Driving on the St. Michaels Road the other day I came across a minor fender bender. To say the least, there was an “active” conversation going on between the two drivers. By the time I came back the other way, both drivers were calmly exchanging information. It reminded me that disputes happen every day. They might be with your roofer, your spouse about dividing marital property,  or settling an insurance claim. All these disputes are fair game for mediation. Whether court-referred or private, mediation is a process where a trained, impartial mediator helps people communicate, understand each other, explore options for mutual gain, and reach an agreement that is satisfactory to both parties.

Traditionally in Talbot County mediation sessions have been held face to face, but with the COVID outbreak many sessions are now being held using Zoom, and with considerable success.  Regardless of the format, the process might sound a bit daunting.  It’s not, if you understand the basics. Here  is the good news about mediation.

First, mediation is confidential. What is said in mediation cannot be used in court at a later date.  The mediator may not be called to testify about any mediation communications, and will keep all conversations and information confidential. Why is this important? It allows the parties to freely, and creatively, suggest and discuss solutions that the court could never consider or even imagine. This does not mean you cannot discuss ideas and solutions outside of mediation. You can, for example, get input from advisors, or family, as you consider options.

Second, mediation is completely voluntary. Parties can leave the mediation session at any time. Participants cannot be forced to agree to anything. Settlements reached are only final when there is voluntary agreement by all parties.  In court-referred mediation, if the parties do not reach agreement, they can still proceed with their case in court. No legal rights are lost by participating in mediation.

Third, mediation puts you in control. The mediator will not act as a decision-maker or judge. Their job is to remain impartial and facilitate the process.  Mediators will not give legal advice or make decisions. Keep in mind if you go to court, the resulting court decision will be based on a very narrow question. For example, exactly how much money must be paid. However, in mediation the parties decide what solutions will work best for them. That might include a financial payment, but also other conditions like confidentiality or restrictions on further claims.  In mediation you have the opportunity to add conditions and solutions that would be beyond what the courts can require. This control can lead to very creative agreements, as long as they are legal.

A successful mediation will result in a written summary of the settlement for the parties to use going forward. This understanding, for example, can be used to instruct divorce attorneys or become a court order in a court-referred mediation.  

Mediation is hard work. The process can be emotional and difficult. While expressing your views you will, at the same time, need to understand the views of the other party. You are not likely to have all your “wants” met. The process features give and take, which always involves compromise. 

Steve Forrer lives in Easton, is 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 here for Steve to answer in this column. He also accepts private mediations.

The Town received $4.4 million in ARPA funding and intends to utilize a portion of such funding to provide local stimulus to support area stakeholders.

A 10-member ARPA Advisory Task Force, comprised of appointed members from the community, was formed in February 2022 to provide advisement to the Mayor and Town Council on how these funds can benefit the Chestertown community. To best advise the town, the Advisory Task Force selected a community organization application process to ensure organizations meet the ARPA funding and compliance requirements, are fiscally sound, and will provide significant impact for our community. The ARPA Advisory Task Force will then provide ranked recommendations to the Town for final decisions. All established organizations are eligible.”

Editor’s note: For almost as long as we have been publishing the Spy newspapers, we have been in awe of the various nonprofit organizations like Community Mediation Upper Shore in Chestertown and Mid Shore Community Mediation Center in Easton, who have successfully resolved countless family conflicts, student feuds, and bad neighbor relations through this very effective method of conflict resolution. We felt this subject was important enough to establish a column with the help of the former Dean of University of Maryland Global Campus, Steve Forrer, to discuss every other week how mediation can be used to encourage our Dorchester, Kent, and Talbot Counties to embrace this remarkable tool even more in the future. Steve begins his column today in all three Spy newspapers. 

Even though Talbot County and Easton are truly a wonderful place to live, we are not immune to disputes, conflicts, and disagreements. They are all part of life in every community. The challenge, of course, is how to resolve them and move on. Often these issues end up in the Talbot County Courts. In 2020 Talbot County Courts had over 10,000 cases filed.  Things can get pretty busy. The Talbot County Courts often turn to “alternative dispute resolution” to help save time and money, and clear their dockets. Mediation is one of the important ADR processes.

Of course, mediation is also useful to resolve issues outside of the court system. Over the following weeks, I will be sharing information about mediation and how it can save time and money. I will be answering questions you might have about how mediation works, how to find a mediator, what it costs, and in what areas, including divorce, it can save time and money. But first things first. What is mediation exactly?

Simply stated, mediation is a process where a trained and impartial mediator helps people to communicate, understand each other, explore options for mutual gain, and if possible, reach agreements that satisfy the participants’ needs. A mediator will never provide legal advice or recommend the terms of any agreement. Instead, the mediator helps participants reach their own decisions which may include agreements, rebuilding relationships, and finding lasting solutions to disputes. Mediation is a process that lets people speak for themselves and make their own decisions. 

Mediation is often confused with arbitration. There is a big difference. In arbitration, facts and information are presented to a neutral third party and that third party decides the outcome, which is binding on both parties. In mediation, however, the parties to the dispute have the opportunity to jointly decide on the outcome. They are in control of the resolution, not an arbitrator, judge or jury. In a court-encouraged mediation, therefore, the court is saying to the parties, “Here is a chance for you to control the outcome of the dispute.” The good news is that the parties have much more flexibility and creativity in crafting an agreement versus a court that can only decide a very narrow question. Mediation allows the parties to agree to any terms, as long as they are legal. 

The important thing to understand about mediation is that it requires flexibility, compromise, and often creativity. You must consider the other party’s position and be willing to craft an agreement that satisfies both parties. By definition that means an outcome that is acceptable, but not perfect.

Whether within the court system or not, mediation is a very powerful process to resolve conflict quickly and with much less expense while putting both parties in control of the outcome.

Let me invite you to submit any questions you might have about mediation through the contact page on the website listed below. I will do my best to answer them directly or in this column. 

Steve Forrer lives in Easton, is  former Dean and Vice Chancellor of University of Maryland Global Campus, and 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.

WHCP Cambridge Community Radio Kevin Diaz checks in with Matt Leonard, executive director of Cambridge Waterfront Development Inc., about branding and progress on the redevelopment of the city’s riverfront acreage.

The Board of Directors of the Easton Economic Development Corporation (the “EEDC”) is pleased to announce the appointment of Holly DeKarske as the Interim Executive Director of the EEDC, pending full approval of the Board of Directors. She will continue her previous duties as Director of Downtown Development for the EEDC.

Holly DeKarske

DeKarske has extensive experience in implementing and managing Main Street programs, tourism strategies, local events, and festivals. Additionally, she has broad expertise in business retention and attraction, real estate management, and real estate development and planning.

Before joining the EEDC in June of 2021, DeKarske was Executive Director of Venture Lititz, PA, downtown Lititz’s nationally accredited Main Street Program, where her responsibilities included business retention and recruitment, local events, festivals, and tourism marketing. DeKarske also served on the Lititz Regional Community Development Corp board and as co-chair of the Lancaster Economic Development Corp’s Borough Collaborative. Before her work in Lititz, she was with the City of York, PA, as an Economic and Community Development Specialist; prior to that, she was Development and Operations Manager for a real estate company specializing in the use of New Market Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits and other capital sources for the redevelopment of real estate in and around York, PA. DeKarske has been honored with numerous awards for her work in both Lititz and Lancaster County, PA.

Scott Beatty, Chair of the EEDC, said, “We couldn’t be more pleased with the tremendous effort put in by Holly and the EEDC team with regard to the promotion and development of so many programs for the good of the Town of Easton.”

When asked about her new role, DeKarske said, “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with our neighbors, merchants, businesses, the Town of Easton and Council as well as the many wonderful organizations that make up the fabric of one the best small towns in America.”

Kent Attainable Housing. Inc. (KAH) announced today that its Executive Director Darius Johnson will step down in late April to assume a new position as the Northeast Regional Director for the ACE Mentor Program of America. In this role Johnson will help local ACE affiliates introduce high school students to careers in architecture, construction, and engineering.

“We are grateful to have worked with Darius over the past year, and wish him continued successes in his new role,” said Board President Taylor Frey. “Under Darius’s leadership we completed construction of our property on Lambs Meadow Road, acquired our property on Conley Avenue, and secured rights to purchase an additional lot in Chestertown that will serve as the site for our fourth Kent Attainable Home. This progress will give KAH the opportunity to create three additional affordable housing opportunities for income-limited working families in our community. Darius has also been instrumental in raising the profile of KAH,” said Frey. “During his tenure Darius grew our presence in the community and supported Grant Chair Ronnie Edelman in securing critical funding from multiple sources to support our mission, including Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Truist Bank, the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the United Way, the Chestertown Rotary Club and the Women and Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore.”

Founding President Lani Seikaly adds to his accolades, “When we interviewed Darius, we were all greatly impressed with his commitment to this community and to equitable home ownership.  As the Executive Director of KAH, he has demonstrated these values every day and helped make substantial progress toward meeting our mission to prepare families to achieve home ownership. I am sure he will bring that same energy and passion to his new position.”

“I’m so grateful for the experience that I had with Kent Attainable Housing,” said Johnson. “I hope that the community continues to recognize how important it is to support Kent County’s hardworking families who need quality, affordable housing. It is a cause that everyone needs to contribute to, and it uplifts the whole community when everyone is working together. Additionally, I give Kent Attainable Housing a ton of credit for having the courage and willpower to take on such a challenging and important issue during one of the most tumultuous periods of our lifetime—it takes a special group of people to do that. I thank the Board of Directors for hiring me, the donors and volunteers who support the mission, and the families who trust KAH to help them along their journey to homeownership.”

The Kent Attainable Housing Board will launch a search for their next Executive Director later this month. The search committee, led by Board President Taylor Frey, will consist of Board Members Terwana Brown, Kathy Appel, Leon Frison, and Bob Altieri, and will be supported by Founding President Lani Seikaly and Board Secretary/Co-Founder Jonathan Chace. The search committee can be reached at [email protected].

Kent Attainable Housing, coming up to its 3rd anniversary, is a nonprofit committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by building or renovating affordable houses and partnering with income-challenged, working families to prepare for and buy a home.  Expanding home ownership to families in need builds foundations for healthier, happier and more productive families and a stronger community.

Regional employers are getting a hand from the Mid-Shore Regional Council and its partners with the debut of a new website titled hires.midshore.org as workforce woes continue in many industry sectors.

The council teamed with the region’s economic and workforce development professionals to address the deep and ongoing challenges employers now face. As they have for many successful projects, the group again called on the data visualization specialists at Salisbury University’s Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC) to help develop the site.

“This website takes a practical view of hiring and focuses on finding, attracting, and retaining employees,” says Scott Warner, executive director of the Mid-Shore Regional Council. “This is not new information. Our team simply pulled it all together in one location. We focus on helping businesses develop an effective process for addressing their workforce issues.”

Funded in part by a grant from PNC Bank, the Mid-Shores Hires website sports a modern, readable design that is easy to use and comprehend. This tool will become part of the strategies deployed by Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties as they work to address workforce issues. 

“Today’s workforce is evolving, and it is critical that employers upgrade their hiring strategies to keep pace,” says ESRGC Project Manager Erin Silva. “A modern hiring strategy is more than simply posting open positions on job boards. Employers must develop a comprehensive approach to finding, attracting, and retaining top talent.” 

The website is divided into three main sections. “Find Employees” provides ideas on how businesses can develop a steady stream of qualified candidates. In addition to listing traditional employee recruitment tools such as Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter, the site links to nontraditional job boards including Goodwill, The Arc, and Easterseals. 

Mid-Shore Hires also outlines strategies employers can use to enhance their attraction and retention efforts with advice on polishing their corporate image and how to develop incentives that work with today’s labor force. “Mid-Shore Hires reminds us that employees are an organization’s most valuable asset and opportunities for workforce development occur at every level,” Silva notes. 

The Mid-Shore Regional Council is recognized by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as a certified Economic Development District that encompasses Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties. The economic development offices in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot counties contributed to the development of the website, as did the Upper Shore Workforce Investment Board and the Lower Shore Workforce Alliance.

The organization’s partners often come together to work on projects and issues that benefit the region. “The Mid-Shore Regional Council appreciates this partnership with the county economic development offices to create this resource designed to assist businesses, especially small businesses, to enhance their current employee recruitment and retention strategies,” Warner says.  

For more information, visit hires.midshore.org.