Village Green/Town²

  I was gratified to see that yesterday’s topic resonated with so many readers. The responses confirm the degree to which the housing shortage has squeezed all kinds of people in our community. At the risk of repeating myself, the point of writing about this for me is not to put the focus on “now our kids can’t get apartments!”  The most appalling housing insecurity and injustice is and has been experienced by Black and Hispanic residents. And, for far too long, their needs weren’t considered reason enough to push for a reasonable quantity of rental housing.  The end result is that there isn’t enough rental housing for anyone who needs it and - - surprise! - - our choices as a community eventually impact us, too.  Towards the end of the day I discovered that I wasn’t the only person to write about the coalition of community groups working with the Horizon Foundation on Housing Justice. I refer you to the post on the HoCo APFO Facebook* page. (It’s not long. You have ...

  We want our kids to have the best. The best neighborhoods, the best schools, the best educational experiences, the best hobbies and activities, the best everything.  We hope all of that prepares them for the best colleges and/or career opportunities. We hope they will have happy lives. But we don’t want them to have homes. At least, not anywhere in Columbia/HoCo.  Before you protest, take a look at this listing on Redfin . I bumped into this listing on Bluesky along with commentary from Barbara Samuels, a knowledgeable Fair Housing and Affordable Housing attorney in Baltimore: 10,000 sq ft, 6BRs, 7BA, 4 car garage, guest house & pool. Must be small apt building & ADU right? No, not allowed! It is what passes for single family outside the HoCo PFA in western Ellicott City. How does it make sense to allow this use [for] 5 valuable acres but not apartments? I’ll be honest with you. Big, fancy houses houses like this used to spark my imagination. Now they just make ...

  There have been some interesting comments in response to the County’s proposal to institute additional school safety zones.  Howard County wants to add 18 new school zones for increased traffic enforcement, Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner No one, as far as I know, is in favor of speeding and/or other unsafe driving around children and young people. On the other hand, very few want to see more speed cameras, either. Some suggest that the move is purely to generate more revenue for the county rather than to protect safety around schools. Here’s a response on the Banner website itself: Yep, just more revenue for the People's Republic of Howard County. Can you believe my tax bill went DOWN when I moved ... and not to Florida but to New Jersey. HoCo's gold-plated services don't come free. I have questions. What constitutes a gold-plated service? Why do you think that gold-plated service should be free when it comes to government? Where in your life are you able to get gold-plat...

  Substack . Do you know what it is? Lots of cool people have them. You can generate income for your writing by charging a subscription fee if you so desire. Blogs are passé. Some ‘content creators’ have moved to podcasts, TikTok, even Instagram or Threads to get their content out into the world. And some, more serious writers perhaps, announce the creation of a Substack and invite you to subscribe. Here’s why I don’t have one.: Revealed: How Substack makes money by hosting Nazi newsletter s, Geraldine McKelvie, The Guardian (2/7/2026) It’s not a short piece but it’s worth the read. The Guardian leads off with this: Site [Substack] takes a cut of subscriptions to content that promotes far-right ideology, white supremacy and antisemitism. A more recent article from the CBC elaborates: But over the last few years, users and journalists have noted that a number of Substack newsletters promote white supremacy, Holocaust denial and neo-Nazism. An investigation by the  Guardian in...

  How are the young folks doing? Well, here’s a shoutout to some hocolocals who started here and are pursuing their dreams in the arts, notably in the field of music.  I mentioned musical theatre performers MaryKate Brouillet and Patrick Gover the other day. Both have performed regularly at Toby’s in Columbia.  Gover’s older brother Vincent is an opera singer, actor, and composer.  Sara Beth Driver  performs regularly in the area, often in Silver Spring. She’s a singer, songwriter, and  acoustic guitarist.  Marissa Zechinato , a 2026 Bernard/Ebb Songwriting Awards finalist, has a gig tomorrow night at Cured.  Farther afield, Gallant is out on tour in Canada. I promised myself yesterday that I’d write about something today that made me happy. Seeing these kids (not kids anymore, oops) doing what they love gives me a sense of hope. Village Green/Town² Comments

  I’m struggling with the cruelty in the world right now. To be honest, it makes it very hard for me to write. I have ideas for stories but a strong sense of “what’s the use” clouds my brain.  Oddly enough, I was in the same place a year ago: crushed by the accumulated weight of fear and hopelessness. And yet…   A Glimmer , Village Green/Town², 8/13/2026 In a time of hate Love is an act of resistance In a time of fear Faith is an act of resistance  In a time of misinformation Education is an act of resistance  In a time of poor leadership Community is an act of resistance In a time like this Joy is an act of resistance Resist. Resist. Resist. - - Loryn Brantz  Yesterday morning I sat outside of Roggenart having an iced coffee date with a dear friend and for a moment the world felt benevolent. The sky was clear and there was a gentle breeze. She gave me a book recommendation and I told her about a BBC radio show I’ve recently discovered.  There were del...

  The big news in Howard County is feeling rather bleak this morning. I need some time to process it.  Here’s the little news. On HCC’s Dragon Podcast channel, the current episode of Razzle Dazzle Radio features HoCoLocal performers MaryKate Brouillet and Patrick Gover. For tips on how to give your best audition for that special part in a play or musical, tune into the latest edition of Razzle Dazzle Radio. Leading local actors MaryKate Brouillet and Patrick Gover share their experiences playing lead roles at Toby's Dinner Theatre - - including Mary Kate as Regina George, the meanest of the Mean Girls cast. Patrick remembers growing up in a musical family with six siblings, starting piano lessuns at five years old, and being coached by Toby Orenstein for his role as Rocky Balboa in Rocky. With lots to learn and laughs galore, it’s a must-listen!  Bonus: it looks like their logo art was created by a real human.  Indie bookstore Queen Takes Book is hosting a fundr...

School is coming. Even if you don’t have kids in school you are surely seeing posts online about the upcoming school year. Or perhaps you’ve noticed back to school sales when you are out and about.  Over at the Threw Mikes Eyez blog he’s contemplating his own school years. Wishing I Learned  , Threw Mikes Eyez What’s a thing you wish schools actually taught?  - - asks the daily writing prompt. Give it a look if you can. It’s a quick read and it really made me think.  One thing I honestly wished schools had taught me was how to enjoy walking. Yes, I’m serious. When I was in school there was often a big divide between academics and athletics. I was horrible at anything athletic and the big push at home was for me to excel at academics. (If you’ve read my ADHD saga you’ll know how that went.)  Arts education was my saving grace because there was so much more room for kids who, in one way or another, didn’t fit.  Reading Mike’s post make me realize how one ver...

  On the morning of July 29th an unexpected occurrence in the Village of Wilde Lake was reported in the Howard County Eats Facebook Group. Starbucks was closed. Here’s a close up. I filed this away in my ‘curious things I probably should follow up on’ file. When I saw this article in the Baltimore Banner it jogged my memory. Baristas at Columbia’s Wilde Lake Starbucks vote to unionize , Jess Nocera,  Baltimore Banner  In a 19-to-3 vote, the Columbia location’s workers voted to join Starbucks Workers United late last month. “Late last month.” July 29th, perhaps? Might that explain the morning closure in Wilde Lake? As an aside, I was startled to see exactly who the Banner seems to think those baristas are. Take a closer look at the photo. Caption reads: Baristas at the Wilde Lake Starbucks in Columbia have voted to unionize. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner) Friends, those are not the baristas you are looking for, unless life in retirement for former local electeds is ...

  Celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month today at the Chrysalis!  The event is from 3-7 pm, Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods: Join Howard County Executive Calvin Ball, the Office of Human Rights and Equity, and Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods as we celebrate the diverse and vibrant heritage of the Caribbean at our 2026 Caribbean American Heritage Month (CAHM) Festival! This family-friendly event will showcase traditional Caribbean dances, children's activities, live music performances, interactive exercise classes, vendors, and delicious Caribbean cuisine. Don't miss out on this opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich heritage of the Caribbean. Come experience a taste of the islands! FEATURED PERFORMERS: DJ Shomari KRL Lennard Jack Jr. SocaRobics White House Studios Eclipse International Band The announcement mentions food but I have not seen a list of today’s vendors. If you have this information, let me know and I will add it in here. Saturday, August 8, 2026...

  I couldn’t resolve the bill by phone. I couldn’t resolve the bill by mail. So yesterday I got in my car and drove forty-five minutes to the place where they generate the bills. They call what they do there Customer Service. When I arrived I discovered that the building is locked to anyone who doesn’t work there and that customers are never allowed in the building.  Surprise.  It’s a long story and I won’t trouble you with the details. The upshot is that I found myself in Middle River at around eleven am and I was too mentally exhausted to hop right back in the car and drive home. I was in a place that reminded me a bit of Maple Lawn. Very, very new. Mixed use - - offices, a cute little retail center that was mostly restaurants, a few office buildings. Oh, and a hotel.  Welcome to Greenleigh .* Image from Greenleigh.com Greenleigh is Baltimore County's fastest-growing mixed-use community. The master-planned, 1,000-acre project features commercial office, flex, and r...

  The dramatic photographs just won’t stop coming.  Vultures flock to a Columbia neighborhood where woman won’t stop feeding them raw meat, Lillian Reed, Baltimore Banner  Image from Baltimore Banner includes this caption: In a photo provided by a resident, black vultures are seen standing on a deck in the Glenmont neighborhood. As per usual, my attention has been drawn somewhere else. I don’t care about the raw meat. Why has this woman thrown her teddy bear to the vultures??? Who would do that?  I guess you can be tenderhearted enough to want to care for birds that revolt and scare everybody else and somehow not tenderhearted enough to care about…teddy bears. I have feelings about this.  Anyway the story is not about teddy bears and if you want to follow the entire saga, it’s here . You will never feel the same way about raw chicken again.  I find it wild that this could have been going on so long in a community where we have so many restrictions on what...

  The girl gets around. Photo credit Jessie Newburn, HoCo Blogs No, not me. Her. Ginger Breadgirl, AKA Pink Gingerbread Girl Gingerbread Girl became a bit of a HoCoLocal celebrity as a spokesperson for Howard County Tourism in the early teens. She made her big comeback in conjunction with the movement and restoration of many of the old Enchanted Forest figures to Clark’s Elioak Farm on Route 108. For a time you could take a selfie with her at the Howard County Welcome Center on Main Street in Old Ellicott City. Not sure if she’s still there. She had her own Facebook account  documenting her travels.* Ambassador at Large at Visit Howard County, Maryland Former Farm Hand at Clark's Elioak Farm This girl was everywhere and (seemingly) all at once. As you can see from the opening photo she turned up at a blogtail party at the Second Chance Saloon. (She didn’t drink.) I even bumped into her at the Inn at Norwood in Sykesville once.  Apparently Pink Gingerbread Girl was a well-...

  Welcome to the world of the beyond weird.  Wait, what? Those are not book bags and school supplies. Those look like cigars. 2nd Annual Back to School BookBag & School Supplies Drive Public Event by Beck and Becky LLC Savage-Guilford Wednesday, August 5, 5 - 9 PM When you want to show people you’re community-minded but really want to promote your cigar business… Yikes. CIGAR LOVE, big and little, it's a Lifestyle brand... #unisexsmoke #couplesmoke #singlesmoke #sexystick. We are a lifestyle brand that intensely focuses on providing a premium cigar and accessory experience to each client. This started out being a weird photo that made me laugh. Now it’s giving me The Ick. Big surprise, the flier they’ve posted for this event on their own Facebook page is unadulterated AI slop.  But, wait. There’s more! We will be supporting students in gorgeous Prince George’s County, and Washington, DC!! We will also have limited Back to School care packages for teachers, more to com...