Wednesday Round Up: Perfect Weather Edition

I’m not usually a fan of high pressure weather – it’s just not very interesting. I like my weather active.

That said, today’s weather is fantastic, thanks to the gusty cold front that blew through last night. With the strong spring sun, warmer-than-crisp-and-cooler-than-mild temperatures, clear skies and a gentle breeze, it is quite possibly the perfect spring day. (Sure, it could be a little warmer and still be nice, but there’s just something great about the combination of crisp air and warm sun…)

And to think, I’ve been cooped up all day, forced to look out the window at the beautiful day and what I once – in much more contentious times – referred to with fellow rabble rousers as the Death Star.

Well, no more looking and longing. It’s time to do something, to escape the soft, liquid crystal glow of the monitor and get outside. I’ve got a dog that needs walking and a bike that needs riding.

For now, I’ll leave you with this, Wednesday’s Round Up:

If you haven’t read The Sun’s series on prominent Howard Countian Randy Nixon, you really should. His story is simply enthralling. Here is Part 1 and here is Part 2.

Still more human interest. Here’s a piece on Nick Kyritsopoulos, owner of Kings Contrivance Formal Wear, provider of my tuxedoes for both proms (junior and senior), and last minute savior before a friend’s wedding in December. If you need something altered, his store is the place to go.

Enough with the fluff. The results are in from the village elections last weekend…well, except for Hickory Ridge, which didn’t have a large enough turnout to validate the results. Other villages had similarly low turnout, though none low enough to require an additional day. I’m not trying to be snarky by asking this, but does paltry voter participation undermine the credibility of the Columbia Council and village boards? Also, have village elections ever generated significant turnout?

In our quest for excellence in our schools, are we going too far?

Parents and administrators are responsible for most of the harassing behavior toward Howard County School System employees, according to a top school union official.

“One thing that really disturbed me was, in some cases, it [the harassing behavior] was in the presence of administrators, where parents screamed during conferences,” said Ann DeLacy, president of the Howard County Education Association, which is the union that represents teachers, instructional assistants, nurses, cafeteria workers and secretaries, among others.

Granted, this is a study conducted by the teacher’s union, but I don’t think that alone is reason to question its results. I have heard from others that this really is a growing problem.

Being involved in your child’s education is good parenting.

But at some point, you have to trust the professionals.

How ‘bout them Eagles? Centennial’s baseball team is kicking ass and singing songs. It puts a smile on my face to see them breaking out some Stevie Wonder in the dugout. The kids are, in fact, all right.