An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland
WYPR – 88.1 FM Baltimore reports that Maryland’s lone Republican congressman U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, who represents the first district, said he would support a national abortion ban if a fetus has a heartbeat.
If the legislation was passed by Congress, abortions after six weeks into a pregnancy would be illegal nationwide. The six week mark is often before many women know they might be pregnant.
Read for the full story here.
Edith Ramirez
Edith Ramirez of Greensboro, Md. has recently joined the Easton office of Mid-Shore Pro Bono as the Community Outreach and Communications Coordinator.
Her responsibilities include raising awareness about Mid-Shore Pro Bono’s civil legal services to individuals in need throughout the Eastern Shore, and to donors interested in forwarding the nonprofit’s mission.
Ramirez is bilingual in English and Spanish. She most recently worked in customer service in Dover, Del., and is a graduate of North Caroline High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society.
“Learning about resources available in our community has always been important to me, especially growing up as the daughter of a single, immigrant mother,” says Ramirez. “I’m passionate about helping to provide an equal chance to underserved individuals and families in my new role.”
“Edith is a pleasure to work with,” said Mid-Shore Pro Bono Executive Director Meredith Lathbury Girard, Esq. “Her experiences bring warmth to our clients and earnestness to our communications. We’re especially grateful to have her among our other interpreters so that we can make a difference in the lives of clients from different cultures.”
Mid-Shore Pro Bono delivers a mission of helping Maryland’s Eastern Shore residents obtain access to legal assistance, with offices in Easton, Chestertown, and Salisbury, with more at www.midshoreprobono.org.
Since its opening on June 6, 2022, One Mission Cambridge has served over 140 people in need. The first week alone, the coalition of Christian churches and ministries called to meet the physical and spiritual needs of men, women and children in the Cambridge area, served over 90 people and had to order 3,000 pounds of extra food to meet the needs of the community. The organization will host an open house on July 16 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at its location at 614 Race Street in Cambridge. The open house is open to everyone in the community to learn about the mission center and celebrate it.
Pictured is Krista Pettit of One Mission Cambridge in the center’s facility at 614 Race Street in Cambridge.
One Mission Cambridge’s location has proved ideal to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable populations. The building includes a storefront on Race Street with a large communal space in the rear of the building. By consolidating some of the area’s food pantries, One Mission Cambridge can offer a food pantry store where people can shop for what they need in a dignified manner. In addition, the center offers community navigation with computers onsite for people to research jobs and complete job applications and look up resources to help them connect to community services. Whether you need food items, to get a replacement Social Security card or photo ID, or just need a friendly face to talk to, the center is open for walk-in services.
“When you are in a crisis, you are overwhelmed with navigating the process to get on the other side of it. We are the stopgap – stepping into the process and providing support,” comments Krista Pettit, leader of One Mission Cambridge’s efforts.
In the back of the storefront, there is a private meeting room to offer Christian counseling and support groups. Further back, a large community space is available to host community dinners for about 120 people. These dinners hope to start in the fall on the first Monday of each month and will include a sit-down dinner, along with a Bible reading and discussion, as well as music and art enrichment.
One Mission Cambridge is about the Body of Christ working together – combining resources and people. The organization’s name “One Mission” comes from all the churches having the same mission: to love God and to love their neighbors. All Christian Churches are invited to participate in this exciting organization. The organization was born in the summer of 2021 when a volunteer subcommittee brought people from the community together and interviewed nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies, and community members who utilize various agencies to determine the unmet needs in the community and what services could be provided. The survey revealed that people in the community have a heart for others, there are a lot of great organizations helping people, and there needs to be a place for people to talk, listen and provide guidance on getting help and encouragement.
One Mission Cambridge, the coalition of Christian churches and ministries, is called to meet the physical and spiritual needs of men, women and children in the Cambridge area. Its storefront location is ideal for serving some of the community’s most vulnerable populations.
To date, over 15 churches are working with One Mission Cambridge. Krista Pettit, who began working on the project as a volunteer with Grace United Methodist Church and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, recognized the need in the community when talking with other churches. The organization wants to partner with everyone providing services in the Cambridge area, including area food pantries, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and churches who, according to Krista, are doing tremendous work in the community. Volunteers are also needed and interested persons can attend the open house to inquire, contact Pettit directly, or sign up via the website at onemissioncambridge.org or call 410-901-3959.
One Mission Cambridge will be open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 1 to 6 p.m. and the second Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. These hours were selected as times when other organizations aren’t open and to allow people who work to utilize the services.
Visit One Mission Cambridge on Facebook or Instagram or their website onemissioncambridge.org or call 410-901-3959. Donations can be made to One Mission Cambridge, P.O. Box 815, Cambridge, MD 21613.
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.
Michelle Siri, a candidate for lieutenant governor, speaks at an abortion rights rally in Wheaton on Friday evening. She is running with John King, standing to her right. Photo by Josh Kurtz.
Everybody saw it coming.
And yet, the Supreme Court decision Friday to strike down Roe v. Wade, the historic 1973 decision guaranteeing abortion rights across the country, may be reordering Maryland politics just 3 1/2 weeks before the state’s primaries.
“It’s going to be a different world,” Del. Ariana Kelly (D-Montgomery), a leading abortion rights advocate in the General Assembly, said in an interview Friday. “Yesterday and tomorrow, totally different worlds.”
Maryland has fairly robust abortion protections, enshrined in state law 30 years ago by a statewide referendum. Abortion rights supporters took to the streets Friday evening in Wheaton, Annapolis and elsewhere, expressing their disgust and horror with the Supreme Court ruling.
But even with Maryland’s status as one of a dozen states that preserve abortion access up to the point of viability (usually 22 to 24 weeks into a pregnancy), abortion rights supporters moved with a new sense of urgency Friday, vowing to elect more pro-choice candidates and to press for even stronger protections in state law, including a state constitutional amendment to preserve abortion rights.
Separately, local leaders began setting policy and funding decisions in response to the court ruling.
Dozens of Democratic officeholders and political candidates issued statements decrying the Supreme Court ruling and vowed to preserve and protect abortion rights in Maryland, cognizant of the likelihood that the number of abortion seekers coming to Maryland will increase dramatically, with close to half of U.S. states set to outlaw the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.
The Republican reaction in Maryland ranged from overjoyed to circumspect.
With mail-in ballots already arriving at voters’ homes, early voting set to take place between July 7-14, and the primary on July 19, abortion could be uppermost on voters’ minds in the days ahead. Democratic primary voters have a full menu of abortion rights supporters to choose from in the races for statewide office — governor, attorney general and state comptroller. So the choice there may be who is best-equipped to expand abortion protections in the state.
“An overwhelming majority of Democrats support women’s reproductive rights… and there is little daylight if any between any of the Democratic candidates who are currently running for governor on these issues,” said Mileah Kromer, a political science professor at Goucher College and director of the Goucher Poll.
That point was brought home Friday evening, when Democratic gubernatorial contender John King, who has been endorsed by the group Pro-Choice Maryland, and his running mate, Michelle Siri, shared the stage at the Wheaton rally with former Del. Aruna Miller, running mate to another candidate for governor, Wes Moore. Similarly, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich was just a few feet away from one of his Democratic primary challengers, County Councilmember Hans Riemer, and both spoke.
The leading Republican candidates for governor had notably different reactions to the Supreme Court ruling.
Former Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz, the favorite of the GOP establishment, issued a statement promising to preserve the status quo if she is elected.
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court changes nothing with regard to abortion in Maryland,” she said. “As I have repeatedly said, while I am personally pro-life, the issue is settled law in Maryland and has been for 30 years, since Marylanders voted on it. Despite fear-mongering from others, as governor, I’ll do nothing to change current Maryland law.”
Schulz has largely hewed to the position of her political patron, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), who she is trying to succeed. When Hogan was first campaigning for governor in 2014, he said he was personally opposed to abortion but would not seek to change state law.
But is that line still cogent in the current political environment?
“I think that she’s going to be pushed on the issue more than Hogan was pushed on it during his eight years or during his two elections, just because of the decision today,” Kromer said of Schulz.
Hogan may not have helped Schulz’s cause when he vetoed a bill this year to expand the types of medical practitioners who can perform abortions — which the legislature overrode — and then withheld funding to provide training for those medical professionals. It served as a reminder that even with abortion protections in place, a governor can have an impact on how the laws are administered.
“I think Kelly Schulz’s statement was particularly interesting,” said Alexandra Hughes, former chief of staff to House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) and the late Speaker Michael Busch (D). “Fundamentally, [she] is a political pragmatist. Her problem is, there are a lot of suburban and urban women who are not buying this Susan Collins ‘walk the line’ thing.”
Schulz’s principal GOP primary opponent, Del. Dan Cox (R-Frederick), posted a minute-long video on Facebook praising the Supreme Court decision.
“Thank God, thank President Trump, thank the Supreme Court for doing what is right,” said Cox, who has been endorsed by Trump in the primary. “My wife and I for years and years have been fighting for the unborn. That’s one of the reasons why we’re in politics.”
Cox also took a swipe at Schulz, saying “my opponent wants to enforce taxpayer-funded abortions. She will do nothing to stop illegal actions against these precious babies.”
Democratic fissures
The upcoming primaries may expose certain Democrats who have opposed abortion rights.
Lily Bolourian, executive director of Pro-Choice Maryland, said the organization has in recent days retooled its endorsement policy to only focus on the strongest advocates on abortion rights. And, she said, the group is determined to defeat as many anti-abortion Democrats as possible.
“There is no room in the Democratic Party or in any progressive movements for anti-abortion elected officials. Period,” she told Maryland Matters. “It’s unacceptable, and we intend to continue building power to target any politician who voted against the Abortion [Care] Access Act.”
That’s a reference to Kelly’s legislation expanding the array of medical providers who can perform abortions. When the bill initially passed the House, 89-47, six Democrats voted against it: Dels. Dalya Attar of Baltimore City, Anne Healey of Prince George’s County, Shaneka Henson of Anne Arundel County, Cheryl Landis of Prince George’s, Mary Ann Lisanti of Harford County, and Geraldine Valentino-Smith of Prince George’s.
After Hogan vetoed the bill, the House voted 90-46 to override the veto. Attar, Henson, Landis, Lisanti and Valentino-Smith voted against the override. Healey did not vote. It takes 85 votes to override a gubernatorial veto in the 141-member House of Delegates.
“Democrats who voted against the abortion access bill are going to get pressed about it on the [campaign] trail,” Hughes predicted.
Landis and Valentino-Smith are not seeking election this year. Lisanti is running for state Senate in a competitive primary with former Del. Mary-Dulany James. Henson is one of two Democratic incumbents running in a two-member district, without opposition, so she will be safe in the primary.
It’s unclear whether Attar faces a competitive primary, in a district where Dels. Samuel Rosenberg (D) and Tony Bridges (D) are also seeking reelection. Former Del. Bilal Ali and Chris Ervin, a trucking company owner and civic activist, are also competing in the Democratic primary.
But Pro-Choice Maryland is clearly targeting Healey, who was first elected in 1990. The group has endorsed Ashanti Martinez, a research and policy analyst with CASA, the immigrants’ rights group, and he launched a digital ad earlier this week slamming Healey.
“It’s tough to understand why, in one of our state’s most progressive House districts, Anne Healey, a purported Democrat, is aligning herself with the positions of the far right,” a narrator says in the ad.
Healey could not be reached for comment Friday. But the Women Legislators of Maryland caucus released a series of statements from the caucus leaders, including one from Healey, the immediate past president.
While eight statements were full-throated denunciations of the Supreme Court decision, Healey’s was somewhat more measured.
“Regardless of what the Supreme Court said today, abortion in Maryland remains a private, medical decision,” she said. “The law we have in place makes sure that only the pregnant woman herself has the final say. I voted earlier this year to secure this policy as part of the Maryland Constitution. I would do so again.”
Her statement was in reference to a bill sponsored by House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) this year that would have set up a November referendum to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. The bill passed through the House but stalled in the Senate, to the consternation of many abortion rights supporters in and out of government. (Henson, Landis and Lisanti also voted in favor of the speaker’s bill.)
Healey is running on a ticket with the other incumbents in District 22, including Sen. Paul Pinsky (D), who spoke at the abortion rights rally in Wheaton on Friday evening, and Del. Nicole Williams (D), a vocal abortion rights advocate. But the delegation in that district has traditionally not been as close as lawmakers in many other districts.
The Abortion Care Access Act passed 28-15 in the state Senate this year, and the vote to override Hogan’s veto was 29-15. In both cases, two Prince George’s County Democrats — Sens. Michael Jackson and Ron Watson — voted against the measure.
Jackson, who also represents Calvert County, has nominal opposition in next month’s primary. Watson is in a three-way race against Raaheela Ahmed, a former member of the Prince George’s County Board of Education, and Sylvia Johnson, a business owner, in a district that has traditionally elected some anti-abortion legislators.
Asked Friday if he is concerned that abortion could become a late-breaking or defining issue in his primary, Watson replied, “I’m not worried about it. We have a lot of important issues we have to deal with in this upcoming legislative session.”
It takes 29 votes in the 47-member Senate to override a governor’s veto, so the veto-proof majority is in jeopardy this year. Sen. Obie Patterson (D-Prince George’s), an abortion rights supporter, is retiring, and his likely successor, former Sen. Anthony Muse (D), has opposed most abortion rights measures during his legislative tenure.
Pro-choice Sen. Katie Fry Hester (D-Howard) is considered vulnerable in November, though Democrats tried to firm up the Democratic majority in her district in the latest round of redistricting. Democrats and abortion rights advocates have a pick-up opportunity in Anne Arundel County, where Sen. Ed Reilly (R) is retiring and Democrats are rallying around attorney Dawn Gile, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary.
In the 18th District, where an abortion rights supporter, Sen. Jeff Waldstreicher (D), is seeking a second term, Pro-Choice Maryland has endorsed his challenger, Max Socol, because of what Bolourian called Waldsteicher’s “failure to lead” on the constitutional amendment that stalled in the Senate this year.
Bolourian said her group has “absolute confidence in Max’s tenacity to push to get the strongest abortion access bills passed. My core message to anti-abortion Democrats is to expect us.”
A special session?
The House has twice launched the idea of a constitutional amendment to codify abortion rights, in 2018 and this year, but both times Senate leaders resisted. Now it is a top priority for several Democrats, including the men running for governor.
Jones reiterated that point in a statement Friday.
“It is a dark day for our country,” she said. “The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will put women’s lives in jeopardy across America. Here in Maryland, access to the full range of reproductive health services will not be limited by this decision. I will continue to put the full weight of my office behind a Maryland constitutional amendment to protect women’s healthcare and reproductive liberty. The recent decisions of the Supreme Court are dragging America backwards. We cannot and will not give up. Now is the time to mobilize for the country we all deserve.”
Earlier this week, Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) issued joint statements condemning Thursday’s Supreme Court decision on a gun rights case, and on calls to hold a special legislative session to discuss a proposed gas tax holiday. But they notably went their own way when it came to reacting to the Roe v. Wade verdict.
Ferguson’s statement said in part: “In the weeks and months to come, women will likely come to Maryland seeking reproductive care in a State that understands the importance of the right to privacy and equality. While many may now question the future of reproductive rights in America, in Maryland, that right will always be protected and enshrined in State law. We will welcome those who seek care in our State.”
Some Democrats and abortion rights advocates are now pressing the presiding officers to schedule a special session to move the constitutional amendment on abortion rights and force Hogan to fund the training this year for abortion providers. That seems unlikely for now — though matters could change.
King and Siri reiterated the call at the rally in Wheaton Friday evening.
“If folks can jump up and down out there and call for a special legislative session for a gas tax holiday, we sure as hell can have one for our bodily autonomy,” said Siri, the head of the Maryland Women’s Law Center and former president of the state’s Planned Parenthood board.
Local government reacts
Within hours of the Supreme Court decision, the Montgomery County government banned county employees from engaging in official travel to any of 25 states deemed likely to roll back access to abortion in the wake of the ruling.
“By taking action to restrict access to reproductive health care services, the following states have possibly put the health and safety of our employees at risk while on official business,” Chief Administrative Officer Richard S. Madaleno wrote in a memo to county managers.
“Our County taxpayers expect the County’s resources to uphold County values and Maryland state law,” he added.
Conference or other travel approved prior to the ruling must be canceled in those instances where monetary penalties will not be imposed, Madaleno said. The ban on official travel to anti-abortion states would not apply to members of the County Council, though they would be encouraged to follow the executive branch’s lead, a county spokesman said.
The 2023 National Association of Counties annual convention is scheduled to take place in Texas.
In an interview, Elrich, the county executive, said Montgomery intends an aggressive effort to woo companies located in states “that are about to move back to the Stone Age.”
“These tech companies that brought in all these young people to Austin, [Texas], I can’t imagine them being really comfortable there right now,” he said. “We want to encourage those companies to come to a state where everybody’s free.”
In light of the rise in remote work, Elrich said Montgomery’s campaign will target both out-of-state employers as well as employees.
Several large companies announced after the ruling that they intend to compensate workers who are forced to travel to access abortion services.
The states on Montgomery’s travel ban: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
In Baltimore on Friday, Mayor Brandon Scott (D) announced that the city would provide $300,000 in grants to organizations that offer abortion and family planning services.
“It is crucial that we invest in abortion and family planning so that we can welcome women seeking these services with open arms,” Scott said. “We are morally obligated to make Baltimore a safe haven for care-seekers, and we are committed to doing just that.”
Earlier this week, Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby (D) and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) vowed that they would not prosecute women seeking abortions from other states, medical providers, or anyone who assists women who obtain abortions in Maryland.
“They’re doubling down to protect our staff and abortion providers all across Maryland,” said Karen Nelson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Maryland.
Battles ahead
Abortion rights foes in Maryland exulted in the Supreme Court ruling.
“Today we CELEBRATE!” Maryland Right to Life wrote on a Facebook post Friday.
The Maryland Catholic Conference, on Twitter, wrote: “Today’s Supreme Court decision on life is a historic moment in our nation. We renew — and invite all to join — our commitment to support both women and their children.”
Kelly, the state delegate and abortion policy leader, said Marylanders who support reproductive rights should not take Maryland’s current laws for granted. She said she fears that national anti-choice groups will start to focus more on Maryland, both with political advocacy and spending, and in intimidation of abortion providers and women seeking abortions.
“We become a target,” she said. “We are the southernmost state on the East Coast that’s considered a safe haven for abortion.”
Kelly said the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade shows how formidable the anti-abortion forces are.
“We’ve seen what this movement has been able to do,” she said. “They don’t have to expend their energy on states like Mississippi anymore. They can focus on Maryland.”
By Josh Kurtz
Bruce DePuyt and Nene Narh-Mensah contributed to this report.
Chrissy Aull, Founder and Head of School (Retired), Wye River Upper School, is the recipient of the 2022 Women & Girls Fund Award.
The Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore has announced Chrissy Aull, of Queenstown, and Beth Brewster, of Denton, are the 2022 recipients of the Women & Girls Fund and Sheryl V. Kerr Awards, respectively.
“Our annual awards are special because they shine a spotlight on individuals, often unsung heroes, who are making a difference in our communities. We want the recipients to know their inspiring work, either personal or professional, is recognized, valued, and improving the lives of Mid-Shore women and girls,” said Kathy Deoudes, president of the Women & Girls Fund Board of Directors.
Chrissy Aull received the 2022 Women & Girls Fund Award for her efforts in co-founding the Wye River Upper School (WRUS) to educate bright high school students with learning differences. Based on a shared personal need for an appropriate high school experience for their young adult sons, she and co-founder Patricia McGlannan, of Tilghman, opened the school in 2002 with nine students, three teachers, and two staff members on the campus of Chesapeake College.
Establishing the school was not without challenges, and Beth Spurry, former WRUS board member and current Women & Girls Fund board member, recalled, “At every point in the founding and development of WRUS, when it appeared there was ‘no way this will work’, Chrissy did impossible things through her positive attitude and compassion. She never took no for an answer. It’s a remarkable story and look where the school is now!”
Wye River Upper School grew to 57 students from as many as nine Maryland counties and Delaware while Mrs. Aull’s served as Founding Head of School from 2002 until her retirement in 2020. The school offers a wide range of curricular options, including an impressive digital and mechanical tools space, and extra-curricular offerings including interscholastic sports, theatre, and off-campus experiential learning.
In 2010 the school purchased the Centreville Maryland National Guard Armory as its permanent campus. Mrs. Aull led a successful capital campaign to raise over $5 million dollars to complete a total renovation of the historic structure. During her tenure, the school awarded an average of $150,000 annual financial aid to enable deserving students to attend.
The Women & Girls Fund Award was established by the board in 2004 to recognize a community member who, through their body of professional work or volunteer experience, exemplifies the Fund’s mission. The shared traits among recipients are vision, integrity, compassion, and generosity of time and talent, which demonstrates a commitment to improving the lives and opportunities of women, girls, and families. This award is publicized in all five counties, and nominations are accepted from the public.
Previous recipients of the award are the following women of distinction: Lois S. Duffey, Harriet S. Critchlow, Sandra W. King, Maria Boria, M.D., Sr. Patricia Gamgort, OSB, Tracy Davenport, Sandra Redd, Sara Jane Davidson, The Hon. Karen Murphy Jensen, Kathleen Francis, Maureen Jacobs, Janet Pfeffer, Joy Price, Nancy Wilson, Mary Lou McAllister, Diana Mautz, Kathy Weaver, Ellen Rajacich, Susan Stockman, Krista Pettit, Carlene Wilson, and Julie Lowe.
Beth Brewster, Founder of the Chesapeake Culinary Center and Director of Food Services for Caroline County Public Schools, received the 2022 Grayce B. Kerr Award.
Beth Brewster received the 2022 Sheryl V. Kerr Award for her accomplishments as the driving force at the Chesapeake Culinary Center (CCC) in Denton, which she founded in 2005. The center’s focus is on job training, youth education, and economic development in Caroline County, critical issues in the area Mrs. Brewster recognized needed to be addressed.
In partnership with the Caroline County Public Schools, Town of Denton, Caroline County Government, and other organizations, CCC undertook the rehabilitation of the original Caroline County high school building, built in 1901.
The old building has been retrofitted with classrooms, training kitchens, and a retail store featuring local products. The building lends itself to be a community kitchen incubator for farmers to create added value products and promote small food-based businesses entrepreneurship. It also houses the Caroline Career and Technology Center’s culinary arts class allowing high school students to gain a job skill as well as a variety of community programs.
For many years, Mrs. Brewster has offered “The Dinner Party”, an after-school program for at-risk students, and “Cooking Matters”, a program to teach lower income families how to cook and shop on a budget. She leads “Farm to Freezer”, an in-house project capable of preserving up 20,000 pounds of local produce to serve all year.
Caroline Curbside Market is CCC’s newest project. A specially outfitted van – “Sho Go Mobile” – follows a busy weekday schedule traveling to food scarce areas of Caroline County to bring residents with mostly local fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat at deeply discounted prices.
Mrs. Brewster’s tireless efforts at CCC – in addition to her “day job” as Caroline County Public School’s Supervisor of Food Services – have earned her town, county, state, and national awards. She is legendary for her vision and innovation. Says Women & Girls Fund board member, Kathy Bosin, “Beth is one of the brightest stars on Delmarva.”
Established in 2015 with a grant from the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, the Sheryl V. Kerr Award can be given to an individual or organization. Recipients are identified and selected through an internal board review process that recognizes exceptional community outreach or work that aligns with strategic goals of the Women & Girls Fund. The late Shery Kerr, a philanthropist and vice-president of the Grayce B. Kerr Fund, was a proponent of women empowering women, which is hallmark of the Sheryl V. Kerr Award.
Previous distinguished recipients of the award are Maria D’Arcy, Estela Ramirez, Cheryl Hughes, Robbin Hill, Debbye Jackson, Peggy and John Ford, and Leslie Bishop.
For further information or to download a 2023 Women & Girls Fund Award nomination form, visit www.womenandgirlsfund.org or call 410-770-8347.
United Way of Kent County has announced the addition of new Board members for 2022-2023.
Bob Altieri is President and CEO of Chesapeake Bank and Trust He has been a banking executive for over 35 years banking experience. Most recently he was the Chief Operating Officer for Baltimore Community Lending, LLC, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) lending to minority businesses and developers in Baltimore City.
Susan Conaghan of Rock Hall has lived in Kent County for 40 years. family first, with dog. outside is the best place to be.
A jack-of-all-trades, Nina Ogor has worked in education, tech, and office administration for a number of years and is now a Kent County Middle School English Language Arts teacher. She is a resident of Chestertown.
Susan Storm retired to Kentmore Park from Wilmington, DE in 2019. After a 25-year career in sales, she spent seven years as the fitness director at a large health club in Hockessin Delaware and is now starting at the Kent County YMCA.
David White served in the Vietnam war, and later was a faculty member and dean at three universities before retiring to Chestertown in 2013. In his spare time, he sails his boat on the Chesapeake Bay.
They join current Board members Muriel Cole, Nina Fleegle, Martin Knight, Rebecca Murphy, and DeLia Shoge, President. Every effort is made to maintain a board that reflects the county’s racial, ethnic, age, religious, and geographic diversity.
The United Way of Kent County strives to improve our community by building partnerships and bringing together diverse stakeholders from 27 agencies to focus on three areas: Health, Education, and Financial Stability.
The annual fund-raising campaign begins September 1. Donations may be made at any time via the website: unitedwayofkentcounty.org or by mail to United Way of Kent County, P.O. Box 594, Chestertown, MD 21620.
The four Republicans running for governor live approximately 70 miles apart. But getting them to appear together has proven to be difficult.
The four have appeared simultaneously only once — at an online forum sponsored by Bethesda Monthly and Bethesda Beat on June 8, which also featured Democratic candidates. Given the tortured history, it appears likely that when the July 19 primary rolls around, that event will represent the only time Dan Cox, Robin Ficker, Kelly Schulz and Joe Werner engaged in a true debate.
The lack of GOP debates isn’t for a lack of effort on the part of civic groups, media organizations and other would-be sponsors. Many have tried to draw the candidates together, so that the state’s 986,722 registered Republican voters can take stock of the candidates for themselves, only to fall short.
Two of the candidates — Cox, a state delegate, and Ficker, a former delegate and frequent candidate — have accused Schulz, the former state Commerce secretary, of ducking debates, saying she prefers to avoid unscripted and potentially adversarial settings.
The Schulz campaign has acknowledged that it isn’t keen on debates, but not for the reasons Cox and Ficker have alleged. Rather, they say it’s part of a concerted strategy to avoid propping up Cox, an attorney endorsed by former President Trump who chartered buses to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, and who tweeted that former vice-president Mike Pence was a “traitor” during the ensuing melee at the Capitol.
“Quite frankly I think she’s been on-stage with him more than she needs to be,” said Schulz spokesman Mike Demkiw on Monday, echoing past criticisms. “He’s a lunatic. He’s a liar. He got a child rapist out of jail.”
Cox declined to respond to voice messages and emails on Monday. But in a phone interview, Ficker, the GOP’s nominee for Montgomery County executive in 2018, who has run for multiple offices over the past four decades, said Schulz doesn’t perform well in candidate forums.
“Kelly is refusing to participate in any debates,” said Ficker. “I don’t think she’s a good debater. I don’t think she can think on her feet. She’s too scripted and they don’t want her to be surprised.”
Ficker said Schulz declined invitations to take part in a Maryland Public Television/WBAL-TV debate, a WBFF-TV (Fox 45) debate, and a Maryland State Bar Association debate. He said she also rejected invitations from the Montgomery County Republican Party and to attend candidate forums in Howard, Carroll and Frederick counties.
“She’s only appeared before one Black group, one time, where she gave an opening statement. She answered one question. And then said she had to leave early and gave a closing statement,” Ficker said. “There’s never been any opportunity to question her.”
Ficker called Schulz’s rationale for refusing to appear alongside Cox “complete nonsense” and “a lie.”
Although he has accused Schulz of ducking debates, Cox’s track record is also mixed. He was a last-minute no-show at a Maryland Municipal League debate in Ocean City last week, a forum for candidates of both parties that Schulz attended. And he declined to tape an interview with MPT, the station reported.
MPT held a Democratic primary debate on June 6 and hoped to do a Republican debate as well. When that didn’t come together, the station decided to record one-on-one interviews with the GOP candidates instead. Those conversations aired on Friday.
Schulz offered a light recital of her stump messages, focusing on gas prices, parental “choice,” public safety and job creation. She answered an abortion access question directly, but she dodged other questions posed by host Jeff Salkin, including whether she is an “anti-Trump” Republican, whether the GOP primary contest “is close” and whether Maryland should impose a limit on the harvest of female crabs.
It was unclear why Cox did not tape a sit-down with the station.
Unlike the Republicans, Democrats have held dozens of forums and debates over the past nine months. Ficker said the GOP’s most plugged-in voters — those who participate in primaries — are the losers. “The candidates know the most difficult questions to ask the other candidates,” he said. “The public deserves to see the differences and deserves to see the reactions.”
Schulz, Cox spar over Jan. 6
The Bethesda Magazine debate — the only one to feature nearly all of the Democratic candidates and all four Republicans — offered the candidates the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues. It also showcased some of the areas in which Schulz, who has the enthusiastic backing of Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R), and Cox differ.
The most notable difference centered around the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“January 6 was an insurrection on our Capitol,” she said. “It is a blight on America for what we have been able to see and hear and experience on Jan. 6. But we have moved beyond that.” She said it is important to “rebuild our party” and — in a jab at Cox — said “we do not want to continue to call our vice-presidents traitors.”
Cox replied by calling free speech “a sacred thing in America, and when we have issues before us that need to be examined, I think we need to focus on those.”
“People are concerned and fed up with politicians trying to smear one another,” he added. He declined to say whether he thought the insurrection represented an act of sedition or whether Trump was responsible for the siege.
Schulz strategist warns of Democratic ‘interference’
In a related development, a Schulz adviser warned her supporters on Monday that national Democratic groups — primarily the Democratic Governors Association — may be preparing to “interfere” in Republican primaries. In a memo that was distributed to reporters, strategist Doug Mayer highlighted news reports on DGA efforts to boost “fringe” candidates by labeling them “too conservative.”
While the ads have the feel of attack ads, the reports contend, they have the potential to hurt more moderate candidates — those with a better shot of winning in November — by boosting rivals offering a Trumpier message.
“This idea is nothing new,” wrote Mayer, a former Hogan spokesman, “but it has gained considerable steam and financial support in recent months and we have reason to believe the DGA might try something similar here in Maryland.”
DGA deputy communications director Sam Newton declined to say whether the organization is planning to run pro-Cox ads in Maryland. In a statement, he said “it’s telling that [Schulz’s] campaign is already looking for excuses.”
“Instead of pointing fingers and lashing out at pollsters, she should stop dodging debates and answer for her radical record like pushing a total ban on abortion and trying to strip funding from public schools to fund private schools,” Newton said, referring to Schulz’s support for charter schools and abortion restrictions while serving in the House of Delegates. In the MPT interview, Schulz said “nothing will change” in Maryland on abortion policy if Roe vs Wade is overturned and she pledged robust support for public education.
By Bruce DePuyt
The Leagues of Women Voters of Midshore, Queen Anne’s County and Kent County will sponsor forums for Senate candidates for MD District 36 and Congressional Representative candidates for US District 1, on June 26, in person at Chesapeake College, Cadby Theatre. They will also be streamed on facebook. Forums will be held from 1:30 – 3:00 pm for MD Senate District 36 Republican candidates and from 3:15 –4:45pm for candidates for the Democratic nomination for US District 1.
The League of Women Voters sponsors forums for contested races only. In each forum, candidates will be given an opportunity to introduce themselves and will answer two questions from the League that they have received in advance. The audience will have an opportunity to participate by submitting questions on cards collected by forum workers. The forum will finish with closing statements from each participant.
The forum will be filmed by the League of Women voters and those who have been granted permission by the League. No other recording will be permitted. Campaign signs, literature or clothing that indicates support of a candidate will not be allowed in the forum room.
The League is a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to promoting informed and active citizen participation in government; it does not support or oppose any political parties or candidates for office.
A diverse crowd of all ages and races filled several blocks on Harrison Street in Easton on Saturday; and for those who doubted if such a celebration might ever occur in their lifetimes, this was more than a beautiful sunny day. The Delmarva Pride Festival was sponsored by the Delmarva Pride Center, a community service organization of volunteers dedicated to creating a positive environment of services and support for persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities throughout the Delmarva community.
Over 60 tables and booths lined several blocks along Harrison. The organizations and vendors participating included the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Caroline County and Easton YMCAs, Dorchester County Health Department, Mid Shore Pro Bono, Mid Shore Behavioral Health, Talbot County Free Library, Delmarva Pride, Quiet Wealth, LGBTQ Professionals, For All Seasons, Talbot Interfaith Shelter, Talbot County Department of Social Services, Chesapeake College Pride, Planned Parenthood, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, The Arc, Talbot Humane, Jas Snack Shop – and many more.
Log Cabin Republicans of Maryland also participated, as did the Maryland Democratic Party, Talbot Democratic Women’s Club, Talbot Democratic Forum, and Democratic candidates Michele Dappert for Talbot County Council, Jim Bruce for Talbot County Council. representation for Wes Moore for Governor of Maryland, Republican Talbot County Council candidate Kyle O’Donnell, and candidate Naomi Hyman for Maryland State Senate.
On a day filled with both sunshine and relief, one visitor expressed his wish that Pride had been around earlier so that he wouldn’t have had to wait until he was 50 to come out; and a Log Cabin Republican, noting that they are not always received so warmly, appreciated that people here seemed “civilized.” A teacher also greeted a former student, exclaiming, “You are beautiful!” And most of us would likely agree that she truly was the most attractive person there.
There was more. The eleventh annual Juneteenth celebration, sponsored by the Academy Art Museum, Building African American Minds (BAAM), the Frederick Douglass Honor Society, and Talbot County Library, was just around the corner on South Street. This year’s celebration of the day in 1865 when a quarter of a million people learned of their freedom included the music of Dat Feel Good and Julie Outrage, exhibitions of paintings and illustrations, and food vendors including Scottish Highland Creamery, Danielle’s Pit Stop, and Gabee’s Icees.
This was clearly a day of sunshine and progress for the Mid-Shore.
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