Village Green/Town²

  There are so many takes swirling around out there this morning. I’m hesitant to offer one. How could I possibly have anything to say that has not already been said? Yeah, well. It’s Friday and the theme is Free Form. Here we go. - - jam ***** Let’s talk about abuse. Anyone who has been the victim of abuse becomes painfully sensitive to what an abuser looks like, sounds like, acts like. It doesn’t matter if their abuse was experienced as a child, in an intimate partner relationship, or in the workplace. The abuse can be physical, emotional, or sexual. There are certain qualities that carry across all kinds of abuse. If you have experienced it, you know.  You forever have what is colloquially known as “spidey senses” when an abuser comes on the scene. It is not a good feeling. It is often compounded by others who refuse to believe you when you express your misgivings.  Living through abuse is hell. Could anything be worse than hell?  Possibly not being believed. Not ...

  It’s graduation week in Howard County. What a joyous time for students and families. Think of all the inspirational messages and good wishes we see and hear as each school ceremony approaches: You did it! You’ll go far! The sky’s the limit! Dream big! Believe in your dreams! Your hard work paid off! You can be whoever you want to be! We’re so proud of you! Graduation ceremonies have speeches, and music, and time-honored rituals. Students, families, and public officials gather with teachers and school administrators to “make it official.” Thanks and kudos are given to the many teachers who guided and challenged the graduating students along the way.  Yet, as we gather as a seemingly united body, those teachers have been receiving very different messages.  You’ll have larger class sizes! Reduced materials for teaching! Stalled negotiations for fair pay and a livable contract! Your position may be eliminated where you love to work and you’ll be arbitrarily assigned somepla...

  There’s a new market in town. The Savage Mill Farmers Marke t kicks off today at 3:30 pm. If you’ve lost count of how many markets we’ve got going at this point, I don’t blame you. The Howard County Economic Development Authority has made a handy-dandy listing. Or if you want to consider it by days of the week:  On Sundays: Oakland Mills Farmers Market, 9am - 1 pm Wednesdays: Ellicott City Farmers Market Miller Branch Library, 2 pm - 6 pm and Savage Farmers Market, 3:30pm - 7 pm Saturdays: Clarksville Commons Farmers Market, 10 am - 2 pm, Maple Lawn Farmers Market, 9 am - 1 pm At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, it seems to me that all of the local markets used to be operated under the umbrella of  the Howard County Farmers Market - - Producer Only . In recent years that dynamic has changed. Oakland Mills and Miller Branch are markets in the “traditional” sense but the other three are managed by people in the locations where the markets are held.  Two things: ...

  Yesterday was the anniversary of the 2018 flood in Ellicott City. I was reminded of this by posts on social media. I’m sure that our community harbors plenty of folks who needed no external reminders: people who were there, who lived through it, who worked through loss and recovery. County Executive Ball marked the anniversary on social media with a statement and a brief video which details the efforts of Howard County Government to make Ellicott City safer when experiencing heavy rains/severe weather events: Today, May 27th, marks the sixth anniversary of the devastating 2018 Ellicott City flood. As we remember and reflect on all that we lost during the 2011, 2016, and 2018 floods, we will continue our work to protect our historic city and its residents, businesses, and visitors. Over the last six years, we have worked diligently to establish key flood safety measures in Historic Ellicott City, as well as implement our transformational Ellicott City Safe and Sound Plan. To date...

  I’ve been wandering around the internet looking for something local to write about in reference to Memorial Day. It’s easy enough to find listings of events. Where you can honor our fallen heroes this Memorial weekend , WMAR ABC2 What I can’t find is a quote I read a few days ago that turned my thoughts about Memorial Day upside down. It said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that all who serve are ultimately fallen heroes: some die on the battlefield, the rest die in big and little ways after they come home, for the rest of their lives. The severity of physical disabilities as a result of combat mean that those who come home wounded may forever be fighting the trauma of their injury. The percentage of veterans who suffer with PTSD, alcohol, and substance misuse as a result of their service is staggering. Yes, they are still living. They came home. But how much do most us really know about the battles they are still fighting? This is not to belittle or dishonor the memory of those who ...

  From the crazy, mixed up files of Village Green/Town² comes this screenshot from the Howard County Times: I no longer have a subscription but the information I saw intrigued me: Elkridge author Ellicott City background (Backwater Books) Eat Dessert First Elkridge author encourages readers to “Eat Dessert First. ” Hmm…a self-help book? “Must check this out,” I said to myself as I took a screenshot. The phrase “Eat Dessert First” brought to mind one of my favorite childhood books,  The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink.  Nothing exciting ever happens to Kirby or Bitsy Mellen--that is, until their mother inherits a motel in Florida from her great-granduncle Hiram, complete with a roster of eccentric guests.   - - Goodreads  One of those eccentric guests was a nice lady who invited the children on picnic lunches where all the food was made from scratch and their hostess insisted they eat dessert first. Every single time. As a child that seemed like the most revolu...

Is Memorial Day Weeknd the official beginning of summer? Or is it when school lets out? Locally, it might be when outdoor pools open. At any rate, Memorial Day has come to be the big three-day kick off to warmer weather activities. Right on cue, here comes Saturday. Farmers Market, Clarksville Commons, 10-2 Plant Sale, Freetown Farm, 9-1 Fiber Garden Demonstration,  Community Ecology Institute, 10 am Yards Alive , Oakland Mills, 2-5 At the Lakefront:  Memorial Day Kickoff at the Pavillion, The Collective Offshore, 2-6  At the Harriet Tubman Cultural Center: HoCo HaHa’s Circus/Magic Variety Show , Harriet Tubman Cultural Center, 6-8 pm (You must  purchase tickets for this.) In Old Ellicott City: Patrick R. Smith plays at Little Market Café, 12-2  Summer Movie Nights: Barbie , The Wine Bin, 9 pm I’ve saved the next one for the very last as it’s an all-weekend activity: DoodleHATCH Festival 2024 : Music, Marmaids, Magic, and More, Long Reach Village Center, Sa...

 A question making its way around Twitter right now: What’s the least expensive thing you own that’s made the most positive impact in your quality of life? If you want to take a look at some answers, here’s a decent thread.  Replies range from truly inexpensive items to more expensive ones which produced a remarkable impact in relationship to their monetary cost. Some respondents waxed eloquent about things they found or got for free. Then there are the priceless items, like pets. Or library cards.  I was intrigued by the answers that spoke most directly to the question, to my mind: low cost, big impact.  Some examples: Blackout film for bedroom windows  Better Than Boullion Microplane  Library step stool A grabber device Ear plugs White noise machine WD40 Reading glasses Long metal shoe horn Several years ago my mother-in-law gave me some wooden tongs for removing hot items from the toaster oven. I actually didn’t know what they were for, at first. Since t...

Today at ten am, the HoCo graduation season officially begins with the graduation ceremony for students at  Cedar Lane.  The school serves students aged three through twenty one who experience multiple disabilities, as well as students with autism. Today’s post was inspired by their special day. ***** Got a minute? Enjoy a trip to Laura’s Place playground in Blandair Park. Autism in the Park , April 2024 (1 min 48 seconds) If you watch the full video you’ll see more than kids playing on a playground. You’ll also see a variety of special activities and experiences from great big bubbles to investigating fire trucks. In addition, you’ll notice resources for families, as well. Autism in the Park is presented through the collaboration of the Autism Society of Maryland and the Howard County Recreation and Parks Department. It’s a joyful minute or so if you have the time. It reminded me how great that playground is and made me grateful for all the imagination and hard work that go i...

I confess to having made a rather appalling omission yesterday in describing Yards Alive and Kill Your Lawn without including CEI’s Nourishing Gardens initiative. My apologies. This is what happens when you routinely skim a lot of printed material without truly delving into it. Until yesterday, my perception of Nourishing Gardens was that it taught people how to grow their own food near where they lived and/or went to school. And that’s not entirely wrong. But it isn’t the whole story. The transforming lawns part had gone completely over my head. Grow Food. Cultivate Community. Protect the Planet.  Nourishing Gardens transforms lawns in and around Howard County into ecologically beneficial growing spaces. What does that mean? We take lawns of homes, businesses, community organizations, and schools and transform them into gardens that nourish people, our community, and nature. - - Community Ecology Institute website You can learn more about Nourishing Gardens at the CEI website. ***...

  I’m coming out of the first significant asthma flare I’ve had in well over a year and I want to give special thanks to those of you who generated Maryland ideas over the last several days. I hope to organize those into a reader-friendly format in the near future. Thanks for being there while I was treading water. ***** Today I have a bit of a face-off for you. In Oakland Mills, we have Yards Alive !  Yards Alive: Saturday, May 25, 2-5 pm Join us for an in-person, self guided yard tour in Oakland Mills. Stop by each yard to see how these homeowners are replacing their turf grass for sustainable gardens. Homeowners/tour guides will be present to answer questions. Map to be shared closer to the date. Meanwhile, over in Ellicott City, It’s Kill Your Lawn !* Kill Your Lawn: Friday, May 17th, 7:30 pm What is Kill Your Lawn? Kill Your Lawn is a series created by Joey Santore, Al Scorch, and Empty Quarter Studios where they comically search for lawns to kill and replace with native ...

  It’s Monday. You may not be feeling too cheery about that. Why don’t we keep going with yesterday’s “all things Maryland theme” today? That was a lot of fun! So, in response to a reader request: We need a top 10 places to visit in MD blog now after this one. My top ten would be pretty simple. I’m not, as you know, a Maryland expert but I can tell you my favorite Maryland locations I’ve visited since moving here in 1985. Many of these are tied up with memories and experiences. So my list won’t help you pack you bags for a vacation, alas. I’m a blogger, not a travel agent. Think of this more as a top ten Maryland memories list. The Walters Art Gallery,  Baltimore Museum of Industry,  Art Museum sculpture garden Summer concerts in the Towson Courthouse plaza (come for the jazz, stay for the wild bunnies) The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall Sykesville, The Inn at Norwood, shops and restaurants in the main street  Oregon Ridge (concerts, fireworks, the honey festival, quiet wa...

  I was thinking yesterday about how I’m not so interested in the Preakness. Or Wine in the Woods. I don’t consider myself superior to them in any way; they just don’t speak to me. That got me thinking about how I’m a transplant to Maryland and whether any of the typical Maryland things have found their way into my heart after all these years. First off, how about some fairs? I don’t have anything against the Howard County Fair or the Maryland State Fair except the HEAT. I have been to both. Will I go again? Probably not. I’m not anticipating that summers will get any cooler. Artscape is a fun and fascinating Baltimore event but the heat renders it impossible for me. Howard County Pride is high on my list because it takes place in the Fall. Not too hot! The Flower Mart in Baltimore is an old favorite. I’m glad it’s still a happening thing, and: it’s in the Spring. How about some Maryland-centric food items? Berger cookies? Nope, too sweet. Otterbein cookies? Yes! Those thin, crispy...

  It’s Saturday.  It’s that Saturday.  In Columbia, it’s Wine in the Woods . In Baltimore, it’s the Preakness . The Banner ran a listing of HoCoLocal things to do this week: 7 Things to Do in Howard County , Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner Still looking? Try old reliable Facebook events. You’ll find a Pickle Ball tournament, a beginne r bungee workshop , and a theatrical fundraiser , among other things. You know I won’t forget to mention the  plant sale at Freetown Farm and the market at Clarksville Commons. UPDATE: today’s rain has prompted the cancellation of today’s Market in Clarksville.  Many thanks to a long time friend of the blog for suggesting the Gaithersburg Book Festival: If I’m going to reach outside of HoCo for the Preakness I certainly can include this event in MoCo. In other local news, Ranazul is getting close to opening at the Hickory Ridge Village Center. The week in typos: supporters of former Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby are h...

The following is a graduation speech that was not given, that will not be given, that would probably not be acceptable at most Christian institutions. As you probably know, it is a response to a commencement  address given by a football player in Kansas. (I have framed it within an assumption of religious beliefs in order to more closely align with the original.) This is the speech I’d love to see someone brave enough to give. Although, addressing just the men does seem sexist. - - jam ***** For the young men present today, congratulations on an amazing accomplishment. You should be proud of all that you have achieved to this point in your young lives. I want to speak directly to you briefly because I think it is you, the men, who have had the most diabolical lies told to you. How many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may be excited about your marriage and the...

  This is the time of year when I really notice its absence. - - jam ***** Lost Sounds, Village Green/Town², May 7th, 2013 NPR has been doing a series on sounds we miss from the past. These are sounds that don't exist anymore, but that some of us still remember. Yesterday they did a story of the sound of the needle dropping on a phonograph record. One of the contributors focused on the sound as a moment of anticipation to the delights to come. His recollections were like a hymn to the world that record albums opened up to us “back in the day.” It is amazing to me to hear that sound today because, before the advent of compact discs and digital downloads, we didn't realize how loud it actually was. The hiss, crackles and pops jump out at us now. Then they were a normal part of the listening experience. We tuned them out, I suppose. This piece brought to mind other sounds which are no more. The over excited static of a transistor radio. The reassuring, repetitive voices at the end...

Let’s see now…I’ve got a whole pile of business and restaurant stuff here somewhere… I’m going to lead off with this one because I just saw it this morning.  The Dish: You Won’t Believe Which Ellicott City Dive Bar Has Opened a Rooftop Speakeasy , Matti Gelman, Baltimore Banner This one caught me by surprise because I did not know that Ellicott City harbored any dive bars. I have been to the Judge’s Bench exactly once; should I have instinctively known it was a dive bar? My only previous dive bar experience was the Mount Royal Tavern in Baltimore, so, I’m no expert. Also, my brain read that as “rooftop” meaning open air and an open-air rooftop speakeasy seems counterintuitive. It’s not open to the air but, really, don’t speakeasy establishments need to be downstairs somewhere? Hidden in a basement, even? By now you probably know that both TGI Fridays and Red Lobster have closed their Columbia locations. The Fridays in the Lark Brown restaurant park was closed in January along with ...

A worthy sentiment: Be kind to Maryland’s primary election workers today - - Staff Commentary, Baltimore Sun I can’t tell you if the piece itself is any good, because it is behind a paywall and I’m no longer a subscriber. I’ve been a strong advocate for subscribing to local journalism and I understand why newspapers are asking us to pay for it. Still it’s a choice to put this particular piece behind a paywall. If I wanted to encourage people to exercise their right to vote, I’d make a piece like this easily accessible. UPDATE: I have since found some election coverage by the Sun available without a paywall today. The piece above is not one of them.  That’s the thing about voting. In our country there’s a huge divide between the party who believes that The People’s participation in the democratic process is so important that we have a responsibility to remove as many obstacles to participation as we possibly can. Then there’s the party that believes that The Vote is so important th...