Village Green/Town²

You know that nagging feeling that you've forgotten something, but you can't remember what it is? What with all the good spirits and forward motion these days out at the BOE, I almost missed an important date: June 5th. On Monday, June 5th, the PTA Council of Howard County will be having its elections for the coming year. The current President, Reg Avery, appears to be the only person who has put a name in for the post. When I saw that, a little warning signal went off in my head. Or rather, a troubling gut feeling turned up, rather like Detective Columbo in his rumpled raincoat. "Just one more thing, sir. There's just this one question that's been troubling me." Mr. Avery made the news earlier this year when he made some rather uncharitable remarks about a sitting member of the Board of Education. It seems odd to me that the leader of PTACHC would get involved in a lawsuit against the Board of Education in this way. Does this constitute of a conflict o...

As a follow up to yesterday's post about a personal connection to military service, I highly recommend this post from HoCoMDcc. Local blogger Harry Schwarz writes about his father, Lt. William H. Schwarz, and his service during the Korean War. He uses contemporary newspaper articles, photographs, and letters to tell the story. Definitely worth the read. Quick question before I sign off today: what marks the official start of summer for you?

Memorial Day is about honoring the fallen. Veterans Day is about thanking those who serve and have served. I don't really know any of them. Oh, my late father and grandfather served in each of the World Wars. But that is the sum total of my experience with knowing people in the Armed Forces. Pretty much. My life has not been personally affected by the loss of a loved one in military service. I don't have close friends or relatives serving today. More and more I think that there exists a cultural divide between those like me whose worlds are insulated and those for whom being in the military or having loved ones who serve is very much a part of life. This is bound to influence how I experience a day like Memorial Day. I imagine battle and loss of life in a distant sense, like something one reads about in a book. I can't even imagine what that would feel like if it were my husband, or sister, or best friend. Having a volunteer force has created a divide of sorts. And ...

I dropped off two teens for a day of fun yesterday. Their destination? Old Ellicott City. As I turned on to Main Street I couldn't help but recall the horrific scenes of flooding last summer and its devastating aftermath. And now, as I pulled over to let the kids out, I was witnessing such a different scene: a sunny day, folks out and about, many shops beautifully restored. It's amazing. I know that there is still work to be done, I know that some businesses suffered losses from which they could not recover. Even taking this into account, the overall recovery of Old Ellicott City is astoundingly good. So many people worked in so many ways to make this happen. Love, determination, hard work, cash and in-kind donations. Creative thinking and problem solving, too. The recovery in Ellicott City is rather like the proverbial ice berg. You know--the one about how so little of an iceberg is visible. About 7/8 of it is below the surface. There are visible faces and names to the ...

The bells are back. The Columbia Association is still putting a few finishing touches to the new installation.  Since the Lakefront bell tower is one of those iconic structures of Columbia song and story, I wanted to go and have a look at this for myself. As luck would have it, I bumped into David Greisman, who was there taking photos. (This is his picture.) Greisman, who is  Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications at Columbia Association, is a hometown boy with memories aplenty of a Columbia childhood. He remembers sitting under the old bell tower reading comic books. (Was there once a comic book store at the Mall?) It looks as though the new bell tower, dubbed a "bell tree" will be gated off. Sorry, no more comic book lounging. I don't think that's why it will be gated, though.  "You know, sometimes people used to climb it..." his voice trailed off, a bit of a twinkle in his eye.  As you may already know, the old bell towe...

Teachers at my school often ask students to think about whether they are making good choices. As I look at recent events in the Howard County Schools, this expression is on my mind. Was the BOE making good choices when they chose Dr. Martirano to step in upon the resignation of Dr. Foose?  Yes, I believe they were. They were acting to preserve as much normalcy as possible in a time which would undoubtedly bring great change and unpheaval. They chose a candidate with a proven track record. It looks very much to me that they were looking for values as much as an impressive résumé: putting students first, a passion for equity, an open and responsive nature. Is Dr. Martirano making good choices? Well...it's too early to tell. Certainly his beginnings are promising. His willingness to meet with stakeholders and to listen as much as he talks bodes well for a good relationship with the community. The topics that he speaks most about are ones that resonate with me as well: birth-th...

The weather. I'm under it. Sending you to this post by HoCoHouseHon . Fearless I'll be back tomorrow with some thoughts about the new Superintendent and the County Executive's pick for BOE. Stay dry if you can.

Lt. Richard Collins III was killed by a radical extremist. Can we say that? In the aftermath of a terrorist bombing in Manchester, England I am still trying to wrap my brain around the horrific killing far closer to home. The University of Maryland is experiencing a wave of racist ugliness. Since the presidential election episodes of this sort of domestic terror have exploded across the country. Let's call it what it is. This is terrorism. It is radical extremism. We need to set our warning systems to the highest level to protect potential victims. But are we? Has University of Maryland leadership truly engaged with the African American community and acted on their concerns? I'm seeing some discussions on Twitter that lead me to believe that institutional response has been disappointing to the student community. No meaningful education can take place in an environment where students feel that they are more likely to be harassed, intimidated, and even killed merely for...

This is not a community post. This is personal. If you have a chance to go and say goodbye to someone: go. Just go. If you believe the invitation to visit is sincere, then go. I didn't. I didn't want to interfere, I didn't want to intrude. I didn't want to impose some need of my own for closure into someone else's pain and suffering, I thought I was doing the right thing. The selfless thing. The noble thing, even. But maybe I was just afraid. How do you say goodbye to someone for whom you have felt both love and fear, and anger, despair, yet still kinship: a distant kind of familial obligation? How do you reach across years and years of separation? All that you know is that the reasons why everything happened the way it did are blurred and ambiguous. You feel no wisdom. You feel you have nothing new to offer. It was another lifetime. We were different people. That's what people say, right? I was so sure I was doing the right thing. Now I'm g...

There's a new podcast in town. Have you listened to  Elevate Maryland  ?  Hosted by local bloggers and community activists Candace Dodson-Reed and Tom Coale, it has already completed four episodes. Yes, you can find it on iTunes. Each episode focuses around a guest. So far the show has hosted: Former County Executive Ken Ulman State Comptroller Peter Franchot Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Martirano The hosts do an excellent job in balancing the right kinds of questions for their guests with the right amount of time to listen and let their guests be themselves. In addition, the "unsung hero" of the show is Ilana Bitner of HoCoMoJo, who handles the recording, editing, and production duties. The show is taped at Joe's Place Deli. Have you ever eaten there? It's awesome: delicious food, friendly and cozy atmosphere. If you are trying to get a good sense of the new Superintendent, I highly recommend the latest ep...

I keep going back to Wine in the Woods even though I don't really drink wine. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a taste of merlot now and again, but life experience has taught me that wine equals migraines. As I watch people wander through the woods with a glass in one hand and a bottle in the other, I have to suppress a shudder when I imagine the likely consequences. But that's just me. I keep returning to our annual rite of Spring because of this. I continue to be excited about Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods. Despite being a card-carrying introvert, I'm happy to turn up annually to talk to perfect strangers about the Inner Arbor Trust. Wine in the Woods is a great time to do this. You're not trapping people in a room to lecture them. You're not making a do-or-die presentation for funds. You're sharing enthusiasm. This year's experience was especially sweet for me because we had more than architects' drawings and computer-generated render...

As soon as I clicked "publish" yesterday I realized I had omitted the announcement by Byron MacFarlane that he will be running for a seat on the County Council. My apologies for this oversight. In light of this news, here's a short piece I wrote about Mr. MacFarlane in 2014. I look forward to catching up with him in the near future to hear what's on his mind as his campaign begins. Taking the Time (October, 2014) Yesterday I bumped into Byron MacFarlane at a holiday potluck I attended with my daughter. I'm sure you won't be suprised to learn that she immediately ditched me to hang out with her friends, so I was eating dinner more or less on my own. I had set aside my plate and gotten out my crocheting when he came in the room, spotted me, and came over to say hello. In case you don't know, Byron is the Register of Wills in Howard County. I haven't ever needed to see him in his official capacity. I know him solely from conversations at so...

On my radar this morning: BOE has approved a one year contract for Dr. Michael Martirano, 6-0. There are over 30 applicants for the open BOE position. Water main break on Main Street in Ellicott City opened up the street on Wednesday. Merchants on Main Street went forward with their Girls Night out Thursday anyway. (I question "Mules on Main" as an appropriate theme, however...) Carolyn Freel of Hammond High School is HCPSM Music Teacher of the Year, Laura Baker of  Ilchester Elementary, and Ben Deanne of Ellicott Mills Middle, Runners-up. Oakland Mills High School MESA team won first place in the state of Maryland. Today is Bike to Work Day. Newest episode of Elevate Maryland will be taped today at Joe's Place Deli. Wine in the Woods in this Weekend. Come visit me at the Inner Arbor Trust Booth. Don't forget the Abiding Saviour Flea Market Saturday morning, proceeds to benent the HoCo school's lunch program. All the best people will be there. Anyt...

Acting Superintendent Michael Martirano is having a Town Hall event next week at Howard High School. Since assuming his new role within the school system, Dr, Martirano has been reaching out to a variety of groups, both large and small. He met with the leadership of HCEA, with local advocates of HCPSS Community Shares, with teachers, with PTA presidents, with the parents of Grace McComas-- and these are just the meetings I know about. He made himself available for a meeting of the Board of Public Works in Annapolis, and showed up to speak at the Howard County Citizens Association meeting last night. Dr. Martirano is putting his best foot forward as he begins his new job, and the fact that he has a fondness for crazy socks has already endeared him to many. But of course it takes more than meetings to mend broken relationships. And crazy socks, though a nice touch, aren't necessarily an adequate means of judging competence or sincerity. What matters to me is the conten...

This Saturday, come browse through the collected treasures of our church community and find some new treasures for yourself. Yes, it's time for the Abiding Savior Flea Market. We've all read too many stories about kids getting shamed because their parent were behind in paying the lunch fees. Stories like those motivated our Flea Marker director, Mary Jo Deets, to do something, This year's proceeds will go to supporting kids in need in the Howard County Schools by supporting the lunch program. I continue to be amazed at the power of this one event to generate the funds to do good. And I really don't understand how one group of people never runs out of things to donate for the sale. But these treasures just keep turning up on an annual basis. Perhaps a hint to how this all works comes from Mrs. Deets' son Stephen: Every year at the flea market I have to buy back stuff from my childhood that my mother is trying to get rid of.  A word to the wise: t...

With the morning brought the news that my older daughter's father has died. He had been ill for a long time. He loved music more than anything in this world. Take a moment today to listen to some music that you love. Even better, share some music with a friend. https://youtu.be/K7rcmOIsINU

Just a few questions this morning: 1. What is the deal with group Prom photos? This was not a thing in my youth. Your parents took a picture with you and your date. Period. We now have elaborate location photo shoots with the young ladies lined up by the color of their gowns. It's a bit like old school wedding photography. If this makes everyone happy, including the kids, then who am I to object? I just wonder how this little tradition evolved. 2. Do you go to Wine in the Woods? If so, what do you like about it? If not--why not? 3. Who is on your personal short list for that enticing Board of Education seat? Have a good Monday and send me all your questions here: https://www.facebook.com/VillageGreenTownSquared/?ref=bookmarks

The year was 1967. I was in the second grade and we were tasked with making Mother's Day cards. I couldn't draw well, and I knew I couldn't draw well. So I went with a full-on swirly colorful design instead of  a recognizable image. Then, to tie it all together, I added this message: Mom, you're psychedelic-- like LSD! What can I say? I was a child of the sixties. I picked up on the snippets of pop culture that were swirling around me. I can't imagine what my teacher thought. My mom was not even remotely psychedelic. (Just in case that needs to be cleared up.) I had no earthly idea what LSD was. (You probably knew that, too.) I was just trying to do something cool. In my own way. Using the abilities that I possessed. I have now been a mom for over 30 years. Something I have learned is how important it is to celebrate your children when they do just that. If they feel safe in your love and acceptance, they will keep trying, again and again, to do something co...

My Friday night. The exhilaration of high school students immersed in music they love was contagious. It was like being at the best party ever, where everyone feels included.  This is not meant to be a music review. I could talk how challenging the arrangements were, and how the students rose to the challenge. I could talk about tuning, ensemble, vocal quality, blend, the merits of the assorted soloists. But that's not the point I want to make. What we were watching last night was sheer joy. It reminded me of the motto of a school where I once taught: cum gaudio discimus. With joy we learn. The recent trend in our schools to value skill and drill and test scores over human experiences has led many parents and students to think that anything that doesn't give you quantifiable points must be sacrificed to the "College and Career Ready" gods. But the capacity for enjoyment must be cultivated every bit as much as intellectual output. Without the abilit...

And in other news, Fatimah Waseem will no longer be writing about Howard County. I don't know if she is staying with the Sun or going elsewhere. I don't even know if she is staying in the field of journalism. These days it is a hard field to say in. I've attracted both criticism and derision in the past for saying that Columbia/HoCo deserves to have comprehensive news coverage and a consistent journalistic presence in our community. The truth is, no matter how important we think we are, in the grand scheme of things we are just another suburban backwater experiencing the decline of local journalism. This is not to say a decline in local journalists. We have had some wonderful folks writing for us and I hesitate to name any because I fear leaving someone out. Part of that is because they were so good and part is because there have been so dang many of them. So thank you to Ms. Waseem for entering into our local ups and downs and trying to make some sense of them. I wis...

Who is Bryce Hall and why is he over? A quick glance at Twitter this morning led me to this hashtag: #brycehallisoverparty All I know at this point is that Bryce Hall lives in Howard County, is possibly a graduate of Howard High School, and is on tour. He appears to be famous in some way, at least on Twitter. And he said something that set off this tweetstorm. At least that's what it looks like. At first I thought this was an example of cyberbullying and was worried this was a student in our schools. I wondered if I should report it to hcpss. The more I looked it appeared to be a case where teens turn in someone in the public eye. You can be become famous through social media interaction, but the tide can just as easily turn on you. That looks like this is what's happening here. The entire thing leaves me with a bad feeling about how teens are using social media to "take somebody down." Free expression I understand. A huge Twitter pile-on feels wrong. If...

I stopped by the meeting of the Oakland Mills Village Board last night. Here's what I said: Hi there, I'm Julia McCready and I've served on the Village Board here in Oakland Mills. I'm also an admin of the Facebook Group: Oakland Mills is Awesome. So I'm here tonight to chime in with my two cents as you begin your new year together. One thing you should know about me: I'm crazy about Oakland Mills. My husband works in River Hill and now I'm working near Olney. People have been asking us if we are going to move closer to where we work. But that's crazy. We would never do that. Oakland Mills has everything that we want. We love the community, the walkability, the diversity. We love the Farmers Market, the Second Chance, the warm and helpful Village staff. We love being close to Merriweather, and to all the excitement that's happening Downtown. That's just a part of why I don't think that Oakland Mills needs re-inventing. There are ...

I'm excited. One of my favorite things about Spring is the opening of our local famers' markets. They begin this week. You won't be surprised that my favorite is the one in Oakland Mills. I love my Sunday jaunts down tomthe Village Center to see what's fresh, chat with neighbors, and even hear music some weeks. This year we'll even have River House Pizza! Now, if we could only get Neat Nick Preserves to stop by for a few Sundays... If you want to get even more excited about seasonal food, check out the blog AnnieRie Unplugged . She knows her stuff, she knows where to get it, and how to cook it. And her photographs will leave you hoping for a dinner invitation. There will be a new market this year in Clarksville, on the site of Clarksville Commons. I guess this is to replace the one that was held at the River Hill Garden Center? I'm hoping to get out there to try some ice cream from Scoop and Paddle this summer. And of course summer wouldn't be summer w...

I'm a big fan of some of the more whimsical online accounts such as Col Gateway, Ms. Frizz, and, of course, Mr. Trash Wheel. Not only is Mr. Trash Wheel fun, but he's doing his bit to clean up the Inner Harbor and educate folks on how to change habits that lead to pollution. It's a beautiful combination. Recently Mr. Trash Wheel teamed with Peabody Heights Brewery to create a limited edition ale which will benefit Healthy Harbor. Here's a video from the release party. My first response was: this is so much fun! This is what I want to see in Columbia 50th celebrations! My second response, coming fast upon the first, was: oh my word. Everyone is white.* Once you start seeing it, you can't unsee it. There are so many ways our lives are segregated. I keep remembering what a woman in front of me said at an African American Community Roundtable event last year at HCC. I can't quote her word-for-word, but the gist of her comment was that black people had to ...

No sooner than the Superintendent's "retirement" deal was announced I spotted folks online criticizing the County Executive's role in mediating the impasse between the Board and Dr. Foose. In short, the complaints seemed to center around two points: 1. Kittleman is a lousy mediator if he couldn't do better than 1.6 million. 2. Kittleman is patting himself on the back and using this to make himself look good. I object. 1. The former Board of Education, basically gambling with our tax dollars, voted on a legal contract that the current Board (and the County Executive, for that matter) were bound by. May I remind you that former Board Chair Christine O'Connor forced a vote without allowing questions or discussion? Does the C.E. have extra-legal powers that I don't know about? 2. All politicians are self-promoters. It comes with the job. It behooves them to tell the public what they are doing. My County Council member Calvin Ball wrote a brilliant let...

From the kids who brought you this evening of fun:                      Today at four pm:                             Panelists include: Byron MacFarlane: 1st openly gay elected official, Howard County (Register of Wills) Cindy Gissendammer: Professor, Towson University Suzi Gerb: Teacher, Centennial High School Eric Masten: PFLAG This event is open to the community. Hats off to the River Hill High School GSA for continuing to share a welcoming and accepting message in our County. Questions or Comments? Post them here:   https://www.facebook.com/VillageGreenTownSquared/?ref=bookmarks

It's May! Time for all the good folks to gather at the Village Green--if only we knew where that was... So begins my first blog post for Village Green/Town². It made its first appearance on Columbia Patch on this date in 2011. Welcome to The Village Green. According to  Wikipedia , a village green “… is traditionally at a central location and provides an open-air meeting place for the people of a village, for example at times of celebration, or for public ceremonies.”   I am envisioning this space, where I will be sharing my ideas, as a village green of sorts—a place where we have the “customary right to indulge in lawful sports and pastimes.” Almost daily I read news of Columbia’s villages: calling for participation, creating new visions, or struggling to reach consensus amidst polarizing differences. Just as often I cannot make up my mind whether to be encouraged and frustrated by it all.  So, this will be a place to sort it out ...

I saw this question yesterday in a music teachers' group on Facebook: If you could only ask one question to prospective superintendent during an interview, what would it be? Given the context, this is obviously a question from a music teaching job applicant heading into an interview. But, given recent events in Howard County, I saw it in a completely different light. As our Board of Education looks ahead to choosing a new Superintendent for our school system, what kind of questions will they ask? Do you have any questions that you think should be asked? Yesterday Acting Superintendent Michael Martirano held a meet-and-greet event for teachers. He walked away from the podium and stood in the midst of them. And then he took questions. All questions. Difficult questions. Spontaneous, unfiltered questions. If this doesn't seem exceptional, you may not have been following this story very closely. While we are asking questions: Why is Maryland the only state that doesn...

"You're so brave!" I can't remember how many times people said that to me after I wrote a blog post about the Howard County Public School System. "You're so brave, Julia." I need to set the record straight today: I was never brave. You know what "brave" looks like? Going to work day after day in a hostile environment is brave. Teaching classes too large, without enough materials or staff support is brave. Advocating for special needs students is brave. Speaking out against bullying and sexual assault is brave. Taking on the system on behalf of sick students, teachers, and staff is brave. Refusing to accept the ugly reality of an achievement and opportunity gap is brave. Going to board meeting after board meeting with people who accuse you of the vilest things in order to discredit your work is brave. Me? Compared to that, a blog post is--well--just a blog post. I'm clear on that. Today we have some new hope in Howard County, ...

From Brittany Packnett on Twitter: #JordanEdwards. Honor Roll Freshman. 15 years old. Shot and killed by Balch Springs, TX Police. He matters.  How   mindboggling to see this news yesterday when Howard County was declaring May 1st to be Zaching Day in memory of the late Zach Lederer. Zach was a beautiful and inspiring young man who fought and succumbed to cancer. His story has spread and inspired many. His legacy is the Zaching Against Cancer Foundation. It is fitting that we remember him, and honor him. What about Jordan Edwards? He wasn't a local boy. That couldn't happen here, right? Jordan Edwards was a beautiful young man who, in all likelihood, fought and succumbed to racism/implicit bias in our country. That should be everybody's business. Will there be a day in his honor? Will there be a foundation in his name to fight racism? Please, please, please don't forget him. #SayHisName                     ...

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, this piece from May 1, 2013: Soapbox Wednesday There are essentially two reasons why I teach. They are at the core of everything I do: 1. To foster a capacity for enjoyment, and 2. To provide a supportive environment for meaningful risk-taking I have been teaching music and movement to special needs preschoolers for ten years. Before that I taught preschool and kindergarten in a small independent school in Baltimore. Whether I have been charged to develop fine motor skills for handwriting, literacy skills, or to support IEP goals, these two reasons run through everything I have done. Why? Well, because these are the two things I find most essential to life. What is life if we cannot enjoy it? How will we learn or grow if we cannot take risks? The joy and pride I feel in a room full of students as a lesson takes flight is immeasurable. A student who has never participated makes a first imitative movement. Another finally makes eye ...