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November 30, 2023

Chestertown Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown

Point of View Letters to Editor

Letter to Editor: Ditch the Couch for Shop Locally

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Ten years ago, I was discussing strategies for marketing events with another business owner, and she said,”Our biggest competition is people’s couches.” This struck me as true back then, but more so now. The convenience of online shopping from the comfort of your couch is tempting. Streaming services offer easy entertainment. As an artist, I understand enjoying leisure time at home and creative hobbies that keep you busy. But as a business person, I need to encourage everyone to consider that when you consider shopping, it is better to leave the house!  Have you considered  the impact that effort  has on your community? Let’s dive into why getting off that couch and hitting up local businesses matter!

Boosting the Local Economy:

Small businesses are truly job creating dynamos. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses create two out of every three new jobs in the United States. So, by supporting your local mom-and-pop shops, you’re supporting job creation in your community.

And here’s a mind-blowing stat: for every buck you spend at a local business, a whopping 67 cents stays in the local economy! Compare that to chain stores where only 43 cents sticks around. Your money packs a bigger punch when you keep it local, helping your community thrive and keeping the economic mojo alive.

Local businesses are the heart and soul of our community. Each small business brings character and diversity. Vibrant downtowns fueled by the creativity of business owners contribute to the mosaic of our community and fights  the dull sameness of big box stores. Small businesses are alive and provide energy and customer service that cannot be replicated online.

Building Community Vibes:

Shopping locally isn’t just about consuming products; it’s about people. An active downtown helps us maintain relationships with the people who share the world around us. When you choose local, you’re not just buying a product; you’re building relationships. You get to know the faces behind the counter, folks shopping around town, and learn about upcoming events and initiatives.  There’s an eco-friendly result as shopping at small businesses often mean shorter trips for products, and that equals a smaller carbon footprint. Plus, they’re more likely to source locally, sharing the fiscal benefits with other business members of the community.

Why Art Matters:

Art galleries and art events play an important role in our society; holding social, culture, economic innovation to our downtown. Galleries draw visitors which generates jobs and stimulates local economies through consumer spending and tourism. Advertising, graphic arts and supporting local arts initiatives are all part of the industry.

Get off the Couch:

This holiday season, go downtown and enjoy the holiday markets, pictures with Santa, and horse drawn carriage rides. Peruse local businesses to find something that is “just right.” Consider gift certificates for services and classes. And bump into the neighbor you haven’t seen in a while. Cheer for your friends and family in the local parade. Share a hot chocolate and walk around town to soak up the festive decorations. We have the idyllic small town of Easton right outside of our doors, step outside and enjoy the wonders of this season in our community in real time.

Jennifer Wagner
Talbot County

 

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Letter to the Editor: Rebuilding Together Kent County Anniversary

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As a child who grew up in an 1840’s farmhouse in Cecil County, I am intimately familiar with home repairs. Over the years, termite damage, leaks in the roof, and tree roots growing into the foundation made for regular challenges. Because we didn’t have money to pay for repairs, most of the work was done by my four brothers or occasionally by friends and neighbors. I would also help by climbing ladders to help with roof repairs, or fixing ripped carpets, or caulking windows. I had all kinds of  tools in my hands from my early teenage years.

When I got married, my husband and I bought the quintessential money pit of an old house. And over the five years we lived there, we rebuilt most of the inside including tearing out plaster and lath then insulating and rewiring the electric before putting up new drywall. We took the kitchen down to the studs and replaced everything. While doing all this renovation ourselves, we built up a cache of tools, knowledge, and confidence. This was all before the instant access to DIY videos on YouTube; we went old school and used Fix-it books.

We moved to Chestertown after we retired in 2017. After renovating our current home, I found myself finally able to volunteer to help others. I found Rebuilding Together Kent County (RTKC), was invited to join the board, and also began to help on job sites. I was attracted to their overarching  mission of Repairing Homes, Revitalizing Communities, and Rebuilding Lives. We provide critical home repairs to keep people warm, safe and dry which seems so basic but many people in our community don’t have this.

When I first joined, we were an all- volunteer work group with a part- time administrator and a six- member board of directors. In 2018, RTKC successfully applied for a four-year grant from HUD specifically for capacity building. This money was a game changer and RTKC grew significantly in the number and type of jobs we did for our neighbors in need. Some of our current jobs have been large, such as roof and floor replacements or building ramps.Others are smaller in scale such as replacing a few rotten boards on steps, installing grab bars, or fixing clogged or leaky sinks. Some of these critical home repairs require us to hire contractors but many are done by volunteers.

From my position as the Chair of the Volunteer  Committee, it was obvious we needed to increase our volunteer pool. We declared 2023 as “The Year of the Volunteer” and had several events and sessions to train project leaders, general volunteers, project site supervisors, material managers, and food providers. Our volunteer pool grew from a couple dozen regular volunteers to about 65 volunteers. This allowed us to complete 49 repairs without contractors and over 700 hours have been donated across the organization’s efforts.

While this growth is extremely positive, there is room for more willing people! We currently have homeowners who are approved for service but are waiting as RTKC seeks more project leaders, site safety supervisors, and other volunteers. The need for assistance with home repairs in Kent County is extensive. I would like to encourage people of all interest and skill levels to volunteer with us. Save the date for our nation’s National Day of Service of January 15th which is Martin Luther King Day. We will be having informational program on ways for YOU to become a Rebuilder and help our neighbors in need.  For more information, please call at 410-778-4544, or online at [email protected] any time to find out more! Help RTKC celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2024!

Pam Vogel

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Letter to the Editor: Regarding New Sculpture in the Park

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As if the status of the Armory and 98 Cannon are not enough to keep people on edge, I am going to add another item to the list.

Chestertown is the recipient of a large number of sculptures, to be sprinkled around the community, under the auspices of the Chestertown Public Art Committee, which answers to the Town Council. Many citizens have noticed the expanding number of additions to the streetscape of our historic town, and reviews are mixed. Home to a vibrant and varied arts community, for which we are all grateful, it appears that any location selected is acceptable to the Town.

I am going out on a limb and saying it may be necessary to reconsider the placement of such art in Fountain Park, our town’s centerpiece. This park has been a feature for over 100 years, and has benefitted from ongoing cooperation between the Town and Chestertown Garden Club. I recently learned that one of the art works, described as “resembling the head of a character in The Mandalorian” and the same color as our beloved fountain, sitting on a pedestal, will find a new home in Fountain Park.

Yes, it is a public space. Yes, the Victorians collected follies and sculptures. But the head of an alien is hardly in character with the space and should not find a home there. Perhaps it would look well in front of the Visitor’s Center, a more readily visible location. Or centered in the roundabout by Royal Farms at the south end of High Street.

I ask the Town Council to reconsider this particular item placed in this particular space. Further that the Council request that the Public Arts Committee look at the collection to find a more suitable piece, if  Fountain Park is indeed to host one of these sculptures.

 

Sincerely,

Karen Paul Mack

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Letter to the Editor: “I’m Just a Patsy”—Jack Kennedy’s Assassination Still Unexplained

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With no forensic evidence that he had fired a rifle at 12:30 p.m. on November 22, 1963, and in police custody, Lee Harvey Oswald shouted to reporters, “I’m just a patsy!”

Ten months later, the Warren Commission’s conclusion — that acting alone, Oswald assassinated President John F. Kennedy — was dubious. Even as the commission insisted it was correct, three members disagreed. On the phone with his pal President Lyndon Johnson, Georgia Sen. Richard Russell, a commission member, said, “I don’t believe it.” LBJ replied, “I don’t either.”

Though embraced by attorney Arlen Specter, the commission’s assistant counsel, the “single-bullet theory” — which anchored the commission’s verdict — was nonsense. Reinforced by medical and ballistic evidence, a frame-by-frame analysis of Abraham Zapruder’s 8-mm home movie rebuts Specter’s magic-bullet flimflam and repudiates the commission’s core finding that Oswald was the lone assassin.

So, what really happened? If not Oswald alone, who else? Who decided to have JFK killed, and why? Who orchestrated the assassination? In view of Zapruder’s film — in particular, Frame No. 313, in which JFK’s head rockets back after exploding — who fired the fatal shot? From where? How to account for the ample reports of gunshots, the odor of gun smoke, and smoke itself near the wooden fence on Dealey Plaza’s Grassy Knoll?

Based on acoustical analysis in 1976, the House Select Committee on Assassinations concluded that Kennedy was likely shot in his head by a rifleman from behind the wooden fence on the Grassy Knoll and that at least two gunmen were involved. The Justice Department, however, failed to open another investigation.

Before he was killed in Dallas, Jack Kennedy was beginning to back the United States out of Vietnam, resolve the standoff with Cuba, and reduce the U.S. and Soviet Union’s respective stockpiles of nuclear weapons. He was in backdoor communication with the U.S.S.R.’s Premier Nikita Khrushchev on how to terminate the Cold War. His bold initiatives were challenges to powerful financial and political interests in the U.S.

Speculations about who killed JFK and how and why lead mostly to a collection of dead-end rabbit holes. They variously point to a shadowy cabal in New Orleans, the Central Intelligence Agency, a nebulous right-wing “deep-state” within the U.S. government, Ike’s “military-industrial complex,” the U.S. Secret Service, Cuban expatriates, the Mafia, LBJ, George H.W. Bush, Castro’s government, the Soviets, the Federal Reserve, and the Israelis. Consensus among assassination experts leans toward the CIA conspiring with anti-Castro Cubans.

But we don’t know.

In 2017, a Washington Post reporter observed that “42 groups, 82 assassins, and 214 people” have been named as being involved in JFK’s murder, and 60 years after his violent death, the basic questions — Who? How? Why? — are not settled. Until there are credible answers, suspicion will tarnish our nation’s history and November 22 will remain a sad anniversary.

 

Gren Whitman

 

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Open Letter to Historic District Commission on the Armory

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I am writing as a Chestertown Historic District citizen, property owner and business owner for the past 40+ years.     

This matter is, as it should be, a classic Chestertown debate based on the past, present and future . . . and no one is right or wrong.  Instead, all opinions are valid and contribute to the discussion.  There should be mutual respect, comity, and civility for the differences of perspective.  Here are mine.

I support the idea for a new Chestertown hotel at the Armory property.     

And among many others, I hope that the original 1931 Armory structure (a National Historic Register property) can be saved, but have no objection to the removal of the post-1931 additions to the structure assuming that the application satisfies its demanding burden of proof.     

Precedent Effect.  For better or worse, your decision will have a significant binding precedent effect on future demolition applications.  So whatever you decide, the clarity of your decision will be a beacon for those decisions.

Penn Station Lesson. In 1910, a beautiful Beaux Arts Penn Station was built in New York City.     In the early 1960’s, arguments emphasizing economic interests resulted in the demolition of the structure.  That decision was soon lamented and fueled an aggressive preservation movement in the city that is vigorous to this day.      

The Chestertown Armory was constructed 95 years ago.  The Chestertown Historic District regulations were first enacted in the 1960’s.  They were initiated, and fueled, to some extent by the Penn Station experience.     

Those regulations repudiate economic interests as a reason for the demolition of structures which have been determined to be contributing to the Chestertown Historic District (which you have already unanimously determined for the Armory).

The Building.  The Armory was a beautiful Art Deco brick structure (with period light fixtures and other details) when built in 1931.    As shown on the attached postcard copy, it was a handsome and dignified edifice.  It was painted white sometime thereafter, perhaps in the 1940’s or ˈ50’s.

But it is now unsightly and unkempt because of more than a decade of neglect.  Perhaps its appearance would be improved by the removal of the two scraggly trees at the entrance, and removal of the white paint, together with a general and meaningful site cleanup.

The Centerville & Easton Armories.   Similar armories were built in those towns during the same period as in Chestertown.  They have been restored with their original unpainted brick façades.  They look great and blend seamlessly into, and contribute to, those communities.

Conditions of Approval.  The Historic District Commission is authorized to impose conditions on its approvals.  In this case, if a partial demolition is approved, it would be reasonable for the applicant to be required to remove the white paint simultaneously with the demolition.

Independent Counsel.  I have known the Mayor & Council attorney Chris Drummond for many years.  He is a good attorney.  But the Historic District Commission is a separate legal entity and should have independent counsel.   That should be done to avoid possible conflicts of interest for him, and to eliminate that as an issue on an appeal of your decision.

[It is common for district governmental bodies to have separate legal counsel.  In Kent County, the County Commissioners, Board of Appeals and Planning Commission all have separate lawyers.  Tom Yeager is the attorney for the County Commissioners and Chris Drummond is the attorney for the Board of Appeals.]

In conclusion, as you know, and after all, your decision is one which is fundamentally a matter of the rule of law, and not of popular opinion or institutional convenience.

Thank you for your consideration of these thoughts.

Phil Hoon
Chestertown

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Letter to Editor: Regarding the Recent Mural of Frederick Douglass in Easton

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We at The Bailey-Groce Family Foundation, Inc. and Operation Frederick Douglass on the Hill are committed to preserving the legacy of Frederick Douglass by ensuring accurate and respectful portrayals of our ancestor and his accomplishments.
The Bailey and Groce Family families are primary descendants of Perry Bailey, the older brother of Frederick Douglass and the first born of Harriet Bailey. We are the leading advocates for historical accuracy where our family is concerned in the state of Maryland. Born enslaved in Talbot County in 1818, Frederick Douglass self-liberated and went on to become an ardent abolitionist, renowned orator and writer, and one of the first African American statesmen. We believe Frederick Douglass’s legacy must be presented with utmost respect and sensitivity.
The mural of Frederick Douglass now displayed on Washington Street in Easton, Maryland, fails to meet the standard we expect. We were not informed that the mural was being erected, nor were we consulted. Our family finds the mural disturbing and disrespectful to the legacy of our family. The representation of Frederick Douglass in a posture typically associated with gang activity or drug dealers is offensive. Frederick Douglass never wanted to be viewed as an amiable slave or viewed as a black man on his knees.
Our commitment to preserving the true essence of Frederick Douglass and the Bailey-Groce story is unwavering. It is our responsibility to ensure that his contributions to society are represented with integrity, avoiding any derogatory or misrepresentative portrayals that perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
We must be mindful of how our African American ancestors are depicted. If we turn a blind eye to this depiction of Douglass, what’s next? Harriet Tubman half dressed on a wall? We welcome further discussion on the matter. But, we cannot tolerate this level of disrespect
Tarence Bailey
Easton

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Open Letter to Chestertown Historic District on the Armory

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I am writing as a Chestertown Historic District citizen, property owner and business owner for the past 40+ years.     

This matter is, as it should be, a classic Chestertown debate based on the past, present and future . . . and no one is right or wrong.  Instead, all opinions are valid and contribute to the discussion.  There should be mutual respect, comity, and civility for the differences of perspective.  Here are mine.

I support the idea for a new Chestertown hotel at the Armory property.     

And among many others, I hope that the original 1931 Armory structure (a National Historic Register property) can be saved, but have no objection to the removal of the post-1931 additions to the structure assuming that the application satisfies its demanding burden of proof.     

Precedent Effect.  For better or worse, your decision will have a significant binding precedent effect on future demolition applications.  So whatever you decide, the clarity of your decision will be a beacon for those decisions.

Penn Station Lesson. In 1910, a beautiful Beaux Arts Penn Station was built in New York City.     In the early 1960’s, arguments emphasizing economic interests resulted in the demolition of the structure.  That decision was soon lamented and fueled an aggressive preservation movement in the city that is vigorous to this day.      

The Chestertown Armory was constructed 95 years ago.  The Chestertown Historic District regulations were first enacted in the 1960’s.  They were initiated, and fueled, to some extent by the Penn Station experience.     

Those regulations repudiate economic interests as a reason for the demolition of structures which have been determined to be contributing to the Chestertown Historic District (which you have already unanimously determined for the Armory).

The Building.  The Armory was a beautiful Art Deco brick structure (with period light fixtures and other details) when built in 1931.    As shown on the attached postcard copy, it was a handsome and dignified edifice.  It was painted white sometime thereafter, perhaps in the 1940’s or ˈ50’s.

But it is now unsightly and unkempt because of more than a decade of neglect.  Perhaps its appearance would be improved by the removal of the two scraggly trees at the entrance, and removal of the white paint, together with a general and meaningful site cleanup.

The Centerville & Easton Armories.   Similar armories were built in those towns during the same period as in Chestertown.  They have been restored with their original unpainted brick façades.  They look great and blend seamlessly into, and contribute to, those communities.

Conditions of Approval.  The Historic District Commission is authorized to impose conditions on its approvals.  In this case, if a partial demolition is approved, it would be reasonable for the applicant to be required to remove the white paint simultaneously with the demolition.

Independent Counsel.  I have known the Mayor & Council attorney Chris Drummond for many years.  He is a good attorney.  But the Historic District Commission is a separate legal entity and should have independent counsel.   That should be done to avoid possible conflicts of interest for him, and to eliminate that as an issue on an appeal of your decision.

[It is common for district governmental bodies to have separate legal counsel.  In Kent County, the County Commissioners, Board of Appeals and Planning Commission all have separate lawyers.  Tom Yeager is the attorney for the County Commissioners and Chris Drummond is the attorney for the Board of Appeals.]

In conclusion, as you know, and after all, your decision is one which is fundamentally a matter of the rule of law, and not of popular opinion or institutional convenience.

Thank you for your consideration of these thoughts.

Phil Hoon
Chestertown

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Letter to Editor: What Frightens You Washington College?

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Or maybe more to the point, Dr. Sosulski – what frightens YOU? There must be something that you don’t want us to discover with the mold issue at the Armory since you denied my request to have an independent, third-party assessment of the mold situation in the Armory.

For the rest of you just tuning in, Washington College would like to tear down the Armory due to their perception that mold found in the Armory cannot be successfully removed. Incidentally, the mold issue was caused by the college’s lack of maintenance of the building over the last ten years. I and colleagues with extensive facility management experience believe the building can be remediated and saved. Even the college’s own experts suggest that a mold remediation study should be conducted.

I hand-delivered a letter to you asking politely if we could have access to the Armory for four hours on a Friday to conduct our own mold remediation survey that I plan to pay for myself. This would be using a nationally-recognized, unbiased expert in the field for this study. I plan to share the results of this report with all interested parties regardless of the results.

I received a letter back from you that not only denied my request and went on to insinuate that I would be prosecuted for trespassing if I or others attempted to go into the building. My letter to you was to request access to the building and in no way did I ever plan on trespassing in the building. [Both letters are posted on savethearmory.org and the Facebook page “Repurpose the Chestertown Armory.”]

I can only assume that Washington College does not want the truth to come out, which is that the mold contamination found in the Armory can be remediated. If this is true, then the whole argument for tearing down a building on the National Register of Historic Places falls to pieces – obviously something the College doesn’t want.

I urge you and the Historic District Commission to reconsider your decision to exclude others from seeking the truth about what really lurks behind the walls of the Armory. I believe the decision to tear down the Armory is one that should be based on as many data points as possible – especially if it is not going to cost the College or the HDC anything. The HDC can then use these data points to make an informed decision about the future of the Armory. Or do you just want your agenda to be the only one considered by the HDC? I would urge you to reconsider excluding others from seeking the truth.

Steven R. Mitchell
Chestertown

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Letter to Editor: Please Address Long ER Wait Times

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Congratulations, Maryland! We now hold the title for longest ER wait times in the U.S.! Whoo-hoo!

When are the State, Talbot County and its towns going to put the new Maryland University Regional Hospital Center at the top of their priority list?

Attention to this essential infrastructure is long overdue.

We’ve reached a critical point regarding our lack of health care and health care professionals — and now hold the title of having the longest ER wait times in the nation. Sadly, and unfortunately, no surprise to many in our community. And having listened to testimony at many County Council and Town of Easton Planning Commission and Council meetings regarding the Matthewstown, Lakeside, Poplar Hill, MHC and other land developments during the past few years, the breaking-point strain on our current health care providers and community is obvious, unbearable — for our first responder medical and emergency professionals, in particular.

When are our Talbot County Council and the mayors and town councils of Easton, St. Michaels, Oxford, Trappe, etc. going to emphasize and take action on these critical community services? When are they going to consolidate their efforts to address our health care needs?

When are Governor Moore, Congressman Andy Harris, Senator Chris Van Hollen, and Senator Ben Cardin going to make this a front-and-center issue?

https://news.yahoo.com/maryland-hospital-emergency-room-wait-160051413.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2023-10-31/maryland-er-wait-times-continue-to-disappoint-in-new-data-drop

https://hscrc.maryland.gov/Documents/October%202023%20HSCRC%20Post-Meeting%20Materials%20-%20FINAL.pdf

Clara Kelly
Easton

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Wars, Political Chaos, Confusion and Anger: What to Do? By Tom Timberman

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In late October 2023,  it is difficult to resist the temptation to drink more, to skip headlines or on-line “breaking news” or to avoid those friends who insist on talking politics and/or foreign policy. Beyond their cults and tribes, most Americans today don’t agree on much of anything. 

We are told the country is running out of money because the national debt and interest payments are much too high. But, then also, that the economy is recovering surprisingly well from the pandemic and our GDP could rise to $26 Trillion. The US, the President recently said, is the only country powerful enough to stabilize and defend global democracies, fighting for their very existence. Or, others in America maintain, we should avoid intervening in foreign conflicts because: (a) can’t afford it, (b) solve domestic problems first and (c) we make the situations worse. 

Compromise in the Congress, even within its party conferences, is now considered by many a relic of a sunnier, distant past. Today, a  number of politicians believe, it reflects only weakness. Thus, for the first time in US history, the House majority has been unable to elect a speaker from among its members. The result: all Federal legislation has been stopped for almost 2 weeks.  

If this cannot be resolved quickly, the 12 funding bills required to support the US Government through FY 24, will not be passed, forcing it to shut down in November. And President Biden’s very recent Congressional proposal to provide $106 Billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and SW Border security, will be introduced, but possibly not considered or voted upon.

The traditional internal American unity behind national foreign policies appears to have ended or at least to have taken a long break.  Adding to this problem, is the substitution by some elected officials of rigid policy positions and ego satisfaction for their sworn duty to execute their Constitutional responsibilities for the Commonweal. Taken together, they pose a serious threat to the continued viability of the United States.

What to do?  The US Electorate should take a communal deep breath and focus on this situation, understand its current and future implications and demand the two historically dominant political parties and their representatives at the local, state and national levels get back to work on their behalf, not their own.

Tom Timberman is an Army vet, lawyer, former senior Foreign Service officer, adjunct professor at GWU, and economic development team leader or foreign government advisor in war zones. He is the author of four books, lectures locally and at US and European universities. He and his wife are 24 year residents of Kent County.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.