We all want to change the world...

A nice crowd turned out to hear County Executive Ken Ulman's speech on village center revitalization today. See if you can spot someone you know!

OK, so the angle doesn't really make identification easy, but what do you want from me?

Anyway, kind of apropos of Jessie's post today on urban decline in the 'burbs, here are some excerpts expressing in broad terms the challenge and opportunities facing village centers.

(Sorry for the all caps -- that's the format of the document and I don't really have the inclination to go back through and re-type everything.)

THE VILLAGE CENTER CONCEPT WAS, LIKE COLUMBIA ITSELF, AN EXPERIMENT IN COMMUNITY PLANNING. AND IT WAS, AND IN MANY RESPECTS STILL IS, A SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT. ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN TO THE BAGEL BIN ON A WEEKEND MORNING, OR EVEN A WEEKDAY MORNING FOR THAT MATTER, KNOWS YOU FIND MUCH MORE THAN PEOPLE HAVING BREAKFAST. YOU FIND NEIGHBORS RECONNECTING...AND A COMMUNITY BEING SUSTAINED.

DESPITE THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE EXPERIMENT, COLUMBIA’S VILLAGE CENTERS—PARTICULARLY OUR OLDER VILLAGE CENTERS—ARE CAUGHT IN THE CHANGING TIDES OF THE RETAIL MARKETPLACE AND THE SHIFTING PREFERENCES OF THE CONSUMERS THEY SERVE.

...THESE SETBACKS ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF THE FAILURE OF THE VILLAGE CENTER CONCEPT. IN BOTH OF THESE VILLAGE CENTERS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY IN THE RESIDENTS OF THESE VILLAGES, THE VALUES AND IDEALS IN WHICH THE VILLAGE CENTER CONCEPT IS GROUNDED ARE STILL STRONG.

RATHER, THE SETBACKS WE HAVE SEEN ARE INDICATIVE OF THE GROWING NEED FOR VILLAGE CENTERS TO EVOLVE IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THRIVING, BOTH AS COMMERCIAL VENTURES AND AS GATHERING PLACES WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER.

THE TIME HAS COME TO STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR VALUES BY RE-EXAMINING HOW THEY ARE MANIFEST IN THE PHYSICAL SPACES OF OUR COMMUNITY.

...THE UNFORTUNATE STORY OF A ONCE PROUD AND STRONG COMMUNITY WHICH SUFFERED A CRIPPLING DECLINE IS ONE WE KNOW ALL TOO WELL. OFTEN WITHOUT NOTICE AND SEEMINGLY WITHOUT CAUSE, STREETS GREW DANGEROUS, SCHOOLS UNDERPERFORMED, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES FLED; AND THOSE WHO STAYED FACED THE DAUNTING TASK OF RESTORING A FRACTURED COMMUNITY TO ITS FORMER GLORY.

THIS IS A FATE THAT I WILL NOT ALLOW COLUMBIA, ANY OF ITS VILLAGES, OR ANY COMMUNITY IN HOWARD COUNTY TO ENDURE.

I DO NOT MEAN TO SOUND ALARMIST OR PESSIMISTIC, BUT WE MUST BE COGNIZANT OF OUR VULNERABILITY AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO VIGOROUSLY MAINTAINING THE STRENGTH AND SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SOUND, FORWARD-FOCUSED INVESTMENTS AND POLICY INITIATIVES.

WE HAVE, IN A SENSE, COME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD, AND WE MUST CHOOSE OUR DIRECTION.

EITHER WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO REVITALIZATION OR WE CAN SIMPLY THROW UP OUR HANDS AND EXPRESS REGRET WHEN THE NEXT STORE CLOSES AND AT EACH ADDITIONAL GRIM MILESTONE ALONG A GRADUAL DECLINE.

IN MY MIND, THERE IS NO CHOICE. OUR PATH IS CLEAR. WE MUST REVITALIZE AND RE-INVENT OUR STRUGGLING VILLAGE CENTERS.

WE CERTAINLY ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THE PROBLEMS WHICH HAVE CAUSED OTHER COMMUNITIES TO DECLINE. WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT, HOWEVER, AND WILL HELP PROTECT US FROM A SIMILAR FATE IS OUR COMMITMENT AS A COMMUNITY GROUNDED IN SHARED VALUES AND A SHARED VISION.

...OUR COMMITMENT TO VILLAGE CENTER REVITALIZATION HAS ALSO LED US TO THE DECISION WHICH I AM HERE TO ANNOUNCE TODAY. I AM PLEASED TO TELL YOU THAT WE WILL BE INTRODUCING A ZONING REGULATION AMENDMENT TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VILLAGE CENTERS IN NEED OF REVITALIZATION TO REDEVELOP AND EVOLVE.

...WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY BEFORE US.

AS JIM ROUSE SAID IN 1964, “WE HAVE IN OUR HANDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OUR CITY—IN OUR GENERATION—THE MOST LIVABLE, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, AND THE MOST EFFECTIVE CITY IN AMERICA.”

THESE WORDS ARE JUST AS RELEVANT TODAY AS THEY WERE 44 YEARS AGO, PERHAPS EVEN MORE SO BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THEM COME TRUE.

WHEN JIM ROUSE FIRST SAID THESE WORDS, COLUMBIA DID NOT EXIST...IT WAS STILL A DREAM. BUT TODAY, COLUMBIA IS LIVING PROOF THAT BOLD VISION AND THOUGHTFUL PLANNING CAN CREATE A DIFFERENT AND BETTER KIND OF CITY.

A BETTER CITY, CANNOT ALLOW ITSELF TO GROW STAGNANT. IT MUST CONTINUALLY SEEK TO IMPROVE ITSELF, TO REINVENT ITSELF, TO EVOLVE.

TOGETHER, LET’S EMBRACE THE FUTURE IN A SPIRIT OF INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY, OF HOPE AND OPTIMISM, REMEMBERING AGAIN THAT WHAT OUGHT TO BE, CAN BE.

If you have time, you should probably just read the whole thing (warning: PDF).

The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'…that's what I said…

I'm sorry about that title. I can't help it: I inadvertently stumbled onto the beginning of This is Spinal Tap on television this weekend and I told myself I was only going to watch until Nigel talked about his guitar's sustain and his amp going to "11." But I didn't. I watched the whole thing. And you know what? I'm a better person because of it.

So, uh, yeah…

I guess there's no such thing as Retriever Magic. Oh, well. The NCAA tournament was fun while it lasted for my alma mater. At least I got a post (and a half) out of it.

Here are a couple other things…

By now you've probably heard about a village center-related press conference tomorrow involving my boss. I can't really share more than what's in the oh-so-thorough press release, but if you're interested in being the first to know, stop by the Wilde Lake Village Center tomorrow at 10:15 a.m.

In other news – news that I can actually share – for the second straight year voters in Oakland Mills will have a choice between two candidates vying for the village's seat on the Columbia Council. This year's contest pits long-time Columbia Association antagonist (and former Columbia Councilperson) Alex Hekimian against Phil Engelke, a (very) long-time Columbia resident and owner of probably the coolest house in Oakland Mills. Expect a bit more coverage of this election as it really starts getting underway.

Finally, Papa Hayduke is out in California for spring break, which means I'm missing out on my weekly free meal. Making my culinary sacrifice worth it is the fact that he was able to play a round at Pebble Beach and parred the 18th, one of the greatest finishing holes in all of golf. Congrats, Dad!

Nothing left for me to do but dance...

Woo-hoo!

UMBC is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever!

Stolen from a sign shown during the broadcast: Fear the Turtle Retriever.

The horizon has been defeated...

Here's my meager weekly attempt at maintaining this blog…

First things first: I got a new car! Actually, I didn't, Abbzug did. But my name's the first one on the title! Which counts for absolutely nothing. Still, it's a damn fine looking automobile, if I may say so. (I'd post a pic but it's too dark now. Maybe tomorrow.)

Sure, it's the same brand and model of the car we had before, but in addition to being shiny and new, this one has a much greater probability of actually starting when asked, a fine attribute for a car to have. I must admit, however, that I'm a bit sad to see white people don't like Subarus as much as they once did. Here I was, thinking I'm doing my part to fit the mold. Darn.

Meanwhile, another local merchant closes its doors. This time it's Produce Galore. Columbia Talk was on the scene first (as usual) and offers some follow up coverage that includes a couple interesting things.

Thing one, from the Sun's story: Said Del. Elizabeth Bobo, "I think it's just so sad. I can't help but believe that with support from the local government, we could prevent something like this. There must be something we can do to help family businesses that give such a unique, personal service to our community."

Hmm.

Thing two, from the post itself: "We channel so much energy these days into fighting stuff we don't want (highrises, Merriweather development, etc.) but not so much in saving that which we hold dear." Personally, I think that's a fantastic idea. Change the whole tenor of community activism.

Meanwhile, Wordbones offers a cool, logical and detached take on the closing of Produce, as do some of his commenters. But, of course, the comment I liked most was this:

...and let me add, the HC bloggers are a mess where developers are concerned.

There are no discussions, it's more like a cheer leading exercize. Quite nauseating at this point.

No wonder y'all are loosing readers like money at the gas pump.

There's a lot of funny in that. I mean, Wordbones is a developer (for the purposes of this discussion, anyway). But I'll leave it to you to dissect the rest of the humor…or not.

There's probably something to learn about our situation in that observation, too, irrespective of its accuracy (which I'm not weighing in on).

I was going to say something about the Flier's opinion pages, but as with the humor above, I'll let you do the analysis.

Oh, here's a start: "Like, wow!"

Finally, good things may be on the horizon for my little slice of heaven, Oakland Mills.

It's a crazy world we're living in…

I have a ton of stuff about the One Homeowner's Association to Rule Them All, Columbia Association.

First, if you haven't seen Bill's post on the Lakefront issues, go there now. Seriously, it's good stuff.

Second, breaking news: I've been told that long-time Columbia Council representative and one-time Ian Kennedy opponent Barbara Russell has opted not to run again for her post.

Really? She couldn't have made that decision last year?

Actually, I'm glad she didn't. Yeah, I went there: I'm a loser and proud of it. 

Anyway, who's going to run for the seat? Leave suggestions – or pleas to your candidate of choice – in the comments. I know who I'm rooting for.

Finally, Evan Coren and I have deep, fundamental disagreements about a bunch of things, particularly stuff related to Downtown Columbia. For instance, he thinks the Plaza Tower is a "middle finger" to all that Jim Rouse stood for. Me, I think it's a kind of boring tall building with expensive condos that probably, at this point, won't even get built.

See? Totally different.

These disagreements have at times caused tension among us, but that's cool. I like tense, awkward situations.

But, now, I have to hand it to the guy. He's been doing good things. First, I hear he went to bat for Oakland Mills revitalization, supporting in the face of considerable opposition an appropriation of funding for the community organizer position currently occupied by Ben Hunter. This position is vital to the success of OM's continuing revitalization effort, and Evan, unlike many of his colleagues, understood this from the get go. 

Also, he's questioned a proposal to lower CA's assessment cap, a move that could be damaging to CA's financial position, which seems a bit tenuous already.

Overall, he's got perspective on things where others seem to lack it -- in addition to what's mentioned above, see his comments about the deteriorating structures at the lakefront in Bill's post (seriously, check it out.)

So without hesitation, I'm giving Evan the CA Board Member of the Year Award. And while we're at it, I'm giving Barbara a lifetime achievement award -- after eight years on the board, she deserves it.

And lastly, about this decision to end CA meetings at 11 pm: While I applaud the realization that public meetings aren't really public if they're held past midnight, board members seem to be trying to solve a symptom rather than the problem. There are very real concerns about how the board operates, concerns that aren't going to be addressed by simply letting everyone go to bed at a reasonable hour. Jessie shares some similar thoughts here.

Come on, Evan, try taking this one on. 

Hold your head up, you silly girl...

Just a couple assorted links while my head recovers from the pounding it took at the Maryland Home and Garden Show over the weekend.

Hey, hey. Lookie here. David Wissing's got a new (kinda) blog focused on HoCo stuff. For the non-national-poll-obsessed, this is where you'll want to go for all the local news. If you like polls, however, be sure to keep both sites bookmarked.

And that's about all I got for local stuff. But, wait...

You know Jessie likes those LOL Cats pictures, which are fine if a bit illiterate for my tastes. (I mean, "I can has cheezburger"? Don't they know that is not proper syntax or spelling?)

Anyway, there's now a similar site for those choosing the better side of the great pet debate: Fail Dogs. Unlike the LOL Cats craziness, the site does not rely on the anthropomorphic infantilization of cute kitties for humor but rather needs only the inherent and boundless silliness of canines to bring the funny. Like...

Yay dogs!