s this promo from Sobar Maryland outlining their Sobar Secure program. Sobar Secure® helps restaurants, bars, and venues incorporate or add adult nonalcoholic beverages to their menus while attracting a rapidly growing customer base seeking alcohol-free options. Through training, sourcing guidance, and national visibility, Sobar Secure® partners learn how to confidently serve non-alcoholic beer, wine, and cocktails while increasing guest satisfaction and beverage sales. Having watched friends try to find a decent NA beer or get a restaurant to finagle an appealing mocktail, I know that there’s a need for this. Bei...

  Recently a friend posed this question on Facebook: Question for you all: What does it mean to be a true American patriot? It made me uncomfortable. I countered: What would you say is the opposite of a true American patriot? I have such a hard time worth the word patriot because of how it has been poisoned by the Right. I have become so conflicted that I can’t even put it into words. So then I wondered what the opposite of patriot is.   I suppose I was asking what qualities would indicate that someone was not patriotic.  To be fair, that wasn’t the question they were asking.  So, what is patriotism? Merriam Webster defines it as: love for or devotion to one's country. That’s it. Pretty simple, isn’t it? So, what is “American” patriotism?  It depends on what you love and what aspects of this country you are devoted to, I guess. I came up with this answer: The simplest definition for me would be that an American patriot is someone who believes that life, ...

  Here we go. From WBAL TV Weather:  Suggestions from the good folks from the Capital Weather Gang: Staying safe in the heat wave , Dan Stillman, Capital Weather  Extreme heat kills more people in the United States than any other weather hazard, according to National Weather Service data. Somewhat closer to home, this notice at the top of the Howard County Libraries web site: During extreme heat, our library branches are cooling centers. Click this link for a list of additional cooling centers: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/community-sustainability/warming-and-cooling-center-information The link takes you to this map on HoCoGov. While you’re over at the library website you might as well check out what they’ve got going on this summer. Right now the May/June program guide is up but that will be changing over soon. Howard County Library System Program Guide: May/June Did you know that HCLS is interested in your library stories? This link will tell you what you need to kno...

A tip of the hat to local Redditors who have alerted me to the following sightings in our area. As a local social media platform, Reddit isn’t perfect, but, it sure beats Nextdoor by a mile! From r/columbia, yesterday:  Watch your feet while hiking. Saw this little guy on Wincopin Trail today.  It was identified as a juvenile Eastern Copperhead in the thread. No, the photographer was not this close. They zoomed in to get the image. The post was entitled “Snake Season.” Do snakes have a season? Why do I not know this? From r/ellicottcity, a few days ago… Recently spotted a bear this morning while taking our foster dog for a walk down our long driveway. This was our neighbor's home so I alerted them since I know they like to leave their garage open. I had to pull my dog away since I'm sure it wanted to...engage the bear. I saw a post made on this sub-Reddit about 5 year ago, so if anyone was wondering - yes, the bear is still here LOL. Secure your trash, keep your garages closed...

  " Hyperlocal" is an adjective used to describe something as being "limited to a very small geographical area" and, in particular, to anything "extremely or excessively local". It is applied in particular with regard to media output aimed at narrowly focused populations.It has otherwise been described as "information oriented around a well-defined community with its primary focus directed toward the concerns of the population in that community" - - Wikipedia In recent hyperlocal news: The snow plow tracker is a lie. I don't believe that Oakland Mills Road has been plowed in the last four hours (June 20th, 10am) My favorite response: I just drove by it. Can affirm that it's totally clear of snow. Great work HoCo! ***** Big, if true! Spirit Halloween store sighting in Columbia, Maryland. Hickory Ridge? Kings Contrivance? You tell me.  ***** In the “Location is Everything” department: I’m hearing that Pollo Campero, the third competitor in...

Me: It's feeling like a no blog day. I'll keep you posted. Mike: It's early, don't give up hope. Thanks, Mike. I needed that. Mike is, to my knowledge, the only other HoCo Blogger who writes seven days a week. So, if he says that: he knows. ***** The truth is, I find myself overwhelmed (again) by the general hopelessness of the country. It’s hard to make myself write about interesting local things when a little voice keeps telling me it’s all pointless. Why go anywhere? Why do anything? You see my problem. I also seem to be suffering from a case of the Get Off My Lawn virus, if there is such a thing. And it’s clearly giving me writer’s block to some degree. In order to excorcise it, I’m going to allow myself to rage about one current pet peeve.  Feel free to push back. Or share one of your own. Here goes: Having an event? Great!  Tell me where it is. Don’t make me click to find out. I am not going to invest one scintilla* of effort to head in your direction if you can’t...

  Yesterday I felt like I was running on fumes. I went on Facebook and asked:  Anyone out there feeling inspired this morning? Results were mostly no. Two were enthusiastically yes. For those of you who like to analyze* the numerical breakdown:  9 responses in total 2 yes 5 no 1 I don’t know yet, just woke up 1 a little  This one tugged at my heart strings: A little - - did you need some shared? Today’s not much better, I’m sorry to say. I love to be whimsical on Fridays and I’m just about fresh out. I’m full of heavy thoughts, not to mention assorted complaints. I’m going to spare you those. Here’s a thought for your day: I am so grateful for all the folks who don’t have much and still respond to their neighbors: I have a little - - did you need some shared?  Have a wonderful Friday. If you have any whimsy, please send some my way. Village Green/Town² Comments *Small sample size. Results not statistically significant.

  I went looking for something on Facebook recently and discovered I was dead.  Let me explain. I discovered some time ago that I could search my past Facebook posts by typing my name plus probable key words into the search bar. This has also helped me track down photos that for some reason I hadn’t saved to my iPad. The last time I did this something very different happened. I was looking for a thread in which I asked someone “are you lost?” and this happened. Excuse me? This must be a mistake. I tried it again, with slightly different search words. Friends, I am not dead.  My arm hurts, my shoulder hurts, and I am homesick. But I am not dead. I am mightily sick and tired of the stupidity of AI as it degrades more and more of daily life. Imagine my surprise when I searched Instacart to see if a particular store carried muffins. Did you mean muffins, puffins? Why do you ask?  Do many of your customers come looking for muffins, puffins? Are they also looking for eggs...

  I have never won any elections, with the exception of somehow becoming President of the Concert Choir in 12th grade. The other two things I ran for did not go well.  It is very hard to lose. I’ve been there. Today the primary election is over. It won’t be a happy day for everyone. My heart goes out to all the folks who fought the good fight, believed in something passionately, and did not see the result they had hoped for. My heart does not go out to people who fought dirty, told lies, spread rumors, encouraged the basest kind of behavior, and did all they could to poison the local discourse.  You and your candidate(s) did not win. You have damaged our community in a way that will most likely live beyond the primary season. People used to use the expression, “We’re better than this!” when something troubling happened in Columbia/HoCo. Let’s be honest: clearly we are not. We are not “better than this.” We could be a whole lot better than we have shown ourselves to be. ...

 Two things I’d like you to do today.  1. Vote (if you haven’t already) and encourage at least one other person to vote. 2. Watch this video. Triumph of the Human Spirit: Dr. Lorenzo Pace It’s five minutes and forty-five seconds long. You have time.  The film focuses on Dr. Pace’s sculpture “ Triumph of the Human Spirit ” which stands in Foley Square in NYC and the events which led to its creation. Dr. Lorenzo Pace  : artist, author, master storyteller and performance artist, and lecturer What motivates me to create art is the precious opportunity to inspire others to think higher, deeper, and larger; to think about the value and necessity of caring for themselves, others, and our planet; to think simply of other ways of being, seeing, learning, loving and manifesting a greater degree of peace in our world. - - Dr. Lorenzo Pace Here’s more from the Office of the Mayor, New York: On Juneteenth, Mayor Mamdani Releases Video Honoring the Legacy of Black New Yorkers Zohr...

From Window Dressing, March 19th, 2023: Ex-Gov Ehrlich tells Howard County Republicans they still have a chance. This photo accompanies a piece on Maryland Reporter entitled “Ex-Gov Ehrlich tells Howard County Republicans they still have a chance.” (Len Lazarick, Maryland Reporter, 3/12/2023.) The caption for the photo reads: Former Republican Gov. Bob Ehlrich on the stairs speaks to a crowd of Howard County Republicans during a Feb. 25 fundraiser at the home of Marleen Eck, far right, in Glenelg. Next to her is the county's GOP Chair Beth Lawson.  Well, it looks as though Howard County Republicans are taking an interesting chance in this election by running just about no one. It’s hard for me to say if this is because no one wants to run or they do but they don’t like their chances. The national face of the Republican Party has done Howard County no favors. Many, many local residents do not want what he is selling: selfishness, cruelty, racism, violence. This does not mean that t...

  Who/what is “a regular person”? For that matter, who isn’t a regular person? What is the difference? How could you tell? Why do I ask? Well… So, I'm doing something a little crazy - I started a podcast about what it would take for a regular person to run for president. It's called Why Not Me? 2028. If you have 20 minutes, I'd love for you to check it out - and if you like it, share it . - - Shana Bynon  I was encouraged by a friend to listen to the most recent episode of Why Not Me? 2028, a podcast created and hosted by HoCoLocal Shana Bynon. It’s an interesting question: what if a regular person ran for President? What kind of a regular person would you ask? Where would you find them? The podcast began a year ago and has released fifteen episodes so far. While it starts with a focus on the presidency, it soon expands its reach of inquiry into other avenues of public service. And then it even gets local. I mean - - it makes sense that you’d be able to find regular people...

  A year ago today I had surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. So far the fix has held up well, although it somehow managed to cause our bedroom ceiling to collapse.* It’s not surprising that I woke up with a mix of those memories swirling around in my mind today. It’s a Saturday and there are plenty of things to do. I’m just not plugged into that mood this morning - - my apologies. Three things: 1. Interesting house for sale in Brookeville which is somehow Howard County. I don’t quite understand how that works. Shouldn’t Brookeville be Montgomery County? It’s interesting to see a style that I remember being so new and challenging the status quo now looking so…dated? humbled? I can’t quite explain it. What do you think? ***** 2. I’m still troubled by a Thursday post on Facebook by the Howard County Historical Society. Here it is.  The Historical Center & Archives will be closed tomorrow Friday, June 19th, 2026 in observance of Juneteenth. We apologize for any inconvenienc...

  Today is Juneteenth. Freedom Day. JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY We commemorate Juneteenth, on June 19, 1865, when enslaved peoples of African descent in Texas finally gained their freedom. We remember them. We honor their memory. We celebrate freedom for all. What kind of freedom? We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness . - - Thomas Jefferson, from the Declaration of Independence  Is this freedom? Mississippi officer put on leave after killing baby in car outside Walmart , Marina Dunbar, The Guardian Is this freedom? Trump facing pressure to condemn UFC fighter for disparaging Michelle Obama , David Smith, The Guardian Is this freedom? Pete Hegseth removes all women and some Black service members from navy promotion list , Richard Luscombe, Joseph Gedeon and Aram Roston What kind of freedom is that?  Hold ...

  Things I didn’t know: The Restore is closing. My initial response: oh, that’s sad. The Restore, an initiative of Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake, supports their mission of providing safe, affordable homes for those who are in need of stable housing. The Restore also helps reduce waste by keeping otherwise usable home furnishings out of landfills. Learn more here: Restore A friend posted that this week is their last week. I checked out their website and found - - whew! - - that it’s not as final as all that. They are moving, so will be closed for a while. I believe this is their second move. Didn’t they used to be around the corner? In the meantime,  they are having a big sale!  Columbia, Maryland Restore  You know what else I didn’t know? I had no idea that the Dancel Y in Ellicott City has an enormous outdoor pool. Did you? No? That’s because they don’t. I went to their website to double-check. But they are running multiple adverts right now that would def...