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March 22, 2023

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

News Election 2022

US District One Forum by League of Women Voters

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The Leagues of Women Voters of the Midshore, Queen Anne’s County and Kent County will sponsor a forum for candidates for the US District One Congressional race. The forum will be held on October 27th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm at the Kent Island High School,  900 Love Point Rd., Stevensville, MD 21666. Andy Harris (R), Heather Mizeur (D), and Danial Thibeault (Lib) have agreed to participate. The event will be recorded by The Spy and will be live streamed to the League’s facebook page, facebook.com/lwvkcmd. After the forum, a recording will be available on the League of Women Voters of Kent County website; kent-lwvmaryland.nationbuilder.com .

During the forum, the candidates will be given 2 minutes to introduce themselves and will answer three questions from the League that they have received in advance.  The audience will have an opportunity to participate by submitting questions for the candidates on cards collected by League members. The program will conclude with closing statements from each participant.

The forum will be filmed by the League of Women voters and by those who have been granted permission by the League. No other recording will be permitted. Campaign signs, literature or clothing that indicates support of a candidate will not be allowed in the forum room.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to promoting informed and active citizen participation in government; it does not support or oppose any political parties or candidates for office.  

League of Women Voters to Host County Council Candidate Forum

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The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Shore will sponsor a forum for candidates competing in the Dorchester County Council election. The forum will be held on Monday, October 17 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Weinberg Intergenerational Center at Chesapeake Grove, 108 Chesapeake Street, Cambridge, MD. It is free and open to the public.

The following candidates from Districts 1, 3, and 5 who are running against opponents have been invited to participate in the forum:

District 1 – Rob Kramer, Jr. (R) and Jay Leonard Newcomb (D)

District 3 – John Edward James, Jr (R) and Ricky C Travers (D)

District 5 – Mike Detmer (R), Zia Ashraf (D) and David Beverly (I)

Debate topics will cover issues that are important to residents of the county, including: budget priorities; law enforcement and crime in the county; transparency of council deliberations; and the relationship between the county manager, the council and county staff.

After a welcome by the moderator, candidates will make opening statements and respond to questions posed by the moderator and members of the public. The latter will be collected on notecards and read by the moderator.

For questions about the forum contact Glenna Heckathorn at 571-217-3874 or Kathi Bangert at 443-646-3338 or email to lwvms.md@gmail.com.

The League of Women Voters does not endorse candidates for this or any other election.

The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Shore is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Membership in the League is open to all citizens of voting age.

News from the League of Women Voters

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The Leagues of Women Voters of Midshore, Queen Anne’s County and Kent County will sponsor forums for Senate candidates for MD District 36 and Congressional Representative candidates for US District 1, on June 26, in person at Chesapeake College, Cadby Theatre. They will also be streamed on facebook. Forums will be held from 1:30 – 3:00 pm for MD Senate District 36 Republican candidates and from 3:15 –4:45pm for candidates for the Democratic nomination for US District 1.

The League of Women Voters sponsors forums for contested races only. In each forum, candidates will be given an opportunity to introduce themselves and will answer two questions from the League that they have received in advance.  The audience will have an opportunity to participate by submitting questions on cards collected by forum workers. The forum will finish with closing statements from each participant.

The forum will be filmed by the League of Women voters and those who have been granted permission by the League. No other recording will be permitted. Campaign signs, literature or clothing that indicates support of a candidate will not be allowed in the forum room.

The League is a nonpartisan political organization dedicated to promoting informed and active citizen participation in government; it does not support or oppose any political parties or candidates for office.  

League of Women Voters Annual Meeting

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The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Shore invites all who are interested to their Annual Meeting on Sunday, April 24, 2022 at Third Haven Meeting House, 405 S. Washington Street in Easton, Md.  The local League will be celebrating its efforts over the past year and gearing up for the start of the new fiscal year.

The League of Women Voters is devoted to the conduct of free and fair elections and to making sure that voters are well informed about the issues and candidates.

The guest speaker will be Matt Pluta, Choptank River Keeper and Director of River Keeper programs at ShoreRivers. Mr. Pluta will speak on “Water Quality Threats on the Eastern Shore: Development Pressure and Wastewater Issues.”

All are welcome to attend the meeting.

LWV Maryland Will Help Voters Navigate the Elections Safely

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The League of Women Voters of Maryland is springing into action, in response to the Governor’s July 8th order to the State Board of Elections to carry out a traditional election process this November, while also mailing every active registered voter an absentee ballot request form. This decision runs contrary to the advice of local election officials who reported that many election judges have already declined to serve due to concerns about COVID-19. Election officials also noted the additional administrative costs and potential delays caused by the processing of absentee ballot request forms, and recommended that ballots be mailed to voters to ensure a safer and more seamless process. This will unfortunately create challenges for voters and poll workers — chief among them the risk of exposure to COVID-19 at in-person polling places.

Regardless of our views about this policy choice, our highest priority now is to support voters with the information they need to successfully and safely obtain and cast their ballots.

Here is our 2020 Election Protection Plan:

Voter Empowerment — As we have done for the past 100 years, we will continue to empower voters by providing them with unbiased nonpartisan candidate and ballot issue information via our trusted Voters’ Guides, Vote411.org, and candidate forums.

Advocacy — LWVMD will continue to advocate for the safety of poll workers and voters in coordination with a broad coalition of voting rights groups – Everyone Votes Maryland.

Accountability — We will continue to monitor and communicate with the State Board of Elections to ensure every voter’s needs are considered as this election plan progresses.

Grassroots Coordination — 15 local LWVs throughout the state will continue to collaborate on the ground in their communities and provide critical election resources and information.

While we are ready to provide Marylanders with the tools they need to participate in our democracy in November, we remain concerned that this decision leaves us open to the possibility of another emergency shift in the election process should there be a second wave of widespread COVID-19 cases in Maryland in the fall.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

St. Michaels Candidates Answer Questions at Virtual Forum Moderated by LWV

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https://www.facebook.com/athomeinstmichaels/videos/2709159285987345/

The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Shore hosted a forum July 7 for the eight candidates for four seats on the St. Michaels Town Commission. The election will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, July 13, at the town 0ffice at 300 Mill Street, St. Michaels. The term of office for the three top vote winners will be four years, expiring in June 2024. The term for the fourth top vote winner will be two years, expiring in June 2022.

This video is about two hours long.

Pre-Primary Candidate Forum for U.S. Congress MD District 1

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The Leagues of Women Voters of Queen Anne’s, Kent, and the MidShore are holding two back-to-back forums for candidates for the U. S. House of Representatives, Maryland District One, on Sunday, March 22.  The three Democratic candidates will take part in first forum which will begin at 2 p.m. The second forum which will feature the two Republican candidates will begin at 3:45. Both forums will be held in the Cadby Auditorium at Chesapeake College which is located at the intersection of Routes 50 and 213.  The forum is free and open to the public.

All the candidates for the First District in Maryland have agreed to participate.  Republican Congressman Andrew Harris, the incumbent from Baltimore County, is challenged by Jorge Delgado from Worcester County. The three Democratic candidates are Allison Galbraith from Harford County, Mia Mason from Frederick County, and Jennifer Pingley from Cecil County. Candidates will answer questions from the League and from the audience.

The League requests that there be no electioneering, campaign literature or paraphernalia  inside the hall.  Candidates are asked to place their signs outside the building and distribute their campaign literature and paraphernalia after the forum.

The forum will be streamed and recorded on the Facebook pages of QACTV, the League of Women Voters of Kent County, and the League of Women Voters of Queen Anne’s County. Pam Ortiz from the Kent County League will moderate.

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government.  Membership is open to all citizens, men and women, of voting age.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here

League of Women Voters Event on November 12

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The results of a state-wide study of Civic Education in the public schools of Maryland will be presented by the League of Women Voters on November 12, at 4: 30pm at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton.

In 2019 the Maryland State Department of Education initiated a new curriculum framework for Social Studies. Each county is developing ways individual schools will implement the new approaches. To study the extent of civic education, League members researched 13 of Maryland’s 24 school systems and followed up with interviews with local school districts’ Social Science department heads and classroom teachers.

Members of the Mid-Shore League of Women Voters, comprised of Caroline, Dorchester and Talbot counties, met with six school staff members who supplied curriculum information and gave interviews. At the November 12 meeting, League members will share their findings and invite discussion from the community, especially parents, public school administrators and teachers, and Board of Education members.

Civic education for participation in public life by our young future voters is especially timely in today’s political climate, the Mid-Shore League co-convener Pat Comella observed . She hopes that this will be a good opportunity for communities to become involved in supporting civic study in school and participation in local civic events; and is looking forward to the conversation .

Putting it in a historical perspective, Comella said that the 100th anniversary of the League of Women Voters of the United States will be celebrated next year. The organization was established following the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote and thus serve as partners in framing public policy. To have an informed and voting populace was deemed essential to the health of democracy and is a foundational principle of the League.

Finding Your Voice: The Refuge System’s Conservation Planning Process

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Cancellation Notice: This event will be rescheduled for a later date as the Cambridge Library has closed to address a maintenance issue and will remain closed until September 9th.

The League of Women Voters of the Mid-Shore is pleased to announce a public meeting with special guest-speaker Glenn A. Carowan, former manager of the Blackwater Refuge in Dorchester County (1989-2007) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Refuge Manager of the Year in 2006.  Mr. Carowan will be talking about the Refuge System’s Comprehensive Conservation Planning Process, a process designed to produce a comprehensive conservation plan (CCP) to guide the management of each U.S. Fish and Wildlife refuge over a 15 year period.  This talk is timely given that the Blackwater Refuge CCP is now approaching 15 years of age.  The talk will be on Sunday, Sept. 8 from 2-4 pm in the public meeting room at the Cambridge Branch of the Dorchester County Public Library.

The CCP is an important document which describes the goals, objectives, and strategies for improving refuge conditions—including the types of habitat the refuge will provide, partnership opportunities and management actions needed to achieve desired conditions.  Mr. Carowan says “The highlight of my career was the completion of Blackwater Refuge’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan…. I was extremely excited to afford the public the opportunity to have a voice in the future management of the refuge.  But it was not just the opportunity to voice opinions and recommendations… it was the opportunity to develop a shared vision; to blend different social, cultural, and economic backgrounds and ideas into one united effort to move the refuge progressively forward in the 21st century.”

Glenn A. Carowan, former manager of the Blackwater Refuge (1989-2007).

The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 required all refuges to complete a Comprehensive Conservation Plan by 2012.  Blackwater Refuge was one of the first refuges in the Northeast Region to initiate planning; their process began in 2000 with over 20 public meetings.  The planning team explored, deliberated, and evaluated all aspects of the refuge’s management, from future land-protection, cropland and forest management, marsh management, prescribed fire, public use and interpretation, law enforcement, etc.  This collaborative process led to the identification of a host of issues.  Mr. Carowan stated “I know at the time that the public and stakeholders believed they had really made a difference that would not only benefit the community but also the many wildlife species the refuge was established to protect. For the first time since I came to Blackwater in 1989, I felt there was a real sense of community pride.”  Public consensus on the plan was reached on most issues by 2004, the draft CCP and environmental assessment was released in May of 2005, and the CCP was approved by the Director of Fish and Wildlife Service in September 2006.  The document represents years of work among Federal and State agencies, local and regional officials and communities, conservation organizations, and user groups.

The Blackwater Refuge CCP is now approaching 15 years of age, and undoubtedly needs to be updated to reflect the many changes to its activities, programs, and issues over the years.  Given that The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act also requires every refuge to revise their CCP every 15 years as necessary, now is the time to be sure this process continues to work to reflect our local interests.  All individuals and organizations interested in the future of our natural resources, especially those under refuge management, are invited to hear how the comprehensive planning process works so your input can be optimized to reach your targeted goals.  This talk should be of special interest to Dorchester County residents as the County is now updating its comprehensive planning process.

The meeting is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

LWV Candidate Forum for Maryland General Assembly October 25

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Candidates to the Maryland General Assembly from Districts 37 and 37B will be on stage at a League of Women Voters forum on Thursday, October 25, at the Senior Center on 400 Brookletts Avenue in Easton. The forum will begin at 6:30 and all five candidates will be there.

The election to both the House of Delegates and Senate is contested with a Democratic candidate running against the incumbent Republicans. The forum participants will be current Senator Adelaide Eckardt challenged by Holly Wright, and Dan O’Hare contesting incumbent Delegates Johnny Mautz and Chris Adams. In the House race, two are elected to the House of Delegates, but must be from different counties. All League of Women Voter forums are nonpartisan and educational in intent .

District 37 is one of Maryland’s 47 senate districts, each represented by a single seat. The district contains Dorchester County, part of Caroline County, part of Talbot County and part of Wicomico County.

There are also 47 House of Delegates districts, each represented by three delegates. While most serve at large, 37 has subdistricts 37A and 37B which divide up the three legislators.

The League of Women Voters of the Midshore, which likes to say it is working to make democracy work, plans election forums so that voters can make informed choices when they vote. “It’s a happy symbolism that we are doing this on the first day of early voting so that both the necessity to vote and to come to the voting booth prepared with knowledge of the candidates can be highlighted,” said Hilary Gibson, Voter Service chairman for the three-county League. She said the League has questions to ask the candidates on issues that particularly concern their members, but hopes a large audience will attend and submit questions of its own.

The forum begins at 6:30 and will feature both houses of the legislature in separate segments.