Black Mulch

Home Depot had a big sale on mulch this weekend and we took advantage of the opportunity to load up. We weren't the only ones. In the Ellicott City store on Saturday the staff in the garden center struggled to keep up with the demand, particularly for the black stuff.

I watched a steady stream of customers empty out a pallet load of the stuff within fifteen minutes. During that time the brown and red mulch bags were hardly touched.

Brown mulch is out. In HoCo, black mulch is suburban yard chic. 

Beer Madness

In yet another play on the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament  The Washington Post has been running its 7^th annual Beer Madness, a blind tasting of 32 regional craft brews to determine a loco king of beers. A panel of nine has been “sipping, spitting and scribbling their way through 32 brews from the Chesapeake region.”

This is the first year the competition has focused solely on Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

“In previous years we've gone mass-market, global (in honor of the Olympics) and all-American. In this, the seventh annual Beer Madness, we decided to celebrate the local renaissance and showcase the best this region has to offer. All 32 entries come from breweries in the Chesapeake Bay area. We included some local brewpubs whose distribution doesn't stretch outside their front door, and a few small newcomers, such as Wild Wolf Brewing in Nellysford, Va., and Union Craft Brewing in Baltimore, that are just poking their noses into Washington and suburbs. But you can find all of these beers, on tap or in bottles or cans, within the confines of the Beltway.”

We are truly experiencing a beer renaissance in this country. In 1980 there were fewer than ninety breweries in the US. Today there are over 2,400, the highest number ever.

It’s beginning to get a little overwhelming. Earlier this week, To2C reader and occasional contributor Andy Liberman sent me a note about a new wine bar coming to Turf Valley. He wrote that it was purportedly backed by the folks at Perfect Pour in the Gateway Exchange shopping center. It had been some time since I was last in Perfect Pour so I decided to drop in and see what I could find out. While I didn't discover anything new about the Turf Valley venture, I was bowled over by the craft beer selection in the store. They have one of the most extensive offerings of craft beer in HoCo. There’s a pretty good chance that you will find most, if not all the 32 beers in the WAPO Beer Madness tournament in the store.

Andy later informed me that the name of the Turf Valley place is Petite Cellars. Yesterday I dropped by the new shopping center and saw that work was well underway. He also thinks the new place will be similar to Liquid Assets in Ocean City.

Not Yet

“How were the cherry blossoms?”

“We didn't go to the Tidal Basin.”

“You were on the Mall weren't you?”

“Yeah, but I don’t recall seeing any cherry blossoms.”

“Then they weren't blooming.”

Mama Wordbones was right as usual, particularly when it comes to the ways of nature. I went back and checked my camera. I had taken the typical tourist pictures. Standing in the middle of America’s front lawn I took one shot towards the capital and one towards the monument. Bing. Bang. Boom.

If you look closely you can see the beginnings of color. I wasn't looking closely. It was cold.

Peanut and I took a day trip to the National Museum of American History , my choice not hers. Someone is not doing well in US History and I was hoping for some sort of inspiration. I don’t think it took. Hard to tell though, teenagers are notoriously hard to read.

On the ride home I heard on the radio that peak bud time has now moved back to this Saturday, two days above the average.

We're planning on going back on Sunday, with the bikes. It would be nice if we didn't have to wear ski hats and gloves.

“The Natives Are Massing”

The photo above came from Interested Party, a To2C netizen and regular commenter. The note accompanying the attachment was brief and succinct. “Spotted in a Columbia Village. What does it mean?”

At a minimum it means someone has thumbed their nose at their village architectural covenants. Yard art has long been considered bad form in Columbia.

Whether or not it means anything at all besides a spring prank, for some odd reason it made me think of the recent postings in the Howard County Citizens Association listserv. I regularly surf through their discussions, just to keep an eye on them. I don’t really consider the HCCA to be a political threat but HCCA members can usually be counted on to be against anything that involves a developer. Being in the development business I like to keep tabs on what they are up to.

Right now there is a big discussion going on about affordable housing and school board member Ann DeLacy is all over that topic like goose poop on a lakeside pathway. She thinks that subsidized housing should be more equally spread around the county citing a concern about “the lack of affordable housing in places like Maple Lawn, Dorsey Search and River Hill.”  

  “Are the elected officials here in Howard County simply not interested in the allocation of fair housing in all areas of the County? “

Sounds like ADL may be trying to broaden her political base on the left side of town. Naturally she links socio-economic diversity with education. It’s why our schools are so bad I suppose.

My favorite housing hypocrite is Alan Klein. You may recall that AK was kicked to the curb by his full spectrum housing colleagues when the deal was cut on the Downtown Columbia Housing Trust. Not matter what's negotiated, with AK it’s never enough. This from a guy who lives in one of the only Columbia neighborhoods that doesn't have any multifamily housing let alone anything that could even remotely be considered affordable. He likes affordable housing in your backyard, just not his.

You gotta keep an eye on these folks, especially when they are massing…

Good Neighbors

I am unaccustomed to running into my neighbors at HoCo politico events. It just doesn't happen. Over the six years we've lived in our current neighborhood, it’s only happened three times. The third time occurred last week at Courtney Watson's event in Columbia when I ran into my next door neighbors, the good ones.

Seven years ago, as our side by side homes were being built, I first met Hatem. Later we would become introduced to his wife and two children. Maha now brings her homemade baklava to our 3^rd of July parties. When they traveled back to visit family in Egypt, we kept an eye on their house.

At the party, Hatem told me that he was on the board of the Howard County Muslim Council and explained some of the work that the council is doing in the community. He made a point to mention that Courtney regularly attends their functions and has been supportive of their efforts.

I loved this moment. I often lament about the sad state of loco civic engagement and awareness. When I suddenly discovered that, right next door, another neighbor was quietly doing his part to make HoCo a better place to live, it made me happy.

In contrast, on the other side of my house is a family that has also moved in at the same time. They have two daughters and after seven years I don’t even know their names.

We spoke a little about the plans for a Muslim school and worship center in western HoCo. I told Hatem that a friend of mine is on the executive board of Residents for the Responsible Development of Woodmont, which “opposes the project currently proposed by Dar-Us-Salaam of College Park because it’s size and intensity are far in excess of what RRDW believes is reasonable for the Rural Conservation district and the rural west of Howard County”

I sincerely hope that the Dar-Us-Salaam community and the greater Cooksville community can reach some sort of mutual accommodation on this. There are good people on both sides of this zoning debate so there is good reason to be hopeful.

In This Months Business Monthly

The Columbia Council is the red headed step child of loco politics. Even though the elected council members serve as the board of directors of a corporation with an annual operating budget of $60 million and 1,300 employees, very few people pay much attention to its governance.

The system itself is at least partially to blame. Election rules and procedures are inconsistent among the 10 Columbia villages and not all who pay the CA lien are even eligible to vote, including the majority of the commercial property owners.

Voter apathy is also to blame. Even seemingly contentious citywide issues such as the future of Symphony Woods park barely register a blip on most Columbia residents radar. On the other hand, try and take away a neighborhood tot lot or swimming pool and suddenly people start to pay attention, though by that time it may already be too late.

It’s not too late now. If you live in Columbia please get informed and vote on April 20^th or, at the very least, get your hands on an absentee ballot. If you know someone who lives in Columbia, particularly the villages of River Hill, Oakland Mills, Wilde Lake and Long Reach, please encourage them to pay attention and participate. 

A healthy and forward looking Columbia is in the best interests of everyone who lives in HoCo.

You can find this month’s column here.

Buzzard Rock March 2013

One of our favorite loco trails is the hike up to Buzzard Rock from Bloede Dam in the Patapsco State Park. Yesterday, at the trail head on Ilchester Road, the road was lined with cars as locos streamed into the park for the best day of the weekend.

It was a perfect day for a hike, not too cold, not hot.

Buzzards Rock sits atop the Simpkins Mill side of the Ilchester Tunnel and rewards your climb with a nice view of the valley below. It’s also a hangout. Though I don’t particularly care for those who introduce spray paint into an otherwise bucolic setting, I do find some of the art to be oddly compelling.

Perhaps of more concern was the number of people we could see milling about on the CSX rail tracks below. I immediately thought of this video my friend Mickey Gomez shared on Facebook earlier this week.

Train tracks are dangerous places.

On the descent to Bloede Dam, a cyclist passed us on the way up and greeted me by name, breathing hard as he attacked the steep incline. I acknowledged the greeting but I have to admit I did not immediately recognize him in the brief moment we passed. I felt bad but he was wearing a helmet and I was sporting non prescription sunglasses, a bad combination for me on a good day. As I continued down the trail trying to figure out who I just said hello to I turned back and saw him taking a break next to a tree. It’s a very long hill and he was about three quarters of the way up. Who was that guy?

Arriving back at the Grist Mill Trail was like merging on to a pedestrian freeway. Runners, bikers, dog walkers, and all walks in between were out in large numbers getting a much needed dose of medicine for cabin fever.

You can find more Buzzard Rock Trail pictures here. 

Pure Wine Gets a Patio

Last night when PJ Strain told me that he was adding a patio to his Pure Wine Café in Ellicott City my first thought was where. Sitting inside the small cafe I thought the place was boxed in on three sides, with no room in front for outside tables.

I was wrong. PJ walked me out front and showed me the empty lot next to his building that will soon provide outdoor seating for about twenty Pure Wine patrons. The patio is actually perched about ten feet above Main Street.

In addition to the patio, PJ is also adding another dining room, next to the existing bar area that will fill the space between the bar and the new patio.

Work is expected to be completed this spring.

Preaster

Those of us who aren't actively religious still acknowledge certain traditions at this time of year, just like humans have done since mankind began. Certain religious rituals are harmonious with the notion of renewal that comes with spring. I know fellow Catholics who haven’t seen the inside of church in years, yet still give something up for Lent, sincere or otherwise. I actually gave up beer for about ten days, well short of the required forty, a damnable offense I’m sure.

Today I bought a traditional ham, as well as some secular Easter stuff; hollow chocolate bunnies, three dollar cupcakes, cards, and some tulips. A couple of weeks ago I bought home tulips from Wegmans for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. Under Mama Wordbones practiced hands, they lasted twelve days, which is not too shabby for grocery store tulips.

I didn't buy a Wegmans ham. I would have but I only needed a small one, just like the ones they sell at the ham store in Dorseys Search. It used to be called Heavenly Ham but that company was bought by Honeybaked. I don't care what they call the place as long as the ham is the still the same .

At the ham store they were rigged up with stanchions and rope to handle Christmas sized crowds but I breezed right through. The cashier told me that this was just an abnormal break between storms. I was just lucky. Then again it was the middle of the work day.

It was a very quiet day at our office. It’s Good Friday and good Catholics don’t work on Good Friday. I figure there must be an awful lot of good Catholics because all the office parking lots in Columbia were empty but the retail parking lots around town were buzzing. I forgot to check the church parking lots.

There was one other thing I couldn't get at Wegmans, an iTunes gift card in a denomination below fifty bucks that didn't say Happy Birthday. Their stock had been depleted so from the ham store I headed to the Giant where I spotted this impressive display of spring flowers. I decided that for a non religious guy like me, today was more like pre-Easter than Good Friday, or Preaster for short. A Friday in spring when work slows down and people buy flowers in grocery stores.

Happy Preaster!

Musical Chairs

I blame it on the beer. Shortly after this post I received an email from one the participants taking exception to my comment about the lack of Repub candidates for the D1 council seat in 2014. The email pointed out that “Chris Merdon is a strong candidate for District 1 and that was seconded by another member of the group.”

"I really think this needs to be corrected because your portrayal of the GOP is not fair based on the discussion we had."

My bad. I should probably take more notes and drink less beer at our next gathering.

A Merdon candidacy would add an interesting dynamic to that race. Chris held the seat from 1998 until 2006 when he ran for county exec against Ken Ulman. Chris endorsed Bob Flanagan in 2010 when he sought to retake the seat for the Repubs from Courtney Watson, saying that “nobody knows this district better than Bob.”

The chances of the Repubs reclaiming this seat would improve significantly if, as rumored, there is a primary fight on the Dem side of the ticket. Dave Grabowski, current chair of the HoCo Planning Board formed a campaign committee in January, presumably to take a run at the D1 seat. Another Dem, Jon Weinstein, is also expected to announce for that seat.

At our gathering Monday night our Elkridge group member posited that Jon would have trouble getting much traction in Elkridge, at least in east of 95 Elkridge. A primary challenge from a candidate who lives in that part of town wouldn't help Jon's situation.

It will be interesting to see if Courtney makes a primary endorsement or opts instead to sit out that fight and save her blessings for the general election.

And speaking of Courtney…the current council person for D1 held a fundraiser last night at Union Jacks Pub in Columbia. Astute loco politico observers will note that Union Jacks is actually in District 4, Mary Kay Sigaty’s council district, though I didn't see Mary Kay at the party. Courtney spoke about wanting to continue to serve the county but stopped short of an actual announcement about running for exec.

Pints & Politics, Spring Snow Edition

Ten loco politico wonks gathered together again last night in a public house to eat, drink and speculate about HoCo politics. It was the largest gathering of the group ever, the first time that everyone could make it on the same night, at the same time. Anyone who has ever tried to organize a gathering of friends, sans spouses, girlfriends, boyfriends, et al, can attest to the difficulty of achieving 100%. Last night we pulled it off.

The opening topic was the 2014 county exec race. Without much disagreement the overwhelming consensus was that it will be a race between Courtney Watson and Allan Kittleman. Courtney gets the edge right now largely because of party. Most all agreed that Allan could win, but it will be an uphill battle all the way. He needs to get independents and unaffiliated in big numbers in order to do so…no small task in an off year election when the primaries generally determine the victors.

One thing certain, a contest between Allan and Courtney would be uncomfortable for many, particularly some of those Republicans for Watson.

One of the group announced, with certainty, that Maryann Maher is not going to take another shot at the House of Delegates. I’m glad that’s settled. Meanwhile Clarence Lam made some loco waves in District 12 by attacking fellow Dems Delegates Steve DeBoy and Jimmy Malone, along with Senator Ed Kasemeyer for voting against the repeal of the death penalty. District 12 is a new animal with a split personality. Clarence just staked out his side.

The Repubs in the group acknowledged that the loco party has a pretty thin bench for 2014. None could name a potential candidate for the District 1 council seat, usually considered a winnable seat for Repubs. It’s an accepted fact that Jon Weinstein will be the Dem candidate but he can’t announce until Courtney makes her announcement.

Sheesh.

Maybe she’ll do that tomorrow night at her fundraiser in Columbia. At least three members of the group said they planned to attend, at least one other had a sent a check.

Last night, since we were all together for the first time, I decided to take a quick poll of everyone’s political affiliations. The results were three Repubs, four Dems and three Independents. The tenth member actually arrived late, after the tally had been taken but with this individual it was never even a question.

Any Port in a Storm?

Contested elections are usually signs of a healthy democracy except when they’re not. A case in point is the upcoming Columbia Council election in the Village of River Hill. The incumbent, Michael Cornell, is being challenged by a relative newcomer to the HoCo politico scene, Clayborne Chavers. Sources have informed me that Russ Swatek recruited Mr. Chavers to challenge Michael because of his support for the Inner Arbor plan.

I haven’t always agreed with Michael Cornell, his politics tend to be a little too far to the left of my personal comfort zone. That being said I have always found him to be a thoughtful member of the CA board and one who is capable of reaching consensus with his fellow board members, acting in the best interests of the Columbia lien payers.

I can’t say that I feel the same way about Russ. Russ is one of those HoCo loco activists who seem to be against things much more than for them. He does of good job of articulating what he doesn't like, even if it means bending reality to fit his views. Nothing would please him more than to stack the CA board with fellow travelers. I believe that as long as someone agrees with him, Russ is willing to overlook other shortcomings in his political allies.

It appears that Clayborne Chavers has a few red flags around him. A search of the Maryland Judiciary website reveals that he was once charged with domestic violence (later dropped) and has an outstanding judgment in excess of $60,000. He was also recently reprimanded by the Attorney Grievance Commission “for engaging in the unauthorized practice of law on several occasions by entering his appearance in Maryland courts where he was not admitted to practice law.”

If I were a resident of River Hill, I think I’d stick with Mike.

Columbia Gets Some Respect

The Baltimore metro area has been given a new label by the White House Office of Management and Budget. It is now known as the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson MD Metropolitan Statistical Area. To2C netizen, Mike Ratcliffe noted that “Columbia (is) finally getting the recognition it deserves given that it is the second largest place in Maryland and a key economic center.”

“Metropolitan Statistical Areas have at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, plus adjacent territory that has a high degree of social and economic integration with the core as measured by commuting ties.”

Mike also shared a link to an interactive map from the Census Bureau that shows net gains and losses of HoCo population migration. For example, the map shows that HoCo has had a net gain of population from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties but a net loss to Carroll, Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.

Paring the Pear

We took the best day of the weekend to attend to a couple of spring arbor maintenance items, paring the Bradford Pear and shoring up a cypress.

As I've posted before, the Bradford pear is both a blessing and a curse of the suburbs. On the one hand the mass proliferation of the tree provides an early spring splash of white blooms that cuts through the muted background of winter. On the other hand, they are brittle, prone to splitting.

We’re trying to be proactive in this regard. Since planting the tree six years ago, this is the second time we've given it a serious early spring trim. Mama Wordbones says we need to do this before the forsythia bloom. We may be too late already. The forsythia branches right next to the transformer box have already bloomed…

Anyway, we removed branches that cross over other branches and other potential trouble spots. She also snipped off all the suckers she could reach while I held the ladder. 

This will likely be the last trim, for us anyway. Bradford’s grow fast and trimming will soon be out of the hands of amateurs.

During the Frankenstorm, one of our Leland Cypress trees was partially uprooted and leaning towards our neighbors yard. Instead of calling in professionals, we opted to try and fix it ourselves, using a stake and come along rig to bring the tree back upright. We left everything in place through the winter in hopes that it would settle in and reestablish its roots.

It worked too well. The tree is now leaning the other way so we re-positioned and reset the rig and I now have scratches on my nose from wrestling with a fifteen foot evergreen.

Short Walk on a Short Trail

A couple of weeks ago, while driving through Catonsville, I spotted this sign for the Short Line Trail. Yesterday, Mama Wordbones and I decided to check it out.

I lived in this neighborhood until I was around ten years old. I can recall when the trains still used this line, servicing what once was the John S. Wilson Lumber Company on Frederick Road (now Bill’s Music House). The line was abandoned in the early seventies and since 1998 Catonsville Rails to Trails has labored to restore the former right of way to a 2.5 mile rail trail.

We picked the wrong spot to check it out. After walking only a short distance we discovered that the rail tunnel that used to run under Bloomsbury Avenue no longer existed. The most complete part of the trail is found further down the line at Maiden Choice Lane. The section we explored is still a work in progress.

Standing above the trail on Bloomsbury Avenue we decided to go and explore the Lurman Woodland Theater instead. This outdoor theater, tucked in the woods adjacent to Catonsville High School, hosts free music concerts on Saturday and Sunday evenings during the summer months. Yesterday it played host to an Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Catonsville Men’s Civic Association.

Bright Idea

I've actually met a few people who've told me they are beginning to hoard incandescent light bulbs in face the impending ban on sales.

I happen to believe that is a very stupid idea, akin to hoarding buggy whips.

I admit that I once briefly flirted with this notion, particularly considering the fact that the economics of a simple light bulb were changing, dramatically. I can buy an incandescent light bulb for fifty cents. The cheapest LED bulb runs about ten bucks, a ninety five percent increase.

That ten dollar price is actually the good news. Until recently, most LED bulbs sold in the thirty dollar range...some still do, for that and more. A 75 watt LED, for example, will run you somewhere from the mid thirties to the mid forties.

Think of it as a long term investment. In this column in The New York Times, David Pogue writes that “LEDs last about 25 times as long as incandescents and three times as long as CFLs; we’re talking maybe 25,000 hours of light. Install one today, and you may not own your house, or even live, long enough to see it burn out.”

“Yet despite all of these advantages, few people install LED lights. They never get farther than: “$30 for a light bulb? That’s nuts!” Never mind that they will save about $200 in replacement bulbs and electricity over 25 years. (More, if your electric company offers LED-lighting rebates.)”

A LED start up is even making smart light bulbs, opening a new frontier in home lighting...

Yet I imagine that some will still build stockpiles of the incandescents. In a reader’s response column to his first piece, David was asked if it was really necessary “to plug a light bulb into the Internet,” to which he responded “I understand that both incandescent light bulbs and candles are still available at many fine housewares retailers.”

Where’s the Lamb?

This morning a colleague commented on winter’s stubborn refusal to exit the scene by wondering “Where’s the lamb?”

The age old adage about March, “in like a lion out like a lamb,” doesn't seem to be holding true this year. According to this report in The Sun, “The National Weather Service is forecasting a 30 percent chance of rain and snow Sunday night and a 50 percent chance of rain and snow on Monday.”

That’s lion behavior.

Since I first stepped out the door in the the morning chill today, I've had this Little Feat song playing in the back of my head.

Former Prez Pushes Pot

Last night at the Baltimore Speaker Series, Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, called for the legalization of marijuana. He said that the best way to marginalize the drug cartels that are wreaking havoc in his country is to remove the $50 billion market for their products.

He also was quick to point out that Brazil actually has a higher murder rate than Mexico. He wants everyone to know that it’s really okay to visit his country.

This news comes on top of the news that the Maryland Senate has just passed a bill to decriminalize pot in the state. According to this story by John Wagner in The Washington Post, under the senate bill (SB 297) getting caught with about two joints will only cost you a hundred bucks. No arrest, just a fine for the state’s coffers. A tax on joints is another way to look at it..

Further demonstrating his progressive libertarian credentials HoCo Senator Allan Kittleman co-sponsored the bill.

It’s still not a sure thing to pass this year, or at all. According to this story by Erin Cox in The Sun the bill “now moves to the House of Delegates, where proponents said it will be a tougher sell.”

“House Speaker Michael E. Busch said he doesn't like the idea of diminishing the consequences for possessing pot.”

Even if its for only two joint...he's a hard man.

Last night was the second to last night of this year’s speaker series and Sheila Kast took the occasion to announce the line up for next year. The 2013/2014 speakers will be Bill Bryson, George Papandreou, Robert Gates, Steve Wozniak, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. and DaveBarry.

Sounded good to us, we’re re-upping. 

Loco Blogs Out of Touch?

The Sun has launched a new mobile version of its digital content called touch. The software automatically detects the mobile device being used and presents the optimal format for that device. It’s clean and simple but the content differs slightly from their desktop version. Notably, there are no links to loco blogs, at least not so far.

I hope this is only temporary. The Sun always has been blog friendly with its daily digest of links to select posts and its annual Mobbie awards for loco bloggers. As a result the Baltimore media giant has become the top referral site for To2C, accounting for over 1,000 visits a month. I suspect this may also be true for other loco blogs they frequently highlight as well, such as HowChow, HoCo Rising and Well and Wise. I'll bet a good deal of traffic goes the other way too from loco blog posts with links to stories in The Sun.

The number of readers accessing digital content from mobile devices has been steadily increasing with the proliferation of smart phones and tablets. Out of 10,000 visits to To2C in the last 30 days, 1,100 were from mobile devices, one thousand of which were made using an iPad.

HoCo Economic Snapshot / March 2013

It’s still good to be a farmer in HoCo. According to latest HoCo Economic Indicators report, “sequestration is expected to have little or no effect on local agriculture.”

I was also surprised to learn that 28% of our HoCo farms are run by women. The HoCo EDA is sponsoring a Central MD Women in Agriculture Forum at the fairgrounds this Thursday.

Farmers are one of the few groups in the loco business community that aren't chewing their fingernails these days. Overall HoCo businesses reported being cautious in spending and hiring, generally having “a lack of confidence about the future.”

“Owners are keeping tights rein on spending. Wages are not rising and efficiencies captured from technological gains will limit new hires.”

HoCo still has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 4.7%. The statewide average is 6.7%.

There are other bright spots too. Reported fees for Planning and Zoning are 126% higher for January 2013 than January 2012. The total fiscal year to date value of non residential construction is $63,288,495, a 257% increase over the same period last year. This level of activity is evidenced by new development projects in downtown Columbia, Turf Valley, Wilde Lake and Maple Lawn.

Retailers reported doing okay too with “moderate increases across the board.”

“Small appliances and hardware have improved but tend to item driven. One such example is the popularity of K-cup coffee products.”

Check.