Village Green/Town²

This one is for the people who live in Columbia: vote. If today is your village election, don't skip it. Participate. Don't just let it glide by. If you live in Harper's Choice, I highly recommend Bob Fontaine for CA Rep. If you live in Oakland Mills, you can read more here about my opinion on the amendments on the ballot. In short, let's not vote to diminish our right to vote. Bill Woodcock ( The 53 ) has a great piece here on CA elections, which harkens back to an insightful piece by Candace Montague. ( From the Scratchpad of an Urban Bushwoman ) Really miss regular postings from Ms. Montague, by the way. Can you hear this, UB? We want you back in the blogosphere. This morning I'm nursing a bit of a migraine after an impromptu get together at The Second Chance engineered by my husband. Merely saying "it was a wonderful evening" doesn't come close to describing it. Elections are important. The reasons we work toward elections are more important....

You know what I would like? What I would really, really like? I'd like a day when I could get back to the regular business of this blog and not be compelled to write about the school system. Yeah, if we could have a day without power plays, hijinks and drama, that'd be great. Ahem. Last night at the Board of Ed meeting, HCPSS Finance Director Beverly Davis unveiled the newest response in the dispute over the school system budget: a survey. Yep, from the same people who brought you this survey which asked such loaded questions as "How well do you understand the benefits of standardized testing?" comes "Cut or Keep--you make the call!" No, no, no. That's not how this works. For one thing, for a survey to be valid it must be crafted by people who have the professional expertise to do so. For another, not everything in the budget is equal. Salaries and benefits for teachers--which are arrived upon as the result of negotiation--are an obligation the school s...

Bloggers, as I have said before, are not journalists. Therefore they are not bound by the professional/ethical rules of journalism, although I believe the best ones strive for fairness, anyway. And a blog is absolutely an appropriate place for expressing one's opinion, whether written daily, weekly, monthly, or even once or twice a year... In the aftermath of the Board of Education election, local bloggers have had plenty to say. Why not? Private citizens have had plenty to say. There were important issues on the table here, issues which belong to the citizens of Howard County. That is why my post-election piece focused on what the desire for change on the school board was all about: working for something, not against. I am not aware of anyone whose desire was to burn something down. To the contrary, the overwhelming sentiment was a love for and belief in our school system, to want to work to make it better, to build it up. Right now there are two lines of thinking about the elect...

In the afterglow of yesterday's election, I glimpsed a post from a friend that was far from rosy. Hi friends-- So I just got out of a meeting with a large number of colleagues and we've been given our layoff notice effective 6/30. So, if you know of any decent companies offering work for IT Business Analysts, Data Analysts and Product Managers, let me know and I'll pass them along. Namaste So I'm putting this out there to readers of this blog. What good is social capital if one doesn't use it for good? Let's get these people (especially my friend) some jobs. If you have leads/suggestions to pass along, post them in the comments section or email me at the address associated with the blog. Let's do this thing.

What to say? It's Wednesday morning in Howard County. Five out of the top six candidates for board of education are challengers. Only one incumbent will go forward to the general election. From the Howard County Times: With 110 of 124 precincts reporting, Kirsten Coombs, Christina Delmont-Small, Mavis Ellis, Janet Siddiqui, Vicky Cutroneo and Robert Miller were the top six vote-getters, respectively, and will advance to the Nov. 8 general election to compete for three seats on the school board. Miller led Corey Andrews, at 21 the youngest school board candidate, by five votes. Janet Siddiqui was the only incumbent to receive enough votes to move past Tuesday's primary. I saw a quote yesterday from a supporter of one of the incumbents that he was trying to fight back against anti-incumbent feeling. I think it's important to note that what made the challengers successful in this election was not that they were against something. It's because they were for something. Res...

Twelve hours from now I would normally be getting my blog post up, pouring a second cup of coffee and getting my family out the door. But tomorrow will be different. In twelve hours my family will be sleeping in and I will be standing at the polls in support of Kirsten Coombs for the Howard County Board of Education. My kind of advocacy usually comes in the form of a blog post or a well-timed letter. But every once in a while even I know that the time has come to move beyond doling out insight from a distance. Sometimes one must go to the meeting, give the public testimony, stand at the polls and meet new people in support of something bigger than oneself. In twelve hours that time will come again for me. As you are reading you are probably realizing that I wrote this twelve hours ago because I have not figured out a way to stand at the polls and blog at the same time. As I write my daughter is looking forward to watching "Dancing With The Stars", and my husband is playing th...

Today I'm sharing a letter from the Howard County Parents for School Music to the Howard County Council pertaining to the Superintendent's proposed budget. ***** Dear Howard County Council Members, I am writing to you today with regard to the Howard County School System budget, currently under review by the County Council, on behalf of Howard County Parents for School Music, a service and advocacy organization representing music and arts interests in HCPSS. We were recently asked if we would be willing to support the full funding of this budget at the county and state level. Upon first review, the answer was a resounding yes, increased teacher salaries, maintenance efforts, and funding for growing enrollment are all things we can get behind wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, upon doing our due diligence on the budget, we discovered that buried in this budget is an increase to fund the expansion of elementary world language. While on the surface we do not oppose this idea, what it...

Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Reneé Foose, has submitted a request for a whopping $ 838.7 million for the 2017 year. County Executive Alan Kittleman has countered with the following:   Call it gamesmanship, upmanship, or an elaborate game of Chicken, but what is going on here has very real consequences for our children and our community. Dr. Foose's response to Mr. Kittleman's proposal has been highly critical. The Board of Education's response (at Thursday's board meeting) was to float ideas like increasing class sizes and instituting furlough days.   Not so fast.   Didn't your teachers remind you time and again to read the directions before you do your work? Read the excerpt from the budget again. The County Executive is directing full funding of special education, teacher raises, and instruction. The Superintendent and the Board should be looking to make cuts elsewhere. My suggestion? Return public relations funding to 2012 levels as an austerity measure. Retur...

There's a festival in Ellicott City today--learn more here . I'll be home gargling hot salt water and feeling a tad sorry for myself. But if I have to be sick, at least I have a weekend for recuperating. I keep closing my eyes for "just a second" and realizing that I'm dozing off. Facebook tells me that the Little Caesars in Oakland Mills is now four years old. Locals say it can't hold a candle to Vennari's, but it fills a need in the community, so--yay! Today also marks thirteen years of service to the community for Oakland Mills Village Manager Sandy Cederbaum. I was privileged to work with Sandy when I served on the Village Board. We are so lucky to have her. Thanks, Sandy! Council Councilman Calvin Ball is celebrating ten years of service on the Council with an event this afternoon from 3-5 at the Ridgely Run Community Center. The County has announced that it has zeroed in on a site for the thirteenth high school, although some folks say that the loca...

This week the Howard County School System has begun a much-publicized push to update their social media policy. Of course, it's easy for most of what they do to be "much-publicized" with the amount of money they spend on public relations personnel. And then there's all the free publicity they get just for being themselves. As I stated earlier in the week, I find this move to be rather hilarious. Here's why. In recent years hcpss has consistently misused its social media accounts to further the management agenda. Examples: Open letter to the community on hcpss website from former Superintendent Michael Hickey which denigrated teachers during ongoing negotiations between hcpss and HCEA. (This was actually illegal. Someone must have told them this, because it mysteriously disappeared.) Open letter to the community from Christine O'Connor which was really a letter to the editor of the Sun. Dr. Foose's open letter to the Howard County Delegation on her blog....

Today's post is basically a recommendation to read Heather Kirk-Davidoff's post on Grounded and Rooted in Love , entitled "The More People Who Vote, the Better". Big surprise: I think she's right. She states: In other words, I vote because I care about my community. And voting makes me care about my community more. Of course I have been urging you for quite some time to get and out vote in the Board of Education Election. (Today is the last day of Early Voting; then the Primary is Tuesday, April 26th.) But Heather is talking about Columbia Village Elections, which are Saturday, April 30th. She describes the odd situation in Oakland Mills where there are seven people running for seven seats, with the CA rep. again running unopposed. Voters are being encouraged to vote for two amendments which would do away for the need for elections under such circumstances. Rev'd Kirk-Davidoff outlines the effort needed to motivate residents to participate in village e...

Something that has been weighing on my mind for some time is the fate of the employees who work in the Central Office of the Howard County School System. They, along with Department Heads whose offices may be elsewhere, and school administrators, are the most immediately affected by the decisions and behavior of upper level management. In a heavily top-down system, when the ball gets rolling, it rolls directly onto them. Tom Coale's post on HoCoRising , "My Questions for the Howard County Board of Education", spurred me to write about this topic. He asks: On February 4, 2016, were HCPSS administrators instructed via text message to remain in their chairs after the budget discussion? If so, why? Also, were school principals directed to attend the contract renewal meeting? If so, why? Were HCPSS personnel directed to testify regarding state legislation that would have elected future Board members by district? Did the Administration use HCPSS email to coordinate th...

I'm resisting the urge to write about the Presidential race today. That's not really my department. I will say that I am open to reading why people love their candidate, and the qualities and qualifications that make that person the best. I am oh, so everlastingly tired of nasty smear articles about the candidates they don't like. These will convince no one and do nothing but spread ill will. Can we agree that we don't need any more ill will? There. I'm done venting. The school system appears to have started some kind of initiative against irresponsible use of social media, which is kind of hilarious if you really think about it. I'll have more to say about that later in the week. Early voting continues through Thursday in Howard County. Vote! Tell your friends, neighbors, and coworkers that everyone, even unaffiliated voters, can participate in the Board of Education election. If you have already voted--thank you. I'm putting you in charge of motivating som...

I came out of the Food Lion yesterday and the day was shaping up to be gorgeous. The sky was clear and blue, the sun was out, the air was gentle against my skin. It felt like--hmm--it felt like Farmers Market weather. I looked down at the other end of the parking lot and imagined all our familiar vendors in their places. Soon, really soon, I'll be coming over of a Sunday for fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, herbs, honey, baked goods, flowers and plants...even coffee and sometimes wine are available. In the past we've had live music, too. Folks come on foot, by bicycle, and by car as they make their weekly pilgrimage for the freshest and most seasonal foods on offer locally. The Oakland Mills Farmers Market is a place to bump into neighbors and friends, too. It's a safe space for parents to let their children wander around and investigate. On special days there are activities for children. People walk their dogs, and the dogs are generally pretty 'chill' an...

On December 8th I wrote a post entitled "The Other Side of Rouse" about the irony of the Oakland Mills High School Music Department giving a concert to benefit needy children while a substantial portion of their own members could not afford to go on their school trip to Nashville, Tennesee. School parent Ann Faust set up a Go Fund Me account to raise the money to support students who might otherwise be excluded. She wrote: As many of you know my children attend Title 1 schools, with very diverse and rich kaleidoscope of families. One of the most important things about Title 1 schools is that we have more lower-income families in our schools. This is true in Oakland Mills High School, yet it is also true that even if we go to the games with non-matching socks, or play our music with mostly lender instruments we still manage to get our name on the top. When our musicians attend to any kind of adjudication they usually come home with superior results. Our children are bright, d...

Word has reached me that the candidate for CA Board in Harpers Choice, Alan Klein, is circulating campaign materials which are less than truthful. (That's the most polite way to say it.) As he faces down opponent Bob Fontaine, Mr. Klein's plan appears to be to sow fear and misconceptions. Having read what he is peddling, I'd like to offer the following observations: 1. Klein is consistently critical of the Columbia Association. He attacks it for not representing residents, not adhering to Rouse's vision, not operating transparently. 2. Klein demands return of "Symphony Woods" to "CA control." This makes no sense. After spending so much time and effort convincing us that the Columbia Association is not to be trusted, why on earth would voters wish to entrust them with the care of Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods? You just can't have it both ways, Mr. Klein. In being so thoroughly critical of everything, Mr. Klein's underlying message ...

There's a party tonight in Ellicott City and if you're a blogger, a blog reader, or just love to follow the HoCo scene on social media, you should go. It's from five to seven pm at HorseSpirit Arts Gallery . Sign up here. I'd love to go but I work late these days. My Friday night plan involves flopping on the couch and eating leftovers or takeout. You can do better. Go to the party and then tell me how it went. Speaking of parties, I had the honor of attending the Howard County Schools Friends of Education reception yesterday afternoon, in support of Vicky Cutroneo. Vicky was recognized as a nominee for the award. You may recall that I nominated her for her work in creating "Mold in Howard County Schools--Information for Parents" and her advocacy on behalf of students, parents, and staff. Here she is receiving her certificate, flanked by Superintendent Reneé Foose and Board Chair Christine O'Connor. It was a lovely event with punch, cookies,...

Checking back in today with Local Man on the one-year anniversary of his record-breaking commute . The original post, "Local Man Breaks Record", is my personal favorite of the more than one thousand pieces I have written for this blog. (Many thanks to the Columbia Archives, where I found the inspiration for this piece.) ***** Village Green/Town² : So, Local Man. It would be great to do a one-year follow-up on your remarkable achievement. Do you have any insights or updates you'd like to share? Local Man: It has been a fantastic year. I've walked to work at least twice per week, excluding some of the really cold months of winter. Village Green/Town² : What keeps you going? Local Man: The realization of the beauty of my Village. Working in a community I love. Lu nches with my wife and daughter help, too. Village Green/Town² : Any downside? Local Man: Well...the worst thing is that the air pollution of car exhaust is more apparent when you walk! Vil...

Continuing my post from yesterday--where was OMHS Alpha Achievers' Faculty Sponsor when this lovely photo was taken? Some of my readers have pointed out that Mr. James retired at the end of 2015. He did retire from teaching, but continued on in his paid position with Alpha Achievers. That is, until he abruptly received this email: We are processing your last salary invoice for the year, and I want to thank you for all your work. We have now reached the amount that we were able to allocate for your work at Oakland Mills. I will be contacting the principal for directions regarding the upcoming school year. Please feel free to volunteer your time and talents at Oakland Mills. However, if any essential functions surface for which Oakland Mills needs representation, let me know. This was before Spring Break. Hmm. Let's think. We have a retired Howard County Teacher who helped found this organization, who didn't want to retire because he cared so much about what ...

This morning's mystery comes in the form of a photograph. Rather like a hidden picture or a seek-and-find, this picture tells a story worth investigating. Published by hcpss on Twitter: Enjoying hanging out at @hcpss_omhs with the Alpha Achievers! @AlphaAchievers1 #CelebrateHCPSS You know who is missing from this picture? Mr. Vincent James, one of the founders of Alpha Achievers in 1997 and the coordinator of Alpha Achievers at Oakland Mills High School. Let me tell you a little bit about Mr. James. From an Indiegogo page raising funds for a scholarship in his honor upon his retirement in 2015: Mr. James teaches the GT Research Program at Oakland Mills High School, guiding interns and independent researchers to pursue their passions and prepare for life after high school. In 1997, he helped found the Alpha Achievers, an honors organization for young minority males. He has served as the Alpha Achievers advisor since, and has been an instrumental role in expanding the organization ...

The Columbia Association is asking people on its Facebook and Twitter accounts: How long have you lived in Columbia? Aaaaah ! Okay, maybe they're just trying to start a conversation but, oh my heavens, it is time to stop asking that question. It is the litmus test to everything in this town. If you go to any sort of community meeting, whether Village, or CA, or one focused around a particular subject, it is the hurdle one must jump over to participate or even express an opinion. "Oh really? Well, how long have you lived here?" What are some better questions we could be asking? Well, how about: Do you vote in Village and CA elections? That would be timely. I just searched the CA website for "Election 2016" and "Election Date 2016" without success. The Oakland Mills website tells me the election date is April 30th. (Maybe I just know how to navigate the OM site better?) The Columbia Assocation website states that CA is "Working every day in hundreds...

On Friday a friend of mine shared this message on Facebook and it's very much an accurate description of my state of mind right now. Hello people of the world, Change is messy. Growth is difficult. Sometimes it hurts a lot. Sometimes we feel alone in it. It is all part of the journey and if we stick with it - sometimes skipping, sometimes tripping down that path - I am certain we will find beauty and goodness. Love, Me Actually, it's a good deal more hopeful than my state of mind right now, which is probably why I find it so appealing. I'm pretty much stuck here: Change/growth/journey Messy/difficult/hurts Tomorrow we'll be back to the workday/school day schedule and perhaps the way forward will be supported by the comfort of well-worn routines. In the meantime, here's a cute story about a duck .  

Reaching outside the Bubble today. The issue of so-called "Bathroom Bills" in places like North Carolina targeting transgender citizens and denying equal protection under the law to LGTBQ persons is not something I can ignore.   Apparently Bruce Springsteen feels the same way, having canceled his concert in North Carolina in response to the passing of House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.   "As a result, and with deepest apologies to our dedicated fans in Greensboro, we have canceled our show scheduled for Sunday, April 10th. Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards." As an early childhood educator, one of the first things I learned about was the concept of logical consequences. Rather than "punishing...

Please take a look at this survey offered to parents and community members for input. Comments? Questions? Suggestions?   There's also a feedback session Monday evening at Oakland Mills High School, which conflicts with a Board of Education candidate forum. If you choose up to go in person, or already went to the one this week which conflicted with Monday's PTACHC forum, I'd be interested in your impressions and insights.  

Eeyore: It's my birthday, the happiest day of the year. Pooh: Your birthday? Eeyore: Of course. Can't you see all the presents? Pooh: Nnno. Eeyore: Can't you see the cake, the candles, the pink sugar? Pooh: No. Eeyore: Neither can I. Pooh: Oh. Well, many happy returns of the day, Eeyore. Eeyore: Thank you, Pooh. But we can't all, and some of us don't. Pooh: Can't all what? Eeyore: No gaiety, no song and dance, no "Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush". But don't worry about me, Pooh. Go and enjoy yourself. I'll stay here and be miserable, with no presents, no cake, no candles. --A.A. Milne What does that even mean, "many happy returns of the day"? I've never really thought about it. A quick search reveals that it is intended to wish the recipient many such happy days in the future, many happy birthdays, not just this one. Makes sense. Local luminary Mickey Gomez has a birthday today. I have a suggestion: celebrate her birthday...