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March 30, 2023

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Top Story

Profiles in Spirituality: A Local Perspective on a Kentucky Revival by Shannon Armbrust

March 12, 2023 by Spy Desk 1 Comment

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On February 8 at Asbury University, a small, Christian college in central Kentucky, the students filed out of their regular 10:00am chapel service. Well, all but a few students. That particular chapel service was on the topic of genuine love from the book of Romans, and several students stayed in the chapel to pray and worship. Word quickly spread around campus that something was going on in that space, called Hughes Auditorium, and it didn’t look like it was ending anytime soon. Worship continued, prayer continued, students began giving testimonies of how God was moving in their lives through this time. This chapel service continued on for 16 days straight, many of them lasting throughout the night. As word spread across news and social media platforms, it drew tens of thousands of people from all over the world to Wilmore, Kentucky, a 2-stoplight town of 6,000.

I live in Lexington, about 20 minutes from Asbury. I first heard about the “revival”, as many were calling it by then, on Friday, February 10 via a text from a friend. “If you have not been to Asbury University Chapel yet, I would go. You just feel warm, holy love. I don’t want anyone to miss. Spirit is tangibly present.” Although I was in the middle of preparing dinner, I felt a sense of urgency to go right then. I call it the urging of the Holy Spirit. My husband had heard about it also, and encouraged me to go. At this point, the word had really only spread to the immediate community surrounding Asbury. This first time I went, I walked into the building with some trepidation about what I would experience. The auditorium was less than half full with mostly community folks and lots of children. Surprisingly few college students. A man was playing the piano and leading worship. Some people were chatting around me. Some were worshipping, some praying. It just seemed like a worship service. I stayed for about an hour and left overall encouraged, but not feeling like I had a major encounter with God.

In the days that followed, the word spread across the country and world like wildfire. Many major news outlets picked it up. Social media platforms were abuzz with a revival at Asbury University. Busses arrived by the handfuls from other colleges as students in surrounding states wanted to be a part of what was going on. Some colleges even started their own multi-day worship services. When Fox News picked up the story and started making plans to be there in person to cover it, the university asked them not to come. They didn’t want any hint of political undertones to what God was doing on campus. Asbury started opening up overflow areas as the number of people increased from hundreds to thousands daily. The lines to get into the auditorium often lasted hours. The testimonies of students were powerful, full of miracles and healings.

The second time I went to Asbury was Thursday, February 16, 8 days into the revival. I arrived at 10:00pm. The campus was packed with people. The university had set up screens with speakers outside. Students were handing out snacks and water to guests. The security had a stronger presence. The line was about an hour to get in, so I opted to head to an overflow area where they were streaming in the main auditorium. Again, I entered into a room of worship, prayer, tears, joy. The worship team was still a group of students from Asbury – nothing flashy. This time, those present in the room were decidedly international. In fact, I have attended church services my whole life and have never been in a place so filled with the diversity I saw here. It was truly breathtaking and beautiful. At 11:00pm, I headed over to the main auditorium and stood in line for about 30 minutes. I struck up conversation with those around me. The girl in front of me, Gabby, had just flown in from London, England to come. She saw it on Tik Tok and wanted to see for herself. The two men behind me drove down from Detroit. Nearly everyone I talked to was in town from outside of Kentucky. More than mere curiosity, they wanted to experience the presence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. There was a palpable longing, a desire for God among the visitors. Upon entering the main auditorium, I noticed the first 10 or so rows in the front were reserved for college students. The university made it clear that, while they were glad to welcome all those attending, they wanted to focus on the student population first and foremost. I stayed for about an hour among the throngs of worshippers and left once again encouraged.

On February 24, the 10:00am chapel service that began on February 8 concluded at Asbury University. The names for it have included revival, outpouring, awakening, re-awakening and more. However it’s called, something unique and sincere happened on that campus last month. When the news tells us that Gen Z is more depressed, more mentally unstable, more social media addicted and less religious than any other generation, my time at Asbury University gave me hope that God is at work in the lives of the generation coming up. That is, after all, the very definition of a revival: a group of individuals who are revived by God to live more faithfully for Him. Let it be so, in Wilmore, in Talbot County, and around the globe.

Shannon Armbrust, a former resident of a cute downtown home in Easton, now resides in Lexington with her husband and 4 young children.

Filed Under: Top Story

Saturday Musings: The Nature of Change By Richard LaMotte

March 4, 2023 by Spy Desk 2 Comments

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On a Wednesday afternoon just before Christmas, I was intrigued to learn from our tour guide how many years it takes to make a stalactite. In general, one can grow a single cubic-inch in 1,000 years. Deep beneath the earth, in Virginia’s Luray caverns, there is never a breeze and the temperature remains at 54°F year around. There are no seasons, just a pace of change that could make a heavy-laden snail appear faster than lightning.

The only thing normal down below is the speed at which a water droplet falls from a stalactite toward its future mate below. One of the more fascinating forms of stalactites were the curtain-like, pleated shapes, at times thin enough to almost see through when backlit. Unlike the more typical conical shapes, these wide bands of leached limestone carry an elegance rivaling a cathedral’s organ pipes. What emerges strong as rock can still be fragile, a metaphor for life, no matter how protected from the elements.

The next day my wife and I raced away early to get ahead of a severe winter storm with air temperatures tumbling from near 40°F down to 10°F in minutes. Overnight our anemometer displayed a 51 mph wind gust as the Chesapeake Bay roiled up oceanic waves. The next morning, Christmas Eve, everything within twenty feet of the Bay was coated in several inches of ice. The lawn was coated in what resembled a million mothballs, each so frozen they would not even crumble under foot. Then came a remarkable sight. Extending almost sideways from posts we placed in rip rap to protect a fire-pit, were 18-inch stalactites with those curtain-like formations.

What takes 18,000 years to develop underground, took only 10 hours on our forever changing earth’s surface. A friend envisioned it as an Indian women wrapped in a blanket, with her back to the storm. Our fragile earth may look strong to those with their back’s turned to nature.

Facing the headwinds of change takes courage.

By Richard LaMotte

Filed Under: Brevities

Claire Nevin-Field Becomes New Rector of Emmanuel Church

February 27, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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On Sunday, Feb 19, the Rev. Claire Nevin-Field was instituted as Rector of Emmanuel Church, Chestertown. Claire comes to Emmanuel (and Chestertown) from St. Peter’s Church, Philadelphia where she served for 16 years. Prior to that she was a nurse, and a nurse-midwife. Both of her daughters graduated from Washington College, which is how she came to know and fall in love with Chestertown.

In 2018 she and her husband bought a home on the Queen Anne’s side of the river to eventually retire to. But when Emmanuel began to look for a Rector, she jumped at the opportunity to do ministry in this beautiful part of the world. Claire has a particular interest in and passion for ministry with families, caring for the environment, and social justice. As she is originally from the north east of England, an area with a strong Celtic history, she loves Celtic theology, especially as expressed in the Iona Community- a Christian monastery on the Isle of Iona off the west coast of Scotland that is committed to peace and justice. Claire is looking forward to serving the church community at Emmanuel and the wider community of Chestertown.

Filed Under: Brevities

Chesapeake Cycling Club Announces Major Spring Event for April 29

January 30, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Chesapeake Cycling Club (C3) the premiere regional, adult bike club located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore will be holding its major Spring 2023 cycling event, The Tri-County Classic, on April 29, 2023. The event will begin at the Talbot County Community Center, 10028 Ocean Gateway Easton, MD.  Riders can choose from the following distances: 100 or 65.7 or 39.2 or 23 miles. For more information and to sign up early please visit our website

According to Eric Griffieon, C3 Executive Director, “we encourage everyone to join us for our big Spring 2023 Tri-County Classic. Pick your distance, ride with friends and enjoy a beautiful day outdoors.”   

C3 develops its own major cycling events, like The Tri-County Classic, and enters a C3 team in other regional cycling events such as the Shore Rivers Ride for Clean Rivers, among others, and offers weekly, multiple cadence and distance ride options for people who just love road cycling. Riders usually are segmented into three categories: “A” (distances of 25+ miles at avg. 19+ mph), “B” (distances of 25+ miles at avg. 16-18 mph), and “C” (distances of 20+ miles at avg. 12-15 mph).  Cycling is a terrific, low-impact, sport, which will keep you fit and healthy. It is also a great way to learn about the community through cycling and meet new and active people with similar interests.  C3 is not all about pedaling and we regularly hold social events to get to know one another better.

Please sign up and become a C3 club member today by visiting https://www.ridec3.org/join-usC3 currently has approximately 100 members and the organization would not be possible without the support of its club members and 2022/2023 team sponsors, including: Lyons Distilling Co, Sprout, Preston Ford, Out of the Fire, Strom & Daughters Ice Cream, The Snifter, Bike Doctor Kent Island, The St. Michaels Running Company and Kelly Benefits Strategies.  For more information about our Tri-County Classic, club membership or sponsorship opportunities, please visit out website or contact Eric Griffioen at https://www.ridec3.org/contact-us 

Filed Under: Brevities

Talbot County’s Dick Bodorff Becomes Chair of Maryland Public Television Foundation

January 26, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Richard “Dick” Bodorff joined the MPT Foundation board of directors in 2019. He is also the vice chair of MPT’s governing body, the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission. His nearly 50-year career as a communications attorney in private practice began in the General Counsel’s Office at the Federal Communications Commission following a clerkship with then Commissioner Richard Wiley. His current position with Wiley Rein LLP includes numerous public and commercial media clients.

Bodorff’s current nonprofit involvement includes the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, the YMCA of the Chesapeake and the Broadcasters Foundation of America, where he has spent more than a decade on the organization’s board of directors. He has supported numerous organizations throughout his career, including stints as vice chairman of the board of America’s Public Television Stations, general counsel and secretary for the Broadcasters Foundation of America, and chairman of the boards of the Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation and Academy Art Museum

Filed Under: Commerce

 Rep. Andy Harris to be Chairman of House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee

January 17, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Rep. Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) issued the following statement following his appointment as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies subcommittee. Federal departments funded through this subcommittee’s annual appropriations bill include the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Farm Credit Administration. Dr. Harris has served on the Appropriations Committee since 2013 and has served on this subcommittee since 2015.

Congressman Harris issued the following statement:

“It is an honor to be named Chairman of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies subcommittee. Agriculture is both a critical sector in our country’s economy, and the economic backbone of Maryland’s First Congressional District. Additionally, as a physician, I am excited for the opportunity to work with the FDA to ensure the safety and efficacy of the latest developments in drug and medical device research, as well as food safety. I look forward to the important work we will do in the coming months as we address the many issues in this subcommittee’s jurisdiction.”

Additionally, full committee Chairwoman, Kay Granger issued the following statement:

“I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Dr. Andy Harris to serve as chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, the Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies. Dr. Harris served this subcommittee as acting ranking member, and I am confident that his knowledge of the agriculture economy and his background as a physician will be important assets as he leads it forward in our new Congress.”

Filed Under: Maryland News

Remembering Dr. Bronwyn Jones: KCPL Creates new Book Collection

January 17, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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The Kent County Public Library Board of Trustees is pleased to announce their sponsorship of a variety of new books added to KCPL’s collection in honor of the late Dr. Bronwyn Jones, Trustee 2020-2021.

A trailblazing woman in the field of gastrointestinal radiology from the beginning, Dr. Jones was 1 of only 3 women to graduate in her medical school class at the University of New South Wales in Australia and she was the first woman to be promoted to full professor in her department at Johns Hopkins University. During her tenure, she published hundreds of articles and chapters, won numerous international awards, and led multiple international committees.

In honor of these accomplishments and to encourage the next generation of doctors and scientists who will follow in her footsteps, a selection of children’s and young adult books about girls and women in medicine and science has been selected to help inspire our local youth to dream big, overcome obstacles, and be who they want to be.

The titles that have been selected are:

For Elementary & Middle School Readers (ages 5-12)

12 Women in Medicine by Marne Ventura

Profiles of twelve dedicated women in medicine from around the world.

The Angel of Santo Tomas by Tammy Yee

The story of Dr. Fe del Mundo, who began study at Harvard Medical School in 1936 and returned to the Philippines during WWII in order to care for the American and British children forced into the internment camp at Santo Tomas.

Elizabeth Blackwell by Matt Doeden

A biography of the trailblazing Elizabeth Blackwell, who became the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.

Improving Health: Women Who Led the Way by Anita Dalal

The book highlights vital contributions women have made in the field of health sciences. 

Rebecca Lee Crumpler by J.P. Miller

The story of the fascinating life of Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first African American woman to become a doctor in the United States.

She Persisted in Science: Brilliant Women Who Made a Difference by Chelsea Clinton

This book features women scientists who used their smarts, their skills and their persistence to discover, invent, create and explain.

Tu Youyou’s Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria by Songiu Ma Daemicke

The story of Tu Youyou whose years of medical research and experimentation resulted in the discovery of a cure for malaria that is still used all over the world today.

Virginia Apgar by Dr. Sayantain DasGupta

This book tells the story of Dr. Virginia Apgar and the creation of the famous Apgar test to check the health of newborn babies.

Were I Not a Girl: The Inspiring and True Story of Dr. James Barry by Lisa Robinson

At the age of 18, Margaret Bulkley began to travel the world as a young man known as James Barry who attended medical school, became a doctor and soldier, and traveled the world.

Women Who Rocked Medicine by Heather Alexander

Profiles of nineteen inspiring female scientists who left their mark on the medical field.

For Young Adults (ages 13+)

I Could Not Do Otherwise: The Remarkable Life of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker by Sara Latta

The story of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a champion for women’s rights, social justice, and access to health care, who served as a Civil War surgeon and remains the only woman to have been awarded the Medal of Honor. 

These books are now part of the collection at the North County Branch in Galena, which Dr. Bronwyn Jones championed for years, both before and after serving on the Board of Trustees. 

Use your library card to place a hold today and pick up items from the KCPL location of your choice!

For more information, visit kentcountylibrary.org or call 410.778.3636.

 

 

Filed Under: Brevities

MDOT Offering $20 Lyft Credits to Give Marylanders a Safe Ride Home

December 28, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration’s (MDOT MVA) Highway Safety Office announced today that it has once again increased the Lyft rideshare credit to encourage Marylanders to take advantage of the safe ride option this holiday season. The now $20 rideshare credits are available through a grant from the Governors Highway Safety Association, Responsibility.org and Lyft.

According to preliminary data, so far this month (December 1 – 26, 2022) 975 people have been arrested for driving under the influence. MDOT is encouraging Marylanders to take advantage of the free rideshare credits to put toward a safe alternative to driving impaired. Each Marylander is eligible to receive one $20 rideshare credit this weekend while supplies last. A select number of rideshare credits will be available between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. on the following dates:

  • Thursday, December 29 through Monday, January 2, (CODE: NYEMAKEAPLAN2023)

To redeem the $20 credit, Marylanders should open the Lyft app, choose “Payment” from the menu on the top left corner, and scroll to the “Add Lyft Pass” section. After inputting the code found above or at ZeroDeathsMD.gov/Rideshare, $20 will be applied to the user’s account. Each rider is limited to one $20 credit each weekend through the entirety of the campaign.

In 2021, 173 people died and more than 2,800 were injured on Maryland roadways due to impaired driving. Additionally, more than 15,430 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs — 1,616 of those arrests occurring between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

In addition to the credits, the MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office will promote educational messaging through Be the Sober Driver and Be the Make A Plan Driver on advertising platforms.

Learn more about the MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office at ZeroDeathsMD.gov or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @ZeroDeathsMD.

Filed Under: News Notes

A Classic Returns: Hulbert Footner’s “Rivers of the Eastern Shore” 2nd Edition is Released

December 20, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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Hulbert Footner’s classic Rivers of the Eastern Shore, an entertaining social history of the peninsula’s settlers and their descendants whose lives were shaped by the Eastern Shore waterways, has been republished in a 2nd Edition. First published in 1944 in the famed “Rivers of America” series,the new 2nd Edition is enriched with a Foreword by environmental author and filmmaker Tom Horton, and a biographical essay by Hulbert Footner’s granddaughter, Karen Footner.

Hulbert Footner

The 2nd Edition uses the original plates of the 1944 edition, acquired in 2009 when Schiffer Publishing purchased the respected regional press, Cornell Maritime Press/Tidewater Publishers, once based in Centerville, MD. Rivers of the Eastern Shore is a historical portrait of the Eastern Shore, its people, and their culturally distinct ways of life, long before the changes brought by the railroad and Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Footner takes his readers up and down each of the rivers beginning with the 17th -century English settlers’ who drew upon their shared traditions to create new cultures, traditions, and communities on the isolated peninsula. From the Pocomoke River, the Shore’s southernmost river, Footner travels to the most northern Bohemia River and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal.

‘Rivers’ blend of history, legend and colorful anecdotes reflects the author’s experience as a storyteller. Gerald Johnson described Footner’s storytelling gift in his 1944 New York Tribune review, “As an outsider, his objectivity enabled him to assemble gems of anecdote, folklore, and description, so familiar to the native, they were overlooked… a rare literary production in which style and subject are so perfectly adapted that it is impossible to mark their jointure or to say what part of the charm arises from the narrative and what comes from the skill of the author.” Johnson also wrote that Aaron Sopher’s drawings “catch the spirit of the book beautifully, with their mixture of delicacy and caricature.”

In the earliest years, the rivers were the roadways; shipbuilding, water transportation, and trade connected Eastern Shore residents with the outside world. Footner’s narrative of historical events includes people and events that may be new or familiar to current Shore residents: the Indian wars, the clash of Puritans and Catholics, the ascent of the tobacco
planters with their great estates, the battles of the Revolution, the evils of slavery and discord during the Civil War, the rise of the oyster industry, and appreciation for some of the finest
ships ever built that came from the Eastern Shore.

In his Forward, Tom Horton notes the names of the meandering Eastern Shore rivers “conjure the ghosts of Native Americans and legacies of English settlement.” Horton underscores Footner’s observation of the sinking lands along the Bay’s water edges which nearly 80 years later have grown into a significant concern with climate-induced sea level rise.

Rich soil for farming, plentiful fishing, and a mild climate provided some with an ease of life characterized by superior eating and drinking, leisure, sport, and sociability. Footner points out that the good life belonged to the Eastern Shore’s white residents. Before and after the Civil War, African Americans endured violence, restrictions, and discrimination on the Eastern Shore.

Many escaped or migrated away from the Shore as soon as they were able. Rivers of the Eastern Shore brings the reader up to the 1940s with topics that are still timely. The surge of people attracted to the area’s distinctive beauty brought new residents sometimes unaware of the Shore’s history, traditions, and fragile ecosystems while at the same time agricultural trends continue to shift, and water quality declined. Footner’s narrative history is a spirited tribute to the people and rivers that made the Eastern Shore geographically and culturally distinctive.

Footner died in November 1944, just six months after Rivers of the Eastern Shore was published, enjoying only a glimmer of the pleasure it brought to many. Hearing of his friend’s death, H. L. Mencken wrote to Footner’s widow, Gladys “…you were married for nearly thirty years to one of the most charming men who was ever on earth. I needn’t tell you that I will miss him tremendously.”

Books can be purchased as local bookstores or here. 

 

Filed Under: Arts Notes

WC Professor Prud’homme to Lead Online Course on American Government

December 13, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

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The Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture and the Department of Political Science at Washington College in Chestertown Maryland have launched a new online college course exclusively for upper-level high school students. The course is Political Science 102: Introduction to the Government of the United States. The 14 week online course will help ensure students are well prepared to serve as leaders in America.
Program resources will include great works of American political thought, including the U.S Constitution, James Madison’s Notes on the Constitutional Debates, The Federalist Papers, The Writings of the Anti-Federalists, Collected Speeches of Abraham Lincoln, and Collected Writings and Speeches of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Copies of all these works will be provided to enrolled students at no cost. There will also be one inexpensive textbook required that will be available for purchase.
The course will be taught by Joseph Prud’homme (Ph.D. Princeton), a faculty member in Washington College’s Political Science Department and the Director of the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture. Professor Prud’homme will be using the Socratic method of learning that uses dialogue between teacher and students, with continual probing of great questions concerning American government.
Students will also experience an enriched learning experience with one-on-one tutorials with Professor Prud’homme in the Oxford University style and with special guest speakers throughout the program. High school students who complete the program will earn credit for a full college course that can be transferred to any college or university.
The program will run twice a week from January 23, 2023, to May 12, 2023 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM Eastern Standard Time. Flexibility in the time is available.
The Institute at Washington College can discount the course tuition fee from the standard Washington College course tuition fee of $2,000 to $1,250. The maximum number of students enrolled is limited to twelve to ensure a seminar learning experience, with extensive discussion and dialogue on the assigned readings and concepts.   Enrollment is on a rolling basis but the course will likely fill soon.
If interested, please contact Professor Joseph Prud’homme at jprudhomme2@washcoll.edu

Filed Under: Ed Notes

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