Village Green/Town²

Electronic devices such as tablets and smart phones have created a world where people consume self-chosen content while tethered to ear buds. Families don’t watch television together as much anymore. A long car ride doesn’t necessarily mean singing along to the car radio. We can live and travel in our own separate bubbles with our own individually curated playlists and watch lists. Live music is a shared experience. We partake together. There is just nothing in this world like a live concert experience. Not only for the music, but for the human connection, the power in communal listening. At Merriweather Post Pavilion last evening the joy of that shared experience was evident during the first concert of Darin Atwater’s Soulful Symphony. “Symphonic Music isn’t dead,” Mr. Atwater stated. “It just needs to be resurrected.” There was something almost church-like in the air as the orchestra and vocalists moved through a program filled with audience favorites and a few vibrant ar...

At approximately twelve noon yesterday I hit the self-indulgent part of summer. I had accomplished my one Really Big Goal for the summer and I found myself in line at the Giant putting a box of Barnum’s Animal Crackers in my cart. Impulse purchase. They don’t have the little string on top for carrying but they do have a cardboard handle. It’ll do. When I was little (yeah, lookout) a box of those animal crackers was one of the few things put directly in the face of children at the grocery for the sole purpose of having them wheedle and whine until they got them. Now every grocery store is a minefield of such items, edible and non-edible. I only remember my mother buying them for me once. I think that may be why the memory is so sweet; it was truly a special event. Later in the day a post about providing summer meals and weekend snacks to hungry children jolted me out of my nostalgic reverie. We continue to have families who are struggling with food insecurity and children wh...

Nowadays everyone has a social media account and a brand and a mission. Even apartment communities. From The Paragon , this Tweet: Hosting a dinner party in your apartment and need supplies? Trader Joe's, The Perfect Pour, and Costco are within walking distance! The Paragon, whose official name is Paragon at Columbia Overlook Apartments in Elkridge, Maryland, uses their social media account to establish and promote interest for their brand. Well, of course they do. That’s the point. They want to draw interest, entice potential renters to pay them a visit, to imagine being a part of The Paragon experience. No criticism here. Just a question. Are there sidewalks? When I read that places like Trader Joe's are within walking distance I want to know if anyone could actually walk or whether they’d be talking their life in their hands. Would the most direct route be through a parking lot? Sidewalks and plentiful crosswalks are key to a claim of convenient walkabi...

The Kona Ice truck was there. The Tiger Sharks Swim Team was there, selling hot dogs, soda, and chips.There was live music from Soultet, face painting, rock painting, and a kid’s prize raffle. Oakland Mills knows how to kick off the summer with a Village party for everyone. In Oakland Mills our motto is “We Value Connections.”  Part of that, for me, is a deep conviction that all are welcome here. Last night, as in any night that events are held by the Oakland Mills Community Association, all were welcome. Everyone was invited. But not everybody came. Last night, as I sat with my family enjoying the music, I was keenly aware that some of our neighbors were missing. On a day which began with ICE sweeping into town and landing in Long Reach, a simple trip to the Village Center for a party might have been an unnecessary risk. Yes, there are very likely undocumented residents in Oakland Mills and yes, I think they ought to be able to come to a community party instead of st...

As I looked out once more from the fifth fooor of 2 Merriweather at Downtown Columbia views, a question came to mind. When did cities become bad? There was certainly a time when watching big buildings go up was cause for excitement. Think of old film footage of NewYork City. The development and density of NYC meant the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Bulding, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center. Of course, Columbia was never intended to be that big but it was intended to be a city. Yet with each new component of the Downtown Plan set in motion, I see protests that this is taking Columbia away from its roots and its true mission. And the underlying assumption is that cities are bad. As I went through school there were many times that teachers taught me a particular line of thought: We used to think_______________. Now we know_______________. We used to think gods and goddesses controlled nature and the planets. Now we know about science. We used to think illnesses...

I have just awakened from anxiety dreams that featured my college bound daughter as an infant, and my suddenly being back in residence at my alma mater for no good reason. This must be because we attended college orientation yesterday. It was quite the experience. I continue to be impressed by how UMBC handles large scale events. But my take away from the day overall is how parental expectations have somehow changed from when I went to college and how places like UMBC have adapted to meet the changing needs. I need some time to process the experience, and my weird dreams. I’ll get back to you on this. In the meantime, did you know that Whole Foods has a hot breakfast bar on Sunday mornings? I stopped in to pick up breakfast on the way to the Chrysalis Kids concert this week. There it was, practically calling my name: challah French toast with butter and real maple syrup, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and a hot oatmeal bar with toppings. It was a special treat for me to pack u...

Friday was Columbia’s 52nd Birthday. There may have been cake down at the People Tree. Were you there? It’s amazing how two whole years have managed to fly by since the much-celebrated 50th Birthday festivities. And it can hardly be possible that this Sunday, June 30th, will be the third Community Pops Concert given at the Chrysalis by the Columbia Orchestra. Three years already? It really does seem like yesterday that I was putting a blanket down on the grass and waiting expectantly for the opening notes. I watched the crowd as it grew, hoping with all my heart that they’d like this new concert space as much as I did. I felt proud to be there with my daughters for the beginning of something new in Columbia. Now, the Columbia Orchestra wasn’t new. No, not at all. In fact, if you think about birthdays, Columbia was only ten years old when it decided to play strings. (Nowadays students jump in a bit sooner, but Columbia was an entirely brand-new being, after all, so we won’t be j...

Airborne. It’s the art exhibit from the MD Air project, and it’s on display this weekend in the Merriweather District. It’s not your ordinary art show, and it’s free. A few glimpses: Curious? Airborne is funded by the Howard Hughes Corporation. Dubbed an “artists in residence exhibition”, its home is the fifth floor of the Two Merriweather building. When you step out of the elevator, helpful teen docents are there and located throughout the exhibit to provide assistance. ABOUT MD AIR Now in its second year, the Merriweather District Artist-In-Residence program brings together  three artists to work, live and create amongst the Downtown  Columbia community each year. The residency includes artists from an incredible  range of multi-media disciplines and is  designed to allow artists to take risks and  pursue new projects while receiving support in the  form of studio-time and space. Artists are selected through a nation...

I’ve been seeing a lot of articles posted lately about the damage that moving schools can do to students. All of those feel like efforts by worried parents to push back against the very real possibility of school redistricting. These articles talk about mental health, long term social-emotional damage, negative impact on school work, friendships, sense of community, and so on. Then I saw this article : Lake Elkhorn Middle incident involving two students violated Howard schools sexual discrimination policy , Jess Nocera for The Baltimore Sun First of all, a big fat zero to the person who wrote that headline (not Ms. Nocera) and made it look like both students were culpable of violating something. The article says something else entirely. One student threatened another with sexual assault. The school investigated this and found it violated their own guidelines for behavior. The outcome? The alleged victim’s mother said her daughter will transfer to a new Howard middle school f...

This just in from the Double T Diner in Ellicott City: #WJZ That moment when you are surprised to see a working pay phone.  Almost wanted to call someone! #raresight Yes, that’s right. The esteemed Vic Carter of WJZ reports this unlikely story and he even includes a photo:                                                              Photo credit: Vic Carter In the spirit of the children’s book Yard Sale ! By Mitra Modarressi, let’s imagine that this is a telephone for calling the past. And since it’s in Howard County, let’s say it’s for calling Howard County’s past. Who would you call?  Why? I’d want to call Jim Rouse, of course. I have a few questions. And I’d love to talk to County Executive Ed Cochran during his years in office (74-78). I’d call Columbia circa its early years and  talk ...

I got a variety of interesting responses to my post about the historical preservation of residential areas. ( Musings on Invisibility ) Some readers supposed: I must be in league with the developer  I didn’t understand that history was going to be erased I was upset that significant African American historic sites hadn’t been preserved I was irresponsible to raise these questions if they might influence the local conversation around Lawyers Hill. There was a time when I lamented that people didn’t comment on the blog. It seemed to me that one of the marks of a successful blog was that it elicited responses, a desire for dialogue. So I am gratified that readers took the time to share their views, especially since the discourse was civil. That’s not always the case on social media. As I have been pondering the responses, I came across a tweet from the Howard County Historical Society. Historic photos can be found anywhere. This photo of a Howard County family wa...

I have several Very Large blog posts bearing down on me. Those are the ones that I generally try to find some reason to put off. They might be too controversial, or they need to be perfect and I’m not sure I’m up to the task. Maybe...tomorrow. Did you hear that Target in Columbia is going to offer you the chance to shop without going in their store at all? Target expands drive-up service in Maryland  , Lorraine Mirabella for The Baltimore Sun Shoppers can place their orders in the Target app, wait for a notification on same-day pickup and drive to a designated spot in the store parking lot. Their orders will be delivered to their cars within two minutes of arrival. Well, everyone else is doing it, right? Grocery stores, and big ol’ Target competitor Walmart... But wait just a darn minute. Are we not killing the goose that laid the golden egg here? Don’t the vast majority of Target sales come from customers who go in planning to buy laundry soap and a birthday car...

I was quite excited to be enlightened by readers who responded to yesterday’s post about Frederick. A tip of the hat to Linda who let me know that a 1976 flood was at the root of the transformation. This article she passed along from the Frederick News-Post is fascinating. How the flood of 1976 changed Frederick: Carroll Creek flood control project is one of a kind  by Nancy Lavin As Howard County moves forward to address devastating flooding issues in Ellicott City, it’s interesting to note this project which was a dream big, long-term solution. I’m sure anyone involved in Ellicott City flood remediation knows all about this, but, I did not. And so, for me, wondering how we can possibly protect Ellicott City and preserve its character takes on a new perspective when I see how it might be possible to make choices that also create something new. Not “the same as” Frederick. But, similarly transformational. Sometimes dreaming big and making the big investment is also the ...

For Father’s Day the plan was to drive to Charles Village in Baltimore to try a place called  Doner Bros . My husband’s college years in Manchester left him with a deep love of all things “doner kebab” and he’s always up for finding a new place where he can indulge his cravings. (He’s deliriously happy about Halal Guys.) At the last minute we realized that Baltimore Pride was on Saturday and that getting in and out of Charles Village might be impossible. To the Internet! It was soon established that there was a place called Doner Bistro in Frederick. So, to Frederick we went. You know the deal. I don’t get out of The Bubble much. A forty-five minute drive just for dinner is not the usual for me. But this was for Father’s Day, and it was a beautiful evening, and it was family, and it felt like an adventure. (And yes, I really should get out more.) When we arrived in the vicinity of the restaurant we saw lots of cars parked along the streets. Soon we noticed folks walking ...

I would like to thank the weather gods for giving us beautiful Lakefest weather. My daughter and I went down to the Lakefront Friday evening and it was gorgeous. The weather, I mean. Well, also the Lakefront. Filled with the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of a festival weekend. It was cool to see a table set up to help folks register to vote. (Now if we could only get them all to vote in Columbia elections!) The fountain was on in all its glory. Folks were putting their blankets down on the lawn to listen to musicians from our local School of Rock show off their skills. I was sad not to see Monica Rogers Williams and her team From Momma’s Kitchen  at Lakefest this year. They’re usually ensconced over by The Hug statue, giving free samples of delicious cookies and filling orders at the speed of light. Apparently Festival management said no food vendors this year. I’m sure they have their reasons, but really? From Momma’s Kitchen is a locally owned and operated business ...

When I was a child my family toured many historically-preserved homes/museums. I remember that, when we visited Mount Vernon, I embarrassed my mother by asking where all the bathrooms were. Not because I needed one at the time, mind you, but because it concerned me that George Washington and his family didn’t have anywhere to relieve themselves. Did that mean people in those days didn’t go to the bathroom? No. But how they did that was, to me, invisible. I didn’t know about outhouses. Or indoor plumbing. I got a lesson pretty quickly as a result of that question. This moment has been on my mind recently as I ponder the concept of saving land and buildings in Howard County that have historic import. Warning: I’m going to make a big leap here. Fasten your seatbelt. As an example, looking at the Lawyers Hill community, I wonder how many of those homes have ever been owned by Black families. Any? Ever? Certainly not at the time when they were built. I’m guessing one could wa...

              I never know quite what to expect. Each year brings its own oddities and mysteries.                                                      It’s a penguin. But I don’t know why.                                             It’s a turtle for all seasons. (Or seasonings, I guess.) There may be a bear for biker enthusiasts. A place for a horse lover to place their head. And there will always, always be something you can’t explain. Yes, it’s The Great Unpacking for the Abiding Savior Lutheran Church Annual Flea Market. Flea Market Week has its own succession of rituals.  My favorite is called "The Great Unpacking." Early in the week, volunteer...

I had just found the following quote and was pondering what it meant when I got word that Jane Dembner had died. Somehow the juxtaposition of events doesn’t feel coincidental to me. Jane Dembner was  Columbia Association ’s Director of Planning and Community Affairs. I’m not sure there is any job title that could contain the combination of ideas, initiatives, energy, and deep thinking that her work in Columbia embodied. I did not know her well but she always took the time to talk with me with respect and interest. The last time we spoke was at an event held on the Chrysalis stage. She was telling me about a venture she was involved in to actively promote and support racial integration in Columbia. I was struck by the difference between me, a blogger, who writes about local issues, and Jane, who saw the issues, made a plan, and worked the plan. Hers was by far the more challenging work, messier, and involving the building of many bridges.  In his tribute yesterd...

Today, in news that just grosses you out: An Uber driver charged with rape and best place to get a steak were some of the most read stories on Maryland Patches this week. Really, Columbia Patch? It’s practically “Rape, steak, and weather at 8:00!”  Did anyone think about how this looks? If you want to be our “source for all things Columbia” you’ve got to do better than that. I see that Patch is trying to raise revenue by creating a “ membership ” option. After a quick read of the details, I’m not convinced. If you want to “support local journalism” you already have some great options that operate on a much higher journalistic level. In other local news, this upcoming event caught my eye: June 15- World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Workshops and Shred Event Please! Do NOT shred your elders! That is definitely elder abuse. A few more just for fun. This one turned up in my Facebook memories today: Thank you HoCo Times for today’s laugh. “She credits ...