MENU

Sections

  • Home
  • About
    • The Chestertown Spy
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising & Underwriting
      • Advertising Terms & Conditions
    • Editors & Writers
    • Dedication & Acknowledgements
    • Code of Ethics
    • Chestertown Spy Terms of Service
    • Technical FAQ
    • Privacy
  • The Arts and Design
  • Local Life and Culture
  • Public Affairs
    • Ecosystem
    • Education
    • Health
  • Community Opinion
  • Donate to the Chestertown Spy
  • Free Subscription
  • Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy

More

  • Support the Spy
  • About Spy Community Media
  • Advertising with the Spy
February 4, 2023

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

  • Home
  • About
    • The Chestertown Spy
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising & Underwriting
      • Advertising Terms & Conditions
    • Editors & Writers
    • Dedication & Acknowledgements
    • Code of Ethics
    • Chestertown Spy Terms of Service
    • Technical FAQ
    • Privacy
  • The Arts and Design
  • Local Life and Culture
  • Public Affairs
    • Ecosystem
    • Education
    • Health
  • Community Opinion
  • Donate to the Chestertown Spy
  • Free Subscription
  • Talbot Spy
  • Cambridge Spy
News News Homepage News News Portal Highlights

The Sacred Space of Minary’s Dream

February 1, 2023 by James Dissette 1 Comment

Share

Minary’s Dream Alliance, Inc. recently held its second public charette to gather and explore ideas for a long-term site transformation aligned with its mission: “to transform the lives of youth, families, and communities through education, resource development, and community engagement.” 

Since its inception in 2020, co-founders Paul Tue III and Doncella Wilson envisioned a safe gathering space for underserved and vulnerable youth and families. In other words, in addition to the facility on American Legion Rd, a sacred place within the existing designed to foster the intersection of nature and healing.

Currently partnering with MDA to create a “sacred space,” Naha Srinivasan, Project Manager at Nature Sacred organization, and landscape architect Miles Bernard of South Fork Studio Landscape Architecture, Inc. have worked together to create conceptual ideas and renderings to consider for inclusion as the site transformation gets underway.

Ideas promoted for consideration are a performance space, greenhouse, wildlife meadow, bird habitat, outdoor classrooms, natural swimming pool, benches, riverwalk, and access to the river tributary for canoeing and fishing, among others. Visitors to the charrette identified their choices by applying an adhesive dot under the image of the function they would like see included.

For those who didn’t make the charrette, choices can still be made on MDA’s Facebook page. 

For 25 years, Nature Sacred has partnered with over 100 communities nationwide to create public green spaces to reconnect people with nature, promote mental health and unify communities and has worked to help build sacred spaces with schools, communities, prisons, distressed urban neighborhoods, and hospitals.

Landscape Architect Miles Barnard founded South Fork Studio in 2003. His extensive background, including ASLA and RLA credentials and impeccable design savvy, has created many award-level landscape environments in Chestertown. Partnered with MDA and Nature Sacred, his South Fork Studio designed the architectural renderings for the charrette and included below. He recently helped with the placement of the Woicke sculpture installations.

The long-term sacred space project will help manifest Minary’s Dream Alliance’s mission as a place of health, healing, and learning by offering a natural sanctuary.

Here, we talk to Naha Srinivasan and Miles Barnard about the concept of “sacred spaces” and what it might bring to Minary’s Dream Alliance.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about Minary’s Dream Alliance, see their Facebook page. Thanks to Harry Connolly for the majority of still photographs in this video.

 

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

The HOYAS Plan to Celebrate 10 Years and Frederick Douglass: A Chat with President John Queen

January 30, 2023 by James Dissette Leave a Comment

Share

Bayside HOYAS co-founder and President John Queen invites the community to celebrate Frederick Douglass Day of Acknowledgment and the youth organization’s tenth anniversary from 12 pm to 8 pm on Saturday, February 11 at Washington College’s Decker Hall Theatre.

The event will honor Douglass’ achievement as one of the Country’s foremost abolitionists, writers, and statesmen, and will serve as celebration of Black history on the Eastern Shore and nationwide.

“This event will honor any African American group or individual that empowered the African American community,” Queen says.

The celebration will offer education programming, noted Frederick Douglass reenactor Nathan Richardson, keynote speakers and musical performances by Dell Foxx Company Band.

From 2:30 to 4:30, a Harriet Tubman documentary will be shown at Norman James James Theatre followed by a discussion moderated by Dr. Alisha Knight and include Emmy Award-winning director and producer Nicole London, WC alum Angela Crenshaw, and Starr Center Director Adam Goodheart. London and Goodheart also appear the film.

The celebration will continue from 5:00 pm to 8 pm with a ceremonial event at Decker Hall Theatre. Washington College President Dr. Michael Sosulski, John Queen and Nathan Richardson as Frederick Douglass will be keynotes speakers. Ballerina Benta Owino and Karen Somerville with Sombarkin’ will be performing.

Here, John Queen talks about the Frederick Douglass Day of Acknowledgment.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more about Bayside HOYAS, go here or see their Facebook page.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more about Bayside HOYAS, go here or see their Facebook page.

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Gov. Moore to Shake Up the Public Service Commission

January 28, 2023 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Share

Maryland Public Service Commission Chair Jason Stanek (second from left) and colleagues testify before the House Economic Matters Committee this week. Photo by Josh Kurtz.

With a single, swift personnel move this week, Gov. Wes Moore (D) may have done more to advance Maryland’s battle against climate change than volumes of legislation or months of advocacy ever could.

That’s the optimistic view of many environmentalists after Moore announced Wednesday that he was rescinding 48 recess appointments to state boards and commissions that his predecessor, former Gov. Larry Hogan (R), made last year. Included on the list were two of Hogan’s appointees to the Maryland Public Service Commission — meaning Moore is now in the position to pick three of the panel’s five commissioners over the next several weeks.

“The environmental community is ecstatic,” said Josh Tulkin, director of the Maryland Sierra Club. “This is the single biggest thing you can do to set up climate progress in this state for the next four years.”

The Public Service Commission is an obscure and often sleepy regulatory entity, steeped in the arcana of energy policy, utility law, gas and electricity generation and transmission, and consumer protection mandates. But it regulates an enormous part of the economy, as Marylanders spend billions of dollars a year to turn on the lights and heat their homes, businesses, commercial buildings and public institutions.

As state policymakers advance more aggressive goals for confronting climate change, the PSC is also partially responsible for interpreting and implementing several of the new laws — and many environmentalists believe the commission has fallen short of meeting the imperatives of the climate crisis.

“The bottom line,” Tulkin said, “is that the Public Service Commission can be a proactive force for good, driving equitable climate policy forward, or it can be a massive impediment, and what it’s been so far is a massive impediment, dragging its feet.”

Roger Berliner, a former Montgomery County councilmember and long-time energy policy lawyer, said environmental advocates and policy experts across the country are increasingly looking at state energy and utility regulators as critical decision-makers.

“Who do you look to on climate?” he said. “There are 50 people you should focus on. For those of us who care about the planet, this is the single biggest thing we need to focus on.”

Del. David Fraser-Hidalgo (D-Montgomery), a leading environmentalist in the General Assembly, said the prospect of three vacancies on the PSC creates a reset in the relationship between the legislature and the commission. New leadership on the PSC could enable the state and utilities to maximize the amount of federal dollars they seek to combat climate change, and could expedite utilities’ transition from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.

“I think it creates an opportunity to engage the PSC on climate change-related issues in important and more aggressive ways,” Fraser-Hidalgo said.

The PSC is led by five commissioners, who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate and serve staggered five-year terms. The person the governor selects to be chair largely sets the agenda.

Officially, the commissioners oversee 19 gas and electric companies, taxi and livery drivers, bay pilots, privately-owned water and sewer companies, and telecommunications companies that supply telephone land lines. The commission hears rate cases; considers industry developments and applications to modify the scope of service; promulgates new rules and regulations; and assesses the quality of utility service.

It’s a complicated portfolio under any circumstance, and has become more complex over the years as Maryland policymakers envision an ever-swifter transition away from fossil fuels and toward cleaner energy sources.

“We are in the forefront, rivaling [the Maryland Department of the Environment] and [the Maryland Energy Administration], of being in the front seat when it comes to addressing climate change, energy and environmental issues,” PSC Chair Jason Stanek told the House Economic Matters Committee at a hearing in Annapolis this week.

The PSC accomplishes its work with 156 full-time employees; by contrast, the government entities regulating utilities in Pennsylvania and Virginia have more than 500 and 700 full-time employees, respectively. Stanek calls the PSC “a small but mighty agency.”

All five commissioners are steeped in energy policy and have worked in the industry, or for federal and state regulatory or policy agencies, for most of their careers. Collectively, Stanek said, they have 125 years’ of experience in the industry — and the PSC has only been around for 113 years. Because Hogan served as governor for eight years, all five of the current commissioners are his appointees.

So who are the members whose terms Moore short-circuited?

The first is Odogwu Obi Linton, who was first picked in 2017 and who Hogan tabbed for a second five-year term last summer. Linton is a former regulatory attorney for Baltimore Gas & Electric whose career in the utility industry dates back to the 1990’s, when he was a meter reader for an electric company in New Jersey.

Moore also rescinded the appointment of Patrice Bubar, appointed last year to complete the term of a prior commissioner who was scheduled to serve on the PSC through June 30, 2024. Bubar previously had been the deputy director of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, and has also worked for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

By rescinding their appointments, which he did without explanation, Moore can pick someone to serve the remainder of Bubar’s term and someone for the remainder of Linton’s term, which runs through 2027. The two commissioners were vulnerable because their nominations had not been confirmed by the state Senate.

It is entirely possible, though by no means certain, that Moore will advance two nominees for the PSC by Feb. 17, the day the governor is due to forward his “Green Bag” appointments for myriad state jobs, boards and commissions to the Senate.

But at the same time, Stanek’s first five-year term as chair is due to end on June 30, and it’s conceivable that Moore would look to replace him as well — though the timetable for doing so is not altogether clear. Before taking over the PSC, Stanek was the senior counsel for the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on Capitol Hill, worked for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and worked for a fuel company in Buffalo, N.Y.

Tori Leonard, a spokesperson for the PSC, said Thursday that the three commissioners will continue to serve until their replacements are confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office. The two holdover commissioners are Michael Richard, a former deputy chief of staff to Hogan who once headed the Maryland Energy Administration and worked for the Department of Energy, and Anthony O’Donnell, a former Republican leader in the House of Delegates who was a safety worker at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear plant in Lusby, where he lives. Richard’s term ends in 2025 and O’Donnell’s term concludes a year later. Both men have served on the commission since 2016.

Already rumors are running rampant in Annapolis about who might be appointed to the PSC to replace Bubar, Linton and Stanek. The names range from industry attorneys and current and former regulators to consumer watchdogs, environmental activists and current and former elected officials — including senior lawmakers in the General Assembly. Any nominee from the latter category could produce a set of falling dominoes in the legislature — and it’s possible that additional lawmakers will be picked for other positions in the fledgling Moore administration in the weeks ahead.

Advancing the climate objectives

Coincidentally, the news of the likely shakeup at the PSC comes the same week that Stanek and his colleagues are appearing before legislative committees for informational hearings. On Tuesday, in the House Economic Matters Committee, which helps set utility policy and is the committee that may be monitored more closely by industry lobbyists than any other, Stanek said he would like to see the commission do more to encourage battery storage and modernization of the electric grid, along with more energy distribution planning.

Stanek also expressed skepticism over legislative proposals to expand competition in the energy markets. While utilities are the default providers of electricity and gas for most ratepayers, consumers are permitted to shop for other energy distributors. Some large national energy companies, including NRG, would like to further deregulate the utility market in Maryland and promote more competition, but some consumer advocates have warned that ratepayers could be susceptible to shady deals that sound good at first but require higher payments at the back end.

“I now think it’s more of a detriment to the state than a benefit,” Stanek said of greater deregulation.

But most environmentalists argue the PSC hasn’t done enough to end utilities’ reliance on fossil fuels, which they believe has slowed the state’s transition to renewable energy and could impede the state’s goals of reaching 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2035. Moore has vowed to make climate change a top priority for his new administration.

“For too long, the public interest in Maryland and the interests of utilities have been one,” Berliner said. “We need to make sure the utilities are doing everything to advance the state’s climate objectives.”

By Josh Kurtz

 

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

The Lakeside Reset Resolution Failure and the Future of Development: A Chat with Talbot Councilman Pete Lesher

January 26, 2023 by Dave Wheelan Leave a Comment

Share

It was clear on Tuesday evening that Talbot County Council member Pete Lesher was speaking with a heavy heart when he made it know that he would not be proposing the Talbot Integrity Project’s (TIP) draft resolution to “reset” the new Trappe housing development known as Lakeside.

Noting that the Maryland Department of the Environment’s final approval for Lakeside’s first 400 homes on November 1 was granted just a few days before election day, he regretfully stated that this permit made the “Reset Resolution” obsolete. In short, the train had already left the station for the housing development’s first phase, having had the original approval of the County’s planning commission and the Talbot County Council in the last term setting the stage of MDE’s decision to permit construction.

While disappointing in the decision, Lesher has decided not to propose the TIP-approved motion.

In his Spy interview yesterday, Councilmember Lesher explains in detail the circumstances that led to this decision and his plans for protecting Talbot County from out-of-scale development projects in the future, including presumably Lakeside’s Phase II plans to construct more homes beyond the 400 units covered by their current permit.

This video is approximately ten minutes in length.

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Public Comments Needed for Chestertown Strategic Plan of 2023-2026

January 24, 2023 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Share

The Chestertown Town Council released a draft of the 2023-2026 Strategic Agenda for public review and comment. Comments should be submitted prior to the Mayor and Council meeting scheduled for March 20th. Comments received from the public before 5 pm, March 13 will be compiled for Council consideration before issuing the final document.

The proposed agenda should be considered along with the goals and visions found in the Chestertown Comprehensive Plan

To read the Strategic Agenda, the Comprehensive Plan, and information about how to submit comments, go here.

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

In Historic Address New Governor Wes Moore Renews Promise to ‘Leave No One Behind’

January 19, 2023 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Share

Gov. Wes Moore (D) delivered his inaugural address as Maryland’s 63rd governor — and the state’s first Black chief executive — on Wednesday, pledging to throw open the doors of opportunity to all. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.

Wes Moore became the 63rd governor of Maryland — and the state’s first Black chief executive — on Wednesday, pledging to throw open the doors of opportunity to all.

In remarks offered soon after he was sworn in, Moore acknowledged the inescapable significance of the moment.

“As we stand here today, looking out over Lawyers’ Mall, and you can see right there the memorial to Justice Thurgood Marshall, it’s impossible not to think about our past and our path,” he said.

“We’re blocks away from the Annapolis docks, where so many enslaved people arrived in this country against their will. And we are standing in front of a capitol that was built by their hands.”


Moore’s inaugural remarks, delivered on the north side of Maryland’s historic State House in Annapolis, reprised several themes he invoked during his successful campaign, including his view that the state is “asset-rich and strategy-poor.” Going forward, Moore promised, Maryland will leave no one behind.

The new governor said the state will cast aside the “false choices” that are commonplace in modern policy debates.

“We do not have to choose between a competitive economy and an equitable one,” he said. “Maryland should not be 43rd in unemployment or 44th in the cost of doing business. We should not tolerate an 8-to-1 racial wealth gap, not because it only hurts certain groups, but because it prevents all of us from reaching our full potential.”

Ad-libbing heavily throughout his text, Moore pledged to put Maryland on course to “generate 100% clean energy by 2035,” and he called climate change “an existential threat for our entire state.”

He also pledged to offer a service year option for all high school graduates, saying, “My years of service transformed me. … I want every young Marylander, of every background and from every community, to have the opportunity to serve our state.”

Moore took the oath twice. He officially became governor at 12:08 p.m., when he was sworn in by Chief Justice Matthew Fader in the Maryland Senate chamber. Moore’s left hand rested on two Bibles, including one used by abolitionist Frederick Douglass. The other was from his grandfather, the Rev. James Thomas, the first Black minister in the history of the Dutch Reformed Church.

Turning toward the chamber, he pumped his fists in the air and hugged his children James and Mia, hugged his mother, Joy, and kissed his wife, Dawn.

More than an hour later, at 1:21 p.m., Moore and Fader re-enacted the oath-taking outside for the benefit of the large crowd that had gathered, under sunny skies, on and beyond Lawyers’ Mall.

The crowd cheered enthusiastically and the Maryland Air National Guard 104th Fighter Squadron conducted a flyover while a 19-gun salute could be heard in the distance.

The 44-year-old Democrat, born Westley Watende Omari Moore in Takoma Park and raised largely in New York, spoke for 20 minutes. The charismatic political newcomer — a winner in his first campaign — crafted most of his inaugural address himself, spending the last few weeks tweaking his remarks.

During his 17-month campaign, Moore largely sidestepped questions about his potential role in history. But he began his day on Wednesday with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial in downtown Annapolis, where he paid tribute to the former slave and the author who made his story of suffering famous.

With the Maryland General Assembly already in session, Moore’s inaugural speech stuck to broad themes. He is expected to unveil at least some of his key legislative priorities in the next few days.

Moore’s path to the governorship was unusual, running through successful stints as a Rhodes Scholar, Army paratrooper, investment banker and non-profit executive. So too was his inaugural. Among the boldface names in attendance: Oprah Winfrey, Chelsea Clinton, former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and more.

Winfrey, who got her start as a 22-year-old news anchor at WJZ-TV in Baltimore, introduced Moore before his remarks and praised him at length. Winfrey said every conversation she’s ever had with Moore is “memorable” for his ability to inspire.

Oprah Winfrey introduced Gov. Wes Moore (D) during inaugural festivities in Annapolis on Wednesday. “I know that, with Wes Moore as your governor, Maryland’s best days lie ahead,” she said. Photo by Danielle E. Gaines.

Aruna Miller (D), who made history herself as the first woman of color to be elected lieutenant governor, took her oath of office just before Moore, using a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, the revered Hindu text.

Miller was introduced by her adult daughters, Meena, Chloe and Sasha. Meena Miller said she was motivated to become a public school teacher because of her mother’s commitment to public service. “I move through the world the way that I do because of her,” she said. “She leads with values. She says ‘yes’ when it matters most, and that is how she will serve the people.”

The new governor has pledged to give Miller, a longtime transportation engineer who worked for Montgomery County government, a significant portfolio.

Former Gov. Larry Hogan (R) attended the inaugural festivities. Moore thanked Hogan for his service to the state and for his assistance during what appeared to be a drama-free transition.

The Moore-Miller ceremonies capped a swirl of history-making and barrier-shattering events unprecedented in Maryland’s history. They also represented a significant generational shift in state leadership.

On Jan. 3, 61-year-old Anthony Brown (D), a former congressman and lieutenant governor, became the state’s first-ever Black attorney general, replacing 76-year-old Brian Frosh (D). On Monday, Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D), a former state delegate from Baltimore City, became the first woman to serve as the state’s chief tax collector. The 43-year-old Lierman, took the post held for 16 years by 75-year-old Peter Franchot (D).

During a brief interview, former lieutenant governor Michael Steele (R) said Maryland could be an example for other states to follow when it comes to electing more Black officials to statewide positions.

“When I stepped into that space, I looked around there weren’t a whole lot of folks that I could look at and see myself reflected, but that’s not the case today,” he said after greeting D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. “I think that’s part of the blessing that we get to experience right now is that not only we made progress, but we’ve made good progress, and maybe committed a little good trouble along the way.”

Military presence

Moore’s military service, as an Army captain in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division, was a key feature of the inaugural ceremony.

Before Winfrey’s introduction of the governor, Retired Lt. Col. Jaime Martinez, Moore’s commanding officer in Afghanistan, delivered remarks.

Martinez called Moore “the very best of us” and said he embodied the Army value of “selfless service.”

“Wes has called on every Marylander to serve and support one another — to leave no one behind. He has made this call because he has lived these values himself,” Martinez said. “In Afghanistan I saw a leader emerge from the most difficult challenges. And I see that same leader here today.”

For his part, Moore said he would build coalitions as governor and noted that there was one question he never asked fellow soldiers: “What’s your political party?”

Freddie Roberts, a 20-year Army veteran, wore a black U.S. Army jacket as he watched Moore’s speech on a large screen television outside Lawyers’ Mall.

Roberts recalled meeting Moore in October, when the now-governor was celebrating his birthday in Roberts’ hometown of Pocomoke City.

“He let me come and shake his hand. Saluted me,” Roberts, 63, said while laughing. “The first thing he said to me, ‘I don’t forget where I come from.’ He was real cool. I support him.”

Another Army veteran, Swain Riley of Columbia, served in that branch for 26 years. He’s also a member of Moore’s fraternity: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

“It’s three-fold for me: a veteran, a Black man and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. We support each other,” said Riley, who moved to Maryland three years ago from East Orange, New Jersey. “I read the book, ‘The Other Wes Moore.’ There was so much power in it and the words of wisdom…to continue service,” Riley said. “I see great things for brother Moore.”

Witnessing history

Thousands of Marylanders converged on downtown Annapolis to witness Wednesday’s historic inauguration, even though some were hundreds of yards away looking at the ceremony on large television screens.

Betty Clark of Baltimore City said she followed Moore’s career when he released his book, “The Other Wes Moore,” more than 10 years ago.

Clark, a retired Baltimore teacher who serves as vice chair on the board for the Baltimore Design School, invited Moore to speak with some of the students and he came.

“He’s a positive influence and I wanted to [show] that before young people,” she said sitting on a bench beside the House of Delegates building. “He tells his life story…on how his life could’ve went a different path. We can [tell] our young and people and say, ‘Your mistakes don’t determine the determination.’ You can rise above that. [Moore] has.”

After the ceremony, hundreds lined up to walk inside the State House to greet and take a picture with Moore, Miller and their spouses.

Tiangay Waines of Randallstown took photos of her 7-year-old son, Diego, with Moore and Miller.

Waines, an accountant for Baltimore City, agreed with Moore’s message about bipartisanship “to get the work done for Marylanders.”

By midday Wednesday roadside signs in Maryland already bore a new name and new slogan welcoming visitors to the state. State Highway Administration photo.

“This has been really great week. We went to the Martin Luther King parade on Monday in Baltimore City and now today,” said Waines. “This is just a great day.”

Out with the old, in with the new…

As Moore was being inaugurated, crews from the State Highway Administration were hard at work, placing overlays on 22 welcome signs around Maryland to change the name of the governor and his slogan. The Maryland Transportation Authority placed overlays on two additional signs.

Since William Donald Schaefer was governor, every state executive has put a slogan of his choosing on the Welcome to Maryland signs. Former Gov. Larry Hogan’s slogan was “We’re open for business,” but his name and message disappeared Wednesday when highway crews placed the sign overlays with Gov. Wes Moore’s name and his new slogan: “Leave No One Behind.”

By Bruce DePuyt, William J. Ford, William F. Zorzi, Danielle E. Gaines

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Kent County and the Homeless: A Chat with Rachel Carter and Dawson Hunter

January 17, 2023 by James Dissette 1 Comment

Share

Except for a few cities showing declines, homelessness continues to thwart policymakers and practitioners seeking long-term solutions. Rural areas are no different, and smaller populations face their own set of unique problems.

Even with data limitations due to the pandemic and the flawed metrics of only using shelter census figures to arrive at a “homeless population” number, it is clear the problem remains a crisis. The National Alliance to End Homelessness states that homelessness was on a decline up to four years ago. Since then, there has been a yearly increase, hovering well over a half-million overall, and 408,000 categorized as chronic—continuously homeless for at least a year or homeless at least four times in the last three years for a combined length of one year.

Rural America reflects similar patterns of homelessness. The numbers may be fractional, but they exist. Chestertown and greater Kent County are not immune. 

Over the last several years, the Chestertown community has started to focus on those seeking shelter. Cold winters, Covid, lack of low-income housing, poverty, inflation and all the complex ingredients that that make for the tragedy of homelessness have ignited a call-to-arms to address the short-term issue of providing temporary shelter, along with the challenge to move beyond a patchwork of fixes toward a more permanent solution.

While the reality of a 24-hour shelter might remain out of reach for now, there is good news. Kent County organizations have rallied to create the Kent County Coalition for the Homeless to unify the various and sometimes overlapping services available.

Coalition members Rachel Carter and Dawson Hunter see the coalition as a significant step forward in addressing homelessness in the County. Rachel Carter is also Interim Chair of Kent County Conference on Homelessness, a role that revolves among their member groups.

Member organizations include Mid-Shore Behavioral Health, Samaritan Group, Good Neighbor Fund, Chester Valley Ministries, and Hope Community Outreach, with Kent County Department of Social Services acting as the primary liaison to connect a client to the appropriate resource.

Historically, people suffering from homelessness in the Kent County have been offered overnight cold weather shelter from January through March by the Samaritan Group of Chestertown and their faith partners, Church of the Nazarene, First United Methodist, and Presbyterian Church of Chestertown. Still, because of hours of operation and other eligibility requirements, some people have gone without shelter.

Carter and Hunter see the Kent County Department of Social Services as the gateway member of the coalition. Social Services can evaluate clients’ specific needs and refer them to the appropriate service.

Member organizations of the Coalition meet as the Kent County Conference on Homelessness meets once a month to share information and strategies.

The Spy recently met with Rachel Carter and Dawson to talk about the Coalition.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. To volunteer for the ongoing effort to stem the tide of homelessness, call Kent County Department of Social Service at 410-810-7600 or see their website here.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Notes

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Grades Chesapeake’s health a D-plus, Again

January 10, 2023 by Bay Journal 1 Comment

Share

Low winter light filters through a marsh near the Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Dave Harp

The ecological health of the nation’s largest estuary remains stuck at a low level, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

The Annapolis, MD-based environmental group graded the Bay’s overall vitality a D+, the same lackluster mark it got in 2020.

In a note introducing its biennial State of the Bay report, CBF President & CEO Hilary Harp Falk said it “shows there is still a long way to go to create a watershed that works for all of us.”

CBF said that 7 of the 13 pollution, fisheries and habitat indicators it tracks remained unchanged, while three improved and three worsened.

The amount of water-fouling nitrogen and phosphorus flowing into the Bay in 2022 from its major rivers was below the 10-year average, CBF acknowledged. But the past two years saw no real progress in water quality, it said.  While phosphorus levels improved a bit, already poor water clarity declined, and nitrogen pollution stayed unchanged.

The nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus feed algae blooms that reduce water clarity and deplete the water of oxygen when they decompose, causing the Bay’s “dead zone.” The federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program has been struggling for decades to restore water quality, but recently acknowledged it was likely to miss a self-imposed 2025 deadline for reaching pollution reduction goals set in 2010.

The group’s assessments are a blend of science and policy, scoring not just the condition of the Bay and its resources but also the federal and state efforts to restore it.

“The state of the Bay is at a precipice,” said Beth McGee, CBF’s director of science and agricultural policy. “We need to accelerate our efforts at reducing farm pollution to ensure the watershed-wide restoration effort is successful.”

Falk noted that much of the water quality gains to date came from upgrading wastewater treatment plants. To make further progress, she said, increased efforts are needed to reduce pollution from farms — especially in Pennsylvania — and to curb urban and suburban stormwater runoff.

In one of the few bits of good news, CBF upgraded the status of the Bay’s oyster population, citing record reproduction in both Maryland and Virginia in 2020 and 2021. But the group still didn’t give the keystone species a passing grade, saying more is needed to end overfishing and restore lost reef habitat.

CBF’s assessment of striped bass ticked up a point, crediting states with tightening catch limits enough to rebuild its population from dangerously low levels seen just a few years ago.

CBF downgraded the status of blue crabs more than any other Bay health indicator, though, citing the 2022 survey estimating the population at its lowest level in 33 years. Fishery managers in Maryland and Virginia tightened catch limits in response.

As for key Bay habitats, CBF rated conditions of underwater grasses, forest buffers and wetlands unchanged from 2020. But it downgraded slightly the status of “resource lands” — forests, natural open areas and farmland. It cited aerial surveys estimating that 95,000 acres of farms and forests had been lost to development across the Bay watershed over a five-year period ending in 2018.

“While we’ve made significant progress,” Falk said, “far too much pollution still reaches our waterways and climate change is making matters worse.”

Still, the CBF president saw reason for optimism.

“The good news is that the Bay is remarkably resilient and there is tremendous energy around the table,” Falk said. “With many new leaders taking charge — EPA administrators, governors, legislators, and within environmental organizations — we have an opportunity to prove that restoring clean water is possible.”

By Timothy B. Wheeler

Filed Under: Eco Portal Lead, News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Consultants Predict Cannabis Sales in Maryland could Reach $1 Billion a Year

January 9, 2023 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Share

As the General Assembly prepares to hash out final details for legalized recreational use of cannabis in Maryland, lawmakers are learning more about the potential scale of the industry.

Cannabis Public Policy Consulting, a firm based in Massachusetts that tracks and analyzes cannabis data, estimates that cannabis sales from licensed dispensaries in the state could reach $1 billion within about two years.

Assuming lawmakers come to terms on the finer details of licensing, regulation and taxation of the industry, recreational cannabis use in Maryland would become legal on July 1, thanks to a referendum passed by voters in November by a 2-to-1 margin.

The estimate of $1 billion in sales by the 20th month after legalization comes from a November survey about cannabis consumption in the state. Although about 4,600 Marylanders were screened for the survey, slightly more than 2,100 people, from 413 of the state’s 468 zip codes, completed it.

In recent meetings, the House Cannabis Referendum and Legalization work group has been briefed on reports that cannabis sales could reach up to $72 billion nationwide in the next decade, discussed tax options and considered impacts on workplace safety

Legal recreational use in Maryland will be limited to adults. Specifically the law will permit a person 21 years and older to purchase and possess up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis. As of Jan. 1, possession of up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis is a civil offense.

It is already legal for buyers with medical cannabis cards to buy cannabis from a licensed dispensary in Maryland.

According to Cannabis Public Policy Consulting, more than half of people recently surveyed are willing to travel up to 20 minutes to purchase cannabis and, among those surveyed, the “median willingness to pay” for legal adult use per gram in Maryland is $14. In other states where medical and recreational use is legal, the median price users are willing to pay is $10 per gram.

“People are pretty hyped about getting cannabis in the adult-use market,” said Michael Sofis, director of research for the consulting group.

Respondents who use cannabis said they spent an average of $49 on cannabis over the past month, but would be willing to spend $56 if adult use became legalized in the state, “which further validates our predictions of favorable demand and early shifts to adult use sales upon its implementation,” according to the firm’s survey document.

The consultants offered policy recommendations, including that the state should have at least 300 dispensaries to keep up with supply and demand, with a ratio of 17,000 residents per dispensary.

Based on that ratio, for the state’s four most populated counties, they recommended 48 dispensaries in Montgomery, 42 in Prince George’s, 39 in Baltimore County and 27 in Anne Arundel.

One or two additional dispensaries should be located on the Eastern Shore because “it’s currently underserved,” Sofis said.

The consultants also recommended a tax rate of no more than 15% to 20%.

Mackenzie Slade, director of the consulting firm, told lawmakers there isn’t a validated measure for determining or estimating the state’s supply.

One reason, Slade said, is because states track supply data differently. Colorado publishes data on cultivated plants. In Massachusetts, officials release figures on harvested and flowering plants.

“It’s kind of all over the place…” she said. “At the end of the day, this isn’t gospel. This is guidelines.”

Del. Robin Grammar (R-Baltimore County) asked if the illicit cannabis market would decline once there’s a transition to the legal market.

Slade said by using public outreach campaigns to inform residents about taxation, cannabis deliveries and locations of dispensaries, the illicit market in Maryland should decrease to less than a 20% share in three years.

Del. Luke Clippinger (D-Baltimore City), who chairs the work group, said cannabis discussions will continue this year.

“First day of session is next Wednesday and the legislature will be working on this issue very, very closely in the 2023 session,” he said.

By William J. Ford

Filed Under: News Homepage

Remembering Elmer Horsey: A Mayor for our Times

January 4, 2023 by James Dissette 1 Comment

Share

Former Chestertown Mayor Elmer Horsey passed away on Sunday, January 1, at 90.

Horsey, known as “Chief” to residents of Chestertown, was mayor from 1978 through 1993 and is remembered for wide-ranging accomplishments during his tenure. These achievements touched every aspect of the town, from downtown’s colonial brick sidewalks and new Town and police offices to the development of Wilmer Park and personally appealing to the Maryland Critical Area Committee to clear the path for the development of Heron Point.

“He was determined,” says Town Manager Bill Ingersoll. “He’d take on any project and wouldn’t stop until he finished it.”

Ingersoll, who worked as town manager during Horsey’s 16-year incumbency, praised the mayor’s tenacious leadership, inclusivity, and ability to negotiate for new construction and restoration of downtown.

An accountant, Peoples Bank director, and president of the Springfield Foundation founded by DuPont heiress Louisa d’Andelot Carpenter, Horsey committed to racial equity in Chestertown.

Leveraging his several professional roles, he guided the Springfield Foundation to create Washington Park, a 56-unit community designed to provide low-income housing for Blacks in Chestertown while also, with Town Manager Bill Ingersoll, igniting a building renaissance to address dilapidated houses in town.

Ingersoll says that people forget that Mayor Horsey was instrumental in raising Chestertown’s profile. On one occasion, Horsey, Ingersoll, and two others borrowed a friend’s boat to “invade” then Major Schaefer’s Baltimore. Schaefer met the crew at the Baltimore docks. The two became lifelong friends. When Schaefer became Governor, the friendship was not forgotten by way of Federal grant access. Over the years, Horsey would host a gala crab fest in Schaefer’s honor.

One of Schaefers’ last acts as Maryland Governor was an 11th-hour State Roads Commission appointment given to his old friend Elmer Horsey.

“Elmer loved his work with the Commission.” Local Attorney Steve Meehan says. “He felt it was an important contribution to the people of the State.”

Meehan recalls his early days as a reporter and later as an attorney in Chestertown. “I can’t think of an elected official of the Town of Chestertown who committed more time and energy and have the wherewithal to seek statewide resources through his political connections. I don’t think we’ll ever see a mayor like Elmer Horsey again, but let’s hope we do.”

Mayor Horsey also recognized that the relationship between the Town and Washington College was critical to the success of both and sought to weld the two by helping the College with infrastructure needs and the closure of Gibson Avenue. That closure opened the campus for constructing the Casey Swim Center, Casey Academic Center, Goldstein Hall, and the Johnson Fitness Center. To further the town/gown relationship, he invited to the College to build the pavilion at Wilmer Park to give students river access.

Easily recognized for his signature plaid pants and crewcut, Horsey was often seen attending ceremonies, graduations, conferences, and sports on the campus. He welcomed incoming freshmen to town, hanging banners along the streets and inviting them to his yearly crab fest at Fountain Park. To further the liaison, he founded the Mayor’s Scholarship to help Kent students attend Washington College.

On Horsey’s retirement in 1994, Baltimore Sun writer William Thompson quoted Kent County News publisher and editor Hurtt Deringer as saying that Horsey was “the best mayor, for most of his time in office, Chestertown has ever seen.”

 

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

Next Page »

Copyright © 2023

Affiliated News

  • The Cambridge Spy
  • The Talbot Spy

Sections

  • Arts
  • Culture
  • Ecosystem
  • Education
  • Health
  • Local Life and Culture
  • Spy Senior Nation

Spy Community Media

  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising & Underwriting

Copyright © 2023 · Spy Community Media Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in