What's all this news about the game with the funny name--- Pickleball

    So if you associate with anyone in Howard County over the age of 50 you may very well have heard of the game that has been expanding widely with the over 50 crowd.  Even though the sport has been around for almost 60 years it has been growing incredibly in the past 10 years.  Much of the growth has occurred when "snowbirds" learn the game where they go for the Winter and then bring it back up North.  Here in Howard County the sport now has hundreds of players of all ages playing at numerous locations around the County.  

    For just one example go to the Dancel YMCA in Ellicott City any morning during the week and watch 30-40 players on 6 courts.

     With the warmer weather just around the corner, the Howard County Pickleball Association will be starting its outdoor play on a variety of courts in the County. 

  Check out their website and consider joining the Association to learn the game and find out where they are playing. 

    To learn about what Howard County Recreation and Parks are offering in pickleball go to this website.

    To learn what the Columbia Association is offering go to this website. 

     Finally, if you know of a youth between the ages of 11-14 who wants to learn how to play pickleball Howard Community College is offering a one week summer pickleball camp.  For registration information type in "pickleball" in the search box at this link. 

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TV Chef Gordon Ramsey sets up shop in Ellicott City this week

   While County Officials have been mum about what is happening in Ellicott City this week it has been revealed the celebrity TV Chef Gordon Ramsey has set up shop to film a segment on his TV show "Hell on Wheels."  The show may showcase the Little Market Cafe.

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Merriweather development images

   It is hard not to go to the Merriweather Post Pavilion area without noticing all the new buildings that are transforming the area with remarkable speed.  A new downtown Columbia is taking shape.  Here are some images of what the future there will look like.


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Not all walls are the same

Why does Maryland keep getting left out?

     

     So here Maryland voters go again watching all the candidates fawn over the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire as if they had some right to be more important than voters here in Maryland.  Do you enjoy being a non-entity in our political process?  After watching the 88% white voters in Iowa and 91% white voters in New Hampshire get to have a disproportionate influence on choosing Presidential candidates I wonder why we as citizens of a diverse state like Maryland haven't figured out a method to not get overlooked each election cycle?  Our primary will occur on the same day as New York and Pennsylvania.   Which states do you think the candidates will spend their time in?  Our primary will possibly occur after the Democrat nominee is already determined. 
     We probably couldn't do a primary as the national political parties wouldn't sanction us moving in front of those two states.  But what would stop a group like the Maryland League of Women Voters or  Maryland Common Cause organizing a caucus system in every jurisdiction in Maryland to see which candidates resonate with our diverse population?  We have rural, suburban and urban citizens.  Caucus sites could be churches or libraries. Of course, no delegates would be awarded but only a handful of delegates are awarded in the first two states mentioned earlier so delegates are incidental in the influence of those two earlier states.  What do you think would happen if a group were to organize this type of caucus in November of the year presiding the election.  Don't you think that some of the candidates at least would show up at Maryland county fairs rather than all go to Iowa's State Fair?  All the candidates want to get the first "bump" of the election season so why shouldn't Maryland give the Country a truly more representative result?  We should we sit by tweedling our thumbs while others get the attention they don't deserve.  Come on Maryland we need to take back our voice!
   

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What a President and a demagogue sound like

       


      Republicans like to point to Bill Clinton when defending Trump's actions.  And there was a lot wrong with Clinton and his behavior.  But the differences in the two men were never more clear when looking at the two men's reactions after they were acquitted by the Senate.  Here are the two reactions.  First Clinton  Second Trump

     Now comes the retributions for people opposing Trump.  Listen at the 7-minute point in this link to Vindman's testimony and hear how what he describes as what happens in Russia now happens in the United States.  Trump's friend Putin is now his model for how to deal with people who stand up against you.  People thought it was going overboard when many of us re-read Orwell's 1984 book when Trump was elected.  It doesn't seem that way anymore.

Weekend funnies for the older set

Walk Howard Plan

     As our community examines ways to reduce the use of cars a new plan is being created to expand the walkability of our community.  I have blogged before on the need for sideways along roads like Dobbin Road.  The original idea of only building sidewalks on streets that had houses overlooked the reality that roads like Dobbin needed sidewalks. Too often have I seen pedestrians walking on the road along Dobbin.
      Fortunately, the new reality is that making our community more bike and walking-friendly has been recognized.   Here is a link to the new plan.  Note the hearing mentioned above has already happened.

Blinded by partisan blinders

   



   I remember how non-African Americans were mystified when a jury of African Americans found OJ Simpson not guilty when the overwhelming evidence showed him to be the killer.   Loyalty to an affinity group can lead to a miscarriage of justice.  I wonder how many Trump supporters today see themselves relating to what those African American jurors did back in the 1990s.  If they don't they should look up the word "hypocrisy" in the dictionary.  Your picture should be there.

Sign up for "Tuesdays with Tillman"

   Ned Tillman has a new blog post every Tuesday on how to reduce our greenhouse emissions.  Check it out here.

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