Village Green/Town²

  The sky is gentle now after last night’s violent storms. The weather forecast looks questionable, though.  If you want to be out and about today the morning looks better than later on. But, you never know.  ***** Last night I attended my husband’s Guitarpalooza Concert at the high school where he teaches. It was abruptly canceled two weeks ago when Spring storms knocked the power out. Undeterred, they somehow managed to get another date to rock out one last time, even though it meant they had to set up in the cafeteria. I’m not going to do a concert rundown and I’m not going to do my usual plea for arts education. You already know how I feel. What I came away with last night was something bigger than that: Everyone should get to experience the joy of watching someone they care about doing something that they love.  I sat in a school cafeteria with a decent crowd of other local folks who probably feel the same way. When you love someone you connect and believe with ...

  I read this on Bluesky the other day: Nick Clegg: Artists' demands over copyright are unworkable: The former Meta executive claims that a law requiring tech companies to ask permission to train Al on copyrighted work would 'kill' the Industry  My response: What is it about consent that these guys don’t understand? Here’s the article. Nick Clegg: Artists’ demands over copyright are unworkable , Lucy Bannerman, The Times What do artists think? Leading figures across the creative industries, including Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney, have urged the government not to "give our work away" at the behest of big tech, warning that the plans risk destroying the livelihoods of 2.5 million people who work in the UK's creative sector. PRS for MUSIC , representing artists and copyright law in the UK, released the following statement: Our response to Nick Clegg's recent comments about copyright and Al. The idea that respecting copyright would 'kill' Al s...

I am shocked - - shocked , I tell you - - that exactly ten years ago today I wrote about high school graduations and full spectrum housing. Graduations and Life , Village Green/Town² May 29, 2015 A brief synopsis: not everyone graduating from high school goes on to college. People who don’t go to college deserve to have places to live in our community, too. Wednesday night there was a protest in support of full-spectrum housing in Columbia. Excellent coverage by Amanda Yeager and Jon Sham can be found here. Why do we need full-spectrum housing? Well, simply put, because we have full-spectrum people. Not everyone goes to college. Not everyone can afford to, and college isn't the right choice for everyone. Update from the year 2025: people who have gone to college can’t afford to live here now, either. I’ve been on a kick recently of watching videos on YouTube about a concept called Pocket Neighborhoods.    Pocket neighborhoods are clustered groups of neighboring houses or apart...

  Okay, I live in Columbia, but this framing makes me want to punch the Baltimore Sun in the nose. To raise a family in Maryland, skip Baltimore and head to Columbia, WalletHub says I vented my ire on Bluesky last night: An exercise in self-hatred? It’s just gross. A newspaper is supposed to operate with a kind of journalistic detachment. Still, I think that embedded in the basic commitment to report the news should be a deep love of the community you serve. I don’t mean an infatuation that clouds your judgement. I mean the kind of love that sees and acknowledges the truth, cheers successes, acknowledges failures, and continues, day after day, to write about the significant stories that matter to residents. What made me angry about these words? To raise a family in Maryland, skip Baltimore and head to Columbia, WalletHub says To me they symbolize the sad truth that the Baltimore Sun is owned and operated by people who have a deep-seated contempt for Baltimore. It was completely unn...

  It began with a mistake, of sorts. A friend and I were going to meet at Queen Takes Book for some bookstore noodling around, then pop across the parking lot for lunch at Bon Fresco. But we had not reckoned with the possibility that Bon Fresco might be closed for Memorial Day.  It was. We discussed nearby options but wondered if they, too, might be closed. Then, opportunity presented itself. We just sat down. Image from Instagram, Morgan @anaveragereader I have wondered in the past why there were tables and chairs in front of a bookstore. They don’t serve food or drink, so - - why do that? It turns out that on a lovely day in May when you have goofed on your lunch plans you can sit down with a friend and catch up on everything. Bliss. So many places go to extreme lengths to remove anything that might encourage “loitering” these days. It’s quite a different feeling when you enter a space which is saying, quite deliberately, “you are welcome.” *****  My route home took me ...

  Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.  Images from  Baltimore's Memorial Stadium Documentary , The Fleer Sticker Project Every Memorial Day I think of this enormous inscription, meant to stand forever.  From Memorial Stadium - - Time will not dim the glory of their deeds , Byron Bennett: The stadium was dedicated “As a memorial to all who so valiantly fought and served in the World Wars with eternal gratitude to those who made the ultimate supreme sacrifice to preserve equality and freedom throughout the world.  Time will not dim the glory of their deeds.” The last line is a quote from General John J. Pershing, who was the first chairperson of the American Battle Monuments Commission. Meant to stand forever. Demolished in 2001. I wrote the other day about how my parents’ experiences living through World War II cast a long shadow over their children. My own experiences growing up during the Vietnam War were a bleak counterpoint to stories of WWII bravery ...

I told myself all week that I would write about this today. And now today has come and I have just about lost the will to make it happen. Will anyone read it? Will anyone care? ***** The Nottoway Plantation burned down on Thursday, May 15th. Had you heard? A plantation on fire may feel like justice. But echoes of slavery haunt Baltimore, too  Leslie Gray Streeter, Baltimore Banner Nottoway Plantation persisted into this century by erasing what it really was: a forced labor camp of the enslaved. They sold themselves as a romantic wedding venue with picturesque views. The audacity of that floors me. A while ago I saved this exchange on Twitter which illustrates the historical disconnect which allows this sort of travesty to continue. The first response comes from someone who objects to the comparison of places like Auchwitz with American enslaved labor plantations. I don't think that's the same thing to be honest. The site here is kept as it is as a reminder and a solemn place of...

  The DoodleHATCH Festival is back for three days at the Long Reach Village Center! There will be live entertainment, a variety of vendors, and all of the quirky and fanciful fun that DoodleHATCH has become known for. Tickets are available for purchase at their website . I didn’t think anything could be more over the top than mermaids and unicorns, but…I was wrong. May I present: Tomatothon  at Freetown Farm. Even if you don’t care for tomatoes, click on the link. It will make you smile. Their commitment to the bit is outstanding. So, check out the Plant Sale at Freetown Farm from 9 - 1 today. Maybe they’ll talk you into some tomatoes.  Today’s the Grand Opening of the Old Ellicott City Farmers Market in Tiber Park from 9 - 1.  And, if you are planning a visit to OEC this weekend, don’t forget about the option to take the Trolley. Learn more here . Of course, Columbia Association Pools open this weekend but it may be a tad chilly for that first dip of the season. ...

  Just when you feel that everything pouring out of your social media faucet is TOO MUCH, there may come a moment of blissful reset It is the Timeline Cleanse. I went on Bluesky this morning with the intent of deliberately seeking them out. Some examples of what people share: pets, nature - - both flora and fauna, cute babies, musical performances of all sorts, funny signs, works of art. And whatever this is: https://bsky.app/profile/johnnybarbu.bsky.social/post/3lprdcfrgds2m I tried to find a backstory for this but only came up with this sentence:  “Clown drummer rocks it with balls!” No, really, watch it. It’s not what you think. You probably won’t be surprised that We Rate Dogs posts come up frequently in a Timeline Cleanse. Also shots from backyard camera bird feeders. Today I found dogs, cats, goldfish, lizards, baby deer, baby squirrels, bounty from a Spring Farmers’ Market, a garden in bloom, a pet bird playing with a new toy, art from a museum visit, a joke, a cactus m...

  So, let’s start with these words from yesterday: A reminder: I am not a journalist. This is not breaking news. I did not see it with my own eyes. So, is it irresponsible to share it here? I am uncertain. I will be working today to try to find out more. Well, I did find out more and I posted it widely: I am relieved to share that what a variety of residents saw last night was, in fact, something very different . (Something about their clothing and flags and the environment of fear we are living in makes this sadly understandable .) “A witness chased them down &  it was a group of Quakers marching (sic)  to a rally in DC. They gave him this pamphlet. “ Of all the things one could see in Howard County, Maryland that are unequivocally not dangerous, it would have to be Quakers walking for peace and justice. I taught at a Quaker school for several years and came away with deep respect for their thoughtfulness and conviction. Here is more information about their march, s...

Have you ever read The Nazi Bar story? It goes like this: I was at a shitty crustpunk bar once getting an after-work beer. One of those shitholes where the bartenders clearly hate you. So the bartender and I were ignoring one another when someone sits next to me and he immediately says, "no. get out." And the dude next to me says, "hey i'm not doing anything, i'm a paying customer." and the bartender reaches under the counter for a bat or something and says, "out. now." and the dude leaves, kind of yelling. And he was dressed in a punk uniform, I noticed Anyway, I asked what that was about and the bartender was like, "you didn't see his vest but it was all nazi shit. Iron crosses and stuff. You get to recognize them."  And i was like, oh ok and he continues. "you have to nip it in the bud immediately. These guys come in and it's always a nice, polite one. And you serve them because you don't want to cause a scene. And the...

This is not breaking news. More like five days ago. You may already have seen it. Task Force to Help Guide Columbia’s Future Growth  , Kristin Danley-Greiner, Columbia Patch The County announcement and further information is here. Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today announced the formation of a New Town Task Force, a collaborative effort bringing together community members, industry professionals, and planning experts to recommend zoning updates in Columbia New Town. The executive order signed today establishes a 20-member committee to craft recommendations for future zoning and development. - - from Howard County Government Facebook page The officially nameless, faceless folks at HoCo APFO have already found the time to cast aspersions on this announcement and whatever work is accomplished going forward. I guess it’s a time saving measure on their part. They are planning ahead to discredit the results. But this post isn’t about the topic that the task force members will be a...

Is this Heaven? No, it’s Wilde Lake. Watch the video and you’ll understand. The musical scores sets the mood.  10323 Wilde Lake Terrace, Columbia Coldwell Banker Realty, Jay Hierholzer, Agent    This is the Tidesfall community of Wilde Lake and these homes are waterfront homes. I never would have known about them were it not for a casual comment from a friend years ago. We were having a rather dreamy conversation full of hypotheticals, such as: if you could live  anywhere in Columbia - - if money were no object - - where would you live? Right away she mentioned these homes on Wilde Lake Terrace. I had never seen or even heard of them. It wasn’t that long afterwards that I had the opportunity to see one in the Columbia Home Tour. I understood immediately what the appeal was. I don’t think there’s anything else like these houses anywhere in Columbia, or even in Howard County, for that matter.  McMansions can’t compete if this is what you are craving. The architect...

Chips/crisps Paper towels/kitchen roll Fries/chips Trash can/wheelie bin Apartment/flat I’ve become a fan of the YouTube sensation Laurence Brown and his popular “Lost in the Pond” series which takes a humorous look at how Americans and Brits are both different and similar. As I already have a bit of that going on in my own home, his observations didn’t come as a surprise to me. They are a lot of fun, though.  This is why I wasn’t a bit surprised to learn that a former River Hill High School soccer star is playing professional football in England. Because, as you probably already know, what we call soccer in the U.S. is called football across the pond. Donovan Pines, born in Clarksville, graduated from RHHS and went on to play for Maryland before leaving school to go pro with DC United. From there he went to the Barnsley Football Club in South Yorkshire. Pines even has his own Wikipedia entry, which details his career moves far better than I can.  I would not know any of thi...

  It’s going to be a bit of a hodgepodge here today. Hopefully you’ll find something that you like. A big day for old school Columbia traditions: Wine in the Woods kicks off at eleven am today and tomorrow in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. A few things: You know the ground is going to be wet after last night’s deluge. Plan accordingly. Those amazing pervious pathways that will keep you from sinking into the mire? A gift to all of us from the good folks of the Inner Arbor Trust. HoCo’s very own Sobar will be on-site serving non-alcoholic wines and other beverages. And thank goodness for that. The County Executive announced the introduction of the Old Ellicott City Weekend Trolley service and folks on Reddit are making sport of it because it doesn’t look like an authentic trolley. Sigh. Interestingly enough, I’m not sure that those armchair wits understood who benefits from this service the most: older visitors and those with mobility issues. So maybe it’s not about providing...

 The menu. The Playbill. (Cocktail menu, too) The view. The story: When you don’t get out much, a visit to a restaurant is a big deal. Having the opportunity to experience a fine dining establishment like Monarque in Baltimore is all of that, exponentially enhanced.  Now, Monarque is not exactly a daytime place. Known for cabaret - - and even burlesque - - Monarque gleams by night. Photos show a place of glamour that hovers precariously near what my mother might have called a den of iniquity. That is, if a den of iniquity had a fabulous bar and an exquisite menu.  Yet on Sunday for brunch it was positively bright and airy and the ambiance was easy and comfortable. This is a place that can somehow turn itself around to become a place you can take your mother. And that was a good thing, since it was Mother’s Day. The service was gracious - - not overly stuffy or self-important. Every person we came in contact with gave us their best. From the moment we entered the restauran...

I don’t usually tell you what to do (quite so bluntly) but: here goes: If you are on Facebook, follow Community Ecology Institute and CEI Nourishing Gardens.   On Instagram? Try following CFIN: Community Families in Nature , and The Community Ecology Institute. Why? Well, because they’re an amazing local nonprofit, to start with. And their social media is appealing and informative. But, more than anything else, including them in your feed is probably one of the best things you can do for your mental health right now.  You don’t need to download an app. It’s not a paid subscription service. No salesman will call. Even if nothing else in the world feels right, these folks will bring fresh air and growing things into your social media feed. Really.  Living, growing things  Love of nature People working together Multigenerational learning Community Children welcomed and nurtured Gardens that feed hungry people If you let CEI into your consciousness you will have d...

  Have you seen this recent announcement from Howard County Government? VOLUNTARY WATER RESTRICTION: Effective immediately, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) has issued a voluntary water restriction for public water customers in the surrounding area, including Howard County. Due to the ongoing lack of rain and overall below-average annual rainfall, Carroll County’s Liberty Reservoir, one of our region’s main drinking water sources, has dropped to its lowest point in nearly two decades. To read the announcement in its entirety, click here.  One of the first comments I read responding to this was along the lines of, “That’s ridiculous! How can there be a drought? It’s raining!” Oh, my. Surely that person is some relation to the fellow who claimed that there was no such thing as global warming because he had recently been able to make a snowball. I thought of this last evening when I saw reports of dangerous flooding in Allegany County. Who knows what our commen...

 Two things that are equally true:  My husband hates to take the recycling down to the street when it’s raining.  Wet cardboard can’t be recycled. (It gums up the works.) We all know that April showers bring May flowers, but what do May showers bring? A lowered chance of wildfires, I suppose, a temporary decrease in pollen levels, and a chance to push back at the current drought situation. All good, I suppose - - unless you had been hoping to spend time outside.  However, look at the bright side: my husband will be thrilled not to take all of our accumulated cardboard down to the curb this morning. But here’s a bonus question: let’s say you have some cardboard that got wet before it even made it to recycling day. Is it now rendered unrecyclable forever or can it be thoroughly dried out and then it’s good to go? I need to know, folks. These things bother me. ***** Last summer I put out a request for the best things local things to do/places to go when it rains. Ala...