Village Green/Town²

  “Why are Maryland pools so boring?” asked a poster on the Columbia Reddit. Below are images of a typical pool from the Cleveland Ohio area, versus a typical pool from Columbia Maryland. What gives? The poster, relatively new to the area, uses a pool from Rocky River, Ohio to compare to the Clemens Crossing pool in Columbia.  It’s an interesting discussion. I left Cleveland a very long time ago, but I found the Rocky River pool to be nothing like my neighborhood pool in Cleveland Heights. Cumberland Pool was built in 1927 and is still in use. Cumberland Pool, Cleveland Heights As I watched the conversation progress, I had a realization that we were talking about something which was the topic of much conversation in the past.  Do you remember the word Aquaplan? The year was 2011, and CA held a number of community meetings about the future of the pool system. I attended one of them. (Shocking, I know.) There was quite a bit of emotional pushback from these meetings, which ...

  Once upon a time I was encouraging people to read the Columbia Flier.  Hard Copy, Hard Issues , July 21, 2016 Today there is no Columbia Flier.  This story from WMAR2 News presents an interesting juxtaposition with my post from ten years ago.  Diversity wins: Howard County on track for first-ever minority-majority county counci l, Blair Sabol That’s not how you spell “dais”. Ten years ago I was concerned at how “white” our local news coverage was.  But as I reviewed this week's paper, an untold story leapt out at me. Almost everything in this week's edition could be categorized as The Stories of White People. The article about school suspensions is clearly the exception. But really, I urge you to get a copy yourself and leaf through it. Is this who we are as a community? Is our story just The Story of White People? I still see way too much of that kind of Columbia/HoCo coverage. But it’s not quite so predominant. Not “all better”. Not perfect. And I haven’t f...

  Another day, another mystery. Screenshot from Bluesky Who or what is RingJing? I’ve never heard of this company before. Here’s how they describe themselves on BlueSky: Okay, they have a website . They have an “About Us” page. But it doesn’t tell me who they are.  This drives me nuts. If you want me to trust your product and the information you disperse - - tell me who you are.  You wouldn’t drink water if you didn’t know its source. Especially today, when so much of what we see is the result of an aggregator on the other side of the planet or unadulterated AI slop.  A simple Google search shows that the only information available about RingJing is the company’s own website. So, naturally, the Google AI function is attempting to extrapolate that tiny bit of information into an entire explanation. Ugh. It is operated by its own RingJing Editorial Team.  Okay? They have an editorial team. Who are they? Are they local? Are they also the owners? Is RingJing a HoCoL...

  Hold everything! New HoCoLocal restaurant brings back a local favorite! This glowing testimonial comes from the Howard County Eats FB Group: We went to Tony's of NY in Ellicott City tonight and everything was great!!! We had garlic knots, Caesar salad, mozzarella logs, pepperoni and cheese New York style pizza!!! We will be back again. Yes, community foodies have been abuzz with word of the opening of Tony’s, more officially known as Tony’s of New York, Ellicott City. They’re located in the Enchanted Forest Shopping Center. Image from Google Maps  Here’s a reel from their Instagram that gives you a glimpse of today’s magic words. “ All You Need ” Tony’s of NY EC Have you guessed yet? No? It’s “garlic knots”. Long time hocolocals may remember the outcry that arose when the Tomato Palace at the Lakefront took garlic knots off their menu. The outrage! The laments! And it wasn’t just a brief objection - - people mourned the loss. It was ongoing.  Some folks even went so far...

  It’s Saturday in the summertime. The top story in the Banner is not the usual “What to do this weekend.” It’s this: How to protect yourself as wildfire smoke blankets Maryland,  Sara Ruberg, Baltimore Banner Nota bene: a doctor quoted in the article states that wearing a mask won’t help. A reader comment disputes that. The doctor quoted is rejecting the advice of many public health officials who say a well fitted N95 or KN95 mask can significantly help reduce exposure to these type of fine particulate. Please be more accurate when reporting on public health emergencies. Even Fox is reporting that those masks can help. - - reader comment In my opinion you should limit outside time as much as possible but, if you must leave the house, wear a high quality, well fitting mask.  Lung damage is no joke. This air is ugly stuff right now. Food for thought - - I noticed this comment in a Bluesky conversation about outdoor events this weekend: I'm starting to think that in our li...

  The Maryland State Department of Education proposes increasing instructional time for mathematics at the Middle School level. This will necessitate decreasing instructional time for other subjects. Want to comment? Time is running out. Revised Mathematics Policy Implementation Timeline & Secondary Mathematics Program , Comment form Every time I see those “other” subjects reduced or eliminated in schools I want to throw things. I am not a violent person.  Students are not geese to be force-fed with the aim of producing foie gras somewhere down the line. They are human. We are preparing them to have full human lives.  We have to give them a reason to live.  The more we narrow educational experiences, the less kids have to connect with and care about. What kind of a life is that? It’s also an ineffective methodology for education. We can’t simply pour content onto children and young people. They need to have the ability to absorb it. Reducing time spent in areas ...

  It’s Farmer’s Market Season. It’s CSA season. It’s bury your face in buttery, sweet corn on the cob season. Fresh, juicy raspberries. Salads with every variety of greens. It’s the very best of summer brought to you by our local farmers. And now it’s cyclosporiasasis season, too. Information shared by the Howard County Health Department  Without nationwide diligence in monitoring food safety issues, our food supply is compromised. What we once anticipated as special summer treats are now something to be feared. And it’s not simply a “special treat” issue. Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is an adequate nutrition issue. It’s an addressing food insecurity and hunger issue. It’s also a terrible blow to our HoCoLocal farms. Farm map from HoCoGov While there is information available* about safe ways to consume fresh produce, many folks are likely to deal with this current crisis in food safety by avoiding it altogether.  What happens, then, to our farmers? And to local r...

  Where do you get your local news? Do you like to read it? Hear it? Watch it? I’ve written a lot over the years about print media when it comes to local journalism. Lately I’ve been starting to look at how area television stations cover Columbia/HoCo. I got into a bit of trouble over on Reddit for speaking bluntly about WBFF Fox 45 reporting.  Go away, Fox News! If you look at the general output of Fox locally the vast majority of stories skew "crime", "danger", "fear" while other significant news is ignored. By trouble I mean that it was my first experience with being downvoted. Obviously I’ll live, but - - I was surprised. So let’s look at what comes up in a basic Google search for Howard County for each of our Baltimore area tv stations. WJZ CBS News: WMAR 2 News: WBAL-TV: Now look at WBFF Fox 45: Do you see it? The first three stations are covering a variety of topics. WBFF, the Sinclair station, shows 100 per cent crime stories in the top six hits on...

  From July, 2026: Maryland schools rank 10th worst for racial segregation , Liz Bowie, Baltimore Banner  Halley Potter, director of PK-12 education at the Century Foundation, said racial and economic integration matters for the long-term success of students of all races and economic status. “We have decades of research that show that integration promotes better academic outcomes, better critical thinking skills, better college attainment rates,” she said. From May, 2016:  Eliminating racial divide in Howard school suspensions requires community effort, county leaders say, Lisa Philip, Baltimore Sun  I blogged about this article in July of 2016 - - ten years ago. Lisa Philip’s article, about the racial divide in Howard County Schools, focuses on the continuing disparity in the suspension rate between white students and students of color. Even with indication of recent improvement, the rate for black students is still almost seven times that of whites, and well above ...

  I’ve heard of Never on Sunday, but I’d never heard of Never at Centennial. I was curious. Was this going to be a true confession about canoodling in cars, or a warning about local skinny dipping spots? The post on Reddit started with the words “Never at Centennial Lake.” Earlier this summer, I saw several beavers swimming in Lake Elkhorn in Owen Brown. On Friday, I saw a large beaver swimming in Centennial Lake. Interesting since there doesn’t seem to be much Beaver damage to trees around Centennial Lake, which is normally one of the telltale signs of a resident Beaver population. It wasn’t what I was expecting.  It was a  delightful conversation about HoCoLocal beavers. And muskrats*. What’s the difference, you ask? Beaver, from Wikipedia  Muskrat, also from Wikipedia   If you are a nature lover and/or curious about local creatures in our community, this one’s for you.  Have you had any interesting run ins with local wildlife recently? Let me know. ...

  I’m thinking this morning about my hotel adventures last summer while our bedroom was being rebuilt.  Do I hold a grudge? Possibly. We started out at the Doubletree (Twin Knolls) because it was quite near our house. We reasoned that the location would make it easier to meet with contractors, deal with mail and packages, etc. It started out well enough. The room was comfortable and they had cookies. Soon we realized we were getting something we didn’t want and it was a serious problem. The Doubletree pumps chemical air fresheners throughout the hotel. In the lobby. In the dining spaces. In all the hallways and public spaces. Possibly in the elevators. I was allergic. It triggered my asthma every time I left our room. I reached out online to Doubletree Corporate to ascertain whether our hotel was required to pump chemical fragrances. They said the usual corporate things and told me to contact the front desk.  The man at the front desk said they couldn't possibly turn them...

  Eight years ago I walked in the door for the first time. Trying Trifecto , August 3, 2018 Last night I was there to celebrate their eighth birthday. I got a little distracted at first, though. I really love the Clarksville Commons outdoor space. I’m not sure I’ve ever noticed this bucket chain downspout before.  If you know what kind of a flowering tree/bush this is, I’d love to know. Outdoor seating for diners! I’m a fan. Solar panel installation that looks like a sculpture. You can’t tell from my photo but there are twinkly fairy lights  strung up in the second level where Bushel and a Peck is located.  Dang. I forgot to bring something to feed the Little Free Library  It’s easy to find a place to sit and take a look at the nearby art pieces. The musicians were getting set up for their Friday night gig on the Plaza. It was time to go in for dinner. My friend had picked out one of Trifecto’s signature grilled cheese offerings and it looked so good that I just...

  This is photojournalist Paul Gillespie. From the Capital Gazette Website: Paul W. Gillespie is an award-winning staff photojournalist for Capital Gazette with nearly 25 years telling the stories of Anne Arundel County with his camera. Through Paul's lens readers have seen Navy and high school sports, breaking news, features and community events. Paul has won numerous awards for his work, including dozens MDDC Press Association Awards.  This is also Paul Gillespie: Photojournalist recalls narrow escape from rampage: "I thought I was going to die" , CBS News, July, 2018 Still shot taken from CBS News interview  Gillespie made it outside the building and ran to a neighboring bank for help. After catching his breath, he called his wife. "And I said, Jen, it's me. It's Paul. I'm okay… Somebody came into the Capital office and started shooting people. And it's real bad. And I can't talk long, but it's bad," he said. To help cope with the trag...

  The thing I should be writing about today is this, and it is breaking me.  Howard County officers cleared in fatal shooting of man with autism , Lillian Reed, Baltimore Banner  About twenty per cent of US residents identify as neurodivergent. That includes those who are autistic. Neurodivergence means that your brain operates differently. Different than what? Ahh…that’s the thing. It’s all about being different than established norms. What makes the world more disabling for neurodivergent people is the insistence that there is only one way, the neurotypical way, and anyone else is different. Wrong. A problem.  If our goal was to accommodate everyone, autism and other neurodivergent conditions would be far less disabling. It is the lack of awareness of this and the resulting lack of accommodation which creates disabling attitudes and situations daily.  It’s not about some people getting something extra. The fact is our world accommodates people with neurotypica...

  Giving credit where credit is due: The same people who brought you the Adult Happy Meal… …are also bring you Summer Sips Without the Spirits! Good for them.  ***** Yesterday was Trifecto’s eighth birthday and you can help them celebrate this Friday. Trifecto is the kind of place that would be my neighborhood hang out if only there were someplace affordable to live nearby. Ah, well. ***** Warning: under no circumstances should you view this house listing on YouTube if you are prone to motion sickness. I’m sharing a still shot to protect the vulnerable.  I don’t know why they didn’t spring for a movie trailer announcer with a deep bass voice and contrasting narrative type rolling over the images, too. Yikes.  “In a world where houses light up by themselves and the evening stars speed over the rooftops…” Nice looking house - - though I admit I didn’t see much because I had to switch the video off pretty quickly.  ***** In other big local news, The Stop Grace Coa...