Skip to main content

My Two Cents

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 so many wonderful things about our village. I think we need to celebrate our successes, focus on our strengths and build on them.

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 show that we really do. Value. Connections.

You're here tonight because you were the top vote getters in an election where about four hundred households voted. But the flip side to that is that about 3000 households didn't. I would have to say that those missing 3000 households are one of the most important issues you will face as a board. It is crucial that you address this. In fact, all of us who love Oakland Mills must address this. If our mission is to celebrate and improve our village, we need those people on board. They need to know how important they are.

As you vote on officers tonight, I ask that you make your choices based on who would be most likely to reach out to those missing 3000. Who will be the most welcoming, who will listen, give them opportunities to engage and contribute?

I think that person is Jonanthan Edelson. I've worked with him on a variety of community ventures and I've never been disappointed.

In fact, having served on the board, I know what a gift this is that all of you are giving to our community. Some nights things are light hearted and congenial. Other nights things are awkward and contentious. Some nights you are tired, looking at the clock and you just want to go home. But you know that the work you do here is important. It precisely because I know how important it is that I came down here tonight to give you my two cents.

Thank you for making Oakland Mills even more awesome.

*****

I'm happy to report that Mr. Edelson was elected to serve as Chair of the board. I'm looking forward to more positive leadership this year.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more

What Kids Are Thinking

  It’s a Monday in February, and if you guessed that a lot of Howard County students have the new cell phone policy on their minds, you’d be right. It will mean big changes and it will be stressful, no matter how much good we hope it will do in the long run. But on this particular Monday cell phones might not be top of mind, as amazing as that seems. Some kids will go to school wondering if they or family members will be seized by ICE. Some will fear that their parents’ employment will be purged by the ongoing rampage of Elon Musk and his cronies through Federal Government. Some fear heightened and renewed racism as programs that supprted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vilified and destroyed.  Some worry that it soon won’t be safe for them to use the bathroom in school anymore. It goes without saying that some kids fear going to school every day because of the prevalence of school shootings.  And look! Here’s something new to fear. That old hate group, Libs of TikTo...
1 comment
Read more