Village Green/Town²

“If you want to do something in honor of 9/11, acknowledge a stranger, a fellow human, instead of ignoring or (worse) fearing them.” - - Mike Morucci, Howard County writer (and friend) I have shared these words so often that one of these days Mr. Morucci may send me a bill. I am placing them here again because of a single ray of light that came into a dark day yesterday.  Light that comes from a garden.  All images from Howard County Government social media From the Facebook page of County Executive Calvin Ball: It was a thrill to join The Community Ecology Institute to celebrate the publication of a new peer reviewed article, titled "Community Gardens and the Cultivation of Social Capital", in Current Opinion in Psychology. The research backing this article, built on 50 studies, shows how community gardens build resilience, foster belonging, and strengthen civic life. It highlights what we see every day through CEI’s programs—gardens bringing neighbors together, bridging dif...

  Less than a year ago I was was inspired by an article in the Banner to write this piece: One Hundred Years and Other Good News , Village Green/Town² October 21, 2024 The Banner article: Columbia barbershop marks 100 years of haircuts and mentoring Black barbers , Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner   It’s because of Ms. Nocera that I learned about the history of Warren’s Barbershop, now in Owen Brown, and of its long-time Howard County owner, Julius Warren, Jr. His son, Mr. Julius, joined the family [barbershop] business when he was 13. That’s when his father handed him his first pair of clippers.  “Being a barber was one of the best businesses to have back then,” said Mr. Julius, who took over the shop from his father in 1981… Yesterday Nocera was back with more about Warren and his life’s work as she penned his final story. Julius Warren Jr., Black-owned barbershop owner, was an institution in Howard County , Jess Nocera, Baltimore Banner Also noteworthy: Warren was a 1955 ...

  What makes us care? Better yet, what makes us stop long enough to really see? We live in the firehose blast of constant information trying to sell us something or shape our opinions. Much of it is loud. Or aggressive. We mute the sound on television adverts, scroll quickly through exhausting online solicitations and diatribes.  Sometimes it is the quiet things that speak to us. Something gently humorous, perhaps, that appeals to our humanity.  Eyes, for instance.  We are hardwired to see faces even when faces aren’t particularly there. So when a normally inanimate object appears to take on a personality… Case in point: Mr. Trash Wheel.   This adorable front man for the Waterfront Partnership/Healthy Harbor initiative appeared in 2015 and stole my heart. He also captured the imagination of many in Baltimore and beyond. Mr. Trash Wheel has his own website , Instagram account, and his popularity has spawned a veritable family of other trash wheels. He's even...

Three things.  1. Yesterday County Executive Ball highlighted National Arts in Education Week on his Facebook page.  The arts connect us, inspire us, and bring our community to life. During National Arts in Education Week, we celebrate how creativity enriches everyone, not just in classrooms and community centers, but across our entire county. In Howard County, we advocate for the arts. From featuring local artwork at bus stops, to revitalizing community poetry through our Poet Laureate program, to building a new Performing Arts Center in Downtown Columbia to serve as a hub for our local artists and productions. The arts are thriving here—and with continued investment and support, they will only grow stronger, creating spaces for expression, connection, and joy for all. 2. It caught my eye because I had just finished listening to an episode of IMO, where co-hosts Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson interview Barack Obama on the topic, “ Focus on What’s Right About Young Men.” ...

  So far the topic of today’s blog is “You can’t make me.”  It’s partly cloudy, the humidity is high, it might rain. Go out there and have fun. Blah. It’s too hot and damp to feel any inkling of an energetic Fall vibe. Drink all the pumpkin spice you want. You can’t convince me that this is anything more than sad, leftover summer. With apologies for my bad attitude, I must acknowledge that there are plenty of things to do around town today and I encourage you to get out there and enjoy them. If you are called to do so, that is. As always, don’t forget the markets at Clarksville Commons and Old Ellicott City . Bonus: check out the TARDIS. Check out what’s available at Facebook events, Visit Howard County, and The Columbia Mom will apparently send you this information upon request. (Check her Instagram .) A few things: 1. Does anyone know why Howard County Public Schools host churches ? That feels weird to me but I don’t know the history. I wonder if it has anything to do with ...

  Why, why, why did Instacart send me a Year in Review report à la Spotify at the end of the summer? Am I not meeting my personal order quotas according to their projections? Did they think that I would think it was cool? Au contraire. This is painful. Among other things, it reveals me to be the most Boring Person in the World. (Forgive the string of screenshots. I couldn’t make it fit into one unified image without compromising something.) Oh, my. I lead such an exciting life that my notable purchases include lactose-free whole milk, bananas, and the Lean Cuisine Meatloaf meal. Instacart thought I needed reminding? Am I supposed to use this information like some kind of bragging rights amongst members of my friend group? Not likely. Those of you who are ordering fresh basil, burrata, and wagyu steaks are rolling your eyes about now. Oh, the shame of it. I was surprised to see that I like to order Beauty, Health, and Home Goods products when in fact I order food, food, food, and th...

I have a list of over a dozen things I could write about today but none of them intrigue me as much as a report that there’s a TARDIS on Main Street.  This is a TARDIS, a time travel vehicle/device on the long running sci-fi television show Dr. Who. Image from Wikipedia entry The TARDIS (/ˈtɑːrdɪs/; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft. - - Wikipedia This is Main Street in Old Ellicott City. Screenshot from Visit Howard County website   How on earth did the two get together? Better yet, have you seen this? Do you know the backstory? I read an eyewitness account on the Ellicott City Reddit. There’s even a photo . TARDIS on Main Street. I drove past, sitting where the farmers market is on Saturdays. Anyone know… who? Or why? I’m down for the world to be saved regardless. Although it’s far from likely, the idea of Old Ellicott City as the setting for an upcoming Dr. Who episode is delightfully intriguing. ...