Village Green/Town²

  Don’t read this. (If you don’t care about Columbia elections, that is.) Columbia Association can’t get residents to vote , Lillian Reed and Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner I don’t have enough time to write about this today, but look for something on Saturday. I can tell you that this article misses what I think is the biggest factor in why Columbians don’t vote.  If they had asked me, I would have told them. Come back on Saturday. I’ll tell you. ***** Perhaps it would be more fun to learn about Quirky Ellicott City. Maryland History Tours is going to be offering a Quirky themed tour in May and I’d tell you more but their helpful link directs me to April events.  Blah. Village Green/Town² Comments 

  Images from HoCo Rec & Parks social media accounts  In honor of Earth Day, here’s an opportunity from Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks: Do you love nature? Want to make a difference in your community while exploring the beauty of Howard County parks? We need YOU to help document the amazing plants and wildlife that thrive in our parks! The City Nature Challenge is a global initiative that uses the iNaturalist app to document local flora and fauna in urban areas.  No previous experience needed — just a passion for nature and a smartphone!  The challenge runs from Friday, April 24 - Monday, April 27. You can participate at your convenience, anytime during those four days!  To get involved, sign up at https://tinyurl.com/HCRP-NatureChallenge  A Park Ranger will reach out with your assigned park and instructions. If you are curious about the iNaturalist app, you can learn more at their website.   Interested in Howard County’s natural ...

  This, my friends, is a chukar. Chukar sighting in Howard County, 2026 via Western Howard County Shares And here’s another one. Chukar sighting in Washington County, 2025 via MD Birding I had never seen nor even heard of a chukar before coming across the image posted on the Western Howard County Shares Facebook Group.  This chukar was seen at Glenwood Middle School, this morning in case anyone is missing a member of their flock! On the basis of two images and absolutely no research I concluded that the chukar is short and round. No, it’s upright and skinny. What’s going on with the neck here? It’s okay. You can laugh. My knowledge of birds is limited. What I know now is that the chukar is a partridge . It is not native to Maryland. Usually when you see one it’s because it is being used as a “bait bird” in recreational hunting activities. Sigh. As far as the particular chukar spotted in Howard County, I don’t think they were able to ascertain where it came from. According to ...

  The trouble with renters is that they are looking for a decent place to live that they can afford.  That’s it. That’s the problem. They’re not inherently “less than” homeowners. They aren’t guaranteed to represent a transient/bad element in a neighborhood.  They don’t care less about where they live.  Renters do valuable, necessary jobs in a community and by valuable I mean something you need that you couldn’t do yourself. That could be teachers or nurses or firefighters but can also be the cook in your favorite restaurant, a mechanic, janitorial staff at the hospital or the check out clerk at the grocery where you like to shop. But, in fact, it doesn’t matter whether any particular homeowner thinks that renters are worth including. It’s ridiculous to think that anyone needs to make a case to include them. How would you like it if your sense of belonging in any given place was dependent upon someone else’s opinion? Renters belong in Howard County and yet so many fo...

  WMAR-2 News Baltimore: Photos released of suspect connected to Friday’s Columbia gas station shooting. Until I read the comments on Facebook I was under the impression that the crime was shooting someone. Here’s the article itself: Police release photos of suspect connected to Friday's Columbia gas station shooting , Dominick Philippe-Auguste, WMAR-2 News Baltimore  You can be forgiven for making the same mistake. The journalist covering the story did, too. Officers responded to the gas station in the 7200 block of Cradlerock Way, where they found an employee suffering from a gunshot wound. But the photos changed everything. Police photo used in conjunction with WMAR2News article  If you read the comments the true crime emerges: Suspect is fat. Suspect is a fat woman Suspect is a fat Black woman. Folks just went to town with every fat joke in the book. Clearly they felt they had been given a free pass because our culture allows fat shaming and often even condones and en...

  Good news: I’m home for 24 hours. Bad news: our AC is broken. Good news: our AC people are coming between four and eight pm today. The bad news: I didn’t get the best sleep of my life last night. It’s a clip show today, folks.  Today is Spring Fest in Old Ellicott City. At Clarksville Commons they are celebrating Earth Day. The Howard County Genealogical Society is hosting a free Help Desk Event.   You can contribute to the Period Product Drive initiative hosted by the Howard County Women’s Giving Circle and Young Women's Giving Circle. The PTA Council of Howard County is holding a Candidate Forum featuring Board of Education and County Council candidates.  Don’t forget you can bring your sketchbook down to the Lakefront for Scribble! from 11 am - 1 pm. This looks like a fun Trivia Night event at Tribos Peri Peri with delicious food and a Pakistani theme: Oh, and one more thing. It turns out that Stripology is not what I thought it was. Oops. FYI: The folks at Mer...

  I watched a video of comedian Josh Johnson yesterday in which he describes a phenomenon called “the ick.” It’s somewhere in here . From Merriam Webster: Ick, usually the ick, refers to a sudden feeling of disgust or repulsion that causes a permanent reversal in feeling toward a romantic (or potential romantic) partner. Ick is also used (often without the, as in “a list of icks”) for the cause of the disgust or repulsion itself. It is sometimes used more broadly for a feeling of disgust or repulsion outside of the context of romantic relationships. Johnson describes an experience where he’s pretty sure that his own behavior gave a potential girlfriend that “ick” sensation. He does it in a way that is both self-deprecating and hilarious. By using himself as the awkward one, he has you laughing and rooting for him at the same time.  I had never heard the term “the ick” before yesterday. I thought a little bit about whether “the ick” is the same thing as a “red flag”.  Are ...

  Two local events that may speak to your crafty side.  This Saturday, from 9 am - 2 pm in Columbia, an art & craft supply Yard Sale. I found this on Columbia Patch , by the way. If you are trying to keep your expenditures to a minimum, take a look at this upcoming event at the library’s Central Branch: Got a craft stash that needs a refresh? Join us for our Craft Supply Swap! (Sunday, April 26th) Bring gently used supplies to share, or just stop by to browse and discover something new-to-you. No donation required, just a love of making! Come swap, save, and get inspired for your next project. Register here: https://bit.ly/4sN0n28 Do you like to make art? Show up this Saturday at the Lakefront, because Scribblin outside is back! PACK SOMETHING COMFY TO SIT ON, ART SUPPLIES, & COME SCRIBBLE WITH US! ALL ART STYLES & SKILL LEVELS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. 11 - 1PM APRIL 18 COLUMBIA LAKEFRONT Do you lean towards art appreciation? Stop by Savage Mill to see the works of st...

The playground is at Lake Elkhorn. Have you been there? Our youngest grew up playing there.  Image from Maryland Kid Adventures  The problem? You can’t see it. It’s public restrooms - -  there aren’t any. Well, there are restrooms way on the other side of the park, far from the playground. And they aren’t reliably open to the public. A poster on the Columbia Reddit ( Lake Elkhorn Restrooms ) notes that people are relieving themselves in the woods behind the Pavilion. They note: What hasn't been great, is that no one has a solution to having accessible restrooms (even a Port-a-Potty) at Lake Elkhorn. In a related thread in Columbia Reddit, here is a photograph entitled “Desire Path.” Image from Reddit thread, Columbia Reddit One response jokingly called it a “Pee Path.” If you aren’t familiar with the area, this shows the straight shot from the playground, across Cradlerock, to the McDonald’s at the Owen Brown Village Center. When there are no public restrooms it’s your c...

  In a rare occurrence, I learned something worth knowing in an article in the Baltimore Sun.  River Hill High student’s handbook for immigrant students gains regional attention , Kiersten Hacker  The student is high school junior Roselyn Bi.  With input from the Howard County Public School System student success team and about 10 to 20 young people at a multilingual fair, Bi drafted a guide designed to help ease immigrant students’ transition into American schools. She has also established a nonprofit called Tulip’s Promise.  Tulip's Promise supports immigrant and refugee youth through educational resources and creative programs in collaboration with school districts, refugee resettlement agencies, and community partnerships. The website lists their national and international partners. I’m curious about their local partners. Do they work collaboratively with Luminus, for example? I’m interested to learn more. Have a great Monday. I’m looking forward to spending...

  I’ve been known to indulge myself with “what if?” posts over the years. What if I could own the Columbia Flier Building and live there? What if I could redo it along the lines of the HGTV show “Extreme Homes” or “You Live in What?”? What if the Wilde Lake Village Center could be turned into a History of Columbia theme park? What if the Lakefront could be transformed into a kid’s birthday party paradise? What if the students in Howard County schools could begin each day by writing a thank you note? This is why I absolutely have to hand it to Jeremy Dommu of The Merriweather Post for taking that concept and running with it. Buc-ee’s is Heading North , The Merriweather Post  Dommu takes the what if… Is Maryland's I-95 corridor its next exit? Does Howard County have the land? Does it want the beaver ? …and gives it the full Merriweather Post treatment.  It’s delightfully speculative yet still backed up by the kind of well-laid out assessment of the available facts for which...

  Today: Sunny. High of around 66. Pollen levels will be trying to kill you  high. It’s Saturday and you’ve got things to do. Perhaps: Howard County Green Fest at HCC Autism in the Park, Blandair Return of the clock, Old Ellicott City Children’s Discovery Fair, East Columbia 50+ Center Fostering Hope Summit (youth mental health event) Harriet Tubman Cultural Center  Columbia Orchestra: Cinematic Pops *, Jim Rouse Theatre All these and more can be found in the listing at the Visit Howard County website. Got plans? Something fun I’ve overlooked? Let me know. Village Green/Town² Comments  *This is a $ ticketed event. 

This photo appeared on Bluesky with these words:  Science lady is excited. Alt text: Screenshot from the nasa stream when their science ops person learns that the astronauts observed impact flashes on the moon  This week has provided many opportunities to see moments like this - - where we can see the sheer joy of those involved in the Artemis II mission. Joy in discovery. Joy in seeing the thing that you deeply love - -  and have worked so hard for - - finally come to fruition. Joy in sharing these moments with others. Never forget this joy. Never underestimate the power of joy.  Photo property of ABC News More joy this week from New York City mayor Mamdani as he highlights the importance of public workers. Mayor Zohran Mamdani:  Beautiful day to fill the 100,000th pothole of the year. Screenshot from Mayor Mamdani’s Bluesky account Chad Loder:  Mamdani is not just filling the potholes with the crew. He's creating a visual and personal reminder of the dign...

  I haven’t done a HoCo Holler! post for a while. I’m happy to share this story (with permission) about someone who used their personal influence to make a difficult moment better - - inviting community members to see things in a different way and to feel empathy for people they may not know. ***** We love our restaurants in Howard County, don’t we? We love to eat out, we love to talk about our restaurant meals, we love to try new restaurants. We eagerly await the opening of new places and get cranky and impatient if there are delays.  The dark side of all this is the tendency of some folks to use their social capital to go online and snipe about imperfect restaurant experiences, encouraging others to pile on and validate their views. These amateur reviewers can be savage.  The damage they may do is significant.  There’s no law that says you can’t go online and vent. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Recently one of our independent resta...

Here’s a local job listing.  Sounds interesting. (If you don’t need health insurance and other benefits, that is.) Do me a favor and think for a moment. Imagine the kinds of activities that this job will entail. Okay? Now look at this. Must have own transportation, must be able to operate an automobile …hmm… Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds, remain seated for long periods of time, and bend,stoop, reach, and climb without difficulty. Wait, what? Read the original job description again. Do these additional requirements make sense to you? They do if you understand that they are quite useful in discouraging people with disabilities from applying. It against the law to discriminate against the disabled in matters of employment. However, if you articulate specific requirements that would exclude applicants with disabilities… That’s not technically discrimination. Or is it? Imagine you are skilled and capable and can perform all of the tasks the job outlines, but you are disabled. You...

  Let’s start out this morning by thanking a few people: The person who passed along this blog post to county council candidate James Handley. The writer at the Sun for making the correction. Mr. Handley himself who reached out to me with the update and some very kind words. Here’s the Before: Here’s the After: Do you see the difference? I sure can.  In my first job out of college (library circulation, Westminster Choir College Talbott Library) I came across this quote and posted it by my desk.  If Language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant. If what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done, remains undone. Confucius Accuracy matters. How you say things matters. How you frame things matters. ***** Before:  Image from HoCoGov social media After: Photo credit: Reddit userAneurhythms In between, seen on Ellicott City Reddit:  What happened to the TARDIS in OEC? Some responses: It’s in Rockburn Park now.  Sounds like they’re ...

In order to make up for lost school time, due to weather closures, today will be a school day in Howard County. No one is overjoyed by this, least of all people who had plans made well in advance.  I have nothing useful to add that hasn’t been said by other people already. It may be a difficult day in some schools. It may be just fine in others. This feels like a good opportunity to remind folks that we continually ask schools to turn on a dime, pick up the slack, and just  “make it work” under more than challenging circumstances.  ***** If you don’t have work or school commitments today you can always wander over to Clark’s Elioak Farm. They’re open, too. * New* We will be open Monday, April 6th WITH Egg Hunts • all day! Open Hours 10AM-5PM We will also be open every other day this week and resume our regular hours of Tuesday through Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM (5:30PM on weekends) Come on out to enjoy our brand new baby goats! ***** Speaking of egg hunts… If you’d like to beg...

  Ten years ago on this date I was deep into yet another HCPSS Board of Education race. Five years ago I continued to be perplexed by the lack of transparency from a Columbia group calling themselves The Rouse Project. Today? National news makes it hard to concentrate on the local scene these days. In the past I found myself passionate, frustrated, or even angry about Columbia/HoCo issues. Now there are far too many days when I look at my world and feel more fearful than anything else. I still care deeply about the school system. I am worn out from hoping that elected BOE members will vote to prioritize the most vulnerable. So often they do not. I still distrust groups who won’t tell you who they are.  On the other hand, there are people in our community doing wonderful things. Some of them weren’t in existence back in 2016 or even 2021. (Or I hadn’t yet learned about them.) For example: Columbia Community Care Community Ecology Institute  Merriweather Park at Symphony W...

  In case you were wondering what sort of things pique my curiosity…here are today’s three things. Why do people film tours of local elevators? Tour of the elevators at TenM Flats & The Metropolitan in Columbia MD Tour of the elevators at Howard Community College in Columbia MD Strange Unknown Hydraulic Elevator, 5999 Harpers Farm Rd, Columbia, MD My personal favorite is the “Strange Unknown Hydraulic Elevator.” It’s clearly not unknown. It’s in a building on Harper’s Farm Road. Is filming elevators a TikTok trend? Part of training in elevator repair programs? What is the origin of the logo of the Howard County Historical Society? It caught my eye this morning and I suddenly wondered if it had always been that way and what it is meant to represent. Yes, I did a basic Google search. So far I have not looked under the right rock. If you are in possession of this knowledge, clue me in. This last one might be hard for you to spot. It’s from an article in the Baltimore Sun about can...