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June 21, 2021

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

Spy Top Story

Chestertown Celebrates Juneteeth

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Chestertown kicked off a two-day Juneteenth celebration Friday evening with a gala block party in Fountain Park. Just days before declared a Federal Holiday, the annual event was introduced by BlackUnion President John Queen and followed by great music with the Dell Fox Company.

Queen and the BlackUnion of Kent County were instrumental in organizing the weekend programs commemorating the 1865 emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The day has become an annual celebration since then heightened by a wider awareness of racial discrimination, violence, and the fight for racial equity.

Saturday continued the weekend celebration in Wilmer Park with speakers, music, and food venues, along with the unveiling of the first of a series of town historical markers addressing Chestertown’s participation in Maryland’s two-hundred-year history of using enslaved labor and indentured servitude.

The first annual John Queen Community Impact Award was given to former Queen Anne’s School Superintendent Andrea Kane, who became embattled with the QA school board for addressing racial inequity and continues to promote the understanding of how racial discrimination erodes public education.

“…I stand as a former leader of Queen Anne’s County public schools very proud of the work that we accomplished to bring awareness to the issues of racism in our schools and to begin some inequity and anti-racist practices in schools because that’s what it’s all about. Schools are a microcosm of our society, and if there is racism in our society, it only makes sense that there’s racism in schools, and we cannot set it aside as if it does not exist…” Kane said.

Maryland District 24 Delegate Andrea Harrison, a longtime advocate of Juneteenth as a paid holiday, also spoke to Wilmer Park attendees. Although the paid holiday legislation did not make it to the Maryland Senate this year, she promises to continue to advance the legislation.

 “We cannot allow this holiday to become a symbolic victory just buying T-shirts and going to the mall for sale like we do some other holidays in addition to fighting with me for the passage of this bill in Maryland, we must do a couple of things. One: we must pass the George Floyd justice and policing act of 2021, a civil rights policy and reform bill number. Two: we must pass the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act. Three: we must defeat voter suppression with the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights and then restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 since certain portions of it was struck down and number. Four: as was amplified by the COVID pandemic. We must commit ourselves to eradicating institutional racism, education, economic, and health care disparities. My friends, I said this is not just a black agenda— this is a critical agenda for all Americans,” Harrison said.

Vocalist Karen Somerville, accompanied by Lester Barrett, Jr. Jerome McKinney, and pianist Joe Holt rounded out the day with plaintive spirituals to Billie Holiday.  

This video is approximately six minutes in length. 

Checking in with Chestertown YMCA Director Erica Osterhout

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One of the most significant additions to Chestertown life might arrive just in time for Christmas—the new 60,000 sq. ft. Kent County Family YMCA complex.

The top-of-the-line facility will fundamentally change health and fitness options in Kent County by offering a broad spectrum of programs and services, from competitive swimming and children’s swimming instruction in the 6-lane pool, to activities in two full-size gymnasiums, and an elevated walking track (10.8 loops for a mile).

Along with continuing an enhanced summer camp program and other youth-oriented services, the Y will address chronic issues in an aging demographic with programs like “Rock Steady” non-combative boxing for people with Parkinson’s Disease, and their “LiveSTRONG” program, program for cancer survivors of any stage, as well as Enhance Fitness which is targeted to seniors to aid in fall prevention and arthritis relief through regular movement.

The Spy was recently given a tour of the new YMCA site under construction and sat down with Y Executive Director Erica Osterhout to talk about the YMCA experience.

Osterhout, formerly the Program Director at Kent Athletic and Wellness Center on High Street when the facility transitioned into the YMCA, will continue as Executive Director at the new complex. In the meantime, the facility on High will continue to provide its fitness programs, gym, and workout areas until the new facility is open.

Osterhout emphasized the YMCA’s commitment to reach out to all the community.

“We’re really eager for the partnership with Kent County public schools specifically and all organizations including, corporate wellness incentives. There’s a lot we can do with local businesses. This is a vital part of living,” she says.

The Kent County Family YMCA, one of 11 facilities comprising the YMCA of the Chesapeake family along the Eastern Shore—Maryland and Virginia—prides itself on inclusion and that “no one will be turned away.

Annual fundraising efforts help underwrite individuals who might be financially challenged, and Osterhout is quick to point out an added benefit to membership—members may use any of the participating facilities in the US.

If you drive by the construction site near Dixon Valve, you will realize this new facility is much more than a gym. It’s what makes for a healthy community. And there’s no joining fee in June!

This video is approximately six minutes in length. For more about the Kent County Family YMCA, go here. For YMCA of the Chesapeake, go here.

 

Chestertown A & E District Plans Major Expansion

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At Monday’s Town Council meeting, Arts & Entertainment(A & E) Economic Development and Marketing Coordinator Kay MacIntosh, proposed a plan to expand the A & E District.

The expansion would include Cannon and High Streets beyond Mill Street, almost up to the traffic roundabout on High Street.

Expansion of the A & E District would offer tax incentives for artists who produce and sell their own work either within the district or on the internet. 

“The point of doing that is to capture some more affordable residential and commercial property that artists can afford to buy and live in the district,” MacIntosh says.

John Schratwieser, Director of Kent County Cultural Alliance, is helping to steer the proposal. He says that one driving reason for the expansion is to bring economic opportunity particularly for artists, and t that it would also work in the case of developers. Schratwieser will continue guiding the project after MacIntosh’s upcoming retirement.

Income earned by artists in the Chestertown A & E District, or any other A & E District, can be subtracted from their Maryland income taxes. “For a developer or property owner, the assessed value of the property would stay the same for 10 years,” MacIntosh says.

Currently, the district and about 51 acres, and the expansion would almost double it. A Letter of Intent will be sent to the State by August 1, 2021.

This video is approximately five minutes in length.

 

Mid-Shore Arts: The Journey of Artist Faith Wilson

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Every artist has a creative odyssey shaped by doubt, exploration, and discovery, and what seems like eternal transition, sometimes even from genre to genre.

For Chestertown artist Faith Wilson, an early impulse to create found a place in weaving, carding, spinning, and dying homegrown wool. Inspired by two years traveling Europe and visiting some famous French tapestry studios, Wilson thought she’d discovered her creative path and set out to make tapestry jackets under her “Circe” brand.

But her interests began to change when she discovered painting, starting with small jobs like helping paint theatre sets with local artist Jack Schroeder.

Continuing to experiment with forms, Faith, with her sister, ceramic artist Marilee Schumann, opened a studio and gallery at the old granary building on Washington Avenue. It was there she met a visiting artist who painted on canvas. She loved the texture of the material and the fact that it was raw, unstretched.

She thought, “These might work well as floor coverings” and went about perfecting a form all her own. She never looked back, and the last 20 years have been a whirlwind of exhibits at elite galleries and shows like the American Craft Council, Visionary Art Museum, Washington Craft Show, and the Smithsonian. For five years, her work has been offered at the cooperative artists’ gallery, Create, while continuing to fulfill custom orders for clients throughout the country.

Working with her own stencils, Wilson’s dimensional technique of multiple overlays reveals a constellation of motifs, some abstract, others a kind of luminous and reimagined folk art. For example, her recurring blackbirds show up in entirely different contexts throughout her catalogue.

If you are like some of us, shy of using them for their purpose—as utilitarian floor coverings—your walls will brighten with her vision. Then again, a floor is just another surface.

“These are meant to be walked on, have tables and chairs on them, or in the kitchen or hallway,” she says.

The Spy recently visited Faith’s studio on Cannon Street to talk about her journey. While she demurs from considering herself an “artist” while self-identifying as more of a craftswoman, the contrast in words is eclipsed by the created wonder of her work.

 

This video is approximately seven minutes long. For more about Faith Wilson’s art and her gallery please go here.

 

Chestertown Plans for Juneteenth with John Queen

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The BlackUnion of Kent County is gearing up for a weeklong Juneteenth Festival in Chestertown.

Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States is officially observed on June 19. The Black Union of Kent County will extend the observance of the date by offering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) training throughout the previous week, from Monday, June 14 to Thursday June 17. More information about these training classes will be offered in the days to come.

Friday will kick off the weekend celebration with a block party from 6-9 pm in Fountain Park and offer live entertainment with Dell Foxx, great food with Phat Daddy’s BBQ, and informational presentations showcasing the empowerment of the Black community with positive images, social justice, and cultural history.

As a celebratory sidenote: Phat Daddy’s BBQ will be opening up a restaurant at the old Ellen’s Coffee shop site later this summer.

Saturday, from 12 to 8 pm, will be held in Wilmer Park as the official ceremonial day. With opening remarks by new mayor, David Foster, the day will include the historic signage reveal to be placed at Chestertown Marina, . a James Taylor Justice Coalition presentation by Savannah Shepard, the John Queen Community Impact and Advocate Awards, KidSpot activities, Delegate Andrea Harrison, Karen Somerville, DJ Zandon, and a closing candlelight ceremony.

Organized by the BlackUnion of Kent county, sponsors include Town of Chestertown, Bayside H.O.Y.A.S,, Kent Cultural Alliance, Chesapeake Heartland, and the Hedgelawn Foundation.

 

Full schedule:

JEDI Trainings (JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION): 6:30 pm start times

Monday June 14th – (Micro) Aggressions (90mins)

Tuesday June 15th– Identity and Privilege (90mins)

Wednesday June 16th– (Micro) Anti-Racism (120mins)

Thursday June 17th– Courageous Conversations (90mins)

 

Block Party Friday June 18 Fountain Park 6-9pm

6:00pm- 6:45pm: Dell Foxx (Live Entertainment) Fountain Park

6:45pm- 7:45pm: Black Union of Kent County Information

6:50- 7:00pm: (5) Major Issues (Genocide-Mass Incarceration-Miseducation-Gentrification-Access to Wealth) with Levels of Empowerment (Community-Economics-Judicial-Media-Education)

7:00pm-7:15pm: The Race Thing presentation

7:15pm-7:30pm: Minorities in Aquaculture

7:45pm-8:45pm: Dell Foxx (Live Entertainment) Fountain Park

8:45pm-9:00pm: Block Party Closing Remarks

 

Ceremony Saturday June 19, 2021 (12:00pm-8:00 pm)

1:00 pm: Town Festival Grand Opening (Wilmer Park) Interim Mayor David Foster

1:00pm -2:30pm: Black Barbers Presentation w/Dolcin Unisex Lounge (RiverArts)

1:00 pm-2:30 pm: Kent County Public Library (Arts, Crafts Making crowns: King’s and Queen’s)

3:00pm-3:45pm: Historic Signage Reveal (Chestertown Marina)

4:00pm-4:45pm: Live Band (Wilmer Park)

4:45 pm-5:15 pm: Guest Speaker Savannah Shepard

5:15 pm-5:35 pm: John Queen Community Impact Award and the Juneteenth Community Advocate Award

5:35 pm-5:50 pm: Guest Speaker Delegate Andrea Harrison

6:00 pm-6:45 pm Karen Somerville (Live Entertainment) Wilmer Park

7:15 pm-8:00 pm: Karen Somerville (Live Entertainment) Wilmer Park

8:00pm: Closing Ceremony w/Candle Light Recognition

 

The Spy recently talked with John Queen about Juneteenth. Here are a few highlights but, by no means, all that will be happening that week. The event is family-oriented and activities and events suitable for all ages.

John Queen is President of the BlackUnion of Kent County, To find out more, see their Facebook page here.

The video is approximately seven minutes long. For more information about the BlackUnion of Kent County or Juneteenth plans, please visit their Facebook page here.

 

One Day in Arlington by Jim Dissette

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One August day, some years ago, I made my intermittent pilgrimage to Arlington National Cemetery. I always manage to choose the hottest day of the season. The heat and the whining of the annual cicadas have become emblematic since my first visit as a ten-year-old walking behind the horse-drawn caisson carrying my step-grandfather to his gravesite.

Over the years, I’ve followed the horse-drawn and flag-draped caissons three times, the sound of hooves on macadam as solemn and eloquent as the bugle call, Taps.

I began to know the place by heart: from the asynchronous Greek- Revival pillars of the Amphitheatre to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its revered precision of the Changing of the Guard, Kennedy’s Eternal Flame, and Arlington House, once Robert E. Lee and the Custis family residence. During one visit, I discovered that Custis Walk took me to the gravesites of the US Colored Troops, an adjacency of wry and poetic justice.

Only recently, I have come to learn that several sections of the cemetery I traversed had been a “Freedman’s Village” of 50 residences, with a community kitchen, school, and hospital surrounding a pond. There, freed slaves began their lives free from bondage. The village continued to exist for almost 30 years. More than 28,000 residents of Freedman’s Village are buried in Section 27 of the cemetery.

It was one of those days, walking from the Changing of the Guard toward the cemetery’s entrance, that I had an odd encounter.

Pausing to decide on my route—the cemetery is a maze of hilly paths and narrow roads—I noticed a man holding a sheet of paper and staring at me with that expression only the lost can project. I knew he was about to ask me for help as he approached. He was tall, with close-cropped silver hair and wearing a suit, the tie long gone. He held out the sheet of paper and uttered “Brown Bomber” as a question drenched in a heavy German accent.

He was holding a map, a sort of tourist guide for Arlington visitors, and he wanted to see Joe Louis’ memorial. I had no idea Joe Louis, the illustrious boxer, was interred at Arlington.

We found the famous boxer’s memorial stone in minutes. My acquaintance stood before the monument, its bas-relief of the fighter eternally posed in a boxer’s stance. I hung back
listening to the cicadas in the stifling furnace of the afternoon. He turned and nodded his head, as if to thank me.

He said he was a young boy in Prussia when he listened to the famous 2-minute fight at Yankee Stadium between Louis and Max Schmeling on the radio. Schmeling, having beaten Louis in a previous fight and heralded by the Reich’s propagandists as the Nazi’s golden boy, was decimated in the first round of the rematch and sent to the hospital for ten days with a broken vertebrae. A Black man had beaten him.

As we walked down the hill toward the entrance, he told me that he was Trappist monk in Germany and promised himself a trip to honor Joe Louis and to thank him for a small sense of triumph over adversity, homage to the man who gave so many a shred of hope in a Europe quickly being ravaged by Hitler’s quest to crush Europe. “That fight was what we needed at the time,” he said.

Over the years, I thought about that moment at Arlington and have come to learn of another dimension of the fight heard by 70 million people worldwide. Louis and Schmeling were complicated products of their time with cultural, political, and racial implications. Schmeling walked a tightrope: he had tea with Hitler and gave the Nazi salute after one fight, had a Jewish manager, but he was not a Nazi, nor was he a racist. He even personally saved two Jewish children by hiding them at his residence. Louis, revered by Blacks during an America in the thrall of Jim Crow racism where even the Northern press traded in racist headlines, had become the hope of an America as a land of opportunity. Both were caught in a drama bigger than boxing. They were avatars of contradicting ideologies.

After all this and the “great rematch,” Schmeling and Louis became lifelong friends, the German even assisting the “Champ” financially until his death in 1981.

And I thought about the little boy in Prussia glued to the radio, hoping for a hint that at least for a moment the world could be right.

As I left, I looked back up at the Arlington hills where 400,000 souls lay buried: Union, Confederate, Black, white and brown, men and women, families of the fallen. The sacrifices, the loss.

I was standing next to a small marker inscribed with “Infant Civilian.” Where it all begins.

 

 

 

Courthouse Dedicated to Judge George B. Rasin, Jr.

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If you walk or drive past the Kent County Courthouse on Cross St. you will notice that it bears a new name across its cornice—the George B. Rasin, Jr. Courthouse—honoring a former long-time Kent County native who presided over the judicial bench as the county’s first Circuit Court judge from 1960 to 1987.

Judge George B. Rasin, Jr.

As such, he oversaw five counties of the Eastern Shore’s Second Judicial Circuit and was considered by his peers to be a “giant” in the judiciary and “channel marker” for other judges.

The dedication was formalized last December but, due to the pandemic, the ceremony was postponed until May 15, 2021 and attended by Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera and members of the Maryland Judiciary including Administrative Judge Harris P. Murphy, Circuit Court for Kent County; Senior Judge Paul M. Bowman, Circuit Court for Kent County; District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey; and retired Chief Judge Martha F. Rasin of the District Court of Maryland, and retired Maryland Circuit Court Judge Gale Rasin.

Originally from Worton, and a graduate of Washington College’s class of 1937 and the University of Maryland School of Law, George Rasin enlisted in the Army and was assigned to Counter-Intelligence until the end of World War II when he returned to Maryland.

A May 27, 2011 Baltimore Sun obituary stated that “According to a biography supplied by his family, he began his law practice in Baltimore in 1945 and returned to Kent County in 1946. In June 1950, he joined the U.S. foreign aid program and was a security officer in Paris. He resumed his law practice in Chestertown in 1952 and was elected state’s attorney for Kent County in November 1954. In 1956, he was appointed to serve as Kent County’s state senator.”

Later in his career Judge Rasin developed a keen interest in the overhaul of Maryland’s juvenile judiciary system, noting that punitive action alone failed and that youth crimes were symptomatic and could be addressed with rehabilitation included in the sentence. In 1997 he received the A.L. Carlisle Child Advocacy Award recognizing the member who had made a significant contribution to youth and the juvenile court system.

His daughter, retired Senior Judge Gale Rasin, writes, “when he saw that the system did not treat juveniles effectively or intelligently, he took action. We know the results—the Maryland juvenile code.”

As a father, Judge Rasin exhibited the same principles of mentorship he applied to all of his peer judiciary members.

“When I needed the courage to do something that I knew would be controversial or unpopular, I sought his advice and encouragement.  While I tended to agonize he was blessed with ingrained certainty about doing what he thought was right.  (He) was a model of civility and dedication to our system of justice and the Maryland judiciary. I know that he was a significant influence on my aspirations.  I can only hope that he left his imprint on me,” writes Gale Rasin.

It did leave an imprint: since 2014, Judge Gale Rasin has been the Presiding Judge at the Mental Health Court, Baltimore City Circuit Court and continues to advocate for mental health issues.

 

From left to right: C. Daniels Saunders, Kent County Bar Association; Judge Paul M. Bowman, Circuit Court for Kent County (Retired); Judge Gale Rasin, Circuit Court for Baltimore City (Retired); Kent County District Court Judge John E. Nunn III; Administrative Judge Harris P. Murphy; Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera; District Court of Maryland Chief Judge John P. Morrissey. Photo courtesy of Maryland Judiciary.

Mid-Shore Arts: Finding the Light after COVID at the MassoniArt

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Slowly rising out of the shadows of a harsh year, what can be more welcoming than the reopening of MassoniArts’ in Chestertown with a show called “Finding Light”?

The exhibit, originally titled “Re-set” and planned for last winter was delayed because of the pandemic. Looking for inspiration and consensus on how to approach a new exhibit, Massoni called some of the artists.

“We were thinking we’d just go back to normal but by December we realized there was no going back to “normal,” no reset button we were going to push. We’d all been inspired by Amanda Gorman’s beautiful poem during the inauguration…and one of the comments she used was to “find light.”

The Gallery exhibit, now open through August 1, displays new work from the gallerist’s catalogue of artists along with artists new to MassoniArts with some continuing their signature themes and others exploring “outside the box” of their previous work.

The Spy interviewed Carla Massoni last week and talked about the new exhibit and how the pandemic and its forced isolation influenced not only the artists, but how we perceive art in critical times.

Artists represented in “Finding Light” are Greg Mort, Katherine Cox, Claire McArdle, Grace Mitchell, Heidi Fowler, Zemma Mastin White, Catherine Kernan, Elizabeth Casqueiro, Kathryn O’Grady, Peter Guttmacher, Kenneth Schiano, Eve Stockton, Carol Rowan, Jon Mort, Simma Liebman, Blake Conroy, Shelley Robzen, Vicco von Voss, Jason Patterson.

This video is approximately nine minutes in length.

MassoniArt will be open Friday–Saturday 11-3 and Sunday 11-12 without appointments and masks at your discretion. Carla Massoni Gallery, 203 High Street, Chestertown, 410-778-7330. For more information, go here.

 

 

 

Minary’s Dream Alliance Continues to Rise

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Minary’s Dream Alliance is one step closer to being fully realized as it celebrated its one-year anniversary on Saturday, May 22 with a gala fundraising event.

The non-profit youth organization is closing in on their funding to purchase the property at the American Legion Post 36 building on American Legion Rd in Chestertown and use it as their headquarters.

MDA is the first adolescent clubhouse on the Eastern Shore with a mission to provide a safe and peaceful home-away-from-home for youth and families where they will be offering outdoor activities and inside learning centers.

Spotlighting the need to address a continuing opioid crisis, MDA recently formed Club F.E.A.R. (Face Everything And Rise). The program will support youth ages 12-17 impacted by, affected by, or diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder and their families. Directors Ty Bolden and Paul Tue, and Program Administrator Doncella Wilson will offer Substance Use Disorder education, Life Skills Training, Self-care and social skills development, family engagement, and support groups.

MDA is also home to the Social Action Committee for Racial Justice’s Feed the Elderly Initiative. Paul Tue, III hosts a weekly Mindful Mornings motivational call for young men ages 6-17. MDA partners including Small Town Big Artist, Li’l Saints of NCCOL UMC, LiveGr8r Mentoring Program, GLOW (Girls Learning Our Worth), Rising Sons, Shore’s Elite Track and Field, Chesapeake Heartland Project: Humanities Truck, Shore Rivers, Chestertown RiverArts/KidSpot participated in the event.

The gala, membership drive, and festivities on Saturday also held a silent auction for handmade pottery, horseback riding lessons, and powerful artwork from local painters and photographers.

Here, the Spy offers a short tour of the afternoon’s event along with an update by Paul Tue, III, co-founder of Minary’s Dream Alliance, Inc. with Doncella Wilson.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more about MDA, go here.

 

 

Kent County’s Attainable Housing Needs with Darius Johnson

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For some Kent Countians, owning a house is an unattainable dream. Locked into generational poverty, renting a home or a room is their only viable shelter, especially with rising costs and stagnant wages.

As the new Executive Director of Kent Attainable Housing, Darius Johnson wants to help change that.

After graduating from Washington College, Johnson said that he went on a six-year soul searching journey that took him to Baltimore and work in several roles from corporate analytics to corporate fundraising for Johns Hopkins Neurology Department. He also did additional work with Baltimore County students teaching construction education and innovation.

But the Eastern Shore began to beckon him back.

“I’ve always had one foot in and one foot out and my fiancée, who is from the Eastern Shore also, and I decided to move back that’s when I started working for the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.”

By chance, through a mutual interest in an oral history project promoted by Washington College’s Starr Center, Johnson met KAH President Lani Seikaly and became interested in their mission.

“Basically, Kent Attainable Housing’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty through homeownership and working with families to prepare them to purchase a home through homeownership counseling and financial counseling,” he says.

Last October, KAH’s first house, “Garnet House,” arrived in Chestertown. Several volunteer organizations put together the two-story, three-bedroom modular home situated on the original Garnet High school site.

“To put it more simply, having a home is the foundation of life,” Johnson says. “if you don’t have shelter, everything else in your life becomes chaotic. You don’t have a space to learn and educate yourself; you don’t have a space to take care of your physical, spiritual, and mental health. If you don’t have a stable home, you might not have a stable job.”

As Kent County begins to emerge from the pandemic shutdowns, they are currently looking for the next site to build a house to continue their mission to make homeownership a real possibility rather than an unobtainable dream.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Kent Attainable Housing and to support their mission, go here.