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April 1, 2023

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

Spy Highlights

Kent County Storied Landscapes: A Chat with Janet Christensen-Lewis

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This Friday at 7:30 pm, The Garfield Theatre in Chestertown will screen the world premiere of Maryland Public Television’s “Kent County’s Storied Landscape: Place, Past & Present.”

The 30-minute documentary, a culmination of 5 years of work by Kent Conservation and Preservation Alliance (KCPA) and Maryland Public Television, showcases Kent County’s significance through the lens of “cultural landscapes.

A cultural landscape refers to the combined natural and human features that define a particular area or region. It includes the physical features of the land, such as mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as human-made structures, such as buildings, roads, and monuments. The cultural landscape also encompasses the customs, traditions, beliefs, and values of the people who inhabit the area.

Cultural landscapes also represent a community or society’s collective history and memory, help preserve and protect significant cultural and historical resources, and promote tourism and economic development. Additionally, studying cultural landscapes can provide insights into how human societies have interacted with and shaped their environment over time.

Understanding cultural landscapes is vital for promoting cultural diversity, social cohesion, and sustainable development, and, as we know, Kent County is replete with the intersection of history and geography.

Janet Christensen-Lewis, chair of KCPA, says that cultural landscapes provide a sense of place and identity for the people who live there and that understanding them promotes cultural diversity, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

Here, we talk with the Chair of KCPA about how the documentary came about and why its message should be important to those of us who reside in a culturally rich county with an eye on preservation co-existing with smart economic growth.

This interview is approximately eight minutes in length. Before the movie, a reception will be held at 6:30. Ticket may be found at Eventbrite. To view the trailer, go here.

 

 formed by Janet Christensen-Lewis

 

 is a condensed summary of the complex idea of “cultural landscapes,” a place where geography, ecology and heritage studies overlap to describe 

 

 geography, ecology, and heritage studies, to describe a symbiosis of human activity and environment

 

A cultural landscape is defined as a geographic area that includes both cultural and natural resources associated with a historic event, activity or person or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.  

 

Janet Christensen-Lewis, Chair

 

ç’s (KCPA’s) mission is to protect the environmental resources, the county’s unparalleled cultural and historical heritage and to preserve the county’s way of life for all its citizens.

 

A cultural landscape refers to the combined natural and human features that define a particular area or region. It includes the physical features of the land, such as mountains, rivers, and forests, as well as human-made structures, such as buildings, roads, and monuments. The cultural landscape also encompasses the customs, traditions, beliefs, and values of the people who inhabit the area.

 

Cultural landscapes are important because they provide a sense of place and identity for the people who live there. They also represent the collective history and memory of a community or society. Cultural landscapes can help to preserve and protect important cultural and historical resources, as well as promote tourism and economic development. Additionally, studying cultural landscapes can provide insights into how human societies have interacted with and shaped their environment over time. Understanding cultural landscapes is important for promoting cultural diversity, social cohesion, and sustainable development.

A New Era for Sheltering Animals in Kent County: A Chat with Richard Keaveney

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Kent County loves its critters and just proved it again with the opening of the Animal Care Shelter for Kent County on Worton Rd.

After five years of planning, fund-raising, and construction, the $6+ million shelter is a state-of-the-art facility designed to care for lost and surrendered animals until they are reclaimed or find a forever home.

Executive Director Richard Keaveney says that promoting the health and safety of the animals are their primary goals, and to that end have constructed spacious cat and dog galleries, unique adoption rooms for cats with access to outside areas on warm days, and outdoor play areas for dogs who are walked by staff and volunteers four times and day.

To maintain an optimum health environment, a controlled air system is in place to block any cross-contamination. This safety feature, along with separate areas for sick animals and a special medical room eventually for minor surgeries, dentistry, and neutering, are central to the health care of any animal at the facility.

A food prep kitchen to accommodate special diets and meds and an industrial laundry room help staff and volunteers work at an organized and comfortable pace. A separate break room is available for everyone during the day.

Additionally, Animal Control now maintains an office at the new shelter to bridge the lost and stray animals to the facility and on their way to healthier lives and forever homes.

And yes, there’s even a special “barn” for feral cats where they will learn to socialize and be introduced to the adoption galleries.

An official ribbon cutting will open the new facility to the community in May. The Spy will keep you posted.

Here, Executive Director Richard Keaveney walks the Spy through this extraordinary addition to Kent County.

This video is approximately 14 minutes in length. For more about the Animal Care Shelter for Kent County, please go here or call 410-778-3648.

The Quest for Tax Equity and the Future of the Armory: A Chat with Chestertown Mayor David Foster

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The Spy met recently with Chestertown Mayor David Foster for an update on two ongoing issues: the Armory, and the Mayor’s continued quest for a more equitable tax relationship between the Town and Kent County.

Foster says the process for determining the future of the National Guard Armory is being rebooted by Washington College after an error in procedure stalled it out last winter. At that time, appropriate notice was not given to the public to respond to plans for the structure’s demolition.

“Regardless of what happens there, they (WC) will continue to own the land, and the hope, as most people know, is to one day get a hotel there that will serve the interests of the College and the entire community.”

He adds that the College will also be starting a hospitality curriculum.

 Regarding the glitch in the first attempt to determine whether the Armory should be demolished, Foster says that the Historic District Commission determined that the Armory had historical value but that the second meeting regarding whether or not the building was salvageable failed to recognize the bylaws stating 25 days were required to allow for public input. At this point, the Town called for a “do-over.”

In the interview, Foster also discusses the role of the HDC and feels that the second review of the College’s application will address all issues, including covenants and salvageability.

The Mayor also addressed his intent to push forward the tax differential issue in light of the change in recent elections that seated two new county commissioners.

This Spring marks the 4th year since the State of Maryland addressed the inequity between counties and municipalities in the State and how their tax revenue is allotted. Each county decided how to approach the differential with all except for Kent, Wicomico, and Worcester counties amending their town/county tax relationship. 

Sometimes called “double taxation,” referring to the duplication of services taxed by the county for police, street maintenance, planning, and zoning, the Town seeks a tax break from the county. The county had held that they have lost revenue over the years when the State stopped providing highway user funds.    

A resolution for a municipality tax break has been sought by two Chestertown Mayors in the past: Margo Bailey and Chris Cerino. Cerino appealed to the County Commissioners six times. 

Mayor Foster will be meeting with Kent County Commissioners this week.

The chart below helps explain the differential.

The video is approximately 12 minutes in length.

 

Mid-Shore Arts: Kent Celebrates the New Raimond Cultural Center

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On Saturday, March 25, Kent Cultural Alliance (KCA) will hold its grand opening of the Vincent and Leslie Prince Raimond Cultural Center, a four-and-half-year $2.3 million renovation of the 18th-century building on Spring Avenue, across from the post office.

KCA Director John Schratwieser points out that the building is part of the 48-year legacy of the Kent County Arts Council and its decades of multiple arts endeavors under the directorship of founders Vince and Leslie Raimond.

Despite pandemic delays, rising costs of materials, and supply chain issues, the renovation is now complete and ready for art exhibits and “serve the residents of Kent County supporting and creating inclusive artistic and cultural experiences designed to connect communities through shared conversations.”

It’s an extraordinary facility designed to accommodate artists in residence, showcase art exhibits of all genres, hold live events, and educational community gatherings all in the open space of their main gallery. Resident artists have their own bedrooms and workspaces, a common kitchen and a common room on the second floor. Also notice in the video that Osprey Custom Carpenters retained the the 18th-century open ceiling beams. Chestertown’s history still resides in the structure.

The Grand Opening ribbon cutting with be at noon on Saturday, March 25. From 12 to 5pm Our Best Foot Forward, a celebration of Kent County’s Creative Community, will take place. At 7pm, a concert and dedication of the Raimond Center will be held at the Garfield Center.

The Kent County Poetry Festival will be held Saturday,April 1st and 2nd.  Local Celebrity Poets will read Saturday, at 1 pm at KCA’s Raimond Center. The main event will be feature Patricia Spears Jones reading at 7 pm at Norman James Theater, Washington College. On Sunday, April 2 from 2-5 pm, at Robert Ortiz Studios, an Open Mic event will be held with presenters KCA, WAC Rose O’Neil Literary House The Bookplate, and Ortiz Studios. Tickets are $25; all funds will go to creating a permanent grant fund for independent artists living and working in Kent County. See their website for tickets.

Also, on April 15, Raimond Cultural Center will host the annual A & E District Arts Walk pop-up formerly held at Chesapeake Bank and Trust.

But here: Let’s let John will tell you all about it during the Spy tour.

For more information about Kent Cultural Alliance, see their website here or their Facebook page here.

 

 

 

Kent County Public Schools Attack the School-to-Prison Pipeline

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For decades, Black male youths have experienced serious achievement gaps in nationwide public schools, a trend that contributes to high young Black men’s permanent unemployment and incarceration rates. 

Often called “the school-to-prison pipeline,” Black juveniles are frequently subject to the blunt force of court referrals to discipline kids and throw them into a perpetual cycle of the juvenile correction system. The message becomes, “you don’t matter; we don’t see you.”

While Kent schools don’t follow State and national trends for law enforcement interventions and suspensions, last year’s student assessment showed that “Black boys were being sent to the principal or having parent conferences called at higher rates than other groups.”

The reasons for this achievement gap are many, including lack of social, emotional, and behavioral support, an absence of Black male teachers, and no clear policy to address the disparities in the educational experience of Black male students.

In May of 2021, the Maryland Board of Education came up with a strategic plan to counter the achievement gaps in Maryland schools: Transforming the Culture of Maryland’s Schools for Black Boys, for Maryland educators while also initiating “The Task Force on Achieving Academic Equity and Excellence for Black Boys (AAEEBB),” a study group who sought “national and local best practices to inform actionable recommendations and solutions to any potential barriers.

These studies resulted in the creation of a pilot program offered to Maryland counties that wanted to participate. Currently, 14 county pilot programs are part of the initiative, including Kent Middle School and High School.

Organized initially by Dr. Angela Holocker, coordinator of student services for Kent County Public Schools and interim principal at Kent Middle School, Kent schools are fully implementing the grant-funded program and have partnered with Minary’s Dream Alliance along with mentors Harold Somerville and Antoine Reed Sr., both of whom participated in last year’s Kent mentoring program funded by the AAEEBB grant.

Currently, about 36 students at KCHS and Middle School are enrolled in the program.

The coordination between Kent school pilot programs and Minary’s Dream Alliance is a natural fit. Their missions overlap, each fostering a positive academic experience to counter the historical disparities Black males experience in education by providing mentorships, study hall areas, book club activities and other shared events.

The Spy recently attended one of the KCHS mentoring meetings where Paul Tue, Harold Somerville, Antoine Reid Sr., Tilise Brown, and student Jamarcus Downs talked about the program, passed out books, discussed Black history, and prepared for an AAEEBB convention in Baltimore in April, complete with session measuring the boys for suits for the occasion.

This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more about the Transforming the Culture of Maryland’s Schools for Black Boys initiative, please go here.

 

A Personal Radio Diary: A Chat with Author Mary Saner

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If you’ve come to recognize radio personalities by their voice signature and wondered what their lives are like, Mary Saner’s book, “What Else You Got?: Freelancing in Radio” is a fun place to start. It’s a peek into her life as a radio journalist.

Saner has been in the broadcasting business for 40 years, first as a news anchor at WFDMD in Frederick, then as a freelance producer in search of the unique stories found only off the beaten path of broadcasting journalism.

In fact, it was an article about Echo Hill Camp that first brought her through Chestertown 25 years ago.  Later, when she and her husband, attorney Robert “Buzz” Saner, thought about moving out of Washington DC, Chestertown rose to the top of their list of potential locations. 

“What Else You Got?”—a common editor’s refrain—is a book of vignettes about her ongoing career in broadcasting.

Sparked first by an impromptu broadcast promoting women’s basketball at George Washington University, Saner soon landed in internship at WFMD under the tutelage of the highly respected Bernard Adams. Taking one of life’s left-hand turns, however, the new broadcaster was tasked with news rather than sports.

Her three-month internship at WFMD culminated with a four-part award-winning documentary about teen pregnancy and she was off to another station in Virginia, all the while hearing the call for independence and the freedom and risk of becoming a freelance documentarian.

Saner’s book is an entertaining glimpse into the world of freelance broadcast journalism and the twists and turns that occupation requires. And it’s packed with characters, some anonymous, others, like high-wire artist Philippe Petit or young congressman Bill Clinton, remarkable moments.

Oh, did I mention that she also rides motorcycles?

The Spy recently talked with Mary Saner about her career and what lies ahead.

This video is approximately 12 minutes in length. Her book may be purchased at the Bookplate in Chestertown.

 

 

Profiles in Spirituality: The Hynson Family Hears a Calling in Costa Rica

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For Brittany and Frank Hynson, going to work daily means descending 125 steps down the face of a cliff to the shantytown of Las Gradas, Costa Rica to begin their day attending to the needs of children and families in the community.

Inaccessible by car, Las Gradas is the poorest section of the La Carpio slums in San Jose, Costa Rica. Surrounded by a garbage dump and alongside a polluted river, the 155-acre area is home to 155,000 inhabitants with children at risk for sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, hang activity and prostitution.

Frank, nephew of Kent County’s beloved Rev. Vincent Hynson, and Brittany met at Hope Fellowship in Chestertown and recognized in each other the determination and commitment needed for missionary work in some of the most economically challenged areas in the world.

This shared calling brought the two together as missionaries and eventually as husband and wife, and now two young children, as they help meet the needs of an impoverished community lacking the basics, from clean water to reading skills an learning to survive in a dangerous environment.

Both had previous experience as missionaries with CoLaborers International in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Zambia, and Costa Rica. That experience proved invaluable as they worked to create a non-profit branch of the organization in Las Gradas.

CoLaborers International is an organization that works alongside established efforts to “provide services to the women and children including basic education, emotional intelligence/ mental wellness groups, counseling services, food, hygiene, arts and crafts activities, and vocational training to the parents founded by Marielos, a costa Rican therapist.”

The additional challenge of an influx of 300,000 Nicaraguan refugees fleeing the violence and repression of the Ortega government has made the Hynson’s job even more taxing. While they are often faced with the language barriers of indigenous populations, they continue to gain the trust of the battered and ever-changing Las Gradas community.

The key element to that growing trust is their long-term commitment to the community and goal to raise their own family there as they work with staff members who experienced childhoods in the same slums.

The Spy recently held a Zoom meeting with Brittany and Frank to learn more about their missionary work with CoLaborers International.

This video is approximately nine minutes in length. To find out more about CoLaborers International, go here. For more about the Hynsons work in Costa Rica, go here.

 

The Garfield Brings Summer Psychosis to Chestertown with Psycho Beach Party

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Grab your Hawaiian shirt and lei because sun, surf and psychosis await you for a raucous day on Malibu Beach in Garfield Theatre for the Arts’ “Psycho Beach Party,” opening Friday, February 10 at 8 pm.

This Charles Busch send-up of 1960’s-innocent “Gidget” flicks quickly morph into a beach party movie cliché wrecking ball complete with a schizophrenic teen wannabe surfer named Chicklet who declares herself empress of the world, hormonal surfer boys quipping double entendres,

a series of John Carpenter slasher events, all through the lens of a non-subtle reality check on the faux innocence hanging-ten on the crashing wave of the 1960s.

“Psycho Beach Party” pulls out all the stops and Garfield director Michael Moore, whose last stint was bringing us the serious “Laramie Project,” flexes his comedic chops and lets his seasoned ensemble cast chew the curtains until there’s nothing left but a tattered memory of Sandra Dee and James Darren waxing their surfboards by the flickering light of a conjured American Dream.

“(Moore’s) casting embraces the switched gender aspect of most of Charles Busch’s plays. Chicklet will be played by J.W. Ruth, most recently seen as Joseph in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” this past December on the Garfield stage, and scene-stealing Max in “The Play That Goes Wrong” in the opener of the 2022 season at the Garfield. Patrick Pearce, also seen in “Joseph” and “The Play That Goes Wrong” plays Yo-Yo. Dominic Delcoco, who played Gingy in “Shrek” in 2021 and one of the brothers in “Joseph,” plays Star Cat. Dylan Lyles, who appeared in “Shrek,” “The Laramie Project” and “The Good Doctor” at the Garfield plays Provoloney. The Great Kanaka is played by Garfield favorite Brad Chaires, most recently seen in “Joseph” playing Potipher, the Elvis-like Pharaoh and one of the brothers. Brianna Johnson, last seen in “The Good Doctor” and “The Laramie Project” plays Berdine. Minnie Maloney, last seen on the Garfield Stage in “The Good Doctor” plays Marvel Anne, Connie Fallon, last seen in “Shrek,” plays Mrs. Forrest, and newcomer Cassi Pinder plays Bertina Barnes.

Director Moore is assisted in the production by costumer Connie Fallon, with props by Wendy Sardo, lighting by Butch Clark, sound design by Nic Carter, motion graphic projections by Steven Arnold, sound board execution by Jordan Dixon, photography by Steven Arnold, and print graphics, playbill and marketing by Francoise Sullivan.”

The Spy recently attended a dress rehearsal to grab a few minutes with Michael Moore. Don’t miss this fun.

The show opens February 10th and runs weekends through February 26th, with performances at 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 PM on Sundays. Tickets are already available online and can be purchased through our website at www.garfieldcenter.org or by calling the Box Office at 410-810-2060 on Wednesdays through Fridays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Hiking the Liberal Arts: A Chat with Washington College’s Rich Gillin  

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What better place to study 19th-century English Romantic literature than to immerse oneself for a few summer weeks in England’s northwest Lake District, wake to a damp shawl of mist over glacial ribbon lakes and hike the rugged mountains while discussing Wordsworth and Coleridge?

Each summer for twenty years, Washington College Professor Emeritus Dr. Richard Gillin, his wife Barbara, and a dozen students from Washington College did just that as part of the Kiplin Hall program they co-founded and chaired.

The learning project’s mission was to connect “literature and landscape” using the our-hundred-year-old ancestral estate of Lord Calvert, whose son Cecil Calvert founded one of Maryland’s first settlements in the 1600s as a haven for persecuted Catholics. 

Each day, the Gillins and students explored the surrounding countryside of North Yorkshire and West Cork, Ireland, an experience he would later describe in his book A Guide to Hiking the Liberal Arts as “an explanation of what the liberal arts are and how learning history, art, philosophy, literature are so important It’s not a matter of collecting numbers or gathering simple facts. It demands experience, time, and contemplation.

Princeton Review selected A Guide to Hiking the Liberal Arts as one of its 2020 Best 300 books. Publisher Robert Frank wrote that the book is a tribute to the extraordinary dedication of America’s best undergraduate college professors “and the vitally important role they play in our culture, and our democracy.

The Spy chatted with Dr. Gillin to talk about how the Kiplin Hall project came about and his reflections on why experiences like the summer learning tours are fundamental to a liberal arts education. 

This video is approximately six minutes in length. The Bookplate bookstore’s ongoing Authors & Oysters series will feature Dr. Gillin at 6 pm. Wednesday, January 8 at the Retriever Bar at 337 ½ High Street. The event is free and open to the public.

 

 

 

A New Kind of Candlestick Maker: A Chat with Kent County Entrepreneur Greg Waddell

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For Greg Waddell, the idea of an entrepreneurial endeavor—creating a candle company —wasn’t on his radar until he and his wife Christine were shopping on the Isle of Wight during a visit to Scotland.

The couple kept noticing the same high-end brand of candles offered, and since he gave his marketing and design clients custom-made candles as holiday gifts each year, why not try to make a few on his own?

With research and commandeering his home kitchen as a manufacturing base, Waddell tried out his idea, making small batches of candles based on three “holiday scents.”

As the adage goes, one thing leads to another. That’s when Waddell’s fifteen-year background in PR at Washington College, creative director at Benchworks, and website designer at Waddell Creative took hold.

“I asked Jodi Bortz at Blue Canary Letterpress if she would print a few boxes for the candles. Not only did she do a great job, but she also suggested I try to sell them,” Waddell says.

Unsure if that was a step he wanted to take, he talked with Chris Tilghman at Chi-Chi (now Walnut and Wool), who challenged Waddell to make a line of scented candles for her shop.

In 2017 Lodestone Candles of Kent County was born with one retailer. Five years later, with many gift and trade shows from Philadelphia to Washington DC under his belt, Waddell and his team are filling wholesale orders to 75 clients internationally.

Waddell cites the success of his business with stellar mentors along the way, a willingness to learn from others, and an immersion into studying the ever-changing world of entrepreneurial business through the lens of his design and marketing experience.

When the world shut down during the pandemic in 2020, Waddell reached out to discover a thriving online marketing community discussing the pitfalls and solutions to product-based marketing  

Among the many resources inspiring Waddell along the way has been Apple Podcast’s “The Product Boss,” narrated by Jacqueline Snyder & Minna Khounlo. The duo invites guests to talk about their entrepreneurial successes and challenges each week.

“Their podcasts are about empowering people with product-based businesses who want to create their own life on their terms. It really helped me streamline things.”

Waddell says he’s anticipating a strong first quarter. And yes, his house has been liberated by moving Lodestone Candles to a new production facility in Chestertown Business Park.

The Spy recently discussed the Lodestone’s germination, success, and challenges with Greg Waddell. 

This video is approximately six minutes in length. To find out more about Lodestone Candles of Kent county, go here.