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Our Annual Rite of Recognition



It’s that time again. It’s time to submit your nominations in Howard Magazine’s 2020 Best of Howard Readers’ Choice Poll. You have from now until August 10th, so get going. 

2020 Best of Howard Readers’ Choice Poll (Rules and link to poll)

Howard Magazine is accepting nomination in the following categories:


Of course I’m naturally interested in local recognition for bloggers, which falls under “Personalities”. Last year the winner was Scott Ewart for Scott E’s Blog. (Truth in advertising: I won the year before that.)

There aren’t as many active blogs as there used to be in Columbia/HoCo. Some of my favorites post only rarely. I’ve enjoyed new food blog HoCoNomNom over the last year but of course the pandemic has thrown a wrench into the restaurant world.   Howard County Progress Report has truly lived up to its slogan, “bringing social justice and snark to Howard County.” The Merriweather Post made a big splash at its inception, aiming to be a local blog with a Downtown Columbia focus. And be on the lookout for more from the new blog from the Friends and Foundation of the Howard County Library.

Some folks feel that the era of the blog is over. My, that was short. Podcast are the “in” thing now. Alas, Howard Magazine hasn’t caught up with that trend yet. Maybe next year.

A new category this year is the Howard County Pandemic Hero. I nominated Erika Strauss Chavarria of Columbia Community Care. Who would you suggest? 

Voting will be from September 3rd to September 14th. It’s a click fest, so if there’s someone you support you need to vote every day and get friends, family, and acquaintances to do the same. That’s the way it works. It’s a bit of a local logrolling contest: you need to keep the momentum going the whole time or you’re out of contention.

Perhaps with the many limitations on our recreational options we’ll have more time to get excited about the Readers’ Poll. Or maybe we all have bigger things to worry about.

One more thing: you do subscribe, don’t you?




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