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January 16, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

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News COVID-19

Talbot County Ready to Enter Vaccination Phase 1B on Monday, Jan. 18

January 16, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Dr. Maria Maguire, acting health officer for Talbot County, says the Talbot County Health Department is ready to move to Phase 1B on Jan. 18 following Gov. Larry Hogan’s announcement on Thursday that he was accelerating Maryland’s COVID-19 vaccination plan.

Phase 1B includes group homes and other congregate care facilities, continuity of government officials, high-risk incarcerated adults, people over 75 years old, and K-12 school staff. Healthcare workers and first responders were in Phase 1A.

Counties are allocated vaccines based on general population size, meaning counties may complete phases at different paces based on the demographics of their specific population.

Other counties may be in different phases than Talbot County due to having fewer individuals eligible for 1A and 1B in their population.

Many healthcare providers and seniors live and work in Talbot County, making the county’s 1A and 1B categories much larger than some of our surrounding counties.

“I am excited to hear the governor’s announcement about the state moving into Phase 1B, as Talbot is ready to do so next week,” Dr. Maguire says. “We have been limited only by the supply we’ve received.”

Talbot County residents 75 years of age and older must pre-register for their COVID-19 vaccinations on the Talbot County Health Department website at bit.ly/talbot-75. TCHD staff will then respond to individuals confirming receipt of the pre-registration and, when vaccine is available, instructions on how to register for a vaccine clinic.

TCHD also plans to set up a call center for residents to schedule vaccinations with updates announced through social media, on the TCHD and talbotcovid19.org webpages, and through public service announcements.

Wendy Sauca (right) and Sr. Airman Rachel Davis wait for their next patient during a recent vaccination clinic.

County Manager Clay Stamp is delighted that Talbot County’s vaccination plan is working effectively and that healthcare professionals now have a weapon against the COVID-19 virus. Talbot County is utilizing all available resources in order to distribute the vaccine as quickly and effective as possible. The Maryland National Guard was able to assist at the most recent vaccine clinic for healthcare providers.

“The vaccine is an offensive tool we can use to help bend the curve of the pandemic,” Stamp says. “This is a significant part of a broader operation to bring together the community through coordination with our emergency operations center team to support the health department, business community, and people of Talbot County.”

As of Tues., Jan. 12, TCHD had received 1,700 Moderna vaccinations. The health department requests vaccinations each week, and has been receiving on average 500 vaccinations per week. TCHD has administered 1,132 vaccinations to date.

For more information about Talbot County’s vaccination plan, visit TalbotCovid19.org.

Where to Find More Information:

CDC COVID-2019 Website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Talbot County COVID-19 Information: www.talbotcovid19.org

Shore Regional Health COVID Information: https://www.umms.org/shore/patients-
visitors/coronavirus

Maryland Department of Health Website: https://health.maryland.gov/pages/home.aspx

Talbot County Health Department Website: https://health.maryland.gov/talbotcounty/Pages/home.aspx

Maryland COVID-19 Website: https://governor.maryland.gov/coronavirus

Filed Under: COVID-19 Tagged With: 1A, 1B, coronavirus, Covid-19, phase, Talbot County, vaccination, vaccine

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 16

January 16, 2021 by John Griep Leave a Comment

Maryland added nearly 3,300 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 47 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.13%, a decrease of 0.17 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 19 days.

Key points for today

• Talbot County COVID-19 cases increased by 31 to 1,717, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 8.35%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 324,031, an increase of 3,292 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 47 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,369.

The Spy obtains information for this chart between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

* For Kent County deaths, The Spy reports its own tally based on the number of state-reported deaths within Kent County facilities and the number of non-facility deaths. For Queen Anne’s County deaths, The Spy reports the total deaths listed on the county’s website. There are discrepancies among state and county statistics concerning total deaths and facility deaths.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients decreased by 27 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,821 people hospitalized — 1,409 in acute care and 412 in intensive care.

• Of the 55,842 test results received yesterday, 7.02% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,408,323 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,705,207 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 324,031 cases, 29,412 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,451 have been released from isolation.

Filed Under: COVID-19 Tagged With: cases, coronavirus, Covid-19, deaths, hospitalizations, positivity rate

Longtime Md. Senate President Dies at 78

January 16, 2021 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., the longest serving state Senate president in Maryland history ― and in the United States ― died Friday afternoon at his home in Chesapeake Beach following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

The Miller family released the following statement shortly after 5 p.m.:

“At 4:25PM this afternoon, Maryland Senate President Emeritus Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr. passed away peacefully at his home, surrounded by loved ones. He was 78 years old.

“He’s survived by his wife, Patti, son Tommy, daughters, Amanda, Michelle, Melissa, and Melanie, sisters Susan, Cynthia, Melinda, Nancy, and Kim, brothers, Jonathan, David, and Mark, and his fifteen grandchildren, and was predeceased by his sister Judith.”

Miller was the oldest of 10 children, and began working at his family’s grocery and liquor store in Clinton when he was 10 years old. The store, B.K. Miller’s, which was started by his grandfather, remains to this day.

Miller was a University of Maryland graduate and remained a passionate booster of the College Park campus ― and its sports teams ― until his dying day. He also attended the University of Maryland Law School, hanging a shingle in Clinton and then in Dunkirk. His legal practice and influence, especially in Prince George’s County and Southern Maryland, grew exponentially as his political career blossomed.

Miller described his mother as a Franklin Roosevelt Democrat and his father as a conservative Republican, and his own political makeup seemed like a combination of the two.

After years as a political volunteer, his own extraordinary political career began in 1970 with his election to the Maryland House of Delegates from a district in southern Prince George’s County. Four years later, he was elected to the state Senate ― where he served until Dec. 23, 2020.

Miller rose quickly in Senate leadership, serving as chairman of the Judicial Proceedings Committee from 1983 to 1986. He became Senate president at the beginning of 1987, a post he held until the fall of 2019 ― serving alongside six governors and four House speakers, fighting with some more than others.

“It is impossible to think of the Maryland Senate and not think of Mike ― not just because of his historical longevity ― but because each member of the Senate has his or her own Mike story,” Sen. Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City), the man who succeeded Miller as Senate president in 2019, said in a statement. “Whether it’s the Senator who he quietly consoled through family matters, the Senator who he mentored to compromise and pass legislation, or those who experienced the personal care of Mike to truly listen to their concerns. There are thousands of former Senators, Delegates, staffers, and constituents in the 27th District that he has impacted for the better, and who each have their own Mike Miller story. I expect we’ll hear many of them in the days and weeks ahead, and I hope the public will listen and get a glimpse of the impact Mike made.”

‘A giant and a legend’

Miller was a man of his times and the political environment in which he grew up. He wasn’t an ideologue but shepherded through countless bills that impacted every aspect of life in Maryland. As times changed, he showed an uncanny ability to know where the Senate Democratic Caucus was and where it was headed.

Miller survived a coup attempt in 2000, engineered by Republicans and rogue Democrats, and his stature within his chamber was so powerful that the Senate’s new office building in Annapolis was named for him in 2001 ― even though he was still living and serving.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. and Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch at the State of the Judiciary speech in 2005. Maryland State Archives photo

Miller continued to wield enormous influence for the rest of his tenure as Senate president, serving in tandem with the late speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel), the longest-serving House speaker in Maryland history, from 2003 until Busch’s death in 2019. It was an unprecedented period of shared power and stability.

Busch’s successor, Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) paid tribute to Miller Friday evening.

“I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of my friend, colleague and trusted advisor, Senator Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.,” she said in a statement. “Mike was a giant and a legend, who served the people of Maryland for a half century. Anyone, anywhere with a sense of history or politics will know the name Mike Miller.

“I was fortunate to have received his counsel and advice when I became Speaker. He was as kind and generous as he was powerful: a combination that leads to a once-in-a-generation leader and statesman who we can all emulate. My thoughts and prayers are with Patti and his entire family. He will be sorely missed.”

Miller announced at the beginning of the 2019 session that he was suffering from stage 4 prostate cancer. He retained the gavel, but appeared weak at times ― though sound of mind. In the fall of 2019, he announced that he would step down as president.

After quickly securing the votes to succeed Miller, Ferguson announced that his predecessor would be given the title of Senate President Emeritus, along with certain privileges. Early last year, a portrait of Miller was hung in the Senate chamber, not far from where his new desk was.

As recently as early December, Miller expressed the hope that he could return to Annapolis for the 2021 session.

“I haven’t missed a meeting yet and I fully participate as I’m able to,” he said in an interview with Maryland Matters at the time. “I’m going to do what I do as long as my health says I can do it.”

But the physical pain became too great, and he announced on Dec. 23 that he would resign from the Senate immediately.

“Stepping down from the Senate was one of the most difficult decisions of Mike’s life,” Ferguson said. “He wanted to be with his colleagues serving the people of the 27th District, but the physical burden was too much to bear. So, Senator Miller ― demonstrating what he had preached so often ― stepped down to make sure his district could have the best representation possible. This may have seemed like a small sacrifice to the outside world, but anybody who knew Mike knew the decision did not come easy. It came only from love for the Senate, the State of Maryland, and its people.”

Miller’s Senate seat was just filled Wednesday, the first day of the General Assembly session, by former Del. Michael A. Jackson (D), a former Prince George’s County sheriff ― and the man Miller wanted to succeed him.

Bill Clinton pays tribute

Miller held close friendships with politicians in higher office ― he was close with former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ― but preferred his niche in the Senate, mentoring new lawmakers and overseeing the historical artifacts and exhibits in the State House complex.

Bill Clinton, who spoke at the Maryland State House twice during his presidency, met Miller at a legislative conference in the 1980s and later joked that when he realized how big Miller’s family was, he realized it would be politically beneficial to befriend him ahead of his 1992 White House bid.

Clinton also put in a surprise appearance in Annapolis in 2019, at a dinner for former Maryland senators, to pay tribute to his old friend, who had disclosed his cancer diagnosis just a few months earlier.

“As the longest-serving state senate leader in Maryland and US history, my friend Mike Miller had an amazing ability to get things done,” Clinton said in a tweet on Friday night. “He was also fiercely loyal. If he had your back, you never had to look over your shoulder. My thoughts are with Patti and the entire family.”

Republicans also treasured Miller’s friendship and guidance, even as they sparred with him politically.

“On behalf of our members, we offer our most sincere condolences and prayers to Mike Miller’s family, friends and loved ones,” Senate Minority Leader Bryan W. Simonaire (R-Anne Arundel) said Friday night. “We share their grief and immense sense of loss.

“Senate President Emeritus Mike Miller was larger than life. He was a master politician, statesman, avid student of history, mentor and friend. Even though we clashed and passionately disagreed on issues, there was never a doubt that he was doing what he thought was best for the people of Maryland.”

In a 2017 interview, Miller said he was unaware of a move to name the new Senate building in Annapolis after him as it was built and would have objected if given the chance. Nevertheless, he kept a framed resolution of the naming in his home.

A student of history and deeply sentimental, Miller’s home library was filled with more than 5,000 volumes, sorted by subject and historical era. It was nearly impossible to hold a conversation with Miller without escaping a history lesson.

But almost every conversation was also laced with levity and profanity.

Asked in 2017 if he ever wanted to write a book about his own life, Miller responded with trademark humor: “I do, except I know all the good, the bad and the ugly. Some of the ugly ― they’re still alive.”

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) ordered that all state flags be flown at half-staff in Miller’s honor, until the former senator’s internment.

“Maryland has lost one of its most revered leaders, and I have lost a dear lifelong friend,” said Hogan, who first met Miller in the 1960s.

“Serving the people of our great state was Mike Miller’s life’s work, and he did so with unrelenting passion and courage for a remarkable 50 years. Even as he waged a hard-fought battle with cancer, I was blessed to continue to benefit from Mike’s wisdom and trademark humor. He was, in every sense, a lion of the Senate.

“The First Lady and I extend our most heartfelt condolences to President Miller’s wife, Patti, their five children and 15 grandchildren, his Senate colleagues, and all who loved him.”

By Josh Kurtz and Danielle E. Gaines

Filed Under: Maryland News

Harris Announces AmeriCorps Senior Grants to First Congressional District

January 16, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., announced the award of four grants totaling $300,000 to organizations in the First Congressional District from AmeriCorps, a federal agency for volunteering and service.  Funds will be utilized to engage Americans 55 and older to help communities increase the capacity of local organizations by recruiting and managing other volunteers.  Nationwide, AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP engages 200,000 older adult volunteers, retired or not, who serve in diverse roles that may include combatting elder abuse and financial exploitation, opioid abuse/prevention, transportation services, intergenerational education, housing services and more.  Specific grant allocations are below:

  • Maintaining Active Citizens (Salisbury): $75,000
    • Serving Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, and Worcester Counties
  • Upper Shore Aging, Inc. (Chestertown): $225,000
    • Serving Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot Counties

Congressman Harris issued the following statement:

“As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, I am pleased to announce the award of these funds to volunteer organizations in my district.  Seniors spend countless hours dedicating their knowledge and talent to improving our communities and helping those in need.  The First Congressional District has a large senior population, and this funding will bolster their efforts in bettering our local communities.”

For media inquiries, please contact Congressman Harris’ Washington, DC office at 202-225-5311, or contact Walter Smoloski at Walter.Smoloski@mail.house.gov.

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: Maryland

Oxford Museum Now Accepting Nominations for the Annual Douglas Hanks Jr. Oxford Preservation Award

January 16, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

The Oxford Museum is now accepting nominations for the annual Douglas Hanks Jr. Oxford Preservation Award. The award was established in 2006 in memory of and in honor of Doug Hanks, a lifetime Oxford resident who cherished the unique history of his hometown. He lent his considerable energies to the exploration of Oxford’s history and the preservation of the town’s heritage. The award recognizes extraordinary efforts made by individuals or groups to further preserve the unique history and heritage of the town and its surrounding area.

Qualifying activities for the award are:

Restoration and Renovation Projects

Outstanding Service in Preservation

Stewardship

Lifetime Contributions

More Information about the award along with the nomination form are available on the museum’s website www.oxfordmuseum.org. All nominations must be received by April 30, 2021.  Mail to Doug Hanks Award Committee, c/o Oxford Museum, P.O. Box 131, Oxford, MD 21654.  The award will be presented at the annual meeting of the museum.

Filed Under: News Notes Tagged With: local news, The Talbot Spy

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 15

January 15, 2021 by John Griep Leave a Comment

Maryland added more than 2,900 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 45 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.3%, a decrease of 0.13 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 18 days.

Another Talbot County resident died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the county’s total to 15.

Key points for today

• Talbot County COVID-19 cases increased by 24 to 1,686, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 8.51%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 320,739, an increase of 2,924 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 45 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,322.

The Spy obtains information for this chart between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

* For Kent County deaths, The Spy reports its own tally based on the number of state-reported deaths within Kent County facilities and the number of non-facility deaths. For Queen Anne’s County deaths, The Spy reports the total deaths listed on the county’s website. There are discrepancies among state and county statistics concerning total deaths and facility deaths.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased by 5 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,848 people hospitalized — 1,427 in acute care and 421 in intensive care.

• Of the 54,416 test results received yesterday, 6.79% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,352,475 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,691,673 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 320,739 cases, 29,285 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,444 have been released from isolation.

Filed Under: COVID-19 Tagged With: cases, coronavirus, Covid-19, deaths, hospitalizations, positivity rate

Study Shows 50th Waterfowl Festival Will Be Important Part of Recovery

January 15, 2021 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

As the country, the state of Maryland and the Eastern Shore look forward to a smoother 2021, Waterfowl is gearing up to be a strong force in our region’s economic recovery. The newly released “Economic Impact and Quality of Life Study of the Waterfowl Festival”, developed from data collected at the 2019 event, shows that Festival visitors are especially loyal guests who fueled $2.6 million in economic impact for Talbot County.

This is a remarkable result for a once-a-year event of its size. If the past is prologue and with vaccines beginning to roll out, the report findings offer insights into what the region is likely to experience in November 2021 — a 50th Waterfowl Festival that is truly a once-in-a-century celebration and economic boon for the county.  

“Waterfowl Chesapeake commissioned this study to showcase the cultural and economic value of the Waterfowl Festival. We wanted to clearly demonstrate what this event means for our community and our region,” explains Executive Director, Margaret Enloe. “These studies are exhaustive and most non-profits don’t pursue them due to costs. So we are incredibly grateful that the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority recognized the importance of this work and provided grant funding needed to accomplish it. The quantitative and qualitative evidence here backs up what we knew in our hearts — that our celebration of wildlife art, sporting heritage and the Eastern Shore lifestyle is woven into the fabric of our region and our state.”  

The 2019 study of the three-day event revealed the Festival’s economic and cultural impact on the Town of Easton, Talbot County and beyond. More than 15,000 people are estimated to have attended the last Waterfowl Festival.  Of those people, the more than 6,000 visitors who travelled to the Shore spent nearly $3 million on various goods and services in Talbot County.  Just over one-third of their spending was on retail shopping, both at the Festival venues and at local businesses – an amount that is three times the industry average. The Festival itself adds half a million dollars in operating monies to the economy, just to create the annual event. 

The study was conducted by Rockport Analytics, an independent firm based in Annapolis, MD.  Rockport has a long-standing track record of creating credible assessments of economic impact for leading organizations in both the private and public sectors. Their analysts have conducted a multitude of event and attraction impacts including those for high profile events like the Super Bowl, the Pocono 500, and the Masters.

While understanding the economic figures is important, Waterfowl Festival’s deeply rooted history means that it also has an impact on quality of life and culture. To explore these connections, Rockport’s experts also conducted surveys of residents to gain a clearer picture of the Festival’s connection to the Talbot County community.  Survey results show that most residents:

  • Recognize the crucial role the event plays in keeping traditions alive and that 82% believe the Waterfowl Festival is “very important or essential” to celebrating and showcasing the local culture and heritage; 
  • Acknowledge the Festival’s ability to bring people together with 63% of resident attendees believing that it is “very important or essential” to uniting the community toward a common goal; and,
  • Believe that the Waterfowl Festival is “very important or essential” to igniting a sense of community pride. 

“Given everything we learned from this report and people’s pent-up eagerness to begin to enjoy the company of their friends and family,” says Festival President Kevin Greaney, “we believe that the 50th Festival in November 2021 will be an integral part of bolstering our local economy – perhaps even more than in past years since we suspect we’ll have more visitors to Talbot County than ever!” 

Other findings from the 2019 study:

  • The Waterfowl Festival itself infuses $496,000 in event-related operating expenses by vendors, exhibitors and event organizers into the Talbot County economy. 
  • Of the more than 15,120 attendees, 45% visited specifically for the Festival and came from more than 50 miles away; each visitor spent slightly more than $400 on average during their trip. 
  • Waterfowl visitors average retail spend of $138 is more than twice the spend of visitors to the County at other times. 
  • Visitors stayed an average of 2.1 nights with 41% visiting Easton for the day, while the remaining 59% stayed overnight in other hotels, rentals or with friends in the region. 
  • Festival-initiated activity supported a total of 48 jobs (predominantly in hospitality), which resulted in $1.6 million in wages paid in Talbot County. A large proportion of these wages ripple through the economy as workers spend their income on various goods and services throughout the local area.
  • Talbot County retained about 74 cents of every dollar spent locally by Festival visitors and organizers. 
  • The Waterfowl Festival generated enough state & local tax revenues to pay the salaries of 9 Talbot County teachers or educate 32 Talbot County public school students.
  • About 14 cents of every dollar spent by Festival visitors was retained as state or local tax revenue.
  • Visitor spending associated with the Festival generated an estimated $787,000 in tax receipts, including $357,000 in federal receipts and $429,000 at state and local levels. 
  • The event contributed roughly $29,000 in hotel taxes and nearly $6,000 in state and local taxes and fees. 

“Net Promoter Scores” (NPS) are critical measurements for understanding customer loyalty and satisfaction. On a scale of 100, scores in the 60s are considered very good for an event. Festival’s NPS scores were well above this threshold and actually were excellent across its variety of audiences. 

  • Those who visited to “[enjoy] the cultural heritage & traditions of the Chesapeake Bay & Maryland’s Eastern Shore” and “because attending is a family tradition” both had NPS scores of 86. 
  • Repeat Visitors to Talbot County have an NPS of 83. First-time visitors to Talbot County had slightly higher NPS scores than repeat visitors at 86 vs 83 respectively. 
  • Of visitors who stayed overnight, those staying in Easton had one of the highest NPS scores at 90. 
  • The overall NPS for Talbot County Residents is 62 and the score for visitors is 74.

Rockport Analytics used the IMPLAN (or “impact analysis for planning”) modeling system that draws from the most extensive economic database available while allowing for the input of detailed and relevant local data, thereby generating a detailed analysis of Festival related spending and its local economic benefits. The IMPLAN software is the industry standard that has been used by government agencies, academia, and leading researchers for more than 40 years to carry out economic impact studies.

“Over our history, Waterfowl has invested nearly $4 million in habitat conservation, more than $1.2 million in education, and more than $26,000 in wildlife research initiatives,” says Enloe. “In 2020 we worked to support our community, our artists and Waterfowl stakeholders with new programming like CommUNITY Day, which offered local residents a way to be together without coming together. We also dove into the virtual world, creating the Festival’s first Virtual Art gallery, a program that continues to successfully connect art lovers to the finest of waterfowl and wildlife artists. As we begin 2021, we can’t wait for the 50th Festival, when our guests and devoted friends can once again flock to Easton to celebrate our shared love for the fall and the bird life it brings to the Chesapeake Bay region.”

 

Filed Under: News Homepage, News Portal Highlights

“Move Talbot’s Confederate Monument” Signs Appear in Easton

January 15, 2021 by Spy Desk 5 Comments

The signs of change are everywhere, and they say “Move Talbot’s Confederate Monument.”

More than 100 properties in Easton are displaying these yellow and black signs, part of a project launched on New Year’s Day by  Move the Monument Coalition.

 “I wanted a yard sign because I never want there to be a doubt on where I stand, or which way my moral compass is pointing,” Easton resident Jazzmine Davis said.  “Now more than ever, we must stand firm and on the right side of history.”

The coalition seeks to move the Confederate monument from the Talbot County Courthouse lawn. Dedicated in 1916 during the Jim Crow era, the statue is part of Talbot County’s history –but not one that should be memorialized next to the courthouse, the symbol of liberty and justice, the coalition maintains.

The coalition supports preserving history but believes the full history needs to be told of what the statue of the so-called Talbot Boy–holding a Confederate flag–represents.

“Anyone doubting the toxic residue of Talbot’s Confederate monument need only look at pictures of marauders storming the Capitol last week carrying Confederate flags,” coalition leader Denice Lombard said.

With the overwhelming  success throughout downtown Easton, the coalition has already ordered more signs and is working to fulfill requests to spread them countywide.

Organizers are looking for people from neighborhoods throughout the county to serve as recruitment captains to help with sign distribution.  Anyone interested in obtaining a sign or volunteering on behalf of the project  should email movethemonumenttc@gmail.com and be sure to like and follow the coalition on Facebook and Instagram.

Filed Under: News Notes

More Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccines by Monday, Hogan Says

January 15, 2021 by Maryland Matters Leave a Comment

Teachers, child-care workers, people 75 and older, and members of various high-risk groups will become eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) announced.

In expanding from Phase 1A into Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination campaign, an additional 860,000 people will be allowed access to the vaccine, according to the Maryland Department of Health’s website.

But Hogan, speaking at a news conference Thursday evening, cautioned that Maryland is currently using more doses each day than it is receiving from the federal government — and unless the flow increases soon, the state will run out.

“On Monday, Jan. 18, eligible groups will be expanded statewide to include all Marylanders 75 and over, as well as anyone of any age, living in assisted living or independent living facilities, and developmental disabilities and behavioral health group homes,” he said.

In addition to K-12 teachers, support staff and child-care providers, Phase 1B includes high-risk incarcerated individuals and elected officials.

Under state activation of Part B of the federal government’s contract with CVS and Walgreens, residents of assisted living and all other long-term care facilities will be able to get vaccinated by those pharmacies, Hogan said.

The state is setting up a new website, covidvax.maryland.gov, where people can get information about vaccination opportunities in their communities and sign up. Vaccinations will be by appointment only.

As of Thursday, Maryland had vaccinated 2.95 of every 100 residents, a rate below neighboring Delaware (3.18%), Pennsylvania (3.01%), D.C. (4.68%) and West Virginia (6.54%), according to a Bloomberg tracking site.

Maryland has used approximately a third of the 547,000 doses it has received. Only ten states and Puerto Rico have made use of a smaller percentage of its on-hand supply.

To help boost the state’s efforts, Hogan announced a pilot program at 10 Wal-Marts and 22 Giant supermarkets to administer vaccines beginning on Jan. 25.

Hogan said the state’s rollout has been hampered by logistical hurdles and a refusal by some nursing home residents and others to get vaccinated. He said that no doses will go to waste.

He and Rona Kramer, Maryland’s Secretary of Aging, stressed that the vaccines have been thoroughly vetted and are safe and effective. People with older relatives or friends were urged to help them locate a vaccination clinic in their area.

“There is no need for anyone in a long-term care facility to leave the facility in order to obtain the vaccine,” she said. “The vaccines will come to you through the CVS or Walgreens’ vaccination teams.”

Although Maryland is preparing to expand into Phase 1B of its vaccination campaign, efforts to reach people in Phase 1A — health-care workers, first responders, nursing home residents and staff, and others deemed at risk — will continue, Hogan said.

The state will continue to assist in any way possible, he added, and he again urged residents to be patient.

“The number of people just in Phase 1 of our plan is 1.5 million people, and they need two doses, so that’s three million doses,” he said. “This is going to take a long time, a great deal of patience and a lot more vaccines.”

By Bruce DePuyt

Filed Under: Maryland News Tagged With: coronavirus, Covid-19, Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland, vaccination, vaccines

Spy COVID-19 Daily Update Jan. 14

January 14, 2021 by John Griep 1 Comment

Maryland added more than 2,900 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and 44 additional deaths.

The state’s 7-day positivity rate is 8.43%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points. The rate has been above 8% for 17 days.

Key points for today

• Talbot County COVID-19 cases increased by 20 to 1,662, according to the county health department.

• The county’s 7-day average positivity rate is 9.31%.

• The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Maryland is now at 317,815, an increase of 2,948 in the last 24 hours.

• In the last 24 hours, 44 people died as a result of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,277.

The Spy obtains information for this chart between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Statewide data is updated about 10 a.m. each day; counties may update data throughout the day until 5 p.m. Johns Hopkins updates its data throughout the day.

* For Kent County deaths, The Spy reports its own tally based on the number of state-reported deaths within Kent County facilities and the number of non-facility deaths. For Queen Anne’s County deaths, The Spy reports the total deaths listed on the county’s website. There are discrepancies among state and county statistics concerning total deaths and facility deaths.

Key metrics

• The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients decreased by 86 over the last 24 hours.

• There currently are 1,843 people hospitalized — 1,418 in acute care and 425 in intensive care.

• Of the 43,826 test results received yesterday, 8.24% were positive.

For additional COVID-19 graphics and links to resources, click here.

Md. Hospital Capacity and Beds in Use

Additional information

• A total of 6,298,178 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Maryland; this number does not represent the total number of patients tested as some patients have been tested multiple times. The state reports 2,679,345 people have tested negative.

• Of the state’s 317,815 cases, 29,123 patients have ever been hospitalized for treatment; 9,443 have been released from isolation.

Filed Under: COVID-19 Tagged With: cases, coronavirus, Covid-19, deaths, hospitalizations, positivity rate

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