Village Green/Town²

He didn't have to say anything. It was not required of him to speak out. It would have been easier to say nothing. And yet he took the risk of speaking out and giving a voice to many who are voiceless. Yesterday I was stunned by this post from Councilman Jon Weinstein. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month... an issue that knows no boundaries. Something few people know about me is that I was sexually assaulted in high school by a teacher I trusted. It took me several years to come to terms with it when I learned that another student was assaulted and the teacher was going to trial. At that time nobody knew what had happened to me. I struggled with telling my wife (with whom I went to high school and she knew the teacher), my parents, and my siblings because I was ashamed and embarrassed and didn't want anyone to think less of me. The one thing that pushed me to break my silence was my newborn son, Zach. Even though he couldn't utter a word, I could hear in my head the con...

What do you think the job of a Board of Education member is? 1. What power does the position convey? 2. What is the best use of that power? 3. To whom is the Board of Education member responsible? These are the questions I posed to the last group of candidates for Board of Education in 2014. They are still important to me as I evaluate this year's crop. I have added the following questions to my deliberations this time around: 1. Does the candidate value: Accountability Transparency Working Collaboratively 2. Does the candidate understand the immediate challenges facing our school system? (In other words, does s/he have the depth of knowledge and and experience to address issues such as: school overcrowding, the achievement gap, plummeting teacher morale, bullying and sexual assault, illness-producing mold at Glenwood Middle and other schools, and inequity in special education, for example.) 3. Can s/he win? This last question is a tough one. It forces me to look at more than qual...

He was tall, perhaps in his late thirties or early forties. He spoke with an authoritative tone. I saw him emerging from an aisle in Target last night. He turned his head back and spoke to someone behind him. "Well, what did you expect?" He asked, a bit annoyed. "I told you--you're exothermal!" After a few seconds his companion emerged: a little girl, perhaps five. She looked unhappy and her arms were wrapped around her body as she walked. I don't know how these two particular people got to this point in their conversation, but it was clear that it was doing nothing for the child, who was cold and miserable. And quite certainly was not "exothermal." Useless conversations. Exchanges that improve nothing. Disputes for the sake of dispute. Accusations which have no basis. Meaningless controversy. And that brought to mind... The Howard County Board of Education, ladies and gentlemen. While important issues like school overcrowding, the achievement gap...

I get regular newsletters from my County Council representative, Calvin Ball. Sometimes I read them thoroughly, sometimes I just skim, but they are a great resource for keeping in touch with what's going on in my district, and in Howard County at large. But even better than the regular newsletters are the Construction Newsletters. Here's the link to the most recent newsletter. I needed to download an app called Scribd to view it on my iPad. But it's easy enough to email Dr. Ball and ask to get on the email distribution list. (cbball@howardcountymd.gov) Maybe I am just a Howard County local news geek, but I love the Construction Newsletter. You want to know how some big project like the Chrysalis is coming along? It's in there. What's happening with Blandair? Yep, got it. Water mains, road widening, pond dredging? Check, check, and check. What about things in the future that haven't even started yet? Yep, that too. The Construction Newsletter has got you covered...

What would I do without Facebook Memories? "If the town doesn’t start attracting a younger population soon, it runs the real risk of looking like Leisure World in 10 years. The people who understand this dynamic are Julia McCready in Oakland Mills, Ed Coleman in Long Reach, Regina Clay in Wilde Lake and Michael Cornell in River Hill. If you can’t vote, please encourage those who can to visit their village center on April 20 and cast a vote for these good people." --Dennis Lane, Business Monthly, April 2, 2013 Only one of the candidates mentioned won, and it wasn't me. (It was Michael Cornell of River Hill.) Overall, participation in Columbia civic affairs continues to be dominated by an older generation. Oakland Mills' CA Board seat eventually turned over, not through election, but in a carefully crafted private deal which cut out any pesky public input. Columbia is busy planning for the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary year, and the slogan is, "App...

A story from the Mom files: Last night at the store the cashier told B. she was a princess. Ok, I understand that this is what people say when they think they are being nice, but please, cut this out! She was very insistent about it, and when B. loudly protested "No I am not, I am a queen!" she argued with her, repeatedly. They were having a battle of wills right there in the checkout line. I let B. argue her own case, but did explain to the cashier that she prefers to be a queen because queens have more power than princesses. So she tells my three year old daughter that queens sometimes get beheaded. WTH. B. just stared at her, defiant and uncomprehending. Why do some people so desperately need to put my little girls in their places? What the heck, indeed? Why must girls aspire to be princesses? Why must they long to own toys, books, and clothing that have been pink-ified? It seems as though parents must deal with these stereotypes from the moment a baby's gender is kn...

Many thanks to The Frederick News-Post for keeping the public informed about this one: Budget negotiators add language to get rid of 'Beg-a-thon' I wrote about this issue last week. In a letter from Theresa Alban, President of PSSAM (Public School Superintendents' Association of Maryland) and Superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, Dr. Alban accuses the BPW committee of using the time "to advance political agendas." In light of this she suggests that the annual meetings with BPW are redundant and proposes that they be done away with. It appears that Ms. Alban has friends in high places, as her suggestion has now been inserted as "an amendment eliminating the annual 'Beg-a-thon' before the Maryland Board of Public Works next year." (From the News-Post) I'm just floored by this. While I understand that there has been, in previous administrations, some dubious treatment of superintendents during this process, I don't think this j...