The Right Choices and the Right Reasons

 

Although there were plenty of things to do in Columbia/HoCo yesterday, the high point for me was picking up my latest Corinna Chapman mystery at the East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Library. As I arrived a sign caught my eye:

It made me smile, thinking of all the good folks who had advocated for this. It also made me think.

I am now, and have been for some time, in the 50+ category and yet I have never walked through the doors of this friendly-looking center. 

Why not?

Probably because I perceive that it is not for me, or I want to believe I’m “too young” for 50+ center. Is this vanity? Maybe. Is it a lack of understanding of what the Center is all about? 

I took a look at the page on the Howard County website that describes 50+ centers. Here’s a brief look at their offerings:

• Exercise and fitness classes
• Educational opportunities
• Social and recreational activities
• Volunteer opportunities
• Congregate meals (lunch)
• Kindred Spirits Social Club (for people with early stage memory loss)

Some programs are free and some require a fee. Programs are offered both virtually and in person.

For many, aging brings with it increasing isolation and loneliness. That, in combination with health challenges and (often) lower incomes puts people at risk for increasing vulnerability on a number of fronts. What I am seeing here is a multi-faceted approach to meeting the needs of many older community members who are seeking companionship and human interaction. Participation in 50+ programs can be a bridge to addressing those needs. 

I may get up in the morning and feel my age because my hands hurt and I can’t deny anymore that it’s arthritis. But I also wake up in a home with family, enough food to eat, transportation, good medical care, and a network of friends. So perhaps that is why I haven’t quite brought myself to walk through that door at the East Columbia branch.

On the other hand, I’ve spent the last year and a half at home being sick and sedentary. Those 50+ Fitness classes are looking are looking an awful lot like a reasonable way for me to regain some of the resilience and stamina I’ve lost. Who knows?

It seems to me that there’s no right age to go to a 50+ center, but there are plenty of the right reasons. And I’m grateful that Howard County places a priority on folks in the 50+ category. It’s a choice that our County makes, one which is both compassionate and smart. 

Speaking of compassionate and smart, have you read about the new initiative  to support lower income older adults? 

Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and officials from several of Howard County’s largest government and nonprofit human service organizations this week launched the County's new Manufactured Homes Owner Assistance Program at the Elkridge Mobile Home Park, an initiative to support lower income older adults with critical food access, housing, technology, and information resources.

The needs that this initiative is addressing go far beyond a need for enrichment and companionship. To be isolated in a trailer park, possibly without access to any transportation, struggling to make ends meet and stay healthy is an existence that is often only one step away from a crisis. 

MHOAP helps families to recover from challenges associated with pandemic economic recovery. In addition to weekly meal distribution access, eligible residents can receive information and resources in obtaining low cost Broadband Internet service; home repair support; home fire prevention planning, training and technologies; and connection to the county’s Maryland Access Point (MAP) team for ongoing support and service coordination.

A tip of the hat to all those who advocated for the new East Columbia Branch 50+ Center, and for those in County Government who work to support services for the most vulnerable, whatever age they may be.

A Saturday State of Mind

I woke up feeling my age this morning and I’m not enjoying it. I have no intention of laying that on you here because I feel certain that I don’t have anything new to add to the subject.

So let me encourage you to get out and enjoy yourself today. The Farmers Market is on from 10-2 at Clarksville Commons. And of course today marks the long-awaited return of the Howard County Fair. 

My weather app says it won’t get higher than 80 degrees and will be cloudy, although the view outside my window right now has a refreshing amount of blue in the sky. Sadly humidity is at around 96 per cent, which is not my idea of a good time. 

Do you know about any other interesting things going on in Columbia/HoCo today? Share them.

The Fault Line

When I learned that the epicenter of the recent local earthquake was at the site of St. Louis Roman Catholic Church I confess some irreverent thoughts entered my mind. It’s probably a good idea that I decided to keep them to myself because these words from a television news personality brough the truth a lot closer to home than I had expected:

And Howard county is the hot spot [of recent earthquakes] because there is likely an ancient fault line of weakness in the earth near Columbia, MD.

Ah, Columbia. The New American City. Cursed by an ancient fault line of weakness. Seems ironic, somehow.

I happened upon a bit of drama online yesterday pertaining to the current state of the Lakefront, specifically, the vacant buildings where Clyde’s and the Soundry had been. While a few hot words were spoken, by and large it was a relatively civil exchange of views. As you might imagine, the thread revealed some extreme points of view, such as:

• Howard Hughes is the Devil incarnate.
• Howard Hughes is the best thing that ever happened to us.
• It’s all the Columbia Association’s fault

And then there are the explainers who are eager to tell everyone that there’s a plan for downtown and perhaps those responding just don’t know or understand.

If there’s any metaphorical ancient fault line of weakness running under Columbia it’s the tendency to argue as though one must be “all one way” or “all the other.” I’d rather not do that. In this particular case, I think it is perfectly possible to understand that there’s a long term plan in play here and still be concerned about the way it’s unfolding. It’s not either/or. 

I’ve advocated plenty over the years for the revitalization of Downtown. Despite that (or maybe because of it) I do feel some concern at seeing that particular Lakefront area being allowed to languish for so long. I don’t think it’s part of some evil plot. I do think that choosing to develop the Merriweather District first with all its bells and whistles was a strategic decision on the part of HHC.

I am not privy to their strategy sessions. It would be folly for me to assume I know their intent.

I do know that they are a commercial entity and they are not required to respond to community concerns. I think it’s good business to engage with one’s potential customer base, but they are not obligated by law. You know who is obligated by law? Howard County Government. I found it interesting that so much of the argument I read online pitted HHC against CA. I’m not sure I saw anyone reference County government. 

The County Executive and the County Council are elected by us and are, as they say, public servants. That does not mean they can wave a magic wand and change things “poof!” because we ask them to. But they provide us with about as much recourse as we’ve got. If you’re unhappy about things at the Lakefront, include them in your letters of concern. Conversely, if you’re happy about how things are going, tell your elected representatives that. 

Either way, feel free to document it in writing and advocate for what you believe in. Howard Hughes is a corporation. CA is essentially an HOA. Both do valuable things. But the folks in Howard County Government are responsible for the entire kit and kaboodle. Not sure how happy they’ll be to read this, but, you should definitely keep them in the loop.

I’m not sure what the end result of having an actual fault line of weakness running underneath Columbia will be. I do think our predilection for being “all one way or the other” is a weakness which results in its own sort of destruction. No one is all good or all evil. Not HHC, nor CA, nor HoCoGov. Nor you, nor me.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t argue. We have legitimate disagreements. I think that is healthy. Can we do it in a way that allows for more nuanced views? I don’t know. 

Time will tell what kind of a “hot spot” Columbia really is.

The Sounds of Music

 

One of my oddest stories from the time that I ran for CA Board was the person who accosted me on Election Day, accusing me of “being against putting a dome on Merriweather.” Until that moment I had not even been aware that this was a possibility which was under discussion. 

If anyone knows the history of that concept, I’m all ears.

Most of us are familiar with a certain local contingent who complain annually about the sound from Merriweather. I’m not talking about the one-offs for a particularly loud concert. I mean the steady and consistent complainers. Like sports fans, but, in the reverse.

Last night I spotted a rather plaintive thread on Twitter which spoke to an entirely different point of view. I’m sharing it with permission. 

I’m frustrated that I can’t hear Merriweather from my house tonight. Is it the weather? Did they change acoustics? Or (as I fear) did the build up of the buildings along the Merriweather District buffer everything? I miss my #MPP guilty nights from home when I can’t be there! I mean, even a lot of times when it was a band I didn’t know, I would sit outside or open my house windows wide just to feel the spirit & music. Please tell me that isn’t gone forever!  Merriweather is one of the deepest souls of the area.

There’s a sense of loss in these words, or, the fear of it. Concerts traveling on the breeze have long been a part of their summers. It touched me because it was the exact opposite of what one usually reads on social media. It came from the love of something which had become precious over time. And, as crazy as it sounds: a part of what made their house a home.

We haven’t had enough concerts yet this summer to truly judge if accoustics have changed. It will take a while. I suspect that this poster will keep sitting outside on summer nights hoping for the sounds of music. 

Night and Day

 

Last night the United States Coast Guard Band performed at the Chrysalis. They’re out on the road celebrating the 231st birthday of the Coast Guard. I saw some video clips from the folks at Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods and, I must say, that band is pretty darned good. I’m sorry I missed that. 

But for some reason I was under the weather yesterday. I stayed home and we watched the first half of Questlove’s “Summer of Soul”. But that’s an entire blog post unto itself. Really.

Also last night, the Columbia Democratic Club held an Ice Cream Social at the Locust Park Neighborhood  Center. From the looks of the photos they appear to have had a great turn out. Of course, photographs don’t tell everything but it does look as though the CDC has moved past controversies of the last year and emerged on the other side rejuvenated and focused. What better way to celebrate that than with a little ice cream?

I know that last night was also the official National Night Out and there were numerous celebrations throughout Columbia/HoCo. I used to be a big fan of NNO but I found myself this year with a profound case of ambivalence. If you read this blog regularly you probably know why.  I’m increasingly having the same feelings about National Night Out that I have come to have about stories we were told about the First Thanksgiving and Christopher Columbus. 

Nonetheless there are many good citizens of who participate in National Night Out with the goal of making Columbia/HoCo a safer place by being more friendly and interconnected. I’m all for that and I’m grateful for people who live, day-to-day, working to make their community a place where there are familiar faces and helpful neighbors. 

So, it’s complicated. 

In the middle of the night, well, in the morning, really, there was an earthquake. I slept right through it. This is understandable because it was in Clarksville. From HoCoMoJo :

A 2.1 magnitude earthquake in Clarksville was detected as far away as Jessup and Olney Wednesday morning. A loud, rolling rumble was heard while household items shook for 10-15 seconds, and small waves rippled across Lake Elkhorn in Columbia.

Wow. Last night was a busy night, all around.

Today? Well today the Columbia Association invites you to think up names for our helpful aqua mowers. It looks like somebody has a serious crush on Mr. Trash Wheel.

(Photo credit: Columbia Association)

Sounds fun. You can learn more here. Can Aquamower merch and swag be far behind? I wonder what Colonel Gateway would think.

Imagination and Joy

It rained most of Sunday, off and on. Sometimes light, sometimes heavy. The clouds gathered, the sky grew dark, and it rained. It was still raining when the phone rang and I learned that Michael McCall had died.

Michael McCall is best known locally for his involvement in the birth of the park which is now called Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. He was the creator and champion of the Inner Arbor Plan. He shepherded the progress of the Chrysalis from concept to plan to construction to completion. 

The commitment to revitalize and transform the piece of land known as Symphony Woods was an integral part of the Downtown Plan in 2010. The mission statement for the park at the outset was straightforward:

To develop and revitalize open space, known as Symphony Woods, as a public park.

But forward movement on the execution of that mission had floundered until McCall brought something to the table that no one else had: imagination and joy. He was not afraid to be creative and he was not afraid to think big. 

This was inspiring for some and challenging for others. 

Those who were inspired, and I count myself as one of them, found themselves believing in a vision for a park that was every bit as big an idea as Rouse’s plans for Columbia itself. Wisely, McCall knew he could not make the park happen alone. A park like this needed believers, and he found them: reached out, appealed, cajoled, reasoned, attended meeting after meeting to articulate his vision to different audiences. 

At the groundbreaking for the Chrysalis McCall made it clear that he knew that the success was not his alone when he said, “Progress has many parents.”  Yet lighting the spark that ignited imaginations and committing himself to the joy of a park for the people of Columbia was no small thing. 

 (Photo credit Phil Grout)

It was raining the day of the Chrysalis groundbreaking. I bought a new umbrella for the occasion. You know you are making progress when a crowd of people show up in the rain to celebrate the joy of things yet unseen. Those assembled included not only well-wishers and local dignitaries but also children. Especially exciting to me was the class of middle schoolers from Oakland Mills who had been combining their love of Minecraft with research on the structure and design of the Chrysalis.

One day I stopped by the Chrysalis construction site as it neared its completion. Michael had agreed to meet me there and show me around. He gave me all the time I needed to ask questions and take photographs as I gathered information for a blog post. The next day I discovered he had been taking pictures, too, when he sent me a several photographs that caught me lying on my back in the middle of the stage, focusing on the ceiling.

(Photo credit Michael McCall)

Without him, this view was one I never would have seen.

It was raining on the day of the Chrysalis’s dedication and opening. It rained off and on all day. That did not stop the crowd of people who came to celebrate the beginning of something beautiful and new. Many remarked that it had rained on the opening night of Merriweather Post Pavillion, too. They were there. They remembered. Sometimes there will be rain, they reasoned. We do not let that stop us.

It rained most of Sunday, off and on. Sometimes light, sometimes heavy.  The clouds gathered, the sky grew dark, and it rained. The phone rang and I learned that Michael McCall had died.

The park that he began will be finished; I truly believe that, though it will continue to take the time and dedication of “many parents” to see it through to its completion. Sometimes there will be rain. We will not let that stop us. 

The Chrysalis is, exactly as he said, a high-performance stage and urban-scale sculpture as well as a gift to the people of Columbia. It has truly become the symbol of Columbia’s next 50 years.

The imagination and joy that Michael McCall shared with us will always be present in the park. For me it will be a reminder of how important it is to share your gifts. Share them, believe in them; your community needs you more than you know. 

Thank you, Michael. Without you this is a view we never would have seen.

(Photo courtesy of Inner Arbor Trust)

 

The Inexplicable

 

My daughter has been doing some work for her grandmother over the past year. Grandma pays in cash. For a long time none of us were going anywhere so that cash piled up in my daughter’s bedroom. Recently we decided it was high time we ventured to her bank to get it deposited.

To be honest, we couldn’t remember which branch was the one where she opened her account so we just headed for the one closest to the Mall. She went in, I waited.

And waited.

When she came out she was shaking her head.

“I can’t deposit my money,” she said.

“Why?”

“It’s a cashless branch.”

“A what?”

“The tellers’ windows are covered up by a big sign. A woman came out of her office and told me they are a cashless bank but I could use the ATM.”

We sat there in silence for a moment. A cashless bank. 

Then we consulted the Internet and chose another branch. She deposited her money.

Yes, we’ve gotten a few laughs telling the story of the cashless bank. “What’ll they think up next? Foodless restaurants? Bookless libraries?”

Some very basic digging shows that her bank is piloting the cashless bank as a response to customer behavior. Also to cut costs. Of course. Banks that deal in cash need more human beings to serve their patrons.

It’s true that I haven’t had a great need to go inside a bank in the recent past, which was good because the pandemic made it much more difficult. I can deposit most checks electronically. I can get cash from an ATM. 

Is the cashless bank the future of banking? Does that bother you? Or does it make perfect sense?