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Out and About (Sort of): Remembering, Reacting by Howard Freedlander

September 10, 2019 by Howard Freedlander Leave a Comment

Eighteen years ago tomorrow, our homeland was attacked by terrorist hijackers who crashed American passenger planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon and a farm field in Shanksville, PA. It was an unforgettable and unforgivable day in our history.

Loss of lives totaled nearly 3,000. Loss of a sense of security in our nation was incalculable.

I lost a friend and lacrosse teammate that day. His name was Michael San Phillip. He was working on the 104th floor in the second tower as an investment adviser for a small firm, Sandler, O’Neill. On the clear blue day, 83 people reported to work that day; 66 never returned home to family and friends.

Mike, whom his fraternity brothers and teammates called “Sal,” was a football player turned lacrosse defenseman. A steady performer, he was well-liked. After graduation in May 1967, I never saw him again.

When I learned of Sal’s death, I had just become president of my class at the University of Pennsylvania. I knew I wanted to do something to memorialize an unfortunate victim of a heinous, cleverly planned assault on America and its national psyche.

I decided that a scholarship in his name would be a positive reaction to a horrendous act of war. Fortunately, I was able to persuade the university and the powers-to-be in my class to support the fundraising necessary to create a meaningful memorial to my teammate.

The next step was to meet with the family to gain its endorsement of a scholarship, since I knew we would have to gear up a significant awareness campaign among my 1,400 classmates. So, accompanied by a staffer in Penn’s development office, I drove in January 2002 to Ridgewood, NJ, one of several communities in the northern part of the state that sends a horde of communities daily to work in New York City.

We had lunch with Mike’s widow and youngest daughter. We learned that Sal was one of 13 Ridgewood residents who did not return home on Sept. 11, 2001. We learned that Lynn and Carrie had collected his wallet in January 2002 from a police precinct. I wondered how a person’s wallet could have survived a fiery death. I learned that Mike didn’t like to carry his wallet with him and had put it in a desk drawer.

Lynn requested that the scholarship be directed to scholar-athletes, since she knew how much he loved sports. I thought the request was reasonable and hoped that the university would agree. It did.

Fast forward to 2019, and we have raised nearly $900,000 in market value for this endowed memorial fund. The school distributes proceeds to three recipients every year. Once a year, I meet these incredible young men and women at an annual scholarship celebration. Jill Abbott, Mike’s oldest daughter, joins me, along with her daughter, Mickey (Michelle), named after the grandfather she never knew.

I tell this story, because it represents my little effort to do something positive amid the ramifications of a terrible tragedy. When I was promoting the new scholarship to my classmates—only a few of whom would have known Mike San Phillip—I used the pitch that perhaps, just perhaps, one of the San Phillip Memorial Scholarship recipients might be able to help find a solution to the deep-seated hatred and estrangement that motivated terrorists to destroy 3,000 lives and instill fear and trepidation among Americans as they gather in densely populated venues.

My idealism may have been misplaced 18 years ago. But, as I wrote, I had to find a way to react positively to an event that still sickens me. I was in a position to take action that would provide hope, not just for me but my classmates—and the stricken San Phillip family.

Though raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from generous classmates has been challenging, I have considered the effort one of the most worthwhile in my life. I mourned like many. I was agitated like most. And I was determined to find some glimmer of redemption amid horror and hatefulness.

Another deeply satisfying aspect of helping to create and sustain a fund for good was observing the response of a 9/11 victim’s loved ones. Jill, who lives in Wilmington, DE, was a source of strength throughout the process. To observe her as she talks every year with the scholarship recipients and exhibits genuine interest in them allows me to take even greater pride in the San Phillip fund.

Jill and I make sure that the more than dozen recipients over 18 years know something about her father, and why the scholarship was created. We hope they understand, but can’t be sure. We hope they will try to make this world a little better.

Centuries-old animosities are difficult to extinguish. Death of Michael San Phillip by terrorists committed to human destruction has enabled a glimmer of hope.

That’s my dream.

Columnist Howard Freedlander retired in 2011 as Deputy State Treasurer of the State of Maryland. Previously, he was the executive officer of the Maryland National Guard. He also served as community editor for Chesapeake Publishing, lastly at the Queen Anne’s Record-Observer. In retirement, Howard serves on the boards of several non-profits on the Eastern Shore, Annapolis and Philadelphia.

Fit for a Queen by Jamie Kirkpatrick

September 10, 2019 by Jamie Kirkpatrick 1 Comment

Our porch swing gave up the ghost over the weekend. I like to think it had a long and happy life. Once, it must have graced someone’s porch up county for a decade or two before my wife eyed it in a little antique shop nearly eight years ago. Despite its shabby chic condition, it was love at first sight; the only problem was the shop was closed. I stole away the next day and bought it to surprise her. When I returned home with it, you would have thought I had brought her the holy grail.

That swing was the little grace note that floated above the score of our porch and animated it. On spring evenings, summer days, or autumn mornings; with a good book, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine; that sweet little swing held my wife in the palm of its gentle hand. Her feet just brushed the floor as she read or needlepointed, talked on her phone, or engaged a passerby in light conversation. It kept her secrets, comforted her pain, and amplified her laughter. She might share it with a friend for a moment or two, but make no mistake: it was her realm. No one else ever looked quite right there.

It was a common enough piece of porch furniture: all slats and screws and eye hooks and chains with a worn, grey patina and an occasional little squeak that a drop of WD40 would silence like morning fog. Over the years, it had seen a few close calls but with yet another infusion of cash and careful attention from handy friends, it would recover and begin again thanks to some new hardware or brace or fresh coat of paint. Like an old grandfather clock, it marked the hours of our days and the seasons of our years so when the deathblow finally came with a loud crack under the bottom of a large friend last Friday evening, time came to a crashing stop. The next morning in better light, a cursory examination revealed the deadly fault. I called the swing doctor and held my breath.

He came right away to examine the patient. He probed and poked and scowled. Like the surgeon who trudges down the dim hospital hallway with bad news for the waiting family, he shook his head. “I could fix it…again,” he said, “but the wood’s all soft and rotted. I think it’s time for a new swing.” My wife looked at me. I looked at the swing doctor. “You sure?” I said. He just nodded.

Life, as always, must go on. We mourned then we measured and set out on a Saturday pilgrimage. At our first stop, there was a potential candidate but the color wasn’t right and then another choice but the shape was all wrong. We weren’t going to settle for just any old swing; we were determined to find the perfect new swing. It was a beautiful September day and neither my wife nor I could contemplate her not having a new perch by nightfall. “Call Backyard Billie,” I suggested.

You may not know Backyard Billie. It’s not a person, it’s a place, the Shangri-la of outdoor furniture. It may not have much in the way of antique charm, but it has nearly everything else: Adirondack chairs, patio sets, a chaise for lounging by the pool, if you happen to have a pool. If there were a new porch swing anywhere in the nearby vicinity—and not all that ‘nearby,’ mind you—Backyard Billie is where it would be. My wife called and explained the object of our desire. I just listened. “You do?” she said into the phone, hope surging back into her voice like the tide. “Can you text me a picture?” We waited several minutes. Her phone dinged. “Let’s go!” she said.

We had already begun to consider our two options: wood was less expensive but resin lasts forever and with minimal maintenance, to boot. No garish colors, just basic white. Height of back and depth of seat were important factors: it had to fit her like comfortable shoes. That’s a tall order for a short girl but we were optimistic. We had seen a candle burning in the darkness.

I won’t bore you with the details. Or with the cost. The most important news is that we have a new swing, one that will likely outlast us and the probably the next generation, too. Even the swing doctor—a wood purist—admired it. It fills the old space perfectly. It gleams white; even the new chains glisten. Its most important feature, however, is that it looks and feels like it was built for a queen, my queen, the queen of the front porch.

We gently set the old swing, chains and all, on the curb with a sign saying “Free to a good home.” By morning, it was gone.

The swing is dead. Long live the swing!

I’ll be right back.

Jamie Kirkpatrick is a writer and photographer with homes in Chestertown and Bethesda. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Baltimore Sun, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Washington College Alumni Magazine, and American Cowboy magazine. “A Place to Stand,” a book of photographs and essays about Landon School, was published by the Chester River Press in 2015. A collection of his essays titled “Musing Right Along” was published in May 2017; a second volume of Musings entitled “I’ll Be Right Back” was released in June 2018. Jamie’s website is www.musingjamie.com

College, Town, ESLC Sign Riverfront Walkway Agreement

September 9, 2019 by Peter Heck Leave a Comment

Katie Parks of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Washington College President Kurt Landgraf and Chestertown Mayor Chris Cerino sign a memorandum of understanding for a riverfront walkway across college lands. Watching (second row, L-R) are Darius Johnson of ESLC, Kees de Mooy, Chestertown zoning administrator, and Matthew Tobriner of Chestertown — photo by Jane Jewell

Chestertown’s long-planned riverfront walkway — tentatively named the Chestertown Heritage Trail — is one step closer to reality.

Mayor Chris Cerino, Washington College President Kurt Landgraf, and Katie Parks, Vice President for Conservation with Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, signed a memorandum of understanding spelling out the roles of the three entities in creating the walking path, which would cross the college lands along the Chester River. When completed, the path would create a pedestrian loop from the foot of High Street to the marina, across Wilmer Park and the college’s waterfront campus to the vicinity of Radcliffe Creek, returning to town along Cross Street extended. Cerino said the town would eventually like to connect the walkway to the Gilchrest Rail Trail, which currently ends just north of Cross Street near Wilmer Park. The trail would be open dawn to dusk, and would not be illuminated.

Washington College President Kurt Landgraf and Chestertown Mayor Chris Cerino shake hands — photo by Jane Jewell

After the signing, which took place in Landgraf’s offices on the college’s main campus Sept. 5, Cerino said the next steps are to create formal engineering plans “with a price tag,” to agree on easements across the college’s lands, and to embark on fundraising for the project. Landscape architect Miles Barnard of South Fork Studio, who has done numerous other projects in the area, is creating the designs.

Kees de Mooy, the town’s zoning administrator, said he expected the plans to be ready by the end of the year. If all goes smoothly, the walkway itself could be built by the end of 2020. He said there should be fairly easy to obtain grant funding for the “shovel-ready” project, in part because the college and ESLC are on board. The ESLC will be largely responsible for obtaining the grants and helping the town obtain the necessary environmental clearances.

The cost of the project was ballparked by one committee member at perhaps “a couple hundred thousand.” The final cost will depend primarily on the materials to be used; a proposed boardwalk across the marshy land between the armory and Radcliffe Creek would be the most expensive portion of the trail. The sections across drier land, which are primarily paved walks, would be the first to be built. Cerino said those areas could be paved with oyster shell or crushed concrete recycled from recently demolished buildings. Maintenance would be the town’s responsibility, according to the terms of the memorandum of agreement.

Also present at the signing were Darius Johnson of ESLC and Matthew Tobriner, who has been a member of several town boards on waterfront preservation and improvement, along with several members of Landgraf’s staff.

Easy Riding: ABATE Mid-Shore on Motorcyclist Rights & Good Deeds

September 9, 2019 by Dave Wheelan Leave a Comment

Ken Eaton has a pretty tough job. For the last decade or so, he has used his volunteer time to help lead a group called ABATE of Maryland – Mid-Shore. That is not perhaps the most natural name for an organization devoted to the safety and use of motorcycle enthusiasts. But the name, like recreational motorbiking itself, has a long history of meaning different things to different people.

And Ken’s volunteer job most weeks is to explain to the general public this multidimensional organization as it takes on such controversial issues as fighting against helmet laws and state rules on passing vehicles in the same lane.

In his Spy interview, Ken talks about the positive work that ABATE does locally, but doesn’t shy away from sharing his organization’s more controversial advocacy work. He also gives a surprising answer are why so many bikes, including the legendary Harley Davidsons, are so darn loud.

This video is approximately four minutes in length. For more information about ABATE Mid-Shore please go here

An Immense Journey by George Merrill

September 8, 2019 by George R. Merrill Leave a Comment

On the short walk to my studio at night, I’ll often look up to see the stars. It’s not some deep soul-searching thing – it doesn’t start that way, anyway – it’s usually an inconsequential glimpse to see ‘what’s up,’ up there.

Casual glimpses may become a soul-searching thing. It did one night.

The night was clear. The oppressive humidity had gone from the air, and the atmosphere was as transparent as glass. The stars were radiant; pure and glistening, the way jewelers speak of their finest diamonds as being of the “first water.” That’s a jeweler’s way of saying the diamonds are as pure and clear as a dew drop. Seeing stars on such nights as these, always stirs this recurring thought: the stars may have died billions of years ago, but their light continues on as if what flame they once generated was destined to continue through the universe and live forever. Light has a destiny. We have a destiny.

I like the thought.

Do you suppose that this is the way it is to be for us, too? The light, that life force that sets us into motion illumines the small circumference that our lives inscribe. Its beams continue beyond that circle into eternity even after we’ve ceased to generate light.

I reckon that’s why the universe is so inconceivably large – so that all the energy ever generated can continue on, unimpeded, and have a space to be accommodated as it continues on its journey. Fanciful to be sure and hardly scientific, but I believe it works something like that.

That our life force, once aglow, continues shining through the books whose authors are long gone; or in other ancient writings and scrolls, in architecture and the various artistic creations that we have unearthed from antiquity. But I mean something even beyond that.

It’s common to hear and read about light and it’s peculiar, almost magical properties, this stuff of the beginning of the universe. This was the essence of the big bang that produced all the building blocks of the created universe. For sure, in the beginning was light and it illuminated the whole universe. There was also a lot of noise, a big bang, actually.

I’ve read several theories about how light behaves and about its place in the created order, but little about sound and its role in creation. Our beginnings are called the big bang. I recall no commentary on just what the sound of it may have been like.

As I write, I’m listening to Louis Armstrong singing ‘It’s a wonderful world.’ It’s broadcasting from my Echo. To hear music, I need only to make a request out loud: “Alexa” I say, “play Satchmo.”

I imagine it’s like God saying, let there be music, and suddenly there it is.

Alexa’s pretty responsive. However, when I ask her for selections from Beethoven she comes up with the most dreadful music and I can find no reason, acoustically, for the confusion. I imagine she’s not always playing with all her chips. But when she’s on, she’s on.

Discounting sound’s import may have begun long ago when the big bang happened. There was no atmosphere and no way sound could be transmitted. If there was any sound (there had to have been) only God heard it. Strangely, he didn’t think enough of it to comment. He was definitely partial to light. When God finished the work of creation, it was “everything that he saw that he had made and behold it was very good.” It was clear that he liked what he saw. Whatever he heard, it wasn’t anything he thought was worth mentioning.

Sound, like light is a phenomenon of vibration, subatomic waves. Isn’t it possible that every time we open our mouths or play an instrument, cry out in joy or in wail in suffering, these vibrations, like light, find their way into the universe? Wouldn’t they continue on the immense journey to a destination we can only imagine? Traditionally, we think of prayer that way, but with this caveat; that our voices are supposed to wind up in God’s hearing. There is a lot of controversy about that very issue, particularly about voices not being heard, such as victims of gross injustice so common today.

In fact, echoes from the beginning of time do exist today in audible although very humble forms – static heard over some television screens and other electronic transmissions.

Madeleine L’Engle, reflecting on faith and art, tells this remarkable story.

In one of the early space explorations, the astronauts in orbit reported hearing some “old time” nostalgic music over their speakers. They enjoyed it, but wondered where it came from. They assumed NASA had aired it for their listening pleasure. The astronauts radioed the people at NASA thanking them. NASA responded saying they knew nothing about it. Their curiosity aroused, NASA began some preliminary investigations to try to identify what the astronauts may have heard. Their search included identifying any broadcasting stations that may have aired the kind of music the astronauts reported hearing. They found none. They went back in time to see if some earlier broadcasts may have made their way into space. Their research revealed that the particular program broadcasting the music had been aired sometime in the later nineteen thirties.

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him,” St. Paul once wrote as he stood awed at the majesty of creation. He was stunned by the sheer wonder of what’s sublime in the mundane, the glory in the ordinary. He expresses this awe and wonder beautifully in the context of his Christian faith. I think his vision applies well outside this context and has been expressed from the beginning of human existence, typically in music and art. It finds its expression in unexpected ways from the most unlikely people.

The stogy Anglican bishop of Birmingham, England was asked once what he thought was the most magnificent hymn ever written.

“Louis Armstrong singing, ‘What a Wonderful World’,” he replied in a heartbeat.

In the lyrics, Armstrong sings about what he sees, like, “trees of green, red roses too… skies of blue and clouds of white.” He also sings about what he hears – the sounds of common life – like people extending a greeting, “how do you do” or whispering, “I love you.”

This universe shimmers with light; but it also vibrates with sound, sounds like the liquid gravel voice of the one and only ‘Satchmo.’ He’s long gone, but his voice continues to be heard. The author of the music has expired, but the tones that emanated from him live on to bring us joy and send light into our lives.

Columnist George Merrill is an Episcopal Church priest and pastoral psychotherapist. A writer and photographer, he’s authored two books on spirituality: Reflections: Psychological and Spiritual Images of the Heart and The Bay of the Mother of God: A Yankee Discovers the Chesapeake Bay. He is a native New Yorker, previously directing counseling services in Hartford, Connecticut, and in Baltimore. George’s essays, some award winning, have appeared in regional magazines and are broadcast twice monthly on Delmarva Public Radio.

Beto and the F-Bomb by Al Sikes

September 7, 2019 by Al Sikes 4 Comments

Pardon my obsolete reference. I am asked from time to time (not often) about what was accomplished during the period I chaired the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Always I talk about encouraging and facilitating the transition from analog to digital communications. Not infrequently, however, the lingering historical connection is with Howard Stern.

Stern had a morning show on radio and failed to find anything humorous outside of sex. His best ratings came from pre-pubescent males. I initiated proceedings against him for violating anti-obscenity laws that were in place to protect children. I became a frequent target on his show; at one point he hoped I wouldn’t recover from cancer surgery.

Okay, I get it. This brief chapter is more interesting, if less consequential than technology transactions. Or is it? Did Stern’s sexual repartee with his fall girl, Robin, have any effect on male sensibilities?

Or, on Beto O’Rourke, who has lugged the F word into politics from somewhere. Or, on a culture that to Beto’s mind will find the adjective unobjectionable or at least non fatal to his political ambitions.

Before my knee talked back, I enjoyed downhill skiing. Then I took up the cross-country kind. I, of course, knew the characteristics of gravity, but got a lesson in the dynamics of pleasure. Downhill was more fun.

I am coming around to believing that contemporary culture is similarly affected. Comedy writers lead the way — politics follows. If there are serious philosophers today I wonder what they think? Or, will anybody care?

Al Sikes is the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission under George H.W. Bush. Al recently published Culture Leads Leaders Follow published by Koehler Books.

Remembering Richie Bramble

September 5, 2019 by Steve Meehan 8 Comments

Richard N. Bramble

Richard N. Bramble, 72, of Chestertown, MD passed away on September 4, 2019 in Seasons Hospice at Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE. Born on August 19, 1947, he was the son of the late Thomas Henry Morris Bramble, III and Catherine Wilson Bramble.

Known affectionately as Richie and Chop, Bramble was a lifetime resident of Chestertown and played an integral part of downtown business. For nearly 30 years, the backroom of Bramble’s Menswear was a crossroads for discussion about local politics and social happenings that attracted a diverse collection of visitors. Many of the Town and County’s thorniest political disputes were resolved (or not) in the backroom, but Rich always ensured the environment was positive, driven by his friendly demeanor.

Rich was a 1965 graduate of Chestertown High School. An advocate for small business and a long-time member of the National Federation of Independent Business, he believed in providing great customer service. He started at Southern States Cooperative before he began his career in retail sales with Bonnett’s Town & Country, now the home of Kent County Department of Social Services, in the 1960’s and 70’s. In 1980, Rich opened Bramble’s Menswear, which he operated until its closing in 2009. His shop will be remembered long into the future; his labels tagged many suits and ties still being worn today. He was working for Ramsey GMC at the time of his death.

Sam Heck, Chestertown native and attorney, has known Rich since childhood. He grew up on Washington Avenue. Rich, two years younger, grew up around the corner on Campus Avenue. His friendship with Bramble extended back to their childhood days playing sandlot pickup baseball games in a playground behind what is now Garnett Elementary School.

“He was a great guy from the time growing up and through his whole life,” Heck recalled. “He was you classic good neighbor and almost generous to a fault.”

Heck played golf with Bramble from youth. “He was an excellent golfer who broke the (Chester River) Club course record of 67 for about two weeks in his 20s, that was until someone came along and broke his 66,” Heck remarked.

Jack Diller first met Rich when Bramble entered the seventh grade at Chestertown High School where Jack proctored home room. It was Jack’s first year teaching and Rich’s first year in that school building. “We were always friends after that,” Diller said. “Rich followed me to work at Bonnett’s when I left there and I worked part-time for Richie when he opened his shop across the street.”

“In my consideration, he really became a compassionate and concerned businessman,” Diller recalled. “He was a real gentleman; I will miss him.”

Tom Stevenson of Quaker Neck started buying his clothes from Rich at Bonnett’s and followed him across the street to the shop at the “T” of Spring and High Streets. “He was one of the most honest and sincere people I have ever met,” Stevenson continued. “He was a friend to everyone in the community.”

“The backroom was fun,” Stevenson remembers. “It was a place where persons from all walks of life could show up, tell stories, laugh, and have a good time.”

Richie was a member of Chester River Yacht & Country Club, the Downtown Chestertown Association, Republican Central Committee, Chestertown Elks and a past board member of Kent County Humane Society.

Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his second wife of 21 years, Lynn Freeman Bramble and a brother Robert Bramble.

He is survived by his wife of 5 years, Frances ‘Frannie’ Bunch Bramble; his children, Scott Bramble (Jill Smith Bramble) of Warwick, MD and Laura DeVol (Michael) of Davidsonville, MD; the mother of his children, Anne George Bramble DeComo of Massey, MD; a brother, Thomas Bramble and 4 grandchildren Sarah Catherine DeVol, Nicholas Clarkson Bramble, Brian Patrick DeVol and Jordan Elizabeth Bramble.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, September 21 from 11 to 1 pm at Eastern Shore Bible Baptist Church, 13984 Gregg Neck Rd., Galena, MD, where service will begin at 1 pm.

Saturday Afternoon “Music in the Park” Concert “Swing City” Sept 7 at 3:00 PM

September 5, 2019 by Jane Jewell Leave a Comment

Swing City – Delmarva’s Big Band will perform in Fountain Park on Saturday afternoon, Sept 7, at 3:00 pm. Note that this is an afternoon concert, not the usual evening concert.

Swing City, Delmarva’s Big Band, will be back in Chestertown’s Fountain Park this coming Saturday, September 7, at 3 pm for a special afternoon concert. The concert is free and open to the public.

This thirty-five member group has become a crowd favorite with its arrangements of popular standards and swing tunes in the style of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, and other legends of the big band era. The band repertoire also includes big band arrangements of more contemporary tunes. This Saturday’s setlist will include several saxophone and trumpet solos as well as tunes such as “Getting Sentimental Over You,” “The Ides of Love, “God Bless the Child,” “Seranada,” and a special version of the song made famous by Frank Sinatra, “My Way.”

Swing City is certainly a living testimony to the abiding popularity of swing music. The group plays concerts all over the eastern U.S., with occasional ventures up to Canada.

Elmer Dill, the founder and director of Swing City, led his first band while still in high school. He attended the University of Delaware, where he played with the university’s stage band, the Delmodians. After college, he joined the U.S. Navy and played in bands all over the world.

Several other Swing City regulars share Dill’s military band background, and nearly a third are current or retired musical directors. Most of them live in the Delmarva area, though a few come from as far afield as western Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. Members have ranged in age from students in their teens to musicians in their eighties.

Ann Morris, a favorite from previous Swing City concerts, returns as the band’s featured vocalist.

Note that this is an afternoon concert at 3:00 pm, not the usual Music in the Park evening concert.

This is a rescheduling of the August 3 concert which was postponed due to the weather. And, despite Hurricane Dorian, it looks like Saturday should be a fine day for music in Fountain Park in downtown Chestertown. If the weather forecast should change, check here in the Chestertown Spy for any cancelation notice. Any changes will also be sent to the Music in the Park email list. If you would like to add your name to the list to be notified of each concert, please send your name and email address to chestertownmusicpark@yahoo.com.

The Sept. 7 Music in the Park concert was supposed to be a double-header with both of the bands that were rained out, but the Chesapeake Brass Band ran into problems getting all their members together for Sept. 7. They also had a death of one of the older, long-time members and they are doing a big memorial service with music for him in Delaware the next day, Sunday, Sept 8. We will schedule the Chesapeake Brass Band for next summer.

The Chesapeake Brass Band is a traditional, British-style brass band that plays popular and patriotic songs. For more information, dates, and locations of other concerts, and to hear a sample of their music, see their website at http://www.chesapeakebrassband.org/

Be sure to come the following weekend, Thursday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 15, for the Chestertown Jazz Festival held in nearby Wilmer Park on the Chester River in Chestertown. For more information, see the Chestertown Jazz Festival page on Facebook or for detailed information and advance ticket sales go to the jazz festival’s website or call 410-810-2060. All events for the Chestertown Jazz Festival in the park are rain or shine. No pets but lounge chairs are permitted.

The Swing City concert on Sat Sept. 7 will be the last of the scheduled 2019 summer Music in the Park Series. The summer series will start again in June 2020 after the National Music Festival in Chestertown in the first two weeks of June 2020.

The Music in the Park series brings a variety of musical experiences, including jazz, swing, bluegrass, klezmer, folk, gospel and more, to Kent County audiences since it began in the mid-1990s. The concerts are sponsored by the town of Chestertown with support from the Kent County Arts Council and many community contributors. To help make these free programs possible, send donations payable to the town of Chestertown and designated for “Music in the Park,” to 118 N. Cross St., Chestertown, MD 21620. Donations may also be made at the concert.

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The Mueller Report is Coming to Chestertown! Friday and Sunday Only

September 4, 2019 by Jane Jewell Leave a Comment

A dramatization of the Mueller Report by citizen actors of Kent County. At the Bookplate Fri day, Sept 6 @ 8:00 pm & Sunday, Sept 8 at 4:00 pm

Come on down to the backroom in Tom Martin’s Bookplate at 112 South Queen Street in Chestertown for a dramatization of The Mueller Report. This weekend only. This special staged reading lasts just over an hour. It’s not only interesting, informative and enlightening; it’s also very entertaining!

The Investigation: A Crime in Ten Acts is a play based on the Mueller Report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. It was written by Robert Schenkkan, well-known Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning screenwriter and playwright. The play consists almost entirely of excerpts drawn from the report that, when woven together, tell the story of “ten possible acts of Obstruction of Justice.” The official final Mueller Report is 448 pages long. This version pulls out the most telling and important parts, paring it down to less than 75 all very readable pages full of the actual reported dialogue and actions of the principal participants.

And now The Investigation is coming to Chestertown for a staged reading at the Bookplate, this Friday and Sunday only. Friday’s reading is at 8:00 pm, a perfect ending for another lovely First Friday in downtown Chestertown. Sunday’s performance is at 4:00 pm.

The world premiere of The Investigation was performed at the Riverside Church in New York City on June 24, 2019. The cast included an impressive array of talent, including Kevin Kline, John Lithgow, Jason Alexander who played George in Seinfeld, Gina Gershon, Wilson Cruz, Joel Grey of Cabaret fame, Alyssa Milano, Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard, Piper Perabo, Zachary Quinto, Sigourney Weaver, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mark Hamill from Star Wars, and many others. The actors all stood behind flag-draped podiums.

The world premiere of “The Investigation: A Crime in Ten Acts” at the Riverside Church in New York City on June 24, 2019.

The Chestertown lineup is likewise star-studded with local luminaries from both the civic and theatrical scenes. While the premiere may have had John Lithgow as Trump, we’ve got Jim Landskroener. Can you imagine the wig? And as Bill Moyer, you’ll see Wayne Gilchrist, long-time representative to the US House of Representatives and currently the director of the Sassafras Environmental Education Center at Turner’s Creek. I myself can’t wait to see Jen Friedman as Sarah Huckabee Sanders! Not wanting to reveal all the surprises, I won’t say who Melissa McGlynn is playing. But a clue – it’s not Melania. In fact, I’m not sure whether or not Melania is in it. You’ll have to come and see who’s playing Mueller, Comey, Barr, Flynn and the rest of the gang.

This production of The Investigation is directed by Robert Earl Price, who himself has written a number of plays and television episodes, produced both locally and nationally. Locally, he is perhaps best known for the musical Red Devil Moon written in collaboration with Pam Ortiz who too is in the dramatization of the Mueller Report. Price is also a noted poet and teaches at Washington College. Among those taking the stage or helping out backstage are Jim Dissette, Philip Dutton, Jan Eliassen, Jan Elvin, Jamie Hurley, Diane Landskroener, Heather Mizeur, Bob Ortiz, Stan Salett, Neyah White, and more. Leslie Prince Raimond along with John Schratwieser of the Kent County Arts Council helped to organize and sponsor the event.

“The Investigation” AKA the Mueller Report rehearsal in the backroom at the Bookplate. Performances Fri Sept. 6 at 8 pm & Sun Sept 6 at 4:00 pm

It’s free but the bookstore staff needs an idea of how many to expect for setting up chairs and to make sure there are enough munchies. (That last is a really important factor though you probably will be already filled up from the goodies at The Gallery, RiverArts, and the other First Friday hotspots.) The backroom at the Bookplate can hold something close to a hundred people. While you can just show up and take your chances of getting a seat, it’s best to RSVP and have a reservation. So click here on the EventBrite ticket and event website to let Tom and the staff know you’re planning to come.

You can watch the full-length premiere of the June 24, 2019, Riverside Church, New York City production here. The script for The Investigation: A Crime in Ten Acts is available royalty-free to all groups including community theaters, schools, and clubs. The author and others involved in the original project hope that many organizations will take advantage of this opportunity and produce multiple performances of The Investigation to both inform and entertain the populace during these troublesome times.

Getting ready for “The Investigation” Mueller Report in the backroom at the Bookplate. Fri & Sun Sept 6 & 8, 2019

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