Village Green/Town²

  Can we talk?  I thought we were done with this photograph and all its variations. Enough, already.  Image property of Baltimore Sun I really loathe this one. Image property of Baltimore Sun And yet the Sun has dragged it out yet again for this piece about the upcoming primary. In Howard County, only Democrats will get a vote in race for top spot , April Santana, Baltimore Sun First of all, the title of the article is all wrong. Is the core of the issue that “only Democrats will get a vote”? No. The point is that the Howard County Republican Party didn’t produce any candidates for County Executive.  That’s a big difference. The Sun’s title suggests something fishy is at work to give Democrats something that Republicans won’t get. It’s factually untrue and the framing is misleading. To be clear, the article itself lays out the issue far better than the title does. But: sheesh!  And, another thing: Interviewed for the article: Ken Ulman, Democrat. Trent Kittle...

  I seem to be collecting snippets of information about HoCo locations which are, so far, unknown to me. Here are a few. From Wilde Lake CARES: There’s a Rouse Rock? Where is it, exactly? From somewhere in Oakland Mills… I’m guessing this is located at one of the OM schools but I don’t know anything more than that. Owen Brown has a meadow? Apparently it does, in Hopewell. In Harper’s Choice there’s a place called Beech Forest Grove. At least, there is now. Harper's Choice CARES is establishing a community sanctuary garden by that name in Swansfield Park. And what about a potential park in Lawyers Hill, Elkridge? The County is inviting public input.   This image from HoCoGov shows the area in question. And a local writer elaborates on the potential of the natural space:  The Joy of Ptap, Joy Tsao Lawyers Hill Overlook When a wooded property in Elkridge was on the verge of development, Howard County purchased it, preserving it as public green space. So many places I haven’t...

  Yes, I was relieved when Biden was elected President. But I was also disappointed quite soon after he took office. Those memories came crashing back this week. The very first thing that Joe Biden should have done was to focus his efforts on voting rights. It was clear that they were under attack. When voting places in predominantly Black areas disappear and people must stand in line for hours and hours to vote - - that’s unacceptable. When it becomes illegal to offer those voters food or drink as they wait in line to exercise their right to vote - - that’s a violation of the democratic process. The very people who organized and showed up to get a Democratic president elected (and have done for years) were the very people who had to push every step of the way against this increasing tide of voter suppression. Politicians often talk about what they are going to do on Day One. Biden should been prepared on Day One to be relentless on doing everything in his power to protect Black v...

  Overslept. Here are a few random thoughts along with a wish that tomorrow will be less hurried and random. - - jam ***** There have been some pretty appalling comments on local news stories lately. Yes, I know I said that already . This one might fall into the Life Comes At You Fast category: The next one is my current favorite in what I’ll call the Do No Harm category: I’m hesitant to admit this but I had a comment downvoted and ultimately deleted on the Columbia Reddit yesterday. The offending comment? “Go away, Fox News.” It was in response to a post by the local Fox affiliate hyping crime in the area. One respondent asked me “Why?”  I attempted to explain but it looks like my explanation was not acceptable.  Oh, well.  The last comment for today is also from me but it is not local. I was reading a lovely newspaper article about Jeopardy contestant Jamie Ding and these words leapt out at me: My response: “This is a sign: Jamie Ding must appear next on Sesame St...

Reddit is a great place to ask ask hyperlocal questions like, “Where can I park my bike in Old Ellicott City?” And the answer is: There is a bike rack at the Ellicott City Welcome Center at 8267 Main St, Ellicott City, MD 21043. It is the old stone building (former post office) near entrance to parking lot D. In the front on either side. They are post hoop (circle on a post) type. So now you know. If you’ve been noticing a flurry of news stories about progress on the EC Tunnel, you’re not alone. There’s a question on Reddit for that, too.  Anyway to get a tour of the new tunnel? Would be super cool to check it out. Maybe someone knows someone who can get me in? Why am I picturing a bunch of twelve year old kids on bikes with flashlights? (At least they’ll know where to park their bikes,) Seriously, though, middle of the night forays into tunnels may look romantic in the movies but they probably don’t end well. And I’m not sure the county has enough liability insurance to guarantee...

  The time to get out the vote for Columbia elections is now. The time for village boards to make a get-out-the-vote plan for April, 2027 is now. Today. And at every single board meeting from here on out.  It should be an action item at every meeting.  Some years back (2017, to be exact) I turned out at an Oakland Mills board meeting to advocate for better leadership. Here’s a portion of what I said: I've been a teacher over thirty years and one thing I've learned is that the only way to get people to take risks, change, and grow is to create an environment where building relationships is important. Where people can feel good about themselves. Criticism, punitive actions, and negative talk are counter-productive to building and sustaining community. Building relationships and making people feel good about themselves are also crucial in dealing with the Columbia Association, Howard County Government, and our Village Schools. When we say we value connections, we need to sho...