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Opinion: Fisherman, Scientists, Residents, and Environmentalists in Agreement on AquaCon

October 3, 2022 by Opinion 1 Comment

On September 19, the Mid-Shore Fishing Club and ShoreRivers were among roughly 75 attendees at a work session in Federalsburg on AquaCon, the Norwegian start-up trying to establish a 25-acre indoor salmon factory that will discharge 2.3 million gallons of contaminated water into Marshyhope Creek daily. For nearly two hours, AquaCon’s attorney spoke at the clearly disgruntled crowd, who were given little chance for public comment at the end of the meeting. We’d like to provide our comment now.

First, we applaud the Federalsburg Mayor & Town Council for hosting this session and for Mr. Showalter, on behalf of AquaCon, for his participation. However, after nearly a three-hour meeting in total, we left with more questions than answers, owing in large part to Mr. Showalter’s most repeated phrases of, “I don’t know” and “I’m not a scientist.”

Fortunately, we have heard from scientists and what they have to say about this facility and its grossly deficient proposed permit (currently under review by the Maryland Department of the Environment.) Scientists worry, rightly so, about the serious threat this operation poses to the Atlantic Sturgeon. Federally and state designated as critical habitat, the Marshyhope is the smallest known river in the United States that is home to this endangered species and is the only river in Maryland where it is known to spawn, with cobble beds that could be eroded away by the amount of wastewater AquaCon proposes dumping just upstream from their habitat. Mr. Showalter was specifically asked at the meeting if AquaCon could guarantee there would be no impacts to the Atlantic Sturgeon and his response was “no.”

We’ve heard from countless environmentalists about this issue, too, with groups like ShoreRivers, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Friends of the Nanticoke River, Dorchester Citizens for Planned Growth, and the Wicomico Environmental Trust all coming out in opposition to this facility and the pollution and runoff it will dump into our waterways.

ShoreRivers supporters generated more than 360 letters expressing their concerns in just four days, letters that urge the Maryland Department of the Environment to do the right thing and deny the dangerous discharge permit, which would allow AquaCon to dump nitrogen and phosphorus in excess of what the state’s own model says are safe levels for the area. Without the offsets needed to reduce the loads (still unsecured), the permit application is incomplete.

We’ve also heard from advocates like Tom Horton and those who recreate on the Bay, like our Mid-Shore Fishing Club and its 121 members, who consider the proposal “ludicrous.” And Federalsburg residents seem to agree, from those in attendance at the recent meeting who made it abundantly clear that they didn’t want this fish factory in their town to the more than 100 who have signed an online petition in hopes of saving their beloved Marshyhope.

Residents at the September 19 meeting expressed repeated concerns about the withdraw of groundwater and its impact on their drinking water wells, and about the impact this will have on a town already prone to flooding. According to Mr. Showalter, the company proposes to withdraw millions of gallons of water per day from underground aquifers, yet both he and MDE have failed to address whether groundwater supplies and existing uses can accommodate this level of withdrawal, or could cause saltwater intrusion or nearby land to sink, as has happened elsewhere. Federalsburg already floods on high tides and after heavy storms—add 2.3 million gallons of discharge daily, and the flooding will undoubtedly get worse.

It’s not often that this many voices are able to reach a consensus on the best way to maintain the health of our local waterways, but on this case it’s easy to come together—indoor salmon farming of this size and scale hasn’t been done safely and successfully anywhere in the country, and we can’t be the guinea pigs in this experiment. It’s past time to listen to our voices.

We believe it is the Federalsburg Mayor & Town Council’s right and duty at this point to take back control of this process by asking the state to discontinue processing the discharge permit. We call on them to make their own voices heard and to protect their town, their residents, and their waterways by stopping this process before it’s too late.

Our Eastern Shore rivers are too fragile for this type of operation. The proposal from AquaCon represents a distraction from the multi-layered effort to reduce pollution flowing to the Chesapeake Bay and to protect native species like crabs, rockfish, and the delicate population of Atlantic Sturgeon. Those of us who support healthy waterways and product fisheries have an obligation to ensure that this negligent permit does not pass.

Tom Wilkison, President, Mid-Shore Fishing Club
Matt Pluta, Director of Riverkeeper Programs, ShoreRivers

The Importance of Literacy Tutoring: A Chat with Open Doors Director Ashley Singer

September 19, 2022 by James Dissette 3 Comments

Ashley Singer thought her life path would lead to the theatre world as a stage technician. Lucky for us and those with reading deficits, the Kent County native found her true calling as a literacy professional and is now the Executive Director of Open Doors, a non-profit literacy tutoring program she co-founded with Associate Director Julie Blyman.

Singer says her interest in helping children with reading difficulties arose when asked to babysit a friend’s dyslexic child, a student at Radcliffe Creek School. The school impressed Singer, and she was invited to teach there.

However, after meeting renowned educator Dr. Fran Bowman, Singer realized she wanted to fully develop her skills as a reading educator.

Bowman, who passed away in 2021, was instrumental in promoting the Orton-Gillingham training method, a multi-sensory approach originally formulated to teach people with dyslexia and now used for a more comprehensive array of reading challenges. The technique teaches tutors to use sight, hearing, touch, and movement to help students connect language with words.

When Covid hit in early 2020, Singer and Blyman realized that school closures and remote learning were going to take a toll on reading skills, especially in underserved communities where internet access is often limited.

Nationwide pre-Covid studies found that only a third of eighth graders were proficient in reading and math and about 30 percent of fourth-graders were proficient in reading. Post-pandemic, reading problems have spiked to historic levels.

In Kent County, “less than 11 percent of third graders perform at a proficient level of English Language Arts according to the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program scores from Fall of 2021.”

For Singer and Blyman, the challenge is clear. Reading skills, already in decline, have suffered a dramatic setback during the pandemic. The challenges are even more pronounced for students already hampered by reading disabilities.

The Spy met with Executive Director of Open Doors Ashley Singer to talk about their mission to provide one-on-one tutoring to those with reading deficits.

This video is approximately eight minutes in length. To find out more about Open Door, go here.

The “Nature” Trail by Angela Rieck

September 15, 2022 by Angela Rieck 1 Comment

I love the outdoors and spend several hours outside every day. If I weren’t such a winter weenie, the Eastern Shore would be my permanent home.

Living in a less populated area allows me to wander through nature. There is plenty of cycling and the Eastern Shore hosts walking paths to showcase its beautiful natural world.

Because I love nature so much, I am very protective of it. Recently, the St. Michaels “nature” trail appears more like a battle zone than a nature trail. Brown leaves and desiccated stalks make it clear that herbicides have been used recently; a few within the 25’ limit of the creek and on wetlands.

I wondered how this happened.

That was the beginning of my education.

I reached out to the St. Michaels public works department. Rob Straebel immediately got back to me. He wasn’t aware of the spraying. His department has oversight of the local watershed, and mowing and garbage pickup on the trail, but his department did not apply herbicides. He suggested that there were two companies that had permission to work in this area, Environmental Concern, and Delmarva Power.

First lesson: If you see something, say something. Our local government cannot be everywhere at once. Once the St. Michaels Department of Public Works was alerted, Straebel visited the sight and contacted Environmental Concern, and Delmarva Power & Light; and requested that the unsightly carnage near the creek be removed. (It was.)

Environmental Concern (EC) is responsible for the 100’ living shoreline and has been bushwhacking along the waterline to remove invasive species. In July, they cut down a large swath of invasive bamboo. In lieu of herbicides, they are cutting down invasive species in the San Domingo Creek buffer zone, including Phragmites (perennial reed grasses), Porcelain berry (sadly, a favorite of mine, it yields beautiful pink, blue and purple berries in the fall), and bamboo.

Lesson 2: Approved Herbicides.

Approved herbicides can be used in the watershed. Most are made of Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide that dissipates in the water rapidly. Glyphosate kills weeds and a wide range of aquatic plants.

While glyphosate has been deemed “safe” (more about that later), many of the surfactants have not. Surfactants are chemicals added to herbicides to improve adherence of the herbicide to the leaves. Roundup® is a glyphosate based herbicide that uses a surfactant that is NOT approved for shoreline applications.

Approved glyphosate sprays that use a “safe” surfactant can be sprayed on plants only (not the soil) and do not contain pre-emergent herbicides. (Pre-emergent herbicides are herbicides that prevent germination.)

Given that Glyphosate is deemed “safe,” I did a limited review of research available on the Internet. I am not a chemist, and my analysis is probably naïve, but after reviewing a few independent studies; it appears that Glyphosate does dilute quickly, but it still has a half life of 3 to 100 days. Unfortunately, the surfactants do not dilute so readily.

According to the Cambridge University Press, synthetic herbicides administered near water and the surrounding soil in high volumes, can cause deadly effects to aquatic organisms. In the soil it decomposes into two main compounds, one is mildly toxic to marine life. In addition, Glyphosate is an antibiotic that kills beneficial bacteria and microorganisms in the soil. It has apparently not been studied on birds or aquatic mammals.

Despite EPA approval, the European Union has designated it as “dangerous for the environment and toxic for aquatic organisms” and is banning it as of December 15, 2022, due to concern that it is carcinogenic.

Lesson 3: Who is messing with the St Michaels Nature Trail?

Environmental Concern is removing invasive species within 100’ to maintain the living shoreline. They have been bushwhacking and have not used herbicides; however, they may occasionally use a Glyphosate with a surfactant that is EPA approved.

Most of the damage in the photograph was done by spot herbicide applications by Delmarva Power. But before we go pointing the finger. Remember, that the St. Michaels Nature Trail was built because Delmarva Power donated the land on which it was built.

Lesson 4: There are rules.

Every town has rules for use of herbicides. St. Michaels requires water safe herbicides and does not allow the application of an herbicide within 25’ of water unless it is approved and used to kill invasive species. When I surveyed the trail, it was clear that one treated tree was inside the 25’ application range and spray had drifted to neighboring Scotch Pines.

Lesson 5: Do your research.

The herbicide carnage is viewable throughout our county and on parts of the nature trail. Along the easement on Route 33, you can see the impact of herbicides. Brown Scotch Pines and small trees resemble poisoned dead soldiers. It is unsightly, at best, but is it necessary? Are there alternatives?

I reached out to Delmarva Power, and they responded quickly, asking me to provide them with specific of questions. I spent the next week researching and preparing a list of detailed questions for Delmarva Power about their use of herbicides. I wanted to give them the opportunity to help us understand their policies and the tradeoffs that they need to make.

First question, which brand of herbicide do they use? I had an unconfirmed report that they use Garlon®, an herbicide for trees and bark that is not approved around waterways or wetlands. The foliage sprayed at the St. Michaels Nature Trail and in some areas along the easement is in close proximity to the creek and wetlands.

Could it be more cost effective to cut the saplings down instead of using herbicide and then removing them? Would they be willing to eliminate the use of herbicide on walkways, especially “nature” trails.

At the Avalon: Hannah Gill Comes Home with The Hot Toddies Jazz Band

September 8, 2022 by The Spy Leave a Comment

As many of our readers know, one of the Spy’s favorite vocalists has been Hannah Gill ever since we saw her at the Avalon in 2014. She was 16 years old back then, and one of our great pleasures is watching her grow over the years.

Hannah comes back to Easton This Thursday evening at the Avalon Stolz Room. And she comes back singing swing music with The Hot Toddies Jazz Band. The Spy talked to her and colleagues Gabe Terracciano and Patrick Soluri about what they are planning for the evening.

A word of advice, bring your dancing shoes.

This video is approximately three minutes in length.

The Hot Toddies with Hannah Gill
Thursday, September 8, 2022
Doors: 7:30 p.m.; Show: 8 p.m.
The Avalon Theatre 40 E. Dover Street Easton, MD
Tickets: $25

Food Friday: See You Later, Summer!

September 2, 2022 by Jean Sanders Leave a Comment

I’m thinking ahead, jonesing for the cool days of autumn. My morning walks with Luke the wonder dog have been warm and muggy – just like the good old sweltering days when we lived in Florida. Later on it’s going to hit 92 degrees today. It’s September! Enough!

I know I will regret this, but I’d really like to have some cooler weather. All my whinging isn’t going speed up the global weather patterns, so I am going to make some hay while the sun shines: I am going to make and delight in the glories of summer foods. Again. The time of roasted vegetables and soups will come soon enough.

We have a three-day weekend to enjoy, after all. There are farmers’ markets and garden treasures, trips downtown for ice cream, cookouts on the back porch, expensive beers at baseball games, and maybe we’ll make one last trip to the farm stall for ears of local corn.

I like having a leisurely weekend breakfast, and last Sunday I made some lemon ricotta pancakes, with blueberry syrup and thick slices of bacon. I read a description of lemon ricotta pancakes in an article about hotel breakfasts in New York City, and suddenly I was hungry for a stack of them – not that I had ever even heard of them before. I needed to have some. With blueberry syrup, too. My chances of a New York hotel breakfast are pretty slim most weekends: there is always a lawn to mow, and the railings of the back porch needed another coat of paint. Homemade is best, I always rationalize! And so we got cooking. https://www.grubstreet.com/2022/08/new-hotel-breakfasts-nyc.html

Luckily our friends at Food52, who could probably eat trendy New York hotel pancakes any day of the week, had a recipe for lemon ricotta pancakes. Of course they would. They are geniuses! https://food52.com/recipes/85520-best-lemon-ricotta-pancakes-recipe. I like their smaller size, too; easy to flip and not so filling as regular, stodgy, plate-sized pancakes. They were sweet, light, crunchy and oh, so sweet. The perfect summery breakfast treat.

I found a recipe for the blueberry syrup in the New York Times, but their paywall is annoyingly impregnable, so I cannot just give you the link. Here is the gist: For a quick compote to serve on top of your delicious lemon ricotta pancakes, put a handful of blueberries, or other summer berries of your choice, in a medium pan with three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (or water) and a teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a simmer, watch the berries bubble and pop, then reduce the heat. I added about half a cup of maple syrup, to get it nice and drippy. Caution: I walked away for a minute, and it started to boil like crazy, so keep on eye on yours.

There are still dozens of summertime meals to try. Tomatoes aren’t going to be this fresh again for a long time – take advantage! You won’t make potato salad in November, so make one this weekend. While the grill is fired up, toss on some zucchini slices – you know you won’t want to in February. You will be dreaming about a nice, cool pasta capese salad, with pearls of fresh mozzarella and torn homegrown basil when the north wind is whistling down the chimney in January. Cole slaw admittedly is very tasty with roasted pork when you are trying to warm up from gelid winter conditions, but it is also divine with grilled hot dogs. Have you had enough hot dogs this summer? I didn’t think so.

And we haven’t even touched on summer desserts! Let’s go for some summertime back-of-the-box deliciousness:
• Strawberry shortcake isn’t just for the Fourth of July. https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/bisquick-strawberry-shortcake/370099a9-c927-4eae-93ba-ab66a455b996

• Key lime pie. This is the only recipe you will ever need: https://keylimejuice.com/category/recipes/desserts/

• Chocolate wafer refrigerator cake. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220495/zebra-cake-iii/

• Year ‘round brownies: https://thestoriedrecipe.com/classic-bakers-chocolate-fudgy-brownie-recipe/

There is going to be plenty of time soon enough for sweaters and falling leaves on my morning walks with Luke. In a flash we’ll be making warm and stodgy meatloaf, chili, and winter stews. Go be summer grasshoppers for another weekend!

“How softly summer shuts, without the creaking of a door.”
-Emily Dickinson

Food Friday: Stacks of Sandwiches

August 26, 2022 by Jean Sanders Leave a Comment

This is the Spy Test Kitchen’s favorite time of the year – when we pull out our annual sandwich ingredients list. Have an excellent school year!

I always loved that first day of school: new shoes, new notebooks, new pencils, and a pristine box of still-pointy, aromatic crayons. I always forgot about my crippling locker combination anxiety over the summer. I never thought about the social implications of lunchroom seating during those leisurely hours, either. And as a responsible parental-unit, I loved shopping for school supplies, and shoes, and new lunch boxes. It was only the night before school started that I confronted the horror: the woeful lack of organization in our lives.

While the young ‘uns were setting out their new sneakers for the morning, and frantically paging through a book that should have been read weeks before, I was peering into the fridge and taking stock of our jumble of foodstuffs. What nutritional and tempting combinations could I conjure that would actually be eaten? Once, when Mr. Sanders had been out of town for a very long business trip, we attempted to set a world’s record for eating pizza for every meal, for many days in a row. I understand that that sort of tomfoolery doesn’t set a good example nowadays.

Now everyone has cute, eco-friendly, bento box lunch boxes, Mr. Sanders included. They have cunning little containers for vegetables, for fruits, for proteins. People cut vegetables on Sunday afternoons, and put them in the fridge for easy access on school mornings. They roll up lettuce wraps, dice carrots, prepare tuna salad, bake muffins and stack little cups of applesauce. These people also involve their children in the lunch assembly process. The existential despair I often felt in those dark, early mornings racing to get lunches made before the school bus arrived no longer exists, because people are organized and thorough. And you can be, too.

While we are still leftover-dependent in this house, these folks know what to do about school lunch organization: https://www.therisingspoon.com/2020/07/healthy-make-ahead-lunches-back-to-school-work.html

A handy guide to Sunday night preps: https://www.realmomnutrition.com/lunch-packing-stations/
And at Food52, the ever-clever Amanda always has some really fab lunch ideas. http://www.food52.com/blog/4436_the_return_of_amandas_kids_lunch

This year, our first almost post-COVID-19 year, there are still huge challenges for the school-aged. This year we will be sending everyone off with masks and social distancing requirements. Will the children eat their lunches in a cafeteria or from social distances at their desks? Maybe there will be picnic tables outside, while the weather is still nice? Will the children bring lunches from home, or eat school-provided meals? Is this the end of the bologna sandwich?

And now, with an immodest drumroll, is the Spy Test Kitchen lunch list, which I haul out, shamelessly, every fall. Feel free to make your own spreadsheet, or PowerPoint deck so you never have another moment of lunch ennui. The Test Kitchen came up with this flexible list of ingredients for packing school lunches a few years ago. It is just as timely today:

Luncheon Variations
Column A
Let’s start with bread:
Ciabatta bread
Rye bread
Whole grain breads
Hard rolls
Portuguese rolls
French baguette s
Italian bread
Brioche
Flour tortillas
Croissants
Bagels
Challah bread
Crostini
Cornbread
Naan bread
Focaccia bread
Pita bread

If storing overnight, layer bread with lettuce first, then the spreads, to keep sandwich from getting soggy.

Column B
Next, the spread:
Mayo
Sriracha
Ketchup
Dijon mustard
Honey mustard
Italian dressing
Russian dressing
Cranberry sauce
Pesto sauce
Hummus Tapenade
Sour cream
Chutney
Butter
Hot sauce
Salsa
Salsa verde

Column C
Cheeses:
Swiss cheese
American cheese
Mozzarella
Blue cheese
Cream cheese
Havarti cheese
Ricotta cheese
Cheddar cheese
Provolone cheese
Brie cheese
Cottage cheese
Goat cheese

Column D
The main ingredient:
Meatloaf
Turkey
Chicken
Corned beef
Bacon
Crumbled hard-boiled eggs
Scrambled eggs
Corned beef
Salami
Italian sausage
Ham
Roast beef
Egg salad
Tuna salad
Ham salad
Crab salad
Shrimp salad
Chicken salad
Turkey salad
Lobster salad
Tofu

Column E
The decorative (and tasty) elements:
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Basil
Onion
Avocado
Cucumber
Cilantro
Shredded carrots
Jalapenos
Cole slaw
Sliced apples
Sliced red peppers
Arugula
Sprouts
Radicchio
Watercress
Sliced pears
Apricots
Pickles
Spinach
Artichoke hearts
Grapes
Strawberries
Figs

Column F
Finger foods:
Cherries
Carrots
Strawberries
Green Beans
Broccoli
Celery
Edemame
Granola
Rice cakes
Apples
Bananas
Oranges
Melon balls
Raisins
Broccoli
Radishes
Blueberries

“ ‘We could take our lunch,’ said Katherine.‘What kind of sandwiches?’ said Mark. ‘Jam,’ said Martha thoughtfully, ‘and peanut-butter-and-banana, and cream-cheese-and-honey, and date-and-nut, and prune-and-marshmallow…’”
-Edward Eager

For your amusement:

If the moon was made of cheese, a) how many grilled cheese sandwiches could be made from it, and b) how long would this last if everyone on earth got one for each meal a day?
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/v04x3/if_the_moon_was_made_of_cheese_a_how_many_grilled/

Open Letter to Congressman Andy Harris: We Need Your Answers Regarding January 6

July 13, 2022 by Letter to Editor 6 Comments

I only wish the news had come out earlier of your involvement with the congressmen who met with President Trump on December 21, 2020 to discuss how to induce VP Pence to participate in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. I would have turned in an index card to ask you some questions at the Oxford monthly fire house breakfast.

First, I’d have asked you on what basis you believed former President Trump’s story about election fraud. What evidence did you see to support your decision not to vote to certify the electoral college vote on January 6, 2021? Did you ask Mr. Trump about that issue when you met with him on December 21st?

I’d have asked you if the election was fraudulent, how come so many Republican governors, US congressmen and senators were elected on all the same ballots? How did that work for y’all but not for Trump?

I’d have asked you if you were aware that it was your constitutional duty to certify the electoral college vote unless you had reliable information to the contrary. Since I haven’t seen any evidence supporting Trump’s claim, I don’t think you did your constitutional duty and thus participated in the insurrection plot.

I’d also have asked you if you were aware of the December 18-19 White House meeting with General Flynn, Rudy Giuliani, the Overstock.com guy and Sidney Powell. I trust that you were aware on the 20th of Trump’s Tweet announcing that his “followers” should come to Washington, “Be there, will be wild!”. It is extremely difficult for me to believe your die-hard Trump supporter group present with Trump at the White House the very next day didn’t hear about the tentative plans for January 6th. I believe every congressional attendee on the 20th of December (you, Gohmert, Brooks, Gosar, Greene, Biggs and others) all voted against certification of the electoral count. Wasn’t that part of y’all’s plot to undermine the duly executed, free and fair election of 2020?

You may not have been watching the January 6^th Committee’s presentations of evidence and testimony from many Republican Trump Administration White House insiders. The overall picture is damning, especially for those of you who swore your oaths to defend the US Constitution. I would think that you ought to testify yourself voluntarily to explain your non-involvement with these criminal plot activities.

Otherwise, I would ask that you immediately tender your resignation as Representative of Maryland District 1 because of the aforementioned illegal, dishonorable and wholly un american behavior. If not, perhaps we’ll have some index cards to submit questions for you to explain yourself at the next firehouse breakfast in Oxford in August.

Dominic “Mickey” Terrone

Talbot County

From and Fuller: Can Joe Biden be Unpopular and Still Succeed?

July 7, 2022 by Al From and Craig Fuller Leave a Comment

Every Thursday, the Spy hosts a conversation with Al From and Craig Fuller on the most topical political news of the moment.

This week, From and Fuller discuss President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings in light of the recent presidential election victory by the equally unpopular Emmanuel Macron in France last month. Al and Craig trade thoughts on how some politicians can still survive even if disliked by a majority of voters.

This video podcast is approximately sixteen minutes in length.

To listen to the audio podcast version, please use this link:

Background

While the Spy’s public affairs mission has always been hyper-local, it has never limited us from covering national, or even international issues, that impact the communities we serve. With that in mind, we were delighted that Al From and Craig Fuller, both highly respected Washington insiders, have agreed to a new Spy video project called “The Analysis of From and Fuller” over the next year.

The Spy and our region are very lucky to have such an accomplished duo volunteer for this experiment. While one is a devoted Democrat and the other a lifetime Republican, both had long careers that sought out the middle ground of the American political spectrum.

Al From, the genius behind the Democratic Leadership Council’s moderate agenda which would eventually lead to the election of Bill Clinton, has never compromised from this middle-of-the-road philosophy. This did not go unnoticed in a party that was moving quickly to the left in the 1980s. Including progressive Howard Dean saying that From’s DLC was the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.

From’s boss, Bill Clinton, had a different perspective. He said it would be hard to think of a single American citizen who, as a private citizen, has had a more positive impact on the progress of American life in the last 25 years than Al From.”

Al now lives in Annapolis and spends his semi-retirement as a board member of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (his alma mater) and authoring New Democrats and the Return to Power. He also is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins’ Krieger School and recently agreed to serve on the Annapolis Spy’s Board of Visitors. He is the author of “New Democrats and the Return to Power.”

For Craig Fuller, his moderation in the Republican party was a rare phenomenon. With deep roots in California’s GOP culture of centralism, Fuller, starting with a long history with Ronald Reagan, leading to his appointment as Reagan’s cabinet secretary at the White House, and later as George Bush’s chief-of-staff and presidential campaign manager was known for his instincts to find the middle ground. Even more noted was his reputation of being a nice guy in Washington, a rare characteristic for a successful tenure in the White House.

Craig has called Easton his permanent home for the last five years, where now serves on the boards of the Academy Art Museum, the Benedictine School, and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. He also serves on the Spy’s Board of Visitors.

With their rich experience and long history of friendship, now joined by their love of the Chesapeake Bay, they have agreed through the magic of Zoom, to talk inside politics and policy with the Spy every Thursday.

Spy Reminder: Last Day to Register for Maryland Primary is June 28

June 27, 2022 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

The Maryland State Board of Elections (SBE) reminds those who wish to register to vote, change party affiliation, and update their address before the 2022 Primary Election that the deadline to do so is Tuesday, June 28.

Those using the online registration system must submit their completed voter registration application to register, change party affiliation, or update their address by 11:59 p.m. on June 28. To ensure applications are completed and received by 11:59 p.m., SBE advises voters to access the online system no later than 11:50 p.m. on June 28. Those who prefer not to register to vote online may print the registration form (English version and Spanish version) and submit it at the office of their local board of elections by 5 p.m. on June 28 or return it by mail. Registration forms returned by mail must be postmarked by June 28.

Voters may also register to vote in-person during early voting and on Primary Election Day, July 19. Early voting runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. beginning Thursday, July 7 and continuing through Thursday, July 14. Voters can register to vote and vote early at any early voting center in the county in which they reside. A complete list of early voting centers for the Primary Election is available online.

Voters wishing to register to vote and vote in person on Primary Election Day – July 19 – can do so at their polling place.

Voters who wish to cast their ballots by mail or via one of Maryland’s 288 ballot drop boxes must request a mail-in ballot from the State Board of Elections or their local board of elections. Requests for a mail-in ballot for the Primary Election must be received by July 12, 2022.

Each of Maryland’s 288 ballot boxes are available for use until July 19 at 8 p.m. Voters can return their mail-in ballots using any official ballot box in their county of residence. A complete list of ballot box locations is available online.

The local boards of elections continue to look for voters to serve as election judges. Interested voters can learn more and apply here.

Mediation Corner: Court Referred Mediation; How does it Work? By Steve Forrer

June 26, 2022 by Steve Forrer Leave a Comment

Have you ever watched the proceedings of either the Talbot County District or Circuit Courts in Easton? You can and should. For many of us, what we know about the court system is based on watching Perry Mason or Judge Judy. It is confusing, adversarial, and uses terms that are obtuse and dense. The good news is the court system has evolved over the years and continues to become much more “user friendly.” Mediation is one program that has moved Maryland Courts, and Talbot County, in that direction.

In Talbot County, there are two courts for dispute resolution, the District and the Circuit Courts. Both are located in Easton. Most of us experience the court system through the District Court. Cases include traffic violations, landlord-tenant disputes, and claims up to $30,000. There are no jury trials in District Court. Cases are argued before a judge and the judge makes the ruling. In 2020 the Talbot County District Court had 9,124 cases filed, of which 1,695 were civil cases.

The Talbot County Circuit Court handles more serious criminal cases, major civil cases, including divorce, custody, and child support. Cases generally involve juries, but sometimes are heard only by a judge. There were 1,231 cases filed in Talbot Circuit Court in 2020.

Going to court over a dispute is a right we all have. It is why the court system exists. However, that choice can be lengthy and expensive. During the COVID outbreak the Talbot County Courts where basically closed adding months to get a trial date. Mediation can greatly reduce the time to get to resolution, and at much less cost to the parties in the dispute.

In recent years both courts have embraced mediation for this reason. The administrative process in each court is somewhat different. Currently the Talbot District Court has one Alternative Dispute Resolution program. This is a pre-trial screening program. When a case is filed you have the option to request mediation. Cases are also reviewed by the District Court ADR Office and, if determined appropriate for mediation, the parties are contacted and offered that option. If settlement is not reached, the parties will appear in court and the judge will decide the outcome. In the District Court mediation there is no fee.

The Talbot County Circuit Court has a similar pre-trail screening program. What is different, however, is that based on the screening the Circuit Court can order parties to attend mediation with an assigned mediator. Under certain circumstances you can request not to mediate. The cost for mediation in Talbot Circuit Court is $200 per hour, split between parties.

By offering mediation the court is giving the parties a very powerful and flexible option. “We trust you to sort out this dispute on terms to which you both agree, and on terms that can be much more flexible than the court can offer.” The Court is giving you an opportunity to control the outcome, not a judge or jury. There is not much to lose in agreeing to mediation.

To learn more about the Maryland Court system go to here.

Steve Forrer, former dean and vice chancellor of University of Maryland Global Campus, is currently a mediator for the Maryland District and Circuit Courts. Questions can be submitted at www.doncastermediation.com/contact for Steve to answer in this column. He also accepts private mediations.

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