Local HoCo: A Reader’s Request

I’d love to have readers’ suggestions for thrift / second-hand places in the area, especially for clothes. What options do we have besides 2nd Avenue (or whatever it’s called now?) and Goodwill? And I know about Second Chance (in Baltimore) and Belle Patri (McGaw Rd) for non-clothing. But where else?

Oh! One more idea: Highlight the neighborhood Buy Nothing / freecycle / etc. groups.

This, my friends, is a great idea for a blog post. And it wasn’t even my idea. Can you help?

Second hand/thrift places in Howard County for clothes: 2nd Avenue, Goodwill, Salvation Army, Uptown Cheapskate…what else?

For non-clothing: Belle Patri, ReStore…what else?

For books: Gramps Attic, Second Edition, The Last Word (is there still one at Savage Mill?) Novel Refuge…what else?

Send me your local recommendations and I’ll do a comprehensive listing. Some folks are squeamish about giving presents that are not “brand new” and I’ll admit that you need to know your audience. Is the recipient capable of receiving this with joy? Even among your family and immediate friend group there exist people who would be thrilled and others who might be offended.

Creative reuse is not only economically friendly. It’s also good for the planet. It make take time for attitudes to change. An organization that’s doing a lot to change attitudes is Buy Nothing.

If you haven’t connected with Buy Nothing yet:

We offer people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.

Freecycle still exists but I haven’t had any contact with them for years because I kept getting my hand slapped for inadvertently “breaking the rules.” It was too much stress. I am inherently a rule follower and living in constant fear of being excommunicated was too much for me. Your experience with Freecycle is probably dependent upon who the moderators are of your particular group.

When I was about six my big sister gave me all of her Barbie dolls and clothes because she was headed to junior high school. I still remember the thrill when I opened that box. Have you ever received a “new to you” gift that delighted you and/or was extremely meaningful? Let me know.

Village Green/Town² Comments

Comments

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...

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...

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...

Village Green/Town²

Search This Blog