For the first time, Maryland is giving small-scale farmers a similar financial boost for cover crops that larger-scale farmers have enjoyed for years. Starting this year, Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Small Acreage Cover Crop Program allows farmers who plant less than five acres of cover crops to receive a reimbursement of up to $1,500 per year for the purchase of cover crop seed. 

At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), we applaud MDA for establishing the new program and see it as a model for other states in the Bay watershed. Cover crops are typically cereal grains planted between growing seasons that help improve Bay water quality by trapping pollutants such as nitrogen, improving soil health, and preventing erosion. 

Previously, cover crop benefits were only available to farmers who plant five acres or more of cover crops. The state’s expansion of this benefit highlights an effort to increase equity between small and large farms.  

Small farmers can grow a lot of vegetables on a couple acres of land and the majority of these farmers market directly to local consumers. These smaller farms typically provide local vegetables to communities while implementing Bay-friendly farming practices, including the use of cover crops, no tillage, and organic fertilizers, which assists with Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts. 

The widespread adoption of regenerative practices among small-scale and urban farms shows how this sector can help to promote environmentally responsible agriculture. 

The new program will also help to address the historical imbalance between small and large farms. Government farm programs are often biased in favor of larger operations, leaving small-scale and urban farms excluded due to eligibility requirements, such as farm size. As a result, more money has gone to supporting large-scale corn and soybean production, which is used mostly as livestock feed, with a small fraction of benefits left to support the smaller vegetable farmers. 

Supporting smaller farms is also an investment in the health of our communities. These farms produce fresh, healthy food near where people live, and reach consumers who may struggle to access fresh food. By increasing local food production, smaller farms can reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by transporting food. According to a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins Center For A Livable Future, close to 90% of the vegetables eaten in Maryland come from out of state. By supporting local growers, we can reduce this percentage and the carbon footprint of Maryland’s food system.   

CBF encourages farmers who operate small farms to apply for this funding program to improve soil health, farm productivity, and increase their economic bottom line. Small farms help build strong communities, and we commend MDA for their support of this critical program.  

By Isabella Bruno is Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Maryland Agriculture Equity Project Coordinator 

It is election season in Easton, and naturally the candidates’ views on growth and development are front and center.  Mayoral candidate Al Silverstein promises in his campaign literature “to focus on preserving Easton’s small town character.”  Ward 3 candidate Ron Engle states that he “will ensure all commercial development … is done to enhance the town of Easton … using infill, not sprawl.”  

Actual voting records belie these campaign platitudes.

Until two years ago Easton’s zoning ordinance included, with limited exception, a 65,000 square foot “cap” on retail stores in order to limit “big box” development.  But in February 2021 Mr. Silverstein voted to amend the zoning ordinance for the express purpose of facilitating development of a 130,000 square foot Home Depot big box on Route 50 in Easton.  So much for “preserving our small town character.”

Mr. Engle similarly voted for the Home Depot exception, even though the new big box was slated to arise from a corn field at the intersection of Route 50 and Chapel Road.  So much for “enhancement” of the town by prioritizing “infill, not sprawl.”  

In Mr. Silverstein’s view, Easton needs to expand its growth on the east side of Route 50.  Mr. Engle observed that “Easton is already a regional commercial center” so a new big box store would fit right in.  Council member Elmer Davis provided the third vote, and the zoning amendment for the benefit of Home Depot passed 3-2.  Council members Megan Cook and Don Abbatiello dissented.

The preexisting 65,000 square foot cap on retail stores was intended to implement Easton’s Comprehensive Plan.  That plan, developed by hundreds of Easton’s citizens, states that big box stores should be “very limited,” and that “no new areas of regional retail” are on the planning horizon.  The Easton Planning Commission reviewed the proposed Home Depot zoning amendment before it reached the Town Council, and concluded – through a unanimous 5-0 vote – that it was inconsistent with the Comprehensive Plan, and that any relaxation of the proscription on big box development should be considered in connection with citizen development of the new Comp Plan, which is now underway.  

But Messrs. Silverstein and Engle ignored the guidance of the Comprehensive Plan, and dismissed the recommendation of their own Planning Commission, apparently eager to make way for a new big box.  In doing so, they also dismissed the desires of the many Easton citizens who developed the limitations on major retail in the current Comprehensive Plan.

It is noteworthy that, with an election pending, neither Mr. Silverstein nor Mr. Engle is touting these efforts to bring new big box development to our community.  But in considering the candidates for Mayor, and for Council member from Ward 3, voters might want to compare current campaign promises with what actual voting records plainly reveal.

Tom Alspach serves on the Board of the Talbot Preservation Alliance.

There’s a discussion going on in Congress about the next Farm Bill that could help Maryland farmers. It concerns expanding U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices. Based on my experience with USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, I think this is an excellent idea.

I grow organic feed and food-grade grains on 420 acres near Salisbury, on the farm where I grew up. I knew that I wanted to farm since I was a teenager. I worked on my family’s conventional grain farm, but it wasn’t possible for me to make it a full-time job. So I farmed a few acres in my off hours and worked in the University of Maryland’s wheat and barley breeding program.

I started transitioning two acres of the farm to organic vegetable production in 2007, when I was still at my day job. I decided to farm organically because I knew it would allow me to earn more money per acre so I could switch to farming full time. Focusing on grain allowed me to eventually take over the rest of the family farm from my dad.

Transitioning from conventional to organic farming can be difficult and costly, especially in the beginning. I was able to make that transition successfully and start farming full time in 2017 with help from the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP.

Like other federal farm conservation programs, EQIP is entirely voluntary. EQIP provides technical and financial assistance to farmers who to want to adopt conservation practices that promote clean air and water, healthier soil, more resilient land, and better wildlife habitat—and improve their agricultural operations at the same time.

Farming without using pesticides and other chemicals doesn’t just allow me to charge a premium for the organic grain I grow and the organic animal feed I make from it. It is also good for the Chesapeake Bay.

We have a tidal creek running through the farm that goes to the Wicomico River, and ultimately the Bay. I see that water every day and I know that what I do on the farm impacts it directly. I don’t like the thought of nutrients from my farm leaching into that water. Honestly, no farmer wants that.

These days I’m using EQIP to create seven acres of pollinator habitat on marginal land on my farm. I’d also like to use it for a cover crop project that would improve my soil, keep nutrients out of the water, and save money on fertilizer.

I want to interplant a cover crop in my corn fields in mid-August, a month before I harvest the corn. The soil is warm through mid-October so there are lots of microbes actively breaking down nutrients. Instead of letting valuable nutrients like nitrogen and potassium go to waste, planting the cover crop early would allow it to take up more nutrients as it grows and return them to the soil when it dies.

I would end up with healthier soil for my cash crop. I’d also save about $150 to $200 an acre on fertilizer I don’t have to apply. And the cover crop would prevent the soil from eroding and ending up in the creek, the Wicomico River, and the Chesapeake Bay for two more months.

But seeding a cover crop into rows of standing corn requires specialized equipment I can’t afford on my own. And there’s no guarantee that I can secure EQIP funding either. Farm Bill conservation programs are so popular they reject more applications than they accept, according to USDA figures.

Here in Maryland, farmers submitted 790 EQIP applications in 2020. But only 266, or 34 percent, got contracts. The 47 percent average acceptance rate from 2005 to 2020 is more encouraging. But that still means USDA turned away more than half of applications for projects that could have helped Maryland farmers improve their operations and reduce pollution in Maryland waterways and the Bay.

EQIP and other voluntary USDA conservation programs are a win-win proposition for Maryland farmers and the Chesapeake Bay. Many of us have ideas for conservation projects that would do a lot of good. We just can’t always afford to pursue them on our own.

Leaving those projects on the drawing board doesn’t help anyone. Instead of missing out on their benefits, Congress should increase funding for these programs in the Farm Bill it is considering so more farmers can put their conservation ideas into practice.

Aaron Cooper owns and operates Cutfresh Organics farm in Eden, MD.

Imagine, if you will, the following scenario:

You’ve had a long, frustrating day at work. Your kid’s lacrosse practice ran long, and traffic is at a standstill because of…who knows!

All of which means you have neither the time nor inclination to cook tonight. You just want to call your friendly corner pizzeria and pick up a large pepperoni and a side of wings.

When you call in and place your order, however, you are told that before you can pick up your food and take it home, you must sign a legally binding contract that confirms your acknowledgment of the terms and conditions of the transaction.

For a pizza. That YOU called and ordered.

Sounds too bizarre to be true, right? Even for Maryland, which seems to pride itself at times for its silly laws and regulations that make the easy things so difficult?

Think again. The scenario I just described is on the verge of becoming the law of the land.

At the heart of all this is an important consumer protection law named the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act. It was adopted years ago to protect Marylanders from being defrauded by predatory telemarketers, who prey largely upon senior citizens and low-to-moderate income consumers. The law, as clearly written and enforced for years, states that that all telephone-based sales must be accompanied by a signed contract when the call is initiated by the seller to the buyer.

This makes sense. It safeguards the consumer from the smooth, fast-talking huckster on the line who serving up that term life insurance deal, or that home security system package, that sounds almost too good to be true. It provides the buyer with one final opportunity to read the fine print before entering into a costly financial obligation.

Enter the Public Service Commission, which regulates our state’s public utilities and retail energy providers. In a case involving an electricity retailer, the PSC unilaterally determined that this law applies in both directions – even when the customer initiated the call.

This radical interpretation of longstanding law would effect not only the energy sector, but every merchant that conducts business over the telephone in the State of Maryland.

The corner pizza parlor. The pharmacy. The auto parts and bicycle repair shops. The independent bookstore. Each of these would now have to invest the time, cost and personnel necessary to execute a signed contract – even in situations when the customer knew the product they wanted and knew exactly where and when to order it.

In a recent court brief, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Retailers Association foresaw the consequences of such an illogical abuse of law:

“…driving up business expenses, making it more difficult to transact business in Maryland, and creating negative and frustrating customer experiences. It also creates grave uncertainty by calling into question every telephone transaction throughout the years that began with the customer calling the merchant.”

As a local restaurant owner who will celebrate 30 years in business next summer, I can say with absolute certainty that this would have an immediate and devastating effect on my business.

During our three decades on the Cambridge Waterfront, we have fought tooth and nail to survive the 2008 financial crisis, a constant stream of tax hikes, the COVID pandemic, severe worker shortages and disruptions in the national supply chain. Must we also have to contend with the latest harebrained legal theories of an agency that has absolutely nothing to do with my industry in the first place?

There are days when I literally believe it is the goal of certain policymakers to drive every last local business out of our state, taking with them the jobs, business-to-business investment, tax revenue and charitable activity for which they are responsible.

Enough is enough. If this bizarre reading of the Maryland Telephone Solicitations Act becomes the new, accepted law of the land, it will be incumbent upon Governor Moore and the Maryland General Assembly to pass a new, better law that honors its original intent.

Our consumers must be protected from harm. So, too, must our local and independent businesses. These are complementary goals, and our elected leaders may soon have the opportunity to accomplish both by fixing the mess the PSC has created.

Laura Sydnor is the founder and owner of Snapper’s Waterfront Café in Cambridge.

Frederick Douglass is by far Talbot County’s most famous native, and with good reason.  But there’s another Talbot native who survived slavery and went on to make significant and lasting contributions to the citizens of the county that still have impact today.

The name Nathaniel “Nace” Hopkins might not be as familiar as Douglass’s, but he is a Talbot County legend.  His story has been told occasionally through the decades — but it can never be told enough.  What Frederick Douglass was for the Nation, Hopkins was for Talbot County.  He was a well-respected, well liked man of his time who helped the county move forward in the post-Civil War era.  

Nace Hopkins was born an enslaved person near Bellevue and enlisted in the Union Army on November 20, 1863, to serve in the newly formed United States Colored Troops (USCT).  Whether he was still enslaved or a freeman at the time of his enlistment has remained uncertain.  During that period, it was common to free enslaved persons in their early to mid-30’s.  This may not be as altruistic as it seems, since Maryland law required slave owners to care for enslaved persons for the rest of their lives once they reached age 45 or at any earlier age if they became disabled or infirmed.  This led to many emancipations while they were in their early 30’s and still able bodied and was a contributing reason why nearly half of Talbot County’s black population was free at the start of the Civil War.  

Past written accounts of Nathaniel Hopkins record his birth year between 1830 and 1834.  Reviewing Nace’s death certificate and tombstone however, place his date of birth as January 18, 1834.  Additional research and consultation with local historian James Dawson leads to the belief that Nace was most likely enslaved at the time of his enlistment and was probably recruited when the Union was actively recruiting free and enslaved black men on the Eastern Shore. 

Nace’s military career was short.  He was released on furlough on January 4, 1864, for sickness and “varicose veins.”  But sometime things happen for a reason, as the saying goes, and history had other plans for Nace.  Those plans were soon to be revealed. 

Although Nace was illiterate, he was a natural leader and orator.  He was known for being a man of his word and his descendants described Nace as always trying to help people — black and white.  Family members who knew him were quoted as saying, “He accomplished whatever he had to do for his people” and he “planted his feet solidly on the ground and walked tall and strait with a look of determination.”  

His natural leadership abilities, along with the respect of Talbot County citizens that he received, can be seen in the retelling of a story about the arrangements Nace made with a local farmer.  Seeing a large pile of corn in a farmer’s barn, Nace made an agreement that he and some men would husk that corn in exchange for a feast of ham, cakes, and some hard cider.  The farmer agreed to have “Aunt Ruth” cook the ham and provide the meal and cider.  Nace arrived early on the appointed date to begin husking corn but the men he invited never appeared.  Later that evening he heard sounds of revelry across the creek in the direction of Aunt Ruth’s.  Upon investigating, Nace found his invited guests making merry instead of fulfilling their commitment.  After some choice words, he marched them over to the corn pile and kept them at it until the wee hours of the morning and the last ear was husked. 

Nathanial Hopkins is credited for helping to establish the Talbot County school system’s first black school in Trappe in 1878.  Specifically, he’s been noted for his assistance in procuring the land for the school.  Nace was also instrumental in building another school in the black community of Barber, originally called the Manassas School, to which he received a nomination as trustee. 

Hopkins was one of the original members to incorporate the Ashbury Methodist Episcopal Church with the cornerstone laid for the new building in 1869.  The church is now the Scotts United Methodist Church in Trappe and is named for the Rev. Levi Scott, who was the presiding Bishop for the area.  

After the Civil War, many black communities were established throughout Talbot, and Nathanial Hopkins did his part.  He helped procure 23 acres approximately four miles southeast of Trappe to establish the community of Eastfield and worked with the county to establish a proper road to the new town.  In 1888, Hopkins, along with three other black men — Daniel Joshua, James Nixon, and Robinson Sewell, were appointed Road Supervisors for the Trappe district by the Talbot County Commissioners. Nace and these men were essential to maintaining and upgrading the road system in the Trappe area. 

Hopkins also contributed to Talbot County politics.  Although he never ran for political office, Nace put his oratory and organizational skills to good use.   Along with his friend Joe Gray (also a former enslaved person), he worked diligently to “get out the black vote.”  Nace and Joe gave numerous speeches nearing election day and they are greatly credited for getting many Republicans elected to local positions during that period.

One of Nathanial Hopkins’s most celebrated accomplishments has had a lasting impact upon all Talbot citizens to this day.  In the summer of 1867, Nace, along with friends Jeremiah Thomas and Morris Trippe, decided to celebrate the Emancipation of Maryland’s enslaved persons, which occurred on November 1, 1864, by organizing a parade and official celebration.  Nace worked diligently towards the endeavor by training local boys and girls to drill with music provided from a drum, flute, accordion, and tambourine, borrowed from neighbors.  He traveled throughout Talbot asking for and securing assistance. 

The citizens of Talbot, both black and white, pitched in providing many needed items and money.  Nace secured permission from the County Commissioners to use the streets of Trappe for his planned parade and celebration.  November 1, 1867 was the designated day for the first celebration. That day, wagons with stoves and food arrived at sunrise.  Some of Trappe’s town folks had placed kitchen stoves in their front yards to prepare meals for the visitors attending the celebration.  The day began with a prayer service and an 11 o’clock church service. 

The parade was led by Nathaniel Hopkins himself, with his Aunt Audy Nixon by his side carrying her bible.  Nace was dressed in his Union uniform with gold epaulettes and sash, a Lincoln styled top hat and a sword from the Knights of Columbus.  Behind Nace and Aunt Audy came the young drill team marching to the beat of the music played by Nace’s sons, Charles and Alexander and the sons of George Brummell playing the borrowed instruments.  Next in line were men in uniform, men on horses, and finally colorfully decorated wagons.  After the parade the celebrants gathered at the church to listen to speeches from many orators, including Nace.  Then the fun began, with games and events for the kids, horse racing and, of course, good Eastern Shore cooking featuring the region’s bounty of food.  

The celebration was so successful it became an annual tradition. Nathaniel Hopkins continued to plan and lead the parade with his Aunt Audy by his side until his death thirty-three years later.  Eventually, the parade became known as the “Nace’s Day” parade and grew with bands and marchers coming from not just the Eastern Shore, but Baltimore, Delaware and New Jersey as well.  The church services, good food and entertainment continued.  After Nace’s death the celebration started including a prayer service at Nace’s gravesite and the playing of taps over his marker.  

The parade and celebration continued every year until it was interrupted by World War I.  The Maryland Emancipation celebration has, however, been held many times since, with the latest in 2019.  Former members of The St Michaels High School Band recall marching in the Nace’s Day parades of the 1980’s.  The 1976 celebration included the unveiling of a roadside marker on Route 50 commemorating Nathaniel Hopkins that reads: “Nathaniel (Nace) Hopkins, Leader of his People Who was Born a Slave circa 1830; Fought for Union in Civil War; Originated Annual Trappe Emancipation Day Celebration, 1867 and Headed it until his Death in 1900.  One of the Founders of Scott’s Methodist Church.  Helped Establish First “Colored Schools” at Trappe and Barber.  Buried in Old Paradise Cemetery on this Site.  

This celebration of Emancipation Day was considered the first and only in the State of Maryland, and one of the first in the United States.  It was an incredible accomplishment for the time.  The history of the citizens of Talbot, both black and white, coming together to organize and celebrate Emancipation Day, is something we all can be proud of. 

I look forward to the next fall day where we again can come together in celebration of Maryland’s Emancipation Day and to celebrate our incredible Talbot ancestor who contributed so much during his life – and to enjoy more of that great Eastern Shore food!

Paul Callahan is a Talbot native, a graduate of Saints Peter & Paul High School and the Catholic University of America and served as an Officer in the United States Marine Corp. 

Sources for this article include “Irregularities in Abundance – An Anecdotal History of Trappe District in Talbot Co Md” by James Dawson which incorporates various other sources, numerous past newspaper accounts to include Easton’s Star Democrat, The Baltimore Sun and The Times Daily (Salisbury Md)

Illustrations by John Raschka

It is not every day that a former student and now good friend gets engaged at the White House, but, on December 13, 2022, Rod popped the question to his partner of eight years, Alex, at the White House signing ceremony for the Respect for Marriage Act. It was great to see their tweet (of course a tweet) and then to read the Religion News Service story about their engagement.   

For me, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the day had double significance—not only did good friends become engaged, but now a federal statute requires states to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. The act also invalidates the Defense of Marriage Act which had defined marriage as between “one man, one woman” and had permitted states to not recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Passage of the act was a positive note to end 2022. 

And yet, many challenges remain in 2023. Despite the Respect for Marriage Act, should the Supreme Court overturn its Obergefell v. Hodges decision (2015) that established a federal constitutional right to marry someone of the same sex, then that right would be in question in 35 states that have either a state statute, a state constitutional amendment or both prohibiting same sex marriages. The Obergefell decision, decided by only a 5-4 majority, was authored by Justice Kennedy whose seat now is filled by Justice Gorsuch. There is at least one justice who thinks the Court should revisit Obergefell, namely Justice Thomas, who said as much in his concurrence in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which overturned the fifty-year precedent of Roe v. Wade.

The Court remains a focus for other reasons. The very same week that the House passed the final version of the Respect for Marriage Act the Court heard arguments in 303 Creative v. Elenis in which a Colorado web designer and evangelical Christian who does not support same sex marriage is arguing that she should not be required to design a wedding website for same sex couples because to do so would violate her freedom of speech. Colorado law prohibits businesses from discriminating against LGBTQ+ persons. Court observers predict that the conservative majority will side with the web designer.

And then there is the wave of state legislation and local school regulations targeting the rights of transgender and nonbinary persons.  A Washington Post article noted that in 2022 more anti-transgender laws were proposed than in any other year, laws which would limit participation on school sports teams to use of bathrooms to gender-affirming medical care.

Maryland, however, continues to protect its transgender and non-binary youth. In February 2022, the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee unfavorably reported out HB 757 also known as the “Save Women’s Sports Act”  which would have barred transgender youth from participating on sports teams that reflected their gender identity and not their biological sex.

In May, our state enacted a law which requires private schools that receive state aid to not discriminate against students based on “race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.” 

Even more sobering than laws that target trans and non-binary youth is the rate of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. Just three days after the Respect for Marriage Act was signed Henry Berg-Bousseau, the 24-year-old, transgender son of Dr. Karen Berg, a Kentucky state senator , committed suicide. Henry had been  a deputy press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT+ advocacy group. According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, “45% of LGBTQ youth considered attempting suicide in the past year” and “fewer than 1 in 3 transgender and nonbinary youth found their home to be gender-affirming.” 

And the violence against the LGBTQ+ community continues. Right-wing militia groups, such as the Patriot Front, have targeted the LGBTQ+ community. This past June, thirty-one Patriot Front members were arrested in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho before they were going to interfere with a Pride Festival there. And, in November, at the Colorado Springs LGBT club, Club Q, an assumed haven for the LGBTQ community, five persons were gunned down, among them two transgender persons. 

Safe havens are so important. I was encouraged to read that the three LGBTQ+ organizations at Washington College are active again after the effects of Covid on campus clubs. I hope that Kent County LGBTQ+ youth have safe havens where they can be who they are and be celebrated for who they are. 

I began this piece with Rod and Alex. Let me end with them. On June 26, 2015, the three of us were outside the Supreme Court with hundreds of others, waiting to hear what the Court had decided in the Obergefell case. I had flown in from Spokane, Washington where I was teaching and was at the Court with a dear friend. I’ll never forget the cheers that erupted when the crowd learned of the outcome. It was a joyful moment. The signing of the Respect for Marriage Act on December 13 was also a joyful moment. Yes, much has changed for the better, but meanness and discrimination and violence continue. Much work remains to achieve full equality. 

Kathryn Lee (Ph.D., J.D.), is  the former chair of the Political Science Department and Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Whitworth University in Spokane, WA. Kathryn was recently profiles in the New Yorker which can be read here. She retired to Chestertown last July.

Last night, Easton’s Prager Family Center for the Arts held a concert featuring Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero, violinist Joshua Bell, and soprano Larisa Martinez. It was, in short, magic. The featured musicians were at the top of their game. The program was eclectic and charming. The acoustics were superb. I felt privileged to be in attendance.

During one introduction to the selected program, Joshua Bell mentioned that he had never played in a venue quite like this one. It reminded him of the salons of days gone by. He is right.  It is a unique experience to be so close to the artists in an environment with such amazing sound quality. 

Gabriela Montero is a renowned pianist who gave her first concert when she was only five years old. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, as well as concert halls in Munich, Berlin, Bern, Amsterdam and other venues across the globe. Montero sometimes introduces improvisations into standard classical pieces, a practice that Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart also incorporated into their concerts. Montero also has composed many original compositions and released several albums. Her 2015 album won her the Latin Grammy award for best classical album.  Her mastery of the eclectic pieces played on Saturday evening was pure perfection. 

On Saturday’s performance, Joshua Bell was not front and center, as the concert truly showcased his wife, soprano Larisa Martinez. But, as usual, he did not disappoint. Bell made his Carnegie debut at the age of 17. His instrument is the Gibson ex Huberman, a Stradivarius made in 1713 during the Stradivari’s Golden Era. The violin was stolen twice and is the subject of a documentary The Return of the Violin. Bell, considered one of the greatest violinists of all time, has won numerous awards and has produced albums featuring Brahms, Prokofiev, Gershwin, Bernstein, Vivaldi, Mendelssohn and many more. 

In 2019, Puerto Rican-born soprano Larisa Martinez made both her Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall debuts—the same year she married Bell. Martinez appeared in her first opera when she was 19 as the shepherd in the third act of Tosca.  She studied vocal performance at the Conservatory of Music in Puerto Rico and obtained her master’s degree from the Mannes School of Music in New York City. Martinez has performed in New York and other operatic stages in the United States and Europe.  In recent years, she has performed with Andrea Bocelli where she typically sings one aria and then joins the tenor in four operatic duets. 

Saturday’s program at the Prager included works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Chopin, and Bernstein, as well as some Spanish and Puerto Rican pieces. The standouts of the evening were the Chopin Sarasate I Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2, and the concluding Bernstein West Side Story suite with outstanding performances by Montero, Bell and Martinez. 

Easton owes a debt of gratitude to the Prager Family for bringing these amazing artists to a truly outstanding venue. Thank you. 

Maria Grant was principal-in-charge of a federal human capital practice at an international consulting firm. While on the Eastern Shore, she focuses on writing, reading, piano, gardening, and nature.